cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application Of Exact Area Registration To Scene Matching

Scene matching, by a human, is done by mentally registering the two images at a trial match position. If the observed residual match errors are consistent with the type of match errors known (by a priori experience) to occur, then the trial match is judged to be the true-match position. This approach has not been possible in autonomous scene-matching because there has been no way to exactly register the two images. Unless this is done, the true match-errors (the likelihood of which can be judged against a priori knowledge) are completely swamped by spurious match-errors due to, even slight, residual mis-registration (rotation, scale-schange, aspect, etc.). In this paper it is shown how a new process, that automatically registers the two images, could be applied in an autonomous version of the human scene-matching technique. This technique would be particularly appropriate when the match is difficult because, for example, the reference is a cartoon-like synthetic image, the scene content is unfavorable for the easy extraction of gross features, the acquisition basket is large, the sensed image quality is poor due to bad weather, etc.
Heat-treated hemin supported on graphene nanoplatelets for the oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract A bio-material, hemin, was heat-treated and used as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst. In addition to heat-treatment, two methods were used to improve the catalysts' electrochemical activity. First, high surface area graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were chosen as a catalyst support. Second, ultrasound was used to break the catalyst samples into smaller pieces. Hemin supported on GNP and heat-treated at 600 °C showed significantly higher catalytic activity than those without ultrasonic treatment. Furthermore, a single fuel cell fabricated with the synthesized catalyst yielded a power density of 300 mW cm − 2 .
The structure of InAs/GaSb superlattices

Abstract The structure of InAs/GaSb superlattices has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that several factors combine to cause the present poor quality of these superlattice structures. A new structure, which differs from the expected sphalerite structure, has been identified in the GaSb epilayers. The InAs shows a strong tendency to grow by an island mode which causes the heterojunctions to undulate. As expected, there is a bending of lattice planes at the heterojunctions which causes the observed dechanneling in Rutherford backscattering spectra but the interface is not atomically abrupt as has been assumed in earlier models.
T cell memory.

There is perhaps no more important function of the adaptive immune system than to confer protection from reinfection by pathogens previously encountered and defeated. Within the T cell lineage, this property of remembering past antigenic threats resides in the small subset of memory cells which persist long after the disappearance of the short-lived effector cells that arise to meet the original challenge. A question of current and enduring interest concerns the lineage relationship between effectors and memory cells, and the identity of the signals and factors that determine the establishment and maintenance of immune memory at the cellular level. The articles in this volume will consider these issues from a variety of perspectives as they apply to T cell memory.
Distal ulnar neuropathy: coexisting anatomic variants.

A 4 1 -year-old right-handed man complained of weakness, cold sensitivity, and signs of ulnar intrinsic paresis in his right hand. He denied having pain, numbness, or paresthesia. He had no other upper extremity problems or other health problems. Physical examination showed a healthy, thin man with hypothenar and interosseous wasting but with minimal clawing and normal function of ulnar nerve-innervated extrinsic muscles. Tinel’s sign could not be elicited over the entire course of the ulnar nerve or over the median nerve at the wrist. Allen’s test confirmed ulnar artery patency. Grip strength was diminished by one third and pinch strength by two thirds as compared with the normal hand. X-ray films were normal. Electrodiagnostic studies confirmed major interference with motor branches of the ulnar nerve, but sensory conduction was normal. Guyon’s canal was explored. We found a small, pale, atrophic muscle arising from the forearm fascia and attaching to the pisiform bone (Fig. 1). This muscle compressed the ulnar nerve, and after the muscle was divided we determined that there was a neural loop of the ulnar nerve with take-off
Risk factors for central line-associated bloodstream infection in pediatric intensive care units

Objective. We sought to identify risk factors for central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) to describe children who might benefit from adjunctive interventions. Design. Case‐control study of children admitted to the medical‐surgical intensive care unit (ICU) or cardiac ICU from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2007. Setting. Children’s Hospital Boston is a freestanding, 396‐bed quaternary care pediatric hospital with a 29‐bed medical‐surgical ICU and a 24‐bed cardiac ICU. Patients. Case patients were patients with CLABSI who were identified by means of prospective surveillance. Control subjects were patients with a central venous catheter who were matched by ICU admission date. Methods. Multivariate conditional logistic regression models were used to identify independent risk factors for CLABSI and to derive and to validate a prediction rule. Results. Two hundred three case patients were matched with 406 control subjects. Independent predictors of CLABSI included duration of ICU central...
Pension Assets, Corporate Earnings, and Expected Return Assumptions

Corporate earnings can be enhanced by means of pension fund accounting. The critical factor is the rate of return assumptions on plan assets, particularly in light of recent dramatic changes in stock market returns and today9s reduced estimates of expected future returns. The rate of return assumptions made by a number of S&P 500 companies are unusually optimistic when the probabilities of realizing these returns are calculated. In fact, the earnings of several companies with defined-benefit plans may be significantly adversely affected in the next few years.
On-body wireless sensing for human-computer interfaces

