cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetics of Taste Perception

There is considerable genetic variation in taste perception within and among species. Some taste perception phenotypes have simple monogenic inheritance, whereas others have complex genetic architecture. Recent advances with genomic resources have made genetics a powerful approach to identify taste-related genes. Chromosomal mapping and positional cloning studies facilitated discovery of taste receptors. The genetic mapping and candidate gene association studies show that taste perception phenotypes are influenced by allelic variation of genes involved in both peripheral and central taste processing. Sequence variation of taste receptor genes explains some species differences in taste perception and sheds light on evolution of ingestive behaviour. Genetic variation in taste perception impacts human nutrition and health and may be useful as a biomarker of predisposition to some diseases. Identification of genes responsible for within- and between-species variation in taste can provide tools to better control food choice and intake in humans and other animals. Key Concepts: Genes contribute to individual variation in perception of each of the five primary taste qualities: bitter, sweet, umami, salty and sour. Genetic variation in taste perception involves polymorphisms of taste receptors, genes involved in peripheral taste transduction and central taste processing. Genetic variation in taste perception impacts human nutrition and health and could be used as a biomarker of predisposition to some diseases. Keywords: taste; gustatory; bitter; sweet; umami; salty; sour; behaviour; perception; genetics
Matrices and Vectors

This chapter is written to give a brief survey of those aspects of vectors and matrices which we wish to use elsewhere in the book. Except for Section B, which gives an example of a noncommutative ring, the chapter is intended as reference and not as an introduction to linear algebra. The rest of the book has been written so that those few places where linear algebra is used may be omitted without loss of continuity. However, linear algebra plays a central role in mathematics. So when you get to a place where some linear algebra is used, it is better that you not skip it but, rather, try to understand it, with the aid, if needed, of this chapter or some introductory text in linear algebra.
Plasmalogen Biosynthesis in Ehrlich Ascites Cells Grown in Tissue Culture

1-14C-1-3H-Hexadecanol was incubated with Ehrlich ascites cells grown in tissue culture for 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. The distribution of radioactivity, specific radioactivities, and 3H:14C ratios of the acyl, alkyl, and alk-1-enyl moieties derived from glyceryl ether diesters, phosphatidylcholines, and phosphatidylethanolamines were determined and compared. All of the labeled alcohol disappeared within 12 hours and 65 to 85% of the administered radioactivity was incorporated into the lipids of the cell. The radioactivity was selectively incorporated into the glyceryl ethers of glyceryl ether diesters, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. The percentage of radioactivity in the alkyl glyceryl ethers of the phosphatidylethanolamine decreased with increased incubation time, and the alk-1-enyl glyceryl ethers showed a corresponding increase in the percentage of radioactivity. Total and specific radioactivities strongly suggest a product-precursor relationship between the alkyl and alk-1-enyl glyceryl ethers, as our earlier data suggested. The alk-1-enyl acyl phosphoglyceride (plasmalogen) appears to arise by dehydrogenation of the intact alkyl acyl phosphoglycerides. The data also indicate that the origin of acyl and alkyl moieties of phosphatidylcholine is different from the origin of these moieties used in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine. An unidentified radioactive lipid fraction, containing possible intermediates of alkyl glyceryl ether biosynthesis, was isolated from the media and partially characterized.
Hematopoietic cyclooxygenase-2 deficiency increases adipose tissue inflammation and adiposity in obesity.

Objective Adipose tissue (AT) macrophages mediate AT inflammation in obesity, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a major inflammatory gene. It was hypothesized that deletion of hematopoietic COX-2 will inhibit AT inflammation in obesity. Methods Lethally irradiated wild-type (WT) mice were injected with bone marrow (BM) cells collected from WT or COX-2 knock-out (COX-2−/−) donor mice and fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Results The mice that received BM cells from COX-2−/− mice (BM-COX-2−/−) gained increased body weight, fat mass, and visceral AT (VAT) mass. These mice exhibited reduced inflammatory markers in the VAT stromal vascular cells (SVC). However, the inflammatory markers were increased in adipocyte fraction and/or whole VAT. The activation of ERK1/2 MAPK, a pro-inflammatory signaling pathway, was increased in BM-COX-2−/− mice. The molecular markers of adipogenesis were increased in the VAT or adipocyte fraction. Wnt signaling markers which inhibit adipogenesis, including Wnt3A and DVL3, were reduced, and Wnt5a/b which promotes inflammation was increased in the VAT and/or adipocytes. Finally, an increase in hepatic triglyceride levels in BM-COX-2−/− mice was noted. Conclusions The data suggest that COX-2 deletion in hematopoietic cells reduces SVC inflammation but increases VAT inflammation and promotes adiposity likely via altered Wnt signaling.
Simulation of coil winding manufacturing systems

