cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Convolution-Based Edge Detection for Image/Video in Block DCT Domain

Abstract This paper presents a scheme for performing convolution operation directly on compressed images without decompressing them first. The use of such a scheme is demonstrated and discussed by showing the implementation of the Laplacian-of-Gaussian operator for edge detection. We present a complete evaluation of the different parameters involved in this process and show edge detection results on several real images through our proposed scheme. In each case, it is shown that the proposed scheme of directly performing convolution on the compressed data leads to not only a significant computation speedup but also yields better edges.
Time-domain boundary element analysis of dynamic near-tip fields for impact-loaded collinear cracks

Abstract A time-domain boundary integral equation method has been developed to calculate elastodynamic fields generated by the incidence of stress (or displacement) pulses on single cracks and systems of two collinear cracks. The system of boundary integral equations has been cast in a form which is amenable to solution by the boundary element method in conjunction with a time-stepping technique. Particular attention has been devoted to dynamic overshoots of the stress intensity factors. Elastodynamic stress intensity factors for pulse incidence on a single crack have been computed as function of time, and they have been compared with results of other authors. For collinear macrocrack-microcrack configurations the stress intensity factors at both tips of the macrocrack have been computed as functions of time for various values of the crack spacing and the relative size of the microcrack.
Secondary School, Family, and Educational Risk: Comparing American Indian Adolescents and Their Peers

Abstract Adolescent self-reports of family connectedness, educational commitment, and education-related risktaking behavior were examined from a sample of over 6,000 public school students, with a focus on American Indians. Findings indicate that low family connectedness is associated with decreased educational commitment and an increased risk of absenteeism, substance use before and during school hours, and the purchase of alcohol or drugs on campus. American Indian youth report lower levels of connectedness to family and poorer educational performance than African American and Caucasian peers and engage in higher rates of risk taking. American Indian adolescents residing outside of the reservation may be vulnerable to increased familial stress and encounter cultural conflicts in mainstream educational settings.
Design, verification and applications of a new read-write lock algorithm

Coordination and synchronization of parallel tasks is a major source of complexity in parallel programming. These constructs take many forms in practice including directed barrier and point-to-point synchronizations, termination detection of child tasks, and mutual exclusion in accesses to shared resources.A read-write lock is a synchronization primitive that supports mutual exclusion in cases when multiple reader threads are permitted to enter a critical section concurrently (read-lock), but only a single writer thread is permitted in the critical section (write-lock). Although support for reader threads increases ideal parallelism, the read-lock functionality typically requires additional mechanisms, including expensive atomic operations, to handle multiple readers. It is not uncommon to encounter cases in practice where the overhead to support read-lock operations overshadows the benefits of concurrent read accesses, especially for small critical sections.In this paper, we introduce a new read-write lock algorithm that reduces this overhead compared to past work. The correctness of the algorithm, including deadlock freedom, is established by using the Java Pathfinder model checker. We also show how the read-write lock primitive can be used to support high-level language constructs such as object-level isolation in Habanero-Java (HJ).Experimental results for a read-write microbenchmark and a concurrent SortedLinkedList benchmark demonstrate that a Java-based implementation of the proposed read-write lock algorithm delivers higher scalability on multiple platforms than existing read-write lock implementations, including ReentrantReadWriteLock from the java.util.concurrent library.
The Problem of Cancer Dormancy: Understanding the Basic Mechanisms and Identifying Therapeutic Opportunities

The hiatus observed in the progression of cancer after diagnosis and treatment in a large proportion of patients has led to the notion that a state of cancer dormancy must exist during tumor progression. However, research on this stage of cancer has been limited due to the lack of appropriate models and clinical correlates. Fortunately, the last decade has seen the development of new cancer dormancy models, whole animal and intravital imaging techniques and the molecular characterization of minimal residual disease. These studies enabled researchers to reveal intriguing mechanisms and molecular determinants that define tumor dormancy. It is imperative to understand the basic mechanisms of dormancy, as this will accelerate the development of new markers of progression and novel therapeutic opportunities to induce dormancy and/or eradicate dormant disease. This issue of Cell Cycle includes a "Spotlight on Cancer Dormancy" highlighting major contributions to the field of cancer dormancy from basic and clinical studies. We anticipate that this will initiate a forum of discussion on the problem of cancer dormancy and stimulate investigators to study this rather unexplored but undeniably relevant clinical stage of cancer progression.
Gender differences in recovery from posttraumatic stress disorder: A critical review

