cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Barriers to Socialization: Turkey and Regional International Organizations

Turkey has long been a productive member of regional international organizations (IOs) like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Council of Europe. Theorists of socialization would predict that Turkey's activities within these organizations would encourage European Union (EU) members who belong to these IOs to support Turkey's application for EU membership. In reality, many EU members who share memberships with Turkey voice severe reservations about the prospects of Turkish EU membership. This article seeks to explain this puzzle. It demonstrates why socialization dynamics have failed to materialize in the Turkey-EU relationship and tests alternative explanations for 'failed socialization'. It finds empirical support for two such explanations. The first involves limitations of IOs' ability to discourage 'bad behavior' by member states. The second involves the increasing importance of mass publics and the dissolution of a 'permissive consensus' that has characterized past decisions about EU enlargement.
Microsurgical extracapsular forceps.

Summary Microsurgical forceps, designed to remove the anterior capsule with minimal stress to the lens zonules, produced a large opening while maintaining good anterior chamber depth during extracapsular cataract surgery.
Foreign ownership, non-traded goods and the effects of terms of trade changes on national welfare

Abstract This paper extends the theory of international trade in the presence of foreign ownership to incorporate non-traded goods. It is shown that, with non-traded goods, national and aggregate welfare might move in opposite directions in response to a terms of trade deterioration even when national and aggregate trade specialization patterns coincide.
Corruption and Firm Performance

Most empirical research on the subject of corruption has found evidence of its deleterious effects on firms, industries, and society in general. Yet the persistence of corruption, which is present in virtually every form of public governance, suggests that the disparate benefits are difficult to unravel and lead to support for the status quo. In this paper, the authors analyze survey data from over 400 Armenian businesses to study the perceived favorability and impact of corruption on firm-level performance. The research relies on the data from two ordered response survey questions on corruption that were collected as part of a broad survey of issues facing firms pertaining to competition and industry structure. The dual role of the perceived favorability and degree of impact of corruption are modeled in a seemingly unrelated bivariate ordered probit framework. We find that corruption is perceived as more favorable among firms that (1) do not face significant competition, (2) are relatively larger, and (3...
Inactivation and Injury of a Hemolytic Radiation‐Resistant Micrococcus Isolated From Chicken Meat

The effects of environmental factors on a highly radiation-resistant hemolytic micrococcus isolated from chicken meat were studied. NaCl tolerance and gamma radiation resistance of the cells were growth phase related. The cells were resistant to injury from drying or freezing/thawing. Under certain conditions, cells in the frozen state required approximately 5 Mrad to inactivate 90% of the population; 0.2 Mrad injured an equivalent proportion. Survival curve of the cells heated at 60°C showed a unique pattern which was in three distinct phases. Heat-stressed cells were much more sensitive to radiation inactivation than unheated cells. When suspended in fresh m-Plate Count Broth (PCB), the injured cells repaired without multiplication during incubation at 32°C. The repair process in this bacterium, however, was slower compared to thermally injured organisms studied by other workers.
Homology representations arising from the half cube

Abstract We construct a CW decomposition C n of the n-dimensional half cube in a manner compatible with its structure as a polytope. For each 3 ⩽ k ⩽ n , the complex C n has a subcomplex C n , k , which coincides with the clique complex of the half cube graph if k = 4 . The homology of C n , k is concentrated in degree k − 1 and furthermore, the ( k − 1 ) st Betti number of C n , k is equal to the ( k − 2 ) nd Betti number of the complement of the k-equal real hyperplane arrangement. These Betti numbers, which also appear in theoretical computer science, numerical analysis and engineering, are the coefficients of a certain Pascal-like triangle (Sloane's sequence A119258). The Coxeter groups of type D n act naturally on the complexes C n , k , and thus on the associated homology groups.
Random Dynamics of Stochastic Reaction–Diffusion Systems with Additive Noise

For a typical autocatalytic stochastic reaction–diffusion system with additive noises, the multicomponent reversible Gray–Scott reaction–diffusion system on a two-dimensional bounded domain, the existence of a random attractor and its attracting regularity are proved through the sharp uniform estimates showing respectively the pullback absorbing, asymptotically compact, and flattening properties.
Needle in the haystack purulent pericarditis from injection drug use

Central needle embolization is a rare complication of intravenous drug abuse which has only been reported on a handful of occasions. Previously reported cases of needle embolization to the heart have been managed conservatively (observation alone) or by surgical intervention. We report a case of purulent pericarditis without evidence of valvular vegetations resulting from an embolized, infected needle fragment. In the present case, the needle was successfully removed from the right ventricle percutaneously. This case illustrates the unique finding of purulent pericarditis due to a persistent foreign body in the right ventricle, and the nontraditional intervention performed for needle fragment removal which resulted in full clinical recovery of the patient.
GDF SUEZ — GreenLys WP2: Estimating the benefits and costs of a smart electrical system in French urban areas in 2020–2030

