cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How do elevated CO2 and O3 affect the interception and utilization of radiation by a soybean canopy

Net productivity of vegetation is determined by the product of the efficiencies with which it intercepts light (e i ) and converts that intercepted energy into biomass (e c ). Elevated carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) increases photosynthesis and leaf area index (LAI) of soybeans and thus may increase e i and e c ; elevated O 3 may have the opposite effect. Knowing if elevated CO 2 and Ο 3 differentially affect physiological more than structural components of the ecosystem may reveal how these elements of global change will ultimately alter productivity. The effects of elevated CO 2 and Ο 3 on an intact soybean ecosystem were examined with Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment (SoyFACE) technology where large field plots (20-m diameter) were exposed to elevated CO 2 (∼550μmol mol -1 ) and elevated O 3 (1.2 x ambient) in a factorial design. Aboveground biomass, LAI and light interception were measured during the growing seasons of 2002, 2003 and 2004 to calculate e ι and e c . A 15% increase in yield (averaged over 3 years) under elevated CO 2 was caused primarily by a 12% stimulation in e c , as e ι increased by only 3%. Though accelerated canopy senescence under elevated Ο 3 caused a 3% decrease in e;, the primary effect of Ο 3 on biomass was through an 11% reduction in e c . When CO 2 and O 3 were elevated in combination, CO 2 partially reduced the negative effects of elevated Ο 3 . Knowing that changes in productivity in elevated CO 2 and O 3 were influenced strongly by the efficiency of conversion of light energy into energy in plant biomass will aid in optimizing soybean yields in the future. Future modeling efforts that rely on e c for calculating regional and global plant productivity will need to accommodate the effects of global change on this important ecosystem attribute.
A differential diagnostic approach to the pharmacological treatment of cognitive, behavioral, and affective disorders after traumatic brain injury.

The choice of pharmacologic treatment for cognitive, behavioral, or affective disorders following TBI depends upon an accurate assessment of the underlying disorder responsible for the clinical picture presented. However there are a myriad of possible causes for each sign or symptom, and often several contributing factors. A differential diagnostic approach is presented that structures the search for etiology into several categories: preinjury diagnosis, neuropsychological disorders, sensorimotor disorder, medical disorders, adverse effects of medications, reactive mood and anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders.
Sulfonation of chlorine-containing polymers: Sulfonation of various model tert -alkyl chlorides

tert-Alkyl chlorides of the structure R-C(CH3)2Cl, where R-methyl, ethyl, tert-butyl, and neo-pentyl, were reacted with a stoichiometric quantity of acetyl sulfate at room temperature in methylene chloride diluent. Reaction conversion was monitored as a function of time using 1H NMR; structure of the sulfonated products was characterized using 1H and 13C NMR. Reactivity toward sulfonation increased with increasing size of the R group. In all cases the structure of the products was the same as would be expected from sulfonation of the olefin which results from dehydrochlorination of the tert-chloride. The observed behavior was consistent with a mechanism involving dehydrochlorination followed by addition of SO3 to yield a zwitterionic intermediate. Depending upon structure, the zwitterion may either eliminate a proton to form one or more isomeric β,γ-unsaturated sulfonic acids, or it may rearrange to form a five-membered γ-sultone. This chemistry, which is particularly useful in the synthesis of ionomers, represents a direct route to alkyl sulfonic acids when the alkyl halide is the natural starting point in the synthesis.
First prospective comparison of genotypic vs phenotypic tropism assays in predicting virologic responses to Maraviroc (MVC) in a phase 3 study: MODERN

Introduction : MODERN (A4001095) was the first prospective phase 3 study comparing genotype vs phenotype (Trofile™) tropism assessments. Materials and Methods : Treatment-naive adults with HIV-1 RNA >1000 copies/mL were randomized 1:1 at screening to either genotype or Trofile for tropism assessment. Genotype was determined using the geno2pheno algorithm to assess triplicate HIV-1 gp120 V3 loop sequences (plasma); false-positive rate=10%. R5-virus-infected subjects were then randomized 1:1 to receive Maraviroc (MVC) 150 mg QD or Truvada 200/300 mg QD each with DRV/r 800/100 mg QD. Tropism of screening samples from enrolled subjects was also retrospectively determined using the alternate testing method. Positive predictive values (PPV) were estimated by%R5 subjects with Week 48 HIV-1 RNA <50 c/mL. PPV for each assay was estimated using the response rate among those randomized to that assay and using model-based response estimates in those with R5 by that assay (at screening or retest). Results : The observed response rate was 146/181 (80.7%) for genotype vs 160/215 (74.4%) for Trofile (stratification adjusted difference=6.9%, 95% CI 1.3% to 15%). The model-based estimates of PPV (±SE) were 79.1% (±2.42) and 76.3% (±2.38), respectively (difference=2.8%, 95% CI −2.1% to 7.2%). There was no difference in response rate between assays in the Truvada arm (observed difference=−0.1%, 95% CI −6.8% to 6.6%). Most enrolled subjects had R5 results at screening using both assays (285/396 (72%)), and of these subjects, 79.3% (226/285) had HIV-1 RNA <50 c/mL at week 48 (Table 1). The few subjects classified as non-R5 by the alternate assay had similar virologic responses to the concordant R5 group. Conclusion : There was a higher MVC response rate and model-based positive predictive value with genotype compared to Trofile, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. The majority of subjects had concordant R5 tropism results. Either phenotype or genotype can effectively predict MVC response. (Published: 2 November 2014) Citation : Abstracts of the HIV Drug Therapy Glasgow Congress 2014 Heera J et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2014, 17(Suppl 3) :19519 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/19519 | http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.17.4.19519
Surface analysis of titanium after sterilization: Role in implant-tissue interface and bioadhesion

