cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statistical bias in material decomposition in low photon statistics region

We show that in material decomposition, statistical bias exists in the low photon regime due to non-linearity including but not limited to the log operation and polychromatic measurements. As new scan methods divide the total number of photons into an increasing number of measurements (e.g., energy bins, projection paths) and as developers seek to reduce radiation dose, the number of photons per measurement will decrease and estimators should be robust against bias at low photon counts. We study bias as a function of total flux and spectral spread, which provides insight when parameters like material thicknesses, number of energy bins, and number of projection views change. We find that the bias increases with lower photon counts, wide spectrum, with more number of energy bins and more projection views. Our simulation, with ideal photon counting detectors, show biases up to 2.4 % in basis material images. We propose a bias correction method in projection space that uses a multi dimensional look up table. With the correction, the relative bias in CT images is within 0.5 ± 0.17%.
Caffeine augmentation of electroconvulsive seizures

Caffeine has been used clinically to increase seizure length in electroconvulsive treatment (ECT). The present study was designed to establish an animal model of caffeine-augmented seizures for further study of mechanisms and effects of pharmacological manipulation of seizure length. Increasing doses of caffeine (0-200 mg/kg, IP) were given before electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS) in rats and resulting seizure lengths were quantified by timing of classical tonic-clonic convulsive movements. With this paradigm, caffeine led to a dose-dependent increase in seizure duration. This proconvulsant action of caffeine was detectable within 1 min after dosing, persisted for at least 230 min and was reversible. The results suggest that seizure length is a practicable measure in pharmacological modification of electroconvulsive seizures. They also suggest that pharmacologically-modified ECS can be modeled effectively in animals.
Intelligent Multimodal Signal Adaptation System (IMSAS)

As cockpits become more complex, pilots must monitor more data in the normal operation of an aircraft including the states of automated systems. Our objective was to demonstrate that pilots can ach...
Diel variation in chlorophyll a , carbohydrate and protein content of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum

Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve isolated from Narragansett Bay, USA, was incubated at 3 light intensities (ca. 0.008, 0.040 and 0.075 ly min-1) under a 12 h light: 12 h dark (12L:12D) photoperiod at 2°, 10° and 20°C. Cellular chlorophyll a increased at intensities less than ca. 0.040 ly min-1; increases occured within one photoperiod at temperatures above 10°C. Cellular carbohydrate increased with light intensity at all temperatures; increases during the photophase were due to net production of the dilute acid-soluble fraction. Cellular protein increased during the photoperiod at 10° and 20°C; there was little difference in cellular protein among all cultures after one photoperiod. The rate at which cellular chlorophyll a increased in response to a decrease in light suggests that diel variation in cellular chlorophyll a is temperature-dependent in S. costatum. Protein: carbohydrate ratios ranged from ca. 0.5 to 2.0 over a diel cycle; ratios increased at lower intensities and higher temperatures. The diel range in protein:carbohydrate ratios equals that in cultures developing nitrogen deficiency; thus, use of this ratio as an index to phytoplankton physiological state must account for diel light effects.
Income distribution, basic needs, and trade-offs with growth : the case of semi-industrialized Latin American countries

This paper addresses income distribution issues and policy options to eliminate extreme poverty in a particular typology of middle-income semi-industrialized developing countries of Latin America. These countries are characterized by a high per capita income, a high degree of industrialization, large population and geographical area, and substantial agricultural resources. However, they also present strong inequality in the distribution of income and wealth relative to other countries of similar levels of per capita income. Policy intervention for poverty alleviation should include measures to increase the employment content of growth; provide investments that would increase the endowment of human and physical capital of the poor; and improve health status, life expectancy, and civic participation through the provision of basic services.
Clinical Presentation of Cervical Ribs in the Pediatric Population

Cervical ribs may cause thoracic outlet syndrome in adults, but symptoms are poorly described in children. In our series, 88.8% of the 322 children were asymptomatic. The most common symptoms were neck mass and pain. Useful diagnostic tools were cervical spine and chest radiographs. Differential diagnosis of a supraclavicular mass includes cervical ribs.
Efficient nonlinear solvers for Laplace-Beltrami smoothing of three-dimensional unstructured grids

The Laplace-Beltrami system of nonlinear, elliptic, partial differential equations has utility in the generation of computational grids on complex and highly curved geometry. Discretization of this system using the finite-element method accommodates unstructured grids, but generates a large, sparse, ill-conditioned system of nonlinear discrete equations. The use of the Laplace-Beltrami approach, particularly in large-scale applications, has been limited by the scalability and efficiency of solvers. This paper addresses this limitation by developing two nonlinear solvers based on the Jacobian-Free Newton-Krylov (JFNK) methodology. A key feature of these methods is that the Jacobian is not formed explicitly for use by the underlying linear solver. Iterative linear solvers such as the Generalized Minimal RESidual (GMRES) method do not technically require the stand-alone Jacobian; instead its action on a vector is approximated through two nonlinear function evaluations. The preconditioning required by GMRES is also discussed. Two different preconditioners are developed, both of which employ existing Algebraic Multigrid (AMG) methods. Further, the most efficient preconditioner, overall, for the problems considered is based on a Picard linearization. Numerical examples demonstrate that these solvers are significantly faster than a standard Newton-Krylov approach; a speedup factor of approximately 26 was obtained for the Picard preconditioner on the largest grids studied here. In addition, these JFNK solvers exhibit good algorithmic scaling with increasing grid size.
Tax Policy Attitudes and the 1996 Presidential Election

