cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-J-155: Automatic Quantitative Decision Making Metric for 4DCT Image Quality

Purpose: To develop a quantitative decision making metric for automatically detecting irregular breathing using a large patient population that received phase-sorted 4DCT. Methods: This study employed two patient cohorts. Cohort#1 contained 256 patients who received a phasesorted 4DCT. Cohort#2 contained 86 patients who received three weekly phase-sorted 4DCT scans. A previously published technique used a single abdominal surrogate to calculate the ratio of extreme inhalation tidal volume to normal inhalation tidal volume, referred to as the κ metric. Since a single surrogate is standard for phase-sorted 4DCT in radiation oncology clinical practice, tidal volume was not quantified. Without tidal volume, the absolute κ metric could not be determined, so a relative κ (κrel) metric was defined based on the measured surrogate amplitude instead of tidal volume. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to quantitatively determine the optimal cutoff value (jk) and efficiency cutoff value (τk) of κrel to automatically identify irregular breathing that would reduce the image quality of phase-sorted 4DCT. Discriminatory accuracy (area under the ROC curve) of κrel was calculated by a trapezoidal numeric integration technique. Results: The discriminatory accuracy of ?rel was found to be 0.746. The key values of jk and tk were calculated to be 1.45 and 1.72 respectively. For values of ?rel such that jk≤κrel≤τk, the decision to reacquire the 4DCT would be at the discretion of the physician. This accounted for only 11.9% of the patients in this study. The magnitude of κrel held consistent over 3 weeks for 73% of the patients in cohort#3. Conclusion: The decision making metric, ?rel, was shown to be an accurate classifier of irregular breathing patients in a large patient population. This work provided an automatic quantitative decision making metric to quickly and accurately assess the extent to which irregular breathing is occurring during phase-sorted 4DCT.
Differentiation-dependent expression of CA V and the role of carbonic anhydrase isozymes in pyruvate carboxylation in adipocytes.

The incorporation of radioactivity from 14C-labeled compounds into metabolic intermediates and total lipids was examined in 3T3 adipocytes. The heterocyclic sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (SCAI) 6-ethoxyzolamide (ETZ) caused a decrease (42+/-7% of control, IC50 = 2.2+/-1.1 x 10(-7) M) in the incorporation of [14C] bicarbonate into several Krebs cycle intermediates in 3T3-F442A adipocytes. This decrease in pyruvate carboxylase-mediated [14C] carbon fixation was associated with a reduction in fluorometrically determined [citrate] and [malate]. The ability of ETZ to decrease both the incorporation of radioactivity into and the concentrations of Krebs cycle intermediates was not of sufficient magnitude to lower [ATP], but was associated with a decrease in de novo lipogenesis from [14C]glucose. De novo lipogenesis was also inhibited to a similar extent by trifluormethanesulfonamide, an aliphatic SCAI, which suggests that the effects are mediated by carbonic anhydrase. ETZ did not inhibit de novo lipo...
How do Scores of DIT and MJT Differ? A Critical Assessment of the Use of Alternative Moral Development Scales in Studies of Business Ethics

The construct of Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) has drawn much attention in the study of business ethics for over two decades. The Defining Issues Test (DIT) has made a significant contribution to the literature as an easy-to-administer CMD instrument, and the Moral Judgment Test (MJT), an alternative scale, has also been used widely especially in Europe. The two scales differ in their approaches to measuring CMD, focusing on stage preference (DIT) and stage consistency (MJT), yet empirical comparisons have been scarce. The present research empirically compares the two scales in terms of their correspondence with ethical ideology as a reference scale, and it demonstrates a clear distinction between the DIT and the MJT. Although they both aim to measure CMD, their dissimilar approaches lead to distinctly different implications.
Controlled release of IGF‐I from a biodegradable matrix improves functional recovery of skeletal muscle from ischemia/reperfusion

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a considerable insult to skeletal muscle, often resulting in prolonged functional deficits. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the controlled release of the pro-regenerative growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), from a biodegradable polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated fibrin gel matrix and the subsequent recovery of skeletal muscle from I/R. To accomplish this, the hind limbs of male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 2-h tourniquet-induced I/R then treated with saline, bolus IGF-I (bIGF), PEGylated fibrin gel (PEG-Fib), or IGF-I conjugated PEGylated fibrin gel (PEG-Fib-IGF). Functional and histological evaluations were performed following 14 days of reperfusion, and muscles from 4-day reperfusion animals were analyzed by Western blotting and histological assessments. There was no difference in functional recovery between saline, bIGF, or PEG-Fib groups. However, PEG-Fib-IGF treatment resulted in significant improvement of muscle function and structure, as observed histologically. Activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway was significantly elevated in PEG-Fib-IGF muscles, compared to PEG-Fib treatment, at 4 days of reperfusion, suggesting involvement of the pathway PI3K/Akt as a mediator of the improved function. Surprisingly, myoblast activity was not evident as a result of PEG-Fib-IGF treatment. Taken together, these data give evidence for a protective role for the delivered IGF. These results indicate that PEG-Fib-IGF is a viable therapeutic technique in the treatment of skeletal muscle I/R injury.
HOUSING MARKETS IN THE TWILIGHT OF MATERIALISM