lhe advent of osseointegration after more than 15 years of experimental and clinical trials, has made the use of the dental implant a viable option in the treatment of the edentulous arch and the rehabilitation of the maxillofacial patient. Albrektsson et al.’ established six parameters for ensuring long-lasting osseointegration. One parameter of great interest is the effect of sterilization on the implant surface, not only on the capabilities of the sterilizing modality, but also on the possibility of surface contamination and changes to the critical surface energy as related to bioadhesiveness. This study measured and compared the effects of five sterilization methods on the titanium surface of the implant.
Molecular Properties of Post-Mortem Muscle. 6. Effect of Temperature on Protein Solubility of Rabbit and Bovine Muscle

SUMMARY– Studies were conducted to investigate the effect of temperature on the actin-myosin interaction of rabbit and bovine muscle during rigor and post-rigor shortening. Muscle was stored at four different temperatures (2°, 16°, 25° and 37°), corresponding to three types of post-mortem muscle shortening: cold, minimal and high temperature. These three types of shortening are presumably related to different states of the actin-myosin interaction in post-mortem muscle. Post-mortem tenderization may be the result of either actin-myosin dissociation or F-actin depolymerization. To detect the occurrence of either of these possible changes, two salt solutions, differing widely in their myofibrillar protein extracting abilities, were used to compare post-mortem myofibrillar protein solubility after different times of post-mortem storage and to provide information about the actin-myosin complex. Myofibrillar protein solubility of both rabbit and beef muscle in 0.5M KCl, 0.1M phosphate, pH 7.4, increased markedly with increasing post-mortem storage at temperatures up to 25deg;. Similar solubility changes were obtained with 1.1M Kl, 0.1M K phosphate, pH 7.4, but these changes were much smaller in magnitude. Solubility in both salt solutions, in general, decreased for muscle stored at 37°. Although time and temperature of post-mortem storage caused appreciable alterations in protein solubility, these alterations could not be directly related to changes in tenderness or sarcomere length or to species differences in the effects of temperature on post-mortem shortening. Viscosity, analytical ultracentrifugation, and ATPase assays all indicated the absence of “normal” actomyosin in all myofibrillar protein extracts in this study. It was suggested that the 1.1 M KI extracts contained G-actomyosin, but the available evidence indicated the presence of only myosin in 3-hr, 0.5 M KCI extracts.
Cooling-rate dependence for the spin-glass ground-state energy: Implications for optimization by simulated annealing.

The zero-temperature ground-state properties of five spin-glass models have been studied as a function of the cooling rate $r=\frac{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Delta}T}{t}$. Here $\ensuremath{\Delta}T$ is the temperature decrement and $t$ is the time (in Monte Carlo steps) at each temperature $T$. For the 2D $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$ and Gaussian models, $E(r)={E}_{0}+{C}_{1}{r}^{x}$, where $x\ensuremath{\cong}0.25$, while for the 3D $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$, a two-layer $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$, and infinite-range models, $E(r)={E}_{0}\ensuremath{-}{C}_{2}{(\mathrm{inr})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. We speculate that this difference is related to the fact that the 2D models are not $\mathrm{NP}$-complete while the other three models are.
Slit Curvature in Grating Monochromators Employing Single or Multiple Diffraction

The curvatures required for the entrance and exit slits of a grating monochromator and the wavelength errors at the ends of incorrectly curved slits are considered for cases of single and multiple traversal of the grating. Under certain conditions, a fixed curvature will provide zero error at slit ends for all wavelengths. In other cases, slits of fixed curvature can have correct shape for only one orientation of the grating. The best choice of this orientation is determined, and the range of angles over which the grating can be used is indicated.
cDNA sequence and gene locus of the human retinal phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase-Cβ4 (PLCB4)