This study examines whether voters employ a collectively based evaluation of tax policies when voting. We model public opinion toward Bob Dole’s 15% income tax cut proposal and assess the issue’s impact on presidential vote choice in 1996. A preelection survey experiment offered two versions of a question about tax cuts: One presents the issue in terms of what is right or wrong for the country (collective version), whereas the other poses a “favor or oppose” question (individual version). We find that support for the tax cut is far greater in the individual version than in the collective version, and asking voters to consider the potential fiscal consequences of the tax cut drives down its popularity. However, logit models of vote choice show that support for the tax cut has a greater effect on vote choice when judgment of the policy is based on its collective consequences.
The Efficacy of HeadsUp! Reading in Missouri on Teachers' Knowledge of Emergent Literacy: A Satellite-Based Literacy Development Training Course

Literacy is a concept that is continually evolving (Barr, Watts-Taffe, & Yokota, 2000). It is widely agreed that literacy emerges from a variety of abilities (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001). This perspective on development has implications for interventions because, if literacy-related skills emerge as interrelated systems, then optimal interventions will be those that bolster all relevant abilities rather than focusing on only a single skill area. Thus, the evolution in literacy conceptualization requires changes in the approaches that are used by teachers who are supporting their students' literacy development. The cultural, linguistic, and educational diversity found in the various early childhood program environments today add to the need for change in the methods used to support literacy development. There is research that suggests that quality instruction in the early years of a child's life can dramatically affect later school achievement (see Whitehurst, 1994, 1999). Interventions designed to improve t...
Lichens and atmospheric sulphur: what stable isotopes reveal.

Isotopic compositions and total sulphur (S) levels were measured in Alectoria sarmentosa collected from over 80 sites on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. The spatial distribution of isotopic compositions of all samples is consistent with contributions of S from sea spray, local point sources and minor long-range transport. Thalli of A. sarmentosa were also transplanted from a relatively pristine area to an area of higher anthropogenic S input and monitored for 12 months. The transplanted lichens gradually approached the sulphur concentration and isotopic character of the new location. However, with single strands of A. sarmentosa collected near an oil refinery, isotopic signature of the youngest parts resembled the refinery emissions, while the oldest parts more closely matched the natural background signature.
Contributions of Fire Use Study to Land Use/Cover Change Frameworks: Understanding Landscape Change in Agricultural Frontiers

The impact of fire use and hazard in frontier settlement is a critical environmental concern that has been historically overshadowed by deforestation issues- and thus underexamined at local and regional scales by social scientists. Consequently, conceptual frameworks of LUCC change consider fire use as an outcome of land use decisions and neglect the capacity of burning choices to influence these decisions and subsequent land cover change. This paper examines the relationship of settlement, land use, and fire use. It considers recent LUCC frameworks, and then uses household surveys on fire use practices to discuss how the study of fire use can contribute to understanding frontier landscape change. Planting decisions, settlement history, location desires, and burning logistics work in combination to influence burning choices and thus LUCC.
Mks1p is required for negative regulation of Retrograde gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae but does not affect nitrogen catabolite repression-sensitive gene expression

The Tor1/2p signal transduction pathway regulates nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR)-sensitive (GAP1, GAT1, DAL5) and retrograde (CIT2, DLD3, IDH1/2) gene expression by controlling intracellular localization of the transcription activators, Gln3p and Gat1p, and Rtg1p and Rtg3p, respectively. The accepted pathway for this regulation is NH3 or excess nitrogen ⊣ Mks1p ⊣ Ure2p ⊣ Gln3p → DAL5, and rapamycin or limiting nitrogen ⊣ Torp → Tap42 ⊣ Mks1p → Rtg1/3p → CIT2, respectively. In current models, Mks1p positively regulates both Gln3p (and DAL5 expression) and Rtg1/3p (and CIT2 expression). Here, in contrast, we show the following. (i) Mks1p is a strong negative regulator of CIT2 expression and does not effect NCR-sensitive expression of DAL5 or GAP1. (ii) Retrograde carbon and NCR-sensitive nitrogen metabolism are not linked by the quality of the nitrogen source,i.e. its ability to elicit NCR, but by the product of its catabolism, i.e. glutamate or ammonia. (iii) In some instances, we can dissociate rapamycin-induced CIT2 expression from Mks1p function, i.e. rapamycin does not suppress Mks1p-mediated down-regulation of CIT2 expression. These findings suggest that currently accepted models of Tor1/2p signal transduction pathway regulation require revision.
Research Directions in Social Media and Body Image