In this talk, Prof. Paradiso will describe recent wearable sensor systems that they have developed for applications ranging from sports medicine to social computing, and discuss approaches being explored to extend human perception via distributed sensor networks. Technical issues that he will introduce involve adaptive energy management and power harvesting in wearable systems.
Low-Dose Interferon Alfa-2b in the Treatment of Hairy Cell Leukemia

Twenty-two patients with hairy cell leukemia were treated with low-dose interferon alfa-2b (0.2 X 10(6) U/m2 given three times weekly) for 6-12 months. The overall response rate was 54%, with only 18% complete plus partial responses. The therapy had to be terminated early in five of these patients because their progressive disease led to severe cytopenia. Although the toxic effects with this regimen were minimal, the significantly lower response rate and the poorer quality of the responses prohibit its use as initial therapy in hairy cell leukemia.
The influence of gravity level during directional solidification of immiscible alloys

During directional solidification of immiscible (hypermonotectic) alloys it is theoretically possible to establish a stable macroscopically-planar solidification front, and thus avoid sedimentation. Unfortunately, convective instabilities often occur which interfere with the directional solidification process. In this paper, stability conditions are discussed and results presented from directional solidification studies carried out aboard NASA's KC-135 zero-g aircraft. Samples were directionally solidified while the effective gravity level was varied from approximately 0.01 g for 25 s to 1.8 g for 45 s. Dramatic variations in microstructure were observed with gravity level during solidification.
Structural analysis of botulinum neurotoxin type E catalytic domain and its mutant Glu212-->Gln reveals the pivotal role of the Glu212 carboxylate in the catalytic pathway

The seven serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins (A−G) produced by Clostridium botulinum share significant sequence homology and structural similarity. The functions of their individual domains and the...
Monitoring and Voting in Asynchronous Sampling

A method for treating monitoring and voting for quadredundant, asynchronous signals is described. Each pair of signals is compared to determine whether or not they are in tolerance, and the signal state and fault pattern are determined based on the results of the comparisons. Keys of movement between the fault patterns are derived and used to devise monitoring algorithms for determining the set of redundant signals that should be used by the votor.
OLS for 1D Regression Models

In a 1D regression, the response variable is independent of the predictors given a single linear combination of the predictors. Theory for ordinary least squares (OLS) is reviewed, and it is shown that much of the OLS output originally meant for multiple linear regression is still relevant for a much wider class of regression models including single index models. Ellipsoidal trimming can be combined with OLS to create outlier resistant methods.
Impact of gas-phase HNO3 and NH3 on microphysical processes in atmospheric clouds

Model calculations are presented for the impact of trace gas absorption on aerosol activation and precipitation formation in clouds. In contrast to previous studies, acidic aerosols are examined. The results suggest a significant impact, primarily associated with NH 3 .
The metabolism of (n-3) and (n-6) fatty acids and their oxygenation by platelet cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase.

Abstract Arachidonic acid is the principal unsaturated acid in most membrane lipids. Membrane lipids also contain a variety of other (n − 6) and (n − 3) fatty acids. The amounts of (n − 6) and (n − 3) fatty acids in membrane lipids can be modified by dietary fat change. Our studies show that long chain (n − 6) and (n − 3) acids are metabolized by platelet lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase. When cells are exposed to various agonists, a variety of unsaturated fatty acids may be released. Our studies show that they have the potential of modifying physiological function both by mediating arachidonic acid metabolism and as direct precursors for oxygenated metabolites which themselves may interact with specific receptors to regulate biological processes.
Extracorporeal photopheresis for chronic graft-versus-host disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The safety of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (SR-cGVHD) has been explored in multiple studies but reported response rates (RR) vary significantly across studies.
Amorphous silica-coated graphite particles for thermally conductive and electrically insulating resins

Abstract A thermally conductive and electrically insulating composite filler was produced by surfactant assisted sol–gel coating of amorphous silica on flake graphite. Amorphous silica-coated graphite (a-Si coated grp) obtained using a cationic surfactant showed the best enhancement of the insulating coating. The resulting a-Si coated grp/boehmite/polybutylene terephthalate polyester resin composite exhibited a high volume resistivity, exceeding 1.0 × 10 14 Ω cm at an applied voltage of 500 V, and a thermal conductivity of 3.3 W/m K at 22.9 vol.% a-Si coated grp loading. The heat releasing performance of the developed resin composite in actual light-emitting diodes bulb housings was compared with conventionally used thermally and electrically conductive resin. This comparison revealed that the new composite released heat more effectively. This innovative technology, which may solve the trade-off between material properties and cost, will be available for a broad range of thermally conductive resin applications that simultaneously require thermal conduction and electrical insulation.
Activate to eradicate: inhibition of Clostridium difficile spore outgrowth by the synergistic effects of osmotic activation and nisin.