Defects in the Drosophila norpA (no receptor potential A) gene encoding a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) block invertebrate phototransduction and lead to retinal degeneration. The mammalian homolog, PLCB4, is expressed in rat brain, bovine cerebellum, and the bovine retina in several splice variants. To determine a possible role of PLCB4 gene defects in human disease, we isolated several overlapping cDNA clones from a human retina library. The composite cDNA sequence predicts a human PLC beta 4 polypeptide of 1022 amino acid residues (MW 117,000). This PLC beta 4 variant lacks a 165-amino-acid N-terminal domain characteristic for the rat brain isoforms, but has a distinct putative exon 1 unique for human and bovine retina isoforms. A PLC beta 4 monospecific antibody detected a major (130 kDa) and a minor (160 kDa) isoform in retina homogenates. Somatic cell hybrids and deletion panels were used to localize the PCLB4 gene to the short arm of chromosome 20. The gene was further sublocalized to 20p12 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.
Nucleotide sequence of a region of human mitochondrial DNA containing the precisely identified origin of replication.

A fragment of HeLa cell mitochondrial DNA containing the origin of replication has been sequenced. The precise position of the origin in this sequence has been identified by determining the nucleotide order in the 5′-end proximal portion of the heavy strand initiation fragment (7S DNA), and by aligning the two sequences.
Three-concept monte: explanation implementation and systematicity

Fodor and Pylyshyn (1988), Fodor and McLaughlin (1990) and McLaughlin (1993) challenge connectionists to explain systematicity without simply implementing a classical architecture. In this paper I argue that what makes the challenge difficult for connectionists to meet has less to do with what is to be explained than with what is to count as an explanation. Fodor et al. are prepared to admit as explanatory, accounts of a sort that only classical models can provide. If connectionists are to meet the challenge, they are going to have to insist on the propriety of changing what counts as an explanation of systematicity. Once that is done, there would seem to be as yet no reason to suppose that connectionists are unable to explain systematicity.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae host–pathogen studies in an air–liquid culture of differentiated human airway epithelial cells

The interaction between Mycoplasma pneumonaie and the airway epithelium in vivo is complex and multifaceted. While multiple in vitro studies have been conducted studying this interaction with cell lines and animal cell and organ culture models, the interactions between M. pneumoniae and fully differentiated human airway epithelium in air-liquid interface culture remains unexplored. In the present study we investigated M. pneumoniae interactions with airway epithelium utilizing an air-liquid interface culture of differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. Utilizing confocal microscopy we found that M. pneumoniae cells bound initially to ciliated epithelial cells, but colonization became more evenly distributed over the entire surface with time. M. pneumoniae infection resulted in stimulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) gene expression and soluble ICAM-1 production in this culture system.
Colloid Cyst: A Case Report and Literature Review of a Rare But Deadly Condition

Abstract Background: Colloid cysts are congenital benign tumors accounting for 0.2–2% of all intracranial neoplasms but representing 15–20% of all intraventricular masses. Emergency Physicians are more likely than any other group to encounter patients with a colloid cyst, a rare but life-threatening condition. The most common presenting complaint is severe episodic attacks of headache in a frontal location with associated nausea and vomiting. Objectives: To describe a rare but potentially life-threatening cause of headache so that clinicians will rapidly recognize the significance of the condition and institute timely appropriate therapy. Case Report: We describe the case of a 40-year-old man with a severe headache accompanied by confusion who was diagnosed with obstructive hydrocephalus associated with a colloid cyst in the third ventricle. Conclusion: Recognition of this rare but important diagnosis should prompt the Emergency Physician to obtain timely treatment so that rapid neurologic deterioration, herniation, and death can be prevented. A review of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current management is discussed.
Hubble's constant and exploding carbon-oxygen white dwarf models for Type I supernovae

The immediate progenitor of a Type I supernova (SN I) is thought to be a mass-accreting carbon–oxygen (C–O) white dwarf in a binary system. When the mass of the white dwarf approaches the Chandrasekhar mass (1.4 M⊙) the C–O nuclear fuel ignites, part of the star is incinerated to radioactive 56Ni, and the thermonuclear energy completely disrupts the star. The optical luminosity results from the trapping and thermalization of the γ rays and positrons emitted by the decay of 56Ni through 56Co to stable 56Fe. The amount of 56Ni synthesized, MNi, and the corresponding peak luminosity, Lmax, can be used with the observed Hubble diagram for SN I to determine the value of Hubble's constant, H0. We argue here that if this model is correct, MNi is in the range 0.4–1.4 M⊙, the best estimate being 0.6 M⊙, and that H0 is in the range 39–73 km s−1 Mpc−1 with a best estimate of 59 km s−1 Mpc−1. This line of reasoning does not require knowledge of the temperature of the supernova and, therefore, is not subject to the uncertainties associated with attempts to determine supernova luminosities and distances by the Baade method1. It relies on the physical correctness of the model, which is subject to independent tests.
Modulation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors in rat brain following chronic reserpine.

