cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online price dispersion – more than imperfect information

Purpose – The objective of this study is to analyze price dispersion in the context of internet based shopping malls and assess which of the main informational elements available online about sellers affect online price dispersion.Design/methodology/approach – The author collected data for 100 models of watches from seven major brands and 100 models of cameras from nine major brands available for sale on Amazon. Statistical regression of price dispersion against average price, number of stores, shipping charge variation, average number of customer reviews, variation in the percentage of positive reviews and a dummy variable of product type were performed.Findings – It is shown that price dispersion is present even in an online shopping mall. The conclusion significantly adds to the online pricing research, by showing that price dispersion is influenced by the average product price and product type and shipping charges. The number of stores does not affect price dispersion because there is no obstacle impe...
Efficiency of US airlines: A strategic operating model

This paper applies the unoriented DEA network methodology to measure US airlines' performance relative to that of peer airlines and identifies the sources of its inefficiency. The analysis of the results suggests that major US airlines are more efficient than national US airlines in spending operating expenses and gaining operating revenue, but there is no significant difference in their service supply and demand efficiencies.
Adaptive Motion Vector Smoothing for Improving Side Information in Distributed Video Coding

In this paper, an adaptive motion vector smoothing scheme based on weighted vector median filtering is proposed in order to eliminate the motion outliers more effectively for improving the quality of side information in frame-based distributed video coding. We use a simple motion vector outlier reliability measure for each block in a motion compensated interpolated frame and apply weighted vector median filtering only to the blocks with unreliable motion vectors. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive motion vector smoothing algorithm improves the quality of the side information significantly while maintaining low complexity at the encoder in frame-based distributed video coding.
A Bioeconomic Analysis of Management Plans for the Public Oyster Grounds of the Rappahannock River

ABSTRACT A program for restoration of the public oyster grounds at the mouth of the Rappahannock River was initiated by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2000. Responding to pressure from harvesters, the state developed a management strategy that allows commercial harvest from some of these grounds while maintaining the development of a potentially disease tolerant broodstock population in nonharvested sanctuaries. To assess this management plan, a STELLA model of the oyster fishery that links the biological system, the state management program and harvest effort was developed. The model portrays one area open to harvest once every three years. One sector of the model shows the effects of the state's program of enhancing natural productivity by shelling and maintaining sanctuaries of broodstock oysters. High natural mortality rates caused by disease and predation are shown to severely reduce the number of juveniles that reach maturity in the population growth sector. In the harvest sector, one half of the m...
Relationship between funding source and conclusion among nutrition-related scientific articles.

Background Industrial support of biomedical research may bias scientific conclusions, as demonstrated by recent analyses of pharmaceutical studies. However, this issue has not been systematically examined in the area of nutrition research. The purpose of this study is to characterize financial sponsorship of scientific articles addressing the health effects of three commonly consumed beverages, and to determine how sponsorship affects published conclusions.
Comparison of devices used for stent-assisted coiling of intracranial aneurysms

Introduction Two self-expandable stents, the Neuroform and the Enterprise stent, are widely used for stent-assisted coiling (SAC) of complex shaped intracranial aneurysms. However, comparative knowledge about technical feasibility, peri- and post-procedural morbidity and mortality, packing densities as well as follow-up data is limited. Material and Methods We conducted a retrospective study to investigate differences in aneurysms stented with the Enterprise or Neuroform stents. Angiographic follow-up (mean 19.42 months) was available in 72.6% (61/84) of aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coiling. We further sought to compare stent-assisted coiling to a matched patient population with aneurysms treated by conventional coil embolization. Results The stenting success rate of the Enterprise was higher compared to the Neuroform stent (46/48 and 42/51, respectively). In 5 of 9 cases in which the Neuroform stent was not navigable to the landing zone, we successfully deployed an Enterprise stent instead. Eventually, 42 aneurysms were coiled after stenting in each group. We observed no significant differences in peri-procedural complication rate, post-procedural hospital stay, packing density, recurrence rate or number of in-stent stenosis. Strikingly, 36.1% of followed aneurysms in the SAC group showed progressive occlusion on angiographic follow-up imaging. The packing density was significantly higher in aneurysms treated by SAC as compared to conventionally coiled aneurysms, while recanalization rate was significantly lower in the SAC group. Conclusion The procedural success rate is higher using the Enterprise, but otherwise both stents exhibited similar characteristics. Lower recurrence frequency and complication rates comparable to conventional coil embolization emphasize the importance of stent-assisted coiling in the treatment of complex aneurysms. Progressive occlusion on angiographic follow-up was a distinct and frequent observation in the SAC group and may in part be due to flow diversion.
Global warming and 21st century drying

