cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Segmentation of urinary bladder in CT urography (CTU) using CLASS with enhanced contour conjoint procedure

We are developing a computerized method for bladder segmentation in CT urography (CTU) for computeraided diagnosis of bladder cancer. A challenge for computerized bladder segmentation in CTU is that the bladder often contains regions filled with intravenous (IV) contrast and without contrast. Previously, we proposed a Conjoint Level set Analysis and Segmentation System (CLASS) consisting of four stages: preprocessing and initial segmentation, 3D and 2D level set segmentation, and post-processing. In case the bladder is partially filled with contrast, CLASS segments the non-contrast (NC) region and the contrast (C) filled region separately and conjoins the contours with a Contour Conjoint Procedure (CCP). The CCP is not trivial. Inaccuracies in the NC and C contours may cause CCP to exclude portions of the bladder. To alleviate this problem, we implemented model-guided refinement to propagate the C contour if the level set propagation in the region stops prematurely due to substantial non-uniformity of the contrast. An enhanced CCP with regularized energies further propagates the conjoint contours to the correct bladder boundary. Segmentation performance was evaluated using 70 cases. For all cases, 3D hand segmented contours were obtained as reference standard, and computerized segmentation accuracy was evaluated in terms of average volume intersection %, average % volume error, and average minimum distance. With enhanced CCP, those values were 84.4±10.6%, 8.3±16.1%, 3.4±1.8 mm, respectively. With CLASS, those values were 74.6±13.1%, 19.6±18.6%, 4.4±2.2 mm, respectively. The enhanced CCP improved bladder segmentation significantly (p<0.001) for all three performance measures.
Minichromosome maintenance proteins 2 and 5 in non-benign epithelial ovarian tumours: relationship with cell cycle regulators and prognostic implications.

Minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) have recently emerged as novel proliferation markers with prognostic implications in several tumour types. This is the first study investigating MCM-2 and MCM-5 immunohistochemical expression in a series of ovarian adenocarcinomas and low malignant potential (LMP) tumours aiming to determine possible associations with clinicopathological parameters, the conventional proliferation index Ki-67, cell cycle regulators (p53, p27(Kip1), p21(WAF1) and pRb) and patients' outcome. Immunohistochemistry was applied in a series of 43 cases of ovarian LMP tumours and 85 cases of adenocarcinomas. Survival analysis was restricted to adenocarcinomas. The median MCM-2 and MCM-5 labelling indices (LIs) were significantly higher in adenocarcinomas compared to LMP tumours (P or =20 vs >20%, P=0.0011 and > or =25 vs <25%, P=0.0100, respectively) and multivariate (P=0.0001 and 0.0090, respectively) analysis. An adequately powered independent group of 45 patients was used in order to validate our results in univariate survival analysis. In this group, MCM-2 and MCM-5 expression retained their prognostic significance (P<0.0001 in both relationships). In conclusion, MCM-2 and MCM-5 proteins appear to be promising as prognostic markers in patients with ovarian adenocarcinomas.
Analysis of the interaction between bovine mitochondrial 28 S ribosomal subunits and mRNA

Abstract The small subunit of the bovine mitochondrial ribosome forms a tight complex with mRNAs. This [28 S:mRNA] complex forms as readily on circular mRNAs as on linear mRNAs indicating that a free 5′ end on the mRNA is not required for the interaction observed. The effects of monovalent cations on the equilibrium association constant and on the forward and reverse rate constants governing this interaction have been determined. Monovalent cations have a strong effect on the forward rate constant. Increasing the KCl concentration from 1 mM to 100 mM reduces k on by nearly 100-fold. Monovalent cations have only a small effect on the reverse rate constant, k off . Analysis of these data indicates that the rate laws governing the formation and dissociation of the [28 S:mRNA] complex cannot be deduced from the chemical equation. This observation suggests that there are ‘hidden intermediates’ in the formation and dissociation of this complex. The implications of these observations are discussed in terms of a model for the interaction between the mitochondrial 28 S subunit and mRNAs.
Bowen's disease and internal malignancy. A meta-analysis.

Bowen's disease frequently has been reported to be associated with internal malignancy, although this association has been extremely controversial. The present study uses the technique of meta-analysis to address this issue by pooling the results of the 12 studies published in the English-language literature that previously have attempted to study this issue. The results indicated no significant association between the two conditions (chi square, 1 d.f., = 0.128, p greater than 0.05, 95% confidence interval = 0.105-0.1503). Clearly, no extensive investigation in patients having Bowen's disease is warranted.
An Intelligent Energy Efficient Target Tracking Scheme for wireless sensor environment

The continuous advancement of sensor technology facilitates its usage in many applications, such as surveillance, traffic and environmental monitoring applications. In these applications, the efficient usage of energy is very crucial issue since the sensors not only need to do monitoring and processing but also they need to communicate with each other in order to maintain long term monitoring of moving targets. The usage of sensors' energy can be improved by reducing the number of communication messages exchanged among them. Since it is assumed that, communication uses nearly twice more energy than other operations such as computation and data processing. This paper proposes an efficient strategy for monitoring and tracking of a single or multiple moving targets by reducing communication among the sensors for predicting the next location of moving targets. The experimental results show that our strategy performs well when the size of the network is large despite the underling structure of the sensors°.
Surface charge and calcium binding in sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes.

