cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical Diagnostics Based on Encrypted Medical Data

We utilize a type of encryption scheme known as a Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) scheme which allows for computation over encrypted data. Our encryption scheme is more efficient than other publicly available FHE schemes, making it more feasible. We conduct simulations based on common scenarios in which this ability is useful. In the first simulation we conduct time series analysis via Recursive Least Squares on both encrypted and unencrypted data and compare the results. In simulation one, it is shown that the error from computing over plaintext data is the same as the error for computing over encrypted data. In the second simulation, we compute two known diagnostic functions over publicly available data in order to calculate computational benchmarks. In simulation two, we see that computation over encrypted data using our method incurs relatively lower costs as compared to a majority of other publicly available methods. By successfully computing over encrypted data we have shown that our FHE scheme permits the use of machine learning algorithms that utilize polynomial kernel functions.
The Scientific Study of Dream Content

The purpose of this book is to search for meaning in dreams through the quantitative study of dream content. It will do so in three senses of that elusive term. First, it will demonstrate an internal coherence or regularity in the dreams of specific groups, such as men, children, or members of hunting and gathering societies. Second, it will show there is consistency in what individuals dream about from year to year and even over decades. Third, it will reveal correspondences between dream content and waking life; more specifically, it will show a direct continuity between dream concerns and waking concerns.
Tobacco SABP2-interacting protein SIP428 is a SIR2 type deacetylase

Salicylic acid is widely studied for its role in biotic stress signaling in plants. Several SA-binding proteins, including SABP2 (salicylic acid-binding protein 2) has been identified and characterized for their role in plant disease resistance. SABP2 is a 29 kDA tobacco protein that binds to salicylic acid with high affinity. It is a methylesterase enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of methyl salicylate into salicylic acid required for inducing a robust systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants. Methyl salicylic acid is one of the several mobile SAR signals identified in plants. SABP2-interacting protein 428 (SIP428) was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen using tobacco SABP2 as a bait. In silico analysis shows that SIP428 possesses the SIR2 (silent information regulatory 2)-like conserved motifs. SIR2 enzymes are orthologs of sirtuin proteins that catalyze the NAD+-dependent deacetylation of Ne lysine-acetylated proteins. The recombinant SIP428 expressed in E. coli exhibits SIR2-like deacetylase activity. SIP428 shows homology to Arabidopsis AtSRT2 (67% identity), which is implicated in SA-mediated basal defenses. Immunoblot analysis using anti-acetylated lysine antibodies showed that the recombinant SIP428 is lysine acetylated. The expression of SIP428 transcripts was moderately downregulated upon infection by TMV. In the presence of SIP428, the esterase activity of SABP2 increased modestly. The interaction of SIP428 with SABP2, it's regulation upon pathogen infection, and similarity with AtSRT2 suggests that SIP428 is likely to play a role in stress signaling in plants.
Sizzle and Fizzle of Bath Bombs: An Inexpensive and Accessible Kinetics Experiment.

Cosmetic chemistry is a prevalent part of everyday life, but there are very few undergraduate laboratories that explore this topic. Here, we present a laboratory exercise in which students use fizzing bath tablets (better known as “bath bombs”) to learn about introductory kinetics. Students created their own bath bombs by combining citric acid, baking soda, and Epsom salts and reacted them at a range of temperatures. Students observed a trend consistent with the Arrhenius equation and collision theory: the reaction time decreased as the temperature of the water increased. This experiment is ideal for first year undergraduate chemistry courses and was met with excitement and enthusiasm from the students who tested it. The experiment uses readily available and inexpensive ingredients, making it very accessible and an attractive demonstration for outreach events.
Clarifying the volume of estimated need for public health and prevention services within an emergency department population.

Objectives Emergency departments (EDs) are called to implement public health and prevention initiatives, such as infectious disease screening. The perception that ED resources are insufficient is a primary barrier. Resource needs are generally conceptualized in terms of total number of ED encounters, without formal calculation of the number of encounters for which a service is required. We illustrate potential differences in the estimated volume of service need relative to ED census using the examples of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) screening. Methods This cross-sectional analysis adjusted the proportion of ED encounters in which patients are eligible for HIV and HCV screening according to a cascade of successively more restrictive patient selection criteria, presuming full implementation of each criterion. Parameter estimates for the proportion satisfying each selection criterion were derived from the electronic health records of an urban academic facility and its ED HIV and HCV screening program during 2 time periods. The primary outcome was the estimated reduction in proportion of ED visits eligible for screening after application of the entire cascade. Results There were 76,104 ED encounters during the study period. Applying all selection criteria reduced the number of required screens by 97.1% (95% confidence interval, 97.0-97.2) for HIV and 86.1% (95% confidence interval, 85.9-86.3) for HCV. Conclusions Using the example of HIV and HCV screening, the application of eligibility metrics reduces the volume of service need to a smaller, more feasible number than estimates from ED census alone. This approach might be useful for clarifying perceived service need and guiding operational planning.
COVID-19: The Additional Sentence for the Incarcerated