Global warming is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts in the twenty-first century, but the relative contributions from changes in moisture supply (precipitation) versus evaporative demand (potential evapotranspiration; PET) have not been comprehensively assessed. Using output from a suite of general circulation model (GCM) simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, projected twenty-first century drying and wetting trends are investigated using two offline indices of surface moisture balance: the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). PDSI and SPEI projections using precipitation and Penman-Monteith based PET changes from the GCMs generally agree, showing robust cross-model drying in western North America, Central America, the Mediterranean, southern Africa, and the Amazon and robust wetting occurring in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes and east Africa (PDSI only). The SPEI is more sensitive to PET changes than the PDSI, especially in arid regions such as the Sahara and Middle East. Regional drying and wetting patterns largely mirror the spatially heterogeneous response of precipitation in the models, although drying in the PDSI and SPEI calculations extends beyond the regions of reduced precipitation. This expansion of drying areas is attributed to globally widespread increases in PET, caused by increases in surface net radiation and the vapor pressure deficit. Increased PET not only intensifies drying in areas where precipitation is already reduced, it also drives areas into drought that would otherwise experience little drying or even wetting from precipitation trends alone. This PET amplification effect is largest in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, and is especially pronounced in western North America, Europe, and southeast China. Compared to PDSI projections using precipitation changes only, the projections incorporating both precipitation and PET changes increase the percentage of global land area projected to experience at least moderate drying (PDSI standard deviation of ≤−1) by the end of the twenty-first century from 12 to 30 %. PET induced moderate drying is even more severe in the SPEI projections (SPEI standard deviation of ≤−1; 11 to 44 %), although this is likely less meaningful because much of the PET induced drying in the SPEI occurs in the aforementioned arid regions. Integrated accounting of both the supply and demand sides of the surface moisture balance is therefore critical for characterizing the full range of projected drought risks tied to increasing greenhouse gases and associated warming of the climate system.
Generalized threshold function accounting for effect of relative dispersion on threshold behavior of autoconversion process

[1] The recently derived theoretical threshold function associated with the autoconversion process is generalized to account for the effect of the relative dispersion of the cloud droplet size distribution. This generalized threshold function theoretically demonstrates that the relative dispersion, which has been largely neglected to date, essentially controls the cloud-to-rain transition if the liquid water content and the droplet concentration are fixed. Comparison of the generalized threshold function to existing ad hoc threshold functions further reveals that the essential role of the spectral shape of the cloud droplet size distribution in rain initiation has been unknowingly buried in the arbitrary use of ad hoc threshold functions in atmospheric models such as global climate models, and that commonly used ad hoc threshold functions are unable to fully describe the threshold behavior of the autoconversion process that likely occurs in ambient clouds.
ELECTRONIC STATES OF THE INDOLE‐ACRYLAMIDE MOLECULAR PAIR

A model is suggested for tryptophan fluorescence quenching by acrylamide based on the prediction that acrylamide can absorb a photon from the excited indole moiety and then dissipate the optical energy into a sink of fast exchanging conformations. Semiempirical electronic structure calculations of the indole-acrylamide pair indicate little actual intermolecular orbital mixing at van der Waals contact distances. However, the two lowest singlet transitions of the molecular pair, assigned to the acrylamide (pi *)----n(O) line and to the indole 1Lb----1A1 line, respectively, vary significantly in energies and in transition and excited state moments with the geometry of interaction between the two entities. The distribution of optimal quenching coordinations depends separately on the benzene and pyrrole portions and has a distinctly non-spherical shape at these distances.
Nephrotic syndrome in heroin addicts.

Abstract Eight heroin addicts with clinical nephrotic syndrome are described. Renal biopsies in seven patients revealed focal membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and binding of IgM and B1C by electron and immunofluorescence microscopy. No evidence for a known cause of nephrotic syndrome could be identified. While the specific stimulus which resulted in immunoglobulin and complement deposition in the kidneys of these heroin addicts remains obscure, likely possibilities are bacterial or viral contaminants in the injectate, toxins used in diluting the heroin, or the heroin itself.
Neighborhood Violence and Psychosocial Adjustment in Low-Income Urban African American Children: Physical Symptoms as a Marker of Child Adjustment

We examined the association between neighborhood violence and three domains of psychosocial adjustment in low-income, urban African American children: internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms. Based on anecdotal and empirical evidence, it was hypothesized that, relative to internalizing and externalizing problems, a stronger association would emerge between physical symptoms and neighborhood violence. Mother-reported neighborhood violence was associated with child-reported physical symptoms, but not internalizing or externalizing symptoms. Child-reported neighborhood violence was associated with child-reported internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms; however, neighborhood violence accounted for a greater percentage of variance in physical symptoms than the other two symptom domains. Our findings were not moderated by the age or gender of the child. We discuss the importance of physical symptoms as a marker of child adjustment in low-income, urban, African American children, as well directions for future research.
The Interaction of Water with Goethite (α-FeOOH) and Amorphous Hydrated Ferric Oxide Surfaces