Vesicles of fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes have been adsorbed on to 2.68μ latex spheres. Observation of these vesicle containing spheres in the presence of an electric field allows a calculation of the electrophoretic mobility of the vesicles Following this determination, the net membrane surface charge has been estimated. The mobility of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes exhibited a dependency on pH. At an ionic strength of 0.10 a mobility (pH=7.0) of −0.67±0.10μ/sec/volt/cm was observed. At pH=7.0 and Г/2=0.150 the net excess negative charge density was 2.0×10−2 coul/m2. This is equivalent to one charge per 103 A2 (assuming a uniform charge distribution). With an average vesicle volume of 2.8×108 A3 and a surface area of 2×106 A2 the surface of one vesicle would contain a net of approximately 2×103 negative charges. While the mobility did not change during uptake of calcium by the vesicles, both glutaraldehyde fixation and lecithin extraction by phospholipase C greatly altered the mobility of the vesicle membrane. Calcium binding and uptake both exhibited a dependence on pH.
The Quantitative Analysis of Adsorbed Petroleum Sulfonates

In laboratory screening of surfactant formulations, comparative values for losses of petroleum sulfonates due to adsorption on porous media can be determined by (1) injecting the formulation into Berea Sandstone cores at the temperature and with the brine of the proposed application, (2) flushing with brine, (3) flushing with isopropyl alcohol, and (4) analysis of the eluted sulfonates. Effluent samples are analyzed by a modification of the Epton titration and the sulfonates contained in the isopropyl alcohol eluent are taken to be those adsorbed. Further, the effluent samples may be analyzed microgravimetrically to determine the average equivalent weight of the petroleum sulfonates. (12 refs.)
Lithographic process window analysis by statistical means

In this paper, we discuss a methodology for characterizing and comparing the lithographic process from the CD control point of view. In contrast to the traditional method of exposure latitude vs. depth of focus widely used in lithography, we use the statistical line width variation Cpk, and Cp as the measures of the lithographic process performance and capability. We have developed a software package called Megastat, which estimates CD variation based on experimental focus and exposure matrix (Bossung Curves) and assumed or independently measured focus and dose stochastic behavior. A similar approach was considered in. The impact of focus and dose control on across chip line width variation (ACLV) and across wafer line width variation (AWLV) was quantified with Megastat and compared to the experimentally obtained CD control for a particular 248nm lithographic process for the 130nm technology node. The statistical approach utilized in the Megastat software produced a very good match with the experimental results, which confirmed the usefulness of the statistical approach to characterizing the lithographic processes. We have additionally devised methods for decoupling and determining the actual experimental statistical variations inherent in lithographic processes. These methods allow the input 1 sigma variations for the statistical window analysis to be accurately determined. The usefulness of these methods will also be shown.
Surface analysis of electrodes by ultra-high vacuum techniques: acetonitrile solvent chemisorption at Pt(111)

Abstract Electrochemical studies at a carefully characterized Pt(111) electrode surface are yielding useful insights into atomic, ionic and molecular electrochemistry at interfaces. Reviewed here are studies of the chemisorption of the common polar aprotic solvent acetonitrile (CH 3 CN) at a Pt(111) surface. Electrosorption of CH 3 CN under typical electrolytic conditions from CH 3 CN electrolyte, CH 3 CN aqueous electrolytic solutions and CH 3 CN vapor was investigated by high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS, vibrational spectroscopy), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES, elemental analysis), low-energy electron-diffraction (LEED, structure/symmetry probing) and linear potential scan cyclic voltammetry ( cv , exploration of electrochemical maturity). The results indicate that a chemisorbed layer is formed from CH 3 CN liquid, vapor and typical aqueous solutions. The chemisorbed layer consists of a mixture of species related to CH 3 CN and acetamide (CH 3 CONH 2 ), contains about θ = 0.15 molecules per surface Pt atom is stable in vacuum and in solution over a wide range of electrode potentials, is replaced only slowly by other strong adsorbates such as iodide and lacks long-range order in the absence of anions such as iodide. Related studies are exploring ionic absorption, organic molecular adsorption and electrodeposition of metallic monolayers. A brief overview and references are included.
Screens in the sky: SAGE, surveillance, and the automation of perceptual, mnemonic, and epistemological labor