Local housing markets mediate national growth of the housing stock and of household numbers. Unearned capital gains on housing for some homeowners produce corrosive effects resembling those generated by excessive material rewards in certain service industries. Excesses of a political economy driven by fair and unfair materialistic drives camouflage the arrival of a global information society whose terms of power and participation take non-material forms. Housing as shelter and neighborhood starts to replace housing as speculative investment and status symbol.
High-resolution ultrasound transmission tomography

A novel system for High-resolution Ultrasonic Transmission Tomography (HUTT) is presented. The critical innovation of the HUTT system includes the use of sub-millimeter transducer elements for both transmitter and receiver arrays and multi-band analysis of the first-arrival pulse. The first-arrival pulse is detected and extracted from the received signal (i.e., snippet) at each azimuthal and angular location of a mechanical tomographic scanner in transmission mode. Each extracted snippet is processed to yield a “multispectral” vector of attenuation values at multiple frequency bands. Other acoustic attributes of the object (such as time-of-flight or wavelet decomposition coefficients) can also be obtained through snippet analysis. These vectors form a 3-D sinogram representing a multispectral augmentation of the conventional 2-D sinogram. A filtered backprojection algorithm is used to reconstruct a stack of multispectral images for each 2-D tomographic slice that may allow tissue characterization and improved image segmentation. We present illustrative examples of 2-D images formed at various frequency bands to demonstrate the high-resolution capability of the system and the potential of multispectral analysis. It is shown that spherical objects with diameter down to 0.3mm can be detected. Reconstruction of 3-D images has been achieved using multiple 2-D slices with sub-mm elevation differences.
Biogeomorphological influence of slope processes and sedimentology on vascular talus vegetation in the southern Cascades, California

Abstract The vascular vegetation of alpine talus slopes between 2035 and 3095 m altitude was studied at Lassen Volcanic National Park (California) in the Cascade Range. Taluses show a diverse flora, with 79 plant species; growth forms include coniferous trees, shrubs, suffrutices, herbs, graminoids, and ferns. Spatial patterns of plant distribution were studied along 40 point-intercept transects. Plant cover was low (0–32.7%) on all slopes, spatially variable, and showed no consistent trends. Sedimentological characteristics were determined by photosieving next to 1500 plants; this census indicated preferential plant growth on blocks and cobbles, with 43.2% and 23.3% of the plants growing on these stones, respectively; fewer specimens were rooted on pebbles (13%) or on stone-free gravel areas (20.5%). Growth forms displayed different substrate preferences: 92.5% of the shrubs and 83% of the suffrutices colonized blocks or cobbles, but only 57.2% of the herbs and 59.8% of the graminoids grew on large stones. Plants are associated with large clasts because (1) coarse talus is more stable than fine sediment areas, which are more frequently disturbed by various geomorphic processes, and (2) large stones help conserve substrate water beneath them while moisture quickly evaporates from fine debris. Root patterns were studied for 30 plant species; 10 specimens for each species were excavated and inspected, and several root growth ratios calculated. All species exhibited pronounced root asymmetry, as roots for most plants grew upslope from their shoot base. For 23 species, all specimens had 100% of their roots growing upslope; for the other 7 species, 92.2–99.3% of below-ground biomass extended uphill. This uneven root distribution is ascribed to continual substrate instability and resulting talus shift; as cascading debris progressively buries roots and stems, plants are gradually pushed and/or stretched downhill. Various disturbance events affect root development. Slope erosion following rubble removal often exposes plant roots. Debris deposition can completely bury plants; some may survive sedimentation, producing new shoots that grow through accumulated debris. Shrubs may propagate by layering, as adventitious roots develop along buried stems; or produce new clones along their roots. Slope processes may damage and transport plant pieces downhill; some species can sprout from severed, displaced root or stem fragments. Vegetation interacts with several geomorphic processes, including debris flows, grain flows, rockfall, snow avalanches, frost creep, and runoff. Larger plants may alter local patterns of debris movement and deposition, damming cascading debris on their upslope side and deflecting sediments laterally to plant margins, where they form narrow elongated stone stripes.
The Effects of Job Characteristics and Gender On Hourly Employees' Personal Responsibility

Abstract This study investigated the impact of several job characteristics on the sense of personal responsibility experienced by male and female assembly line employees. Role clarity, task identity, freedom, and task significance all affected women's perceptions that they were responsible for their work, and role clarity and task identity affected men's perceptions. The results suggested that the patterns by which job characteristics affect responsibility differ for women and men. Nevertheless, for both groups, an overall, clear understanding of the work that results from clear statements of responsibility and the opportunity to see whole tasks is the most important determinant of personal responsibility.
A cloaking coating for murky media