Simulation is a rapidly growing technology that is taking the risk out of design and management decisions for production systems of all types. This paper outlines the use of simulation and how it can benefit electrical and coil winding manufacturing. First, principles of process and facility design are presented. Then, simulation is described with an explanation of how it applies to the design and management of production systems.
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence on the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of tetrakis(pyrophosphito)diplatinate(II), Pt2(P2O5H2)44−

Abstract The electroreduction of Pt 2 (P 2 O 5 H 2 ) 4 3− (or A 4− ) in MeCN (0.1 M Bu 4 NBF 4 ) at a Pt electrode occurs at potentials where background reduction occurs and results in green light emission characteristic of A 4−3 . A reaction mechanism involving electron transfer between A 5− and a reduction product of Bu 4 N + is proposed. The emission that occurs at a mercury cathode shows a new band at ≈ 607 nm.
Electronic structure of crystalline polytypes and amorphous Si

Abstract We have calculated the density of states and the imaginary part of the energy dependent dielectric constant for four polytypes of Si using pseudopotential and tight binding models. Comparisons are made with the experimental results for amorphous Si.
Optimal use of futures contracts for the competitive firm

Standard futures hedging policies are based on the so-called optimal hedge ratio which implicitly ignores the competitive environment in which the firm operates. The purpose of this study is to derive an optimal hedging policy for a firm facing random production costs and a downward sloping demand curve for its product. In this context, the study shows that the optimal number of futures contracts is positively related to the elasticity of the firm's demand function.
A two-phase escape analysis for parallel java programs

Thread escape analysis conservatively determines which objects may be accessed in more than one thread. Thread escape analysis is useful for a variety of purposes — finding races in multi-threaded programs, removing useless synchronization, allocating data to thread-local heaps, and compiling to target more strict consistency models. Thread escape analyses are often interprocedural, and interprocedural analyses are generally either too slow to perform at runtime in dynamic systems, or trade-off significant amounts of precision for speed. This paper describes a two-phase offline/online interprocedural and inter-thread escape analysis that is faster and more accurate, on average, than previously published analyses. By performing an offline pre-analysis followed by a dynamic online analysis that integrates offline results with dynamic information, significant improvements in performance and accuracy are achieved. For compiling Java programs under a sequentially consistent memory model, our approach enables application executions that are, on average, 1.5 times faster than those using the previous fastest online algorithm, with only 80% of the online compilation time.
Examination of methods for evaluating remining a mine waste site. Part II. Indicator kriging for selective remediation

Indicator kriging (IK) techniques provide a methodology for risk-based economic evaluation of alternative toxicity thresholds for selective remediation of soil contaminated by mine wastes. For any given hazardous waste site, the cost of remediation is primarily a function of the volume of material to be handled and the level of contamination. Selective mining or selective in situ leaching of mine wastes which have concentrations of marketable metals is presented herein as a prime example of this application of IK. The relationship between the level of cleanup, risk of error and the cost of cleanup is presented using mine wastes from a portion of the Bunker Hill Superfund site near Kellogg, Idaho, as an example. As the cleanup threshold increases, the metal grade increases while the volume of material to be handled decreases; within the IK model for each threshold, the volume of waste to be handled is a function of the degree of certainty desired. Based on the metal recovered, on the cost of handling and processing the tailings and on the production rate, an optimal selective remediation strategy exists which defines both the optimal production rate and the selectivity of remediation by mining the waste.
Axial Temperature Distribution for a Nuclear Reactor With Sinusoidal Space and Exponential Time-Varying Power Generation

Analytic temperature distributions are obtained for the fuel and coolant regions of a heterogeneous, convection-cooled reactor with axial power variation ewt sin (πz/H). The fundamental assumption in the governing differential equations is that the temperature distribution in the fuel region does not vary in the direction transverse to the coolant flow. The solutions involve two and three-parameter integrals encountered and numerically evaluated previously which are integrated herein and arranged in a form suitable for desk calculations. Finally, closed-form expressions are developed for the final steady-state axial distributions which are applicable at times long in comparison with the characteristic temperature-response times.
Single-actuator shunt-series RF-MEMS switch

This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a novel high isolation RF MEMS ohmic contact switch. The bending mechanics of a single cantilever beam is used to realize the typical series/shunt switch design to improve high isolation. In the OFF state the switch exhibits an isolation of 20 dB at 10 GHz and 14.7 dB at 20 GHz. When shunt contact is closed the isolation improves to 33 dB at 10 GHz and 22.3 dB at 20 GHz. In the ON state the insertion loss is 0.03 dB at 10 GHz and 0.10 dB at 20 GHz. In addition to the excellent loss/isolation performance, the switch holds great promise for improving power handling capability under hot-switching conditions.
Daily smoking patterns, their determinants, and implications for quitting

