cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Λ b → p ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ and Λ b → Λ c ℓ − ν ¯ ℓ form factors from lattice QCD with relativistic heavy quarks

Measurements of the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{b}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{b}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{c}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ decay rates can be used to determine the magnitudes of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements ${V}_{ub}$ and ${V}_{cb}$, provided that the relevant hadronic form factors are known. Here we present a precise calculation of these form factors using lattice QCD with $2+1$ flavors of dynamical domain-wall fermions. The $b$ and $c$ quarks are implemented with relativistic heavy-quark actions, allowing us to work directly at the physical heavy-quark masses. The lattice computation is performed for six different pion masses and two different lattice spacings, using gauge-field configurations generated by the RBC and UKQCD Collaborations. The $b\ensuremath{\rightarrow}u$ and $b\ensuremath{\rightarrow}c$ currents are renormalized with a mostly nonperturbative method. We extrapolate the form factor results to the physical pion mass and the continuum limit, parametrizing the ${q}^{2}$ dependence using $z$ expansions. The form factors are presented in such a way as to enable the correlated propagation of both statistical and systematic uncertainties into derived quantities such as differential decay rates and asymmetries. Using these form factors, we present predictions for the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{b}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{b}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{c}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ differential and integrated decay rates. Combined with experimental data, our results enable determinations of $|{V}_{ub}|$, $|{V}_{cb}|$, and $|{V}_{ub}/{V}_{cb}|$ with theory uncertainties of 4.4%, 2.2%, and 4.9%, respectively.
An Information Based Routing Model for Hazardous Material Route Selection Problem

In this paper, we address some key research questions concerning the alternative routing policy of hazardous materials in real time using stochastic dynamic networks based on real life situations. The scenario that we address in this paper involves the use of sophisticated communication tools to provide information on the current condition of the optimal path and incorporate them in our optimization model to generate alternative routes for hazmat vehicles. We address the issues of designing a framework and requirements for an adaptive routing system. To overcome system instability and information overloading, a feeback based routing policy within the framework has been developed. We show the implementation of the framework and disucss the potential benefits of our approach with the help of numerical experiments based on a real hazmat transportation network.
Packaging optoelectronic stacked processors and free-space optical interconnects

The 3D-OESP Consortium is a government-industry-university collaboration dedicated to the development of the technologies required to integrate stacked silicon chips with optoelectronic devices for high-performance computing and switching applications.
Thermal Stress Analyses of the Multilayered Fuel Particles of a Particle-Bed Reactor

In this paper particle-bed reactors have been proposed to provide high-temperature, low-mass power sources for space-based operation. A computer program was prepared to simulate the thermal and mechanical response of a multilayered fuel particle operating in such a reactor. Issues of concern include temperature gradient and interference thermal stresses, along with the plastic and creep deformations associated with the high temperature of operation. The results of the computer simulations indicate that the interference thermal stress is much larger than the temperature gradient stress and the external pressure stress, and that permanent strain formation cannot be avoided for particles operating at temperatures greater than {approximately}2300 K. The results also reveal some interesting aspects unique to multilayered fuel particle performance. Two such aspects include the interaction between interference thermal stress and high-temperature creep and the effect of power ramp time on the formation of time-dependent plastic strains.
A Review of “PREPARE/ENRICH: Customized Version Kit”

The PREPARE/ENRICH Resource Kit from Life Innovations, Inc. (2008) is a comprehensive relationship resource that every therapist should have for premarital and married couples. The Resource Kit con...
Low-temperature, solvent-free dehydration of cineoles with heterogeneous acid catalysts for the production of high-density biofuels

BACKGROUND Oxygenated terpenoids such as 1,4-cineole and 1,8-cineole can be major components of turpentine and essential oils. These terpenoids can also be produced from sugars via a biosynthetic approach. Catalytic deoxygenation of these substrates has the potential to efficiently generate commercially important chemicals and high density fuels for turbine or diesel propulsion. RESULTS The low-temperature deoxygenation reactions of 1,4-cineole and 1,8-cineole over the heterogeneous acid catalysts Amberlyst-15, Nafion SAC-13, and Montmorillonite K10 have been studied. 1,4-cineole was found to isomerize to terpinene-1-ol followed by dehydration to a mixture primarily composed of α- and γ-terpinene. In a similar manner, 1,8-cineole was found to isomerize to α-terpineol followed by dehydration to primarily terpinolene and α-terpinene. Amberlyst-15 was the most active catalyst on a mass basis and gave 100% conversion of 1,4-cineole in 24 h at 85°C. Longer reaction times or higher reaction temperatures led to significant conversion of the dehydrated monoterpenes to diterpenes. Similar trends were observed for Nafion SAC-13 and Montmorillonite K10. CONCLUSION This work provides important mechanistic information regarding the dehydration chemistry of cineoles and shows the potential of heterogeneous acid catalysts to effectively convert oxygenated terpenoids to high density hydrocarbon mixtures with potential uses as renewable diesel fuels. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Comment on `On the next-to-leading order gravitational spin(1) - spin(2) dynamics' by J. Steinhoff et al