Incarcerated people are one of the most vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. There are varying perspectives regarding how to address the health care barriers seen in this population. Some individuals and organizations advocate for a mandatory release of the incarcerated who are not deemed a risk to the general population, whereas others advocate for improving health care in jails and prisons. This article highlights the importance of addressing access to care issues, overcrowding, societal implications, and access to hygienics for the incarcerated during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and solutions forward.
Molecular dynamics simulations of ultrafast radiation induced melting at metal–semiconductor interfaces

Metal–semiconductor contacts in silicon carbide (SiC) diodes endure damages at the interface when exposed to harsh radiation environments. Due to the rapid rise in temperature and ultrafast cooling that follows the radiation impact, the structural properties of the materials can be altered through melting, recrystallization, and amorphization. A detailed understanding of the material failure modes at the interface is lacking, specifically at the nanoscale. We use molecular simulations to investigate the ultrafast melting at tungsten (W)–SiC interfaces following radiation damage and apply deep learning techniques to track the transient evolution of the local molecular structures. We show that W near the radiation track undergoes melting and, eventually, most of it recrystallizes with a noticeable degree of undercooling, while SiC is rendered permanently amorphous. The observation of local undercooling in W films is important as it can affect the device performance even before the bulk melting temperature of the material is reached. We also show that at high temperatures, the interface undergoes a fracture-like failure. The results presented here are significant in understating the different failure modes of SiC diode materials.
Training on a Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill with Body Weight Support does not Improve Aerobic Capacity.

This study examined the physiological changes resulting from training on a lower body positive pressure treadmill (LBPPT) at three different levels of body weight support (BWS). Thirty-three healthy college aged students (22.3 ± 3.1 years) completed the study. Participants performed a graded exercise test (GXT) to exhaustion and were placed into one of three experimental groups corresponding to 100%, 75%, and 50% of their normal BW. Participants trained at their experimental BW levels for eight-weeks. Training speed was monitored by heart rate (HR) and speed was adjusted to elicit approximately 60% of participant's peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) at normal BW prior to including body weight support (BWS). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the change in aerobic capacity. The 100% BW group improved their relative VO2peak (1.42 ± 1.52 ml · min-1 · kg-1) when compared to the 50% BW group (-0.87 ± 2.20 ml · min-1 · kg-1 [p = .022]) but not the 75% BW group (-0.16 ± 1.92 ml · min-1 · kg-1, [p = .14]). Furthermore, no statistical differences in VO2peak were observed between the 75% and 50% BW groups (p = .66). Based on this study, training at 75% and 50% of normal BW on a LBPPT does not improve aerobic capacity compared to training with no BWS when using training speeds derived from a GXT with full BW. The outcome of this study may help to prescribe training speeds while utilizing a LBPPT to maintain or improve aerobic capacity.
Welfare recipients communicated pathways to resilience during stigma and material hardship in the heartland of America

When individuals and families experience material hardship, government assistance programs and community services are there to help. The use of government assistance programs in the United States i...
Prevalence of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnoses and Correlation With Signalment and Presenting Complaint in Dogs

Since magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced, it has become increasingly available and technologically improved. Studies have documented the prevalence of specific pathologies, however no previous veterinary studies have investigated the prevalence and distribution of pathology across all MRIs performed at a single institution. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MRI-diagnosed brain lesions and correlate these to patient signalment and presenting complaint. Archived MRI brain scans from 805 dogs were reviewed retrospectively. One board-certified veterinary radiologist at the institution retrospectively evaluated all reports to determine the most clinically pertinent imaging diagnosis for each case. Breed, age, and presenting complaint were obtained from the medical record for each patient. The most common imaging diagnoses across all dogs reviewed were no significant findings (35.16%), asymmetric encephalopathy or meningoencephalopathy (19.75%), and extra-axial intracranial mass (11.18%). Age of dogs differed by diagnosis (p<0.0001), with the median age of dogs diagnosed with a brain mass being greater than that of dogs with no significant findings and dogs with asymmetric encephalopathy or meningoencephalopathy (both p<0.0083). In dogs presenting with seizures, the odds of a brain mass increased with each additional year of age (p<0.0001, odds ratio 1.26 [95% CI 1.16-1.37]), whereas the odds of no significant finding (p<0.0001, OR 0.87 [0.82-0.93]) decreased. Our findings provide overview information on the types of disease observed in the clinical population and allow us to detect correlations between imaging diagnoses, presenting complaints, and signalment.
Pricing Query Complexity for Revenue Maximization