Men and women are exposed differentially to violence and trauma. Epidemiological study has further indicated that trauma exposure can result in disparate rates of resultant psychopathology according to gender. In particular, gender differences consistently emerge in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the most common psychiatric diagnosis secondary to violence and other traumatic events. Despite robust findings regarding gender differences in the development of PTSD, research regarding gender differences in the recovery from PTSD has been relatively understudied. This paper seeks to assess the current state of the literature regarding gender differences in response to treatment and identify directions for future research. We reviewed the extant treatment outcome studies of PTSD to identify all studies that reported gender comparisons in treatment outcome across primary measures of PTSD symptoms, secondary outcomes of treatment, and rates of treatment attrition. The limitations of the current literature are discussed with a focus on implications for future research.
Synthesis and thermal properties of mesomorphic 1,1′-bis[ω-(4′-cyano-4-biphenyloxy)alkyl] ferrocenes

Abstract A new series of 1,1′-disubstituted ferrocene compounds of the type [(η5-C5H4(CH2) n OC6H4C6H4CN]2Fe (3a–d, n = 5, 6, 8, 11) incorporating a variable length alkyloxy cyanobiphenyl unit has been prepared and their mesomorphic properties have been investigated. Compounds 3b, c and d exhibit a thermotropic smectic C phase and 3c also exhibits a monotropic smectic A phase over a fairly wide range near ambient temperature.
Chimeric Liquid Crystallinity: Noncovalent Association of DNA and Bacterial Levan

The liquid-crystalline phase of cell-free and nominally pure bacterial levan in water is shown to depend on the presence of DNA. The necessary concentrations of DNA are 2 orders of magnitude lower than those needed to stabilize a mesophase in aqueous solutions of DNA on its own and are similarly small in comparison to the number concentration of the globular levan molecules. A partial phase diagram for liquid crystallinity in the ternary system water/levan/DNA is mapped out. A model is proposed in which the levan and DNA associate noncovalently, to produce supramolecular, rodlike aggregates. The term “chimeric liquid crystal” is coined to denote a mesophase based on such rods assembled from otherwise unrelated molecular species. The model can account for several characteristics of the liquid-crystalline phase of bacterial levan, including the unexpected observation that liquid crystal phase formation is accompanied by a continuous increase in viscosity.
Chemical nature of encapsulant-semiconductor interface after rapid thermal annealing for InP MISFETs

ABSTRACTThe chemical nature of the encapsulant- indium phosphide interfacebefore and after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was investigated usingX -ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Rapid thermal annealing wasinvestigated for ion implanted indium phosphide (InP) metal- insulator-semiconductor field- effect transistor (MISFET) fabrication. Siliconnitride films were used to encapsulate InP for RTA at 700 to 800 C for 10 to 60 sec in pure N2 or H2. The chemical nature of theencapsulant -InP interactions was examined using a sequence of high - resolution X -ray photoelectron spectra at four depths through theinterfacial region for the In 3d5/2, P 2p, N is, Si 2p, and O is peaks. The possible interfacial native oxides observed from the In 3d5/2 peak were In -O -H compounds such as In(OH)3, InO -OH, or In02. No InPO4 was observed in the P 2p peak. The N is peak had a componentconsistent with N -H or N -N bonding in which the area decreased by 42to 100% after RTA. Changes in the width of the silicon oxy- nitride
Inner filter effects and their interferences in the interpretation of culture fluorescence

Inner filter effects and their interferences in the measurement and interpretation of culture fluorescence are discussed. An approximate light intensity model for a typical open-ended culture fluorescence measuring device is developed for calculating the fluorescence response of a component of interest in a general three component solution. The model is tested using well de fined synthetic fluorescent systems. The model is then extended for correlating culture fluorescence with cell density and metabolic state of microbial cultures based on a lumping approximation. The extended model has been utilized to derive culture fluorescence parameters of yeast culture at three distinct metabolic states.
The Jefferson Company, 1830–1845

In a seminal article entitled “The Development of Theatre on the American Frontier, 1750–1890,” published in the May, 1978, issue of Theatre Survey , Douglas McDermott began synthesizing information about the nineteenth-century American theatre available in books, journals, theses, dissertations, and unpublished primary sources. His thesis of a three-phase development of American frontier theatre—consisting of small and strolling troupes, then standard repertory companies in small towns, and finally resident urban companies—must now be tested and modified by detailed examinations of particular stars, families, and companies touring in provincial America. This study of the Jefferson company corrects, supports, and expands McDermott's theory with evidence about one group of American actors who trouped, in various combinations, through the East, Mid-West, and South from 1830 to 1845.
Variability in Chemical Vapor Deposited Zinc Sulfide: Assessment of Legacy and International CVD ZnS Materials

Samples of CVD ZnS from the United States, Germany, Israel, and China were evaluated using x-ray diffraction, transmission and Raman spectroscopy, and biaxial flexure testing. Visible and near-infrared scattering, 6 μm absorption, and ultraviolet cut-on edge varied substantially in tested materials. Transmission cut-on (ultraviolet edge) blue-shifts with annealing and correlates with visible color but not the 6 μm absorption. Raman scattering for CVD ZnS, presented here for the first time, was similar for all ZnS tested. Crystallographic hexagonality and texture was determined and correlated qualitatively with optical scattering. All CVD ZnS tested with biaxial flexure exhibit similar fracture strength values and Weibull moduli. This survey suggests that despite over 30 years of production as an infrared window, the optical properties of CVD ZnS and their variability still defy easy explanation.
REAL EDUCATION IN NON-REAL TIME: THE USE OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGE SYSTEMS FOR INSTRUCTION