In this article, the authors examine daily temporal patterns of smoking in relation to environmental restrictions on smoking and cessation outcomes. Time-series methods were used for analyzing cycles in 351 smokers who monitored their smoking in real time for 2 weeks. The waking day was divided into 8 "bins" of approximately 2 hr, cigarette counts were tallied for each bin, and temporal patterns of smoking and restriction were analyzed. Cluster analyses of smoking patterns by time of day resulted in 4 clusters: daily decline (n = 30; 9%), morning high (n = 43; 12%), flatline (n = 247; 70%), and daily dip-evening incline (n = 31; 9%). Clusters differed in baseline demographic, smoking, and psychosocial variables. Results suggest that smoking behavior can be characterized by regular patterns of smoking frequency during the waking day: Smoking in the flatline cluster was within +/-0.5 standard deviation at all times. For the other clusters, smoking was high in the morning (daily dip-evening incline: +1.7 standard deviations; morning high: +2.8 standard deviations; daily decline: +1.7 standard deviations); moderate (morning high: -0.8 standard deviations; daily decline: +0.3 standard deviations) or low (daily dip-evening incline: -1.0 standard deviations) midday; and high (daily dip-evening incline: +2.0 standard deviations), moderate (morning high: +0.5 standard deviations), or low (daily decline: -1.5 standard deviations) in the evening. Daily smoking patterns were related to environmental smoking restrictions, but the strength of this relationship differed among clusters and by time of day. Clusters differed in lapse risk.
Endogenous Calcium Buffering Capacity of Substantia Nigral Dopamine Neurons

Dopamine (DA)-containing cells from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) play a major role in the initiation of movement. Loss of these cells results in Parkinson's disease (PD). Changes in int...
The erethizontid fossil from the Uquía formation of Argentina should not be referred to the genus Erethizon

Abstract In 2007 , Reguero et al. described a 2.5 Ma erethizontid dentary from the Uquia Formation in Argentina (MACN5376) and referred it to the genus Erethizon , a genus found at present only in North America. They based their generic identification on the presence in the fossil of a markedly inflected angular process. I argue in this commentary that this single trait (the angular process) in a single incomplete fossil is insufficient evidence for the Erethizon attribution, for the following reasons: 1. The trait (the inflected angular process) is variable in modern South and North American porcupines and observer bias and/or allometry may be responsible for observed differences; 2. Among fossil South American porcupines, the inflected angular process is not unique to the Uquian fossil; 3. The fossil possesses other traits (including one trait newly described in this paper) associated with modern South American ( Coendou ) porcupines and not modern Erethizon ; and 4. The traits by which we recognize modern Erethizon , primarily related to the genus’s ability to survive severe winters, are most readily explained by evolution driven by the South American porcupine immigrants’ exposure in North America to that severe weather. The Uquian fossil is not Erethizon and should be attributed for the present to the genus Coendou .
Bootstrapping an inhomogeneous point process

In this paper, we focus on resampling non-stationary weakly dependent point processes in two dimensions to make inference on the inhomogeneous K function (Baddeley et al., 2000). We provide theoretical results that show a consistency result of the bootstrap estimates of the variance as the observation region and resampling blocks increase in size. We present results of a simulation study that examines the performance of nominal 95% confidence intervals for the inhomogeneous K function obtained via our bootstrap procedure. The procedure is also applied to a rainforest dataset.
Molecular recognition of B-DNA by Hoechst 33258.

The binding sites of Hoechst 33258, netropsin and distamycin on three DNA restriction fragments from plasmid pBR322 were compared by footprinting with methidiumpropyl EDTA·Fe(II) [MPE·Fe(II)]. Hoechst, netropsin and distamycin share common binding sites that are five ± one bp in size and rich in A·T DNA base pairs. The five base pair protection patterns for Hoechst may result from a central three base pair recognition site bound by two bisbenzimidazole NHs forming a bridge on the floor of the minor groove between adjacent adenine N3 and thymine O2 atoms on opposite helix strands. Hydrophobic interaction of the flanking phenol and N-methylpiperazine rings would afford a steric blockade of one additional base pair on each side.
Dissemination Protocols for Event-Based Service-Oriented Architectures

The event-driven, or notification-based, paradigm has attracted much research interest in areas such as distributed systems, databases, workflow, and grid computing. However, little attention was devoted to event-driven service-oriented architectures (SOAs). In this paper, we propose a novel framework for event-based interactions in SOAs. Our contribution in this paper is threefold. First, we introduce various notification patterns for event-driven SOAs. We define two taxonomies for dissemination protocols in SOAs: the interaction taxonomy identifies the different models through which Web services interact with each other; and the filtering taxonomy classifies the events and services involved during dissemination. Second, we propose a dissemination pattern called implicit notification. In contrast to publish-subscribe, implicit notification does not require consumers to explicitly subscribe with producers. We define a model for implicit notifications and introduce a family of protocols for enabling this pattern. Finally, we describe a prototype implementation for a disaster management case study and conduct experiments to assess the performance of the proposed protocols.
Plasmid content and homology of 16 strains of filamentous, nonheterocystous cyanobacteria