In this comment we explain the discrepancy found between the results in arXiv:0712.1716v1 for the 3PN spin-spin potential and those previously derived in gr-qc/0604099. We point out that to compare one must include sub-leading lower order spin-orbit effects which contribute to the spin-spin potential once one transforms to the PN frame. When these effects are included the results in arXiv:0712.1716v1 do indeed reproduce those found in gr-qc/0604099.
Analysis of a circular array of vias

The reflection coefficient for an array of circular vias has been obtained using two different models. The results obtained from two different models agree very well. The minimum number of vias required to obtain a good short-circuit wall for this particular geometry is around 32 or 64, depending on the phase difference that is acceptable. Table 3 shows that N = 2 (5 basis functions) is enough to get an accurate reflection coefficient result for the circular via model.
Fast-Neutron Bombardment of GaSb

Fast-neutron irradiation decreases the carrier concentration of polycrystalline samples of $n$- and $p$-type GaSb, indicating the production of low-lying traps. Vacuum heat treatment evidently removes such traps but also introduces additional acceptors, indicating a different rate of annealing for bombardment produced interstitial and vacancy atoms. Irradiation and heat treatment of $n$-type GaSb therefore results in the production of material of lower carrier concentration and reirradiation results in the conversion to $p$-type material. Repeated irradiations followed by heat treatments, however, do not reduce the net effective concentration of electrons in $n$-type material below \ensuremath{\sim}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{17}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. The mobility of all samples is decreased by bombardment. Heat treatment subsequent to irradiation increases the mobility of $n$-type material but decreases the mobility of $p$-type samples still further below the decrease produced by bombardment. Low-temperature (-125\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C) irradiation and subsequent warm-up and cool-down curves indicate the presence of defects of low thermal stability. No evidence was obtained for regions of low resistivity resulting from superlattice disordering as a result of quenching as might be expected from the thermal spike picture. The type and position of fast-neutron-introduced lattice defects is discussed with relation to previous models for Ge and InSb.
Movie smoking and youth initiation: parsing smoking imagery and other adult content.

OBJECTIVES: To isolate the independent influence of exposure to smoking and other adult content in the movies on youth smoking uptake. METHODS: We used discrete time survival analysis to quantify the influence of exposure to smoking and other adult content in the movies on transitioning from (1) closed to open to smoking; (2) never to ever trying smoking; and (3) never to ever hitting, slapping, or shoving someone on two or more occasions in the past 30 days. The latter is a comparative outcome, hypothesized to have no correlation with exposure to smoking in the movies. RESULTS: Assessed separately, both exposure to smoking imagery and exposure to adult content were associated with increased likelihood of youth becoming open to smoking (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.15 and OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.17) and having tried smoking (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12 and OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.13). Both measures were also separately associated with aggressive behavior (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.14 and OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04-1.15). A very high correlation between the two measures (0.995, p Language: en
Accessible icon design in enterprise applications

We describe the challenges of designing accessible icons in enterprise software applications, such as designing status and severity indicators that retain meaning in a small 16x16 pixel icon without using color as the only visual means of conveying information.
A new look at the thermal properties of copper sulfate 5-hydrate

Abstract The dehydration of CuSO 4 · 5H 2 O was studied by sealed and open-tube DTA, QDTA, and by microreflectance and transmittance spectroscopy. By use of sealed-tube DTA, only two endothermic peaks were observed during the dehydration process; the first peak was due to the transition: while the second was probably the transition of the From QDTA, the heat of reaction of the first peak was found to be 12.9±0.6 kcal/mole; for the second peak a ΔH of 6.3±0.3 kcal/mole was found. The microreflectance and transmittance curves of single crystals of CuSO 4 · 5H 2 O also showed the formation of the 3-hydrate at elevated temperatures.
Linear responses to nonlinear signals: a neural network model of spatiotemporal visual processing

The initial transformation of light into neural signals is known to introduce nonlinearities in the spatiotemporal responses of retinal cells. In spite of these early nonlinearities, at least one class of retinal ganglion cells (the X cells first reported by Enroth Cugell & Robson) behaves as if all processing prior to the ganglion cell layer were linear. Similarly, frequency analyses show that cortical simple and complex cells are largely unaffected by well-known nonlinearities in the ganglion cell output. A push-pull model of retinal processing can reconcile these paradoxes by showing how ganglion cells can be selectively tuned to transient or sustained components of their input signals, independently of contrast or average retinal illuminance, and in spite of arbitrary nonlinear preprocessing. Theoretical considerations suggest that similar push-pull connectivity should also exist in the pathway joining ganglion cells to visual cortex. This model differs from other push-pull mechanisms in that each cell is described by nonlinear membrane equations, but response is linearized by the convergence of push-pull inputs.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Autocorrelated Returns and Optimal Intertemporal Portfolio Choice