Abstract Functional denervation of the central adrenergic receptors by 30 daily injections of reserpine (0.25 mg/kg/day s.c.) produced an increase in the B max of alpha-l adrenergic receptor binding sites labeled by [ 3 H]prazosin. A similar increase was also observed for the alpha-1 adrenergic receptor component of [ 3 H]WB4101 binding in the hippocampus but not in the cortex. No change in the lower affinity [ 3 H]WB4101 binding site, which identifies S-l serotonin receptors was detected after this treatment. These data support the hypothesis that alpha-1 receptors are regulated by their neurotransmitter and may explain why previous studies have not detected alpha-1 receptor increases following 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the dorsal bundle and locus coeruleus.
Modulation of platelet activation in chronic kidney disease patients on erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.

Background Clinical trials demonstrate either no benefit or increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) targeted for higher hemoglobin levels, who are treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). The mechanism underlying this observation remains unexplained. Methods and results We assessed platelet activation by measuring soluble P-selectin (sPsel), CD40 ligand (CD40L), and circulating microparticles (CMP) in patients with CKD. Higher hemoglobin levels were associated with increased Psel levels in patients on ESAs but not in ESA-naive anemic and nonanemic patients. Psel positively correlated with CMP and CD40L in both anemic and nonanemic patients. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed an association between increased Psel levels and hemoglobin concentration in patients receiving ESAs. Conclusions Anemic CKD patients on ESAs demonstrate increased levels of markers of platelet activation. These observations suggest a potentially complex interplay between platelet activation, impaired kidney function, and treatment of CKD anemia with ESAs.
Pro-coagulant thromboelastographic features in the bulldog.

OBJECTIVES To determine if bulldogs develop a hypercoagulable state comparable to that observed in human patients with sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thromboelastography was performed in 15 clinically healthy bulldogs and 24 healthy control dogs of other breeds or mixed breed lineage. RESULTS Bulldogs had significantly shorter R and K times relative to control dogs. The alpha angle, maximum amplitude and overall clot strength was significantly greater in bulldogs than in controls. The largest differences between the groups were found in the maximal amplitude and overall clot strength parameters. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE These findings support the concept that brachycephalic syndrome promotes a hypercoagulable phenotype similar to that observed with sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome in humans. The large increases in maximal amplitude observed suggest platelet hyperreactivity may play an important role.
HeLa cell single-stranded DNA-binding protein increases the accuracy of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase α in vitro

Abstract To determine whether cellular replication factors can influence the fidelity of DNA replication, the effect of HeLa cell single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) on the accuracy of DNA replication by HeLa cell DNA polymerase α has been examined. An in vitro gap-filling assay, in which the single-stranded gap contains the supF target gene, was used to measure mutagenesis. Addition of SSB to the in vitro DNA synthesis reaction increased the accuracy of DNA polymerase α by 2- to 8-fold. Analysis of the products of DNA synthesis indicated that SSB reduces pausing by the polymerase at specific sites in the single-stranded supF template. Sequence analysis of the types of errors resulting from synthesis in the absence or presence of SSB reveals that, while the errors are primarily base substitutions under both conditions, SSB reduces the number of errors found at 3 hotspots in the supF gene. Thus, a cellular replication factor (SSB) can influence the fidelity of a mammalian DNA polymerase in vitro, suggesting that the high accuracy of cellular DNA replication may be determined in part by the interaction between replication factors, DNA polymerase and the DNA template in the replication complex.
Sorting non-key fields in the distributed result set iterator pattern

In previous work a design pattern for solving the issues of handling results from queries that return large amounts of data from remote data sources was presented. This paper presents a solution to the problem of sorting non-key fields that was raised in previous work but left for a future time to solve. That time is now.
Oil Exploration in Transitional Economies: the Present Status of Kazakhstan’s Onshore Proven Oil Reserves

Kazakhstan is faced with a flattening proven oil reserve trend. Two explanations are possible. One is that this trend is simply a product of Kazakhstan’s transition from a planned economy to a free market economy. Once new technology and free markets are introduced, then proven reserves will return to an upward trend. The other explanation is that Kazakhstan’s onshore oil potential has been thoroughly searched, such that there are no more large oil reservoirs to discover onshore. We consider how onshore oil exploration in Kazakhstan may have reached its peak and could now be in decline.
In situ measurements of Pinatubo aerosol over Kiruna on four days between 18 January and 13 February 1992

