cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interventional therapy: an alternative view.

in his editorial (pp 99-100, this issue), Dr. Diethrich expresses the remarkable opinion that catheter-based interventional therapy is the future of vascular surgery and suggests that vascular surgeons had best "get on board" or risk abandonment of the entire field to interventionalists, including radiologists, cardiologists, and, presumably, unnamed other 's . I strongly disagree with Dr. Diethrich's conclusions on many points. In the first place, the efficacy of interventional therapy has never been scientifically established, and all the claims of benefit to date are little more than anecdotes. It is the absolute responsibility of anyone proposing a new therapy to eventually prove its efficacy. It is not the responsibility of others to prove the new treatment is unsatisfactory. Having recently reviewed all the English language interventional literature, i take the clear position that interventional proponents have in no way proved the efficacy of their treatment. Mortality and acute complications of interventional therapy are comparable to that of good quality vascular surgery. Procedural cost averages about 40% of surgical costs, but a few repeat dilatations and the initial cost benefit is lost. The critical deficiency in the interventional literature is a remarkable dearth of objectively documented results and life-table presentation of procedural durability. The interventional literature continues to abound with such assessment terms as " p a t e n c y " (usually determined on the table at the conclusion of the procedure) and patients, self-assessment of "imp rovement" . Even attempts to use an increased ankle/brachial index as an objective assessment are frequently tainted by the small print informing us that ei ther an improvement in ABI or an improvement in pedal Doppler analogue arterial waveforms
Investigation of the role of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid in the degradation of lignin by white-rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

An aminophenol, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA), has been proposed to play important roles in lignin degradation. Production of 3-HAA in Pycnoporus cinnabarinus was completely inhibited by a combination of tryptophan and S-(2-aminophenyl)-L-cysteine S,S-dioxide (APCD) while the fungus grew well and produced high amounts of laccase. The biosynthesis of 3-HAA is mainly through the metabolism of tryptophan in the kynurenine pathway. A minor pathway for 3-HAA synthesis is through the hydroxylation of anthranilic acid during the biosynthesis of tryptophan in the shikimic acid pathway. Through UV irradiation of wild-type P. cinnabarinus (WT-Pc) spores, a 3-HAA-less mutant was produced. Both WT-Pc, under the inhibitory culture condition, and the 3-HAA-less mutant were found to degrade lignin in unbleached kraft pulp as efficiently as the WT-Pc, which unambiguously demonstrated that 3-HAA does not play an important role in the fungal degradation of lignin.
Mesenchymal regulation of alveolar repair in pulmonary fibrosis.

Induction of alveolar epithelial cell phenotypes via mesenchymal signaling regulates pneumocyte differentiation not only during lung development (1, 2) but also during the response to a myriad of injuries inciting fibrogenesis (3). Signals generated in the epithelium and the mesenchyme regulate critical functions of cells in both compartments reciprocally, with transduction mediated by soluble growth factors, membrane-anchored receptors, and extracellular matrix proteins (4). Such epithelial‐mesenchymal interactions characterize remodeling in a variety of tissues, including airways and lung parenchyma (3, 5, 6). Transition from injury to the repair phase in alveolar remodeling requires epithelialization to regenerate pneumocyte populations and the epithelial component of the alveolar barrier. Ordered layering of type I and type II pneumocytes, basement membranes, and capillary endothelial cells establishes compartmentalization that normalizes communication among cells and extracellular matrix components in distinct epithelial and mesenchymal layers. Restoration of alveolar quiescence reverses ventilation‐perfusion defects to equilibrate gas exchange. By contrast, unrelenting signaling between the compartments leads to continued invasion of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of matrix proteins, causing intra-alveolar fibrosis and the loss of surface area, which defines the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis (3). Epithelial cells differentiate into subpopulations, which reconstruct a protective barrier and regulate clearance of alveolar exudates. Type II cells differentiate from cuboidal progenitor cells at septal intersections into thin type I cells that line approximately 90% of the alveolar unit. Subpopulations of type II pneumocytes synthesize surfactants needed to reduce alveolar surface tension and also produce matrix constituents such as fibronectin, collagen IV, and proteoglycan, essential for remodeling. Other type II cells help resorb proteinaceous exudates by releasing fibrinolytic proteases or by upregulating expression of water and ion channels. Some type II pneumocytes also serve as stem cells to replenish the type II epithelial cell population itself (3). Failure of the alveolar epithelium to perform these functions results both in the unchecked migration of fibroblasts onto the provisional matrix and the continued matrix protein deposition, which propagate fibrogenesis. Premature demise of the epithelial cell population may result from apoptosis due to incessant injury or from apoptotic signals arising from the mesenchyme (7). Thus, epithelial dysfunction permits sequential flooding and increased surface tension in the alveolar space, apposition and fusion of exposed basement membranes, and irreversible collapse and fibrosis—all of which diminish effective alveolar surface area (3).
The Bending Behaviour of Plain-woven Fabrics Part III: The Case of Bilinear Thread-bending Behaviour and the Effect of Fabric Set

