cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image quality measurements with a neural brightness perception model

A computational model for the human perception of image brightness has been advanced by Cohen, Grossberg, and Todorovic. The research describes how this model can be used to assess perceived image quality. The implementation of the model is extended to allow the processing of larger images and an increased dynamic range of the gray scale. The model is validated by examining the simulation of some classical brightness perception phenomena including the Herman grid illusion, and the Craik-O'Brien-Cornsweet effect. Results of a comparative evaluation of three halftoning algorithms are offered which indicate that the model is useful for the evaluation of image processing algorithms. Human subjects ranked the quality of the images halftoned with each of three different algorithms at three different viewing distances. Objective measures of the halftoned images were obtained after preprocessing to account for the different viewing distances. The ranking of the objective measures did not correspond to those of the majority of the human observers. However, after processing by the brightness perception model, ranking of the objective measures do correspond with the rankings assigned by human observers.
Clinical and safety impact of an inpatient pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service.

BACKGROUND: Warfarin is implicated in approximately 30% of reported anticoagulant-related errors. In order to improve anticoagulation management and safety, our institution implemented an inpatient Pharmacist-Directed Anticoagulation Service (PDAS). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of this service on both transition of care and safety of patients receiving warfarin anticoagulation. DESIGN: Cluster randomized trial. SETTING: Large, urban teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS: All patients receiving warfarin on two medical and two cardiology units. INTERVENTION: A PDAS provided dosing, monitoring, and coordination of transition from the inpatient-to-outpatient setting. MEASUREMENTS: Endpoints were assessed during hospitalization and 30 days after discharge. Transition of care was considered effective if compliance with all of the transition of care metrics occurred. The transition of care metrics included: appropriate enrollment in the anticoagulation clinic, documented inpatient-to-outpatient provider contact, documented inpatient provider-to-anticoagulation clinic communication and patient follow-up with the anticoagulation clinic within five days of discharge. Safety was measured by the composite endpoint of thromboembolism, major bleeding, or international normalized ratio (INR) ≥5. RESULTS: This study included 500 patients. Transition of care metric compliance occurred in 73% more patients in the PDAS group (P < 0.001). There was also a 32% reduction in the composite safety endpoint in the PDAS group (P = 0.103). This finding was driven by a reduction in rate of INR ≥5 (P = 0.076). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a PDAS provides a net improvement in quality of care for the patient taking warfarin in the inpatient setting. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011;6:322–328. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine
Setup for advanced vehicle control systems experiments in the flexible low-cost automated scaled highway (FLASH) laboratory

This paper describes the setup for advanced vehicle control systems (AVCS) experiments in the flexible low-cost automated scaled highway (FLASH) laboratory being developed at Virginia Tech. The laboratory is a proposed 1/15th scale hardware working model of Automated Highway Systems (AHS). The vehicles are equipped with ultrasonic sensors for longitudinal guidance. They are controlled by HC11 microprocessor boards, and have wireless two way communication infrastructure for vehicle-highway communication. This paper describes the hardware, software, and design issues for the experiments.
Quasi-TEM spectral domain analysis of thick microstrip for microwave and digital integrated circuits

A procedure to compute the effective dielectric constants and characteristic impedances of thick microstrip is formulated utilising the computationally efficient quasi-TEM spectral domain method. The results calculated for the impedance and effective dielectric constant are shown to agree well with those obtained by the integral equation and finite element methods. The decrease in the effective dielectric constant of a microstrip as a function of strip thickness is also shown to agree well with the measured data.
Investigation of battery end-of-life conditions for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Abstract Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) capable of drawing tractive energy from the electric grid represent an energy efficient alternative to conventional vehicles. After several thousand charge depleting cycles, PHEV traction batteries can be subject to energy and power degradation which has the potential to affect vehicle performance and efficiency. This study seeks to understand the effect of battery degradation and the need for battery replacement in PHEVs through the experimental measurement of lithium ion battery lifetime under PHEV-type driving and charging conditions. The dynamic characteristics of the battery performance over its lifetime are then input into a vehicle performance and fuel consumption simulation to understand these effects as a function of battery degradation state, and as a function of vehicle control strategy. The results of this study show that active management of PHEV battery degradation by the vehicle control system can improve PHEV performance and fuel consumption relative to a more passive baseline. Simulation of the performance of the PHEV throughout its battery lifetime shows that battery replacement will be neither economically incentivized nor necessary to maintain performance in PHEVs. These results have important implications for techno-economic evaluations of PHEVs which have treated battery replacement and its costs with inconsistency.
Synthetic peptide inhibitors of complement serine proteases--III. Significant increase in inhibitor potency provides further support for the functional equivalence hypothesis.