In recent years it has been shown empirically that stock returns exhibit positive or negative autocorrelation, depending on observation frequency. In this context of autocorrelated returns the present paper is the first to derive an explicit analytical solution to the dynamic portfolio problem of an individual agent saving for retirement or other change of status, like the purchase of a house or starting college. Using a normal ARMA1,1 process, dynamic programming techniques combined with the use of Stein's Lemma are employed to examine "dollar-cost-averaging" and "age effects" in intertemporal portfolio choice with CARA preferences. We show that with a positive moving average parameter and positive riskfree rates, if first-order serial correlation is nonnegative, then the expected value of the optimal risky investment is increasing over time, while if first-order serial correlation is negative this path can be increasing or decreasing over time. Thus a necessary but not sufficient condition to obtain the conventional age effect of increasing conservatism over time is that first-order serial correlation be negative. Further, dollar-cost averaging in the general sense of gradual entry into the risky asset does not emerge as an optimal policy. Simulation results for U.S. data are used to illustrate optimal portfolio paths.
Assessing individual differences in categorical data

In cognitive modeling, data are often categorical observations taken over participants and items. Usually subsets of these observations are pooled and analyzed by a cognitive model assuming the category counts come from a multinomial distribution with the same model parameters underlying all observations. It is well known that if there are individual differences in participants and/or items, a model analysis of the pooled data may be quite misleading, and in such cases it may be appropriate to augment the cognitive model with parametric random effects assumptions. On the other hand, if random effects are incorporated into a cognitive model that is not needed, the resulting model may be more flexible than the multinomial model that assumes no heterogeneity, and this may lead to overfitting. This article presents Monte Carlo statistical tests for directly detecting individual participant and/or item heterogeneity that depend only on the data structure itself. These tests are based on the fact that heterogeneity in participants and/or items results in overdispersion of certain category count statistics. It is argued that the methods developed in the article should be applied to any set of participant 3 item categorical data prior to cognitive model-based analyses.
Technical Notes: U.S. Soybean Quality Related to Costs and Benefits of Soybean Cleaning

Soybean quality reports identify that foreign material (FM) levels of southern soybeans were 1 to 2 percentage points greater than FM levels of midwestern soybeans. The 1 to 2 percentage point protein advantage of southern soybeans offsets the FM differences for domestic processors. Random blending of midwestern soybeans with southern soybeans normally produces export soybeans having nearly 2% FM without net removal of cleanings and contributes $20 million or more to net soybean handling margins.
Design of metal-binding green fluorescent protein variants.

Abstract Diglycylcysteine motifs bind reduced oxo-compounds of technetium-99m, an important isotope in nuclear imaging. We suggested a system for detecting gene expression employing the effect of oxo[ 99m Tc]technetate (Tc(V)O 3+ ) transchelation and coordination with redox amino acid motifs. DNA fragments encoding diglycylcysteine (GGC) binding motifs were prepared by PCR and positioned downstream from the green fluorescent protein (GFP) cDNA insert. Using a Bluescript (+) vector with the fusion protein positioned under the control of a lac promoter, we obtained several E. coli clones expressing the following GFP fusion peptides: (1) GFP-P1 bearing a `hydrophilic' C-terminal peptide (LEGGGCEGGC) containing two residues of glutamic acid and C-terminal cysteine (2) GFP-P2 carrying a `hydrophobic' (LGGGGCGGGCGI) peptide (3) a control GFP fusion peptide with deleted C-terminal portion. Bacterial lysates obtained from the corresponding clones were tested for oxo[ 99m Tc]technetate transchelation from a glucoheptonate complex. We found, using a solid phase assay, that radioactivity associated with protein lysates obtained from clones expressing GFP-P2 fusions were 3–4 fold higher than lysates prepared from a clone expressing a truncated GFP fusion protein lacking the C-terminal GGC motifs. High expression of GFP fusions (5–21% of total protein) was demonstrated by electrophoresis and verified by immunoblotting. Specific association of the isotope with GFP-P2 fusion proteins was detected upon incubation of gels in the presence of [ 99m Tc]glucoheptonate, while no binding of oxo[ 99m Tc]technetate to GFP-P1 was revealed. We demonstrated, by using semi-quantitative autoradiography, that there is a 10-fold higher binding of oxotechnetate to GFP-P2 than to a control GFP fusion protein. The implications of the study for in vivo gene expression imaging are discussed.
Beyond Same-Sex Marriage

A few weeks after September 11, 2001, I went with my ex-lover to register as domestic partners with the city of New York. We had never registered our relationship with any state agency during the 1...
Improving performance of content-based image retrieval schemes in searching for similar breast mass regions: an assessment.