In the preceding paper, an elastica-based computational model of the bending behaviour of plain-woven fabrics assuming linear bending behaviour of the constituent threads, together with appropriate computational techniques, was described. In the present paper, bilinear thread-bending behaviour, as proposed by Huang, is considered. In the first model, the threads were considered to be unset, i.e., if released from the fabric, they would straighten out completely, but in the present paper varying degrees of set are considered for both the earlier model and the present model. The computational scheme developed requires the minimum interference from the user to solve the associated boundary-value problems. Contrary to the earlier work of Skelton and Schoppee, the model predicts an increase in contact forces at the thread-crossover points owing to increasing fabric curvature. This increase is found to be larger for fabrics with higher degrees of set and is in agreement with the observations made by G.M. Abbott...
Long way from the FPU-problem to chaos

This paper provides some historical comments on the study of the Fermi, Pasta, and Ulam (FPU) paper and its influence on the development of the theory of chaos. We also discuss some problems raised in the FPU paper and the links of these problems to such contemporary notions in chaos theory as ergodicity, mixing, recurrences, pseudochaos, kinetics, intermittency, etc.
Health information Web sites by therapeutic category for healthcare professionals

Objective:To compile and evaluate health information Web sites to aid healthcare professionals in locating information on select therapeutic categories.Data Sources:Therapeutic categories were chosen based on questions that pharmacists may receive in the community and institutional setting for which they might lack adequate resources to answer. Categories included adverse drug reactions, alternative medicine, cardiology, drug dosing in renal failure, drug interactions, foreign drug identification, geriatrics, immunology/vaccines, intravenous stability/compatibility, investigational drugs, oncology, pediatrics, pregnancy/lactation, legal and regulatory, monographs/medication usage evaluations, new drug approvals, shortages, tablet/capsule identification, therapy/therapeutics, and toxicology/poisoning. Web sites were chosen by searching www.google.com, as this search engine currently indexes over 3 billion Web pages.Data Synthesis:Resulting Web sites were reviewed, selected, and evaluated using published cr...
QUANTILES OF SUMS AND EXPECTED VALUES OF ORDERED SUMS

Summary Watson & Gordon (1986) investigated the relationship between the quantiles of a sum of independent continuous random variables and the sum of the individual quantiles. In this note some further results are obtained. Also corresponding relationships are developed for the expected values of the order statistics of a sum, and for the sum of the expected values of the individual order statistics.
Granzymes are necessary for suppressive function of regulatory T cells

Purpose Regulatory T (Treg) cells are an essential subset of CD4+ T cells that induce and maintain immunological tolerance. Preclinical animal models have demonstrated that adoptive transfer of Treg cells can prevent or cure diabetes, multiple sclerosis (EAE), inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, arthritis, and graft versus host disease. Defects in Treg cell function and number have been described in a number of different human autoimmune diseases including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. These data suggest that manipulation of Treg cells may be a useful therapeutic intervention. Treg cells are marked by expression of the forkhead/winged helix transcription factor Foxp3, which is essential for their regulatory functions. Treg cells are well known to mediate their immunomodulatory effects through TGF-b, IL-10 and CTLA-4. Recent work has also suggested a role for the granule/exocytosis pathway in Treg cell suppressive function. Granzyme A and granzyme B (gzm A and gzm B, respectively) mRNAs are expressed at high levels in Treg cells, and Treg cells from gzm B–/– mice showed defects in suppression in vitro. To further examine the role of granzymes in the function of Treg cells in vivo, we used a T cell transfer model of colitis. In this model, naive CD45RBhigh CD4+ T cells transferred to RAG–/– mice and undergo homeostatic expansion and activation.This process results in colitis manifested clinically by weight loss and shortened survival. Previous work has shown that a subset of the transferred conventional T cells develop into Foxp3+ iTreg cells and that these iTreg cells are necessary to mitigate colitis when present together with natural Treg cells (nTreg) cells derived in the thymus. Methods CD45RBhigh T cells from mice expressing a Foxp3EGFP fusion protein and additionally deficient in gzm A or gzm B are transferred to RAG-/mice.In these mice, EGFP expression marks iTreg which have developed in situ. Mice were weighed twice weekly and euthanized when moribund or when they have lost more than 1520% of their initial weight. Mesenteric lymph nodes T cells were analyzed for expression of EGFP.
Modeling the competitive effect of phosphate, sulfate, silicate, and tungstate anions on the adsorption of molybdate onto goethite.