The interaction of water with synthetically prepared goethite (α-FeOOH) and amorphous hyd-rated ferric oxide surfaces was studied using i.r. absorption and water vapor adsorption measurements. I.R. results show that the last traces of physically adsorbed water are removed from the amorphous material by outgassing at 25°C. In contrast, goethite retains approximately a monolayer of physically adsorbed water with similar outgassing. This monolayer of water on goethite, which is presumably hydrogen-bonded at least in part with structural hydroxyls, is readily exchangeable with D2O. Integral entropies of adsorption were evaluated from water vapor adsorption isotherms at 15, 25 and 35°C and compared with values for mobile and immobile layers calculated through application of statistical mechanics (McCafferty and Zettlemoyer, 1970). Entropy values for both the first physically adsorbed monolayer of water on the amorphous material and the second monolayer on goethite were about the same as or greater than those calculated for an immobile layer, indicating strong hydrogen bonding of water by both surfaces. The larger deviation between the entropy values for goethite and those calculated for the immobile layer may be associated with changes in the structure of the first as well as the second physically adsorbed water layers. Surface areas, calculated using the BET method, were 320 and 32 m2 g-1 for the amorphous material and goethite respectively. Since the unit surface activity is probably about the same for the two materials, it follows that as the amorphous material crystallizes to form goethite, there would be a reduction in total surface activity in proportion to the reduction in surface area.
Starvation-inducible loci of Salmonella typhimurium: regulation and roles in starvation-survival.

Summary Four starvation-inducible loci (stiA, stiB, stiC, and stiE) of Salmonella typhimurium have been extensively characterized as to their genetic and physiologic regulation, and their roles in survival during prolonged simultaneous phosphate (P)-, carbon (C)-and nitrogen (N)-starvation (PCN-starvation). Strains of S. typhimurium LT-2, isogenic with the exception of lacking either the stiA, stiB or stiC locus, died off more quickly and survived at much reduced levels compared with their wild-type parent. When certain sti mutations were combined in the same strain, we found that viability of these cultures declined even more rapidly, and starvation-survival was affected to leveis over-and-above the additive effects of each individual mutation, indicating an epistatic relationship between these loci. All four sti loci were, directly or indirectly, under negative control by the crp gene product (cAMP receptor protein, CRP). With the exception of stiB, all were similarly regulated by the cya gene product (i.e., cAMP). This suggests that CRP acts alone, or with a signal molecule other than cAMP, to cause repression of the stiB locus. In addition, all four loci are under positive regulation by the relA gene product (i.e., ppGpp) during C- or N-starvation, but not P-starvation. Since not all relA-depen-dent sti loci are induced during both C- and N-starvation, we propose that two separate ppGpp-dependent pathways function during C-starvation and N-starvation, respectively. Possible models for separate P-, C-and N-starvation-induction pathways are discussed.
Relation of electrocardiographic abnormalities and patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy identified by 2-dimensional echocardiography in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Distribution of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy was assessed by wide-angle, 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography in 153 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and compared with the scalar electrocardiogram in the same patients. The most common electrocardiographic alterations were S-T segment changes and T-wave inversion (61%), LV hypertrophy (47%), abnormal Q waves (25%), and left atrial enlargement (24%). LV hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram was significantly more common in patients with the most extensive distribution of LV hypertrophy on 2-D echocardiogram involving substantial portions of both the ventricular septum and LV free wall (type III; 51 of 69, 74%) than in those with more limited distribution of LV hypertrophy (21 of 84, 25%; p normal electrocardiograms (13 of 23) had localized (type I) hypertrophy, but only 4 had the extensive type III pattern of hypertrophy. Abnormal Q waves were significantly more common in those patients without hypertrophy of the anterior, basal septum (type IV; 15 of 27, 56%) than in those with basal septal hypertrophy (23 of 126, 18%; p Thus, although no single electrocardiographic abnormality is characteristic of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 2-D echocardiography clarifies the significance of certain electrocardiographic patterns: (1) LV hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram, although present in only about half of the study group, was a relatively sensitive (74%) marker for extensive (type III) LV hypertrophy; (2) abnormal Q waves cannot be explained by ventricular septal hypertrophy alone; and (3) a normal electrocardiogram was most commonly a manifestation of localized LV hypertrophy.
Cardiac catecholamine synthesis, turnover, and metabolism with isoproterenol-induced myocytolysis

