cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Corpus Based Study: Analysis of the Positive Reviews of Amazon.com Users

This study aims to investigate online consumer reviews on Amazon.com. Thanks to this study, learners can make use of this study when they prefer a corpus based learning strategy especially for the product reviewers. This study includes two aspects of review structure. The frequency of adverbs, adjectives and verbs that are mostly used together are main focus in this study. Adjectives and adverbs that are used more and which collocations are used more with that adjective and adverbs were examined. In addition, it was examined which verbs are used mostly when people try to show their phrases. This study is quantitative study with survey design. In order to collect data, different Apple products were analyzed such as iPhone 7, Apple Watch 1 and Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Airpods. An analysis of 1,587 reviews which were 4 or 5 stars from Amazon.com across four products pointed out that online consumer reviews have a very effective role in terms of the sales of products. To assure the validity and reliability of the process, a teacher who has a very good knowledge about linguistic checked reviews and came to an agreement with the researcher. Descriptive analysis was used in this study by calculating frequency of adverbs, adjectives and verbs. It was found out that consumers generally prefer specific verbs, adverbs and adjectives in a specific context. This study may help to understand the linguistic background of consumers. As a result of the study, it was seen that some adjectives, adverbs and verbs were mostly chosen deliberately by the users. This study also resulted that these words have some specific collocation words. These collocation words were used by the users both before and after that adjective, adverb and verb. As an implication for this study, new writing topics that this study has suggested can be integrated to the curriculum. These topics can be seen as a new way for writing lessons.
Mapping saddles and minima on free energy surfaces using multiple climbing strings

Locating saddle points on free energy surfaces is key in characterizing multistate transition events in complicated molecular-scale systems. Because these saddle points represent transition states, determining minimum free energy pathways to these saddles and measuring their free energies relative to their connected minima are further necessary, for instance, to estimate transition rates. In this work, we propose a new multistring version of the climbing string method in collective variables to locate all saddles and corresponding pathways on free energy surfaces. The method uses dynamic strings to locate saddles and static strings to keep a history of prior strings converged to saddles. Interaction of the dynamic strings with the static strings is used to avoid the convergence to already-identified saddles. Additionally, because the strings approximate curves in collective-variable space, and we can measure free energy along each curve, identification of any saddle’s two connected minima is guaranteed. We demonstrate this method to map the network of stationary points in the 2D and 4D free energy surfaces of alanine dipeptide and alanine tripeptide, respectively.
Comparative Genetics of Heart Development: Conserved Cardiogenic Factors in Drosophila and Vertebrates

Despite differences in structure and complexity, the hearts of Drosophila and vertebrates share important developmental characteristics. Five different transcription factors that play vital roles in the formation of the fly heart have also been shown to be necessary for the early steps in vertebrate cardiogenesis. Despite the divergence between the two groups, there is a high degree of functional conservation of these factors, which has made information gained in Drosophila relevant to the investigation of heart cell specification and tube formation in vertebrates. Additionally, the mechanisms that generate the diversity of cell types in the Drosophila heart may also be conserved in the later steps of vertebrate heart development.
Nanofluidic Behavior at the Fluid-Solid Interface

The confinement and nature of complexity at the fluid-solid interface pose significant challenges for studying the nanofluidic behavior. Here, we report an approach to probe the rheological performance of three media through dynamic interaction with a harmonic oscillator. A prototype device is developed that is able to vibrate in the range up to hundreds of hertz. Results show that the interfacial viscosity was similar to that of its bulk in terms of amplitude and frequency. However, an additional phase lag appeared when the amplitude was small, and its responsive curve exhibited distortion around the natural frequency. Theoretical analysis indicated that this might be due to fluid memory because the fluid response to the solid motion is not instantaneous. The approach reported here has potential to lead toward new ways of studying dynamic properties of fluid-solid interfaces.
On Mammography Screening for Women Older Than 70 Years.

Garcia-Albeniz and colleagues used observational data to model screening and estimate the value of breast cancer screening in women aged 70 to 84 years. The editorialist discusses the findings and ...
Effects of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine on emissions and dynamics of electronic cigarette aerosols