This essay investigates the centrality of the U.S. Military in the process of automating the labor of surveillance. The creation of Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), an anti-nuclear defense system developed in the 1950s, marked the computerization of the perceptual, mnemonic, and epistemological labor that is necessary for surveillance and is emblematic of screening technologies. The essay situates SAGE in a long history of military surveillance that depended upon media technologies. Building upon the work of Michel Foucault and Freidrich Kittler, it is argued that media are essential for understanding how surveillance is problematized for security.
Development of a Prototype Offshore Oil Containment System

Illustrates the development work that was required to address the stringent conditions placed upon the containment system by the Coast Guard. This system is one of the first attempts to establish a complete system; the final phases of the project are still under way. Describes the many considerations that entered into the design of the system and to indicate the compromises and solutions that were achieved. The illustrations are mainly schematic sketches to illustrate principles and concepts and do not attempt to depict the detailed engineering of the prototype system.
Comparison of dc Arc and Plasma Arc Excitation to Determine Rhenium in Molybdenite

The dc arc is considerably more sensitive than the plasma arc in determining rhenium, using the rhenium emission line at 3460.5 A and cobalt at 3453.5 A as the internal standard. The plasma arc is twice as precise as the dc arc. The internal standard technique does not increase precision of the plasma arc for rhenium but is useful to indicate proper functioning of the arc aspirator assembly. Use of a 1:1 alcoholethanol solvent for rhenium increases sensitivity of plasma arc determinations by a factor or two. The extracting solvent used to remove rhenium from molybdenite, 4-methyl-1-2-pentanone, is not spectrographically useful in the plasma arc at the wavelengths used for rhenium determination.
Deposition, Characterization, and Application of Aluminum Nitride Thin Films for Microelectronics

In this paper we report on a high rate (≈ 100 nm/min) aluminum nitride (AIN) deposition process, as well as several novel applications of AIN thin films for microelectronics and optoelectronics applications. Surface morphology and chemical composition, etchability, etch selectivity to oxide, and step coverage at various deposition temperatures have been investigated by atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Auger spectroscope (AES). In addition, for the first time, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of AIN films has been carried out and a polishing rate of 270 nm/min has been achieved. Results of several novel processes involving AIN as an etchstop layer in microelectronics and as an optical interconnection in opto-electronics will be presented.
Attraction and learning in mate-finding by solitary bees, Lasioglossum ( Dialictus ) figueresi Wcislo and Nomia triangulifera Vachal (Hymenoptera : Halictidae)

Males of the solitary sweat bee, Nomia triangulifera, patrol over large areas where thousands of females emerge, searching for receptive females. The daily operational sex ratio is strongly male-biased. Males contact dead, frozen (untreated) females more frequently than they contact females which were washed in hexane, showing that olfactory cues are utilized in mate-finding. A major source of female sex pheromone is in the head. Male pouncing on females is temporally non-random, indicative of group stimulation. Bioassays show that newly emerged females are more attractive to males than are older pollen-collecting females. Female odors are individually distinctive, based on male responses, and there is much variation among females in their attractive properties. Male responses to female odors suggest that learning is important for mating in natural populations. In contrast, the following hypotheses are unlikely to account for the observed behavior: (1) dissipation of female odors; (2) site learning and avoidance behavior by males; (3) decay of male motivation; or (4) male-produced repellents effective against other males. Laboratory and field studies show that female Lasioglossum figueresi produce individually-distinctive odors, which are attractive to males. There is considerable inter-individual variation among females in their attractiveness to males among sexually immature females. Male responses to female odors decay over the course of the presentation, suggesting the importance of learning in natural populations, although several alternatives could not be tested.
Flood prediction using Time Series Data Mining

Summary This paper describes a novel approach to river flood prediction using Time Series Data Mining which combines chaos theory and data mining to characterize and predict events in complex, nonperiodic and chaotic time series. Geophysical phenomena, including earthquakes, floods and rainfall, represent a class of nonlinear systems termed chaotic, in which the relationships between variables in a system are dynamic and disproportionate, however completely deterministic. Chaos theory provides a structured explanation for irregular behavior and anomalies in systems that are not inherently stochastic. While nonlinear approaches such as Artificial Neural Networks, Hidden Markov Models and Nonlinear Prediction are useful in forecasting of daily discharge values in a river, the focus of these approaches is on forecasting magnitudes of future discharge values rather than the prediction of floods. The described Time Series Data Mining methodology focuses on the prediction of events where floods constitute the events in a river daily discharge time series. The methodology is demonstrated using data collected at the St. Louis gauging station located on the Mississippi River in the USA. Results associated with the impact of earliness of prediction and the acceptable risk-level vs. prediction accuracy are presented.
Conservation Voltage Reduction Technique: An Application Guideline for Smarter Grid