Education in different communication media takes place with functional differences that have consequences for the course of instructional interaction. In this paper, we examine instructional interaction among people using a computer-based electronic message system, contrasting it with conventional face-to-face discussion in a college level class. Interaction via the non-real time message system contained multiple “threads of discourse,” a higher proportion of student turns to teacher turns, and other deviations from the “initiation-response-evaluation” sequences usually found in face-to-face classroom interactions. Based on the results of our contrast, we describe ways to organize instruction using electronic message systems to take advantage of new properties and to avoid shortcomings of these new instructional media.
Crawling from soft to stiff matrix polarizes the cytoskeleton and phosphoregulates myosin-II heavy chain

On rigid surfaces, the cytoskeleton of migrating cells is polarized, but tissue matrix is normally soft. We show that nonmuscle MIIB (myosin-IIB) is unpolarized in cells on soft matrix in 2D and also within soft 3D collagen, with rearward polarization of MIIB emerging only as cells migrate from soft to stiff matrix. Durotaxis is the tendency of cells to crawl from soft to stiff matrix, and durotaxis of primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) proved more sensitive to MIIB than to the more abundant and persistently unpolarized nonmuscle MIIA (myosin-IIA). However, MIIA has a key upstream role: in cells on soft matrix, MIIA appeared diffuse and mobile, whereas on stiff matrix, MIIA was strongly assembled in oriented stress fibers that MIIB then polarized. The difference was caused in part by elevated phospho-S1943–MIIA in MSCs on soft matrix, with site-specific mutants revealing the importance of phosphomoderated assembly of MIIA. Polarization is thus shown to be a highly regulated compass for mechanosensitive migration.
The Caudal Skeleton of the Zebrafish, Danio rerio, from a Phylogenetic Perspective: A Polyural Interpretation of Homologous Structures

The structure of the caudal skeleton of extant teleost fishes has been interpreted in two different ways. In a diural interpretation, a caudal skeleton is composed of two centra articulated with one to six hypurals. Most subsequent authors have followed this interpretation. In contrast, a polyural interpretation considers the teleost fin to be derived from a fully metameristic ancestral bauplan originally composed of a one-to-one relationship between neural arches, centra (when present), and hypurals. Three different interpretations of the identity and homology of skeletal components of the caudal skeleton of the teleost fish Danio rerio have been proposed, two from a diural perspective and one from a polyural perspective. We examine each caudal skeletal component of Danio rerio from both a developmental and phylogenetic perspective. We propose that a polyural interpretation of structures is consistent with the current interpretation of the basal neopterygian caudal fin for this model organism rather than...
Trail of bytes: efficient support for forensic analysis

For the most part, forensic analysis of computer systems requires that one first identify suspicious objects or events, and then examine them in enough detail to form a hypothesis as to their cause and effect. Sadly, while our ability to gather vast amounts of data has improved significantly over the past two decades, it is all too often the case that we tend to lack detailed information just when we need it the most. Simply put, the current state of computer forensics leaves much to be desired. In this paper, we attempt to improve on the state of the art by providing a forensic platform that transparently monitors and records data access events within a virtualized environment using only the abstractions exposed by the hypervisor. Our approach monitors accesses to objects on disk and follows the causal chain of these accesses across processes, even after the objects are copied into memory. Our forensic layer records these transactions in a version-based audit log that allows for faithful, and efficient, reconstruction of the recorded events and the changes they induced. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we provide an extensive empirical evaluation, including a real-world case study demonstrating how our platform can be used to reconstruct valuable information about the what, when, and how, after a compromised has been detected.
Surface Impedance Measurements of Single Crystal MgB2 Films for Radiofrequency Superconductivity Applications

We report microstructure analyses and superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) measurements of macroscopic scale epitaxial MgB2 films. MgB2 films on 5 cm diameter sapphire disks were fabricated by a hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) technique. The electron-beam backscattering diffraction (EBSD) results suggest that the film is a single crystal complying with a MgB2(0001)∥ Al2O3(0001) epitaxial relationship. The SRF properties of different film thicknesses (200 and 350 nm) were evaluated under different temperatures and applied fields at 7.4 GHz. A surface resistance of 9 ± 2 μΩ has been observed at 2.2 K.
Multiple description coding via scaling-rotation transform

We propose a two-stage transform design technique for multiple description transform coding. The first stage is the structure design in which we enforce a scaling-rotation factorization of the transform and we further constrain the transform for specific channel conditions using the knowledge of the input correlation matrix and the desired output correlation matrix. In the second stage, magnitude design, we find the optimal transform from all admissible transforms given by the structure design using the numerical algorithm proposed by Goyal et al. (see Proc. of IEEE Data Compression Conference, 1998). Such a design enables a structured transform framework which reduces both the design and implementation complexities compared to an exhaustive search through the whole space of nonorthogonal transforms. We give two examples to illustrate the design idea, the scaling-Hadamard transform for equal rate channels and the scaling-DST transform for sequential protection channels.
A review of the South American species of Esenbeckia subgenus Esenbeckia (Diptera: Tabanidae).