An electronic cigarette (e-cig) generates aerosols by vaporizing the e-liquid, which mainly consists of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and nicotine. Understanding the effects of e-liquid main compositions on e-cig aerosols is important for exposure assessment. This study investigated how the PG/VG ratio and nicotine content affect e-cig aerosol emissions and dynamics. A tank-based e-cig device with 10 different flavorless e-liquid mixtures (e.g., PG/VG ratios of 0/100, 10/90, 30/70, 50/50, and 100/0 with 0.0% or 2.4% nicotine) was used to puff aerosols into a 0.46 m3 stainless steel chamber for 0.5 h. Real-time measurements of particle number concentration (PNC), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and particle size distributions were conducted continuously throughout the puffing and the following 2-h decay period. During the decay period, particle loss rates were determined by a first-order log-linear regression and used to calculate the emission factor. The addition of nicotine in the e-liquid significantly decreased the particle number emission factor by 33%. The PM2.5 emission factor significantly decreased with greater PG content in the e-liquid. For nicotine-free e-liquids, increasing the PG/VG ratio resulted in increased particle loss rates measured by PNC and PM2.5. This pattern was not observed with nicotine in the e-liquids. The particle loss rates, however, were significantly different with and without nicotine especially when the PG/VG ratios were greater than 30/70. Compared with nonvolatile diethyl-hexyl subacute (DEHS) aerosols, e-cig particle concentration decayed faster inside the chamber, presumably due to evaporation. These results have potential implications for assessing human exposure to e-cig aerosols.
Severe Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Child with Type-1 Diabetes, Asthma, and COVID-19

Little is known about the association between novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and type-1 diabetes in children. A 16-year-old female patient with history of type-1 diabetes was admitted for life threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). She recovered from the DKA after 24 hours of insulin infusion and rehydration. On day 2, she was diagnosed with COVID-19. The DKA relapsed and required restarting insulin. She developed leukopenia, neutropenia, and high ferritin. Upon recovery, she was discharged for self-quarantine. Severity of DKA in children with COVID-19 is multifactorial. Clinical suspicion of COVID should be heightened in patients who present with unexplainedly severe DKA.
DynNet: Physics-based neural architecture design for nonlinear structural response modeling and prediction

Abstract Data-driven models for predicting dynamic responses of linear and nonlinear systems are of great importance due to their wide application from probabilistic analysis to inverse problems such as system identification and damage diagnosis. In this study, a physics-based recurrent neural network model is designed that is able to estimate the dynamics of linear and nonlinear multiple degrees of freedom systems given the ground motions. The model is able to estimate a complete set of responses, including displacement, velocity, acceleration, and internal forces. Compared to the most advanced counterparts, this model requires smaller number of trainable variables while the accuracy of predictions is higher for long trajectories. In addition, the architecture of the recurrent block is inspired by differential equation solver algorithms and it is expected that this approach yields more generalized solutions. In the training phase, we propose multiple novel techniques to substantially accelerate the learning process using smaller datasets, such as hardsampling, utilization of a trajectory loss function, and implementation of a trust-region optimization approach. Numerical case studies are conducted to examine the strength of the network to learn different nonlinear behaviors. It is shown that the network is able to capture different nonlinear behaviors of dynamic systems with high accuracy and with no need for prior information or very large datasets.
Can Self-Assembly Address the Permeability/Selectivity Trade-Offs in Polymer Membranes?

In 1999, Freeman published a visionary article that proposed a molecular basis for the trade-off between permeability and selectivity for polymeric gas separation membranes, which is often codified...
The Tsunamic Model of LGBTQ+ Deaths of Despair: A Systemic Review to Identify Risk Factors for Deaths of Despair among LGBTQ+ People

The term Deaths of Despair (DOD) was introduced to capture the phenomenon of mortality associated with suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholic liver disease. The LGBTQ+ population consistently evidences disproportionately high rates of DOD. This study reviewed the literature on DOD within this community to create a conceptual model that identifies risk factors that work together to potentiate DOD in the LGBTQ+ community. Ten DOD-Related Factors were identified and used to create The Tsunamic Model of LGBTQ+ Deaths of Despair. DOD-Related Factors include: (1) Stigma, (2) Demographics, (3) Identity Development, (4) Internalized Homophobia, (5) Depression, (6) Victimization, (7) Isolation/Rejection, (8) Sensation Seeking, (9) Risky Behavior, and (10) Uninformed Care. Each factor is associated with increased risk for DOD among the LGBTQ+ community. This model can help health professionals by providing a framework for prevention and early intervention programs.
A selective antibiotic for Lyme disease.

Summary Lyme disease is on the rise. Caused by a spirochete Borreliella burgdorferi, it affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States alone. The antibiotics currently used to treat Lyme disease are broad spectrum, damage the microbiome, and select for resistance in non-target bacteria. We therefore sought to identify a compound acting selectively against B. burgdorferi. A screen of soil micro-organisms revealed a compound highly selective against spirochetes, including B. burgdorferi. Unexpectedly, this compound was determined to be hygromycin A, a known antimicrobial produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Hygromycin A targets the ribosomes and is taken up by B. burgdorferi, explaining its selectivity. Hygromycin A cleared the B. burgdorferi infection in mice, including animals that ingested the compound in a bait, and was less disruptive to the fecal microbiome than clinically relevant antibiotics. This selective antibiotic holds the promise of providing a better therapeutic for Lyme disease and eradicating it in the environment.
The Relation of Family Support to Adolescents’ Psychological Distress and Behavior Problems