Synthetic peptides based on functionally equivalent (as defined by similar patterns of chemically equivalent amino acids) serine protease inhibitor (serpin) C-terminal sequences inhibit both classical and alternative pathways of complement activation. Inhibition was also found with hybrid peptides consisting of the cleavage site of one serpin (antithrombin III, α-1-antitrypsin, or antichymotrypsin) attached to the short and long functionally equivalent protease binding cores of the other two serpins. A hybrid peptide composed of the sequence at the site of cleavage of C4 by C1s attached to the long binding core of antithrombin III was selective in inhibiting the classical pathway with no effect on the alternative pathway at a concn of 10 μM. Extension of the functional equivalence hypothesis has produced inhibitors of complement activation named generic and generic +, whose sequences differ by 77% or 87%, respectively, from those of all three serpin sequences. A hybrid peptide composed of the antithrombin III cleavage site attached to the generic peptide is an inhibitor of complement activation at 500 nM, the most potent inhibitor found in this study.
GLOBAL GRAVITATIONAL ANOMALIES FROM PERTURBATIVE CHIRAL ANOMALIES

Abstract The relation between (4k − 2)-dimensional global gravitational anomalies and perturbative chiral anomalies in 4k dimensions is clarified using an open space generalization of the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem. These anomalies are then reduced to a chiral anomaly in a two-dimensional Schwinger model. It is argued that “all” anomalies can be similarly reduced.
Sleep and the Social Matrix: Determinants of Health Status Beyond Objective Social Status

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and objective socioeconomic status (SES) on sleep status (sleep duration and daytime sleepiness). Method: The study sample included 73 primary care patients from a free medical clinic in which low-income individuals are primarily treated. Subjective social status was measured using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status which uses a pictorial format (social ladder) in order to assess current social status. Socioeconomic status was measured by assessing highest level of education and current income level. Results: Community SSS did not significantly predict sleep duration or daytime sleepiness. Additional regression analyses were conducted and it was found that an overall model of U.S. SSS and community SSS significantly predicted perceived stress. Community SSS was found to be significantly associated with perceived stress. Regression results also indicated that an overall model of U.S. SSS and community SSS significantly predicted perceived health status. Conclusion: It may be beneficial for clinicians working with low-income primary care populations to include measures of SSS in addition to the traditional measures of SES for multidimensional patient care.
Mathematical modelling of dynamics and control in metabolic networks. I. On Michaelis-Menten kinetics.

As a starting point for modeling of metabolic networks this paper considers the simple Michaelis-Menten reaction mechanism. After the elimination of diffusional effects a mathematically intractable mass action kinetic model is obtained. The properties of this model are explored via scaling and linearization. The scaling is carried out such that kinetic properties, concentration parameters and external influences are clearly separated. We then try to obtain reasonable estimates for values of the dimensionless groups and examine the dynamic properties of the model over this part of the parameter space. Linear analysis is found to give excellent insight into reaction dynamics and it also gives a forum for understanding and justifying the two commonly used quasi-stationary and quasi-equilibrium analyses. The first finding is that there are two separate time scales inherent in the model existing over most of the parameter space, and in particular over the regions of importance here. Full modal analysis gives a new interpretation of quasi-stationary analysis, and its extension via singular perturbation theory, and a rationalization of the quasi-equilibrium approximation. The new interpretation of the quasi-steady state assumption is that the applicability is intimately related to dynamic interactions between the concentration variables rather than the traditional notion that a quasi-stationary state is reached, after a short transient period, where the rates of formation and decomposition of the enzyme intermediate are approximately equal. The modal analysis reveals that the generally used criterion for the applicability of quasistationary analysis that total enzyme concentration must be much less than total substrate concentration et ≪ st, is incomplete and and that the criterion et ≪ Km ≪ st (Km is the well known Michaelis constant) is the appropriate one. The first inequality (et ≪ Km) guarantees agreement over the longer time scale leading to quasi-stationary behavior or the applicability of the zeroth order outer singular perturbation solution but the second half of the criterion (Km ≪ st) justifies zeroth order inner singular perturbation solution where the substrate concentration is assumed to be invariant. Furthermore linear analysis shows that when a fast mode representing the binding of substrate to the enzyme is fast it can be relaxed leading to the quasi-equilibrium assumption. The influence of the dimensionless groups is ascertained by integrating the equations numerically, and the predictions made by the linear analysis are found to be accurate. Hence the dynamic properties and suitable approximations for a particular enzyme system may be predicted by simply examining the numerical values of the dimensionless groups. Finally it is found that under many in vivo conditions the linearized model can be successfully used to describe the dynamics of the reaction, and it frequently represents the exact behavior better than the widely used quasi-steady-state solution.
Power Shift or Paradigm Shift? China's Rise and Asia's Emerging Security Order