This study aims to assess three methods commonly used in content-based image retrieval (CBIR) schemes and investigate the approaches to improve scheme performance. A reference database involving 3000 regions of interest (ROIs) was established. Among them, 400 ROIs were randomly selected to form a testing dataset. Three methods, namely mutual information, Pearson's correlation and a multi-feature-based k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm, were applied to search for the 15 'the most similar' reference ROIs to each testing ROI. The clinical relevance and visual similarity of searching results were evaluated using the areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AZ) and average mean square difference (MSD) of the mass boundary spiculation level ratings between testing and selected ROIs, respectively. The results showed that the AZ values were 0.893 ± 0.009, 0.606 ± 0.021 and 0.699 ± 0.026 for the use of KNN, mutual information and Pearson's correlation, respectively. The AZ values increased to 0.724 ± 0.017 and 0.787 ± 0.016 for mutual information and Pearson's correlation when using ROIs with the size adaptively adjusted based on actual mass size. The corresponding MSD values were 2.107 ± 0.718, 2.301 ± 0.733 and 2.298 ± 0.743. The study demonstrates that due to the diversity of medical images, CBIR schemes using multiple image features and mass size-based ROIs can achieve significantly improved performance.
Kinetics of protamine-heparin complex formation in rat glomeruli during renal perfusion

Most forms of human glomerulonephritis are believed to result from glomerular deposition of immune complexes [1]. This process may involve either localization of circulating immune complexes [2, 3] or the in situ formation of immune complexes [4]. Evidence that intrinsic glomerular properties can influence immune complex deposition has been provided by studies showing the effect of aminonucleoside nephrosis in rats on subepithelial immune complex localization [5]. We have recently demonstrated that the distribution of protamine-heparin complexes (PH complexes) formed in situ during sequential renal perfusions is similarly altered by aminonucleoside nephrosis [6], with markedly decreased subepithelial PH complexes and increased mesangial complexes. These studies suggest that PH complexes may be useful in evaluating the glomerular factors influencing the localization and quantities of complexes within glomeruli. Therefore, it appeared desirable to better define the contribution of certain extrinsic factors to glomerular PH complex formation. In the present study, we have determined the influence of the number and length of cycles of sequential perfusion with protamine followed by heparin on the size of subepithelial PH complexes formed.
Induction of Endothelial Cell Activation by a Triple Helical α2β1 Integrin Ligand, Derived from Type I Collagen α1(I)496–507

Endothelial cell activation involves the elevated expression of cell adhesion molecules, chemoattractants, chemokines, and cytokines. These expression profiles may be regulated by integrin-mediated cell signaling pathways. In the current study, an alpha2beta1 integrin triple helical peptide ligand derived from type I collagen residues alpha1(I)496-507 was examined for induction of human aortic endothelial cell (HAEC) activation. In addition, a "miniextracellular matrix" composed of a mixture of the alpha1(I)496-507 ligand and a second, alpha-helical ligand incorporating the endothelial cell proliferating region of SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) was studied for induction of HAEC activation. Following HAEC adhesion to alpha1(I)496-507, mRNA expression of E-selectin-1, vascular and intercellular cell adhesion molecules-1, and monocytic chemoattractant protein-1 was stimulated, whereas that of endothelin-1 was inhibited. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis demonstrated that E-selectin-1 and monocytic chemoattractant protein-1 expression was also stimulated, whereas endothelin-1 protein expression diminished. Engagement of the alpha2beta1 integrin initiated a HAEC response similar to that of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced HAECs but was not sufficient to induce an inflammatory response. Addition of the SPARC119-122 region had only a slight effect on HAEC activation. Other cell-extracellular matrix interactions appear to be required to elicit an inflammatory response. The alpha2beta1 integrin specific triple helical peptide ligand described herein represents a more general in vitro model system by which gene expression and protein production profiles induced by binding to a single cellular receptor type can be quantified.
Explorations in Nielsen periodic point theory for the double torus

Abstract For f:X→X , with X a compact manifold, Nielsen periodic point theory involves the calculation of f -homotopy invariant lower bounds for | fix (f n )| and for the number of periodic points of minimal period n . In this paper we combine the covering space approach to Nielsen periodic point theory with an algebraic method of Fadell and Husseini to study the behavior of the Nielsen periodic classes of maps on T 2 #T 2 , the surface of genus two. Nil and solvmanifolds have basic properties for Nielsen periodic classes that make the calculation of these lower bounds possible. In this paper we accomplish two objectives. We show firstly that virtually all of these basic properties for the periodic classes fail in general on T 2 #T 2 as well as on a collection of manifolds of arbitrarily high dimension. Secondly, despite these difficulties, we develop and apply techniques involving linear algebra, combinatorial group theory, number theory, and geometric facts from the theory of surface homeomorphisms, to make some calculations of the Nielsen periodic numbers. In our final example the combinatorial structure of the essential Nielsen periodic classes is fully displayed in a manner which relies on some of the classic identities involving the Fibonacci and Lucas numbers.
Plotting genetic maps on a microcomputer