Abstract The mobility of Mo in soils and sediments depends on several factors including soil mineralogy and the presence of other oxyanions that compete with Mo for the adsorbent’s retention sites. Batch experiments addressing Mo adsorption onto goethite were conducted with phosphate, sulfate, silicate, and tungstate as competing anions in order to produce competitive two anions adsorption envelopes, as well as competitive two anions adsorption isotherms. Tungstate and phosphate appear to be the strongest competitors of Mo for the adsorption sites of goethite, whereas little competitive effects were observed in the case of silicate and sulfate. Mo adsorption isotherm from a phosphate solution was similar to the one from a tungstate solution. The charge distribution multi-site complexation (CD-MUSIC) model was used to predict competitive adsorption between MoO 4 2 - and other anions (i.e., phosphate, sulfate, silicate and tungstate) using model parameters obtained from the fitting of single ion adsorption envelopes. CD-MUSIC results strongly agree with the experimental adsorption envelopes of molybdate over the pH range from 3.5 to 10. Furthermore, CD-MUSIC prediction of the molybdate adsorption isotherm show a satisfactory fit of the experimental results. Modeling results suggest that the diprotonated monodentate complexes, FeOW ( OH ) 5 - 0.5 and FeOMo ( OH ) 5 - 0.5 , were respectively the dominant complexes of adsorbed W and Mo on goethite 110 faces at low pH. The model suggests that Mo and W are retained mainly by the formation of monodentate complexes on the goethite surface. Our results indicate that surface complexation modeling may have applications in predicting competitive adsorption in more complex systems containing multiple competing ions.
Deconstructing and Reconstructing Theory of Mind

Usage of the term ‘theory of mind’ (ToM) has exploded across fields ranging from developmental psychology to social neuroscience and psychiatry research. However, its meaning is often vague and inconsistent, its biological bases are a subject of debate, and the methods used to study it are highly heterogeneous. Most crucially, its original definition does not permit easy downward translation to more basic processes such as those studied by behavioral neuroscience, leaving the interpretation of neuroimaging results opaque. We argue for a reformulation of ToM through a systematic two-stage approach, beginning with a deconstruction of the construct into a comprehensive set of basic component processes, followed by a complementary reconstruction from which a scientifically tractable concept of ToM can be recovered.
An investigation of deposition parameter dependence of optical properties, microstructure and thermal stability of black chrome selective surfaces

Abstract The plating parameter dependence of optical properties and thermal stability of electrodeposited black chrome solar selective surfaces is studied using multiple linear regression analysis techniques. Subsequent optimization of coating properties through the response equations generated produce coatings that have low absorptance properties and a grey appearance. The reason for this occurrence is investigated through a more detailed study of the effects of the more important plating parameters in the vicinity of the predicted optimum set of parameters. An anomaly in resulting optical properties is identified and defined with respect to the process variables, Chrom-Onyx MR addition reagent concentration and current density of deposition. A set of apparent optimum plating variables is chosen for combined desired optical properties and maximum (prsumably) thermal stability. Structural features which exhibit significant variation with alterations of deposition parameters, primarily bath composition, are film thickness, nodule size, extent and size of nodule clusters, and extent and size of chromium crystallite agglomerates.
Economía y juego en Celestina

In this work, I explore the “deep structure” inherent in the text of Celestina. By “deep structure” I mean a playful structure with which we can systemize the relationships that occur between the characters and their decision-making, especially between Celestina and Calisto. My approach to this thesis is interdisciplinary; more specifically, I apply the critical claims offered by modern game theory and sociology, with the intention of bringing to light an aspect of the work which has been up to now largely disregarded by Celestina critics: the role of games. This analysis is accomplished while keeping in mind the political, sociocultural and economic background of the times in which the text is situated.
Hierarchy-Driven Approach for Attack Patterns in Software Security Education