Vertical profiles of aerosol were measured on 18 and 27 January and 4 and 13 February, 1992, using balloonborne particle counters released from Esrange (68°N, 21°E) near Kiruna, Sweden. Condensation nuclei (CN) and aerosol with radii ≥ 0.15 µm, in 8 size classes, were measured. In the lower stratosphere concentrations of the larger particles were greater, by factors of 10 to 100, than those measured on flights from Esrange in January and February 1991. CN concentrations in the two years showed no pronounced differences. The bulk of the particles were volcanic aerosol from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. On the first three flights, in air polewards of the stratospheric jet stream, there was little volcanic aerosol above 20 km, although a highly structured polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) was detected above the volcanic layer on 27 January. In the main volcanic layer, below about 16 km, the aerosol constituted 10 to 60 ppbm sulfuric acid, with a surface area density of 5 to 10 µm² cm−3, based on lognormal size distributions fit to the concentration measurements. These are respectively 50 and 10 times larger than the mass and surface area densities found in 1991. On the last flight in air equatorward of the jet stream, volcanic aerosol was detected up to 27 km, with peak values, near 20 km, of 100 ppbm sulfuric acid and 20 µm² cm−3 surface area density. These are similar to observations in the mid-latitudes at that time.
Phase image evaluation of patients with ventricular pre-excitation syndromes

To localize bypass pathways, left and right ventricular regions were analyzed at rest by phase image analysis in 18 patients with ventricular pre-excitation syndromes. These were compared with image findings in 18 normal subjects. In each of 17 patients with pre-excitation, the site localized on electrophysiologic study correlated closely with the region of earliest ventricular phase angle. This site could be objectively separated from that in normal subjects in each of eight patients with an active left-sided pathway and in both patients with a right-sided pathway. Those with a septal pathway revealed earliest septal phase angle, but could not be separated from normal subjects. In the eight patients with an active left bypass tract, the onset, upstroke and peak of the left ventricular phase histogram preceded those of the right ventricular histogram. Those with a left-sided pathway demonstrated a mean left ventricular phase angle, a difference between mean left and mean right ventricular phase angle and a difference between earliest left and right ventricular phase angles which was significantly less than that in normal subjects (p Sequential phase changes in 10 studies suggested “fusion” of normal septal with lateral bypass fronts. Electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic localization of the bypass pathway agreed in only 8 of 14 patients with a recognized delta wave. The phase image represents a new, noninvasive method of evaluating ventricular pre-excitation. The method may provide useful information complementary to that of electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic analysis.
A simple algorithm to find Hamiltonian cycles in proper interval graphs

We present an algorithm to find a Hamiltonian cycle in a proper interval graph in O(m+n) time, where m is the number of edges and n is the number of vertices in the graph. The algorithm is simpler and shorter than previous algorithms for the problem.
College students' perceptions of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers: a comparison.

The present study compared perceptions held by 180 college students of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. The students viewed social workers as warm and easy to relate to but not particularly intelligent. Psychiatrists were viewed as bright but cold and reserved. The students indicated that they would most likely consult psychologists for help with the majority of their problems.
Interreader and intermodality reliability of standard anteroposterior radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging in detection and classification of lumbosacral transitional vertebra

Abstract Background context Different types of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) are classified based on the relationship of the transverse process of the last lumbar vertebra to the sacrum. The Ferguson view (30° angled anteroposterior [AP] radiograph) is supposed to have a sufficient interreader reliability in classification of LSTV, but is not routinely available. Standard AP radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are often available, but their reliability in detection and classification of LSTV is unknown. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interreader reliability of detection and classification of LSTV with standard AP radiographs and report its accuracy by use of intermodality statistics compared with MRI as the gold standard. Study design/setting Retrospective case control study. Patient sample A total of 155 subjects (93 cases: LSTV type 2 or higher; 62 controls). Outcome measures Interreader reliability in detection and classification of LSTV using standard AP radiographs and coronal MRI as well as accuracy of radiographs compared with MRI. Methods After institutional review board approval, coronal MRI scans and conventional AP radiographs of 155 subjects (93 LSTV type 2 or higher and 62 controls) were retrospectively reviewed by two independent, blinded readers and classified according to the Castellvi classification. Interreader reliability was assessed using kappa statistics for detection of an LSTV and identification of all subtypes (six variants; 1: no LSTV or type I, 2: LSTV type 2a, 3: LSTV type 2b, 4: LSTV type 3a, 5: LSTV type 3b, 6: LSTV type 4) for MRI scans and standard AP radiographs. Further, accuracy and positive and negative predictive values were calculated for standard AP radiographs to detect and classify LSTV using MRI as the gold standard. Results The interreader reliability was at most moderate for the detection (k=0.53) and fair for classification (wk=0.39) of LSTV in standard AP radiograph. However, the interreader reliability was very good for detection (k=0.93) and classification (wk=0.83) of LSTV in MRI. The accuracy and positive and negative predictive values of standard AP radiograph were 76% to 84%, 72% to 86%, and 79% to 81% for the detection and 53% to 58%, 51% to 76%, and 49% to 55% for the classification of LSTV, respectively. Conclusion Standard AP radiographs are insufficient to detect or classify LSTV. Coronal MRI scans, however, are highly reliable for classification of LSTV.
Mediaprocessors in Medical Imaging for High Performance and Flexibility