Isoproterenol-induced myocytolysis in heart muscle is accompanied by an increased turnover of noradrenaline as a result of increased release of physiologically active neurotransmitter. A decline in noradrenaline content may be prevented by the increased extraction of circulating catecholamines produced in the adrenal medulla.
Generating on-the-fly large samples of theoretical spectra through N-dimensional grid

Many analyses and parameter estimations undertaken in astronomy require a large set (> 10^5) of non-analytical, theoretical spectra, each of these defined by multiple parameters. We describe the construction of an N-dimensional grid which is suitable for generating such spectra. The theoretical spectra are designed to correspond to a targeted parameter grid but otherwise to random positions in the parameter space, and they are interpolated on-the-fly through a pre-calculated grid of spectra. The initial grid is designed to be relatively low in parameter resolution and small in occupied hard disk space and therefore can be updated efficiently when a new model is desired. In a pilot study of stellar population synthesis of galaxies, the mean square errors on the estimated parameters are found to decrease with the targeted grid resolution. This scheme of generating a large model grid is general for other areas of studies, particularly if they are based on multi-dimensional parameter space and are focused on contrasting model differences.
An Atypical Degenerative Osteoarthropathy in Hyp Mice is Characterized by a Loss in the Mineralized Zone of Articular Cartilage

Patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) develop enthesophytes and osteophytes secondary to articular cartilage degeneration and together are the primary cause of morbidity in adult patients so afflicted. We have previously characterized the enthesopathy in Hyp mice, a murine model of XLH. We now extend these studies to the synovial joint in order to characterize potential cellular changes in articular cartilage that may predispose patients to the osteoarthropathy of XLH. We report that, despite highly elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase activity throughout articular cartilage, there is a complete loss in the mineralized zone of articular cartilage as assessed by von Kossa staining of mineral and as quantified by EPIC-microCT analysis and evidence of vascular invasion. We also identify the downregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) factors identified as regulators of terminally differentiated mineralizing articular chondrocytes. There is also a striking increase in the histochemical staining of sulfated proteoglycans, a change that may reflect the loss of a transitional tissue that reduces mechanical stress at the interface between cartilage and subchondral bone. The failure of mineralizing articular chondrocytes to develop in the hypophosphatemic state suggests that phosphate may be a key regulator of chondrocyte mineralization. Accordingly, we find that the appropriate zonal arrangement and phenotypic markers of articular cartilage are significantly reestablished by phosphate-replacement therapy. Given the turnover and maintenance of articular cartilage ECM, the identification of early and abnormal cellular changes unique to XLH will undoubtedly aid in a more effective management of this disease to minimize the onset of degenerative osteoarthropathy.
Evaluation of observer performance in detecting blood vessels on simulated angiographic images

This paper presents methods for evaluating the effects of technical factors on observers’ detection of small blood vessels in angiographic images. A fixed set of physical parameters was used to generate computer‐simulated angiographs that contained blood vessels of various diameters. Observers’ judgments about each set of images permitted estimation of the receiver operating characateristic (ROC) curves for vessel detection and of the probability of correctly locating the vessels. Both parametric and nonparametric methods were used to characerize the ROC curves. Three different, but theoretically related, measures of vessel detectability varied systematically with changes in the blood vessel’s diameter, reflecting changes in observer performance.
Accurate Localization of In-Body Medical Implants Based on Spatial Sparsity

Wearable and implantable wireless communication devices have in recent years gained increasing attention for medical diagnostics and therapeutics. In particular, wireless capsule endoscopy has become a popular method to visualize and diagnose the human gastrointestinal tract. Estimating the exact position of the capsule when each image is taken is a very critical issue in capsule endoscopy. Several approaches have been developed by researchers to estimate the capsule location. However, some unique challenges exist for in-body localization, such as the severe multipath issue caused by the boundaries of different organs, inconsistency of signal propagation velocity and path loss parameters inside the human body, and the regulatory restrictions on using high-bandwidth or high-power signals. In this paper, we propose a novel localization method based on spatial sparsity. We directly estimate the location of the capsule without going through the usual intermediate stage of first estimating time-of-arrival or received-signal strength, and then a second stage of estimating the location. We demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method through extensive Monte Carlo simulations for radio frequency emission signals within the required power and bandwidth range. The results show that the proposed method is effective and accurate, even in massive multipath conditions.
Through the Lenses of Gender, Race, and Class: Students’ Perceptions of Childless/Childfree Individuals and Couples