This commentary in response to Perloff (2014) suggests considerations for studying social media’s potential influence on body image. These are derived from Perloff’s transactional model of social media and body image. In investigating how social media use may influence body dissatisfaction in the United States, scholars should consider how the purposes and functions of social media differentiate them from traditional media effects theories. Individuals may be more likely to encounter unsought messages in social media than in traditional media. Social media messages have the potential to present much more diverse representations of female and male bodies because they are mostly produced and disseminated by individuals. Finally, social media offer the ability to reach a variety of at-risk groups with media literacy training. Media literacy training educates audiences about the purposes of messages, which can increase skepticism and possibly reduce message effects. Thus, media literacy training may address the media-related aspect of body dissatisfaction because it teaches critical and analytical skills. Theoretically driven models such as Perloff’s transactional model of social media and body image provide a fruitful basis of research.
Blood flow velocity of internal mammary artery and saphenous vein grafts to the coronary arteries

Doppler-derived blood flow velocity measurements were used to characterize the hemodynamics of 66 internal mammary artery grafts and 60 saphenous vein grafts to the coronary arteries at operation. Pulsed Doppler spectral analysis of centerstream graft flow demonstrated predominantly diastolic flow with a variable, multiphasic flow pattern in systole. The magnitude and configuration of the graft flow velocity waveform varied with graft type and whether the runoff was to single or multiple arteries. At operation, peak diastolic flow velocity was greater (P < 0.0001) in internal mammary artery grafts to a single outflow artery (71 ± 2 cm/sec) compared with single vein grafts (31 ± 4 cm/sec). Sequential grafts demonstrated increased flow velocity and forward flow throughout the pulse cycle, indicative of low outflow resistance. Analysis of the phasic flow patterns permitted an assessment of functional graft patency. Technical errors (anastomotic stricture, internal mammary pedicle torsion) were identified in three grafts with low or absent diastolic flow. Vasospasm of the internal mammary artery was associated with high flow velocity throughout the pulse cycle. Observed differences in patency and the development of intimal hyperplasia between internal mammary artery and saphenous vein grafts may be related to graft hemodynamics.
Free-living stages of the parasitic copepod Lernanthropinus labracoglossae Izawa, 2014 (Siphonostomatoida, Lernanthropidae), reared from eggs

Free-living stages, comprising two naupliar stages and the infective copepodid I, of the parasitic copepod Lernanthropinus labracoglossae Izawa, 2014 are described. The larvae were reared from eggs detached from an ovigerous female, recovered from the branchial lamellae of the Japanese actinopterygian fish Labracoglossa argentiventris Peter, 1866 (Kyphosidae). The number of naupliar stages prior to copepodopid I in the Lernanthropidae is the same as in the Caligidae, Pseudohatschekidae and Trebiidae. The copepodid I of the species has a frontal filament, as do representatives of the Caligidae, Pandaridae and Trebiidae. However, this is regarded as a vestigial feature in the last two families. Copepodid I of L. labracoglossae has a 6-segmented antennule, including the naked first segment, as do the first copepodids of eudactylinid copepods.
Distinctive eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in melanocytic nevi: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.

Background: We sought to further determine the histochemical, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural properties of eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in melanocytic nevi. Methods: Skin specimens from four patients with a known diagnosis of conventional melanocytic nevus (3) or Spitz nevus (1) and containing intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies were selected. In addition, melanomas (25), Spitz nevi (10) and blue nevi (4) were examined to determine the frequency of the inclusions. Results: Inclusions tended to be located in multinucleated melanocytes with abundant vacuolated cytoplasm. In conventional (hematoxylin and eosin-stained) sections, the degree of density and eosinophilia of intracytoplasmic inclusions varied with size. Periodic acid-Schiff, Fontana and Congo red stains showed no reactivity. All bodies were immunoreactive for ubiquitin but negative for tyrosinase, keratin and vimentin. Ultrastructurally, inclusion bodies were non-membrane bound, ranged from 4 to 7 µm, and were comprised of radiating filamentous structures with or without an electron-dense core. Electron probe x-ray microanalysis revealed no significant peaks. None of additional melanomas, Spitz nevi and blue nevi that were evaluated showed similar inclusions. Conclusions: The inclusion bodies described herein bear no resemblance to other cytoplasmic inclusion bodies previously described in melanocytic lesions. There is no discernible relationship to melanosomes by ultrastructural analysis. We postulate a relationship with dysfunction of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation occurring in melanocytes. Shon W, Wada DA, Gibson LE, Flotte TJ, Scheithauer BW. Distinctive eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in melanocytic nevi: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.
Solid state vibrational spectra of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate

Abstract The Raman and IR spectra of triclinic Ca 2 P 2 O 7 2H 2 O are interpreted using factor group analysis. Solid state effects, factor group splitting and two-site splitting, must be considered to explain the spectra; site group or free ion group models are inadequate. The simple unit cell of this pyrophosphate allows unambiguous assignment of the eight PO stretching modes in order of decreasing energy: 4 v a PO > v s PO > v a PO > v a POP > v s POP . Comparison of these spectra with those for pyrophosphates exhibiting larger unit cells demonstrates that the number of factor group split symmetric PO stretching modes, v s PO , in the Raman spectra is proportional to the unit cell size. These spectra uniquely characterize this medically interesting material which can cause in vivo crystal-induced inflammation in tissues.
Two-photon induced fluorescence behavior of DEANST organic crystal

Abstract Temporal, spectral, and intensity-dependence behaviors of two-phonon induced fluorescence emission in the DEANST [4-(N,N-diethylamino)-β- nitrostyrene] organic crystal have been investigated by using 1.06 μm pump pulses from a Q -switched Nd:YAG laser. Both the response-retardation time and the tail-decay time of the two-photon induced flourescence signal are less than 1.5 ns, the temporal resolution of our measurement system, with respect to a given pump laser pulse. The fluorescence signal exhibits a square-low dependence of the pump intensity. At the highest pump intensity determined by the sample damage, the two-photon pumped fluorescence intensity is much higher than the corresponding one-photon pumped fluorescence intensity. Also at the highest pump intensity level, the two-photon induced fluorescence intensity from a 1.2 mm thick DEANST crystal is 7.7 times stronger than that from a 1 mm thick liquid cell filled with Rhodamine-6G methanol solution of ≈ 2 × 10 -3 M concentration. Thus, a high quality DEANST crystal is quite a promising organic crystal for two-photon pumped laser devices or frequency upconversion detection.
Persistence of the alpha-helix stop signal in the S-peptide in trifluoroethanol solutions.

Alpha-helix formation in the S-peptide (residues 1-19 of ribonuclease A) was studied in detail by use of two-dimensional {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance to monitor the effects of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) at 0{degree}C and pH 2.07. TFE stabilizes the S-peptide {alpha}-helix. Helix formation by a particular amino acid was monitored by the chemical shifts of the C{sup {alpha}}, C{sup {beta}}, and C{sup {gamma}} protons while increasing the concentration of TFE: large changes in chemical shift of a particular residue indicate that it is induced to go helical, whereas small chemical shift changes indicate little helix formation. Residues Thr-3 to Met-13 undergo chemical shift changes consistent with helix formation, whereas the other residues do not. Earlier work reported that residues Thr-3 to His-12 become helical in aqueous solution. The existence of a helix stop signal was inferred from this behavior. The authors conclude that this helix stop signal persists in TFE solutions.
What's Happened to the Watchful Eye?

This article reports results of a follow-up study to my book Keeping a Watchful Eye (1990), updating it with data from the 1990s. It examines whether congressional oversight has increased or decreased relative to earlier periods, how the variables that predicted oversight behavior in the period from 1961 to 1983 worked in later years, why changes have occurred, and what they mean. It also examines whether there was something distinctive about oversight in the 1990s when Republicans dominated both chambers. Results indicate that the amount of primary-purpose oversight continues to be quite high and that the model developed in the book to explain committee oversight behavior remains remarkably effective. What has changed is a large drop in legislative hearings and meetings (where oversight behavior often occurs), something that the data show actually predates the Republican 104th Congress. However, the Republican takeover did lead to a more oppositional oversight context–to more oversight hostile to the bas...
Dynamic cost verification for cloud applications

The pay-as-you-go economic model of cloud computing increases the visibility, traceability, and verifiability of software costs. Application developers must understand how their software uses resources when running in the cloud in order to stay within budgeted costs and/or produce expected profits. Scientific workflows often involve data intensive transactions which may be costly. Business and consumer application developers are likely to be particularly sensitive to costs in order to maximize profits. Verification of economic attributes of cloud applications has only been touched on lightly in the literature to date. Possibilities for cost verification of cloud applications include both static and dynamic analysis. We advocate for increased attention to economic attributes of cloud applications at every level of software development, and we discuss some measurement based approaches to cost verification of applications running in the cloud.
Forecasting—looking back and forward: Paper to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Econometrics Institute at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam

The first two influential books on economic forecasting are by Henri Theil [1961, second edition 1965. Economic Forecasts and Policy. North-Holland, Amsterdam] and by George Box and Gwilym Jenkins [1970. Time Series Analysis, Forecasting and Control. Holden Day, San Francisco]. Theil introduced advanced mathematical statistical techniques and considered a variety of types of data. Box and Jenkins introduced ARIMA models and how they are used to forecast. With these foundations, the field of economic forecasting has considered a wide range of techniques and models, wider and deeper information sets, longer horizons, and deeper questions including how to better evaluate all forecasts and how to disentangle a forecast, a policy, and the outcomes. Originally, forecasts were just for means (or expectations) then moved to variances, and now consider predictive distributions. Eventually, multivariate distributions will have to be considered, but evaluation will be difficult.
Pathways to gene therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Gene therapy offers novel possibilities for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Present research is directed toward harnessing gene transfer technology to deliver genes whose products possess antiarthritic properties; the current emphasis is on transferring genes encoding secreted proteins. Genes may be delivered locally to individual diseased joints or systemically to extra-articular sites where the secreted gene products may enter the circulation. Local delivery is more laborious and unlikely to address systemic components of rheumatoid arthritis but should avoid side effects. Either ex vivo or in vivo strategies may be used to deliver the genes to the target tissues. Ex vivo techniques are more cumbersome but safer, because all genetic manipulations occur outside the body and cells may be extensively screened prior to implantation. A variety of vectors, including retrovirus, adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and liposomes, as well as naked DNA, have been tested for their ability to deliver genes to joints. At the present stage of vector development, adenovirus seems best suited for in vivo gene delivery to synovium, but several authors have noted an inflammatory response, resulting in loss of gene expression. Ex vivo gene transfer using a retrovirus encoding human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist has succeeded in obtaining high intra-articular transgene expression with promising antiarthritic effects in animal models. Based on these data, the first human gene therapy trial for arthritis has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and will begin shortly.
Regional scale transport over complex terrain, a case study: tracing the Sacramento plume in the Sierra Nevada of California

Abstract Aircraft measurements of the Sacramento pollutant plume were obtained over the western Sierra Nevada on 7 days in the summers of 1995 and 1996. These measurements, as well as those documenting the meteorological setting and evolution of surface conditions, are summarized. High concentrations of residual ozone above the surface layer in the early morning hours appear to be necessary to produce afternoon concentrations in excess of 125 ppbv. The moderately polluted days were characterized by low residual pollutant concentrations aloft in the early morning and moderate to weak vertical stratification during the day. The cleanest days had good ventilation with deep layers of near neutral stratification and moderate to strong winds. Horizontal spatial variability of ozone concentrations within the mixed layer was often significant at scales ⩽5 km. The maximum ozone concentrations were frequently observed in the afternoon, 40–80 km downwind of the city, but these decreased to about one-half those values at distances 120 km downwind. The measured oxides of nitrogen were generally just above detection limits (∼1 ppbv), except in the surface layer in the early morning hours.
God's magnificent law: The bad influence of theistic metaphysics on Darwin's estimation of natural selection

It is natural for us — living after the Darwinian Revolution and the neo-Darwinian synthesis — to consider the adoption of evolution by natural selection as unconditionally rational, because it now seems the best theory or explanation of many phenomena. Nonetheless, if we take historical inquiry seriously, as allowing us to probe into the ground of our knowledge, the roots of even this “rational” Darwinism might be unearthed. Darwinian doctrine betrays a deceptive desire for unity and simplicity of principle, and belief that the mechanistic aspect of nature is of the highest significance. Such crucial but questionable presuppositions are more easily discerned historically, insofar as they chronologically preceded Darwin's particular theoretical conviction and were even set off as a metaphysics of divine law. We have seen how Darwin's teaching about nature emerged within that theistic metaphysics. It emerged in a prior metaphysical debate in his mind between the contemporary belief in special creations and the belief in a designed hierarchy of physical laws. One can hardly deny that Darwin favored the superior side in this contest; but the contest was a narrow one whose basic premises he never clearly criticized. On the one hand, of course, his conviction about a lawful genesis inspired him to take a broad view of things and to seek out important general phenomena. But, on the other hand, it ensured that his new empirical notions would be easily drawn into the preferred cosmology. Historically, this seems to have occurred in Darwin's adoption of Malthus' principle of population and his extension of it to the whole account of descent: Malthusianism was readily attached to an ultimate scheme of things. Consequently, the key concepts that Darwin developed out of his Malthusian views — “perfect adaptation” and “selection” — reflect his cosmological prepossession, his desire to express a total and teleological process of creation. Perhaps our most valuable, and most undervalued, token of Darwin's metaphysical orientation is his reliance on a human technique (selective breeding) to explain “Nature's” way. In sum, to understand Darwin's faith in his “grand view of life,” we should not ignore the metaphysics that preceded and structured it, the metaphysics that linked the principles of contemporary science to primordial creation. Nor should we fail to see that such a metaphysics leads natural philosophy into a shadowy realm, where system can come to look like science, and one insight like an absolute.
Internet searching and browsing in a multilingual world: an experiment on the Chinese business intelligence portal (CBizPort)