This essay proposes a new theoretical framework for analyzing the rise of China and its impact on Asian security order. While the rise of China is reshaping Asia's military balance, the region has also witnessed equally important and longer-term changes, especially economic interdependence, multilateral institutions and domestic politics. The implications of these changes are not fully accounted for by the different types of security orders proposed by analysts to describe the implications of China's rise, such as anarchy, hierarchy, hegemony, concert, and community. This essay presents an alternative conceptualization of Asian security order, termed consociational security order (CSO) that draws from different theoretical lenses: defensive realism, institutionalism, and especially consociational theory in comparative politics. Specifying the conditions that make a CSO stable or unstable, the essay then examines the extent to which these conditions can be found in Asia today. Aside from offering a distinctive framework for analyzing China's rise, the CSO framework also offers an analytic device for policymakers and analysts in judging trends and directions in Asian security.
High-strength porous silicon nitride fabricated by the sinter-forging technique

Porous silicon nitride with aligned fibrous grains was fabricated by sinter-forging technique, where uniaxial pressure was applied to achieve a specific density after soaking at elevated temperatures. Fibrous silicon nitride grains were formed during the soaking, and the grains were aligned by the subsequent forging. As the result, a specimen with strongly aligned fibrous silicon nitride grains was successfully fabricated. The specimen with a relative density of 76% exhibited high bending strength of 778 MPa.
Economic stabilization in developed and developing countries: An empirical investigation

Abstract This investigation evaluates the empirical validity of some theoretical developments that have high-lighted important differences between less developed and more developed countries in the response of real output and price to various shocks. The results suggest that there are indeed some differences in the cyclical behavior of real output and prices between the two groups. However, these differences are not always consistent with the theory under investigation. These results suggest that the issue of the successfulness of stabilization policies for less developed countries cannot be settled without a thorough empirical investigation that concerns the structural and stochastic features of the specific economies in which these policies are to be applied.
An autoradiographic method of mapping the distribution and density of monoamine neurons in mouse brain.

Abstract A combined in vitro uptake and autoradiographic procedure as an important complement to the histochemical fluorescence method is described. Slabs of fresh mouse brain were incubated with 14 C-NE, 14 C-DA or 14 C-5-HT, freeze-dried, and placed against X-ray film for autoradiography. Catecholamine nerve terminals were labeled by in vitro incubation with 14 C-NE or 14 C-DA. Dopaminergic terminals were labeled by 14 C-NE incubation preceded by desipramine (to block uptake into NE terminals). With 14 C-5-HT incubation, the uptake pattern indicated the possibility that 5-HT nerve terminals were being labeled. Advantages of this method are that it allows the visualization of overall density and distribution of selected monoamine nerve terminals or uptake sites of other putative neurotransmitters in whole coronal or sagittal sections, so that data are obtained from many areas of brain or spinal cord rather than in only those areas preselected for microscopic viewing.
S-2-bromo-acyl-CoA analogues are affinity labels for the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from pig kidney

S-2-Br-hexanoyl-CoA and the branched chain isomer S-2-Br-4-methyl-pentanoyl-CoA are affinity labels of the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from pig kidney. The straight chain thioester is both a substrate and an irreversible inhibitor of the dehydrogenase. Inactivation of the enzyme is biphasic and is half-complete in 4 min at pH 6.5, 25 degrees C. Although S-2-Br-hexanoyl-CoA can partially reduce the FAD prosthetic group of the dehydrogenase, inactivation results from attachment of one molecular of inhibitor per subunit of the oxidized enzyme. The branched chain analogue is a very weak substrate of the dehydrogenase (0.1% that of octanoyl-CoA), but is almost as effective an inhibitor of the dehydrogenase. Incubation experiments with [14C]S-2-Br-methyl-pentanoyl-CoA followed by the isolation of radiolabeled peptide show that modification of the active site base, GLU376, is responsible for enzyme inactivation. The data are compatible with a simple nucleophilic attack of the carboxylate base on the C-2 atom of these 2-Br-analogues.
Mother–Child Interactions in Early Head Start: Age and Ethnic Differences in Low-Income Dyads

SYNOPSIS Objective . This article describes the videotaped mother–child interaction procedures and coding used in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, a sample of low-income families, half of whom received the Early Head Start services (treatment group) and half of whom did not (control group), based on within-site random assignment (17 sites). A total of 1,838 dyads were observed and videotaped in the home (39% European American, 36% African American, and 25% Latin American). Design . When the children were 1, 2, and 3 years of age, a “Three Bag” semi-structured play activity was conducted, and when the children were 5 years of age, a “Play Dough task” was conducted. Results . Psychometric properties of the coding scales were similar for the three groups and across the four ages. In general, mean scores were higher on positive and lower on negative mothering for European American dyads than for African American or Latin American dyads. Ethnic differences were generally greatest for posit...
The appropriate role of frozen-stored red blood cells in transfusion practice.