WP2 of the GreenLys project piloted by GDF SUEZ aims to realize a costs-benefits analysis of a smart grid based on the demonstrator deployed within the project in Lyon and Grenoble. Spread over 4 years and launched a year ago, the WP2 presents here its first realizations on the topic. The first step has been to define a value chain for a Smart Grid. Secondly a methodology to quantify costs and benefits had been elected that led to the identification of more than 40 possible benefits generated by the deployment of a smart grid. Following the choice of a methodology and preliminary to the quantification of the costs and the benefits, five scenarios describing various types of smart grids have been selected and are presented in this paper
Sectored tube-shaped ionic polymer-metal composite actuator with integrated sensor

This paper describes the development of a tube-shaped ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator with sectored electrodes and an integrated resistive strain-based displacement sensor. Tube or cylindrical shaped IPMC actuators, with the ability to provide multiple degrees-of-freedom motion, can be used to create active catheter biomedical devices and novel bio-inspired propulsion mechanisms for underwater autonomous systems. An experimental tube-shaped IPMC actuator is manufactured from a 40-mm long Nafion polymer tube with inner diameter of 1.3 mm and outer diameter of 1.6 mm. The outer surface of the tube-shaped structure is plated with platinum metal via an electroless plating process. The platinum electrode on the tube’s outer surface is sectored into four isolated electrodes using a simple surface milling technique. A custom-designed strain sensor comprised of 50 AWG ni-chrome wire is developed and attached to the tube’s surface to sense the bending motion of the tube actuator. The integrated sensor is low cost and practical, and it avoids the need for bulky external sensors such as lasers for measuring deflection and feedback control. Preliminary experimental results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the IPMC tube actuator and integrated displacement sensor.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Acute inhalation toxicity of 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene (chloroprene): effects on liver and lung.

Abstract 2-Chloro-1,3-butadiene (chloroprene, CBD), a major industrial chemical used in synthetic chlorinated rubber production, is acutely hepatotoxic. Fasted rats were exposed to concentrations of 100, 150, 225, and 300 ppm CBD for 4 hr and killed at 24 hr. Liver injury as measured by increased serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was apparent in animals exposed to 225 and 300 ppm CBD. Non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) concentrations in liver were increased 24 hr after all exposures. Lung NPSH concentrations were decreased significantly after 100- and 300-ppm exposure. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was increased after exposure to 300 ppm. When this same enzyme was measured in lung lavage fluid from animals killed 24 hr after exposure, no elevation was detected. Thus, acute lung injury did not manifest itself with a release of LDH into the airway at this time. Alternatively, airway injury may have resolved by 24 hr. Aroclor 1254 (PCB) pretreatment prevented liver injury (SDH elevation, liver enlargement, and NPSH rebound) following exposure to 100 and 300 ppm CBD. Lung NPSH was not decreased by CBD exposure of PCB-pretreated, fasted rats. The pattern of CBD toxicity is comparable to 1,1-dichloroethylene toxicity.
Calcium Blocker Diltiazem Inhibits Platelet Activation and Stimulates Vascular Prostacyclin Synthesis

The effects of slow channel calcium blocker diltiazem on platelet aggregation and on the generation of vasoactive prostanoids, thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin were examined. Diltiazem, in therapeutic concentrations (50–200 ng/ml), inhibited human platelet activation induced by cumulative sub-threshold concentrations of calcium ionophore A 23187 plus ADP or epinephrine. However, platelet activation induced by cumulative effects of ADP plus ephinephrine was inhibited by diltiazem only in very high concentrations (> 5 μg/ml). These data indicate that platelet aggregation mediated only through calcium flux is inhibited by diltiazem in therapeutic concentrations. In other experiments, diltiazem significantly potentiated prostacyclin release from human umbilical veins. These effects of diltiazem may contribute to efficacy of this compound in ischemic heart disease.
On the electronic structure of substituted phthalocyanines: a Hartree−Fock−Slater study of octacyano- and octafluoro-substituted (phthalocyaninato)silicon dihydroxide

Etude des effets de substitution par des groupes fortement attracteurs sur les proprietes electroniques de Si(Pc)(OH 2 ) (Pc=phtalocyanato)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis miniepidemic in a church gospel choir.