Overall electric energy conservation and improvement in electrical energy efficiency has been a topic of interest to the electric power industry for long time, since 40% of total primary energy used is in the form of electricity. There are many facets to the energy conservation and/or energy efficiency techniques. Energy conservation by voltage reduction popularly called “CVR” has recently gained some momentum, in particular, to reduce the peak demand. This is also an integral part of the discussion in the future smarter grid technology. This paper addresses the pros and cons of the CVR application including a thorough literature search, practical applications, and a quantifiable measure of its actual amount of energy saving from utilities and the cost associated with it. It is expected that this paper will serve as a foundation to all practicing engineers addressing the issue of CVR.
Usability: reconciling theory and practice

The results of usability verbalizations gathered using a talk aloud protocol during a heuristic evaluation with persons knowledgeable about usability are reported. An explicit problem in system design is the application and subsequent utilization of heuristic evaluations in conjunction with talk aloud protocols [1, 4]. Though a common practice, the verbalizations themselves may not conform to Ericsson and Simon's [5] protocol, which is often cited as justification and is perhaps the most heavily cited process-tracing method. The difficulty is that Nielsen's heuristic evaluation [10, 13], with which the protocol is often paired, specifically requires Type 3 verbalizations - data that is deemed unreliable by Ericsson and Simon. A different theory, which considers the attributes of the individual and is also from cognitive science and Simon [5], is suggested to reconcile the theory with the practice of verbal protocols
Acoustical and Behavioral Analysis of the Songs of the Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara viridula

Observations and recordings covering 112 h revealed that Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has an extensive acoustic repertoire which mediates a complex mating behavior. Females have three songs, all behaviorally and acoustically distinct. Males produce seven behaviorally distinct songs, but three of these are very similar acoustically. Males sing rivalry duets, and males and females engage in two different male-female alternations. Relative mating success resulting from different acoustic strategies is discussed. Two songs, which have fundamental frequencies of 8 to 9 kHz and are structurally complex, stand apart acoustically from the others, which fall between 122 and 232 Hz and differ among themselves primarily in temporal pattern of pulse trains. None of the songs is of sufficient intensity to be heard by the unaided human ear. The repertoire of the geographical race studied (southeastern United States) differs from that of a Yugoslavian race reported in the literature in number of songs, acoustic parameters thereof, and associated behavior.
The Ghawarna of Jordan: race and religion in the Jordan Valley

While research on the lives of African-descended Muslims in the Middle East has expanded dramatically in the past two decades, no study documents the religious practices of the African-descended Muslims in the Jordan Valley. This initial inquiry into the role of race and religion in the lives of the Jordanian Ghawarna, or the people of the Jordan Valley, explores the complicated meanings and functions of blackness and Islam among both men and women in a contemporary Middle Eastern setting. It reviews various theories about the origins of those Ghawarna who are of African descent, charts the effects of racism on their lives, and outlines the ways in which Ghawarna, African-descended and not, celebrate Ramadan, conduct wedding parties, and ward off the evil eye. The findings, based on the original interviews conducted largely with residents in the towns of Ghor al-Mazra‘a and Ghor as-Safi, suggest the usefulness of further inquiry into both rural Islamic practice and racialization in Jordan.
The characterization of denatured proteins by adsorption indicators

Abstract The interaction between crystal violet, a cationic dye, and native and denatured forms of bovine serum albumin has been investigated using spectrophotometry and equilibrium dialysis. Changes in the extent of binding as a function of pH indicate that the sites of binding of crystal violet by bovine serum albumin may be the carboxylate groups. The complex formation was used to characterize the proteins through thermodynamic quantities derived from an analysis of binding data, and by the unique spectral properties of the dye bound to the different substrates.
Nonlinear burn control in fusion reactors

Control of plasma density and temperature magnitudes, as well as their profiles, are among the most fundamental problems in fusion reactors. Unfortunately, the economy of fusion reactors often requires the reactor to operate under conditions in which the rate of thermonuclear reaction increases as the plasma temperature rises. In this thermally unstable zone, an active control system is necessary to stabilize the thermonuclear reaction. Existing efforts use control techniques for linear models. In this work, a zero-dimensional nonlinear model involving approximate conservation equations for the energy and the densities of the species was used to synthesize a nonlinear feedback controller for stabilizing the burn condition of a fusion reactor. The controller makes use simultaneously of the modulation of auxiliary power, the modulation of fueling rate and the controlled injection of impurities as actuators. A computer simulation study was performed to show the capability of the controller and compare it with previous linear controllers.
Two pathways of synaptic vesicle retrieval revealed by single-vesicle imaging.