Frozen-stored red blood cells (FS-RBC) held great promise when the product was introduced 35 years ago. They appeared to offer sufficient logistical and clinical advantages to predict wide application in component transfusion therapy in the years ahead. Yet, in 1986, FS-RBC account for < 1% of RBC product usage. Quantitative, operational, and logistical characteristics of FS-RBC are reviewed in order to explain their seemingly paradoxical “unpopularity.” The limited indications for FS-RBC usage in contemporary transfusion practice are defined.
Z-Group ketone chain transfer agents for RAFT polymer nanoparticle modification via hydrazone conjugation

A ketal-containing trithiocarbonyl compound has been synthesized and characterized as a chain transfer agent (CTA) in reversible addition–fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The ketal functionality does not interfere with RAFT polymerization of acrylate monomers, which proceeds as previously reported to yield macro-CTA polymers and block copolymers. Postpolymerization ketal cleavage revealed ketone functionality at the polar terminus of an amphiphilic block copolymer. Hydrazone formation was facile in both organic solution and aqueous buffer where polymer nanoparticle assemblies were formed, indicating a conjugation/end-functionalization yield of 40–50%. Conjugation was verified with fluorescein, biotin, and Gd-DOTA derivatives, and though the trithiocarbonate linkage is hydrolytically labile, we observed stable conjugation for several days at pH 7.4. and 37 °C. As expected, streptavidin binding to biotinylated polymer micelles was observed, and size-change-based relaxivity increases were observ...
The Shaping of American Liberalism: The Debates over Ratification, Nullification, and Slavery

In "The Liberal Tradition in America" (1955), Louis Hartz first put forth his thesis that the American political tradition derives essentially from consensual liberal principles. The many detractors to this theory include Bernard Bailyn, who argued that preliberal, republican values initially held sway in eighteenth-century American politics. In "The Shaping of American Liberalism," David Ericson offers an innovative reinterpretation of both positions by redefining the "terms" of the argument. Focusing on three critical debates in American history the debate between Anti-Federalists and Federalists over the ratification of the Constitution; the debate between the national republicans and the states-rights republicans over the nullification of the tariff; and the Lincoln-Douglas debates over slavery and pluralist democracy Ericson shows that republicanism, rather than being opposed to liberalism, is in fact an offshoot of it. His descriptions of republicanism and pluralism represent the poles of an evolving tradition of liberal ideas in America: the former championing the claims of the public sphere, general welfare, and civic virtue; the latter protecting the rights of the individual to liberty, property, and privacy. Republicanism and pluralism are therefore more properly understood as two sets of competing ideas that evolved from common roots. Ericson concludes that although republican themes persist in American politics, the profound transformations brought about by the Civil War made the ascendancy of pluralism virtually inevitable. This highly original discussion of the relation between liberalism and republicanism the central concern of much of the recent scholarship in American political thought will be important reading for those interested in American politics, history, and culture."
Combined volume reduction with the loop-and-leave technique permits safe endoscopic management of high-risk giant gastric polyps

889 Combined Volume Reduction With the Loop and Leave Technique Permits Safe Endoscopic Management of High Risk Giant Gastric Polyps Suraj Gupta, Joshua Penfield, David Klibansky, Douglas A. Howell* Pancreaticobilary Center, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME Endoscopic management may not require resection with a very low likelihood of malignancy and is challenged by size, thick stalks and inaccessible locations. We have experienced success in a series of huge hyperplastic polyps by reducing the size of the lesions with 1:10,000 epinephrine injection followed by placing 2 strangulated detachable nylon loops without resection. Three cases are presented with escalating difficulty and risk. All were successful without complication.
GROWTH. FEED DIGESTIBILITY, AND PROXIMATE BODY COMPOSITION OF JUVENILE Penaeus vannamei AND Penaeus monodon GROWN AT DIFFERENT DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS

Growth, feed digestibility (apparent total dry-matter digestibility), and proximate body composition of juvenile Penaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon were evaluated at dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of 1, 2, 3, and 4 ppm at a mean temperature of 28°C. The four different W levels were obtained by aerating different rates of nitrogen gas countercurrent to a constant flow of seawater. A standard formulated diet containing the marker material Cr2O3, and a mean 280% exchange of 30 to 32 ppt seawater per day were used. Initial wet weights of shrimp were 60.2 and 55.5 mg for P. vannamei and P. monodon, respectively. Final mean wet weights for shrimp maintained at 1, 2, 3, and 4 ppm DO level after a 16-day growth trial were 0.24, 0.40, 0.42, 0.46 g, and 0.16, 0.26, 0.29, 0.29 g for P. vannamei and P. monodon, respectively. For both species, a significant reduction in growth and in the instantaneous growth rate (k) was obtained at the lowest Do level. No significant differences were observed for apparent feed digestibility in either shrimp. Laboratory analysis revealed no differences in moisture and lipid content for both species, while protein content was found to differ only in P. monodon grown at different DO levels. A description of the experimental system and a discussion of the significance of the data to the production of shrimp in ponds is presented.
Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell line (DV-1) derived from bone marrow of a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency and immunoblastic lymphoma.