The common way to optimize auction and pricing systems is to set aside a small fraction of the traffic to run experiments. This leads to the question: how can we learn the most with the smallest amount of data? For truthful auctions, this is the \emph{sample complexity} problem. For posted price auctions, we no longer have access to samples. Instead, the algorithm is allowed to choose a price $p_t$; then for a fresh sample $v_t \sim \mathcal{D}$ we learn the sign $s_t = sign(p_t - v_t) \in \{-1,+1\}$. How many pricing queries are needed to estimate a given parameter of the underlying distribution? We give tight upper and lower bounds on the number of pricing queries required to find an approximately optimal reserve price for general, regular and MHR distributions. Interestingly, for regular distributions, the pricing query and sample complexities match. But for general and MHR distributions, we show a strict separation between them. All known results on sample complexity for revenue optimization follow from a variant of using the optimal reserve price of the empirical distribution. In the pricing query complexity setting, we show that learning the entire distribution within an error of $\epsilon$ in Levy distance requires strictly more pricing queries than to estimate the reserve. Instead, our algorithm uses a new property we identify called \emph{relative flatness} to quickly zoom into the right region of the distribution to get the optimal pricing query complexity.
Result of the research of the number of customers and turnover in the specially chosen groceries and stores

The article shows the research or 5 municipal stores mainly with food, grocers. The article is very close to the article in the last copy of this magazine. The authors followed the number of customers of stores during a week and also the value of purchases of the selected part of shoppers. The research result showed, that for the number of shoppers during certain period there was the most important fact - the location of the store in town, store area has less importance. According to the location of the store, the shopping peak is created. Shopping peaks arc mainly in late afternoon (15 - 19) in the suburbs, near the centre there are in various ways, at midday or about 16 p.m. Large supermarkets and hypermarkets out of the town has divided turnover regularly. Appreciation of the productivity of labour created by turnover per 1 worker, the second place had store A, the first place had store E. It has a big number of customers, small turnover / I purchase, but also little number of workers. The authors think, that it is necessary to pay attention to increasing the productivity of labour in the stores in order they can be competitive in future, too.
Reconnecting with the Body Politic: Toward Disconnecting Muckrakers and Public Journalists

Abstract In the early 1900s, muckrakers unleashed aggressive journalism seeking better government for citizens, and themes inherent in their work and motivation continue to echo in modern journalism. At century's end, public journalists likewise adopted activist roles to remedy political and social malaise. Although public journalists proclaimed theirs a unique approach to journalism, some scholars link muckraking and public journalism. This paper argues that despite commonalities, the two movements differ in fundamental and largely unexplored ways.
Book Review: Uladzislau Belavusau: Freedom of Speech: Importing European and US Constitutional Models in Transitional Democracies, Routledge 2013

Book review of Uladzislau Belavusau: Freedom of Speech: Importing European and US Constitutional Models in Transitional Democracies, Routledge 2013.
Simultaneous Low Engine-Out NOx and Particulate Matter with Highly Diluted Diesel Combustion

This paper describes the simultaneous reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) in a modern light-duty diesel engine under high exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) levels. Simultaneous reduction of NOx and PM emissions was observed under lean conditions at several low to moderate load conditions using two different approaches. The first approach utilizes a throttle to increase EGR rate beyond the maximum rate possible with sole use of the EGR valve for a particular engine condition. The second approach does not use a throttle, but rather uses a combination of EGR and manipulation of injection parameters. A significant reduction in particulate matter size and concentration was observed corresponding to the reduction in particulate mass. This PM reduction was accompanied by a significant shift in the heat release profile. In addition, there were significant cylinder-to-cylinder variations in particulate matter characteristics, gaseous emissions, and heat release. A fuel penalty is associated with operating in the low NOx and low PM regime when there are no modifications to the injection strategy. Preliminary experiments indicate that the penalty can be eliminated or reduced to a few percent while still maintaining a significant reduction in NOx and PM. An improved understanding of this combustion regime will lead to improved EGR utilization for lowering the performance requirements of post-combustion emissions controls.
Constraints on lepton flavor violation in the minimal supersymmetric standard model from the muon anomalous magnetic moment measurement

We establish a correspondence between those Feynman diagrams in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) that give supersymmetric contributions to the muon anomalous magnetic moment and those that contribute to the flavor violating processes {mu}{yields}e{gamma} and {tau}{yields}{mu}{gamma}. Using current experimental limits on the branching ratios of these decay modes, combined with the assumption of a supersymmetric contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment, we establish bounds on the size of the lepton flavor violating soft masses in the MSSM largely independent of assumptions about other supersymmetric parameters. If the deviation measured at Brookhaven National Laboratory is from supersymmetry, we find the bounds m{sup 2} {sub e{mu}}/{bar m}{sup 2}{approx}<2 x 10{sup -4} and m{sup 2} {sub {tau}{mu}}/{bar m}{sup 2}{approx}<1 x 10{sup -1}, where {bar m}{sup 2} is the mass of the heaviest particle in any loop that contributes at this level to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. This provides a significant constraint on the non-flavor-blind mediation of supersymmetry breaking that often occurs at a suppressed level in many models, including gaugino mediation.
Developmental studies of cell differentiation in the epidermis of monocotyledons: II. Cytological features of stomatal development in the Gramineae