Summary Synaptic vesicle recycling is essential for maintaining efficient synaptic transmission. Detailed dissection of single-vesicle recycling still remains a major challenge. We have developed a fluorescent pH reporter that permits us to follow the fate of individual vesicles at hippocampal synapses after exocytosis. Here we show that, during low-frequency stimulation, single-vesicle fusion leads to two distinct vesicle internalizations, instead of one, as in general perception: one by a fast endocytosis pathway (∼3 s), the other by a slow endocytosis pathway (after 10 s). The exocytosed vesicular proteins are preferentially recaptured in both pathways. RNAi knockdown of clathrin inhibits both pathways. As stimulation frequency increases, the number of endocytosed vesicles begins to match antecedent exocytosis. Meanwhile, the slow endocytosis is accelerated and becomes the predominant pathway. These results reveal that two pathways of endocytosis are orchestrated during neuronal activity, establishing a highly efficient endocytosis at central synapses.
The impact of carrier frequency offset on second-order algorithms for blind channel identification and equalization

Research has shown that second-order statistics (SOS) are sufficient to blindly identify or equalize a broad class of channels. We relax the assumption of perfect carrier recovery and determine if SOS are sufficient for channel identification, equalization, and carrier recovery in the presence of frequency offset. We show that while equalization may still be possible, channel identification and carrier recovery require use of higher-order statistics. We show that SOS-based channel identification is possible only with knowledge of the carrier frequency offset, and conversely, that SOS-based carrier-offset identification is possible only with knowledge of the channel. We describe algorithms and present simulation results to demonstrate these claims.
Common and Dissociable Dysfunction of the Reward System in Bipolar and Unipolar Depression

Unipolar and bipolar depressive episodes have a similar clinical presentation that suggests common dysfunction of the brain’s reward system. Here, we evaluated the relationship of both dimensional depression severity and diagnostic category to reward system function in both bipolar and unipolar depression. In total, 89 adults were included, including 27 with bipolar depression, 25 with unipolar depression, and 37 healthy comparison subjects. Subjects completed both a monetary reward task and a resting-state acquisition during 3T BOLD fMRI. Across disorders, depression severity was significantly associated with reduced activation for wins compared with losses in bilateral ventral striatum, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and right anterior insula. Resting-state connectivity within this reward network was also diminished in proportion to depression severity, most notably connectivity strength in the left ventral striatum. In addition, there were categorical differences between patient groups: resting-state connectivity at multiple reward network nodes was higher in bipolar than in unipolar depression. Reduced reward system task activation and resting-state connectivity therefore appear to be a brain phenotype that is dimensionally related to depression severity in both bipolar and unipolar depression. In contrast, categorical differences in reward system resting connectivity between unipolar and bipolar depression may reflect differential risk of mania. Reward system dysfunction thus represents a common brain mechanism with relevance that spans categories of psychiatric diagnosis.
Characterization of genes expressed in the salivary glands of the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans

Salivary gland products of haematophogous insects including tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidia) are involved in antihaemostasis to allow for efficient blood feeding. In addition, salivary products of tsetse are thought to indirectly support the metacyclogenesis and eventual transmission of the African trypanosome protozoan parasites to their mammalian hosts. We have previously characterized the major anticoagulant, Tsetse Thrombin Inhibitor (TTI), from salivary extracts, and described molecular aspects of its cDNA from a Glossina morsitans morsitans salivary gland cDNA library. In addition, a family of two related genes with growth factor and adenosine-deaminase motifs (TSGF-1 and TSGF-2) have also been described. Here, we report on the molecular aspects of three different cDNAs and their putative products expressed in salivary glands: cDNAs TAg5, Tsal1 and Tsal2. The full-length transcript encoded by Tsetse Antigen 5 (TAg5) cDNA is 926 bp excluding the poly(A) stretch, and has an open reading frame of 259 amino acids that can encode for a protein of 28 925 Da. The putative product of TAg5 shows extensive similarities to cDNAs characterized from Drosophila (Agr and Agr2) and sandfly Lutzomyia (LuLoAG5). The cDNAs Tsal1 and Tsal2 are predicted to encode for mature proteins of 45 612 Da (399 amino acids) and 43 930 Da (389 amino acids), respectively, and their putative products exhibit over 42% identity to one another. The N terminus of each putative protein contains a hydrophobic region with signal peptide characteristics indicating that they may be secretory in nature. Transcripts specific for TAg5 and Tsal2 genes can be detected in all developmental stages of tsetse while Tsal1 expression is limited to adult and larval stages. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction based amplification approach indicates that TAg5 transcipts can be detected from proventriculus and midgut tissues of the fly in addition to salivary glands, while Tsal1 and Tsal2 expression is restricted to salivary gland and proventriculus. The salivary glands of adult males are found to express higher levels of TAg5 and Tsal2 in comparison to females while no significant sex-based difference is observed for Tsal1 expression. The expression of these cDNAs in different tsetse species (G. m. morsitans, Glossina austeni and Glossina fuscipes) shows wide variations.
Understanding Wage Growth: Estimating and Testing Learning-by-Doing

I adapt the basic insight from the literature that tests the permanent-income theory to test the learning-by-doing (LBD) model of human capital accumulation. I propose three measures of workers’ incentives to accumulate skills. These incentives correlate with wage growth conditional on hours worked and past wages, implying that significant components of wage growth are not accounted for by the LBD model. This suggests that wage growth is costly and that workers face a trade-off between current and future earnings. This trade-off has ramifications for wage subsidy policies and for understanding women’s decisions about children and career.
Evaluation of image quality parameters of representative intraoral digital radiographic systems.