We have developed several strain-specific, rapid, small-scale plasmid isolation procedures in order to characterize the plasmid profiles of 16 filamentous, nonheterocstous cyanobacteria. At least one distinct plasmid was found in eight strains, with seven of these containing two or more different plasmids. Eight strains were found to be without plasmid DNA. Both the large, 12.9 kb, and the small, 1.6 kb, plasmids fromPlectonema boryanum 581 were isolated, purified, and cloned. Southern blots of plasmid DNAs from the eight strains were probed with these cloned DNAs and also with ultra-pure plasmid DNA fromPhormidium liridum 426. Four strains ofP. boryanum (485, 581, 594, 1542) andP. luridum 426 have identical plasmid profiles, and plasmid homology is extensive.
Up-regulation of androgen receptor immunoreactivity in the rat brain by androgenic-anabolic steroids

To characterize central nervous system changes that occur with anabolic steroid abuse in humans, immunocytochemical localization of androgen receptors in the brains of 10 intact and 10 castrated male rats was conducted after the administration of high levels of androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS; 14 daily injections of sesame oil or a cocktail of 2 mg/kg testosterone cypionate, 2 mg/kg nandrolone decanoate, and 1 mg/kg boldenone undecylenate). In normal intact oil-treated males, nuclear androgen receptor immunoreactivity was present in many 'classical' and 'non-classical' androgen target sites in the brain. Administration of AAS increased the intensity of immunoreactivity in most classical androgen target sites and increased both the intensity of immunoreactivity and number of immunoreactive cells in most non-classical androgen target sites. These results may suggest that androgen receptors in the brain are up-regulated by AAS. The simultaneous androgen receptor up-regulation in these regions by AAS may account for the complex anabolic steroid abuse syndrome. Consistently, androgen receptor immunoreactivity in most brain regions was reduced or absent after castration, suggesting that endogenous androgen levels are necessary for normal androgen receptor immunoreactivity. These results identify the distribution of one central nervous system mechanism modified by AAS.
Toward a Broader View of Social Stereotyping.

Stereotyping effects are typically considered to be assimilative in nature: A member of a group stereotyped as having some attribute is judged to have more of that attribute than a member of some comparison group. This article highlights the fact that stereotyping effects can also occur in the direction of contrast--or even null effects-- depending on the nature and form of the outcome being assessed (from the researcher's perspective, the dependent variable of interest). Relying on theory and research from the shifting standards model (M. Biernat, M. Manis, & T. F. Nelson, 1991), this review highlights the different ways in which and the factors that determine how stereotypes influence judgment and behavior toward individual group members.
SU-GG-I-58: A Web-Based Radiopharmaceutical Dosimetry Calculator

Purpose: The growing interest in patient doses has led to more frequent requests for estimates of the dose imparted to patients by nuclear medicine procedures. A Web‐based computer application has been developed to facilitate timely response to such requests and to enable easy access to dosage‐specific dose estimates within our institution. Method and Materials: This system consists of two programs written in the Java programming language. The first is a Java application that is a graphical editor to produce dosimetry data files formatted in the Extensible Markup Language (XML). The dosimetry data files for a wide variety of radiopharmaceuticals have been derived from ICRP 53, ICRP 80, and CR‐6345 data tables, Russell's and Stabin's fetal dosimetry estimates, package inserts and OLINDA outputs. The second program is a Java applet that takes as input the administered activity and presents a table of doses to the organs specified in the dosimetry data file. The user may then produce a report with a variety of optional information, such as patient‐ or study‐specific details, and save it as an HTML‐formatted document for printing or as a comma‐separated‐value (CSV) formatted file for importing into a spreadsheet program. The Java applet may be served within a stand‐alone Web page or embedded in a Web page such as one from an electronic procedure manual. Results and Conclusion: This application enables the user to access the dose calculator from any Java‐enabled Web browser in our institution and quickly and easily to produce radionuclide internal dosimetry estimates that are specific to a patient's administered activity.
Students' motivational goals and beliefs about effort and ability as they relate to college academic success

The problem of predicting who will succeed in college is currently of critical importance during an era of spiraling costs and declining enrollments and resources. Previous research has focused on academic factors such as high school grades and/or college entrance exam scores. There is a dearth of studies, however, examining psychological processes as predictors of students' participation and satisfaction, which are both indices of college success. One hundred twenty-five college freshmen at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University participated in a study designed to examine psychological processes underlying college academic success. The results indicated that students' rules of reasoning about effort and ability, their motivational goals, and their confidence in their intelligence and strongly related to students' types of participation in the college experience and their level of satisfaction. These relationships and their implications are examined carefully and suggestions for adminstrators and academicians in higher education are offered.
SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMAN FLOURISHING: THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT AND TODAY