Background Germination is the irreversible loss of spore-specific properties prior to outgrowth. Because germinating spores become more susceptible to killing by stressors, induction of germination has been proposed as a spore control strategy. However, this strategy is limited by superdormant spores that remain unaffected by germinants. Harsh chemicals and heat activation are effective for stimulating germination of superdormant spores but are impractical for use in a hospital setting, where Clostridium difficile spores present a challenge. Here, we tested whether osmotic activation solutes will provide a mild alternative for stimulation of superdormant C. difficile spores in the presence of germinants as previously demonstrated in several species of Bacillus. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that the limitations of superdormancy can be circumvented with a combined approach using nisin, a FDA-approved safe bacteriocin, to inhibit outgrowth of germinated spores and osmotic activation solutes to enhance outgrowth inhibition by stimulating superdormant spores. Principal Findings Exposure to germination solution triggered ∼1 log10 colony forming units (CFU) of spores to germinate, and heat activation increased the spores that germinated to >2.5 log10CFU. Germinating spores, in contrast to dormant spores, became susceptible to inhibition by nisin. The presence of osmotic activation solutes did not stimulate germination of superdormant C. difficile spores exposed to germination solution. But, in the absence of germination solution, osmotic activation solutes enhanced nisin inhibition of superdormant spores to >3.5 log10CFU. The synergistic effects of osmotic activation solutes and nisin were associated with loss of membrane integrity. Conclusions These findings suggest that the synergistic effects of osmotic activation and nisin bypass the limitations of germination as a spore control strategy, and might be a novel method to safely and effectively reduce the burden of C.difficile spores on skin and environmental surfaces.
Malignant mesenchymoma of the heart base in a dog with infiltration of the pericardium and metastasis to the lung.

A 9-year-old male rottweiler was presented with abdominal distension, ascites and respiratory distress and marked bulging in the perineal region. At necropsy examination the animal had profuse ascites and hydropericardium and a multinodular mass in the right auricle of the heart infiltrating the epicardium and pericardium and metastasizing to the caudal lobe of the left lung. Microscopically and immunohistochemically the tumour was composed of neoplastic cells with muscular, cartilaginous and adipose differentiation. A diagnosis of malignant mesenchymoma with leiomyosarcomatous (∼50%), rhabdomyosarcomatous (∼30%), chondrosarcomatous (25%) and liposarcomatous (5%) components was made. Metastatic malignant mesenchymoma has not been reported previously at this site in the dog.
Deamination of protonated amines to yield protonated imines

Primary and secondary amines, when examined in atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, electrospray ionization, or chemical ionization, display protonated imines in their mass spectra. These products arise formally by nucleophilic substitution at the α-carbon with loss of both ammonia and molecular hydrogen. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) is used to characterize the product ions by comparison with authentic protonated imines. Gas-phase ion/molecule reactions of protonated amines with neutral amines also yield products that correspond to protonated imines (deamination and dehydrogenation), as well as providing simple deamination products. The reaction mechanism was investigated further by reacting the deamination product, the alkyl cation, with a neutral amine. The observed dehydrogenation of the nascent protonated secondary amine indicates that the reaction sequence is loss of ammonia followed by dehydrogenation even though the isolated protonated secondary amines did not undergo dehydrogenation upon CID. Formation of the deamination products in the protonated amine/amine reaction is competitive with proton-bound dimer formation. The proton-bound dimers do not yield deamination products under CID conditions in the ion trap or in experiments performed using a pentaquadrupole instrument. This demonstrates that the geometry of the proton-bound dimer, in which the α-carbons of the alkylamines are well separated [Ca-N-H-N-Ca], is an unsuitable entry point on the potential energy hypersurface for formation of the imine [Ca-N-Ca]. Isolation of the proton-bound dimers in the quadrupole ion trap is achieved with low efficiency and this characteristic can be used to distinguish them from their covalently bound isomers.
Transient Hyperammonemia in Preterm Infants With Hypoxia.

Purpose of study– Transient hyperammonemia of the newborn can lead to an overwhelming and potentially fatal illness. The etiology of this condition is obscure although hypoxia, immature urea cycle and inadequate hepatic blood flow have all been implicated. We hypothesized that preterm infants with hypoxia would have elevated ammonia levels after birth that normalize within 3–4 weeks. The study aim was to measure serial plasma ammonia levels in preterm infants with hyaline membrane disease (HMD) or perinatal asphyxia to elucidate the role of hypoxia in the pathogenesis of hyperammonemia.
Hardware and software requirements of clinical DAT