ABSTRACT: An Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell line derived from a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency who died of a lymphoreticular malignancy has been characterized. The line derived from bone marrow cultures and designated DV-1 shows surface and cytoplasmic IgM and staining with fluorescent monoclonal antibodies against immunoglobulin heavy and light chains μ, δ, and κ, Dr, and several other B-cell surface antigens. DV-1 secretes IgM, and demonstrates monoclonality on analysis of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain gene rearrangement patterns. Incubation with either phytohemagglutinin or pokeweed mitogen failed to cause significant stimulation of proliferation of DV-1 and another EBVtransformed B-cell line derived from an immunologically normal host (LA-350), whereas incubation with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain 1 led to significant inhibition of DV-1 and LA-350. Rabbit IgG antibody specific for human immunoglobulin μ-chains produced a dose dependent stimulation of both lines. The responses of DV-1 and LA-350 to mitogens and anti-M were not as high as those of normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. This spontaneously derived Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell line from a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency demonstrated functional characteristics similar to a B-cell line derived from an immune competent host. While these cells spontaneously incorporate 200 times more thymidine than normal resting peripheral blood lymphocytes, they retain their ability to be modulated by antiimmunoglobulin, and staphylococcal Cowan strain 1, but are unresponsive to the effects of B-cell growth factor.
Glucuronic Acid-Silica, a Novel Support for High-Performance Cation-Exchange Chromatography

Abstract Glucuronic acid was covalently coupled to aminopropyl derivatized silica by reducing the Schiff base with NaCNBH3. This glucuronic acid-silica has a functional pKa in the pH 3–4 range and binds 202 mg hemoglobin per gram material at pH 5. The support is a high-performance cation-exchanger and exhibited only minor hydrophobic interaction with applied samples. It also gave reasonably constant retention of the proteins tested.
Feminist translation and feminist sociolinguistics in dialogue: A multi-layered analysis of linguistic gender constructions in and across English and Turkish

This article, focusing on Turkish and English, explores various intersections between feminist translation and feminist sociolinguistics to bring the fields into conversation and expand their intellectual and geopolitical scopes. The first section discusses the broad historical points of connection by concentrating on the critiques of sexist language. Thus, it demonstrates how the fields share a common feminist politics of language. This intersection is illustrated by an example from my Turkish translation of Hanne Blank’s Virgin. The second section explores a more specific alliance by examining feminist critiques and manipulations of pro/nominal gender systems. This discussion is supported by more examples from my translation, as well as examples from Cemile Cakir’s Turkish translation of Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues. The last section provides feminist sociolinguistics and translation teachers with ideas on how interdisciplinary cooperations can expand students’ political awareness of gender/sexuality dynamics with regard to language and translation. The significance of this intersection is demonstrated by a translation experiment.
Colorectal cancer screening: patients' and physicians' perspectives on decision-making factors.

While patient barriers to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening have been identified, how well this knowledge is utilized during the patient–physician interaction is not fully understood. This study aims to assess among primary care physicians the degree of consensus between perceived and actual patients' CRC screening decision-making influential factors. During 2004–2006, 30 patients were interviewed to identify factors influencing screening decisions and 66 physicians were interviewed to understand what factors they thought were important to patients. The factors were categorized using the PRECEDE–PROCEED framework, and perspectives were compared. The researchers found little consensus on CRC screening decision-making influential factors between family practitioners, general internists, and patients. The recommendations to reach consensus are provided on the individual (e.g., updating the contents of a physician's screening recommendation to proactively address patients' decision-making needs) and population (e.g., providing cross-cultural training to medical students enabling them to better understand their patients) levels.
In vivo effects of intercalating drugs on the superhelix density of mitochondrial DNA isolated from human and mouse cells in culture

Abstract The degree of supercoiling (superhelix density) of closed circular mitochondrial DNA was found to increase three- to fivefold when the intercalating drug ethidium bromide was added to exponentially growing cultures of HeLa cells and to an SV40 virus-transformed line of mouse cells (SV3T3). This structural change was complete within ten hours in cells growing at a normal rate in the presence of 0.1 μg of the drug/ml., and within a shorter time at 1 μg/ml. Mitochondrial DNA synthesis, as indicated by incorporation of [32P]orthophosphate and [3H]thymidine, is essentially completely inhibited at the higher drug level and is greatly reduced at the lower drug level. The above results demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA is subject to nicking-closing cycles in the presence of the drug. Four acridine derivatives, known to unwind DNA upon binding, have similar in vivo effects on the superhelix density of mitochondrial DNA. The ethidium analogue, propidium di-iodide, has no effect, but appears on the basis of fluorescence microscopy to be excluded from the cells. Actinomycin D also has no effect. Ethidium bromide had no detectable effect on the base composition of mitochondrial DNA as indicated by buoyant density studies in neutral and alkaline cesium chloride. The drug had no effect on the distribution of complex mitochondrial DNA (circular dimers and catenated oligomers) measured with the electron microscope.
Robotic surgical system utilizing FE model coupled with ultrasonic tracking