Abstract The development of stomata in the grass leaf is divided into five stages: (1) formation of the guard mother cell (GMC); (2) formation of subsidiary cells through mitoses induced by the GMC in lateral epidermal cells; (3) completed triad of cells consisting of the GMC and two subsidiaries: (4) division of the GMC to form the guard cells; (5) differentiating complex of four cells. When these stages are scored successively from the bottom of a stomatal row distally, the succession of stages is in general in the order listed, but many irregularities occur, and a quantitative index of irregularity is suggested. The irregularities within a row as well as certain described abnormalities indicate that both the cytoplasmic polarization with leads to GMC differentiation and the inductive force which the GMC exerts in subsidiary cell formation are governed principally by gene-cytoplasmic interactions within the GMC itself rather than by general forces acting uniformly throughout the tissue. Four lines of evidence indicate that subsidiary cell formation results from induction by the GMC; the most convincing of these is the formation of two subsidiaries on one side of the GMC in complexes having the dividing wall between two lateral cells opposite a GMC. Other evidence indicates that the competence of the lateral epidermal cell to respond to this stimulus depends upon the size of the cell and its position relative to the GMC. A long, lateral epidermal cell forms a subsidiary more readily at its distal than at its proximal end. The process of induction is associated with regular changes in the size of the GMC. Although the general succession of events is the same in all species of grasses studied, characteristic differences in detail exist between distantly related genera, such as Hordeum on the one hand and Sorghum as well as Zea on the other. Some physicochemical forces that may be controlling these processes are discussed.
SPT: storyboard programming tool

We present Spt, a tool that helps programmers write low-level data-structure manipulations by combining various forms of insights such as abstract and concrete input-output examples as well as implementation skeletons. When programmers write such manipulations, they typically have a clear high-level intuition about how the manipulation should work, but implementing efficient low-level pointer manipulating code is error-prone. Our tool aims to bridge the gap between the intuition and the corresponding implementation by automatically synthesizing the implementation. The tool frames the synthesis problem as a generalization of an abstract-interpretation based shape analysis, and represents the problem as a set of constraints which are solved efficiently by the Sketch solver. We report the successful evaluation of our tool on synthesizing several linked list and binary search tree manipulations.
Adams Capital Management: March 2002 (TN)

SUBJECT AREAS: Entrepreneurial finance, Fraud, Investments, Strategic planning, Venture capital CASE SETTINGS: Pittsburg, PA; Securities & investing; 12 employees; 2002 In March 2002, the five partners of Adams Capital Management (ACM), a venture capital firm investing in information technology telecommunications with $700 million under management, gathered to discuss whether they should change their strategy in view of the prolonged downturn in both the economy and their targeted investment sectors. Since its founding in 1993, ACM had followed a distinct strategy of targeting particular markets of interest, investing within these, and managing the portfolio companies through a defined process to liquidity. ACM's first fund had performed extremely well; its second was looking good; and the third, albeit only a year into its life, was not performing as well. ACM is considering three options: investing in companies producing more fundamental products, hiring more associates or investing in more markets, or taking bigger positions in companies in its traditional sectors. Each has its own possibilities and drawbacks. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Mechanisms controlling human head stabilization. I. Head-neck dynamics during random rotations in the horizontal plane

1. Potential mechanisms for controlling stabilization of the head and neck include voluntary movements, vestibular (VCR) and proprioceptive (CCR) neck reflexes, and system mechanics. In this study we have tested the hypothesis that the relative importance of those mechanisms in producing compensatory actions of the head-neck motor system depends on the frequency of an externally applied perturbation. Angular velocity of the head with respect to the trunk (neck) and myoelectric activity of three neck muscles were recorded in seven seated subjects during pseudorandom rotations of the trunk in the horizontal plane. Subjects were externally perturbed with a random sum-of-sines stimulus at frequencies ranging from 0.185 to 4.11 Hz. Four instructional sets were presented. Voluntary mechanisms were examined by having the subjects actively stabilize the head in the presence of visual feedback as the body was rotated (VS). Visual feedback was then removed, and the subjects attempted to stabilize the head in the dark as the body was rotated (NV). Reflex mechanisms were examined when subjects performed a mental arithmetic task during body rotations in the dark (MA). Finally, subjects performed a voluntary head tracking task while the body was kept stationary (VT). 2. Gains and phases of head velocity indicated good compensation to the stimulus in VS and NV at frequencies < 1 Hz. Gains dropped and phases advanced between 1 and 2 Hz, suggesting interference between neural and mechanical components. Above 3 Hz, the gains of head velocity increased steeply and exceeded unity, suggesting the emergence of mechanical resonance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Assessment of Psychopathology