Summary A key, descriptions, and discussion are given for the 52 South American species and subspecies of Esenbeckia (Esenbeckia). Ten of the above are new to science; E. accincta (Ecuador), E. bassleri (Peru), E. cisandeana (Colombia, Peru, ?Chile), E. dressleri (Ecuador), E. erebea (Bolivia), E. laticlava (Ecuador), E. pechumani (Peru), E. perspicua (Brazil), E. wygodzinsky (Peru), and E. xanthoskela (Peru, Ecuador). E. illota which was considered to be the nominate species of a group of forms is separated as distinct while E. osornoi is now considered the nominate species of guianense, meridionale, and planaltina. The 8 species of the ‘lugubris’ group are, in addition, represented in a separate key.
High technology transfer and computer education: Lessons drawn from the case of a developing country

Argentina is a developing country which at present is faced with the advent of high technology and the computer age. In Argentina, like for that matter elsewhere, technology is outrunning our capability to understand it and to take full advantage of its potential.
A Hallen-type integral equation for symmetric scattering from lossy circular disks

A rigorous technique is presented for calculating the current induced on a thin lossy disk by rotationally symmetric sources, and the resulting scattered field. A Hallen-type integral equation is developed for the current using the magnetic vector potential, and it is solved by the method of moments. It is shown that the diffraction lobes usually associated with radiation above a finite circular ground plane can be reduced dramatically by the addition of loss. Application to a quarter-wave monopole radiating above a finite circular perfectly conducting ground plane shows good agreement with experiment. >
Experimental Investigation of the Crossflow Instability in Moderate Freestream Turbulence

The crossflow instability that arises in swept-wing boundary layers is sensitive to freestream turbulence and surface roughness. Although the effects of these disturbance sources comprise a wide body of existing research, there has been little work focusing on low to moderate levels of freestream turbulence (0.02% to 0.2%). Comparison of the results from low-turbulence wind tunnels suggests that freestream turbulence in this range may play a role beyond traveling mode initiation. Development of the stationary crossflow mode in moderate levels of freestream turbulence is measured in the boundary layer of a 45-degree swept wing. Compared with the baseline turbulence level of 0.02%, a reduction in the stationary disturbance amplitudes is observed for turbulence intensities as low as 0.05%. The uncertainties in these measurements are estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation approach.
Do perceived barriers and benefits vary by mammography stage

Abstract We investigated whether perceived barriers and benefits varied by stage of considering mammography. A total of 1,093 university employees completed questionnaires measuring constructs from the Transtheoretical and Health Belief Models. Action/Maintainers (the referent category) generally differed from Contemplators and Relapsers in perceived barriers and from Precontemplators and Contemplators in perceived benefits. Compared to Action/Maintainers, Relapsers were more likely to agree that mammograms take too much time; Contemplators and Relapsers were more likely to agree that mammograms are inconvenient, embarrassing, too costly, and hard to remember; and Precontemplators and Contemplators were less likely to agree that mammograms are painful. Lack of physician recommendation revealed the largest differences by stage (Precontemplators' odds ratios = 20.8, Contemplators' = 8.27, and Relapsers' = 4.05). For benefits, Precontemplators and Contemplators were less likely to agree that mammograms help ...
Exposure to immunization media messages among African American parents.

Abstract Background . African Americans have low immunization rates, yet little is known about their immunization knowledge, attitudes, and practices or about the effect of outreach to this audience. In Spring 1997, the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) launched a statewide culturally sensitive and ethnically specific media campaign directed toward African Americans. This campaign was preceded by a major Los Angeles County Department of Health Services media campaign. Objectives . The objectives of this study were to (a) estimate exposure to immunization media messages among African Americans; (b) determine sources of immunization information; and (c) assess various immunization attitudes and beliefs in order to refine future outreach efforts. Methods . Following the CDHS media campaign, a random digit dial survey was conducted with 801 African American families with children under age 10. The sample was drawn from the four California regions with the highest African American birth rates. It included all zip codes in these regions with greater than 150 African American births per year. Lower bound response rates ranged from 62.5 to 76.1%. Higher income and education levels were overrepresented. Results were weighted to adjust for this. Results . Over 88% remembered seeing or hearing some form of immunization information. Exposure to television ads was reported by 63% followed by billboards (51%) and radio (42%). Sixty-two percent thought mild disease was possible after shots; 27% feared HIV from needles and 19% thought pain was a barrier. Respondents who cited money as a barrier (26%) were less likely to believe that shots were available for free ( P = 0.02). Conclusions . Media advertising is an effective tool for reaching African Americans. Addressing specific concerns (e.g., clarification of the circumstances and likelihood of getting a mild case of the disease following an immunization, availability of free shots, and risk of HIV) may contribute to increased immunization rates for this population.
p300 Acetyltransferase Regulates Androgen Receptor Degradation and PTEN-Deficient Prostate Tumorigenesis