For centuries, magicians have created the illusion of invisibility with the assistance of smoke and mirrors: Mirrors redirect light and fool our eyes; smoke conceals the trickery. The concept of redirecting light has become routine in the ongoing development of “invisibility cloaks”—constructs of specially designed materials that can route light around an object, making it appear as if both the object and cloak are empty space. On page 427 of this issue, Schittny et al. ( 1 ) show how to use the other half of the magicians' tool kit, showing that objects in a smoky or “diffusive” environment can be perfectly hidden from sight.
Paracrine signaling in the endometrium: integrins and the establishment of uterine receptivity.

Abstract The importance of cell shape and polarity have long been recognized. In the endometrium, a complex association of different cell types undergo cyclic renewal, differentiation and eventually apoptosis and shedding, with the sole purpose of allowing implantation of the nascent embryo. Many of these physiologic processes depend on the timely expression of cell adhesion molecules which maintain tissue architecture by mediating cell–cell and cell–substratum attachments. One family of cell adhesion molecules are the integrins, cell surface glycoproteins composed of heterodimeric α and β subunits that serve as receptors for the extracellular matrix. We have studied the endometrium as a unique site of integrin expression that appear to be under both endocrine and paracrine control. In addition, it is suspected that the engagement of integrins by extracellular matrix on the embryo results in signal transduction leading to the transcription and translation of genes critical for implantation. While the role of integrins in endometrial function is not yet clearly defined, these interesting molecules represent excellent markers of normal and abnormal states of receptivity and may provide clues to the regulation and mechanics of implantation in general.
Can effort/satisfaction theory explain price/quality relationships?

A number of studies affirm that the level of consumer satisfaction with a product is positively correlated with the amount of effort expended in obtaining that product. This proposition, however, fails to explain situations where the customer may be more satisfied with a product when expending low effort than when expending high effort. The article attempts to reconcile conflicting evidence concerning the effects on product evaluation as a result of the magnitude of consumer effort. The two experiments conducted in this study suggest that the, issue of effort is a relative matter, measured and viewed by the individual in relation to the extent of his effort resource or reservoir. The experiments also indicate that this effort resource is capricious over time and place. The conclusion suggests to marketers with pricing responsibilities other alternatives to high-price policies as a means of attaining the desired customer evaluation of a product.
Sensitization of primary afferents to mechanical and heat stimuli after incision in a novel in vitro mouse glabrous skin-nerve preparation

In this study, we recorded activity from afferent fibers innervating the mouse plantar skin, the same region evaluated in pain behavior experiments. We compared responses of afferents from incised and unincised hind paw skin. The plantar skin together with attached medial and lateral plantar nerves was dissected until they could be completely removed intact and placed in an organ bath chamber continuously perfused with oxygenated Kreb's solution with the temperature maintained at 32 degrees C. Afferent nerve activities to feedback-controlled mechanical and heat stimuli and cooling were recorded. Eighty-five single Adelta- and C-fiber afferents were recorded, 42 from control and the remainder from incised animals. A greater proportion of C-fibers (11/34) from incised skin had spontaneous activity than in the unincised preparation (2/32). The mechanical thresholds of both Adelta- and C-fiber units were not different between control and incised groups but the responses to suprathreshold mechanical stimulation were increased in low threshold Adelta- and C-fibers. The greatest change in heat sensitivity was apparent when multi-fiber total activity was measured; threshold was reduced, total spikes were greater and the peak discharge frequency was increased. In summary, feedback-controlled stimulation identified mechanical sensitization after incision in an in vitro preparation. Few fibers were excited by cooling. Heat sensitization of primary afferents was more prominent when activities of unclassified afferents are included. The preparation allows us to study afferent function of the same tissue that is examined for in vivo pain behavior assays in mice.
Chiral analysis of selected dopamine receptor antagonists in serum using capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrin additives.