Dynamic area telethermometry (DAT) is aimed at extracting pertinent information on the mechanism underlying periodic changes in temperature of surfaces, manifested in modulation of their IR emission. Such changes occur on human skin as a result of modulation of perfusion due to cardiogenic hemodynamics or neuronal control of blood flow through the vasculature. Clinical applications of DAT involve identification of areas of skin that how abnormal dynamic behavior. Periodic physiological changes in skin temperature range between 10 and 50 mK. Pathological changes in skin temperature dynamics are of the same order. Consequently, clinical uses of DAT require not only high sensitivity and spatial thermal resolution but also a high degree of temporal stability of both the offset and NEDT values of each detector element of the FPA. DAT also requires high rates of data acquisition to allow sufficient resolution of the frequency spectrum of skin's temperature modulation. Adequate DAT studies involve accumulation of 2048 images at a rate of 100 Hz. We found that QWIP cameras meet DAT's requirements of sensitivity, stability and accumulation rate. A single DAT study using a 256 X 256 array yields 256 MB of IR flux or temperature data for subsequent analysis. Interpretation of such an enormous amount of digital information within a reasonable timeframe poses severe software requirements, which have been met.
Properties of the Proteasome Activator Subunit PA28α and its Des-Tyrosyl Analog

The proteasome activator protein PA28 or 11 S regulator may play an important role in facilitating the generation of peptides for presentation by the MHC class I system. PA28 is composed of two homologous subunits termed alpha and beta. Removal of the carboxyl terminal tyrosine of the alpha subunit of PA28 abolishes activity (X. Song et al., 1997, J. Biol. Chem. 272, 27994-28000). To explore the structural basis of this effect the des-tyrosyl analog of PA28alpha prepared by site-directed mutagenesis and PA28alpha were expressed at high levels in a baculovirus system and purified by FPLC. Des-tyrosyl-PA28alpha neither stimulated the proteasome nor competed with PA28alpha for binding to the proteasome. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography revealed that the hydrophobicity of the mutant protein was considerably greater than PA28alpha. When the mutant protein was chromatographed on a calibrated Superose 6 column a mixture of approximately 25% oligomer and 75% monomer was found. The oligomer weakly stimulated the proteasome but this molecule was labile. Very low concentrations of SDS (0.005%) dissociated PA28alpha and abolished its stimulatory activity. It is concluded that the lack of activity of des-tyrosyl-PA28alpha is due to conformational changes resulting in dissociation and that the oligomeric form of PA28alpha is required for activation.
Reactions of fuel-nitrogen in rich flame gases

Abstract Fuel-nitrogen fed as ammonia or as pyridine to rich flames is mainly present in the burnt gas in the forms HCN, NH3, NO and N2. The HCN decays in this region to form more NH3, and the NH3(or species equilibrated with NH3)undergoes two types of reactions: an oxidation to NO at rate R1, reaction with NO to form N2 at rate R2. The total remaining fuel-N not yet converted to NO or N2, i.e. RN = HCN + NH3, therefore decays in accordance with -d[RN] dt =R1 + R2 , and the simultaneous change in NO is -d[NO] dt =R1 − R2 , Empirically, these rates can be epxressed R 1 5×10 12 [ H 2 O ] 2 [ NH 2 ] [ H 2 e −20 kcal /RT mole cc,sec , R 2 = 9×10 12 [ NO ] [ NH 2 . R1 is not readily interpreted in terms of elementary reactions; R2 is the rate of NO + NH2 → N2 + H2O. The findings are not necessarily valid in the primary reaction zone where other processes also occur. To the extent that all the fuel-N added to rich flames attains NO and N2 in accordance with R1 and R2, however, the yield of NO is predictable a priori. The prediction agrees roughly with the yields observed.
Sustainability SI: Logistics Cost and Environmental Impact Analyses of Urban Delivery Consolidation Strategies

Among new, innovative city logistics strategies, urban delivery consolidation has received increasing academic and practical attention mostly in Europe and Japan. It is believed to bring cost savings and environmental benefits with the right setting. This paper demonstrates an alternative modeling framework to examine, from the strategic planning perspective, the effectiveness of urban delivery consolidation in terms of monetary logistics cost, energy consumption and PM2.5 emissions with respect to a number of operational (e.g., rent cost, customer demand) and policy factors (e.g., commercial vehicle size restriction in city centers). The framework consists of two key modeling components: the Continuous Approximation (CA) method to model urban delivery (the so-called last-mile delivery) and the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to estimate the energy consumption and PM2.5 emissions associated with the logistics activities. It is found that the potential logistics and environmental benefits of UCC could come from either improving the utilization of the vehicle capacity through consolidation, or shifting the more expensive storage cost from customers in the city center to the less expensive UCC rent cost—due to a less centralized location and/or government subsidy or other cost sharing mechanisms—outside of the city center. However, UCC could achieve those benefits compared to non- consolidation strategies only under certain conditions, for example when there is an economy of scale or high customer density (i.e., high shipping volume) in the service area. The paper discusses in detailed under what assumptions and conditions UCC could work. Study limitations and future work are also presented.
Training System Effects on Sunlight Penetration, Canopy Structure, Yield, and Fruit Characteristics of ‘Frontenac’ Grapevine (Vitis spp.)