Adolescence is a developmental period that presents special considerations in the study of socially supportive relationships within the family. Perhaps the most significant consideration concerns the growing influence of peers in the lives of adolescents (Petersen & Hamburg, 1986). Puberty, sexuality, and the emergence of romantic involvements add important dimensions to adolescent peer relationships (Brooks-Gunn, 1991; Steinberg, 1981). Also, some have asserted that adolescence, particularly late adolescence, is a time in which autonomy needs are more pronounced than needs for dependence on parents (see White, Speisman, & Costos, 1983). In some cases, adolescents might adopt strategies for the development of autonomy that include less reliance on the support of family members and greater self-reliance or reliance on peers. We might question, then, the role of supportive relationships with parents and other family members during this developmental period in which autonomy and the emergence of peer relationships appear to be so influential. Comparisons to peer relationships are potentially valuable perspectives for understanding the role of parents and families in providing social support and for understanding the impact of these provisions. While the focus of this chapter is on family support during adolescence, one of our special interests in conducting this review was to contrast the contributions of adolescents’ supportive relationships with peers and those of relationships with family members.
Applications of Weighted Approximations Via Quantile Inequalities

Publisher Summary Coupling convergence of various empirical processes in weighted metrics with an effective quantile function inequality makes quick work of many known limit theorems. This program is followed by many authors since the beginning. The purpose herein is to highlight the use of some highly efficient quantile inequalities that typically can easily demonstrate uniformity in such convergence. It demonstrates this for simple linear rank statistics, permutation statistics, and both the usual and the Bayesian bootstrap of the sample mean. Emphasis is given to the uniformity of such results. Thus, the goal of this paper is to examine asymptotic normality for many situations by using the outlined approach. This has two added benefits over the classical proofs.
Analysis of genomic disparity in ~230 breast cancer between African American and white women

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA LB-280 Breast cancers in African Americans show shorter survival duration and worse prognosis than breast cancers in white Americans, while the incidence of breast cancers in African Americans is lower than that in white Americans. Their poor prognosis has been explained by socio-economic factors, however these factors are unlikely to explain why breast cancers in African Americans tend to be more frequently poorly differentiated, estrogen receptor-negative and often more aggressive compared with those in white Americans. It is well established that breast tumors progress through accumulation of genomic and epigenetic aberrations that enable reduced apoptosis, unchecked proliferation, increased motility, and increased angiogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesize that there is a significant disparity of genomic aberrations between two racial groups. We have analyzed genomic copy number aberrations using array CGH 228 breast tumors (122 African American women and 106 white women). We also have analyzed gene expression of the subset of 228 breast tumors using GeneChip (U133A, High Throughput System, Affymetrix). We collected clinical information (age, stage, TNM, ER, PgR, etc.) and pathological information (histology, grade, etc.) of tumors and survival information (recurrence) as well. Using those information, the meta-analysis of 228 breast tumors to identify significant difference in their genomic disparities is undergoing. The preliminary result suggests there are some differences at loci and at level of genome copy number between breast cancers in African Americans and white Americans. We explore the detail of meta-analyses of genome copy number, gene expression and clinical information, and will present a significance of genomic aberration in the two racial groups in our study.
Compact CCD Guider Camera for Magelian

The Magellan guider camera uses a low-noise frame transfer CCD with a digital signal processor based controller. The electronics feature a compact, simple design, optimized for fast settling times and rapid readout rate. The camera operates (nominally) at −20 °C with thermoelectric cooling. Multiple operating modes are supported, with software selectable binning, exposure times, and subrastering.
Individual differences in sentence memory.

Results from an experiment with two parts are presented in this paper. In part one, participants listened to sentences containing two, three, four, or five clauses, and were asked questions about the content of the sentences. The results of part one demonstrate that an important unit of representation in sentence memory is the clause, and not some other component of discourse structure. In part two, the same group of participants performed eight different short-term storage/working memory tasks. A composite complex span score was computed for each participant based on three working memory tasks closely based on Daneman & Carpenter's (1980) reading span task. This working memory measure was significantly correlated with the participants' performance on the sentence memory task in part one. A second working memory measure—N-back—was also significantly correlated with the participants' performance on the sentence memory task, and there was no correlation between their performance on the complex span task and the N-back task. It is therefore concluded that (i) working memory consists of a number of dissociable components; and (ii) memory for sentences taps into more than one of these working memory components. Furthermore, the high correlations of sentence memory with the complex span and the N-back tasks (neither of which are language processing tasks) suggests that memory for sentences is not simply a result of linguistic experience; rather, it is likely that an independent working memory component contributes to participants' performance on the sentence memory task.
The Organization of Government in Pre-Industrial Europe