Behavior therapists must often design treatments for individual patients who present with a wide array of psychophysiological disorders and health problems. Behavioral assessment is a learning-based and empirically-grounded approach to assessment that is designed to systematically gather, integrate, and summarize information about the form and function of a patient's difficulties. Functional analytic case modeling is a strategy that can be used to organize assessment intervention for the purposes of designing interventions. The objectives of this chapter are to: (a) present a review of the conceptual foundations and essential procedures in behavioral assessment; (b) outline steps involved in conducting a behavioral assessment; (c) explain decisional and statistical procedures that can be used to evaluate assessment information; and (d) demonstrate how assessment information can be used to guide treatment design. Keywords: behavioral assessment; causal modeling; functional analysis
Adaptation in human zinc absorption as influenced by dietary zinc and bioavailability

Background: An understanding of the relations among dietary zinc intake, bioavailability, and absorption is necessary for making dietary intake recommendations. Objectives: We aimed to assess adaptation in human zinc absorption to controlled differences in zinc and phytate intakes and to apply the results to predictive models. Design: In 3 experiments, radiotracers were used to assess zinc absorption by healthy adults (n = 109) from controlled diets, before and after 4 or 8 wk of dietary equilibration. Subjects consumed 4-29 mg Zn/d from 1 of 10 diets, 5 with molar ratios of phytate to zinc from 2 to 7 and 5 with ratios from 15 to 23. Results: Absorptive efficiency was inversely related to dietary zinc from both low- and high-phytate diets. In response to low zinc intakes (< 11 mg/d) for 4- 8 wk, zinc absorption was up-regulated to as high as 92%, but only if the diets were low in phytate. The results help validate and refine a published saturable transport model that predicts zinc absorption from dietary zinc and phytate. Possible biomarkers of impaired zinc status, including erythrocyte osmotic fragility, in vitro erythrocyte 65 Zn uptake, and leukocyte expression of the zinc transport proteins Zipl and ZnT1, were unresponsive to dietary zinc content. Conclusions: Humans absorbed zinc more efficiently from low-zinc diets and adapted to further increase zinc absorption after consuming low-zinc, low-phytate diets for several weeks. Such adaptation did not occur with higher phytate diets. Zinc absorption can be predicted from dietary zinc and phytate after allowing for dietary equilibration.
Effects of calcium channel antagonists on LPS-induced hepatic iNOS expression.

The onset of liver injury is a pivotal event during endotoxemia. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activates the Kupffer cells (KC), the resident macrophages of the liver, to generate an abundance of inflam...
Structure and genomic organization of the mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene.

Abstract The genomic organization of the mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene has been determined by hybridization of specific cDNA sequences to restriction endonuclease-generated fragments of DNA from methotrexate-resistant S-180 cells. The dihydrofolate reductase gene contains a minimum of five intervening sequences (one in the 5′ untranslated region and four in the protein-coding region) and spans a minimum of 42 kilobase pairs on the genome. Genomic sequences at the junction of the intervening sequence and mRNA-coding sequence and at the polyadenylation site have been determined. A similar organization is found in independently isolated methotrexate-resistant cell lines, in the parental sensitive cell line and in several inbred mouse strains, indicating that this organization represents that of the natural gene.
Predicted impact of ocean acidification on a marine invertebrate: elevated CO2 alters response to thermal stress in sea urchin larvae

Ocean acidification (OA) and the biological consequences of altered seawater chemistry have emerged as a significant environmental threat to healthy marine ecosystems. Because a more acidic ocean interferes with fixation of calcium carbonate to form shells or calcified skeletons, future ocean chemistry may significantly alter the physiology of calcifying marine organisms. These alterations may manifest themselves directly in the calcification process, or have synergistic effects with other environmental factors such as elevated temperatures. New tools permit us to explore subtle changes in gene expression patterns in response to environmental conditions. We raised sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) under conditions simulating future atmospheric CO2 levels of 540 and 970 ppm. When larvae raised under elevated CO2 conditions were subjected to 1-h acute temperature stress, their ability to mount a physiological response (as measured by expression of the molecular chaperone hsp70) was reduced relative to those raised under ambient CO2 conditions. These results represent the first use of gene expression assays to study the effects of OA on sea urchin development. They highlight the importance of looking at multiple environmental factors simultaneously as this approach may reveal previously unsuspected biological impacts of atmospheric changes.
Electrodynamics of left-handed medium

It is shown that negative electric permittivity e and magnetic permeability μ recently discovered in a photonic crystal in the vicinity of the Γ-point are properties of propagating modes only. The evanescent modes rather decay than increase in the bulk of the crystal though they may be amplified by surface waves. If surface support such waves, the evanescent waves may improve the image of a thin Veselago lens. It is shown that a “perfect lens” contradicts to the wave optics and a criterion of “superlensing” is formulated.
Hankel-norm estimation for fractional-order systems using the Rayleigh-Ritz method