Trellis or training systems influence many aspects of grapevine growth and production. This study investigated the effects of four trellis styles (Geneva double curtain, high cordon, Smart-Dyson, and vertical shoot positioned) on the fruit-zone light environment, fruit chemical composition, and yield of ‘Frontenac’ grapevines (Vitis spp.) grown on a fertile site near Crete, Nebraska over two growing seasons. Photosynthetically active radiation was measured above the canopy and within the fruiting zone at berry set, veraison, and harvest. At all sampling dates in 2008, vines grown on Geneva double curtain and high cordon had higher mid-day transmittances than vines grown on Smart-Dyson and vertical shoot positioned. In 2009, transmittance relationships among training systems were similar. In both years, leaf layer number was lower for Geneva double curtain and high cordon than for Smart-Dyson and vertical shoot positioned. In 2008, Geneva double curtain vines had higher fruit yield than vertical shoot posi...
Glutathione depletion in rested and exercised mice : biochemical consequence and adaptation

The effect of chronic in vivo glutathione (GSH) depletion by L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO) on intracellular and interorgan GSH regulation was investigated in mice both at rest and after an acute bout of exhaustive swim exercise. BSO treatment for 12 days decreased concentrations of GSH in the liver, kidney, quadriceps muscle, and plasma to 28, 15, 7, and 35%, respectively, compared to GSH-adequate mice. In most tissues, with the exception of the kidney, this decrease was associated with a concomitant decrease of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) such that the GSH/GSSG ratio was maintained. GSH depletion caused adaptive changes in several enzymes related to GSH regulation, such as liver glutathione peroxidase (-25%), kidney gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (+20%), glutathione disulfide reductase (+131%) and glutathione sulfur-transferase (+53%). There was an apparent down-regulation of muscle gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (-56%) in the GSH-depleted mice, which contributed to a conservation of plasma GSH. Exhaustive exercise in the GSH-adequate state severely depleted GSH content in the liver (-55%) and kidney (-35%), whereas plasma and muscle GSH levels remained constant. However, exercise in the GSH-depleted state exacerbated GSH deficit in the liver (-57%), kidney (-33%), plasma (-65%), and muscle (-25%) in the absence of adequate reserves of liver GSH. Hepatic lipid peroxidation increased by 220 and 290%, respectively, after exhaustive exercise in the GSH-adequate and -depleted mice. We conclude that GSH homeostasis is essential for the prooxidant-antioxidant balance during prolonged physical exercise.
Effect of Phosphorus Ion Implantation on Corrosion of Steel

Abstract Phosphorus ions were implanted in low carbon steel specimens in dosages of up to 2×1017 P ions/cm2 with ion energies of 60 and 190 keV to induce improved corrosion resistance characteristics. Anodic polarization measurements were used to characterize the corrosion behavior in pH 8.5 buffered borate solutions. Results showed that implanted phosphorus stabilized the passive oxide film to the extent that the breakdown potential for localized corrosion in the presence of chloride ions improved dramatically. The degree of stability of the passive film was shown to be related directly to the number of phosphorus ions implanted and their proximity to the surface. Surface film analysis indicated that phosphorus ion implantation promoted a thickening of the oxide film over a wide range of potentials, but that phosphorus did not become a significant part of the film.
Cell Theory Calculation of Surface Tension of Simple Liquids Solely from Bulk Properties

A cell theory for the prediction of the surface tension of simple liquids is modified to account correctly for the fractional change in the potential energy zero term due to missing nearest neighbors of order greater than one. A measure of the surface width is obtained directly from bulk data. Theory and experiment are in good agreement without any adjustable surface parameters.
Spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy of ferromagnetic thin films*

After a brief summary of the fundamentals, the possibilities and limitations of spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy and its application is illustrated with examples from recent work. These range from fundamental problems such as the determination of the exchange-split excited state band structure to problems of more practical interest such as the evolution of interlayer coupling with film thickness.
Ionic potential models in insulators having the rutile structure

It is shown that the observed crystal symmetry, lattice parameters, and vibrational properties of insulators that crystallize in the rutile structure must be considered together in order to construct credible interionic potential models for these materials. Illustrative results are presented for ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{MnF}}_{2}$, and for comparison, several alkali halides. Potential models used in recent defect studies in ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ do not predict the correct crystal structure.
Spatial distribution of nerve sprouting after myocardial infarction in mice.