Pre-industrial Europe saw a relatively rapid evolution of systems of government. Feudalism gave way to medieval constitutional government and this gave way in turn either to the imperial state or to associational government. This rapid evolution was driven by two interrelated processes - one of economic growth and development, the other of struggle and conflict among governments. Our purpose here is to understand how these processes molded the way government was organized. Differences across systems of government in the organization of government accounted for much of the difference in the economic environment they created and consequently in their subsequent economic development.
Chapter 12 Visual-auditory integration in cat superior colliculus: implications for neuronal control of the orienting response

Previous physiological studies have demonstrated that inputs from different sensory modalities converge on individual neurons in the superior colliculus. Moreover, in anesthetized, paralyzed animals, those tectal neurons which are most directly connected to brain stem circuits mediating orienting eye and head movements are highly likely to exhibit significant integration of sensory inputs from multiple modalities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the responses of tectal neurons in the alert cat when visual and auditory stimuli were presented as targets for ocular fixation and orienting responses. For comparison to previous work in anesthetized, paralyzed animals, we also examined the responses of tectal neurons to the presentation of these stimuli during periods when the cats voluntarily maintained their eyes near primary position in the absence of a fixation target. Under these conditions, there were significant differences between the strength of the response to the simultaneous presentation of visual and auditory targets and the strength of response to the most effective unimodal stimulus in about 40% of the cells tested. Many tectal neurons also responded tonically during fixation of visual, auditory and bimodal targets, and some of these also exhibited significant bimodal interactions. However, among individual neurons which responded phasically to stimulus onset or offset and tonically during fixation, there was only a weak correlation between the extent of bimodal interaction under the two conditions. Finally, among saccade-related neurons, the magnitude of saccade-related activity was only slightly affected when a biomodal target was used to elicit a saccade, and the extent of bimodal interactions was generally less than was found for the onset and offset of sensory targets. Such multisensory interactions can be significant for behavior. Indeed, simply using a multisensory target has been shown to influence the probability and latency of overt orienting responses, although the extent of such effects will probably vary across both tasks and stimulus conditions. Strong multisensory interactions are most likely to occur when low intensity stimuli are used. Our use of moderately intense sensory stimuli probably accounts for our finding of a relatively small percentage of cells in which bimodal responses were greater than the sum of their unimodal responses.
Deep learning helicopter dynamics models

We consider the problem of system identification of helicopter dynamics. Helicopters are complex systems, coupling rigid body dynamics with aerodynamics, engine dynamics, vibration, and other phenomena. Resultantly, they pose a challenging system identification problem, especially when considering non-stationary flight regimes. We pose the dynamics modeling problem as direct high-dimensional regression, and take inspiration from recent results in Deep Learning to represent the helicopter dynamics with a Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) Network Model, a hierarchical neural network model. We provide a simple method for initializing the parameters of the model, and optimization details for training. We describe three baseline models and show that they are significantly outperformed by the ReLU Network Model in experiments on real data, indicating the power of the model to capture useful structure in system dynamics across a rich array of aerobatic maneuvers. Specifically, the ReLU Network Model improves 58% overall in RMS acceleration prediction over state-of-the-art methods. Predicting acceleration along the helicopter's up-down axis is empirically found to be the most difficult, and the ReLU Network Model improves by 60% over the prior state-of-the-art. We discuss explanations of these performance gains, and also investigate the impact of hyperparameters in the novel model.
The next generation BSIM for sub-100nm mixed-signal circuit simulation

This paper outlines the next generation BSIM model for aggressively scaled CMOS technology. New features in the model include more accurate physics that is easily extended to non-charge-sheet, completely continuous current and derivatives, and extendibility to non-traditional CMOS based devices including SOI and double-gate MOSFETs.
Quick and dirty usability testing in the technical communication classroom