Earlier research has documented negative perceptions of childless couples, particularly the voluntarily childfree, among college students. In this project we used hypothetical vignettes to assess variations in students’ (N = 478) perceptions of childless couples related to the couple’s race, occupations of husband and wife, and assumed reasons for childlessness. Perceptions were strongly influenced by occupational status and gender, but we found few race differences. Neither infertility nor chosen childlessness was rated negatively, but couples were rated more positively if they were perceived as temporarily rather than permanently childless. Our findings suggest that delayed parenthood is regarded as normative and that students have few negative biases regarding infertility or chosen childlessness. Perceptions were strongly conditioned by economic and employment considerations, which reflect current concerns about balancing work and family trajectories.
Recycling of plastic packaging in the United States

The manner in which recycling of plastic packaging is developing in the USA is outlined and the probable changes in the next decade are discussed. Suggestions as to how packaging professions should deal with the subject are made.
Microfluidic device for robust generation of two-component liquid-in-air slugs with individually controlled composition

Using liquid slugs as microreactors and microvessels enable precise control over the conditions of their contents on short-time scales for a wide variety of applications. Particularly for screening applications, there is a need for control of slug parameters such as size and composition. We describe a new microfluidic approach for creating slugs in air, each comprising a size and composition that can be selected individually for each slug. Two-component slugs are formed by first metering the desired volume of each reagent, merging the two volumes into an end-to-end slug, and propelling the slug to induce mixing. Volume control is achieved by a novel mechanism: two closed chambers on the chip are initially filled with air, and a valve in each is briefly opened to admit one of the reagents. The pressure of each reagent can be individually selected and determines the amount of air compression, and thus the amount of liquid that is admitted into each chamber. We describe the theory of operation, characterize the slug generation chip, and demonstrate the creation of slugs of different compositions. The use of microvalves in this approach enables robust operation with different liquids, and also enables one to work with extremely small samples, even down to a few slug volumes. The latter is important for applications involving precious reagents such as optimizing the reaction conditions for radiolabeling biological molecules as tracers for positron emission tomography. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10404-010-0617-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
The Negligible Role of Fees as a Barrier to Public Access Computing in Developing Countries

Public access to computers and the Internet can play an important role in social and economic development if it effectively helps to meet the needs of underserved populations. Public access venues such as libraries, telecentres and cybercafes are sometimes free, and sometimes charge user fees. User fees can be an important barrier to use of public access venues, especially among underserved communities in developing countries. This paper analyzes the role of user fees and other critical barriers in the use of computers in public access venues in 25 developing countries around the world. Results of this study suggest that digital literacy of staff and local relevance of content may be more important than fees in determining user preference for public access venues. These findings are important to public libraries, which tend to offer free services, but where perceptions of digital literacy of staff and locally relevant content tend to be lowest, compared to telecentres and cybercafes, according to the results of this study. More attention to digital literacy of staff and availability of locally relevant content may be more important than free services to meet the information needs of underserved populations.
Junior High Home Economics Curriculum: Its Effect on Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of nutrition instruction, using the curriculum Nutrition In a Changing World, A Curriculum for Home Economics, Grades 7-9, on improving the nutrition knowledge, selected food/nutrition attitudes, and dietary behavior of junior high home economics students. There were three groups of students, one experimental and two control groups, at each grade level (seven through nine). The experimental group was pretested, taught the nutrition curriculum and posttested. One control group was only posttested to measure the effect of the pretest on posttest performance. A second control group was pretested and posttested. Neither control group received nutrition instruction until after the study was completed. Three instruments were used to collect data: a nutrition knowledge test, a food/nutrition attitude instrument, and a food frequency form. The results indicate that, at all grade levels, the experimental group had significantly improved knowledge scores. Little change in attitude scale scores was noted in grades seven and eight, while ninth grade experimental students scored significantly higher on the posttest for all attitude scales. Little improvement was seen in the posttest food frequency scores.
Electrical Conductivity of Polycrystalline A12O3 Doped with Silicon

Direct current conductivity was measured for polycrystalline AI/sub 2/O/sub 3/ doped with silicon, which is found to act as a single donor, the donor level lying approx. = 165 kJ/mol (approx. =1.7 eV) below the conduction band. Silicon in excess of the solubility limit (approx. =220 ppm at 1500/sup 0/C, 300 ppm at 1600/sup 0/C) is present as a glassy aluminosilicate second phase. Silicon dissolved in AI/sub 2/O/sub 3/ tends to segregate at grain boundaries.
The new attachment operation in subcrestal pockets