Described within is a system for performing a minimally invasive robotic surgery. To facilitate this means, an advanced unltrasonic/inertial tracking system is used in place of the standard optical tracking systems. This technique will decrease overall radiation, both to the surgeon as well as the patient. Overall accuracy of the procedure will also be increased, thusly increasing the success rate while also decreasing overall time for the surgery. This paper will specifically deal with the positioning and accuracy of the robot.
Molecular and Morphological Characters Discriminate Sitophilus oryzae and S. zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Confirm Reproductive Isolation

The Rice Weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and the maize weevil, S. zeamais Motschulsky, are sibling species of grain weevils that are usually distinguished by grain preferences and subtle differences in morphology. Previous findings of successful laboratory hybridization, genetic similarity of allozymes and chromosomes, and identity of aggregation pheromones raised questions about the validity of S. oryzae and S. zeamais as reproductively isolated biological species. We used molecular techniques to test the hypothesis that individuals assigned as S. oryzae or S. zeamais by morphological criteria represent members of 2 distinct gene pools, and hence are reproductively isolated species. Weevils from 18 different localities, which were collected from Africa, Australia, Asia, the south Pacific, and North America, were studied. All individuals were scored for the presence or absence of morphological characters that have been used historically for species determination. In most cases, determinations for the same individual were not consistent, depending on the morphological character used. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used on the same specimens to analyze randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) markers and to amplify selectively regions of mitochondrial DNA for analysis of restriction site polymorphisms with restriction endonucleases (RFLP-PCR). Both methods yielded markers that were consistently associated with either presence or absence of specific genitalic characters in both males and females. This correlation of molecular markers with genitalic morphotypes was consistent in all specimens studied, whether collected sympatrically from the same farms or from widely separated geographic populations, and supports a model of 2 reproductively isolated species. Other morphological characters involving pronotal punctures proved unreliable as correlates with genetic markers and are not useful for species diagnosis.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding and amenorrhea. Differential diagnosis and management.

The differential diagnosis and clinical management of abnormal uterine bleeding and of amenorrhea present complex challenges to the provider of well woman gynecologic care. The physiologic origins of these problems are detailed and related to historical information, possible physical findings, and laboratory tests results. In particular, dysfunctional uterine bleeding is distinguished from other causes of bleeding such as infections, carcinoma, ectopic pregnancy, side effects of contraception, and benign disorders such as myomas. The differential diagnosis of amenorrhea is also presented with attention to medical and exogenous causes, as well as amenorrhea due to alterations of hypothalamic function; pituitary, ovarian, thyroid, and adrenal dysfunction; and abnormalities of the outflow tract. Strategies are presented for initiating the clinical investigation of these problems, when to comanage with a gynecologist, and when to refer.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Phosphorus in the Perfused Heart

This lecture has dealt with the potential use of 31P nmr in medical application to heart disease. 31P nmr shows high promise as a method for monitoring the biochemical state of the heart and correlating it with heart function. This has medical significance in that: 1) it can shed light on the biochemical, factors affecting heart function, 2) it can provide date for the assessment of protocols designed to preserve ischemic myocardium following coronary infarction and during cardiac surgery, 3) with the development of techniques for spatial resolution of 31P spectra of the heart, sizing and locating ischemic zones, scars, and normal tissue may become feasible. In addition 31P nmr also has great potential in basic studies of living systems including the heart and other organs.
Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease

Coffee seems to have distinct acute and long-term effects on health, which can be modified by genetic background. Coffee consumption is potentially protective against the development of type 2 diabetes, but given the lack of a solid biological basis for this association, and the possible adverse cardiovascular effects of coffee, recommendations for optimal coffee intake are difficult to establish.
A fully-scaled NMOS technology for VLSI circuits

A fully-scaled NMOS process was developed for VLSI cirsuits. Device isolation was achieved by channel stop implant using a reverse tone resist technique. This isolation process gives high field turn-on voltage, minimal narrow width effect and low body effect. A tri-level photoresist process was developed for gate definition. This process technology was demonstrated through the successful fabrication of an 8×8 bit parallel multiplier with submicrometer gatelengths. This 8×8 bit multiplier has a multiplication time of 9.5 ns.
Concept mapping assessment in medical education: a comparison of two scoring systems.