We propose a hierarchy-driven approach to facilitate student learning and foster a deeper understanding of the importance of attack patterns in computer, network, and software security. This is a fundamental point in computer and software security education because the "patch and pray" mentality of software security is insufficient. The importance and significance of our approach is justified by accentuating the deficiencies in previous ad-hoc approaches to teaching attack patterns. Because of the vast amount of information in attack pattern repositories, it is unrealistic to expect students to fully comprehend attack pattern fundamentals and its place in computer, network, and software security.
A nonmonotonic theory of plan synthesis

A theory of plan synthesis is proposed that reasons about actions to solve the frame problem. The authors also reason about the plan synthesis to detect possible or impossible orderings of the actions. This theory uses the frame axiom and the modal quantificational logic Z to propagate the facts from the current situation to the next situation. The explicit results of an action are provided only, no delete list is needed. The facts are automatically added and deleted from one situation to the next by the nonmonotonic reasoning as the actions are performed. An example illustrates the plan synthesis algorithm, which is given. >
Expression of the regulation of energy balance on the ingestive behavior of grazing beef cattle supplemented by grain

Abstract A change-over design was used to measure the effect of 0.0, 2.5 and 5.0 kg day −1 of ground corn ( Zea mays L.) kernels on the ingestive behavior of 12 tethered 2-year-old Angus ( Bos taurus ) heifers receiving a basal grain ration of 2.5 kg day −1 and grazing summer regrowth pastures of ‘Boone' orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.). The experimental design allowed the estimation of the immediate effects (direct effects) of grain on ingestive behavior, its carry-over effects expressed the next day (first residual effects), and the combined effects of direct and first residual effects (permanent effects). Grain had no direct effect on ingestive behavior. Heifers ingested herbage dry matter (DM) at 1.64 kg h −1 , forming bites of 745 mg DM at 37 bites min −1 . The first residual effect was significant for residual dry matter, utilization, intake and rate of biting. Five kg of grain depressed the rate of herbage DM intake from 1.67 to 1.50 kg DM h −1 on the day following its ingestion. This residual effect was not expressed in herbage intake per bite, but rate of biting was reduced from 39 to 35 bites min −1 . The 2.5-kg treatment had a small positive residual effect on rate of herbage intake. Data indicate the operation of energy balance regulation mechanisms on the ingestive behavior of grazing beef cattle.
Web services for designing small-scale Web applications

It is a well-known fact that since the emergence of Internet, Web and e-commerce applications have become increasingly popular. With the growing demand of Web-based applications, a number of issues have also increased proportionately regarding scalability, interoperability and application integration. "Web services", which is a new XML based framework introduced by W3C (World Wide Web consortium) has addressed several of these issues. Web services defines a standard for achieving smooth communication among discrete application systems by using a framework based on the exchange of messages and documents in XML over standard Internet protocols. Because Web services comprises of other additional components (SOAP, WSDL and UDDI) apart from XML, it is widely used in large-scale enterprise applications and often its potential is overlooked in small business applications. Nevertheless, Web services when employed in small-scale applications not only renders interoperability but also improves scalability to a great extent. For example, a simple interface of XML and SOAP that uses a minimal number of APIs in a Web application could become a powerful feature to connect the application to other subsystems, saving on development cost, effort and time, compared to using complex middleware technologies such as CORBA or DCOM. Implementations using middleware technologies mostly require the use of request brokers, whereas in Web services, the usage of service brokers is optional thereby eliminating the necessity to bind any remote interfaces. In addition, Web services implementations are not vendor specific, hence there is no occurrence of vendor-imposed restrictions, whereas distributed system middleware technologies are vendor specific many a time. The only issue involved is which programming software to use for implementation and whether it would provide the maximum number of APIs to enable future upgrades. Also when there is bulk of data to be transmitted back and forth within the application, it is relatively easy and efficient to do so by using XML compared to using numerous request parameters or session attributes. Web services can also be applied in combination with other object oriented frameworks such as MVC (model view controller), to bring out effective results in application performance
Nonparametric regression and classification with joint sparsity constraints

We propose new families of models and algorithms for high-dimensional nonparametric learning with joint sparsity constraints. Our approach is based on a regularization method that enforces common sparsity patterns across different function components in a nonparametric additive model. The algorithms employ a coordinate descent approach that is based on a functional soft-thresholding operator. The framework yields several new models, including multi-task sparse additive models, multi-response sparse additive models, and sparse additive multi-category logistic regression. The methods are illustrated with experiments on synthetic data and gene microarray data.
GAGA protein: a multi-faceted transcription factor