The Scottish Enlightenment is commonly identified as the birthplace of modern social science. But while Scottish and contemporary social science share a commitment to empiricism, contemporary insistence on the separation of empirical analysis from normative judgment invokes a distinction unintelligible to the Scots. In this respect the methods of modern social science seem an attenuation of those of Scottish social science. A similar attenuation can be found in the modern aspiration to judge the outcome of institutions or processes only with regard to efficiency. While the tenet that efficiency is preferable to inefficiency is central to Scottish social thought, the Scots regarded maximization of quantifiable returns as only one among three ends that well-functioning institutions and processes promote. Scottish social science speaks also of virtue and liberty where ours speaks only of utility. This essay develops these differences in three sections. Its first section compares Scottish and contemporary und...
Altered refractory periods in patients with short P-R intervals and normal QRS complex.

Abstract To evaluate the refractory periods of the atrioventricular (A-V) conducting system in patients with a short P-R interval and normal QRS complex, 57 patients with a P-R interval of 110 to 280 msec were studied with His bundle recording and premature atrial stimulation at similar cycle lengths of 660 to 720 msec. In 13 patients with a short P-R interval (120 msec or less) the mean value for the functional refractory period of the A-V node was 368 ± 36 msec (standard deviation), which was significantly lower ( P P The results identify a characteristic conduction abnormality that is compatible with a partial A-V nodal bypass or dual A-V nodal conduction pathways. The relation between the duration of the P-R interval and the refractory period may aid understanding of the clinical significance of the scalar electrocardiogram.
Overview of rehabilitative efforts in understanding and managing sexually coercive behaviors.

In reviewing approaches to rehabilitative efforts in understanding and managing sexually coercive behaviors within the past two decades, one is struck by the development of two totally divergent paths. In 1971, there were a few civil commitment programs operated by mental health departments-most notably were the Sexual Psychopath Program at Western State Hospital in Fort Steilacoom, Washington, and the Massachusetts Treatment Center for Sexually Dangerous Persons. There were a few programs in prisons started by therapists who were interested in this population but given little recognition and even fewer resources. Additionally there were a handful of community-based programs including the J.J. Peters Institute in Philadelphia and PASO (Positive Approaches to Sex Offenders) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Today there are thousands of specialized sexual offender treatment programs treating sexual abusers of every age, gender, ethnicity, and with a wide range of comorbid conditions. They are treated in the community, prisons, mental hospitals, residential facilities, and private practices. There is an international organization, a specialized research journal, and a specialized branch of the Department of Justice, the Center for Sex Offender Management. This chapter will provide an overview of the developments in the field, primarily covering the last 25 years. It will look at the evolution of theoretical approaches, the development of specialized approaches for subpopulations, significant landmarks, and possible future trends.
The social status-socioempathy relationship among mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped children: Analysis of the person × environment fit

The notion of person × environment fil was explored as a framework for understanding the relationship between the social status and socioempathy abilities of 234 nonhandicapped and 85 mildly handicapped children in special- and regulareducation settings. The results revealed that the amount of discrepancy between actual and estimated social status varied according to child characteristics and the classroom placement settings in which those measurements were taken. Additionally, the person × environment fit model was found to be appropriate for describing the relationship between social status and socioempathy. That is, accurate estimators of social status were significantly more popular than underestimators or overestimators. In turn, underestimators were more popular than overestimators. The same relationships were found for estimates of rejection. The above relationships were examined for integrated and segregated classroom settings.
Confined compression tests: Outlining the failure envelope of columnar sea ice

Abstract A series of confined compression tests has been performed on columnar sea ice over a range of nominal strain rates of 10 −5 to 10 −3 s −1 at a temperature of −2°C. Both the applied load and side confining load were measured. These are used to outline the full 3-dimensional failure envelope of the ice. The results are discussed in terms of loading rate effects, temperature, brine volume and air porosity. A strength index is introduced which correlates the present results in terms of these parameters. This leads to an empirical relationship which gives the functional dependence of the uni-axial compressive strength in terms of strain rate, loading direction, salinity, temperature and ice density. A mathematical description of the failure envelope is presented using a modified n -type yield function.
Effect of increasing vascular hydraulic conductivity on delivery of macromolecular drugs to tumor cells