Overexpression of the histone acetyltransferase p300 is implicated in the proliferation and progression of prostate cancer (PCa), but evidence of a causal role is lacking. In this study, we provide genetic evidence that this generic transcriptional co-activator functions as a positive modifier of prostate tumorigenesis. In a mouse model of PTEN deletion-induced prostate cancer, genetic ablation of p300 attenuated expression of the androgen receptor (AR). This finding was confirmed in human PCa cells where PTEN expression was abolished by RNAi-mediated attenuation. These results were consistent with clinical evidence that the expression of p300 and AR correlate positively in human PCa specimens. Mechanistically, PTEN inactivation increased AR phosphorylation at serine 81 (Ser81) to promote p300 binding and acetylation of AR, thereby precluding its polyubiquitination and degradation. In support of these findings, in PTEN-deficient PCa in the mouse we found that p300 was crucial for AR target gene expression. Taken together, our work identifies p300 as a molecular determinant of AR degradation and highlight p300 as a candidate target to manage PCa, especially in cases marked by PTEN loss.
Multivariate Refutation of Aetiological Hypotheses in Non-Experimental Epidemiology

Extension of Karl Popper's logic of refutation from the realm of contingency tables to multivariate modelling leads to the conclusion that rigorously scientific multivariate analysis in non-experimental epidemiology differs from the traditional quasi-scientific approach. Instead of aiming for high sensitivity in detecting aetiological agents, the goal in refutation is high specificity--to give the best defence of the 'innocence' of every exposure hypothesized as being a cause. Instead of 'forward selection' or 'backward elimination', multivariate refutation uses the method of 'forward elimination'. This entails a likelihood approach (which may be complemented by, but should be demarcated from, Bayesian methods) not only for statistical inference but also, by analogy, for study design and conduct: one starts with the conclusion (the estimate or hypothesis) and works backwards to the observations (the likelihood of the data or the design of the study). Differences in practice can sometimes be large, as illustrated by a study of hypothesized triggers of myocardial infarction. Multivariate refutation should replace the concept of multivariate modelling in non-experimental epidemiology.
Microscopic and semimicroscopic calculations of electrostatic energies in proteins by the POLARIS and ENZYMIX programs

Different microscopic and semimicroscopic approaches for calculations of electrostatic energies in macromolecules are examined. This includes the Protein Dipoles Langevin Dipoles (PDLD) method, the semimicroscopic PDLD (PDLD/S) method, and a free energy perturbation (FEP) method. The incorporation of these approaches in the POLARIS and ENZYMIX modules of the MOLARIS package is described in detail. The PDLD electrostatic calculations are augmented by estimates of the relevant hydrophobic and steric contributions, as well as the effects of the ionic strength and external pH. Determination of the hydrophobic energy involves an approach that considers the modification of the effective surface area of the solute by local field effects. The steric contributions are analyzed in terms of the corresponding reorganization energies. Ionic strength effects are studied by modeling the ionic environment around the given system using a grid of residual charges and evaluating the relevant interaction using Coulomb's law with the dielectric constant of water. The performance of the FEP calculations is significantly enhanced by using special boundary conditions and evaluating the long-range electrostatic contributions using the Local Reaction Field (LRF) model. A diverse set of electrostatic effects are examined, including the solvation energies of charges in proteins and solutions, energetics of ion pairs in proteins and solutions, interaction between surface charges in proteins, and effect of ionic strength on such interactions, as well as electrostatic contributions to binding and catalysis in solvated proteins. Encouraging results are obtained by the microscopic and semimicroscopic approaches and the problems associated with some macroscopic models are illustrated. The PDLD and PDLD/S methods appear to be much faster than the FEP approach and still give reasonable results. In particular, the speed and simplicity of the PDLD/S method make it an effective strategy for calculations of electrostatic free energies in interactive docking studies. Nevertheless, comparing the results of the three approaches can provide a useful estimate of the accuracy of the calculated energies. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Petrography of a Carbonate Transgressive-Regressive Sequence: The Bird Spring Group (Pennsylvanian), Arrow Canyon Range, Clark County, Nevada