Usability practices and rhetorical awareness can be usefully paired in teaching technical or engineering communication. Designing and conducting usability tests and revising documents based on user feedback sharpen students' sense of audience and the other elements of rhetorical situations throughout the different stages of the writing process. To meet the challenge of incorporating a usability project that will take just a few weeks, we have taken two alternative approaches: 1) students created and tested paper prototypes of mobile applications; and 2) students modified and tested existing products using documentation/instruction sets rather than starting from scratch. The first approach led to stronger student investment, while the second approach led to more polished final writing products. Both approaches successfully achieved desired instructor and student outcomes, and could be easily adopted and adapted.
Heterogeneity in macrophage phagocytosis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the heterogeneity in macrophage phagocytosis. It is important to recognize that the formation of the phagosome can be a heterogenous process even when a single cell ingests two identical particles. While all phagocytosis involves actin remodeling around the phagocytic cup, it has been observed that certain cytoskeletal proteins that decorate a particular phagosome are absent from otherwise identical phagosomes in the same cell. These differences are not temporal, but are likely to arise from stochastic, or even chaotic, processes. It is clear that the molecular dissection of phagocytosis represents a daunting task; more than 100 actin-binding proteins have been identified, and many of these are expressed in the same cell. Two common approaches that have been used to establish the role of specific gene products in a particular biological phenomenon have been to express dominant negative forms of the protein, or to delete the gene encoding the protein. However, the interpretation of the results is complicated by the observation that these two approaches do not always yield the same phenotype. Ultimately, phagocytosis, like most other problems in biology, will have to be analyzed as a complex system rather than a linear series of isolated enzymatic reactions. In this guise, phagocytosis provides a window into the coordinate functioning of the actin and tubulin based cytoskeletons, and could serve as a model system for analyzing diverse biological phenomena including synaptic transmission, mitogenesis, and morphogenesis.
The Sun from Space

Instruments for a Revolution.- Discovering Space.- Exploring Unseen Depths of the Sun.- Solving the Sun's Heating Crisis.- Winds Across the Void.- Our Violent Sun.- The Sun-Earth Connection.- Internet Addresses.- References.
Chaucer's Dantean Presentation of Time in The Canterbury Tales: Libra and the Moon

Abstract In the last of his several chronographiae — astronomically expressed descriptions of time — contained in The Canterbury Tales , Chaucer uses language that has led modern readers to believe that he is making elementary errors about the altitude of the Sun above the horizon and about the astrological relationship between Libra and the Moon. In this essay, I argue that the errors are ours, not his. If one reads the altitude of the Sun by means of Chaucer's observing instrument, the astrolabe, and — forgetting astrology — perceives the Moon's relationship to the sign/constellation of Libra as a real one much like Dante's similar image at the end of The Divine Comedy , both the astronomical and spiritual meanings of the passage in the Tales become clearer.
Ultrasound assessment of endothelial-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery in clinical research

The vascular endothelium is a monolayer of cells that cover the interior of blood vessels and provide both structural and functional roles. The endothelium acts as a barrier, preventing leukocyte adhesion and aggregation, as well as controlling permeability to plasma components. Functionally, the endothelium affects vessel tone. Endothelial dysfunction is an imbalance between the chemical species which regulate vessel tone, thombroresistance, cellular proliferation and mitosis. It is the first step in atherosclerosis and is associated with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The first demonstration of endothelial dysfunction involved direct infusion of acetylcholine and quantitative coronary angiography. Acetylcholine binds to muscarinic receptors on the endothelial cell surface, leading to an increase of intracellular calcium and increased nitric oxide (NO) production. In subjects with an intact endothelium, vasodilation was observed while subjects with endothelial damage experienced paradoxical vasoconstriction. There exists a non-invasive, in vivo method for measuring endothelial function in peripheral arteries using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. The endothelial function of peripheral arteries is closely related to coronary artery function. This technique measures the percent diameter change in the brachial artery during a period of reactive hyperemia following limb ischemia. This technique, known as endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) has value in clinical research settings. However, a number of physiological and technical issues can affect the accuracy of the results and appropriate guidelines for the technique have been published. Despite the guidelines, FMD remains heavily operator dependent and presents a steep learning curve. This article presents a standardized method for measuring FMD in the brachial artery on the upper arm and offers suggestions to reduce intra-operator variability.
SU-GG-I-28: Performance Comparison of Two Different Cone-Beam CT Systems

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the imaging performance of two popular cone‐beam CT(CBCT) systems used for image‐guidedradiation therapy.Method and Materials: The study was carried out on Varian Clinac iX equipped with OBI/CBCT and Elekta Synergy equipped with XVI/CBCT. The performance evaluation involved comparison of volumetric image data taken from two systems. Two CT phantoms (Catphan‐504 and 600, Phantom Laboratory, Salem, NY) were scanned using the Varian CBCT with standard half and full fan setup, and Catphan‐600 was also scanned on Elekta CBCT with half and full circle scans at different resolutions and field‐of‐view (FOV). In‐house image analysissoftware was used to measure the mean CT numbers, standard deviations, and imagenoise for 5×5 mm ROI in seven different density materials.Image quality, reproducibility, position correction, and geometric accuracy were also evaluated with markers in a small alignment phantom. The image quality measurements included uniformity, linearity, image resolution, density accuracy, and imagenoise.Results: The linearity for both phantoms was fairly consistent using the Varian CBCT. The Elekta CBCT with half circle 27×27 FOV had higher CT numbers as compared to its other three modes. With the same phantom for low‐density materials, the CT numbers with Varian CBCT were 300–600 units lower than those with Elekta CBCT. The imagenoise of full and half circle 27×27 FOV were about 5 and 2 times, respectively, higher than for the Varian CBCT, while the imagenoise levels in its other modes were similar. The accuracy of the image systems was comparable. Conclusion: This study confirmed the comparability of imaging performance of both systems. While the Elekta CBCT provided timely image reconstruction, relatively higher imagenoise was observed. Our objective evaluation of imaging performance demonstrated that the volumetric data rendered from both CBCT systems is accurate as compared with conventional CT.
Automated radioanalytical system incorporating microwave-assisted sample preparation, chemical separation, and online radiometric detection for the monitoring of total 99Tc in nuclear waste processing streams.