In this paper, the Rayleigh-Ritz method of estimating the eigenvalues of an operator on a Hilbert space is utilized to determine the magnitude of the largest eigenvalue for the Hankel operator of fractional-order systems, the Hankel norm. This provides a measure of the possible retrievable energy from the system in the future compared to the energy that was put into the system in the past. The application of the Rayleigh-Ritz method to obtaining underestimates of the Hankel norm of a fractional-order system is described. Several examples are given, demonstrating the method.
Hog cholera diagnostic techniques

Clinical signs and lesions can sometimes provide the basis for a presumptive diagnosis of hog cholera (HC). However, an accurate diagnosis requires laboratory testing. The usual procedure for the detection of viral antigen is the examination of cryostat sections stained with fluorescein-conjugated HC antiserum. A more definitive technique is isolation of the virus in PK-15 cell cultures and identification of the viral antigen in cells using an HC fluorescent antibody conjugate. As bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus will cross-react with HC virus, isolation must be confirmed by the comparison of BVD and HC staining or, preferably, by the use of monoclonal antibodies that can differentiate between HC and BVD viruses. Hog cholera surveillance must rely on serology. The fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test is the classical technique, and HC and BVD antibody can usually be differentiated if HC-positive serum samples are tested against both viruses. Recently the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and peroxidase-labeled antibody tests have become the commonly used techniques.
The use of convergent-beam electron diffraction to determine local lattice distortions in nickel-base superalloys

Abstract Convergent-beam electron diffraction has been used to study local lattice distortions of γ′ (the ordered intermetallic compound based on Ni3Al) in nickel-base alloys. Specifically, the patterns of higher-order Laue zone lines exhibited in central discs of convergent-beam patterns recorded with the beam accurately aligned parallel to given zone axes have been used to detect small changes in the lattice parameters of γ′ in two nickel-base superalloys, one the ternary eutectic Ni-12·8Al-22·2Mo alloy (where the composition is in atomic per cent), the other Udimet 720 in the commercially heat-treated or partially recrystallized condition. The various results are interpreted on the basis of the observed distortions being caused by stresses which may be introduced by effects such as differing thermal expansion or contraction coefficients of the component phases and lattice mismatch. The effect of relaxations of these stresses by the proximity of the foil surfaces has been demonstrated. It is concluded t...
Ultrasound improved ethanol fermentation from cassava chips in cassava-based ethanol plants.

Abstract The effects of ultrasound and heat pretreatments on ethanol yields from cassava chips were investigated. Cassava slurries were sonicated for 10 and 30 s at the amplitudes of 80, 160, and 320 μmpp (peak to peak amplitude in μm) corresponding to low, medium, and high power levels, respectively. The sonicated and non-sonicated (control) samples were then subjected to simultaneous liquefaction-saccharification and ethanol fermentation. Cassava starch-to-ethanol conversion efficiencies showed that higher ethanol yields were directly related to sonication times, but not to power levels. Significantly higher ethanol yields were observed only for sonicated samples at the high power level. The ethanol yield from the sonicated sample was 2.7-fold higher than yield from the control sample. Starch-to-ethanol conversion rates from sonicated cassava chips were also significantly higher; the fermentation time could be reduced by nearly 24 h for sonicated samples to achieve the same ethanol yield as control samples. Thus, ultrasound pretreatment enhanced both the overall ethanol yield and fermentation rate. When compared to heat-treated samples, the sonicated samples produced nearly 29% more ethanol yield. Combined heat and ultrasound treatment had no significant effect on overall ethanol yields from cassava chips. Ultrasound is also preferable to heat pretreatment because of lower energy requirements, as indicated by energy balances. Integration of ultrasound application in cassava-based ethanol plants can significantly improve ethanol yields and reduce the overall production costs.
Broadband optical mammography: Breast tissue thickness compensation algorithm

ABSTRACT We present a method to compensate for breast tissue thickn ess variability in broadband, c ontinuous-wave, parallel plate optical mammography. Tissue thickness information is relevant for the recovery of chromophore concentrations within the breast using continuous-wave, diffusion-based models that assume the breast to be in slab geometry. This method compensates for the discrepancy between the actual phantom or breast shape and the models assumed slab geometry by approximating the thickness of the probed tissue volume. In this work, we applied our tissue thickness compensation algorithm on a breast shaped, homogeneous, tissue-mimicking phantom. Using the thickness found from our algorithm (referred to as our estimated thickness) as an input into a continuous-wave, diffusion based model, we recovered the absorption coefficient throughout all scanned pixels in the phantom and found an overall deviation of 12% from the true absorption coefficient. By using the known phantom thickness, we found a strong shape bias within the absorption coefficient recovery and a larger overall de viation of 29%. To test the algorithm on in vivo measurements, we applied this tissue thickness compensation method to a human breast cancer optical mammogram scan. Since the exact thickness of the breast at each pixel is unknown, we compared these results to when a uniform breast thickness is assumed and found a drastic improvement of cancer visualization. This method allows for parallel plate, continuous-wave optical imaging to compensate for the tissue th ickness variability at each scanned pixel when modeling the breast data in slab geometry. This compensated thickness is needed as an input to the model in order to accurately map the breast chromophore concentrations and enha nce the image contrast of cancer. KEYWORDS: Optical mammography; breast cancer; c ontinuous-wave; tissue thickness.
Microwave spectrum, dipole moment, and conformation of 3-methylcyclopentanone