New high performance programmable processors, called mediaprocessors, have been emerging since the early 1990s for various digital media applications, such as digital TV, set-top boxes, desktop video conferencing, and digital camcorders. Modern mediaprocessors, e.g., TI's TMS320C64x and Hitachi/Equator Technologies MAP-CA, can offer high performance utilizing both instruction-level and data-level parallelism. During this decade, with continued performance improvement and cost reduction, we believe that the mediaprocessors will become a preferred choice in designing imaging and video systems due to their flexibility in incorporating new algorithms and applications via programming and faster-time-to-market. In this paper, we will evaluate the suitability of these mediaprocessors in medical imaging. We will review the core routines of several medical imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and DR, and present how these routines can be mapped to mediaprocessors and their resultant performance. We will analyze the architecture of several leading mediaprocessors. By carefully mapping key imaging routines, such as 2D convolution, unsharp masking, and 2D FFT, to the mediaprocessor, we have been able to achieve comparable (if not better) performance to that of traditional hardwired approaches. Thus, we believe that future medical imaging systems will benefit greatly from these advanced mediaprocessors, offering significantly increased flexibility and adaptability, reducing the time-to-market, and improving the cost/performance ratio compared to the existing systems while meeting the high computing requirements.
Neuromuscular blocking activity of cyclic and acyclic bis-quaternary ammonium analogues of mivacurium chloride in the cat

Abstract The purpose of this work was to identify a new ultra-short-acting neuromuscular blocking agent devoid of the potential to produce cardiovascular effects at ≥ED 9 5 doses. Four new bis -quaternary mivacurium analogues that are acyclic with respect to the bis -isoquinolinium nuclei and seven new bis -quaternary mivacurium analogues that are derivatives of ( E )-oct-4-enedioic acid, ( E )-oct-2-enedioic acid, and ( E )-oct-4-enedithioic acid, were synthesised and tested for neuromuscular blocking activity in the cat. In general, compared with mivacurium, the acyclic analogues were of much lower potency but showed a faster onset (time from injection to maximum neuromuscular block) and a much shorter duration of action (time from injection to 95% recovery) at approximately ED 9 5 doses. However, these acyclic analogues had a considerably narrower safety margin (i.e., the ratio of doses that produce unwanted cardiovascular or autonomic effects to those that produce neuromuscular block) than mivacurium. The ( E )-oct-4-enedioate and ( E )-oct-4-enedithioate analogues showed a neuromuscular blocking profile similar to the acyclic analogues. The ( E )-oct-2-enedioate isomer of mivacurium did not have any advantageous neuromuscular blocking properties over mivacurium and, in fact, elicited cardiovascular and autonomic effects at much lower multiples of ED 95 . Structural changes to mivacurium, however minor, to either the inter-onium chain or the onium centres (or both) result in compounds whose cardiovascular and autonomic safety profiles are highly compromised in return for the desirable rapid onset and brevity of neuromuscular blocking action at ≥ED 95 doses. The intact isoquinolinium nucleus appears to confer a superior safety profile over that of an acyclic onium nucleus.
Search for Disoriented Chiral Condensates in 158 AGeV Pb+Pb collisions

Abstract The restoration of chiral symmetry and its subsequent breaking through a phase transition has been predicted to create regions of Disoriented Chiral Condensates (DCC). This phenomenon has been predicted to cause anomalous fluctuations in the relative production of charged and neutral pions in high-energy hadronic and nuclear collisions. The WA98 experiment has been used to measure charged and photon multiplicities in the central region of 158 AGeV Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. In a sample of 212646 events, no clear DCC signal can be distinguished. Using a simple DCC model, we have set a 90% C.L. upper limit on the maximum DCC production allowed by the data.
Theoretical Study of the Fast Photodissociation Channels of the Monohalobenzenes

Excited state properties of fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, and iodobenzene have been investigated theoretically using multireference CASSCF and CASPT2 methods. Experimentally, chlorobenzene and bromobenzene are known to exhibit one fast dissociation channel, whereas iodobenzene exhibits two fast dissociation channels. The calculations indicate that the chlorobenzene, the bromobenzene, and the slower iodobenzene dissociation channels are due to intersystem crossings from a bound (π,π*) singlet excited state to a repulsive (n,σ*) triplet excited state. The faster iodobenzene dissociation channel is instead found to be caused by a direct dissociation of an antibonding (n,σ*) singlet excited state. The CASPT2 calculations predict that the onset of fluorobenzene photodissociation should occur around 196 nm, with a single time constant longer than 1 ns. CASSCF geometries and accurate MSCASPT2 calculated vertical excitation energies are presented for the ground state as well as the first excited singlet and triplet states of all the monohalobenzenes.
Superconductivity in the layered compound LixNbO2