An automated fluidic instrument is described that rapidly determines the total 99Tc content of aged nuclear waste samples, where the matrix is chemically and radiologically complex and the existing speciation of the 99Tc is variable. The monitor links microwave-assisted sample preparation with an automated anion exchange column separation and detection using a flow-through solid scintillator detector. The sample preparation steps acidify the sample, decompose organics, and convert all Tc species to the pertechnetate anion. The column-based anion exchange procedure separates the pertechnetate from the complex sample matrix, so that radiometric detection can provide accurate measurement of 99Tc. We developed a preprogrammed spike addition procedure to automatically determine matrix-matched calibration. The overall measurement efficiency that is determined simultaneously provides a self-diagnostic parameter for the radiochemical separation and overall instrument function. Continuous, automated operation was ...
Radial diffusion as a sensitive method for screening endopeptidase activity in plant extracts.

Abstract The radial diffusion assay was evaluated for its usefulness as a simple, inexpensive assay for screening endopeptidase activity in vegetative plant tissues. Various substrates embedded in agar were tested with trypsin and α-chymotrypsin to select those with the greatest sensitivity for detecting proteolysis. Gelatin was the most sensitive substrate for assays and could be utilized to detect less than 1 ng of α-chymotrypsin and trypsin per 25 μl of solution. Several exopeptidases could not be detected by this method at 1000-fold higher concentrations of enzymes. Extracts of leaves of 17 genera representing 12 families were surveyed semiquantitatively for proteolytic activity. The leaves of genera of the Solanaceae, Leguminosae, Gramineae, and Compositae exhibited the highest levels of activity. Only leaves from Syringa vulgaris (Oleaceae) did not exhibit proteolytic activity with this assay. The method of radial diffusion was successfully employed for the initial concentration and purification of a proteinase from potato leaves.
Feature-based rendering for 2D/3D partial volume segmentation datasets

In this paper, a new feature based rendering algorithm for partial volume is presented. This algorithm utilizes both surface and volume information for the rendering of the partial volume segmentation data with associated features. First principal directions are extracted from the partial volume segmentation dataset to construct a feature vector dataset. Using the improved LIC (line integral convolution) algorithm, our rendering algorithm can integrate the feature dataset into the traditional volume rendering process. Combining the features and the traditional volume rendering, the partial volume could be visualized clearly. This can result in an improved diagnosis in clinic, because the partial volume quantities carry very rich diagnostic information.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In-situ HVEM study of migration of bcc/glass interfaces in TiCr2, induced by 1 MeV krypton irradiation at 80–180 K

Abstract The Laves phase TiCr2 is readily amorphized by 1 MeV krypton irradiation at temperatures below about 250 K. However, with continuing irradiation the glassy phase (a-TiCr2) gradually transforms to a metastable bcc structure without measurable change of local composition. The results of direct observations of migrating a-TiCr2/bcc interfaces at temperatures in the range 80–180 K yield an effective activation energy of 0.027 eV for the interface velocity. A model for this irradiation-induced phase transformation is discussed in terms of dynamic reconstruction within displacement cascades. The phenomenon has been termed “cascade-driven migration of structural interfaces”.
Oral Versus Intravenous Rehydration of Moderately Dehydrated Children: In Reply

In Reply .— Dr Reid notes that 15.2% of children in our rehydration trial were unable to perform oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and surmises that the conclusion of our study, that ORT is as effective as intravenous fluids (IVF),1 was unsupported. We disagree. These patients were analyzed as ORT failures, and still our results demonstrated effectiveness for the treatment of moderately dehydrated children. The American Academy of Pediatrics practice parameter for gastroenteritis2 recommends ORT as the initial therapy for mild …
Atherosclerotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta

Pseudoaneurysms in the ascending aorta most commonly occur as a complication of surgical procedures at this site. They have also been reported in association with trauma, infection, aortitis, and other disorders. Pseudoaneurysm formation in the descending aorta or arch may occur as a result of penetrating ulcers in the presence of severe atherosclerotic plaque. Pseudoaneurysm as a result of atherosclerotic disease has only rarely been noted in the ascending aorta, where complex plaque is less common. We report here the finding with transesophageal echocardiography of a pseudoaneurysm in the ascending aorta as a result of atherosclerotic disease and penetrating ulcer.
Content and Boundaries of Medicine in Long-Term Care: Physicians Talk About Stroke

Twenty physicians were interviewed about roles, treatments, goals, and relationships with older patients, especially stroke patients. Findings from this descriptive, anthropological investigation address the problem of congruence between needs and existing services, and in doing so, recast the ongoing debate about the medicalization of long-term care. This study emphasized the nonmedical features of geriatric medicine in general and stroke care in particular. In many instances, these physicians attempt to bridge gaps between medical and emotional needs and clinical and social services with social and psychotherapeutic as well as biomedical interventions. Because we found physicians' activities with stroke patients to be so broadly construed, treatment and management of stroke may be seen as paradigmatic for the role of physicians in long-term care.
Adaptive umbrella sampling: Self-consistent determination of the non-Boltzmann bias

A self-consistent procedure is described for the determination of the non-Boltzmann bias for the umbrella sampling technique of Valleau, Patey, and Torrie. The new procedure offers more reliable results with less human interference. The problem of matching several differently normalized probability distributions on overlapping domains has been treated in detail. The algorithm has been tested on the calculation of the solvent contribution to the free energy difference between the C7 and αR conformation of the alanine dipeptide, treated earlier with the conventional umbrella sampling technique.
Femtosecond two-dimensional Fourier transform electronic spectroscopy

Two-dimensional spectra are obtained by Fourier transformation of four-wave mixing signal fields with respect to time delays between femtosecond pulses. We discuss peak shapes, experimental distortions, and dispersion relations. Two-dimensional electronic spectra revealing solvent and electronic motion are used as illustrations.
Recent advances in semiconductor nanolasers

Nanolasers that integrate metal into the cavity design have pushed laser volumes much below one cubic wavelength λ 0 3. In this paper, we review this growing field and highlight recent work on the nanopatch laser.
To ACCELERATE Hypertension Control

Introduction: According to the latest report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [1], 31% of adult population of the United States was reported to have hypertension between 2005 and 2008. Of this population, 70% received antihypertensive therapy, and of these, 46% had their condition controlled. Although these results show some improvements compared to previous reports [2], hypertension control is still less than optimal. This public health problem is associated with a major economic burden. Hypertension contributes to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that costs nearly $300 billion a year. Thus, developing strategies to improve hypertension control constitutes a major goal. Most of the major hypertension clinical trials have suggested that a minimum of two antihypertensive drugs are needed to get blood pressure (BP) under control [3–5], but despite the availability of this information, the use of multiple drug therapy in managing hypertension is not widely practiced.
Estimation of nitrate load from septic systems to surface water bodies using an ArcGIS-based software

Nitrate, as a commonly identified groundwater and surface water pollutant, poses serious threats to human health and the environment. One important source of nitrate in the environment is due to wastewater treatment using Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) (a.k.a., septic systems). To facilitate water resources and environmental management, an ArcGIS-Based Nitrate Load Estimation Toolkit (ArcNLET) is developed to simulate nitrate transport and estimate nitrate load from septic systems and collocated fertilizer applications in groundwater to surface water bodies. It is a screening tool based on a simplified conceptual model of groundwater flow and nitrate transport. It is used in this study to estimate nitrate load from thousands of septic systems to surface water bodies in two neighborhoods located in Jacksonville, FL, USA, where nitrate due to septic systems is believed to be one of the reasons of nutrient enrichment and an isotope study indicates that denitrification is significant. A global sensitivity analysis is performed to identify critical parameters for model calibration, and the most critical parameter is the first-order decay coefficient used to simulate the denitrification process. Hydraulic conductivities at different soil zones have different levels of influence on simulated nitrate concentrations at different locations. By manually adjusting model parameters, simulated shapes of water table and nitrate concentration agree reasonably with average field observations, suggesting that ArcNLET is able to simulate spatial variability of field observations. Estimated nitrate loads exhibit spatial variability, which is useful to facilitate decisions on the conversion of OSTDS into sewers in certain areas for reducing nitrate load from septic systems to surface water bodies.
Effectively sharing a cache among threads