Background Conventional contact investigation and molecular fingerprinting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks have facilitated recognition as well as application of public health control activities. Singing in a choir as an activity that promotes TB transmission has been occasionally recognized. Such avocational transmission in a middle class community can occur with attendant difficulties encountered in contact investigation. Methods Five cases of TB (one index case; three secondary cases; one unassociated case) were identified among members of a famous church gospel choir in Newark, NJ. DNA fingerprinting and susceptibility testing were done on all retrieved strains. Of 306 choir members who had tuberculin tests, 19% were reactors. The presumed outbreak site was investigated. Results Four of the five patients were tenors, and one was an alto. Tenors were approximately twice as likely to be tuberculin reactors than subjects with other vocal ranges combined (relative risk, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.17 to 3.56). An air ventilation outlet was directly in front of the tenor section. Some limited extra-church activity between choir members may have contributed to transmission. Conclusion Conventional contact investigation must be supplemented by newer techniques, such as DNA figerprinting, in identifying possible outbreak transmission. Singing, location of a ventilation outlet, and exposure time may have contributed to TB transmission in this outbreak. Transmission need not only be in congregate settings among well-defined socioeconomic groups but may occur unexpectedly in middle class communities.
Durable complete remission of macroglobulinemia after splenectomy : a report of two cases and review of the literature

Two patients with macroglobulinemia (monoclonal lgM in the serum) and massive splenomegaly were incapacitated by progressive disease refractory to standard chemotherapy. In each case, palliative splenectomy was followed by a prompt, complete, and unexpected clinical remission with disappearance from the serum of the monoclonal IgM component. One patient remains free of disease 12 years after splenectomy. The other patient remained free of detectable macroglobulinemia for 13 years after splenectomy. A review of the literature revealed other cases of remission of macroglobulinemia attributable to splenectomy alone. Data in humans and animals suggest that the spleen may facilitate IgM secretion by normal and malignant B lymphocytes. Splenectomy should be considered a possible treatment option for patients with massive splenomegaly and macroglobulinemia who progress on chemotherapy. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Back-Scattering Interferometry: An Ultrasensitive Method for the Unperturbed Detection of Acetylcholinesterase–Inhibitor Interactions

A series of inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) have been screened by back-scattering interferometry (BSI). Enzyme levels as low as 100 pM (22,000 molecules of AChE) can be detected. This method can be used to screen for mixed AChE inhibitors, agents that have shown high efficacy against Alzheimer's disease, by detecting dual-binding interactions.
Methods of increasing the efficiency of thermal diffusion columns

Experience with construction details and certain operating conditions for the improvement of the efficiency of thermal diffusion colums for isotope seperation are discussed.
Common variable immune deficiency with gastrointestinal graft versus host disease

Abstract Rationale AS, a 22 year-old female, was diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency Syndrome at age 19 years-old after many years of symptoms including chronic anemia and thrombocytopenia requiring multiple transfusions, empyema and chronic cutaneous fungal infections. Methods Her IgG at the time of diagnosis was 249 mg/dl. Recently, due to persistent gastrointestinal complaints, an evaluation was undertaken to determine an etiology. Results Her ensuing workup, and eventual intestinal biopsy, revealed the diagnosis of gastrointestinal graft versus host disease. The patient had received only type-matched blood products with her transfusions in the past. Conclusions Exposing patients to blood or its products is not without some inherent risks. These risk range from exposure to infectious agents, such as hepatitis or HIV, to immune mediated reactions leading to hemolysis. Fortunately modern screening techniques are quite good at identifying these risk factors and help minimize complications. However, not all potential complications have been identified. We present a case of post-transfusion gastrointestinal graft versus host disease in a patient with common variable immune deficiency syndrome
The effect of anti-psychotic medication and diagnostic criteria on distractibility in schizophrenia.

THE relative inability of some schizophrenic patients to attend selectively to sensory stimuli was noted in the earlier clinical observations of the disorder. KRAEPELIN~, for example, reported that some patients manifested “a kind of irresistible attraction of the attention to casual external impressions.” The phenomenological accounts of newly admitted schizophrenics reported by MCGHIE and CHAPMAN~ lent credence to the notion that the impairment of cognitive functions by the presence of distraction may be a primary deficit, central to our understanding of the disorder. McGhie and Chapman’s patients described experiencing a pronounced change in their attentional and perceptual abilities, particularly the ability to selectively organize and control incoming stimuli. This report was later substantiated by FREEDMAN and CHAPMAN~ who interviewed groups of schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients at intake using a standardized questionnaire. They found that, among other experiences, the schizophrenic group more frequently reported impaired speech perception, inability to focus attention, increased distractibility by external stimuli and irrelevant thoughts, and impairments in concentration which were attributed to factors other than preoccupation with personal problems. Half of these schizophrenics reported an attentional deficit like the one observed by McGhie and Chapman. Taking these clinical reports into the laboratory, many investigators have sought to demonstrate that the presence of irrelevant stimuli interferes more with the perceptual and cognitive processes of schizophrenics than with the performance of various control samples.+8 The typical design has required schizophrenics and control subjects to perform a simple perceptual or recall task in both the presence and absence of distracting stimuli. The usual result has been that schizophrenics’ performance resembles that of control
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Lower Levels of Sodium Intake and Reduced Cardiovascular Risk”