SEVERAL classes of copper oxide compounds are high-temperature superconductors1–3; the highest known transition temperature (Tc) is 122 K for Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O11 (ref. 4). Superconductivity has also been observed in oxides containing early transition metals, but the superconducting transition temperatures are substantially lower. (The highest known Tc for an early transition metal oxide is 13.7 K, for the spinel compound LiTi2O4 (ref. 5).) Whereas all of the copper oxide superconductors have very anisotropic structures, the superconducting oxides of early transition metals discovered up to now have three-dimensional structures. Here we report the discovery of a new class of superconductors, LixNbO2 with layered structures. At low applied magnetic fields, the magnetic susceptibility greatly decreases to diamagnetic values below 5.5 K for Li0.45NbO2 and below 5.5 K for Li0.45NbO2; this transition indicates the onset of superconductivity. In this first example of superconductivity in a layered early transition metal oxide, it is interesting to note that the layering has not increased Tc to new levels for early transition metal oxides.
Numerical Calculation of Domains of Analyticity for Perturbation Theories in the Presence of Small Divisors

We study numerically the complex domains of validity for KAM theory in generalized standard mappings. We compare methods based on Pade approximants and methods based on the study of periodic orbits.
New inverse kinematic algorithms for redundant robots

New inverse kinematic algorithms for generating redundant robot joint trajectories are proposed. The algorithms utilize the kinematic redundancy to improve robot motion performance (in joint space or Cartesian space) as specified by certain objective functions. The algorithms are based on the extension of the existing “joint-space command generator” technique in which a null space vector is introduced which optimizes a specific objective function along the joint trajectories. In this article, the algorithms for generating the joint position and velocity (PV) trajectories are extensively developed. The case for joint position, velocity, and acceleration (PVA) generation is also addressed. Application of the algorithms to a four-link revolute planar robot manipulator is demonstrated through simulation. Several motion performance criteria are considered and their results analyzed.
Press Freedom as a Logistical Notion

This paper proposes an approach to analyzing press systems that avoids the rigidity of current classifications. The paper argues that the value of rigid classifications has been reduced by revisions of libertarianism, rapid homogenization of global political culture, and the growth of technologies that defy information control. The logistical approach provides an alternative to rigid classifications by demonstrating how the marketplace of ideas is kept viable in disparate press systems through the interaction of seven logistical factors. The paper recommends a shift from concerns about the effect of censorship on the marketplace of ideas to concerns about its logistical cost—in moral and material terms.
On tracks and locomotives: the long route of DNA to the nucleus

Molecular motors have prominent functions in organelle transport, cytoskeletal organization, division and motility. The dyneins are one of the three families of cytoskeleton-based molecular motors and they travel along the cytoplasmic microtubule network towards the minus end of the microtubule. This directed movement is used by DNA viruses to deliver their infectious genome and proteins to the host cell nucleus. In recent studies, it has been hypothesized that Agrobacterium species use a similar pathway to deliver their infectious unit – a large complex between single-stranded DNA and proteins – to the host cell nucleus and that a karyophilic protein carrier that can deliver synthetic DNA to the nucleus is also driven by a dynein motor. These studies shed light on the mechanism of Agrobacterium -mediated genetic transformation and could lead to new methods for the efficient transfection of synthetic DNA.
Iron and Manganese Distribution in Nodules from a Young Texas Vertisol

Iron and Mn distributions in the black nodules from the BCk3 horizon of the microlow position of a Burleson soil, a fine, montmorillonitic, thermic, Udic Haplustert, from a terrace of the Brazos River were mapped with scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) x-ray analysis. Spherical nodules were concentrically banded, and the irregularly shaped nodules lacked welldeveloped banding of Fe and Mn. More and better expressed banding was found by decreasing pixel size used for mapping and by increasing the count time per pixel for banded nodules. Bands of higher or lower Fe and Mn concentration were not coincident. The Mn/Fe weight ratios of individual nodules analyzed by EDS were between 0.71 to 2.85. Banded nodules had a narrower range of Mn and Fe concentrations and a narrower range in Mn to Fe ratios than unbanded nodules. Barium concentration in the nodules was unusually high, averaging 30 g kg -1 , and correlated strongly with Mn concentration. Some interelement correlations (e.g., Fe vs. Mn, r = - 0.56; Fe vs. Al, r = - 0.58) reflected partitioning into the oxide or silicate minerals of the soil. Fractured nodules revealed the interior to have only a few very small pores. The 30 nodules examined are well developed solid bodies that are expected to persist in the soil environment. They appear to contain unique and important information about the weathering history of the Burleson soil and the landscape in which it occurs. The order and expression of the banding is a relict of the redox history of the nodules, which can be used to induce the redox history of the soil.
Professionalism: Why It Should Matter to Us Presidential Address at 2011 American Head and Neck Society Annual Meeting