Purpose : To examine the assumption that increasing the hydraulic conductivity L p of microvessels (by such strategies as radiation, hyperthermia, or inducing inflammation) improves the transport of macromolecular drugs to tumors. Methods and Materials : A theoretical model is used to investigate the effect of varying L p on macromolecular transport in spherical tumor nodules. The model is generalized to nonspherical tumors. The equations governing fluid flow in the tumors are solved numerically to obtain the pressure in the interior, and macromolecule fluxes are deduced using Starling's equation. Results : Because of the interaction of two opposing effects, the filtration rate at the tumor center is maximized at an optimum value of L p , which depends strongly on tumor size. Only for tumor nodules smaller than about 0.2 cm across is this value lower than the actual estimated value. By considering spheroidal tumor nodules, it is found that dependence on shape is much weaker than dependence on size, except for extremely elongated or flattened shapes. Conclusions : While total fluid filtration for the entire tumor region always increases with increasing L p , the local filtration rate at points inside the tumor decreases if the tumor is larger than about 0.2 cm, leading to a less uniform distribution of the drug, and therapeutic disadvantage. Increased vessel leakiness is an unlikely explanation for reported experimental findings that hyperthermia and inflammation result in more uniform distributions of monoclonal antibodies throughout tumors much larger than 0.2 cm.
Drug insight: the use of bisphosphonates for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in men.

Men with hypogonadism and those undergoing androgen deprivation treatments for prostate cancer are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. Bisphophonates are important in the treatment of, and protection against, osteoporosis. This article discusses the use of different bisphosphonates in this patient population, including their mechanisms of action, efficacy and safety.
Relationship Between Educational Resources and School Achievement: A Mixed Method Intra-District Analysis

This study examines the relationship between educational resources (fiscal, personnel and facilities) and school achievement within a large urban/suburban elementary school district. A sequential mixed methods approach reveals inequitable resource allocation trends and patterns between schools within a school district by producing different student outcomes. The educational resources positively correlated to higher school achievement are: higher teacher salaries, newer schools, more multi-purpose space per pupil and less portable classrooms. Without question, White students receive more of these resources than Latino students, low-income students and English Language learners. This study also conducts a multiple comparative case study analysis comparing between Title I and non-Title I schools, within Title I schools and within non-Title I schools. The study contains policy and practice implications to improve opportunity and school achievement in urban/suburban school districts.
Boson topological insulators: A window into highly entangled quantum phases

We study several aspects of the realization of global symmetries in highly entangled phases of quantum matter. Examples include gapped topological ordered phases, gapless quantum spin liquids, and non-Fermi liquid phases. An insightful window into such phases is provided by recent developments in the theory of short-ranged entangled symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. First, they generate useful no-go constraints on how global symmetry may be implemented in a highly entangled phase. Possible symmetry implementation in gapped topological phases and some proposed gapless spin/Bose liquids are examined in this light. We show that some previously proposed spin liquid states for 2D quantum magnets do not in fact have consistent symmetry implementation unless they occur as the surface of a 3D SPT phase. A second SPT-based insight into highly entangled states is the development of a view point of such states as SPT phases of one of the emergent excitations. We describe this in the specific context of time-reversal symmetric 3D U(1) quantum spin liquids with an emergent photon. Different such spin liquids are shown to be equivalent to different SPT insulating phases of the emergent monopole excitation of such phases. The highly entangled states also in turn enrich our understanding of SPT phases. We use the insights obtained from our results to provide an explicit construction of bosonic SPT phases in 3D in a system of coupled layers. This includes construction of a time-reversal symmetric SPT state that is not currently part of the cohomology classification of such states.
Some results on singular detection

A mathematical model that leads to singular detection (i.e., detection with arbitrarily low probability of error) is usually a poor model of the physical problem. However, in general, it has been difficult to establish the possibility of singular detection without a detailed evaluation of the probability of error. Such an evaluation is difficult because it requires the solution of various integral equations, the computation of eigenvalues, etc. In this paper some simple methods are given for predicting the possibility of singular detection of known signals in additive gaussian noise. Such methods are useful in the formulation of suitable mathematical models.
Monolithically integrated dual-quadrature coherent receiver on InP with 30 nm tunable SG-DBR local oscillator

We demonstrate a monolithically integrated dual-quadrature coherent receiver with 30nm widely-tunable SG-DBR local oscillator, signal input SOAs, a 90° optical hybrid and four 10GHz photodetectors. We demonstrate recovered constellations from 10Gbaud NRZ-BPSK and NRZ-QPSK signals at four different wavelengths.
Late posterior interosseous nerve palsy associated with loosening of radial head implant

Radial head arthroplasty with metallic prosthesis is a safe and effective treatment for comminuted fractures of the radial head, especially in the setting of concomitant elbow instability. Injury to the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) is a known risk associated with surgical treatment of radial head fractures. Transient PIN neurapraxia has been reported in radial head arthroplasty, occurring postoperatively and improving over time. We report a patient who had full PIN function after radial head arthroplasty, but a late PIN palsy subsequently developed associated with implant loosening and formation of a subperiosteal cyst. To our knowledge, this complication has not previously been reported. This patient was notified of the use of these data and its submission for publication.
In situ real-time Pt LIII-edge X-ray absorption spectra of carbon monoxide adsorbed on platinum particles dispersed in high-area carbon in aqueous electrolytes