The transition from transcription activation to repression is regulated at multiple levels by the DNA sequence and DNA modification to its compaction through chromatin packaging. The GAGA factor (G...
Member Reactions to a Group Leader in Varying Leadership Roles

Summary In three separate group conferences a single leader served in three leadership roles: consultant in a Tavistock study group, associate consultant (co-leader with lesser authority), and trainer in a T-group. Member (N = 30) perceptions of the leader were studied by questionnaire report. In the role of T-group trainer, the leader was seen as more positively valued, more competent, and more emotional and supportive than in the role of study group consultant, with no difference in perceived potency or activity. The associate consultant role differed from the consultant role only on the emotional/support dimension, receiving intermediate ratings between consultant and trainer. The findings lend support to prior studies that have interpreted differences in perception of T-group trainers and study group consultants as a function of leadership role and not personal characteristics of the leader.
Principles of Sustainable Learning Object Libraries

As the effectiveness of learning objects in enhancing education becomes better understood, it will be critical to more fully develop the predictive characteristics of learning object usage by diverse instructors and their long-term sustainability in learning object repositories. Additionally, the advancement of scholarship in these endeavors – a critical factor for faculty to consider – has frequently been overlooked. In this paper we explore these issues by examining the technical and human aspects of The Library of Crop Technology (http://croptechnology.unl.edu) and other repository models. While studies have been conducted to research the impacts of animations on student learning, teacher perceptions of such learning objects have not been examined. An online survey instrument was created and sent to those who had downloaded animations from the Library of Crop Technology. Data collected indicated that educational, animated, learning objects are an effective and sustainable means of meeting a wide array of educator needs. This study identified a template of science content, organization, creation of interest in the topic, visual appeal, effectiveness for teaching a topic, and ease of use as being important to the overall teacher perception of the learning object’s quality. The very positive evaluation received from the users, coupled with their indication of returning to the site multiple times and recommending it to their colleagues, further suggests that the public repository is a model to continue pursuing. An important, but often overlooked, concept in the development of repositories is the dynamics of long term sustainability and scholarly contributions. A second study researched team development and institutional commitments which play a role in the long term stability of this learning object repository. A model integrating team development, institutional commitments, learning object development and scholarship recognition is proposed.
Performance of Vitek 2 for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Staphylococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp.

Vitek 2 (bioMerieux, Inc., Durham, NC) is a widely used commercial antimicrobial susceptibility testing system. We compared MIC results obtained by Vitek 2 to those obtained by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution (BMD) reference method for 134 staphylococcal and 84 enterococcal clinical isolates. Nineteen agents were evaluated, including all those available on Vitek 2 for testing staphylococci and enterococci. The resistance phenotypes tested included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (n = 58), S. aureus with inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) (n = 30), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-resistant MRSA (n = 10), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (n = 37), high-level gentamicin-resistant Enterococcus (n = 15), linezolid-resistant Enterococcus (n = 5), and daptomycin-nonsusceptible Enterococcus faecalis (n = 6). For the staphylococci, there was 98.9% categorical agreement (CA). There was one very major error (VME) for gentamicin in a Staphylococcus hominis isolate, six VMEs for inducible clindamycin in S. aureus isolates, and two major errors (ME) for daptomycin in an S. aureus and a Staphylococcus epidermidis isolate. For enterococci, there was 97.3% CA. Two VMEs were observed for daptomycin in isolates of E. faecalis and 2 ME, 1 for high-level gentamicin resistance and 1 for nitrofurantoin, in E. faecium isolates. Overall, there was 98.3% CA and 99% essential agreement for the testing of staphylococci and enterococci by the Vitek 2. With the exception of detecting ICR in S. aureus, Vitek 2 performed reliably for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of staphylococci and enterococci.
A novel, high-frequency, per-phase static VAr compensator

Static VAr compensators are being used to provide voltage control, VAr compensation, damping of oscillations, and improved transient stability in power systems. Conventional SVCs which consist of thyristor-switched capacitors and thyristor controlled inductors suffer from disadvantages of size and slow dynamic response. This makes it unsuitable for applications such as controlling the voltage flicker due to arc furnace loads. Advanced SVCs (STATCON or STATCOM) eliminate the above disadvantages. However they have a disadvantage due to the presence of a large line-frequency transformer. In this paper, a novel, high-frequency, per-phase static VAr compensator is proposed which has all the advantages of the advanced SVC. Various related topologies and control strategies are also enumerated and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
The Story of Cain and Abel: a Narrative Study:

The story of Cain and Abel is a concise short story marked by an elliptic use of language. A narrative study of the actions of the three protagonists YHWH, Cain and Abel demonstrates that the actions of (not) looking are the main ones. These actions are all concerned with the theme of brotherhood. YHWH is the only one in this story who is paying attention to Abel, the so-called worthless one. Even the narrator is not paying much attention to him. Both YHWH's actions and the narrative ellipses intend to persuade the readers to follow YHWH's preference for the weak brother.
Micromachined on-chip high-aspect ratio air core solenoid inductor for multi-GHz applications

We present high aspect air-core solenoid inductors with 100 /spl mu/m and 200 /spl mu/m tall via structures on Pyrex wafer. The effect of various parameters such as different number of turns, via heights, pitch distance between turns on inductor's radio frequency (RF) characteristics have been studied. The highest Q factor we obtained from various solenoid inductors is 72.8 at 9.7 GHz, which was produced by a 3-turn inductor. The highest inductance we obtained was from a 20-turn inductor and it was from /spl sim/28 nH at peak Q frequency of 2 GHz 200 /spl mu/m tall via structures. This inductor occupies 0.75 mm/sup 2/ in area and hold a Q factor of 43 and a self-resonant frequency (SRF) of 5.1 GHz.
Clinical validation of attenuation corrected cardiac imaging with IQ-SPECT SPECT/CT

1722 Objectives The objective of this study was to compared attenuation corrected (AC) SPECT performed in four min with IQ-SPECT with AC SPECT performed in 15-20 min with a standard commercial SPECT/CT. Methods Fifty four pts referred for indicated SPECT perfusion imaging with Tc-99m tracers were evaluated with AC SPECT. Imaging was performed with both standard parallel hole collimation using a Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT and the same system with the IQ-SPECT modification employing SMARTZOOM collimators and cardio-centric orbits. Standard SPECT/CT was performed over 180° contoured orbits at 3° increments for 15-20 sec per view into 128x128 matrices and 4.8 mm pixels. Study time was 15-20 min and images were attenuation corrected using CT images acquired immediately before SPECT with the integrated CT. IQ-SPECT images were acquired over 208° cardio-centric orbits with 17 views per detector for 9 sec per view to 128x128 matrices and 4.80 mm pixels, total study time of 4 min, and corrected for AC with the same CT scan used for the standard study. 37 pts were low likelihood normals and 7 pts underwent coronary angiography. Images from the two methods were compared for quality, normalcy and correlation with angiography. Standard 17 segment scoring was employed. Results Images were scored from 0 - unacceptable to 4 - excellent. Image quality was similar for the two methods with an average score of 3.11 for the standard method and 3.21 for IQ-SPECT, p=ns. 33 studies were rated of good or excellent quality with the standard method and 36 studies with IQ-SPECT, p=ns. Assessments of normalcy were very similar with values of 91% for the standard method and 97% with IQ-SPECT, p=ns. Angiographic correlations were again almost identical. Studies in pts without significant stenoses ( Conclusions Four min cardiac AC perfusion imaging with IQ-SPECT provides images of comparable quality and normalcy compared to standard SPECT/CT imaging method. Research Support Grant support from Siemens Healthcar
Comparative Study of Compensated Wide Band Gap Photo Conductive Switch Material for Extrinsic Mode Operations

The material properties of semi insulating 6H-SiC and GaN have been analyzed in terms of their applications as a photoconductive switch at high bias conditions. Both the switches have similar button type geometry and have been analyzed for breakdown, photocurrent profile, rise and fall time. The laser power and duration for initiating conduction in both the PCSS were the same except for the wavelength, which was selected to provide sufficient energy for carrier generation in the switches. Analysis show that both GaN and SiC have good capability as a PCSS material in terms of such parameters as current conduction, hold-off and risetime, with Fe compensated GaN having a moderate advantage in terms of rise time and off-state hold-off properties. The presence of traps in both the compensated materials types plays a role in the switch performance. The trap parameters such as capture cross section, concentration limit the maximum voltage to which the PCSS can be pulse charged. In GaN, due to its high capture cross sections, the voltage is limited to a maximum of 41 kV while it is 38 kV for SiC. The rise and fall time for GaN is also better as compared to SiC. In the simulation studies, ohmic contact was assumed. In laboratory applications the conduction current magnitude at the charging and on-state of the PCSS are limited by the damage of the switch electrodes and bulk material. The higher thermal conductivity of SiC compared to GaN must also be considered at higher power operations.
Programmable floating-gate techniques for CMOS inverters