Abstract Dopamine D-2 receptor antagonists’ eticlopride and sulpiride were determined in serum using capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrin additives. Chiral resolution of S (−) and R (+) sulpiride and eticlopride were achieved using 2% sulfated-β-cyclodextrin (S-β-CD) in 20 mM citrate run buffer (pH 2.90). A 72-cm fused silica capillary operated in the reversed polarity mode voltage of 20 kV was used for the analysis. The analytes of interest were isolated from serum using a solid phase extraction procedure with recoveries in excess of 85% for all four enantiomers. The D-2 receptor antagonist (−) butaclamol was used as internal standard. The limits of detection were 0.3 and 0.1 μg/ml for S (−) and R (+) eticlopride and for S (−) and R (+) sulpiride, respectively, in 1 ml of serum. The limits of quantitation were 2 and 1 μg/ml for S (−) and R (+) eticlopride, and for S (−) and R (+) sulpiride, respectively. Calibration curves were linear over the 2–20 μg/ml range for eticlopride and 1–20 μg/ml range for sulpiride. The coefficients of determination were greater than 0.99 ( n =12 for eticlopride and n =15 for sulpiride). Precision and accuracy of the method were 0.27–6.38 and 0.20–3.60% for S (−) eticlopride, 2.33–4.28 and 0.80–5.73% for R (+) eticlopride, 3.46–6.84 and 0.80–4.26%, for S (−) sulpiride; and 4.71–6.47 and 2.00–6.67% for R (+)-sulpiride, respectively.
The Green500 List: Year two

The Green500 turned two years old this past November at the ACM/IEEE SC|09 Conference. As part of the grassroots movement of the Green500, this paper takes a look back and reflects on how the Green500 has evolved in its second year as well as since its inception. Specifically, it analyzes trends in the Green500 and reports on the implications of these trends. In addition, based on significant feedback from the high-end computing (HEC) community, the Green500 announced three exploratory sub-lists: the Little Green500, the Open Green500, and the HPCC Green500, which are each discussed in this paper.
Ocular Motility Anomalies in Developmental Misdirection of the Optic Chiasm

A 35-year-old normally pigmented man underwent monocular hemifield visual-evoked potential examinations that indicated a lack of normal decussation of nasal paramacular retinogeniculate fibers in the optic chiasm. We studied effects of this anomaly on ocular motility using electro-oculography and the magnetic search-coil technique. The patient exhibited horizontal congenital nystagmus with a predominantly positive exponential waveform. Horizontal smooth pursuit and optokinetic nystagmus were consistently reversed, independent of eye position in the orbit. Vertical tracking was uniformly normal. Horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflexes recorded in the dark during passive rotation exhibited normal gain and phase, whereas rotation recorded in the light reduced gain. Although active head movements reversed horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflexes, vertical vestibulo-ocular reflexes in light and darkness were normal. Our study suggested an association between a lack of normal decussation of retinal fibers in the optic chiasm, and reversed visual tracking and congenital nystagmus.
Gas Mixtures and Pressures for Optimum Output Power of rf-Excited Helium–Neon Gas Lasers at 632.8 nm

Two laser discharge tubes, of 50-cm length and 3-mm and 5-mm i.d., respectively, were filled with three different mixtures of helium and neon at varying total pressures. The gas fillings for which the two tubes yielded optimal lasing action under rf excitation in a 60-cm confocal cavity at 632.8 nm were a 7:1 gas mixture at 2.3 torr for the 3-mm tube, and a 9:1 mixture at 2.0 torr for the 5-mm tube. The 3-mm tube was found to be superior in peak output power and ease of adjustment of the laser.
Patients are often terrified of treatments.

This issue highlights aspects of a number of “biologic” treatments, including botulinum toxin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, and ustekinumab. These treatments have changed the landscape of dermatologic treatment, but at the same time, they raise the bar on patients’ concerns for safety. Drugs in general sound scary to many patients; “new” treatments, new classes of treatments, may scare patients even more, even when the new treatment is safer than previously available medications. Much of patients’ willingness to use medication is dependent on the trust they have in their physicians. Patients tend not to trust medication manufacturers. Drug companies just do not have a great reputation with the public. Patients will trust doctors who the patient feels are caring; projecting the image of caring (in addition to being caring) is critical to getting patients to use their treatments well and to getting optimal treatment outcomes. How we present medications has also an impact. Rather than tell ap atient,“This medication is a systemic poison,” it may be more fruitful to tell the patient, “This is an all-natural product designed to complement your body’s natural healing mechanisms.” Both of these statements – full of rather ambiguous words – are arguably true about nearly every medicine we prescribe, but one engenders a far greater sense of comfort than the other. Known risks can be very scary for patients, especially considering how risk-averse people are. When we tell patients there is a risk of lymphoma or some other very bad outcome, it is difficult for the patient to put the quantitative risk into perspective. Patients may think it is a 50:50 chance. One article in this issue describes giving patients risk information by graphically comparing the level of risk to other risks in people’s lives. Knowing the risk of drug treatment is less than the risk of an automobile accident may be reassuring. Fears of side effects are a powerful disincentive for patients to use their treatments. If we are to take responsibility for patients’ treatment outcomes – which I think we should – it behooves us to address patients’ fears with practical approaches that encourage better adherence to treatment.
De volta a Hegel?: sobre Menos que nada, de Slavoj Žižek