Maps of genetic linkage and restriction enzyme cleavage sites can be quickly prepared on an IBM PC microcomputer with the commercially available program Lotus 1-2-3. Data can be entered on the keyboard or imported from other programs. The maps can be displayed on the screen or with a printer or plotter. These procedures should be useful in the research laboratory, in preparing figures for publication and in teaching.
An electrotactile sound detector for the deaf

The electrotactile sound detector described here is designed to enable deaf persons to detect and localize sounds. Two microphones are worn bilaterally on the head, the sounds received are converted to electrical pulses, and the pulses are fed to two electrodes applied to the forehead. Differences in intensity of the pulses permit the wearer to localize the source of a sound. Additional information is furnished about the rhythmic patterning of sounds.
Sequencing of local therapy affects the pattern of treatment failure and survival in children with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors of the central nervous system.

Purpose To assess the pattern of treatment failure associated with current therapeutic paradigms for childhood atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT). Methods and Materials Pediatric patients with AT/RT of the central nervous system treated at our institution between 1987 and 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, and cumulative incidence of local failure were correlated with age, sex, tumor location, extent of disease, and extent of surgical resection. Radiotherapy (RT) sequencing, chemotherapy, dose, timing, and volume administered after resection were also evaluated. Results Thirty-one patients at a median age of 2.3 years at diagnosis (range, 0.45–16.87 years) were enrolled into protocols that included risk- and age-stratified RT. Craniospinal irradiation with focal tumor bed boost (median dose, 54 Gy) was administered to 18 patients. Gross total resection was achieved in 16. Ten patients presented with metastases at diagnosis. RT was delayed more than 3 months in 20 patients and between 1 and 3 months in 4; 7 patients received immediate postoperative irradiation preceding high-dose alkylator-based chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 48 months, the cumulative incidence of local treatment failure was 37.5% ± 9%; progression-free survival was 33.2% ± 10%; and OS was 53.5% ± 10%. Children receiving delayed RT (≥1 month postoperatively) were more likely to experience local failure (hazard ratio [HR] 1.23, p = 0.007); the development of distant metastases before RT increased the risk of progression (HR 3.49, p = 0.006); and any evidence of disease progressionbefore RT decreased OS (HR 20.78, p = 0.004). Disease progression occurred in 52% (11/21) of children with initially localized tumors who underwent gross total resection, and the progression rate increased proportionally with increasing delay from surgery to RT. Conclusions Delayed RT is associated with a higher rate of local and metastatic disease progression in children with AT/RT. Current treatment regimens for pediatric patients with AT/RT are distinctly age stratified; novel protocols investigating RT volumes and sequencing are needed.
Preparation and study of separated single crystals of extended‐chain polyethylene

Etching of extended-chain crystals of polyethylene is shown to permit separation of the polycrystalline aggregate into single crystals. The single crystals are analyzed by density, molecular weight (lamellar crystal thickness), melting temperature, birefringence, superheating, and linear melting rate determination. The linear melting rate depends linearly on superheating and can be described by simple rate theory.
Nonsurgical treatment of actively bleeding internal hemorrhoids with a novel endoscopic device (with video).

Background Internal hemorrhoids often present with bleeding, prolapse, and other symptoms. Currently used nonsurgical treatment modalities have limited effectiveness and usually require several treatment sessions. Objective To evaluate effectiveness and safety of a novel endoscopic device for nonsurgical treatment of internal hemorrhoids. Design Retrospective study. Setting Single center. Patients This study involved 23 patients with actively bleeding internal hemorrhoids. Intervention The HET Bipolar System is a modified anoscope, with a treatment window, light source, and tissue temperature monitor. The device is inserted into the rectum under direct observation. The tissue carrying superior hemorrhoidal branches and the apex of the internal hemorrhoid is positioned inside the treatment window, clamped with incorporated tissue forceps, and treated with bipolar energy to ligate hemorrhoidal feeding vessels. Main Outcome Measurements Rate of hemorrhoidal bleeding after the treatment. Results The mean age of the patients was 64.3 ± 9.9 years (range 44-79 years). Eleven patients (47.8%) had grade I hemorrhoids and 12 patients (52.2%) had grade II hemorrhoids. In 18 patients (78.3%), treatment with the HET System was performed with the patient under conscious sedation. Five patients (21.7%) were treated without sedation. All patients tolerated treatment without complaints. The average follow-up period was 11.2 ± 4.7 months. No bleeding or prolapse occurred after the procedure in any of the treated patients. Limitations Retrospective study. Conclusion The newly developed HET System is easy to use, safe, and highly effective in eliminating bleeding in grade I and II internal hemorrhoids and prolapse in grade II internal hemorrhoids.
The NIST 1999 Speaker Recognition Evaluation An Overview