The use of analog floating-gate elements in analog circuit research has steadily increased. These elements have great potential because they can be fabricated on a standard process and are low-power. An interesting application for these circuits is in the tuning of digital circuits for threshold and power consumption, which has been traditionally done by design. We explore the use of analog floating gates for threshold adjustments in a digital inverter.
Effect of Ambient Humidity on the Electrical Conductance of a Titanium Oxide Coating Being Investigated for Potential Use in Biosensors

Titanium oxide coatings (TiO2) have photocatalytic properties. They eject electrons when activated by ultraviolet light and can vary their electrical conductance as a result. In a gas media environment, coating conductance can be potentially altered by the presence of volatile analytes that attach or interact with the coatings. Our group is investigating the possible use of these coatings for the detection of a variety of molecules present in the gas. This sensing process, however, can be greatly influenced by the simultaneous presence of water molecules in the gas. Here we have studied the effect of the ambient humidity on the coatings’ conductance and the results showed a very dramatic effect with over 100 fold increase in conductance when going from low to high gas relative humidity.
Flexible Microwave Antenna Applicator for Chemo-Thermotherapy of the Breast

In this letter, we propose a flexible microwave antenna applicator to induce mild hyperthermia that can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy. The antennas used were designed and tested using in vitro gels that mimic the electrical properties of human breast skin, fat, fibroglandular, and muscle tissues. Experiments show that the applicator can provide up to a 3 $\,\,^{\circ} {\hbox {C}}$ temperature increase within the breast to successfully achieve mild hyperthermia. The results obtained in this letter suggest that a cost-effective local hyperthermia treatment technology that can be widely used at local clinical cancer treatment centers is plausible without using expensive applicators and electromagnetic shielding rooms.
Computer‐aided standardization of two‐dimensional electrophoresis: Improvement of biophysical description of proteins in relative versus absolute coordinate systems

Protein migration distances on two-dimensional (2-D) gels were measured in mm (absolute) and in relative internal standard units using creatine kinase carbamylation trains (x-axis) as relative charge (CK-Cr) scale and rat heart extract lines as relative molecular weight (Mr) scale (y-axis). Variation in absolute protein location generally increases with increasing migration distance in both axes with 6–12 mm and 5–11 mm for selected spots in the x- and y-axis respectively; variation in relative migration is significantly less, ranging from 0.9–2.5 mm and 3–4 mm in the x- and y-axis respectively; data are from seven separations run in the same batch, measurements obtained from 1.6 × magnified projections of photographed gels. A computerized plotter was used to generate scaled relative charge - relative molecular weight (Cr-Mr) plots for each separation based upon absolute positions of internal protein standard spots (first dimension) and lines (second dimension). The results support the use of computer-delineated-relative coordinate systems (Cr-Mr plots) for biophysical description of proteins separated by 2-D electrophoresis.
Peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones in guinea pigs immunized against bovine thyroglobulin.

SummaryThe time required for the disappearance from the blood of one-half the radioactivity (ty1/2) of thyroxine (T4131) and triiodothyronine (T3131) has been studied in normal, adjuvant treated and thyroglobulin-adjuvant immunized guinea pigs. The antibody titer in immunized animals has been estimated by the tanned red cell hemagglutination technic. The titer at 8-9 weeks was greater than at 4-5 weeks after immunization. The t1/2 of T4131 and of T3131 of experimental animals was not significantly different from that of untreated and adjuvant treated controls at 5 weeks after immunization. However, at 12 weeks after immunization the t1/2 of both radioactive hormones was markedly increased; the increase was by 201% in the case of T4131 and by 86.4% in the case of T3131. There was a gross inverse relationship between the t1/2 of these radioactive hormones and the magnitude of the antibody titer. The implications of this inverse relationship have been briefly discussed.
Analysis methods for studying the 3D architecture of the genome

The rapidly increasing quantity of genome-wide chromosome conformation capture data presents great opportunities and challenges in the computational modeling and interpretation of the three-dimensional genome. In particular, with recent trends towards higher-resolution high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, the diversity and complexity of biological hypotheses that can be tested necessitates rigorous computational and statistical methods as well as scalable pipelines to interpret these datasets. Here we review computational tools to interpret Hi-C data, including pipelines for mapping, filtering, and normalization, and methods for confidence estimation, domain calling, visualization, and three-dimensional modeling.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5-positive allosteric modulators for the treatment of schizophrenia (2004-2012).