Background Myocardial infarction (MI) elicits nerve sprouting. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of nerve sprouting and neurotrophic gene expression after MI. Methods We created MI in mice by coronary artery ligation. The hearts were removed 3 hours to 2 months after MI and examined for nerve fiber density and neurotrophic factor gene expression using Affymetrix microarray and mRNA analyses. Results The density of nerve fibers immunopositive for growth-associated protein (GAP)-43 was the highest 3 hours after MI both in the peri-infarct area and in the area remote to infarct, resulting in sympathetic (but not parasympathetic) hyperinnervation in the ventricles. The GAP-43–positive nerve fiber density of myocardium was greater in the outer transverse loop than in the inner vertical loop. The differences between these two myocardial loops peaked within 3 hours after MI and persisted for 2 months afterward. Gene expression of nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, transforming growth factor-β 3 , and interleukin-1α was increased up to 2 months after MI compared with normal control. Expression of these growth factors was more pronounced and persistent in the peri-infarct area than in the remote area. Conclusion MI induces sympathetic nerve sprouting in both peri-infarct and remote areas, more in the outer transverse loop. Selective up-regulation of nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, transforming growth factor-β 3 , and interleukin-1α occurred in the peri-infarct area and, to a lesser extent, in the remote area.
Natural Price and the Impartial Spectator: A New Perspective on Adam Smith as a Social Economist

As social economics is a value‐directed enquiry into economic theory as it pertains to the formulation of economic policy it is incumbent upon the social economist not merely to state a value position but to provide reasons for holding this position. In this manner values enter the realm of rational discourse and are no, longer treated as mere preferences. Since this is precisely what Adam Smith did in the Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS), the social economist interested in learning from Smith's social economics must confront the issue of the relationship between TMS and the Wealth of Nations. The precise relationship between TMS and WN is at once the most interesting and the most controversial aspect of Adam Smith's social and economic thought. The failure of Smith explicitly to connect the works remains a mystery. Particularly striking is the complete absence of the impartial spectator in WN although there are passages, cited below, which contain reference to ethical judgements implying the spectator thesis of TMS. This article will not attempt to “solve” the Adam Smith problem, nor will it attempt to offer a new proof for or against the consistency of the two great works. Rather, the purpose of this article is to offer an interpretation which makes sense of the TMS‐WN connection which Smith might have used to relate them. The article suggests that Smith could have explicitly introduced the spectator into his chapters on value and distribution in a way which would have consistently linked the social theory of TMS with the economic theory of WN. There is, of course, no strong evidence that Smith actually thought of the connection in the proposed way. However, some textual evidence can be cited to suggest that he may have thought along these lines and that if he did not he might nevertheless assent to this as a legitimate extension of his concepts.
Clinical potency of methotrexate, aminopterin, talotrexin and pemetrexed in childhood leukemias.

Purpose Renewed interest in antifols for the treatment of childhood cancers has resulted from identification of novel antifols with broad spectrums of anti-cancer activity and from re-evaluation of the original clinical antifol, aminopterin. In this pre-clinical study we evaluated the in vitro activity of both traditional antifols (methotrexate, aminopterin) and novel antifols (pemetrexed, talotrexin) in childhood acute leukemias and lymphomas.
“Evidence‐Based Psychosocial Treatments for Tic Disorders”: Theoretical and Treatment Implications

“Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Tic Disorders” (Cook & Blacher, 2007) provided a current and comprehensive summary of the evidence base for psychosocial approaches to these conditions, and concluded that habit reversal training meets established criteria as an empirically supported treatment. This commentary delves further into the theoretical implications of the treatment outcome findings for chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and highlights the importance of conducting studies that better elucidate the mechanism underlying symptom reduction. We maintain that significant advances in our understanding of these mechanisms will improve our understanding of the causal and maintaining factors in CTDs, which in turn will inform treatment refinements. We also believe that this line of research will improve the acceptability of these psychosocial approaches among all of those who encounter CTDs in clinical practice.
Enhanced nonlinear susceptibility in strained quantum cascade lasers

Since the invention of the quantum cascade (QC) laser, which was demonstrated by Faist et al. in 1994, there has been much progress and advancement to include a wide range of wavelengths on GaAs and InP based material. Specifically, the operating range includes mid- to far-infrared with peak power levels in the watt range and above room temperature pulsed operation for wavelengths from 4.5 to 16 mum. There have been three distinctive designs of the QCL active region- the 'vertical' and 'diagonal' transitions and the 'superlatttice'- all of which are used with either surface-plasmon or conventional dielectric waveguides . Then, there is also the multiple wavelength superlattice, bi-directional, dual wavelength and the injector less quantum cascade lasers. With all the progress made thus far, there is still much work to be done in producing QC lasers that emit efficiently in the atmospheric window (3-5 mum wavelength range), which is important for free-space communications and gas sensing applications. Two known approaches in achieving QC lasers with shorter wavelength emission are through material selection, i.e. wider bandgap materials and type-II structures. There is an alternative approach that also holds much promise: exploitation of the nonlinear optical processes. Within the QC laser intracavity, higher order harmonic generation can be employed because both the fundamental and second-harmonic waves can propagate freely within the cavity without being reabsorbed by the semiconductor. Conveniently, the energy generated in this approach by the fundamental mode and second-harmonic generation is well below the selected material bandgap energy, which is still in the transparency region of the material. Appropriately, our work involves the study of strained active regions in AlGaAs/GaAs QC lasers with the goal of enhancing the nonlinear susceptibility and producing lasers that emit in the 3-5 mum wavelength range.
Marital separation and extramarital sexual behavior