Slavoj Žižek proposes to offer a renewed version of dialectical materialism and so a critical theory of late modern capitalism. The path through German Idealism is the path he has chosen and it is important to know if his version is leading us correctly. The article suggests a different way of understanding the problem of "negativity" in that tradition. This forces the question of whether there is much left in contemporary society that provides any sort of material basis for Hegel's aspirations about the potentially transformative and educative potentials of modern civil society. No one can be anything but profoundly pessimistic about this possibility, but the search for such possible "traces of reason" seems to be more genuinely Hegelian.
Modeling of Downdip Oil Pockets Trapped Behind Flood Front

The area of interest, located on the downdip flank area of a large carbonate reservoir, is geologically complex. Present at the northwest corner is a structural flow which falls below the oil-water contact (OWC). On the southeast corner, the reservoir is known to be communicating with deeper reservoirs. This allowed water to enter the reservoir updip when the reservoir pressure fell prior to the initiation of water injection. Several wells drilled in this area have had significant oil columns in spite of the fact that they were planned as water injectors. The salinity map generated for reservoir management purposes also reveals the complexity of fluid flow in this area. the high total dissolved solids (TDS) content observed for these wells corroborates that the area was nearly stagnant since the production first began in the field. So far, three lagged oil areas have been identified. A high resolution window model for this area was constructed to define the areal extent of the lagged oil trapped behind the flood front as well as to determine if any other unswept oil exists in the downdip area. After a satisfactory history match was obtained, the cause of formation of the downdip trapped oil alsomore » became apparent and the areal extent of the lagged oil was defined more accurately. The model was thus used to formulate a depletion strategy to recover the lagged oil. A series of prediction cases were run to investigate various issues related to the recovery of the downdip trapped oil and the impact of future reservoir development plans on the lagged area.« less
Hydrogen generation using ruthenium nano-rod array electrodes

Hydrogen production and delivery is critical to successful fuel cell operation. One of the most common methods to produce hydrogen is via electrolysis of water. However over-potential losses at the electrodes results in poor efficiency and an increase in power consumption. In this study we carried out experiments of water electrolysis with novel single crystal Ruthenium nano-rod arrays as the device cathode. We show that the increased active area of the nanostructured electrode serves to reduce the operating current density of the electrolyzer causing the over-potential to show a corresponding decrease. In addition to the decreased over-potential, the power needed to produce one mole of hydrogen was also reduced for the nanostructured electrolyzer compared to an electrolyzer with planar electrodes.
Fluorescent Labeling of RAFT-Generated Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) via a Facile Maleimide−Thiol Coupling Reaction†

We report a facile labeling technique in which the telechelic thiocarbonylthio functionality of well-defined poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) prepared by room temperature RAFT polymerization is first converted to the thiol and subsequently reacted with a maleimido-functional fluorescent dye, N-(1-pyrene)maleimide (PM). Nearly monodisperse PNIPAM (Mn = 39 500 g/mol, Mw/Mn = 1.07) was synthesized using a trithiocarbonate-based CTA, 2-dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl-2-methyl propionic acid (DMP), and a conventional azo-initiator, namely, 2,2'-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (V-70), as the primary source of radicals. The key to successful conjugation of PM to PNIPAM is the implementation of a two-step reduction process involving (1) the cleavage of the trithiocarbonate with a strong reducing agent, in this case, NaBH4, to form a mixture of polymeric thiols and disulfides and (2) the conjugation of PM to the pure polymeric thiol in the presence of tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine·HCl (TCEP). W...
The origin of variations in the 2175 A extinction bump

In this paper, small graphite grains are assumed to produce the 2175 A interstellar extinction bump. The principal observational characteristic of the bump in the invariance of its central wavelength (2174 +/- 9 A) among various lines of sight through diverse environments. On the other hand, its Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) varies from about 0.80/micrometer to 1.2/micrometer among the same lines of sight. In this paper, the variations in bump width among different sight lines is attributed to coatings on the graphite grains. The necessary properties of the coating material are investigated. Simple neutral polycycli aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have measured laboratory absorptions remarkably similar to those required to explain the broadening of the bump. Only 1.5% of cosmic carbon in PAHs is required to produce very broad bumps. Alternatively, about 2%-4% of the combined abundances of the refractory elements Fe and Mg, more highly depleted onto grains in dense regions than in the diffuse interstellar medium, could explain the mantles if their absorption rises rapidly with energy, as it does for MgO. Coatings of amorphous carbon, hydrogenated or not, diamond-like bonded carbon, or water ice do not have published optical constants that vary rapidly enough in wavenumber to produce the variations.
Science Signaling Podcast: 05 August 2008

This conversation is about research highlighted in the Editors9 Choice summary titled, "Anesthesia Increases Postoperative Pain." The highlighted article is J. A. Matta, P. M. Cornett, R. L. Miyares, K. Abe, N. Sahibzada, G. P. Ahern, General anesthetics activate a nociceptive ion channel to enhance pain and inflammation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105 , 8784–8789 (2008). (Length: 11 min; file size: 5 MB; file format: mp3; location: http://podcasts.aaas.org/science_signaling/ScienceSignaling_080805.mp3)
NUB1 snubs huntingtin toxicity.