We welcome further discussion of our article on sodium and cardiovascular disease (CVD).1 The methodology used in analyzing the Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) follow-up in the current article was prespecified. For those in the active sodium intervention, levels of sodium changed over time, and for some reflected short-term compliance with the intervention. Average sodium excretion would not reflect long-term usual intake for these participants and would introduce error. For this reason, we conducted our analysis solely among those who were not assigned to a reduced sodium intervention. In addition, as Drs Cohen and Alderman acknowledge,2 we previously found a 25% lower rate of CVD in the sodium reduction arms in an analysis that …
A note comparing component-slope, Scheffé and Cox parameterizations of the linear mixture experiment model

Abstract A mixture experiment involves combining two or more components in various proportions and collecting data on one or more responses. A linear mixture model may adequately represent the relationship between a response and mixture component proportions and be useful in screening the mixture components. The Scheffe and Cox parameterizations of the linear mixture model are commonly used for analyzing mixture experiment data. With the Scheffe parameterization, the fitted coefficient for a component is the predicted response at that pure component (i.e. single-component mixture). With the Cox parameterization, the fitted coefficient for a mixture component is the predicted difference in response at that pure component and at a pre-specified reference composition. This article presents a new component-slope parameterization, in which the fitted coefficient for a mixture component is the predicted slope of the linear response surface along the direction determined by that pure component and at a pre-speci...
Differential effects of poly (Glu60, Phe40) (GPhe) on murine TH1 and TH2 cells.

Abstract The random amino acid copolymer (Glu 60 , Phe 40 ) n (GPhe) was previously shown to augment antigen-dependent proliferation of the murine T H 2 cell lines DCL-2 and D10.G4.1. In the present study, the addition of GPhe to (Glu 36 , Lys 24 , Ala 40 ) n (GLA)-primed BALB/c primary lymph node (1 ° LN) T cell cultures, the source of DCL-2, resulted in significant suppression of both the proliferative and lymphokine response to GLA. Suppression by GPhe of the 1° LN response was subsequently shown to be neither antigen- nor haplotype restricted, and was inhibitable by polyclonal anti-GPhe antibodies. Studies were extended to a GLA-reactive T cell hybridoma clone (DL.4G6.1), where significant suppression by GPhe of GLA-stimulated lymphokine production was observed as measured by markedly decreased HT-2 stimulatory activity of the collected supernatants. Subsequent antibody blocking experiments employing the monoclonal anti-murine IL-4 antibody 11B11 revealed that BALB/c GLA-reactive 1 ° LN T cells and DL.4G6.1 did not produce detectable levels of IL-4 in their culture fluids when stimulated by GLA, which suggested that these cells, unlike DCL-2, were T H 1-like in nature. The addition of GPhe to the T H 1 clones 5.2 and 5.9 resulted in significant suppression of proliferation to homologous antigen (ovalbumin), in contrast to the augmentation observed with the T H 2 cell lines DCL-2 and D10.G4.1. It was concluded from these data, that the addition of GPhe to various T cell cultures lead to unusual suppressive and augmenting activities specific for T H 1 and T H 2 cells, respectively. Although the mechanism for these dichotomous effects of GPhe is as yet undetermined, several possibilities are considered.
Identification of the Major Expressed S-Layer and Cell Surface-Layer-Related Proteins in the Model Methanogenic Archaea: Methanosarcina barkeri Fusaro and Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A

Many archaeal cell envelopes contain a protein coat or sheath composed of one or more surface exposed proteins. These surface layer (S-layer) proteins contribute structural integrity and protect the lipid membrane from environmental challenges. To explore the species diversity of these layers in the Methanosarcinaceae, the major S-layer protein in Methanosarcina barkeri strain Fusaro was identified using proteomics. The Mbar_A1758 gene product was present in multiple forms with apparent sizes of 130, 120, and 100 kDa, consistent with post-translational modifications including signal peptide excision and protein glycosylation. A protein with features related to the surface layer proteins found in Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A and Methanosarcina mazei Goel was identified in the M. barkeri genome. These data reveal a distinct conserved protein signature with features and implied cell surface architecture in the Methanosarcinaceae that is absent in other archaea. Paralogous gene expression patterns in two Methanosarcina species revealed abundant expression of a single S-layer paralog in each strain. Respective promoter elements were identified and shown to be conserved in mRNA coding and upstream untranslated regions. Prior M. acetivorans genome annotations assigned S-layer or surface layer associated roles of eighty genes: however, of 68 examined none was significantly expressed relative to the experimentally determined S-layer gene.
The dynamical evolution of Saturn's E-ring

The dynamical evolution of fine dust particles ejected from Enceladus and subsequently electrically charged within the Saturnian magnetosphere is studied. It is shown that the gyro-phase drift, which is radially outwards due to the strong radial temperature and density gradients in the magnetospheric plasma, is, by far, the fastest transport mechanism of these grains. Maintenance of the E-ring in a steady state throughout the age of the solar system would need a mass loss from Enceladus of about 2 parts in 1000.
Elastic properties of the titin filament in the Z-line region of vertebrate striated muscle.