Abstract The rotational spectrum of 3-methylcyclopentanone has been observed in the frequency region from 18.0 to 26.5 GHz. Both a -type and b -type transitions in the ground vibrational state and a -type transitions in five excited states have been assigned. The ground state rotational constants are determined to be A = 5423.32 ± 0.18, B = 1949.51 ± 0.01, and C = 1529.59 ± 0.01 MHz. Analysis of the measured quadratic Stark effects gives the dipole moment components ∥ μ a ∥ = 2.97 ± 0.02, ∥ μ b ∥ = 1.00 ± 0.03, ∥ μ c ∥ = 0.18 ± 0.06, and the total dipole moment ∥ μ t ∥ = 3.14 ± 0.03 D. These data are consistent with a twisted-ring conformation with a methyl group in the equatorial position.
Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) component ritonavir significantly alters docetaxel exposure.

Purpose Non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) now exceed rates of AIDS-defining cancers in HIV-positive patients. Treatment of NADCs may be complicated by drug–drug interactions between antiretrovirals and chemotherapy. Docetaxel is a widely used anticancer agent that is primarily metabolized by CYP3A4 enzymes and used to treat NADCs. A preclinical in vivo assessment was performed to gain a better understanding of CYP3-mediated drug–drug interactions between antiretrovirals and docetaxel, as well as to assess any alterations in gene expression with these combinations.
Assessment of different IMRT boost delivery methods on target coverage and normal-tissue sparing.

Abstract Purpose Because of biologic, medical, and sometimes logistic reasons, patients may be treated with 3D conformal therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the initial treatment volume (PTV 1 ) followed by a sequential IMRT boost dose delivered to the boost volume (PTV 2 ). In some patients, both PTV 1 and PTV 2 may be simultaneously treated by IMRT (simultaneous integrated boost technique). The purpose of this work was to assess the sequential and simultaneous integrated boost IMRT delivery techniques on target coverage and normal-tissue sparing. Methods and materials Fifteen patients with head-and-neck (HN spinal cord, esophagus, lungs, and heart (lung structures); and bladder, rectum, femurs (prostate structures). For all cases, three IMRT plans were created: ( 1 ) 3D conformal therapy to PTV 1 followed by sequential IMRT boost to PTV 2 (sequential-IMRT 1 ), ( 2 ) IMRT to PTV 1 followed by sequential IMRT boost to PTV 2 (sequential-IMRT 2 ), and ( 3 ) Simultaneous integrated IMRT boost to both PTV 1 and PTV 2 (SIB-IMRT). The treatment plans were compared in terms of their dose–volume histograms, target volume covered by 100% of the prescription dose ( D 100% ), and maximum and mean structure doses ( D max and D mean ). Results H&N cases: SIB-IMRT produced better sparing of both parotids than sequential-IMRT 1 , although sequential-IMRT 2 also provided adequate parotid sparing. On average, the mean cord dose for sequential-IMRT 1 was 29 Gy. The mean cord dose was reduced to ∼20 Gy with both sequential-IMRT 2 and SIB-IMRT. Prostate cases: The volume of rectum receiving 70 Gy or more ( V >70 Gy ) was reduced to 18.6 Gy with SIB-IMRT from 22.2 Gy with sequential-IMRT 2 . SIB-IMRT reduced the mean doses to both bladder and rectum by ∼10% and ∼7%, respectively, as compared to sequential-IMRT 2 . The mean left and right femur doses with SIB-IMRT were ∼32% lower than obtained with sequential-IMRT 1 . Lung cases: The mean heart dose was reduced by ∼33% with SIB-IMRT as compared to sequential-IMRT 1 . The mean esophagus dose was also reduced by ∼10% using SIB-IMRT as compared to sequential-IMRT 1 . The percentage of the lung volume receiving 20 Gy ( V 20 Gy ) was reduced to 26% by SIB-IMRT from 30.6% with sequential-IMRT 1 . Conclusions For equal PTV coverage, both sequential-IMRT techniques demonstrated moderately improved sparing of the critical structures. SIB-IMRT, however, markedly reduced doses to the critical structures for most of the cases considered in this study. The conformality of the SIB-IMRT plans was also much superior to that obtained with both sequential-IMRT techniques. The improved conformality gained with SIB-IMRT may suggest that the dose to nontarget tissues will be lower.
Gap Junctional Communication in Morphogenesis