Martin, Alvin, and Przybocki, Mark, The NIST 1999 Speaker Recognition Evaluation?An Overview, Digital Signal Processing10(2000), 1?18.This article summarizes the 1999 NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation. It discusses the overall research objectives, the three task definitions, the development and evaluation data sets, the specified performance measures and their manner of presentation, the overall quality of the results. More than a dozen sites from the United States, Europe, and Asia participated in this evaluation. There were three primary tasks for which automatic systems could be designed: one-speaker detection, two-speaker detection, and speaker tracking. All three tasks were performed in the context of mu-law encoded conversational telephone speech. The one-speaker detection task used single channel data, while the other two tasks used summed two-channel data. About 500 target speakers were specified, with 2 min of training speech data provided for each. Both multiple and single speaker test segments were selected from about 2000 conversations that were not used for training material. The duration of the multiple speaker test data was nominally 1 min, while the duration of the single speaker test segments varied from near zero up to 60 s. For each task, systems had to make independent decisions for selected combinations of a test segment and a hypothesized target speaker. The data sets for each task were designed to be large enough to provide statistically meaningful results on test subsets of interest. Results were analyzed with respect to various conditions including duration, pitch differences, and handset types.
Nuclear gadgets in mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription

In mammalian mitochondrial DNA, activation of the light-strand promoter mediates both priming of leading-strand replication and initiation of light-strand transcription. Accurate and efficient transcription requires at least two proteins: mitochondrial RNA polymerase and a separable transcription factor that can function across species boundaries. Subsequently, primer RNAs are cleaved by a site-specific ribonucleoprotein endoribonuclease that recognizes short, highly conserved sequence elements in the RNA substrate.
Towards a Sensitive Measure of Situation Awareness in Adaptively Automated Systems

The objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) as an indicator of automation state changes in adaptive automation (AA) of a complex, dynamic control task. An air traffic control (ATC)-related simulation was developed to present automation of four different information processing (IP) functions, including information acquisition, information analysis, decision making, and action implementation, as well as to simulate a completely manual control condition. Eight participants operated the ATC simulation under the five conditions. SAGAT data revealed only a general effect of automated versus manual control, but no significant effects of the modes of AA on SA. These results suggested that SAGAT was not a sensitive measure in the ATC-related task. Consequently, a modified SAGAT measure is proposed with relevance weighting of environmental stimuli to promote sensitivity and reliability of measurement of SA in the target domain. Language: en
Single-photon two-qubit SWAP gate for entanglement manipulation

A SWAP operation between different types of qubits of single photons is essential for manipulating hyperentangled photons for a variety of applications. We have implemented an efficient SWAP gate for the momentum and polarization degrees of freedom of a single photon. The SWAP gate was utilized in a single-photon two-qubit quantum logic circuit to deterministically transfer momentum entanglement between a pair of down-converted photons to polarization entanglement. The polarization entanglement thus obtained violates Bell's inequality by more than 150 standard deviations.
Artificial neural networks for job shop simulation

Abstract This paper explores the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a valid alternative to the traditional job-shop simulation approach. Feed forward, multi-layered neural network metamodels were trained through the back-error-propagation (BEP) learning algorithm to provide a versatile job-shop scheduling analysis framework. The constructed neural network architectures were capable of satisfactorily estimating the manufacturing lead times (MLT) for orders simultaneously processed in a four-machine job shop. The MLTs produced by the developed ANN models turned out to be as valid as the data generated from three well-known simulation packages, i.e. Arena, SIMAN, and ProModel. The ANN outputs proved not to be substantially different from the results provided by other valid models such as SIMAN and ProModel when compared against the adopted baseline, Arena. The ANN-based simulations were able to fairly capture the underlying relationship between jobs' machine sequences and their resulting average flowtimes, which proves that ANNs are a viable tool for stochastic simulation metamodeling.
Conscious sedation: What you should know before and after

Abstract Conscious sedation is a means to allow a child to tolerate an otherwise painful procedure with minimum risk and maximum tolerance. Various definitions of conscious sedation, more appropriately termed sedation with or without analgesia , exist iii the literature (the term conscious sedation will be used for ease of reference I. In the simplest terms the patient is sedated to the point where response to, and awareness of, pain are reduced. However, the patient can maintain his own airway and he easily aroused to consciousness. The term deep sedation is applied when the patient may not be able to independently maintain airway control and cannot be easily aroused to consciousness but can respond with purposeful movement when stimulated. This article reviews the various published guidelines dealing with conscious sedation for procedures performed without au anesthesiologist and outside of the operating room, including indications, patient preparation, staffing and documentation guidelines and billing and coding issue. Guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Society of Anesthesiologist's s provide an important basis for the discussion.
The Rôole of Vitamin A in the Nutrition of Calves