The characteristics of the titin filament in the vicinity of the Z-line were investigated using immunoelectron microscopy. We used monoclonal titin antibodies T-11 and T-12 on single fibres of frog skeletal muscle, and on Z-line-extracted fibres. It is well established that the I-band region of titin is elastic. We find, however, that the elastic properties are not uniform. The T-12 epitope, which binds near the Z-line at the N1-line level, hardly changes position relative to the Z-line as the sarcomere is stretched. This demonstrates the functional inextensibility of the N1-Z-line region. After extreme stretch (above 6-μm sarcomere length), this zone finally does elongate; thus, the titin molecule in this region is intrisically elastic. The functional inextensibility seen at shorter sarcomere lengths may, therefore, be a result of binding of titin to the actin filament in the zone near the Z-line. When the Z-line was extracted, the T-12 epitope remained in the same position as in the unextracted fibres; it did not retract from the Z-line. Failure to retract implies that functional anchoring of titin is not exclusive to the Z-line, but includes some site closer to the A-band. Combined with the results of the above-mentioned stretch experiment, this result implies a likely binding of titin to the thin filament either focally at the N1 line or all along the entire N1-Z region. Thus, this region of titin is functionally stiff, but intrinsically elastic.
Stochastic models of war alliances

Lewis F. Richardson, the British physicist and meteorologist, devoted much of his life and scientific work to the study of the quantitative aspects of warfare. It was his firm belief that wars arise from measurable relations between nations and groups and that an understanding of these relationships would contribute more to the furtherance of peaceful coexistence than would conventional diplomacy. In a sense, his work was pioneering. The application of the methods of measurement and analysis of the physical scientist to the statistics of wars was unique. However, wars represent only a particular type of social phenomenon and the widening interest in the use of mathematical models in the social and psychological sciences suggests that Richardson's work should be viewed in the broader context of the mathematical revolution in social
Availability of Biologically Fixed Atmospheric Nitrogen-15 to Higher Plants

THE direct utilization by higher plants of nitrogen fixed by blue-green algae could play a substantial part in the Earth's nitrogen cycle. That certain species of blue-green algae can fix nitrogen when grown in solution culture is well established1. The maintenance of soil nitrogen supplies in rice paddy has been attributed to the growth and fixation of nitrogen by blue-green algae. Recently it was postulated that the blue-green algae may be important in the nitrogen economy of grazing lands2–4.
Carbon Monoxide Controls the Proliferation of Hypoxic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Excess vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and contractility are key events in the pathophysiology of vascular disorders induced by hypoxia. We have recently reported that carbon monoxide (CO), produced by VSMC under conditions of hypoxia, can be a modulator of cGMP levels in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In this respect, some of the physiologic effects of CO in the vasculature parallel those of nitric oxide (NO), a well characterized regulator of vascular tone. We report here that under hypoxia, VSMC-derived CO is an important regulator of VSMC proliferation. Inhibiting CO formation or scavenging CO with hemoglobin increased VSMC proliferation in response to serum or to mitogens such as endothelin, whereas increasing CO production or exposing cells to exogenous CO lead to a markedly attenuated growth response. The effects of CO on VSMC proliferation correlated with changes in E2F-1 expression, the prototype member of a family of transcription factors that participate in the control of cell cycle progression. CO significantly suppressed E2F-1 expression, whereas, removal of CO from the cultures with hemoglobin lead to increased E2F-1 gene transcription, mRNA, and protein production as well as mRNA levels of c-myc, a target gene of E2F-1. Moreover, the actions of CO were mediated by the second messenger molecule, cGMP. Limiting VSMC growth by increasing the release of CO may represent a key event in the body's compensatory responses to hypoxia.
Early detection of dysplasia in colon and bladder tissue using laser-induced fluorescence

Laser induced fluorescence has been explored as an early detection scheme for two clinically important examples of neoplasia: colorectal dysplasia and transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary bladder. In both, it is desirable to detect microscopic and biochemical changes of pre-cancer in order to identify patients at risk for developing invasive carcinoma. This paper will compare the fluorescence obtained from these two pre-cancerous conditions, and discuss the connection between the fluorescence and the morphological/molecular changes occurring in the tissue. The similarities and differences in the fluorescence will be compared to determine the general features of pre-cancerous changes that might be utilized for detection of the disease.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computerized breast parenchymal analysis on DCE-MRI