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare imaging properties of 20 intraoral digital systems objectively. Study Design. Using a direct current x-ray source and a radiographic phantom, a series of radiographs was made from the lowest exposure time until the sensor saturated. Images were captured and stored. Incident exposures were measured using a radiation meter. Gray scale, spatial resolution, and contrast/detail detectability were evaluated. Presence of 7 distinct steps spanning the gray levels from 0 to 255 was used to define the exposure latitude. An “optimal” exposure, the lowest exposure where maximum spatial resolution and contrast/detail detectability were achieved, was determined. Results. The systems varied greatly in latitude, “optimal” exposure, and image quality. This may not be readily apparent to the naked eye or when clinical images are compared. Conclusions. Objective assessment of image quality with a quality assurance tool makes it possible to evaluate and compare the various intraoral digital systems. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2013;116:774-783) diseases, root fractures, and oral pathologies. 1 Until the 1980s, these radiographs were obtained using conventional film-based techniques. However, with developments in computer technology and the introduction of digital systems, digital sensors have started gaining popularity in the dental field. The progress has been toward a completely integrated digital environment where digital images can be centrally stored and organized using database systems. 2,3 Although digital x-ray sensors are comparable to analog film for diagnostic tasks, they have several advantages over film radiography. These include immediate image production with solid-state devices, interactive display on a monitor with the ability to enhance image features and make direct measurements, integrated storage with access to images through practice management software systems, security of available backup and off-site archiving, exact
Reproductive Protein Evolution

▪ Abstract The evolution of proteins involved in reproduction is only now beginning to be studied. A reoccurring observation is the rapid evolution of the molecules mediating reproductive events following the release of gametes. We review the examples where rapid evolution of reproductive proteins has been documented, covering taxa ranging from diatoms to humans. The selective pressures causing this divergence remain unknown, but several hypotheses are presented. The functional consequences of this rapid divergence could be involved in speciation.
Developing Objective Measures of Foreign-Accent Conversion

Various methods have recently appeared to transform foreign-accented speech into its native-accented counterpart. Evaluation of these accent conversion methods requires extensive listening tests across a number of perceptual dimensions. This article presents three objective measures that may be used to assess the acoustic quality, degree of foreign accent, and speaker identity of accent-converted utterances. Accent conversion generates novel utterances: those of a foreign speaker with a native accent. Therefore, the acoustic quality in accent conversion cannot be evaluated with conventional measures of spectral distortion, which assume that a clean recording of the speech signal is available for comparison. Here we evaluate a single-ended measure of speech quality, ITU-T recommendation P.563 for narrow-band telephony. We also propose a measure of foreign accent that exploits a weakness of automatic speech recognizers: their sensitivity to foreign accents. Namely, we use phoneme-level match scores given by the HTK recognizer trained on a large number of English American speakers to obtain a measure of native accent. Finally, we propose a measure of speaker identity that projects acoustic vectors (e.g., Mel cepstral, F0) onto the linear discriminant that maximizes separability for a given pair of source and target speakers. The three measures are evaluated on a corpus of accent-converted utterances that had been previously rated through perceptual tests. Our results show that the three measures have a high degree of correlation with their corresponding subjective ratings, suggesting that they may be used to accelerate the development of foreign-accent conversion tools. Applications of these measures in the context of computer assisted pronunciation training and voice conversion are also discussed.
“Forbidden Games”: Post-Traumatic Child's Play

Abstract This paper traces the historical and anthropological background of espiritismo and its importance as a folk belief system in mainland Hispanic populations. Pertinent literature is reviewed. Results of a study of the frequency in which psychiatric populations of Puerto Rican and other Hispanic children are involved in the belief system are included. Areas for continued research are outlined.
Effects of propofol and thiopental on maternal and fetal cardiovascular and acid-base variables in the pregnant ewe.