I t is a distinct honor to address you as president of the American Head and Neck Society [AHNS]. Serving the Society as president is the highlight of my professional career as a head and neck surgeon, which I have wanted to be since medical school. I never imagined that I would have this leadership opportunity, and I greatly appreciate being able to serve the AHNS this year in this role. Many of you here today are my friends, teachers, mentors, and heroes. Thank you for your support, fellowship, and collegiality.
Wound healing in total joint replacement

Satisfactory primary wound healing following total joint replacement is essential. Wound healing problems can have devastating consequences for patients. Assessment of their healing capacity is useful in predicting complications. Local factors that influence wound healing include multiple previous incisions, extensive scarring, lymphoedema, and poor vascular perfusion. Systemic factors include diabetes mellitus, inflammatory arthropathy, renal or liver disease, immune compromise, corticosteroid therapy, smoking, and poor nutrition. Modifications in the surgical technique are necessary in selected cases to minimise potential wound complications. Prompt and systematic intervention is necessary to address any wound healing problems to reduce the risks of infection and other potential complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B, Supple A:144–7.
Construct validity for the Activity Vector Analysis utilizing the sixteen personality factors questionnaire

This study utilized a canonical correlation procedure to investigate the construct validity of the Activity Vector Analysis (AVA, Form E) by comparing it to the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF, Forms A and B). All subjects (N = 114; 57 males and 57 females) were from the greater Kansas City area and included students in continuing education classes at the University of Kansas, working spouses of graduate students in psychology, and employees from two large manufacturing companies. Examination of the descriptions of the dimensions defined by the obtained structure vectors associated with each instrument based on the canonical correlation linear composites suggests that construct validity for the Activity Vector Analysis relative to the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire exists. Given the support for the construct validity of the Activity Vector Analysis and the fact that the AVA is an instrument that takes little time to administer, it is suggested that the AVA be employed more frequently in the assessment of personality.
Medial cortex activity, self-reflection and depression

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated neural activity associated with self-reflection in depressed [current major depressive episode (MDE)] and healthy control participants, focusing on medial cortex areas previously shown to be associated with self-reflection. Both the MDE and healthy control groups showed greater activity in anterior medial cortex (medial frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus) when cued to think about hopes and aspirations compared with duties and obligations, and greater activity in posterior medial cortex (precuneus, posterior cingulate) when cued to think about duties and obligations (Experiment 1). However, the MDE group showed less activity than controls in the same area of medial frontal cortex when self-referential cues were more ambiguous with respect to valence (Experiment 2), and less deactivation in a non-self-referential condition in both experiments. Furthermore, individual differences in rumination were positively correlated with activity in both anterior and posterior medial cortex during non-self-referential conditions. These results provide converging evidence for a dissociation of anterior and posterior medial cortex depending on the focus of self-relevant thought. They also provide neural evidence consistent with behavioral findings that depression is associated with disruption of positively valenced thoughts in response to ambiguous cues, and difficulty disengaging from self-reflection when it is appropriate to do so.
Maximizing quantitative accuracy of lung airway lumen and wall measures obtained from X-ray CT imaging

To objectively quantify airway geometry from three-dimensional computed tomographic (CT) images, an idealized (circular cross section) airway model is parameterized by airway luminal caliber, wall ...
Stereotyping based on apparently individuating information: Trait and global components of sex stereotypes under attention overload.

Abstract Although considerable research has shown that stereotypes are used to form impressions of others, other research shows that the effects of stereotypes can be attenuated or even eliminated by presentation of certain types of individuating information. Such information is usually in the form of traits or behaviors that imply traits. We hypothesized that sex stereotypic impressions can exist at both a specific trait level and a more global (stereotype fit) level, and that the degree of correspondence between the two components depends on the amount of attention paid to the target information. Subjects formed impressions of either a male or a female target who performed either several male-typed behaviors or several female-typed behaviors and several sex-neutral behaviors. The speed of presentation of the information was manipulated to create two levels of attentional processing load. Measures of sex stereotyping at both the trait and global levels were made. Subjects in both attention conditions appeared to stereotype the target based on his or her behaviors rather than on his or her sex, as their ratings of traits which were sex-typed but irrevelant to the behaviors were influenced by the sex-type of the behavior much more than by target sex. Whereas trait-level measures were responsive only to the behavioral information, the global-level measures were influenced both by target sex and by the sex-type of the behaviors. As predicted, the degree of correspondence between the two components depended on the amount of attention available for processing. When subjects had more time to attend to the information, their global and trait-level impressions were relatively independent. When subjects had little time to attend to the information, their trait impressions were driven mainly by their global impressions. Thus it appears that impressions are more likely to be stereotypic when people do not have time to integrate more individuating information, even when they make correct inferences from that information. The implications of these findings for the measurement of impressions and for stereotyping in naturalistic settings are discussed.