Vitamin A has been found to be an indispensable factor in the diet of a number of species of animals. The most characteristic symptoms of a deficiency resulting from its absence, determined especially in case of small laboratory animals, are failure to grow, xerophthalmia, respiratory trouble, intestinal disturbances, death and, with mature animals, failure of normal reproduction and rearing of young. The question seems pertinent as to how far the results obtained with laboratory animals are applicable to domestic, ruminating animals, concerning which no systematic study has been found in the literature. I t will be the purpose of this paper to set forth the results of an i~vestigation to determine if ruminants, as represented by calves, require a supply of vitamin A for normal growth and well-being. Although the problem was attacked largely from the scientific aspect, the economic consideration was kept in mind. With approximately 4,500,000 calves of the dairy breeds alone raised yearly any investigation dealing with their normal nutrition may be of tremendous practical significance.
CHAPTER 15: The Categories That Bind

ABSTRACT Drawing on data from a five-year longitudinal study of thirteen teacher education graduates, this chapter discusses the importance of abandoning the concept of a renaissance in preservice teacher education alone, and, instead, to creating more inclusive and cross-institutional structures for career-long professional education. It argues that a rebirth or reconfiguring of one element of professional education may be blocked or inhibited by other elements that are not changed and that a systemic view is important to any vision of educational reform.
Studies on fraction-I protein III. Comparison of the primary structure of the large and small subunits obtained from five species of nicotiana

Abstract Comparison of Fraction-I proteins isolated and highly purified from five species of Nicotiana (N. tabacum, N. glutinosa, N. sylvestris, N. glauca and N. rustica) revealed no differences in immunological properties, or ratio of large (72%) to small (28%) subunits. The total amino acid compositions of the large subunits were very similar, a maximum of three differences (N. tabacum vs. N. glauca) being found. Differences ranging from two (N. tabacum vs. N. sylvestris) to ten (N. tabacum vs. N. glauca) were found in the total amino acid composition of the small subunits. The large subunits appear to be composed of about 200 amino acids from which 24–25 tryptic peptides were obtained which were identical in RF, molecular weight, and tyrosine content for the five species. The small subunits appear to consist of about 100 amino acids from which 14–16 tryptic peptides were resolved and were different in tyrosine content (N. tabacumvs. N. glutinosa, N. sylvestris and N. glauca) and molecular weight (N. tabacum vs. N. glauca). Speculations on the degree of mutability of the amino acid sequences during evolution of Fraction-I protein subunits based on analogy to the known changes in sequence between spinach and alfalfa ferredoxins are presented.
Fiddler crab (Uca spp.) burrows have little effect on surrounding sediment oxygen concentrations

Abstract In the literature, it is commonly stated that Uca spp. (fiddler crab) burrows aerate marsh sediment. However, to date few studies have attempted to determine the pore water oxygen (O 2 ) concentrations associated with Uca spp. burrows; instead most studies have looked at redox potential, a measure of oxidation and not of O 2 . In an in situ study conducted in salt marshes on the Atlantic coast of Virginia, USA, O 2 concentrations surrounding individual burrows were measured to assess the potential of burrows to aerate bulk sediment. Using an O 2 microelectrode, concentration profiles were measured at depth intervals of 500 μm to a depth of 10 mm. The O 2 profiles were measured at distances of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm from the burrow wall. Measurements were made surrounding natural and artificial burrows as well as where burrows were absent as a control. Contrary to convictions in the literature, this study determined that, within poorly drained muddy sediments, oxygen penetration depth only had a significant increase out to a distance of 2 mm from the burrow wall, and the increase in oxygen depth penetration was only 0.5 mm compared to areas not affected by the presence of the burrow. In typical muddy sediments of salt marshes along the mid-Atlantic coast, USA, the presence of Uca pugnax burrows increased the oxic zone little, but may have had an effect on the extent of the suboxic zone. Therefore, generalizations should not be made concerning the ability of burrows to aerate surrounding bulk sediments. In addition, the capacity of sediments to drain is an important factor in determining the potential for increased sediment aeration due to the presence of Uca spp. burrows.
Discovery of potent competitive inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase with in vivo pharmacodynamic activity and efficacy in a mouse melanoma model.

A hydroxyamidine chemotype has been discovered as a key pharmacophore in novel inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Optimization led to the identification of 5l, which is a potent (HeLa IC50 = 19 nM) competitive inhibitor of IDO. Testing of 5l in mice demonstrated pharmacodynamic inhibition of IDO, as measured by decreased kynurenine levels (>50%) in plasma and dose dependent efficacy in mice bearing GM-CSF-secreting B16 melanoma tumors.
Enhanced in vivo and in vitro high intensity focused ultrasound ablation via phase-shift nanodroplets compared to microbubbles