Background The effects of propofol on uterine blood flow are not understood well. This is a relatively new agent that is finding increased use for nonobstetric surgical procedures during pregnancy and induction of anesthesia for cesarean section. Methods The effects of induction and maintenance of anesthesia with propofol were studied on maternal and fetal cardiovascular and acid-base variables in a chronically instrumented pregnant sheep model. Anesthesia was induced with a 2 mg/kg bolus of propofol and maintained with of one of three continuous infusions: 150, 300, and 450 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1. The control group received thiopental for induction, and anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. Results The use of propofol did not adversely affect maternal or fetal mean arterial pressure, heart rate, or base excess, fetal heart rate variability, or uterine blood flow. Uterine blood flow transiently decreased during induction and intubation with thiopental but remained stable during induction with propofol. However, administration of succinylcholine for intubation in the presence of propofol resulted in a transient, but severe, maternal bradycardia. Continuous infusion of 300 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 of propofol appeared to provide satisfactory anesthesia in the ewe. Conclusions Assuming the applicability of ovine data to humans, these findings suggest that induction and maintenance of anesthesia with propofol and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen has no adverse fetal effects but warrants caution because of the potential risk of severe maternal bradycardia during induction of anesthesia using the combination of propofol and succinylcholine.
“GREEN CONFUSION”: EVOLUTION AND ENTANGLEMENT IN H. G. WELLS’S THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU (1896) is a richly confused novel, and its complexities and mixed agendas constitute one reason why this remarkable enactment of ideas and theories has received so much, and such varied, critical attention. Its generic, psychological, and thematic disorder does not stand out as much as it might, however, because confusion itself — biological, ethical, epistemological — is one of its subjects.1 Furthermore, the text begins with great and misleading attention to accuracy, precision, and narrative control. First, Charles Edward Prendick introduces the manuscript of his now deceased uncle, Edward Prendick, starting with these details: “On February the First, 1887, the Lady Vain was lost by collision with a derelict when about the latitude 1° S. and longitude 107° W” (3; Intro.). When Edward Prendick commences the story proper, he begins with similar exactitude, stating what “every one knows” — that “the Lady Vain . . . collided with a derelict when ten days out from Callao. The long-boat, with seven of the crew, was picked up eighteen days after by H. M. gunboat Myrtle” (4; ch. 1). He then shifts to private knowledge: although four men in the ship’s dinghy were thought to have perished, there were actually only three men in the boat, with he himself as the sole survivor of that group.
Toward Understanding the Effects of Cross-Cultural Schemata and Discourse Structure on Second Language Reading Comprehension:

Research on second culture and second language reading comprehension is reviewed to support the claim that second language reading is an interactive process, involving the interrelationship of cultural schemata and discourse structure. Studies on content schemata include investigations of the roles of cultural knowledge and second language proficiency in comprehension . Studies on discourse processing include linguistic descriptions of ethnolinguistic discourse patterns (contrastive rhetoric), as well as psycholinguistic comprehension studies on expository prose, story structure, and cohesion. This multidisciplinary review functions as an argument for the roles of cultural schemata and discourse structure in an interactive model of first and second language reading. It is a well-documented fact that native language reading comprehension involves the role of knowledge of the world and knowledge of native text structure (Langer & Smith-Burke, 1982; Spiro, Bruce, & Brewer, 1980). Reading is a complex interactive, hypothesis-generating psycholinguistic process which is tied intimately to the reader's language proficiency. While there are basic similarities in the fluent reading process in various languages (see Goodman & Goodman, 1978; Hudelson, 1981), it is natural to expect that nonnative language proficiency or language differences may influence reading and learning
Transvalued Species in an African Forest

We combined ethnographic investigations with repeated ecological transect surveys in the Dzanga- Sangha Dense Forest Reserve (RDS), Central African Republic, to elucidate consequences of intensifying mixed use of forests. We devised a framework for transvaluation of wildlife species, which means the valuing of species on the basis of their ecological, economic, and symbolic roles in human lives. We measured responses to hunting, tourism, and conservation of two transvalued species in RDS: elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis )a nd gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). Our methods included collecting data on encounter rates and habitat use on line transects. We recorded cross-cultural variation in ideas about and interactions with these species during participant observation of hunting and tourism encounters and ethnographic interviews with hunters, con- servation staff, researchers, and tourists. Ecologically, gorillas used human-modified landscapes successfully, and elephants were more vulnerable than gorillas to hunting. Economically, tourism and encounters with ele- phants and gorillas generated revenues and other benefits for local participants. Symbolically, transvaluation of species seemed to undergird competing institutions of forest management that could prove unsustainable. Nevertheless, transvaluation may also offer alternatives to existing social hierarchies, thereby integrating local and transnational support for conservation measures. The study of transvaluation requires attention to transnational flows of ideas and resources because they influence transspecies interactions. Cross-disciplinary in nature, transvalution of species addresses the political and economic challenges to conservation because it recognizes the varied human communities that shape the survival of wildlife in a given site. Transvaluation of species could foster more socially inclusive management and monitoring approaches attuned to competing economic demands, specific species behaviors, and human practices at local scales.
Meteorological Parameter Monitoring and Data Quality

Evaporation and evapotranspiration (ET) estimation models require meteorological observations as input. The quality of the input data determines the quality of evaporation and evapotranspiration estimation. It is important to discuss the subject of meteorological monitoring, types of sensors, and challenges of operation and maintenance. In this chapter, the most common meteorological variables and examples of respective sensors are presented. Examples of meteorological data quality variations that reflect characteristics of most monitoring systems are presented. The significance of input meteorological data quality in determining the quality of ET estimates is addressed.
5,7-DHT—induced lesions of the nucleus basalis or frontal cortex do not block passive avoidance retention impairments produced by p -chloroamphetamine in rats