A screen now identifies a protein that regulates degradation of mutant huntingtin, which causes Huntington's disease, and manipulations show that promoting clearance of the toxic protein itself may be sufficient to halt disease.
Lipid analysis of flat-mounted eye tissue by imaging mass spectrometry with identification of contaminants in preservation

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry was used to analyze donor eye tissue specimens for phospholipid content to evaluate lipid distribution. Phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins were detected in the positive ion mode using 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid as the matrix. During this study, unknown ion signals in the lower m/z region (less than m/z 400) were detected, mainly in the far periphery of human flat-mounted tissue but not in age-matched rhesus monkey tissue prepared in a similar manner. The unknown ion signals occurred at m/z 304, 332, 360, and 388. These ions were subjected to tandem mass spectrometry directly from the tissue sample, and exact mass measurements of extracts were prepared for further identification. These ions were identified as alkyl dimethylbenzylammonium surfactants (benzalkonium chlorides (BACs)). The classification of these species was verified by comparing an eye tissue extract to an over-the-counter eye-care product containing BACs.
Finite Element Approximation to a Nonlinear System Describing Multi-Component Phase Transitions with Dissipation

In this paper, we use the finite element approximation for the solution of a multidimensional nonlinear system describing the evolution of materials which can pass through several phase transitions with dissipation. The finite element error estimates are obtained.
A clinicopathologic evaluation of partial cystectomy for carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Segmental resection of the bladder was performed on 199 patients as definitive therapy for cancer. Six patients were lost to followup and there were 6 hospital deaths. Followup of the other 187 patients showed that 43% lived 5 years or longer. Survival rates for patients with lesions of Stage B2 and C were 40% and 29%, respectively; those for patients with cancers of Grade 3 and Grade 4 were 46% and 21%, respectively. Partial cystectomy may not appeal to every urologist as the paragon of procedures for vesical neoplasm. On reflection of this reported experience, however, this time-honored operation represents the best available treatment for specific varieties of cancer of the bladder.
Aging effects on osteon remodeling.

Analysis of partial cross sections of 101 human tibiae indicated that osteon remodeling in the outer cortex is affected by age. The frequency of resorption spaces remained constant throughout life suggesting no loss of osteoclast function with age. However, the frequency of both forming osteons and osteons which were structurally complete but not completely mineralized increased with age. This suggests that protein matrix synthesis by osteoblasts slows with age and that initial mineralization, possibly mediated by osteoblasts, and final mineralization, possibly mediated by osteocytes, becomes increasingly deficient with increasing age. The frequency of osteons which have dense (sclerotic) inner lamellae decreases with age. This supports a hypothesis that such lamellae are functional, perhaps representing a specialized, labile, mineral phase and that osteons having this feature become less frequent as part of the general degenerative changes associated with aging.
Object detection in multi-modal images using genetic programming

Abstract In this paper, we learn to discover composite operators and features that are synthesized from combinations of primitive image processing operations for object detection. Our approach is based on genetic programming (GP). The motivation for using GP-based learning is that we hope to automate the design of object detection system by automatically synthesizing object detection procedures from primitive operations and primitive features. There are many basic operations that can operate on images and the ways of combining these primitive operations to perform meaningful processing for object detection are almost infinite. The human expert, limited by experience, knowledge and time, can only try a very small number of conventional combinations. Genetic programming, on the other hand, attempts many unconventional combinations that may never be imagined by human experts. In some cases, these unconventional combinations yield exceptionally good results. To improve the efficiency of GP, we propose soft composite operator size limit to control the code-bloat problem while at the same time avoid severe restriction on the GP search. Our experiments, which are performed on selected regions of images to improve training efficiency, show that GP can synthesize effective composite operators consisting of pre-designed primitive operators and primitive features to effectively detect objects in images and the learned composite operators can be applied to the whole training image and other similar testing images.
How Libraries Are Providing Access to Electronic Serials

Electronic journals have been available for a number of years through a variety of electronic media. E-journals can be narrowly defined as those produced, published, and distributed solely in an el...
Isotherms of Mobile and Localized Ideal Quantum Gases Adsorbed on Crystalline Substrates