Breast density has been shown to be associated with the risk of developing breast cancer, and MRI has been recommended for high-risk women screening, however, it is still unknown how the breast parenchymal enhancement on DCE-MRI is associated with breast density and breast cancer risk. Ninety-two DCE-MRI exams of asymptomatic women with normal MR findings were included in this study. The 3D breast volume was automatically segmented using a volume-growing based algorithm. The extracted breast volume was classified into fibroglandular and fatty regions based on the discriminant analysis method. The parenchymal kinetic curves within the breast fibroglandular region were extracted and categorized by use of fuzzy c-means clustering, and various parenchymal kinetic characteristics were extracted from the most enhancing voxels. Correlation analysis between the computer-extracted percent dense measures and radiologist-noted BIRADS density ratings yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.76 (p<0.0001). From kinetic analyses, 70% (64/92) of most enhancing curves showed persistent curve type and reached peak parenchymal intensity at the last postcontrast time point; with 89% (82/92) of most enhancing curves reaching peak intensity at either 4th or 5th post-contrast time points. Women with dense breast (BIRADS 3 and 4) were found to have more parenchymal enhancement at their peak time point (Ep) with an average Ep of 116.5% while those women with fatty breasts (BIRADS 1 and 2) demonstrated an average Ep of 62.0%. In conclusion, breast parenchymal enhancement may be associated with breast density and may be potential useful as an additional characteristic for assessing breast cancer risk.
Personality characteristics of heroin addicts in a methadone treatment program: an exploratory study

The present study was designed to assess some of the personality attributes of heroin addicts in a methadone maintenance program. The Shostrom Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) was administered to a randomly selected sample of 70 such addicts and to a control group of 11 nontreated heroin addicts. Multivariate and univariate comparisons of the two groups did indicate that the methadone group scored significantly higher in terms of level of maturational attainment and of self-actualization than did the control group. As for within-group differences in the methadone sample, no sex or race differences in personality scores were observed. It was also found that duration of methadone treatment is not significantly related to any change in addict self-perception over time. The only consistent difference noted was between methadone-treated addicts who did receive some form of psychotherapeutic counseling and those who did not. The former group was found to be significantly more expressive socioemotionally and...
An On-Chip Sensor to Monitor NBTI Effects in SRAMs

The increasing need to store more and more information has resulted in the fact that Static Random Access Memories (SRAMs) occupy the greatest part of Systems-on-Chip (SoCs). Therefore, SRAM's robustness is considered crucial in order to guarantee the reliability of such SoCs over lifetime. In this context, one of the most important phenomena that degrades Nano-Scale SRAMs reliability is related to Negative-Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI), which causes the memory cells aging. The main goal of this paper is to present a hardware-based approach able to monitor SRAMs' aging during the SoC's lifetime based on the insertion of On-Chip Aging Sensors (OCASs). In more detail, the proposed strategy is based on the connection of one OCAS to every SRAM column, each periodically monitoring write operations on the SRAM cells. It is important to note that in order to prevent the OCAS from aging and to reduce leakage power dissipation, the OCAS circuitry is powered-off during its idle periods. The proposed hardware-based approach has been evaluated throughout SPICE simulations using 65 nm CMOS technology and the results demonstrate the sensor's capacity to detect early aging states and therefore, guaranteeing high SRAM reliability. To conclude, a complete analysis of the sensor's overheads is presented.
The role of digestion in the black sea bass, Centropristis striata, on the chemical speciation of organically bound cadmium.

1. The process of digestion (in vivo and in vitro) upon the chemical form of intrinsic cadmium (Cd) in oysters was examined. 2. Analyses of stomach contents of adult black sea bass (Centropristis strial), 6 hr after consuming oysters previously exposed to Cd, indicated that Cd was associated with five protein fractions having approximate molecular weights of > 160,000, 74,000, 38,000, 11,000 and <4000. 3. After 24 hr of in vivo digestion, analyses of intestinal contents indicated that most of the detectable Cd was associated with smaller molecular weight compounds. 4. Similar results were obtained in an in vitro digestion system; the Cd was associated with somewhat larger complexes than those found in the in vivo digestion. 5. Free amino acids were present in the low-molecular weight organo-Cd fraction, suggesting a possible role of amino acids in intestinal Cd transport.
Selective inactivation of the plasminogen contaminant in thrombin.

THE contamination of preparations of thrombin and fibrinogen with plasminogen, the precursor of the fibrinolytic enzyme, has always presented great difficulties in the measurement of fibrinolytic activity.
Effective free space management for cut-based placement via analytical constraint generation

IP blocks and large macro cells are becoming more prevalent in the physical layout of a design, actually causing an increase in the available free space. We observe that top-down placement based on recursive bisection with multilevel partitioning performs poorly on these porous designs since it lacks a global view of the ideal placement. However, the strength of analytic placement methods lies in their ability to ascertain this global view. Consequently, we propose an enhancement to cut-based placement called analytic constraint generation (ACG). ACG utilizes an analytic engine to distribute available free space appropriately by determining balance constraints for each partitioning step. For one-dimensional placements, our experiments illustrate the large gap between analytic engines, traditional cut-based placement, and ACG as a design becomes increasingly sparse. We also show that for real industry designs, ACG significantly improves the performance of cut-based placement, particularly timing perspective, as implemented within a state-of-the-art industrial placer.
Can Retrieval Opportunities Increase Vocabulary Learning During Reading