Changes in the Pt L{sub III}-edge region of small Pt particles (4 to 5 nm diam) dispersed in a high-area carbon (XC72-R) induced by the adsorption of CO, were monitored in situ in aqueous 0.1 M HClO{sub 4} by measuring the fluorescence intensity at fixed x-ray energies during a voltammetric cycle. This real-time technique made it possible to detect a small increase in the normalized fluorescence (< 0.1) at the Pt L{sub III} main absorption edge (11,564 eV), following electro-oxidation of CO adsorbed at saturation coverages on the high-area Pt, derived from a shift in the edge toward lower energies. These in situ findings are in agreement with ex situ spectroscopic measurements of Pt surface core levels for CO adsorbed on Pt single crystals in ultrahigh-vacuum environments. Also described in this work are applications of this new in situ technique to the study of hydrogen adsorption-desorption and oxide formation and reduction on such high-area Pt/XC72-R electrodes in the same electrolyte. In situ Pt L{sub III}-edge studies of high-area Pt/high-area carbon electrodes in a fuel cell environment could, in principle, provide very valuable fundamental information of direct relevance to technological applications.
Contribution of Residues in Second Transmembrane Domain of ASIC1a Protein to Ion Selectivity

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation-selective channels expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems. The ion permeation pathway of ASIC1a is defined by residues 426-450 in the second transmembrane (TM2) segment. The gate, formed by the intersection of the TM2 segments, localizes near the extracellular boundary of the plasma membrane. We explored the contribution to ion permeation and selectivity of residues in the TM2 segment of ASIC1a. Studies of accessibility with positively charged methanethiosulfonate reagents suggest that the permeation pathway in the open state constricts below the gate, restricting the passage to large ions. Substitution of residues in the intracellular vestibule at positions 437, 438, 443, or 446 significantly increased the permeability to K(+) versus Na(+). ASIC1a shows a selectivity sequence for alkali metals of Na(+)>Li(+)>K(+)≫Rb(+)>Cs(+). Alanine and cysteine substitutions at position 438 increased, to different extents, the relative permeability to Li(+), K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+). For these mutants, ion permeation was not a function of the diameter of the nonhydrated ion, suggesting that Gly-438 encompasses an ion coordination site that is essential for ion selectivity. M437C and A443C mutants showed slightly increased permeability to K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+), suggesting that substitutions at these positions influence ion discrimination by altering molecular sieving. Our results indicate that ion selectivity is accomplished by the contribution of multiple sites in the pore of ASIC1a.
Development of efficient GPU parallelization of WRF Yonsei University planetary boundary layer scheme

Abstract. The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the lowest part of the atmosphere and where its character is directly affected by its contact with the underlying planetary surface. The PBL is responsible for vertical sub-grid-scale fluxes due to eddy transport in the whole atmospheric column. It determines the flux profiles within the well-mixed boundary layer and the more stable layer above. It thus provides an evolutionary model of atmospheric temperature, moisture (including clouds), and horizontal momentum in the entire atmospheric column. For such purposes, several PBL models have been proposed and employed in the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model of which the Yonsei University (YSU) scheme is one. To expedite weather research and prediction, we have put tremendous effort into developing an accelerated implementation of the entire WRF model using graphics processing unit (GPU) massive parallel computing architecture whilst maintaining its accuracy as compared to its central processing unit (CPU)-based implementation. This paper presents our efficient GPU-based design on a WRF YSU PBL scheme. Using one NVIDIA Tesla K40 GPU, the GPU-based YSU PBL scheme achieves a speedup of 193× with respect to its CPU counterpart running on one CPU core, whereas the speedup for one CPU socket (4 cores) with respect to 1 CPU core is only 3.5×. We can even boost the speedup to 360× with respect to 1 CPU core as two K40 GPUs are applied.
Intermittent torsion of the spermatic cord portends an increased risk of acute testicular infarction.

Purpose: Intermittent torsion of the spermatic cord is an episode of acute torsion of the spermatic cord that resolves spontaneously. We compared the outcomes in boys with intermittent spermatic cord torsion treated electively with testicular fixation with those in boys with a history of recurrent scrotal pain who required emergent operation for acute spermatic cord torsion without spontaneous resolution.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review revealed 17 boys who required emergency operation for acute spermatic cord torsion and 30 who underwent elective surgery for intermittent spermatic cord torsion. The clinical presentation, number of recurrent painful episodes, lead time to operation, prior alternate diagnoses, intraoperative findings and clinical outcomes were recorded.Results: There was a mean of 2 recurrent painful episodes in the elective group and 3 in the emergency group (p <0.005). In the elective group all boys were cured of pain after bilateral testicular fixation with 100% testicular ...
On the visual quality enhancement of super-resolution images