Abstract The factors related to the occurrence of extramarital coitus (EMC) among persons whose marriages terminate in separation or divorce and the impact of participation in EMC on postmarital adjustment were examined. It was hypothesized that premarital coital experience, quality of marital sex, length of marriage, religiosity, and physical attractiveness would affect the occurrence of EMC. Additionally, tests were performed to assess whether participation in EMC increased, decreased, or had no effect on postmarital adjustment. The data are from a study of 205 individuals, separated no longer than 26 months, who completed in‐depth, face‐to‐face interviews about their marriage, its failure, and its aftermath. Most respondents who experienced EMC report that it was an effect, rather than a cause, of marital problems. Yet respondents tend to report that their spouse's infidelity was a cause of marital problems. Guilt is a significant by‐product of EMC for men and women, but men experience somewhat less gu...
Effective algorithms for video transmission over wireless channels

New schemes for video transmission over wireless channels are described. Content based approaches for video segmentation and associated resource allocation are proposed. We argue that for transport over wireless channels, different video content requires different form of resource allocation. Content and data dependent FEC/ARQ schemes are used to do adaptive resource allocation after segmentation. FEC based schemes are used to provide class dependent error robustness and a modified ARQ technique is used to provide constrained delay and loss. The approach is compatible with video coding standards such as H.261 and H.263. We use frame-type (extent of intra coding), scene changes, and motion based procedures to provide finer level of control for data segmentation in addition to standard headers and data-type (motion vectors, low and high frequency DCTs) based segmentation. An experimental simulation platform is used to test the objective (SNR) and subjective effectiveness of proposed algorithms. The FEC schemes improve both objective and subjective video quality significantly. An experimental study on the applicability of selective repeat ARQ for one way real time video applications is also presented. We study constraints of using ARQ under display constraints, limited buffering requirements and small initial startups. The proposed ARQ schemes greatly reduce the packet errors, when used along with optimal decoder buffer control and source interleaving. The common theme integrating the study of FEC and ARQ algorithms is the content based resource allocation for wireless video transport.
Effect of char gasification reaction order on bounding solutions for char combustion

Abstract The rate of oxidation and surface temperature of a char particle during combustion is determined by the combined action of reactions of carbon with oxygen and CO 2 at the surface and carbon monoxide with O 2 in the gas phase. Limiting values for the rates and temperature were determined by Amundson et al . assuming that the CO 2 and CCO 2 reactions were first order with respect to the gas reactant concentration. Results are presented here for the cases in which the CO 2 reaction is zeroth order and the CCO 2 reaction is both first and zero order to bound the reaction orders found in practice. Allowance for zeroth order kinetics is found to have a profound effect on the shape of the bounding solutions for burning rates and temperatures, most notably by showing that diffusion-limited combustion can occur at much lower temperatur than would be predicted using first order kinetics.
Periodic solutions of neutral nonlinear system of differential equations with functional delay

Abstract We study the existence of periodic solutions of the nonlinear neutral system of differential equations of the form d d t x ( t ) = A ( t ) x ( t ) + d d t Q ( t , x ( t − g ( t ) ) ) + G ( t , x ( t ) , x ( t − g ( t ) ) ) . In the process we use the fundamental matrix solution of y ′ = A ( t ) y and convert the given neutral differential equation into an equivalent integral equation. Then we construct appropriate mappings and employ Krasnoselskii's fixed point theorem to show the existence of a periodic solution of this neutral differential equation. We also use the contraction mapping principle to show the existence of a unique periodic solution of the equation.
Exact fundamental solutions of linear parabolic equations with spatially varying coefficients

The exact general solution is obtained to a linear second order ordinary differential equation which has quite general coefficients depending on an arbitrary function of the independent variable. From this, the exact fundamental solution is derived for the corresponding linear parabolic partial differential equation with coefficients depending on the single space coordinate. In a special case this latter equation reduces to one of the Fokker-Planck type. These coefficients are then generalised and the appropriate fundamental solution is obtained. Extensions are given to linear parabolic equations in two andn space dimensions. The paper provides a collection of basic examples which illustrate and develop the theory for the generation of the exact fundamental solutions. Reduction to, and the corresponding fundamental solutions of the Fokker-Planck equations is presented, where appropriate.
Damage detection using modal strain energy and laser vibrometer measurements