A stratigraphic interval of 1846 feet belonging to the Lower and Middle Bird Spring Group and ranging from Lower Morrowan to Lower Missourian has been investigated petrographically in order to unravel the cyclic sedimentation of this miogeosynclinal limestone sequence. More than 2095 samples collected at an average interval of 10 inches were divided into eleven microfacies, given here in order of decreasing relative depth of deposition or increasing energy level: an almost pure calcisiltite (microfacies 0), a calcisiltite with scattered sand-size organic debris (microfacies 1), a calcisiltite with abundant scattered sand-size organic debris (microfacies 2), a grain-supported biocalcarenite with calcisiltite matrix (microfacies 3), a grain-supported biocalcarenite with clear calcite cement (microfacies 4), and a grain-supported oolitic biocalcarenite with clear calcite cement (microfacies 5). Microfacies designated as 0a, 1a, 2a, 3a and 4a are the detrital quartz-rich equivalents of microfacies 0 to 4 and include rocks with more than 10 percent of detrital quartz. The following microscopic parameters were measured: frequency and clasticity of crinoid fragments, oolites, pellets (fecal, lithic and algal coated) and detrital quartz; frequency of debris of brachiopods and bryozoans, ostracodes, calcispheres, arenaceous benthonic foraminifers and pyrite. These data, together with symbols representing many other minor components were plotted alongside the columnar section as variation curves showing the stratigraphic behavior of the parameters. A combination of these measurements with the above textural classification of the microfacies led to the drafting of a relative bathymetric curve (expressing in this environment also the energy level) which represents the final interpretation of the oscillations in energy level and related water depth during deposition. A total of 78 complete cycles were recognized. They are variants of 3 fundamental ideal cycles (or statistically most frequent successions of microfacies) established on the basis of the average values of all the measured parameters. Two of these ideal cycles characterize the Morrowan which consists of 46 cycles with features expressing a gradual transgression. A massive inflow of fine detrital quartz coincides with the deepest phase of the transgression. The third type of ideal cycle is typical of the Atokan-DesMoinesian-Missourian interval which consists of 32 cycles with features indicating a gradual regression. Therefore the investigated sequence is a complete major geological cycle of transgression and regression.
Transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) of occult choroidal neovascularization: a retrospective, noncomparative case series of fifty-seven eyes.

Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) for the treatment of occult choroidal neovascularization. Methods. A retrospective, noncomparative case series of 57 eyes of 52 patients who presented with occult subfoveal CNV and were treated with TTT. Results. 83% of eyes were either stable (+/− one line) or showed improvement in visual acuity. 83% of eyes showed stabilization of their exudative process after one TTT treatment as evidenced by resorption of subretinal and/or intraretinal exudate or hemorrhage. Nine percent of eyes developed classic CNV during the mean follow-up time of ten months. Conclusions. TTT appears to stabilize the exudative process in eyes with occult CNV. A prospective, sham-controlled, randomized study (TTT4CNV Clinical Trial) is currently underway to directly compare TTT to the natural history of occult CNV
A Comparison of Two Brands of Clopidogrel in Patients With Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

Background and Objectives Although generic clopidogrel is widely used, clinical efficacy and safety between generic and original clopidogrel had not been well evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of 2 oral formulations of clopidogrel 75 mg tablets in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.
Transmittance and Dielectric Permittivity Measurements of Pesticide at Millimeter Waves

This study investigates the transmittance, phase difference and real permittivity data of pesticide. Pesticide is very similar to bacillus anthracis, known to cause anthrax and its dielectric information could be used for the detection of explosive powders. Dispersive Fourier Transform Spectroscopy was employed to conduct the measurements from 90 to 650 GHz. The transmittance and phase difference values of pesticide specimens with three distinct densities are presented. Greatest transmittance and real permittivity values are recorded at the lowest density whereas; phase difference values decrease with increasing density. Dielectric properties; namely absorption coefficient and loss tangent, are also provided for pesticide and corn starch. The molecular structures of powders are provided for explaining the differences in the dielectric data.
Resource Allocation and SLA Determination for Large Data Processing Services over Cloud

Data processing on the cloud is increasingly used for offering cost effective services. In this paper, we present a method for resource allocation for data processing services over the cloud taking into account not just the processing power and memory requirements, but the network speed, reliability and data throughput. We also present algorithms for partitioning data, for doing parallel block data transfer to achieve better throughput and allocated cloud resources. We also present methods for optimal pricing and determination of Service Level Agreements for a given data processing job. The usefulness of our approach is shown through experiments performed under different resource allocation conditions.
Substrate Trapping Proteomics Reveals Targets of the βTrCP2/FBXW11 Ubiquitin Ligase