The rapid growth of the non-English-speaking Internet population has created a need for better searching and browsing capabilities in languages other than English. However, existing search engines may not serve the needs of many non-English-speaking Internet users. In this paper, we propose a generic and integrated approach to searching and browsing the Internet in a multilingual world. Based on this approach, we have developed the Chinese Business Intelligence Portal (CBiz-Port), a meta-search engine that searches for business information of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Additional functions provided by CBizPort include encoding conversion (between Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese), summarization, and categorization. Experimental results of our user evaluation study show that the searching and browsing performance of CBiz-Port was comparable to that of regional Chinese search engines, and CBizPort could significantly augment these search engines. Subjects' verbal comments indicate that CBizPort performed best in terms of analysis functions, cross-regional searching, and user-friendliness, whereas regional search engines were more efficient and more popular. Subjects especially liked CBizPort's summarizer and categorizer, which helped in understanding search results. These encouraging results suggest a promising future of our approach to Internet searching and browsing in a multilingual world.
The Social Embeddedness of Labor Markets and Cognitive Processes

Conventional economic theory explains labor market outcomes in terms of the interaction of autonomous individual actors who continually calculate the relative advantages of different possible actions they might take. But it has trouble explaining cooperation among individuals in these terms; and even individualistic behavior in this model is based upon a series of prior misunderstandings, or causal models, which the actors are simply assumed to possess. This paper utilizes cognitive theory to explore the nature of these prior understandings, how we got them and the way in which they are likely to be revised and updated through experience. This explanation suggests that economic behavior is much more dependent upon direct interaction among individuals than conventional theory implies and it makes trust and cooperation central to economic activity. But it raises serious questions about whether a dynamic economic system could ever be housed in the competitive institutional structure which conventional theory prescribes.
Epidemiology of Angle-closure Glaucoma

Even though primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) appears to be less prevalent than open-angle glaucoma, PACG may blind a higher proportion of individuals with the disease,1-3 and therefore may be responsible for as much blindness worldwide as open-angle glaucoma.4 PACG occurs in about 0.5 percent of whites and blacks over the age of 40, and about 1.5 percent of Chinese and Indian individuals in this age group.3,5-8 Foster and colleagues reported in one population-based study that half of all individuals diagnosed with PACG were blind in at least one eye.1 Even though PACG accounts for 35 percent of all glaucoma cases in China, 90 percent of those blind from glaucoma (5.2 million total) have PACG.9 Similar findings were reported for Asian Indians where 41 percent of those with PACG were blind in one or both eyes from this condition.3 Unpublished data from the Baltimore Eye Survey indicate that 0.4 percent of whites and 0.6 percent of blacks over the age of 40 have PACG (James Tielsch, personal communication, 2006) which is in keeping with rates found in a population-based study of PACG in Africa.7 The world is aging, particularly Asia. Between 2005 and 2025, the 50 and over population of China will increase from 282 million persons to 515 million and that of India will increase from 162 to 326 million. Such a dramatic increase in the numbers of persons with the highest rates of PACG will lead to a massive increase in the total number presenting for care. Better screening and prophylactic strategies will be needed to deal with the inexorable force of aging in this region.
Cross-Bridge versus Thin Filament Contributions to the Level and Rate of Force Development in Cardiac Muscle

In striated muscle thin filament activation is initiated by Ca2+ binding to troponin C and augmented by strong myosin binding to actin (cross-bridge formation). Several lines of evidence have led us to hypothesize that thin filament properties may limit the level and rate of force development in cardiac muscle at all levels of Ca2+ activation. As a test of this hypothesis we varied the cross-bridge contribution to thin filament activation by substituting 2 deoxy-ATP (dATP; a strong cross-bridge augmenter) for ATP as the contractile substrate and compared steady-state force and stiffness, and the rate of force redevelopment (ktr) in demembranated rat cardiac trabeculae as [Ca2+] was varied. We also tested whether thin filament dynamics limits force development kinetics during maximal Ca2+ activation by comparing the rate of force development (kCa) after a step increase in [Ca2+] with photorelease of Ca2+ from NP-EGTA to maximal ktr, where Ca2+ binding to thin filaments should be in (near) equilibrium during force redevelopment. dATP enhanced steady-state force and stiffness at all levels of Ca2+ activation. At similar submaximal levels of steady-state force there was no increase in ktr with dATP, but ktr was enhanced at higher Ca2+ concentrations, resulting in an extension (not elevation) of the ktr-force relationship. Interestingly, we found that maximal ktr was faster than kCa, and that dATP increased both by a similar amount. Our data suggest the dynamics of Ca2+-mediated thin filament activation limits the rate that force develops in rat cardiac muscle, even at saturating levels of Ca2+.
Multidimensional data format specification : a generalization of the ACR-NEMA standards