Structural health monitoring for complex systems can contribute significantly to reduced life cycle costs. Many damage detection algorithms have been proposed in the literature for investigating the structural integrity of systems. Changes in modal strain energy have been used to detect the location and extent of damage in structures. In the previous studies, the stiffness matrix is analytically derived and assumed constant even after damage. This paper reports a study on the sensitivity of the modal strain energy method to the stiffness matrix and its accuracy in detecting the location and extent of damage. The modal strain energies for each element of the undamaged structure are computed for each mode using the original analytical matrix and measured modal data. Modal data from the damaged case is used to update the stiffness matrix by a simplified matrix update scheme. This updated matrix is used to correct the elemental matrices for the damaged system. Two case studies are presented in this work. The first is an experimental and analytical model of a cantilever beam and the second, a truss model of the European Space Agency. In the first case three identical aluminum cantilever beams are used. Damage is simulated on two of them by milling 1-inch long slots at two different locations on the beams. Modal data are obtained from experiment using Scanning Laser Vibrometer (SLV) and STAR software to extract the mode shape vectors from the experimental results. These are also compared with finite element simulations of the beams. The second case is an analytical example in which damage is simulated by reducing the area of one of the truss elements hypothetically by 50%. Results from these studies show a slight improved accuracy in determining the location of damage using an updated elemental stiffness matrix. For experimental results however, modal strain energy change method does not give an accurate location of the damages. There is need for further analysis of the application of modal strain energy techniques to damage identification. The results also demonstrate the potential of SLV as a structural health- monitoring tool.
Observation of a Time-Dependent Recoilless Fraction

We have directly observed a time-dependent recoilless fraction. This effect is seen using delayed-coincidence M\"ossbauer spectroscopy. The time-dependent recoilless fraction is observed at the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ site and not at the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ site in a CoS${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}7${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O source. The relaxation time of the recoilless fraction is estimated to be between 10 and 100 nsec. Delayed-coincidence M\"ossbauer spectroscopy measurements on sources of Co${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}6${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O and Co${(\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_{4})}_{2}$${(\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}6${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O did not show such an effect.
Photolysis of diphenylmethyl diphenylacetate in the presence and absence of cupric ion: the fate of the diphenylmethyl radical

Abstract The photolysis of diphenylmethyl diphenylacetate, a relatively clean source of the diphenylmethyl radical, has been studied in acetonitrile, methanol and mixtures of the two solvents with and without added cupric ion. Photolysis of the ester only in either solvent results in the production of CO2 and tetraphenylethane as the main products, with a quantum yield of 0.15 ± 0.02 for the decomposition of the ester. The addition of millimolar amounts of copper(II) to the photolysis mixture changes the product distribution dramatically. Free radical products are suppressed and the major products can be attributed to reactions of an oxidized diphenylmethyl species. In the presence of methanol, good yields of methyl diphenylmethyl ether are obtained. Rate constants and activation energies for the reactions involved are reported. Flash photolysis experiments confirm the production of diphenyl-methyl radiclas from the ester. In the absence of copper(II) their major fate is recombination to the ethane. The recombination involves a semi-benzene intermediate. In the presence of copper(II) the transient absorption due to diphenylmethyl is suppressed and a transient attributed to an organo- copper intermediate is observed. No absorption due to a free carbonium ion was detected.
Inference of hierarchical regulatory network of estrogen-dependent breast cancer through ChIP-based data

Global profiling of in vivo protein-DNA interactions using ChIP-based technologies has evolved rapidly in recent years. Although many genome-wide studies have identified thousands of ERα binding sites and have revealed the associated transcription factor (TF) partners, such as AP1, FOXA1 and CEBP, little is known about ERα associated hierarchical transcriptional regulatory networks. In this study, we applied computational approaches to analyze three public available ChIP-based datasets: ChIP-seq, ChIP-PET and ChIP-chip, and to investigate the hierarchical regulatory network for ERα and ERα partner TFs regulation in estrogen-dependent breast cancer MCF7 cells. 16 common TFs and two common new TF partners (RORA and PITX2) were found among ChIP-seq, ChIP-chip and ChIP-PET datasets. The regulatory networks were constructed by scanning the ChIP-peak region with TF specific position weight matrix (PWM). A permutation test was performed to test the reliability of each connection of the network. We then used DREM software to perform gene ontology function analysis on the common genes. We found that FOS, PITX2, RORA and FOXA1 were involved in the up-regulated genes. We also conducted the ERα and Pol-II ChIP-seq experiments in tamoxifen resistance MCF7 cells (denoted as MCF7-T in this study) and compared the difference between MCF7 and MCF7-T cells. The result showed very little overlap between these two cells in terms of targeted genes (21.2% of common genes) and targeted TFs (25% of common TFs). The significant dissimilarity may indicate totally different transcriptional regulatory mechanisms between these two cancer cells. Our study uncovers new estrogen-mediated regulatory networks by mining three ChIP-based data in MCF7 cells and ChIP-seq data in MCF7-T cells. We compared the different ChIP-based technologies as well as different breast cancer cells. Our computational analytical approach may guide biologists to further study the underlying mechanisms in breast cancer cells or other human diseases.