Both pefluorocarbon microbubbles and nanodroplets have been investigated as enhancers of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablation, however microbubbles often lead to surface or skin lesions. We have designed and investigated a dual-perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanodroplet which has the benefits of sufficiently small size to extravasate from tumors, enhanced stability at body temperature, and sufficiently low acoustic threshold for vaporization. In vitro, microbubbles enhanced thermal depostion at the target site by 21%, but were found to cause surface heating up to 60.2±2.2°C. Nanodroplets caused no more surface heating (10.1±1.1°C) than the temperature rise observed in agent-free controls (9.8±0.8°C), and enhanced heating at the target by 51%. Circulation time of the nanodroplets was investigated in vivo. HIFU (1 MHz, 4.06 MPa, CW, 15 seconds) was applied to rat livers (n=3) up to 95 minutes after nanodroplet injection, and any thermal enhancement was detected simultaneously by MR thermometry. Temperature rises of up to 55 degrees above body temperature were observed out to 95 minutes. HIFU applied to control livers without nanodroplets induced only a 22°C maximal temperature rise. These results suggest that the nanodroplets are sufficiently stable to enhance HIFU ablation in vivo for at least 1.5 hours and could reduce focused ultrasound surgical procedure times by as much as 5 fold by more quickly ablating a larger region of tissue, without compromising safety.
Long-Term Physical Training and Cardiovascular Dynamics in Middle-Aged Men

The effects of a 7-month physical training program on the physiological responses to exercise and work capabilities of seven middle-aged, sedentary men have been evaluated. Testing involved bicycle ergometry and interval treadmill walking, as well as pre- and postconditioning hemodynamic investigations during five levels of treadmill walking up to a 25% grade. Significant alterations of several parameters were observed in the trained state. Resting and exercise bradycardia were marked, the lowest heart rate registered being 49/min. Maximal physical working capacities and maximal oxygen uptakes were uniformly increased with group means of + 22 and + 18%, respectively. Work load capacities at heart rates 130, 150, and 170 were also augmented. Resting and exercise cardiac output for a given oxygen uptake declined and produced relative hypokinesis. Stroke volume was greater at moderate and heaviest work loads. Cardiac minute work was reduced despite stroke volume increments. Pulse wave and arterial pressure a...
Superinjective simplicial maps of complexes of curves and injective homomorphisms of subgroups of mapping class groups

Abstract Let S be a closed, connected, orientable surface of genus at least 3, C (S) be the complex of curves on S and Mod S ∗ be the extended mapping class group of S. We prove that a simplicial map, λ : C (S)→ C (S) , preserves nondisjointness (i.e. if α and β are two vertices in C (S) and i(α,β)≠0, then i(λ(α),λ(β))≠0) iff it is induced by a homeomorphism of S. As a corollary, we prove that if K is a finite index subgroup of Mod S ∗ and f : K→Mod S ∗ is an injective homomorphism, then f is induced by a homeomorphism of S and f has a unique extension to an automorphism of Mod S ∗ .
Muscarinic receptor subtypes in human and rabbit bladder

Subtypes of muscarinic receptors have been proposed by several investigators, based on differences in the potency of muscarinic agonists in various tissues. Development of selective muscarinic agonists and antagonists for the urinary bladder would be extremely useful since side effects of the presently used drugs often limit their clinical usefulness. Direct investigation of muscarinic receptor subtypes by radioligand binding techniques has recently become possible. The muscarinic antagonist pirenzepine distinguishes between a high affinity and low affinity binding site in several tissues. Results of the present investigation indicate that only the low affinity pirenzepine binding site is present in both human and rabbit bladder. Muscarinic receptor linked biochemical responses (increased phosphatidyl inositol turnover and inhibition of adenyl cyclase) were also consistent with the presence of only the low affinity pirenzepine binding receptor subtype in both human and rabbit bladder.
Focal adhesion kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases are involved in chondrocyte activation by the 29-kDa amino-terminal fibronectin fragment.

The 29-kDa amino-terminal fibronectin fragment (FN-f) has a potent chondrolytic effect and is thought to be involved in cartilage degradation in arthritis. However, little is known about signal transduction pathways that are activated by FN-f. Here we demonstrated that FN-f induced nitric oxide (NO) production from human articular chondrocytes. Expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA and NO production were observed at 6 and 48 h after FN-f treatment, respectively. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA up-regulation was stimulated by FN-f in human chondrocytes. To address the possibility that FN-f-induced NO release is mediated by IL-1β production, the effect of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) was determined. IL-1ra partially inhibited FN-f-induced NO release although it almost completely inhibited IL-1β-induced NO release. Tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase was induced transiently by FN-f treatment. Blocking antibodies to α5 or β1 integrin and Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptides did not inhibit FN-f-induced NO production. PP2, a Src family kinase inhibitor, or cytochalasin D, which selectively disrupts the network of actin filaments, inhibited both FAK phosphorylation and NO production induced by FN-f, but the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin had no effect. Analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) showed activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK. High concentrations of SB203580, which inhibit both JNK and p38 MAPK, and PD98059 a selective inhibitor of MEK1/2 that blocks ERK activation, inhibited FN-f induced NO production. These data suggest that focal adhesion kinase and MAPK mediate FN-f induced activation of human articular chondrocytes.