Background Concept mapping has the potential to measure important aspects of a student's evolving knowledge framework in a way that conventional examinations cannot. This is important because development of an elaborate and well-structured knowledge framework is a critical step toward becoming an expert in a particular field. Little is known about the best way to score concept maps in the setting of medical education. Therefore, as a preliminary step in addressing this question, we compared two different scoring systems for validity: a structural method based on the organization of a map's hierarchical structure and a relational method based, not on structure, but on the quality of each individual map component. Methods A total of 21 paediatric resident doctors completed concept map training, drew a preinstruction concept map about ‘seizures’, completed a seizure education course, and then drew a postinstruction seizure map. Two raters using both structural and relational methods scored each map. Results Structural scores increased significantly after instruction and were higher in more experienced residents, but relational scores were not significantly different. Interrater scoring reliability for both methods ranged from moderate to strong, but was greater using the relational scoring method. Conclusions These data suggest that scoring systems for evaluating concept maps in postgraduate medical education may need to account for structural features of maps, if scores are to reflect changes in the developing knowledge frameworks of resident doctors. More research to further evaluate reliability and validity is critical prior to any future use of concept mapping assessment in medical education.
Development of the optical surfaces of the kitten eye

Abstract In the intact post-natal kitten eye, an extensive vascular network severely limits optical quality. We have used scanning electron microscopy to find the locations of this network, to examine all optical surfaces of the eye, and to trace changes with age. Standard preparative procedures were used to view anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea and lens of 11-, 16-, and 25-day-old kittens and an adult. No significant differences with age are found for the cornea. The vascular network that engulfs the anterior, lateral, and posterior lens is very prominent at 11 days but substantially reduced at 16 days. The anterior surface seems to clear first, and by the 25th day the network is gone although some debris remains. The period of absorption of the vascular system coincides with a marked improvement in optical quality.
Oil price volatility and the macroeconomy

Abstract Recent theoretical work suggests that oil price shocks may have an adverse impact on the macroeconomy, not only because they increase the level of oil prices, but also because they raise oil price volatility. This paper provides empirical support for this proposition by showing that oil price volatility, measured by monthly standard deviations of daily oil prices, helps to forecast aggregate output movements in the U.S. Moreover, part of the asymmetric relationship between oil price changes and output growth found in previous studies can be explained by the economy's response to oil price volatility.
Optimal tracking interval for predictive tracking in wireless sensor network

An important application of wireless sensor networks is tracking moving objects. Prediction-based techniques have been proposed to reduce the power consumption in wireless sensor networks by limiting the sensor active time. This paper proposes a quantitative method to optimize the power efficiency by analyzing the effect of prediction on the energy consumption in such networks. To our best knowledge, our efforts are the first attempt made to calculate the optimal tracking interval for a given predictive tracking algorithm. Based on this method, the lifetime and power efficiency of a sensor network can be effectively improved.
Fourier Domain Speech Enhancement by Constrained Optimization and Temporal Masking

A speech enhancement algorithm is proposed that exploits the masking properties of the human auditory system. A clean speech estimator is derived in such a way that both the signal distortion and residual noise are kept inaudible. Temporal as well as simultaneous masking effects are incorporated in estimation of the masking thresholds. The proposed speech enhancement algorithm is evaluated by log spectral distortion and ITU PESQ scores. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method out-performs a former psychoacoustically motivated speech enhancement algorithm.
Allowed and forbidden transition parameters for Fe XV

Radiative transitions for photo-excitations and de-excitations in Fe XXII are studied in the relativistic Breit-Pauli approximation. A comprehensive set of fine structure energy levels, oscillator strengths (f), line strengths (S), and radiative decay rates (A) for electric dipole (E1), same spin multiplicity and intercombination, fine structure transitions is presented. These are obtained from the first calculations in the close coupling approximation using the Breit-Pauli R-matrix method for this ion, all existing theoretical results having been obtained from various other atomic structure calculations. The present work obtains a set of 771 fine structure energy levels with n < 10, l < 9, and 1/2 < J < 17/2, only 52 of which have been observed. The f, S, and A values are reported for 70,372 allowed E1 transitions, exceeding by far those published previously. The calculated fine structure levels have been identified spectroscopically using a procedure based on quantum defect analysis. The energies agree with the available observed energies to within less than one to a few percent. The A values for E1 transitions are in good agreement with other existing values for most transitions. Using the atomic structure code SUPERSTRUCTURE (SS), S and A values are also presented for 38,215 forbidden transitions of the types electric quadruple (E2), electric octupole (E3), magnetic dipole (M1), and magnetic quadrupole (M2) among 274 fine structure levels formed from 25 configurations with orbitals ranging from 1s to 4f. Some of these levels lie above the ionization limit and hence can form autoionizing lines. Such lines for 1s-2p Kα transitions have been observed in experiments. The energies from the SS calculations agree with observed energies within a few percent. The A values for E2 and M1 transitions agree very well with the available values. The atomic parameters for both allowed and forbidden transitions should be applicable for diagnostics as well as complete spectral modeling in the X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical regimes of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.
A dietary enzyme: α-methylacyl-CoA racemase/P504S is overexpressed in colon carcinoma