Defining the full complement of substrates for each ubiquitin ligase remains an important challenge. Improvements in mass spectrometry instrumentation and computation and in protein biochemistry methods have resulted in several new methods for ubiquitin ligase substrate identification. Here we used the parallel adapter capture (PAC) proteomics approach to study βTrCP2/FBXW11, a substrate adaptor for the SKP1-CUL1-F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. The processivity of the ubiquitylation reaction necessitates transient physical interactions between FBXW11 and its substrates, thus making biochemical purification of FBXW11-bound substrates difficult. Using the PAC-based approach, we inhibited the proteasome to "trap" ubiquitylated substrates on the SCF(FBXW11) E3 complex. Comparative mass spectrometry analysis of immunopurified FBXW11 protein complexes before and after proteasome inhibition revealed 21 known and 23 putatively novel substrates. In focused studies, we found that SCF(FBXW11) bound, polyubiquitylated, and destabilized RAPGEF2, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that activates the small GTPase RAP1. High RAPGEF2 protein levels promoted cell-cell fusion and, consequently, multinucleation. Surprisingly, this occurred independently of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) catalytic activity and of the presence of RAP1. Our data establish new functions for RAPGEF2 that may contribute to aneuploidy in cancer. More broadly, this report supports the continued use of substrate trapping proteomics to comprehensively define targets for E3 ubiquitin ligases. All proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001062.
Versatile biomimetic dendrimer templates used in the formation of TiO2 and GeO2

Biomimetic synthesis is emerging as an advantageous alternative to the harsh synthetic conditions traditionally used in metal oxide syntheses techniques. Silaffins, proteins from the C. fusiformis diatom, form silica in an aqueous environment under benign conditions. Amine terminated PAMAM and PPI dendrimers are effective mimics of silaffins and other silica precipitating polyamines. We have expanded the scope of dendrimer mediated metal oxide formation to include titanium dioxide, a photocatalyst, and germanium dioxide, a blue photoluminescent material. The nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (IR), and X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD). A variable temperature XRD analysis of TiO(2) nanoparticles was conducted to study the transition from anatase to rutile. TiO(2) nanoparticles synthesized in phosphate buffer showed a 200 degrees C decrease in the anatase to rutile transition temperature relative to TiO(2) templated in water. XRD analysis of GeO(2) nanoparticles in either water or phosphate buffer reveal crystalline alpha-phase germanium oxide. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the synthesis of crystalline GeO(2) under ambient conditions.
Collaborating With Chinese Families of Children With Hearing Impairments

Developing a collaborative home-school partnership in the special education process is one of the crucial indicators of successful educational planning. Special education laws and regulations strongly emphasize the importance of parental roles in the process. However, as is well documented in existing literature, it can be challenging for many culturally and linguistically diverse families to be schools' equal partners and to be actively involved in the process of developing their children's educational programs. As the number of Asian students with disabilities continues to increase, the purpose of this article is to illustrate two Chinese families' experiences and identify what educators and service providers could do to strengthen their partnerships with Chinese families of children with hearing impairments.
Lower bounds for discrete logarithms and related problems

This paper considers the computational complexity of the discrete logarithm and related problems in the context of "generic algorithms"--that is, algorithms which do not exploit any special properties of the encodings of group elements, other than the property that each group element is encoded as a unique binary string. Lower bounds on the complexity of these problems are proved that match the known upper bounds: any generic algorithm must perform Ω(p1/2) group operations, where p is the largest prime dividing the order of the group. Also, a new method for correcting a faulty Diffie-Hellman oracle is presented.
The crystal structure of a T cell receptor in complex with peptide and MHC class II

The crystal structure of a complex involving the D10 T cell receptor (TCR), 16-residue foreign peptide antigen, and the I-Ak self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule is reported at 3.2 angstrom resolution. The D10 TCR is oriented in an orthogonal mode relative to its peptide-MHC (pMHC) ligand, necessitated by the amino-terminal extension of peptide residues projecting from the MHC class II antigen-binding groove as part of a mini beta sheet. Consequently, the disposition of D10 complementarity-determining region loops is altered relative to that of most pMHCI-specific TCRs; the latter TCRs assume a diagonal orientation, although with substantial variability. Peptide recognition, which involves P-1 to P8 residues, is dominated by the Valpha domain, which also binds to the class II MHC beta1 helix. That docking is limited to one segment of MHC-bound peptide offers an explanation for epitope recognition and altered peptide ligand effects, suggests a structural basis for alloreactivity, and illustrates how bacterial superantigens can span the TCR-pMHCII surface.
Activity Patterns and Monitoring Numbers of Horned Puffins and Parakeet Auklets

Abstract Nearshore counts of birds on the water and time-lapse photography were used to monitor seasonal activity patterns and interannual variation in numbers of Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) and Parakeet Auklets (Aethia psittacula) at the Semidi Islands, Alaska. The best period for over-water counts was mid egg-laying through hatching in auklets and late prelaying through early hatching in puffins. Daily counts (07.00 h-09.30 h) varied widely, with peak numbers and days with few or no birds present occurring throughout the census period. Variation among annual means in four years amounted to 26% and 72% of total count variation in puffins and auklets, respectively. Time-lapse photography of nesting habitat in early incubation revealed a morning (08.00 h-12.00 h) peak in the number of puffins loitering on study plots. Birds recorded in time-lapse images never comprised more than a third of the estimated breeding population on a plot. Components of variance in the time-lapse study were 29% withi...
Advances in gene therapy for malignant melanoma.