Multidimensional image data are becoming increasingly common in biomedical imaging. Three-dimensional visualization and analysis techniques based on three-dimensional image data have become an established discipline in biomedicine. Some imaging problems generate image data of even higher dimensions. It often become necessary, rather than just convenient, to consider the higher-dimensional data as a whole to adequately answer the underlying imaging questions. In spite of this established need for convenient exchange of image and image-derived information, no exchange protocols are available that adequately meet the needs of multidimensional imaging systems. This paper describes an exchange protocol that has been designed after careful consideration of the common requirements of methodologies for visualization and analysis of multidimensional data. It is based on and is a generalization of the widely accepted ACR-NEMA standards specified for two-dimensional images. It is implemented and actively being used in a data-, application-, and machine-independent software environment, being developed in the authors'' department, for the visualization and analysis of multidimensional images.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A multicenter randomized trial of DIAC for cyclical mastopathy

Abstract Cyclical mastopathy (CM) (ie, fibrocystic disease) is a commonly occurring condition with severe breast pain reportedly affecting up to 70% of women. DIAC is a new, non-hormonal treatment for CM that is administered as a capsule taken orally once each day. Earlier trials of DIAC have yielded promising results with resolution of the signs and symptoms of CM. We report the largest randomized clinical trial published to date on therapy for CM. Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of different doses of DIAC compared to placebo given for 6 months to women with CM. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, dose-response, parallel-group clinical trial design was used. All enrolled women had moderate or severe cyclical mastalgia for at least 12 of the prior 24 months associated with nodularity and/or fibrosis on clinical exam. After obtaining informed consent, women were examined to exclude breast cancer or suspicious breast masses, thyroid disease, or other cancers. No one had recent breast surgery nor change in the use of hormones or adjuvant medication for breast pain for at least 3 months. A randomly generated number sequence was used to create a block randomization scheme. Women were assigned to receive either one of 5 daily doses of DIAC or placebo. One of the doses of DIAC was expected to be too low to provide relief of mastalgia. Women kept diary data daily. Clinical examinations and quality-of-life questionnaires were completed during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle before and after 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of study therapy. Women were contacted by phone during the luteal phase in months 3 and 5 for additional data retrieval. Endpoints of the study included breast examination graded by quadrant for tenderness, size/amount of nodularity, and fibrosis. These data were converted to a standardized score for tenderness (TS) and nodularity (NS). Daily pain assessment from the diary was converted to a standardized pain score (PS). A total CM score represented the sum of these three measures. Changes in quality of life during and after DIAC therapy were also evaluated. The study had the power to detect at least a 30% improvement in the total CM score with beta = 0.80 and alpha = 0.05. Results: Twenty-six sites in 16 states within the United States randomized a total of 385 women with CM. The mean age of women enrolled was 42 years (range 21–73). Over two-thirds of the women had completed study drug intervention as of September 1997. All study drug therapy was to be completed by December 1997 with unblinding in January 1998. No serious or life-threatening side effects had been observed in the trial as of September 1997. Conclusions: DIAC is a promising new therapeutic for CM. The unblinded data from the completed trial assessing safety, efficacy, and quality of life will be presented.
Steroid levels and steroid metabolism in relation to early gonadal development in the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Teleostei: cyprinoidei).

Sex steroid levels and steroid metabolism were investigated in relation to early gonadal development in a mixed sex population of the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Androstenedione (AD), testosterone (T), 11-ketotestosterone (KT), and estradiol (E2) were quantified by radioimmunoassay (RIA) of whole body extracts. Androstenedione metabolism was assessed by incubations in vitro with 3H-AD and metabolites were identified by thin-layer chromatography coupled with radioisotope image analysis. Histology revealed the presence of gonadal structures at 15 days postfertilization (dpf) and ovaries at 36 dpf, with other individuals exhibiting undifferentiated gonads containing germinal cells, presumably eventual testes. Androgen levels were initially high in eggs then decreased severalfold prior to the emergence of gonads. A transient increase in the levels of T and KT occurred at 22 dpf. Levels of E2 were either low or undetectable except for a transient increase (43 dpf) after ovaries were present. Levels of T approached bimodality from 57 to 64 dpf. Steroid metabolism generally increased throughout development. Metabolites were generally similar, consisting of T predominantly as well as 5beta-reduced androgen derivatives and 11-oyxgenated derivatives. Estriol was tentatively identified. Conjugated steroids were not formed. Two types of steroid metabolic profiles occurred at 50 dpf. These results demonstrate that changes in the steroidogenic profile occur during early transitions of gonadal development. Notably, (1) steroid biosynthetic capacity preceeds gonadal differentiation, (2) evidence for estrogens occurs after ovarian development has begun, and (3) bimodality of levels of T and differential steroid metabolism later in development may reflect the onset of sexual divergence.
Changes in Endogenous Growth Kegulators in Loblolly Pine Seeds During the Process of Stratification and Germination