Because reading for meaning only can lead to low rates of second language (L2) vocabulary learning and because previous research has demonstrated the benefits of word retrieval opportunities for intentional L2 vocabulary learning (Barcroft, 2007; McNamara & Healy, 1995a, Experiment 2; Royer, 1973), the present study assessed the effect of providing learners with opportunities to retrieve novel words as they read a passage. Seventy-four Spanish-speaking intermediate learners of L2 English read an English text for meaning. Each of five target words (e.g., smidgen) appeared three times in the text. Control participants (n = 37) always viewed the Spanish translations of the target words. Participants in the experimental condition (n = 37) viewed the Spanish translation for each target word only the first time the word appeared and then attempted to retrieve and produce (write) the word on their own for the final two appearances. Both first language (L1)-to-L2 and L2-to-L1 posttests were administered. Results indicated a highly significant (51%) increase in vocabulary learning for the experimental group over the control group. These findings suggest that both partial and complete target word retrieval can strengthen developing lexical representations and that word retrieval may be utilized to increase vocabulary learning during reading regardless of the L2 in question.
Polarized IR studies of silica glasses exposed to polarized excimer radiation

Silica glass exhibits a permanent anisotropic response, polarization-induced birefringence (PIB), when exposed to short-wavelength polarized light. This behavior has been correlated with the OH content of the glass. In this paper we describe polarized infrared studies of silica glasses of different OH content exposed with polarized 157 nm laser light. Changes in the fundamental OH band as a consequence of exposure are shown. We find differential bleaching of a particular OH band where OH species that are oriented parallel to the incident exposing polarization undergo greater bleaching than those oriented perpendicular. The preferential bleaching as a function of exposure time correlates strongly with the evolution of PIB, leading to a bleaching model of OH that is causally linked to PIB.
Approximation of feedback gain in LQR control of a neutral delay-differential equation

We consider finite dimensional semidiscrete approximation of an LQR control problem with dynamics governed by a neutral delay-differential equation. A test problem is constructed for which the exact feedback functional gain is determined. This problem is used to compare convergence behavior of two different linear spline Galerkin approximation schemes, and numerical results are presented.
Retention of function without normal disc morphogenesis occurs in cone but not rod photoreceptors

It is commonly assumed that photoreceptor (PR) outer segment (OS) morphogenesis is reliant upon the presence of peripherin/rds, hereafter termed Rds. In this study, we demonstrate a differential requirement of Rds during rod and cone OS morphogenesis. In the absence of this PR-specific protein, rods do not form OSs and enter apoptosis, whereas cone PRs develop atypical OSs and are viable. Such OSs consist of dysmorphic membranous structures devoid of lamellae. These tubular OSs lack any stacked lamellae and have reduced phototransduction efficiency. The loss of Rds only appears to affect the shape of the OS, as the inner segment and connecting cilium remain intact. Furthermore, these structures fail to associate with the specialized extracellular matrix that surrounds cones, suggesting that Rds itself or normal OS formation is required for this interaction. This study provides novel insight into the distinct role of Rds in the OS development of rods and cones.
THERMOMECHANICAL POSTBUCKLING OF GEOMETRICALLY IMPERFECT FLAT AND CURVED SANDWICH PANELS

This paper is concerned with the postbuckling of flat and curved sandwich panels under thermomechanical loadings. The mechanical loads consists of compressive/tensile edge loads, and a lateral pressure while the temperature field is assumed to exhibit a linear variation through the thickness of the panel. Towards obtaining the equations governing the postbuckling response, the extended Galerkin's method is used. The numerical illustrations concern doubly-curved, circular cylindrical and flat panels of quadratic projection on a plane, all the edges being simply-supported. Moveable and immoveable tangential boundary in the directions normal to the edges are considered and their implications upon the thermomechanical load carrying capacity are emphasized. Effects of the radii of curvature and of initial geometric imperfections upon the load carrying capacity of sandwich panels are also considered and their influence upon the attenuation of the intensity of the snap-through buckling are discussed. It is shown that in special cases involving the thermomechanical loading and initial geometric imperfection, the snap-through phenomenon can occur also in the case of flat sandwich panels.
Top-down method of teaching electronic courses

Summary form only given. The current methods of teaching many electronic courses do not reinforce the design and application in the teaching/learning process. The outcome of existing methods is engineering graduates who learn a lot of theory and definitions but little or no knowledge of application and design. Therefore, in the present engineering job market, it would be very difficult for them to be hired without sufficient design background. The top-down method shows the possibility of integration of design and into the most electronic courses. In the top-down method, the starting point is a design and application of an electronic product directly related to the course.
A framework for international information systems research

The globalization of business is affecting developed, newly industrialized and developing countries throughout the world. The capability of many organizations to successfully extend their businesses across borders and regions is heavily dependent on the effective deployment of information technology. A growing body of research literature is emerging to guide I/T researchers in internationally focused research. Yet there is not a generally applied framework for building a cumulative tradition in the area. The author presents a preliminary framework. Key questions for research in international information systems are suggested. >
Regulation of proteins affecting NMDA receptor-induced excitotoxicity in a Huntington's mouse model.