Abstract Ideally, the new attachment operation should be confined to subcrestal pockets. The objective of the new attachment operation is to raise the attachment coronally to eliminate the periodontal pocket and to refill the subcrestal defect with new bone. The step-by-step procedure has been described. A partial gingivectomy will remove the marginal epithelium and reduce part of the pocket, namely, a portion of the soft tissue coronal to the alveolar crest. The most common reasons for failure are (1) the lack of complete and thorough root curettage, (2) mobility of the tooth, and (3) leaving some of the soft tissue in the subcrestal defect. If the operation should fail to eliminate the pocket, repetition of the procedures will result in success in the majority of cases. When the alveolar bone refills the subcrestal defect, a new functional periodontal membrane will be formed. This operation, rather than ostectomy or extraction, is the treatment of choice. The new attachment operation can be done successfully by the general practitioner as well as by the periodontist.
Face detection using distribution-based distance and support vector machine

This paper presents a novel face detection method by applying distribution-based distance (DBD) measure and support vector machine (SVM). The novelty of our DBD-SVM method comes from the integration of discriminating feature analysis, face class modeling, and support vector machine for face detection. First, the discriminating feature vector is defined by combining the input image, its 1-D Haar wavelet representation, and its amplitude projections. Then the DBD-SVM method statistically models the face class by applying the discriminating feature vectors and defines the distribution-based distance measure. Finally, based on DBD and SVM, three classification rules are applied to separate faces and nonfaces. Experiments using images from the MIT-CMU test sets show the feasibility of our new face detection method. In particular, when using 92 images (containing 282 faces) from the MIT-CMU test sets, our DBD-SVM method achieves 98.2% correct face detection accuracy with 2 false detections, a performance comparable to the state-of-the-art face detection methods, such as the Schneiderman-Kanade's method.
Introduction to Commentary: Exploiting Opportunities Created by the Patient-Reported Measurement Information System in Pediatric Psychology

Patient recorded outcomes [e.g. health-related quality of life (HRQOL), functional status, etc.] have assumed increasing importance in research and clinical care in the fields of pediatrics and pediatric psychology (Palermo et al., 2007; Varni, Limbers, & Burwinkle, 2007) for several cogent reasons: (a) these measures are sensitive to the issues associated with health status that are most important and salient to children and their families in evaluating outcomes of medical treatment; (b) patient-reported outcomes complement and extend the evaluation of medical treatments beyond the traditional measures of psychological status, biomarkers, and symptoms; (c) data that are generated from patient-reported outcomes can facilitate communications among children, families, and providers, inform shared decision making concerning medical treatment and improve children’s well-being (DeWit et al., 2008). However, widespread clinical application of patient-reported outcomes and generalizability of findings across settings and chronic conditions in the field of pediatric psychology are needed. In their article, Forrest and colleagues describe the application of the Patient-Reported Measurement Information System (PROMIS ) for children and youth and implications for the field of pediatric psychology. This introduction highlights several of the salient issues raised by Forrest et al. (2012) for the field of pediatric psychology.
Motion analysis of human ambulatory patterns

Studying the visual motion of human ambulatory patterns is of great importance for both vision research and applications. The authors first present three new algorithms for the recovery of three-dimensional structures from the motion of certain types of joints of articulated objects assuming perspective projection. Then based on the assumption that a human body can be considered as an articulated object and each part of the articulated object is rigid, they apply these algorithms to motion analysis of human ambulatory patterns in a combined way. The proposed algorithms have been tested in terms of the uniqueness of real solution and the speed of convergence using the synthesized data. >
Bioinformatic evidence for a widely distributed, ribosomally produced electron carrier precursor, its maturation proteins, and its nicotinoprotein redox partners

Enzymes in the radical SAM (rSAM) domain family serve in a wide variety of biological processes, including RNA modification, enzyme activation, bacteriocin core peptide maturation, and cofactor biosynthesis. Evolutionary pressures and relationships to other cellular constituents impose recognizable grammars on each class of rSAM-containing system, shaping patterns in results obtained through various comparative genomics analyses. An uncharacterized gene cluster found in many Actinobacteria and sporadically in Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Deltaproteobacteria, and one Archaeal plasmid contains a PqqE-like rSAM protein family that includes Rv0693 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Members occur clustered with a strikingly well-conserved small polypeptide we designate "mycofactocin," similar in size to bacteriocins and PqqA, precursor of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). Partial Phylogenetic Profiling (PPP) based on the distribution of these markers identifies the mycofactocin cluster, but also a second tier of high-scoring proteins. This tier, strikingly, is filled with up to thirty-one members per genome from three variant subfamilies that occur, one each, in three unrelated classes of nicotinoproteins. The pattern suggests these variant enzymes require not only NAD(P), but also the novel gene cluster. Further study was conducted using SIMBAL, a PPP-like tool, to search these nicotinoproteins for subsequences best correlated across multiple genomes to the presence of mycofactocin. For both the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) and iron-containing dehydrogenase families, aligning SIMBAL's top-scoring sequences to homologous solved crystal structures shows signals centered over NAD(P)-binding sites rather than over substrate-binding or active site residues. Previous studies on some of these proteins have revealed a non-exchangeable NAD cofactor, such that enzymatic activity in vitro requires an artificial electron acceptor such as N,N-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (NDMA) for the enzyme to cycle. Taken together, these findings suggest that the mycofactocin precursor is modified by the Rv0693 family rSAM protein and other enzymes in its cluster. It becomes an electron carrier molecule that serves in vivo as NDMA and other artificial electron acceptors do in vitro. Subclasses from three different nicotinoprotein families show "only-if" relationships to mycofactocin because they require its presence. This framework suggests a segregated redox pool in which mycofactocin mediates communication among enzymes with non-exchangeable cofactors.
Using systems biology approaches to understand cardiac inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling in the setting of myocardial infarction

Inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling are important components regulating the response of the left ventricle to myocardial infarction (MI). Significant cellular- and molecular-level contributors can be identified by analyzing data acquired through high-throughput genomic and proteomic technologies that provide expression levels for thousands of genes and proteins. Large-scale data provide both temporal and spatial information that need to be analyzed and interpreted using systems biology approaches in order to integrate this information into dynamic models that predict and explain mechanisms of cardiac healing post-MI. In this review, we summarize the systems biology approaches needed to computationally simulate post-MI remodeling, including data acquisition, data analysis for biomarker classification and identification, data integration to build dynamic models, and data interpretation for biological functions. An example for applying a systems biology approach to ECM remodeling is presented as a reference illustration. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2014, 6:77–91. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1248 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Progress in multi-element silicon detectors for synchrotron XRF applications

Multi-element silicon strip detectors, in conjunction with integrated circuit pulse-processing electronics, offer an attractive alternative to conventional lithium-drifted silicon and high purity germanium detectors for high count rate, low noise synchrotron X-ray fluorescence applications. We have been developing these types of detectors specifically for low noise synchrotron applications, such as extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, microprobe X-ray fluorescence and total reflection X-ray fluorescence. The current version of the 192-element detector and integrated circuit preamplifier, cooled to -25/spl deg/C with a single-stage thermoelectric cooler, achieves an energy resolution of <200 eV full width of half maximum (FWHM) per channel (at 5.9 keV, 2 /spl mu/s peaking time), and each detector element is designed to handle /spl sim/20 kHz count rate. The detector system will soon be completed to 64 channels using new application specific integrated circuit amplifier chips, new CAMAC analog-to-digital converters recently developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CAMAC histogramming modules, and Macintosh-based data acquisition software. We report on the characteristics of this detector system, and the work in progress towards the next generation system.
DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A VIRTUAL TOMOGRAPHIC REFLECTION SYSTEM

Virtual tomographic reflection (VTR) is a new augmented reality technique that allows users to view volumetric image data using an interaction paradigm based on medical ultrasound. VTR is essentially a "virtual" version of the sonic flashlight, a device that permits real-time in situ visualization of ultrasound images by reflecting calibrated images displayed on a flat-panel monitor from a partially transparent half silvered mirror. In VTR, as opposed to the actual sonic flashlight, the ultrasound scanner is replaced by an optically tracked dummy ultrasound scanner with a mirror and display capable of generating cross-sections through stored real or computer-generated image data. The design of this system was motivated by the need to conduct psychophysical and accuracy analysis of the real Sonic Flashlight in a highly controlled artificial environment. Here we present the latest version of our VTR device and describe the overall system architecture as well as a highly accurate method for calibrating the system
Prognostic significance of tumor oxygenation in humans

Low tissue oxygen concentration has been shown to be important in the response of human tumors to radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other treatment modalities. Hypoxia is also known to be a prognostic indicator, as hypoxic human tumors are more biologically aggressive and are more likely to recur locally and metastasize. Herein, we discuss and summarize the various methods under investigation to directly or indirectly measure tissue oxygen in vivo. Secondly, we consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of these techniques. These considerations are made in light of our specific hypotheses that hypoxia should be measured as a continuum, not a binary measurement and that moderate, not severe hypoxia is of great biological consequence.
STUDIES ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF STREPTOCOCCUS HEMOLYTICUS TO THE RHEUMATIC PROCESS II. OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF STREPTOCOCCUS HEMOLYTICUS ASSOCIATED WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASE

To determine the nature of the organisms associated with outbreaks of rheumatism at The Pelham Home, in a large number of individuals at the Presbyterian Hospital Nurses' Training School and among rheumatic subjects in New York City under continuous clinical observation, studies of the throat flora have been conducted. Hemolytic streptococcus in most instances appeared in the pharynx from 1 to 5 weeks before the onset of the rheumatic attack. These organisms have been investigated with the usual types of bacteriological tests and, in addition, have been classified serologically according to Lancefield's technique. The results have demonstrated that the organisms were not of a single type, but fell into six antigenic groups. The majority of the freshly isolated strains tested were strong toxin producers. The organisms producing the strongest toxin were cultures from the patients who developed extremely intense rheumatism. About 70 per cent of these toxins were neutralized by a monovalent streptococcus antiserum.
Native Pollinators in Anthropogenic Habitats

Animals pollinate 87% of the world’s flowering plant species. Therefore, how pollinators respond to human-induced land-use change has important implications for plants and the species that depend on them. Here, we synthesize the published literature on how land-use change affects the main groups of pollinators: bees, butterflies, flies, birds, and bats. Responses to land-use change are predominantly negative but are highly variable within and across taxa. The directionality of pollinator response varies according to study design, with comparisons across gradients in surrounding landscape cover finding largely negative responses and comparisons across local land-use types finding largely positive responses. Furthermore, among the studies using landscape designs, most were performed in systems where landuse change is extreme, and such studies find stronger negative effects than those performed in more moderate systems. Across multiple taxa, dietary specialists show greater sensitivity to land use than do generalists. There is a need for studies of pollinator species composition and relative abundance, rather than simply species richness and aggregate abundance, to identify the species that are lost and gained with increasing land-use change.
Concept paper: antihyperglycemic therapy and the diabetic heart--do we really know enough?

The purpose of this article is to provide reasons to start looking more critically at the existing glucose-lowering therapies in diabetes, from the point of their effect on cardiac metabolism. The presented arguments begin with the description of major differences between metabolism in myocardium and the skeletal muscle and of examples of myocardial metabolic inflexibility observed in heart failure and Type 2 diabetes. It is proposed that the metabolic inflexibility of diabetic myocardium should be taken into consideration as a factor to explain causes of unexpected cardiovascular mortality observed in the recently published outcome studies such as Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) and Veterans Affairs Diabetes Feasibility Trial. The same reasoning was applied to challenge the “legacy effect” of the UK Prospective Diabetes Study and Steno-2 trials. A striking paucity of data on the effects of antihyperglycemic therapies on cardiac metabolism is brought to attention in spite of the fact that the technology to study human cardiac metabolism in vivo is available. It is hoped that increased focus on research in this area could contribute to improved cardiovascular safety monitoring of various antihyperglycemic regimens and thereby enhance our ability to save more lives of patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Business Communication Students' Appraisal Of Selected Communication Competencies

The purpose of this study was to determine business communication students perception of selected business communication competencies. Students enrolled in business communication classes at Texas A&M University-Commerce from the summer of 2006 until the spring 2007 were survey. Students were asked to evaluate each of the listed 44 competencies. The two competencies that ranked the highest were Spells Correctly, and Understands the Importance of Business Relationships.
Substitutability and price distortion in the demand for factors of production: an empirical estimation

(1977). Substitutability and price distortion in the demand for factors of production: an empirical estimation. Applied Economics: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 203-217.
Large-Scale FPAA Devices for Signal Processing Applications

We present a viewpoint showing that analog signal processing approaches are becoming configurable and programmable like their digital counterparts, while retaining a huge computational efficiency, for a given power budget, compared to their digital counterparts. We present recent results in programmable and configurable analog signal processing describing the widespread potential of these approaches. We also discuss issues with configurable systems, including size, power, and computational tradeoffs, as well as address the computational efficiency of these approaches.
Preparation and properties of tritiated human [Tyr 18, Trp 27]‐β ‐endorphin

Tritiated [Tyr18, Trp27]-beta h-EP was prepared from the corresponding diiodotyrosine derivative by catalytic reduction in the presence of carrier free tritium gas. A photoaffinity probe for beta-endorphin (beta-EP) receptors was prepared by selective modification of [Tyr18, Trp27]-beta h-endorphin with 2-nitro-4-azidophenylsulfenyl chloride (2,4-NAPS-C1) under acidic conditions to yield [Trp18-2,4-NAPS-Trp27]-beta h-endorphin (NAPS-beta-EP). NAPS-beta-EP was purified by high performance liquid chromatography and characterized by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and peptide mapping. Tritiated NAPS-beta-EP was prepared from tritiated [Tyr18, Trp27]-beta h-endorphin with 2,4-NAPS-C1. The ability of NAPS-beta-EP to form covalent bonds to macromolecules due to photolysis was established using bovine serum albumin. The efficiency of photolytic cross-linking was 15% and the equilibrium dissociation constant was 1.3 X 10(-5) M.