BackgroundThe recent developments in the field of gene transfer have advanced the use of gene therapy as a novel strategy against a variety of human malignancies. Due to its unique set of character...
Evaluation of the effect of elevated intraocular pressure and reduced ocular perfusion pressure on retinal capillary bed filling and total retinal blood flow in rats by OMAG/OCT.

Abstract Purpose To determine if retinal capillary filling is preserved in the face of acutely elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in anesthetized rats, despite a reduction in total retinal blood flow (RBF), using optical microangiography/optical coherence tomography (OMAG/OCT). Methods OMAG provided the capability of depth-resolved imaging of the retinal microvasculature down to the capillary level. Doppler OCT was applied to measure the total RBF using an enface integration approach. The microvascular pattern, capillary density, and total RBF were monitored in vivo as the IOP was increased from 10 to 100 mm Hg in 10 mm Hg intervals and returned back to 10 mm Hg. Results In animals with mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 102 ± 4 mm Hg (n = 10), when IOP was increased from 0 to 100 mm Hg, the capillary density remained at or above 80% of baseline for the IOP up to 60 mm Hg [or ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) at 40 mm Hg]. This was then decreased, achieving 60% of baseline at IOP 70 mm Hg and OPP of 30 mm Hg. Total RBF was unaffected by moderate increases in IOP up to 30 mm Hg, beyond which total RBF decreased linearly, reaching 50% of baseline at IOP 60 mm Hg and OPP 40 mm Hg. Both capillary density and total RBF were totally extinguished at 100 mm Hg, but fully recovered when IOP returned to baseline. By comparison, a separate group of animals with lower MAP (mean = 75 ± 6 mm Hg, n = 7) demonstrated comparable decreases in both capillary filling and total RBF at IOPs that were 20 mm Hg lower than in the initial group. Both were totally extinguished at 80 mm Hg, but fully recovered when IOP returned to baseline. Relationships of both parameters to OPP were unchanged. Conclusion Retinal capillary filling and total RBF responses to IOP elevation can be monitored non-invasively by OMAG/OCT and both are influenced by OPP. Retinal capillary filling was relatively preserved down to a perfusion pressure of 40 mm Hg, despite a linear reduction in total RBF.
Recognizing 2015 Manuscript Reviewers

The editors of Neurocritical Care acknowledge and appreciate the commitment of our editorial board members, and in particular the ad-hoc reviewers. We ask them to review papers and to suggest improvements assuming there is a good chance it will interest our readers. We unfortunately still receive a large amount of manuscripts which are not suitable for review because they simply do not involve neurocritical care in any way or form. We try not to overload reviewers with papers that do have a very low likelihood of surviving the review process. Authors should a priori appreciate that Neurocritical care is a journal of acute and emergency care of patients with acute neurologic and neurosurgical disease and this remains our mission. Our exceptional ad hoc reviewers ensure the high standards of Neurocritical Care are met and we rely heavily on their invaluable service. Reviewers who scrutinized more than 5 papers in 2015 for possible suitability in the journal are marked with an asterisk. We thank them for the substantial amount of time devoted to the review process. We continue to call for new reviewers and welcome any healthcare provider experienced with the care of patients with a neurocritical illness, but neuroscientists interested in review of the basic sciences are needed as well. Given the rising number of submissions we invite our academic readers to step up to the plate. List of Reviewers
Arginine vasopressin inhibits phasic contractions and stimulates giant contractions in monkey colon

Abdominal cramps and urgent defecation are common side effects of clinical doses of arginine vasopressin, indicating that the drug may have stimulating effects on colonic motor activity. Four strain-gauge transducers were implanted on the colon in six monkeys. A blood flow probe was fixed on the inferior mesenteric artery. After a 1-hour control recording, vasopressin, 0.13, 1.3, or 13.0 ng.kg-1.min-1, was infused intravenously for 90 minutes. The frequency of basal colonic contractions was reduced with increasing doses of vasopressin, but their mean amplitude and duration were not altered. Giant migrating contractions associated with defecation were initiated by the highest dose of vasopressin. Atropine had no effect on these giant migrating contractions but completely inhibited normal phasic contractions. Hexamethonium completely inhibited both giant migrating contractions and phasic contractions. Parasympathetic denervation of the colon did not inhibit giant migrating contractions initiated by vasopressin. Our findings suggest that the physiological concentrations of serum vasopressin present perioperatively may transiently inhibit spontaneous colon contractions but are unlikely to be the major cause of postoperative ileus. The giant migrating contractions initiated by vasopressin may account for the defecation associated with pharmacological doses of vasopressin. The initiation of giant migrating contractions by vasopressin may be mediated through a neural pathway.