Abstract Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of red meat increases the risk of developing colon cancer. An enzyme, α-methylacyl CoA racemase (AMACR), also known as P504S, plays an important role in peroxisomal β-oxidation of branched-chain fatty acids from red meat and dairy products. High expression of AMACR was recently found in prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated expression of AMACR in 242 cases of colonic tumors including 176 colorectal carcinomas, 38 colon adenomas and 28 hyperplastic (non-neoplastic) polyps by immunohistochemical analysis. The mRNA levels of AMACR expression in normal and colon cancer tissues were assessed by real-time PCR. Significant up-regulation of AMACR mRNA was found in colon carcinomas compared to normal tissue. There was very low or no expression of AMACR protein in normal colon, but AMACR was highly expressed in 76 and 75% of well and moderately differentiated colon carcinomas, respectively, and in 79% of adenomas. In contrast, only 4% of hyperplastic polyps expressed AMACR. Since this enzyme is involved in the metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids from beef, milk and dairy products, our results provide important molecular information regarding a possible link between diet and development of colon cancer. AMACR may also serve as a molecular marker for colon cancers and its precursor lesions.
Network-on-Chip Hardware Accelerators for Biological Sequence Alignment

The most pervasive compute operation carried out in almost all bioinformatics applications is pairwise sequence homology detection (or sequence alignment). Due to exponentially growing sequence databases, computing this operation at a large-scale is becoming expensive. An effective approach to speed up this operation is to integrate a very high number of processing elements in a single chip so that the massive scales of fine-grain parallelism inherent in several bioinformatics applications can be exploited efficiently. Network-on-chip (NoC) is a very efficient method to achieve such large-scale integration. In this work, we propose to bridge the gap between data generation and processing in bioinformatics applications by designing NoC architectures for the sequence alignment operation. Specifically, we 1) propose optimized NoC architectures for different sequence alignment algorithms that were originally designed for distributed memory parallel computers and 2) provide a thorough comparative evaluation of their respective performance and energy dissipation. While accelerators using other hardware architectures such as FPGA, general purpose graphics processing unit (GPU), and the cell broadband engine (CBE) have been previously designed for sequence alignment, the NoC paradigm enables integration of a much larger number of processing elements on a single chip and also offers a higher degree of flexibility in placing them along the die to suit the underlying algorithm. The results show that our NoC-based implementations can provide above 102-103-fold speedup over other hardware accelerators and above 104-fold speedup over traditional CPU architectures. This is significant because it will drastically reduce the time required to perform the millions of alignment operations that are typical in large-scale bioinformatics projects. To the best of our knowledge, this work embodies the first attempt to accelerate a bioinformatics application using NoC.
Phase I and phase II enzymes produced by Cunninghamella elegans for the metabolism of xenobiotics

The filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans has the ability to metabolize xenobiotics, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pharmaceutical drugs, by both phase I and II biotransformations. Cytosolic and microsomal fractions were assayed for activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, aryl sulfotransferase, glutathione S-transferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, UDP-glucosyltransferase, and N-acetyltransferase. The cytosolic preparations contained activities of an aryl sulfotransferase (15.0 nmol min−1 mg−1), UDP-glucosyltransferase (0.27 nmol min−1 mg−1) and glutathione 5-transferase (20.8 nmol min−1 mg−1). In contrast, the microsomal preparations contained cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activities for aromatic hydroxylation (0.15 nmol min−1 mg−1) and N-demethylation (0.17 nmol min−1~' mg−1) of cyclobenzaprine. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity was detected in both the cytosol (0.09 nmol min−1 mg−1) and the microsomes (0.13 nmol min−1 mg−1). N-Acetyltransferase was not detected. The results from these experiments provide enzymatic mechanism data to support earlier studies and further indicate that C. elegans has a broad physiological versatility in the metabolism of xenobiotics.
A cellular trojan horse for delivery of therapeutic nanoparticles into tumors

Destruction of hypoxic regions within tumors, virtually inaccessible to cancer therapies, may well prevent malignant progression. The tumor's recruitment of monocytes into these regions may be exploited for nanoparticle-based delivery. Monocytes containing therapeutic nanoparticles could serve as "Trojan Horses" for nanoparticle transport into these tumor regions. Here we report the demonstration of several key steps toward this therapeutic strategy: phagocytosis of Au nanoshells, and photoinduced cell death of monocytes/macrophages as isolates and within tumor spheroids.