A translational band model is applied to the calculation of adsorption isotherms of noninteracting fermions and bosons adsorbed on a crystalline surface. The theory yields analytic expressions for the vapor pressure as a function of temperature and monolayer coverage, in terms of the band parameters of the adsorption system. In the case of fermions, the actual band widths and band gaps can be mapped by a low-temperature isotherm, which will display multiband steps analogous to the multilayer steps of interacting adatoms. The significance of "mobility" and "localization" is discussed, and it is argued that the words have physical meanings only in terms of comparisons between the dwell time of an atom on a specific site and a characteristic time of the experiment in question. In the case of adsorption isotherms, the experimental time is related to the vapor pressure, and the band theory offers a criterion for mobility in terms of the energy spectrum of the adsorbed atoms. Numerical estimates indicate that helium monolayers satisfy the criterion for mobility at 4 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and below, but that Ar and ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ monolayers may be localized at 77 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The isotherms of all physically adsorbed systems satisfy the criterion for mobility at sufficiently low temperatures. In contrast to the heat capacity, isotherms in the localized and mobile regimes are not qualitatively different. The effects of interactions among the adatoms and of surface inhomogeneities are briefly discussed.
Mammal and Bird Tracks from the Eocene Puget Group, Northwest Washington, USA

In 1997, coal extraction at the John Henry Mine in western King County, Washington, USA, exposed bedding planes in Eocene sandstone that contained numerous bird and mammal tracks. By the time scientists arrived at the site several months later, the track-bearing surfaces had mostly been obliterated by landslides. Several track specimens were collected but not curated, described, or studied. In 2011, the specimens were found in a storage room at the University of Washington Burke Museum of History and Culture, triggering an investigation that yielded many photographs of the fossil site taken at the time of the 1997 discovery. Perissodactyl mammal tracks are named herein as Oplidcatylapes eocenica ichnogenus and ichnospecies nov. Photographs also show a trackway containing eight footprints that have prominent claw impressions. These tracks are inferred to have been made by a creodont, but because of the absence of specimens or track casts to serve as holotypes, ichnotaxonomic names have not been assigned.
Measurements of UV-VUV radiation produced from dielectric surface flashover

High energy photons released during the early stages of pulsed surface flashover are believed to be a contributing factor to the overall plasma formation. It is clear that only radiation with wavelength in the Ultraviolet (UV) and Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) regimes is capable of ionization and excitation processes of atmospheric gases, thus potentially providing seed electrons for secondary electron avalanches. To investigate the role of VUV photons in the breakdown process, an experiment was designed enabling detection of photons with energies greater than 7 eV with high temporal and spatial resolution. A transient low temperature plasma is generated on an MgF 2 surface between two point-to-point stainless steel electrodes using a 200 ns rise-time high voltage pulser. Light emitted during the plasma formation is transmitted through the VUV transmissive MgF 2 window into vacuum avoiding the strong absorption of VUV radiation in the atmosphere. High resolution measurements of the flashover event are acquired using a VUV-sensitive ICCD camera and photomultiplier tube (PMT) mounted to the exit ports of the VUV spectrograph. Detailed analysis of the two electrode regions clearly shows the presence of VUV emission lines prior to voltage collapse in atmospheric gases. Although a symmetric field geometry was chosen, it was seen in all cases that initial VUV emission originates from the anode. Furthermore, measurements of the 120 nm nitrogen ground transition taken at locations away from the anode demonstrated peak emission that coincided with streamer head locations. The observed behavior is consistent with a build-up of positive ion space charge in the gap attracting electrons from the surrounding medium causing excitations and ionizations in this high field region. Further time-resolved spectroscopy of the developing plasma in a high purity nitrogen environment captured the presence of the second positive system from molecular nitrogen as well as atomic emission lines. It was seen that the lifetime of the second positive system is much shorter (nanoseconds) than that of the atomic nitrogen emission lines (microseconds). The experimentally observed behavior will be discussed is it relates to the transient formation of a low temperature plasma along a dielectric surface.
The Spatial, Temporal, and Thermodynamic Characteristics of Southern-Atlantic United States Tornado Events

Tornadic storm environments are not well understood in regions beyond the Great Plains. Severe weather forecasting index values are derived for 129 Southern-Atlantic (SA) Coast (South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia) and 98 southern Great Plains (Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas) tornado days through spatial and temporal interpolations of the proximity balloon soundings. Analyses of these data suggest that the two regions are associated with significantly different environments. The SA storm environments would be considered benign by Great Plains standards. In fact, 95% of the SA tornado events fall below the threshold for severe thunderstorms for the Severe Weather Threat (SWEAT) index. Therefore, the universal use of index threshold values by forecasters is inappropriate. Cluster and density analysis of the spatial data found that tornado events in the SA region are clustered in three general regions. One of the regions is likely influenced by the existence of a Sea-Breeze front or the Piedmont trough...
A threshold cointegration analysis of asymmetric price transmission from crude oil to gasoline prices

Abstract This study provides new supportive evidence for asymmetric adjustment in U.S. retail gasoline prices. The asymmetric transmission is found to occur not just through the spot markets of crude oil and refinery gasoline but also through their future markets. Further evidence also shows that the observed asymmetry in price transmission primarily occurs downstream – not upstream – of the transmission process.
A methodology to validate 3D Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian codes with applications to ALEGRA