Gap junctions permit the direct passage of small molecules from the cytosol of one cell to that of its neighbor, and thus form a system of cell-cell communication that exists alongside familiar secretion/receptor signaling. Because of the rich potential for regulation of junctional conductance, and directional and molecular gating (specificity), gap junctional communication (GJC) plays a crucial role in many aspects of normal tissue physiology. However, the most exciting role for GJC is in the regulation of information flow that takes place during embryonic development, regeneration, and tumor progression. The molecular mechanisms by which GJC establishes local and long-range instructive morphogenetic cues are just beginning to be understood. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the involvement of GJC in the patterning of both vertebrate and invertebrate systems and discusses in detail several morphogenetic systems in which the properties of this signaling have been molecularly characterized. One model consistent with existing data in the fields of vertebrate left-right patterning and anterior-posterior polarity in flatworm regeneration postulates electrophoretically guided movement of small molecule morphogens through long-range GJC paths. The discovery of mechanisms controlling embryonic and regenerative GJC-mediated signaling, and identification of the downstream targets of GJC-permeable molecules, represent exciting next areas of research in this fascinating field.
Stability analysis of entries in a deep coal mine using finite element method

Abstract Strain-softening behavior of rock and coal layers around a coal mine opening was simulated using a quasi-elastic approach, which accounts for residual strength after failure. This simulation was achieved in such a way that material values were modified after each run, according to stress distribution, until the simulation reached an equilibrium condition, MSC/NASTRAN Finite Element Method program was used for the simulation. The effect of a yield pillar system was analyzed in comparison with a regular pillar system. The results agreed with the field measurement in terms of stress distribution and floor heave.
Alkyl benzene sulfonate effects on stream algae communities.

ABS is toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. It also is toxic at varying concentrations to lower life forms at all trophic levels within the aquatic environment. Algae represents the level of the primary producer. Those forms ranking above it are dependent upon it for their energy supply. A reduction in the productive ability of algal communities will result in a reduction of the total energy flow and a consequent reduction in the productive capacity of the entire community. The object of this investigation was to determine the effects of alkyl benzene sodium sulfonate on the productivity of stream algal communities.
Solution structure and proposed domain–domain recognition interface of an acyl carrier protein domain from a modular polyketide synthase

Polyketides are a medicinally important class of natural products. The architecture of modular polyketide synthases (PKSs), composed of multiple covalently linked domains grouped into modules, provides an attractive framework for engineering novel polyketide-producing assemblies. However, impaired domain–domain interactions can compromise the efficiency of engineered polyketide biosynthesis. To facilitate the study of these domain–domain interactions, we have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the first solution structure of an acyl carrier protein (ACP) domain from a modular PKS, 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase (DEBS). The tertiary fold of this 10-kD domain is a three-helical bundle; an additional short helix in the second loop also contributes to the core helical packing. Superposition of residues 14–94 of the ensemble on the mean structure yields an average atomic RMSD of 0.64 ± 0.09 A for the backbone atoms (1.21 ± 0.13 A for all non-hydrogen atoms). The three major helices superimpose with a backbone RMSD of 0.48 ± 0.10 A (0.99 ± 0.11 A for non-hydrogen atoms). Based on this solution structure, homology models were constructed for five other DEBS ACP domains. Comparison of their steric and electrostatic surfaces at the putative interaction interface (centered on helix II) suggests a model for protein–protein recognition of ACP domains, consistent with the previously observed specificity. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments indicate that two of the identified residues influence the specificity of ACP recognition.
Chalcogen-Based Aerogels As Sorbents for Radionuclide Remediation

The efficient capture of radionuclides with long half-lives such as technetium-99 (99Tc), uranium-238 (238U), and iodine-129 (129I) is pivotal to prevent their transport into groundwater and/or release into the atmosphere. While different sorbents have been considered for capturing each of them, in the current work, nanostructured chalcogen-based aerogels called chalcogels are shown to be very effective at capturing ionic forms of 99Tc and 238U, as well as nonradioactive gaseous iodine (i.e., a surrogate for 129I2), irrespective of the sorbent polarity. The chalcogel chemistries studied were Co0.7Bi0.3MoS4, Co0.7Cr0.3MoS4, Co0.5Ni0.5MoS4, PtGe2S5, and Sn2S3. The PtGe2S5 sorbent performed the best overall with capture efficiencies of 98.0% and 99.4% for 99Tc and 238U, respectively, and >99.0% for I2(g) over the duration of the experiment. The capture efficiencies for 99Tc and 238U varied between the different sorbents, ranging from 57.3–98.0% and 68.1–99.4%, respectively. All chalcogels showed >99.0% captu...