Summary Symptoms of Huntington’s disease may be caused by a toxic insult triggered by the mutant human huntingtin (Htt) protein itself, by a maladaptive protective mechanism initiated in response to an insult, or by a combination of these. We observed a protection from N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-induced excitotoxicity in striata of symptomatic N171-82Q mice, a new transgenic model of Huntington’s disease. The goal of this study was to determine if NMDA receptormediated signalling pathways are altered in these mice. Multiple proteins of NMDA receptor and dopamine D1 receptor pathways are being regulated in ways predictive of the protection we observe. Although examining NMDA receptor subunit proteins showed no change in NR1, NR2A, or NR2B in the striata of the symptomatic mice, we observed a decrease in phosphorylation of NR1 at Ser 897 , previously reported to decrease NMDA receptor current. The dopamine D1 receptor, responsible for protein kinase A activation and subsequent phosphorylation of Ser 897 of NR1, also showed an agerelated decrease. Other proteins regulated in this disease were associated with PSD-95-like scaffolding proteins of the NMDA receptor. Specifically, we observed a decrease in membrane-associated neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a decrease in PSD-95-like proteins, which link nNOS to the NMDA receptor complex, and a decrease in citron, a protein associated with dendritic spine formation. From these data, we conclude that the N171-82Q mice seem to be regulating, in a protective direction, many of the known effector pathways of NMDA receptor-induced excitotoxicity. These regulations, although seemingly effective in decreasing neuronal death, may in fact be causing some of the symptoms associated with the disease.
Analysis of Image Quality for Image Fusion via Monotonic Correlation

This paper introduces a nonlinear correlation coefficient that exploits isotonic (or monotonic) regression. We refer to this correlation coefficient as the monotonic correlation (MC). This paper demonstrates how the MC scores the consistency between possible image quality (IQ) features and actual human performance, which is measured by a perception study. This paper also shows the relationship between the MC and the generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test for the H 1 hypothesis that the IQ features are monotonically related to intrinsic human performance versus the null hypothesis that the relationship is arbitrary. Finally, the paper introduces a normalized GLR in order to assess the statistical significance of a high MC value. Using actual results from human perception experiments and the corresponding proposed IQ feature values for the imagery, the paper demonstrates how MC can identify worthy features that could be overlooked by traditional correlation values. The focus of the experiments center around the evaluation of IQ measures for image fusion applications.
Voronoi Diagram and Delaunay Triangulation: Applications and Challenges in Bioinformatics

In this talk, I first cover the applications of Voronoi Diagram and Delaunay Triangulation based on my personal experience. On the successful part, I will cover the history and development of the Jump-and-Walk algorithm, which is known as the first sublinear geometric algorithm nowadays and has been used in several famous software packages. On the bioinformatics applications, I will focus on three challenges: (1) contour interpolation, (2) protein folding, and (3) protein local structure alignment. I think that Voronoi Diagram and Delaunay Triangulation can play important roles in handling these problems.
Solutions to a Complete Web Service Discovery and Composition

With the increasing number of web services and growingr demand for web service oriented computing, it is necessary to develop fast algorithms that could take a service requirement, and through compositional search of UDDI registered web services, find a cost effective (in terms of length of service response, total cost of composed services, minimal length of services, amount of space used for composition discovery) result. This paper describes two approaches for syntactic search, one for discovery of web services, without chaining, and the second one for the compositional chaining of web services with a front-to- end DAG based search approach. The assumption is that a user provides a X m file stating his required output and set of inputs, and the algorithm is supposed to identify one or a chain of services that does the job.
Performance Studies of Commercial Workloads on a Multi-core System

The multi-threaded nature of many commercial applications makes them seemingly a good fit with the increasing number of available multi-core architectures. This paper presents our performance studies of a collection of commercial workloads on a multi-core system that is designed for total throughput. The selected workloads include full operational applications such as SAP-SD and IBM Trade, and popular synthetic benchmarks such as SPECjbb2005, SPEC SDET, Dbench, and Tbench. To evaluate the performance scalability and the thread-placement sensitivity, we monitor the application throughput, processor performance, and the memory subsystem of 8, 16, 24, and 32 hardware threads with (a) increasing number of cores and (b) increasing number of threads per core. We observe that these workloads scale close to linearly (with efficiencies ranging from 86% to 99%) with increasing number of cores. For scaling with hardware-threads per core, the efficiencies are between 50% and 70%. Furthermore, among other observations, our data show that the ability of hiding long latency memory operations (i.e. L2 misses) in a multi-core system enables the performance scaling.