Super-resolution (SR) is the process of obtaining a higher resolution image from a set of lower resolution (LR) blurred and noisy images. One may, then, envision a scenario where a set of LR images is acquired with a sensor on a moving platform. In such a case, an SR image can be reconstructed in an area of sufficient overlap between the LR images which generally have a relative shift with respect to each other by subpixel amounts. The visual quality of the SR image is affected by many factors such as the optics blur, the inherent signalto- noise ratio of the system, quantization artifacts, the number of scenels (scene elements) i.e., the number of overlapped images used for SR reconstruction within the SR grid and their relative arrangement. In most cases of microscanning, the subpixel shifts between the LR images are pre-determined: hence the number of the scenels within the SR grid and their relative positions with respect to each other are known and, as a result, can be used in obtaining the reconstructed SR image with high quality. However, the LR images may have relative shifts that are unknown. This random pattern of subpixel shifts can lead to unpleasant visual quality, especially at the edges of the reconstructed SR image. Also, depending on the available number of the LR images and their relative positions, it may be possible to produce SR only along a single dimension diagonal, horizontal or vertical and use interpolation in the orthogonal dimension because there isn't sufficient information to produce a full 2D image. We investigate the impact of the number of overlapped regions and their relative arrangement on the quality of the SR images, and propose a technique that optimally allocates the available LR scenels to the SR grid in order to minimize the expected unpleasant visual artifacts.
Brillouin spectroscopy of Nd–Ge co-doped silica fibers

Abstract The effect of Nd-doping on both the longitudinal acoustic velocity and material damping coefficient (Brillouin spectral width) of silica fiber are measured. We find that Nd-doping results in anomalously large changes in the acoustic properties of SiO2, such as that material damping is greatly exacerbated by the incorporation of Nd. We find that the spectral width increases by about 151% per wt% of Nd2O3 (for small [Nd]). This is very large compared to the effect of Ge-doping, as observed in this work. This may result from poor coordination in the SiO2/GeO2 matrix, and may be considerably different with the use of co-dopants such as Al that tend to improve the solubility of the rare earths. The acoustic velocity is found to decrease at a rate of about 6.1% per wt% of Nd2O3.
Collagen injection therapy in elderly women: long-term results and patient satisfaction.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate long-term results and patient satisfaction using collagen injection therapy in elderly women. Methods. Periurethral injection of collagen using local anesthesia was performed on 58 women 65 years old or older (range 65 to 86, mean 73.2) to treat stress urinary incontinence. All patients underwent urodynamic evaluation. Forty-nine patients (84.5%) had intrinsic sphincteric deficiency; 9 patients (15.5%) had genuine stress urinary incontinence. Twenty-one patients (36.2%) had no urethral hypermobility using Q-tip testing, and 37 (63.8%) had urethral hypermobility. Results. At 2 months after injection, the initial response was assessed: 28 patients (48.3%) were totally dry and 18 (31.0%) were socially continent. Therapy was unsuccessful in 12 (20.7%). To achieve continence, 1 to 4 injections (mean 1.9) were required. The average total volume to achieve success was 14.6 mL. No significant differences were observed in outcome, volume injected, or number of injections in patients with versus without urethral hypermobility. At a mean follow-up of 24.4 months (range 8 to 43), of the 46 patients who achieved continence, 19 (41.3%) developed recurrent leakage and required reinjection. The average interval to recurrence was 7.9 months (range 2 to 16). Of the 19 patients reinjected, only 8 (42.1%) regained continence. The long-term success rate after repeated injections was 35 (60.3%) of 58. An independent examiner contacted 40 patients for telephone interview. To date, 25 of the patients contacted noted a moderate or maximal level of symptom improvement, and 18 reported continued improvement in quality of life. Thirty-six patients noted minimal difficulty with the procedure, and 34 would recommend the treatment. Conclusions. Collagen is a safe, moderately effective alternative to manage stress urinary incontinence in elderly women. Elderly patients should be counseled that approximately 40% will experience recurrent leakage, which may not resolve with reinjection.
Characterization of anti-tissue factor antibody and its use in immunoaffinity purification of human tissue factor.

Abstract Human brain tissue factor apoprotein was recently purified to homogeneity in this laboratory by affinity chromatography utilizing factor VII bound to immobilized anti-factor VII (Anal Biochem 165 , 365–370, 1987). A potent polyclonal anti-tissue factor antibody has now been raised to the purified apoprotein. Immunostaining of purified tissue factor with this polyclonal IgG yielded a single major band with an apparent molecular weight of 47,000, which corresponds to the mobility on SDS-PAGE of tissue factor apoprotein. Immunostaining of a crude Triton extract of brain tissue yielded two additional bands, with apparent molecular weights of 54,000 and 40,000 Da. An anti-tissue factor IgG was coupled to Affi-Gel-15 to prepare an immunoadsorbant column. The two additional proteins in the crude Triton extract recognized by Western blotting did not bind to the column. This permitted its use to develop a simple, efficient technique for purification of human tissue factor apoprotein.