The seeds of loblolly pine (Pirns taeda L.) were cold-stratified for 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56 days. Endogenous growth regulators were extracted from these seeds, and also from the germinating and the 28-day warm stratified seeds. Partially purified extracts were separated on chromatographic paper. The chromatograms were cut into 10 equal segments, and these were tested for biological activity using three different btoassays. The results indicated that the unstratified seeds and those stratified up to a period of 28 days contained very little or no growth promoter (GA-like substances), and a relatively high concentration of an inhibitor (presumably abscisic acid), Following 42-day stratification, the promoter concentration gradually increased while the inhibitor level fell almost to zero. A high level of promoter but no inhibitor was detected in germinating seeds. No auxin-like activity was noted in the unstratified seeds. This activity slowly increased up to a period of 28 days and remained at this level for the subsequent stratification periods. However, the activity greatly increased in the germinating seeds. Very little changes in the levels of growth regulators were noted in warm-stratified seeds as compared to the unstrati-fied controls.
Circus Venomous: An interactive tool for toxinology education

Abstract Background Clinical education about envenomations and their treatment may convey clinical and zoological details inadequately or flatly. In recent years, the widespread availability of models and videos of venomous species have created unique opportunities for toxinology education. We share our experiences using a new toolkit for educating a diverse array of clinicians, students, and wilderness medicine enthusiasts. Methods We examined the cost, number of participants, and satisfaction data since the initiation of a portable workshop featuring high-fidelity exhibits of venomous species. Termed the “Circus Venomous,” this educational toolkit consists of several boxes of props, such as plastic models, photos, and preserved specimens of injurious species. The workshop consists of three phases: 1.) participants view all exhibits and answer clinical questions regarding venomous injuries; 2.) short video clips from television, internet, and cinema are viewed together, and myths about envenomation injuries are debunked; 3.) debriefing session and wrap-up. Results We have utilized the Circus Venomous to teach medical students, residents, practicing community clinicians, nurses, PAs, national and regional parkmedics, and wilderness enthusiasts. The major cost (about $800) was spent on the purchase of highly durable, lifelike models and well preserved real reptile and arachnid specimens. When formal feedback was solicited, the participants expressed high levels of satisfaction, scoring an average of 4.3, 4.4, and 4.3 out of 5 points in the respective areas of content, presentation, and practical value of the activity. Since we have used this exhibit with approximately 250 participants over 2 years, we estimate the materials cost per participant is approximately $3. Conclusions The Circus Venomous is a novel, interactive, flexible, and cost-effective teaching tool about envenomation emergencies. We hope that this concept will encourage other clinical educators toward further innovation. Future directions for our group include greater inclusion of marine species into the Circus Venomous, and formal longitudinal testing to measure knowledge retention based on this approach.
International competitor analysis

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The visible set of a compactum in Rn

Abstract Let K be a compactum in R n . There is an arbitrarily small ambient isotopy of K so that if K′ equals the image of K under the finishing homeomorphism then the points of K′ which can be seen from infinity lie in a compact 0 -dimensional subset of K′ .
X-ray spectral measurements and collisional-radiative modeling of hot, gold plasmas at the omega laser

Abstract M-Band and L-Band Gold spectra between 3 and 5 keV and 8 and 13 keV, respectively, have been recorded by a photometrically calibrated crystal spectrometer. The spectra were emitted from the plasma in the laser deposition region of a ‘hot hohlraum’. This is a reduced-scale hohlraum heated with ≈9 kJ of 351 nm light in a 1 ns square pulse at the OMEGA laser. The space- and time-integrated spectra included L-Band line emission from Co-like to Ne-like gold. The three L-Band line features were identified to be the 3s → 2p, 3d5/2 → 2p3/2 and 3d3/2 → 2p1/2 transitions at ≈9 keV, ≈10 keV and ≈13 keV, respectively. M-Band 5f → 3d, 4d → 3p, and 4p → 3s transition features from Fe-like to P-like gold were also recorded between 3 and 5 keV. Modeling from the radiation–hydrodynamics code LASNEX, the collisional-radiative codes FLYCHK and SCRAM, and the atomic structure code FAC were used to model the plasma and generate simulated spectra for comparison with the recorded spectra. Through these comparisons, we have determined the average electron temperature of the emitting plasma to be between 6.0 and 6.5 keV. The electron temperatures predicted by LASNEX appear to be too large by a factor of about 1.5.
The utility of the balance error scoring system for mild brain injury assessments in children and adolescents.

AbstractThe Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) is widely recognized as an acceptable assessment of postural control for adult patients following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion. However, the measurement properties of the BESS as a post-mTBI assessment test for younger patients are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the BESS as a post-mTBI assessment test for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years through 2 investigations: (1) a retrospective medical records review of the relationship among age, BESS scores, and other common post-mTBI assessment tests; and (2) a prospective study comparing BESS scores for a cohort of children with a recent mTBI and BESS scores for a cohort of matched healthy peers. Age was found to be significantly correlated with several of the BESS measures and the total BESS score (P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the injured and healthy cohorts for 3 of the BESS measures and the total BESS score...