We compare the number of cache misses M1 for running a computation on a single processor with cache size C1 to the total number of misses Mp for the same computation when using p processors or threads and a shared cache of size Cp. We show that for any computation, and with an appropriate (greedy) parallel schedule, if Cp ≥ C1 + pd then Mp ≤ M1. The depth d of the computation is the length of the critical path of dependences. This gives the perhaps surprising result that for sufficiently parallel computations the shared cache need only be an additive size larger than the single-processor cache, and gives some theoretical justification for designing machines with shared caches.We model a computation as a DAG and the sequential execution as a depth first schedule of the DAG. The parallel schedule we study is a parallel depth-first schedule (PDF schedule) based on the sequential one. The schedule is greedy and therefore work-efficient. Our main results assume the Ideal Cache model, but we also present results for other more realistic cache models.
Calmodulin Colocalizes with Connexins and Plays a Direct Role in Gap Junction Channel Gating

The direct calmodulin (CaM) role in chemical gating was tested with CaM mutants, expressed in oocytes, and CaM-connexin labeling methods. CaMCC, a CaM mutant with greater Ca-sensitivity obtained by replacing the N-terminal EF hand pair with a duplication of the C-terminal pair, drastically increased the chemical gating sensitivity of Cx32 channels and decreased their Vj sensitivity. This only occurred when CaMCC was expressed before Cx32, suggesting that CaMCC, and by extension CaM, interacts with Cx32 before junction formation. Direct CaM-Cx interaction at junctional and cytoplasmic spots was demonstrated by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy in HeLa cells transfected with Cx32 and in cryosectioned mouse liver. This was confirmed in HeLa cells coexpressing Cx32-GFP (green) and CaM-RFP (red) or Cx32-CFP (cyan) and CaM-YFP (yellow) fusion proteins. Significantly, these cells did not form gap junctions. In contrast, HeLa cells expressing only one of the two fusion proteins (Cx32-GFP, Cx32-CFP, CaM-RFP o...
Resonance Region Structure Functions and Parity Violating Deep Inelastic Scattering

The primary motive of parity-violating deep inelastic scattering experiments has been to test the standard model, particularly the axial couplings to the quarks, in the scaling region. The measurements can also test for the validity of models for the off-diagonal structure functions ${F}_{1,2,3}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}Z}(x,{Q}^{2})$ in the resonance region. The off-diagonal structure functions are important for the accurate calculation of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}Z$-box correction to the weak charge of the proton. Currently, with no data to determine ${F}_{1,2,3}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}Z}(x,{Q}^{2})$ directly, models are constructed by modifying existing fits to electromagnetic data. We present the asymmetry value for deuteron and proton targets predicted by several different ${F}_{1,2,3}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}Z}(x,{Q}^{2})$ models and demonstrate that there are notable disagreements.
Evaluation and treatment of the adolescent patient

Abstract As adolescents mature, they try to establish their identity and develop autonomy from their parents. At the same time that they are seeking their independence, they can be easily influenced by society, peers and role models. Negative influences, such as peer pressures to smoke, drink, or become sexually active, combined with a laxity in the conduct of role models, can impact on choices made by an immature mind. Most of the morbidity and mortality that threaten this population are from behaviors that place the adolescents’ health at risk. In the United States, there has been much disruption of the traditional support for adolescents, including the family and community. Physicians can provide the extra support that overburdened health departments and schools cannot address. Obstetrician/gynecologists can significantly impact adolescent behavior by providing information that the adolescent can comprehend and by providing appropriate guidance and counseling. This review offers some guidelines in the treatment and care of this group of patients.
Coadsorption of CO and CH3O on Ni(100)

Abstract The coadsorption of CO and CH3O on Ni(100) is treated using an ab initio embedding theory, modeling the lattice as a 30-atom, three layer cluster. Self-consistent-field and configuration interaction calculations carried out on a local surface region permit an accurate description of bonding at the surface. The 3d orbitals are explicitly used for six Ni atoms in the local surface region. The calculated adsorption energy for methoxy at a four-fold site on the Ni(100) surface is 92 kcal mol−1 with an O-surface distance of 1.32 A. The methoxy CO axis is nearly perpendicular to the surface, tilted only 5° from the surface normal. The calculated adsorption energy for methoxy at a four-fold site with CO coadsorbed at an adjacent four-fold site is 100 kcal mol−1 for an O-surface equilibrium distance of 1.34 A. In this case, the methoxy is found to be tilted with the CO axis inclined 25° away from the surface normal. For perpendicular CH3O there is a repulsive interaction between the methoxy hydrogens and the CO oxygen. Calculated methoxy CO stretching frequencies are 1020 cm−1 on Ni(100) and 970 cm−1 on coadsorption with CO. The methoxy 5a1, 1e and 2e orbitals are the orbitals principally involved in bonding with the surface. The dipole moment derivative with respect to the O-surface distance, d μ d R , at a tilt angle of 25° is −0.87, indicating very ionic bonding. Coadsorption of CO causes the methoxy CO axis to tilt, increases the adsorption energy of CH3O, and induces change in the charge distribution of methoxy carbon and hydrogens.