Abstract In this study we provided an experimental test bed for validating features of the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian Grid for Research Applications (ALEGRA) code over a broad range of strain rates with overlapping diagnostics that encompass the multiple responses. A unique feature of the ALEGRA code is that it allows simultaneous computational treatment, within one code, of a wide range of strain-rates varying from hydrodynamic to structural conditions. This range encompasses strain rates characteristic of shock-wave propagation (10 7 /s) and those characteristics of structural response (10 2 /s). Most previous code validation experimental studies, however, have been restricted to simulating or investigating a single strain-rate regime. What is new and different in this investigation is that we have performed well-controlled and well-instrumented experiments, which capture features relevant to both hydrodynamic and structural response in a single experiment. Aluminum was chosen for use in this study because it is a well-characterized material. The current experiments span strain rate regimes of over 10 7 /s to less than 10 2 /s in a single experiment. The input conditions were extremely well defined. Velocity interferometers were used to record the high strain-rate response, while low strain rate data were collected using strain gauges. Although the current tests were conducted at a nominal velocity of ∼ 1.5 km/s, it is the test methodology that is being emphasized herein. Results of a three-dimensional experiment are also presented.
Selective Reduction of a, β-Unsaturated Nitrocompounds with Sodium Borohydride in Methanolic Solutions: A Facile Route to Nitroalkenes

Abstract α, β-Unsaturated nitroalkenes are rapidly and selectively reduced at room temperature to nitro-alkanes in high yields by sodium borohydride in a tetrahydrofuran-methanol solvent system.
Particle measurements on an ESRO satellite (Neutral-1) in a highly eccentric Polar orbit

A satellite such as Neutral-1 should be instrumented with magnetometers, plasma detectors, and detectors of energetic particles, and flown to an altitude of some 26 RE in a high-inclination orbit. It can thus probe regions of the magnetosphere of particular importance but as yet unexplored. It also is in an orbit that offers the optimum variety of phenomena to be explored, with the additional advantage that the characteristics of each phenomenon can be compared one with the other and the interrelation of these phenomena deduced. Such a satellite offers unique opportunities to investigate a multitude of unknown phenomena, such as the origin and energization of the particles that cause auroras and constitute Van Allen radiation. It can also potentially yield data to help solve long-lived problems, viz.: do the particles that cause auroras come from the sun, and how does a ripple in the solar corona ultimately feed energy into the magnetosphere at an average rate of 1017-1018 ergs/sec? Someone should fly such a satellite at the earliest opportunity and certainly by sunspot maximum (1969) since the existing satellite and instrumental technology is adequate.
Changes in colorectal cancer screening intention among people aged 18–49 in the United States

Background: To determine whether exposure to a peer-led intervention focused on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, physical activity, and multi-vitamin intake can lead to increased intentions to be screened for CRC once age eligible among adults under the age of 50. Methods: Participants were residents of low-income housing sites, and CRC screening intentions were assessed at baseline and at follow-up (approximately 2 years later) to determine changes in screening intentions and factors associated with changes in intentions. Results: Participants (n=692) were 78.4% female, 42.6% Hispanic and 50.8% black. At follow-up, 51% maintained their intention to be screened and 14.6% newly intended to get screened. Individuals newly intending to get screened were more likely to have participated in the intervention, be older, male, and born in Puerto Rico or the United States compared to those who maintained their intention not to get screened (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Exposure to CRC prevention messages before the age of 50 can increase screening intentions among individuals who did not initially intend to get screened. Peer-led interventions to promote CRC screening should include individual less than 50 years of age, as this may contribute to increased screening at the recommended age threshold.
Reactivity and related microstructure of 3d carbon/carbon composites

Abstract Four carbon/carbon composites fabricated with either PAN fibers or coal tar pitch fibers were examined. Detailed analysis of composite properties and structure included total surface area by Kr adsorption at 77 K, active surface area, porosity, crystallite parameters, as well as SEM and optical microscopic observations. Rates of composite gasification were measured at 1123 K in 3.1 kPa of steam. Under these experimental conditions the composites fabricated with PAN fibers are roughly three times as reactive as those fabricated with pitch fibers. Microscopic examination of the composites provides detail on two different microstructures for each fiber and respective composite. Binder associated with the fibers is influenced by the fiber microstructure, and a continuation of structure is developed throughout the composite body. Even though the fiber fraction is only approximately 50% of the composite by weight, it is clear that fiber microstructure influences overall composite microstructure and, hence, composite physical properties and subsequent composite gasification behavior.
Baxter Algebras and the Umbral Calculus

We apply recent constructions of free Baxter algebras to the study of the umbral calculus. We give a characterization of the umbral calculus in terms of the Baxter algebra. This characterization leads to a natural generalization of the umbral calculus that includes the classical umbral calculus in a family of @l-umbral calculi parameterized by @l in the base ring.