The effects of serotonergic lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) or regions within the frontal cortex (FCTX) induced with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine were examined to determine whether such damage would block the amnesia-producing effect of pretraining (30 min) p-chloroamphetamine (PCA; 2.5 mg/kg) in rats trained on passive avoidance. Results indicated that, irrespective of their lesion condition, all groups treated with PCA exhibited 72-h retention impairments. Serotonergic lesions of the nbM or FCTX alone did not affect retention performance despite producing extensive depletions of serotonin (34.8%–84.7%) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (59.0%–86.0%). Neither lesion procedure, nor the administration of PCA, had an effect on activity levels of cholinergic markers choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase within the frontal cortex. These data demonstrate that the memory-impairing effects of PCA are not (1) dependent on the existence of releasable pools of serotonin in the nbM or FCTX, (2) mediated by stimulation of serotonergic receptors in the nbM or FCTX, or (3) related to disruption of cholinergic activity within the frontal cortex. These data also reveal that serotonergic lesions to the nbM or FCTX by themselves do not produce impairments in retention on passive avoidance.
Importance of the same or different readers pre- and post-therapy for anatomic vs. metabolic response assessments

1773 Objectives To compare inter-rater agreement of anatomic and metabolic response assessments when quantitative measurements of tumor size and metabolism are determined by the same vs. different readers pre- and post-therapy. Methods 52 tumors (25 pts) were evaluated by FDG PET/CT pre- and post-therapy. Maximum single-pixel SUVbw (SUV) and CT size measurements were determined for each tumor independently pre- and post-therapy by 4 PET and 4 CT readers. Percent changes in SUV and CT size between pre- and post-therapy scans were calculated using 1) the same reader pre- and post-therapy and 2) 12 combinations of readers pre- and post-therapy (i.e., reader 1 (R1) pre-therapy and R2 post therapy, etc). Metabolic and anatomic responses for each tumor were assigned according to PERCIST or RECIST 1.1, respectively for all percent change determinations. Kappa statistics describe inter-rater agreement in response classifications. Results The means (±sd) of the average percent change in tumor size for all tumors with the same vs. different readers pre- and post-therapy were not statistically different (-20±27% vs. -14±34%, p=0.27), similar to previously reported results for means of average percent change in SUV with the same vs. different readers (-45±34% vs. -43±38%, p=0.87). Inter-rater agreement in anatomic response classification was better for the same (kappa 0.77) vs. different (kappa 0.61) CT readers compared to less variable results for metabolic response classifications determined by the same vs. different readers (kappa 0.95 vs. 0.92). Conclusions Anatomic response classification is more variable when multiple CT readers perform assessments at different time points compared to a single CT reader. This contrasts highly reproducible results for PET metabolic response classifications with one or multiple readers, further supporting SUV as a robust and generalizable parameter for monitoring tumor response to therapy
Viral hepatitis: Drug–drug interactions in HCV treatment — the good, the bad and the ugly

A recent study demonstrated that drug–drug interactions are common in patients with HCV and are a challenge for treatment. Identification of these interactions can be time-consuming and complex. A multidisciplinary approach to HCV treatment, including a clinical pharmacist, can help identify and manage HCV drug interactions.
Bcr: a negative regulator of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia is typically characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) in which 5′ portions of the BCR gene are fused to a large portion of the ABL gene. Our studies and those of others indicate that Bcr sequences within the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein are critically involved in activating the Abl tyrosine kinase and actively participate in the oncogenic response, which is generated by the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. We investigated the role of the Bcr protein in the oncogenic effects of Bcr-Abl. Reduction of the level of the Bcr protein by incubating cells with a 3′ BCR anti-sense oligodeoxynucleotide increased the growth rate and survival of hematopoietic cell lines expressing Bcr-Abl. Also, enforced expression of Bcr in Bcr-Abl cell lines strongly reduced transformation efficiency. Induction of Bcr expression drastically reduced the phosphotyrosine content of Bcr-Abl in Rat-1 fibroblasts transformed by P185 BCR-ABL and in hematopoietic cells expressing P210 Bcr-Abl within days following induction of Bcr. Rat-1/P185 cells maintained for three weeks after Bcr induction had dramatically reduced amounts of phosphotyrosine proteins compared to cells in which Bcr expression was repressed by the addition of Tet. In contrast Bcr expression did not decrease the phosphotyrosine content of either v-Src or activated Neu tyrosine kinase. Importantly, the phosphotyrosine content of total P160 BCR (induced plus endogenous) was strongly reduced by inducing expression of Bcr, indicating that the induced Bcr protein was not a target of the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl but instead functioned as an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl. These results show that the Bcr protein can function as a negative regulator of Bcr-Abl, but that the inhibitory effects of Bcr are dependent on achieving an elevated level of Bcr expression relative to Bcr-Abl.