The mGlu5, a class C G-protein-coupled receptor and member of the group I mGlu receptor family, has been demonstrated to play a role in a number of therapeutic areas within the CNS, including schizophrenia, dementia, epilepsy, cognition, drug abuse, and fragile X syndrome. Small-molecule modulation of mGlu5 via positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) is being pursued as a promising approach for the treatment of schizophrenia and has been validated preclinically in a number of animal models. This article provides a brief historical overview of mGlu5 PAMs in the primary literature followed by a comprehensive overview of the patent literature since 2004. Schizophrenia is a complex disorder and although no mGlu5 PAMs have progressed into clinical trials in patients, the target continues to show promise as an attractive non-dopaminergic therapy. The successful development of mGlu5 PAMs for clinical testing must address several issues, including challenges associated with ‘molecular switches’, allosteric-agonist ...
Special Issue on Mathematical Methods in Medical Imaging

The Southwest Conference on Integrated Mathematical Methods in Medical Imaging was held in Tempe, Arizona USA in February 2010. The conference brought together researchers from the mathematical sciences, engineering, and application domains to present recent research on mathematical techniques in the broad area of medical imaging, including of image reconstruction, restoration, registration, segmentation, and recognition of features and patterns. The enthusiastic participation of industry experts, mathematicians, and engineers whose application interests spanned many aspects of medical imaging and whose mathematical expertise was diverse created a fertile environment for exchange of ideas and fostering of new collaborations. In this special issue, we have collected eight papers that are all extended treatments of presentations given at the conference. Although it was not possible to include all of the excellent papers from the conference in this issue, those appearing here are representative of the diversity and quality of ideas that characterized the meeting. The issue begins with a paper of Wang, Wei, and Yang that addresses the use of partial differential equation methods to manifest image processing primitives. They introduce a
When and Why Do IPO Firms Manage Earnings

We provide new evidence on the timing and motives behind earnings management by IPO firms. The period around IPOs is characterized by two distinct events: the IPO itself and the lockup expiration. Both the raising of capital at the time of the IPO and the large-scale exit by pre-IPO shareholders at lockup expiration approximately 180 days later create incentives for firms to engage in earnings management. To disentangle the effect of these two events, we examine quarterly, rather than annual, abnormal accruals. We find no evidence of income- increasing earnings management in anticipation of the IPO. However, IPO firms exhibit positive abnormal accruals in the quarter before and the quarter of the lockup expiration. We demonstrate that positive abnormal accruals are concentrated in firms for which we predict intense selling by pre-IPO shareholders at lockup expiration. We also confirm the findings of Teoh, Welch and Wong (1998) that positive abnormal accruals are associated with long-run IPO underperformance.
Asynchronous trigger modulation for RFID systems

We present a scheme for using asynchronous trigger modulation in radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), which allows more robust backscatter modulation without increasing tag power consumption. Since the implementation does not require load modulation transitions that correspond to regular clock intervals of synchronous logic, a whole new class of waveforms in RFID is also possible, including a family of perfect pulses that provide extra sensitivity for long-range tags.
Biologic Effects of Iodothyronines

The biologic effects of thyroid hormones vary with different species (e.g., metamorphosis in the tadpole), as well as with the stage of development within a species (fetal vs. adult life). Table 9.1 lists some effects of thyroid hormones on various systems, some of which are interdependent. Thus, the influence of thyroid hormones on cellular differentiation, growth, and development in the fetal and neonatal period apparently reflects gene expression manisfested via increased synthesis of new proteins and enzymes, and/or by activation of the existing enzymes. Similarly, thyroid hormones induce stimulation of oxygen consumption in the tissues which appears importantly related (but not entirely) to new synthesis as well as activation of ouabain-sensitive Na+ K+ ATPase in the cell membrane (Lo and Table 9.1 Some biological effects of thyroid hormonea I Cellular differentiation and growth, especially in the fetal and neonatal period, e.g., tadpole metamorphosis, cerebral cortical and cerebellar growth, myelination, and differentiation II Stimulation of oxygen consumption by the tissues, e. g., liver, kidney, muscle. Spleen, testes, and adult brain respond poorly to this effect of thyroid hormones III Suppression of pituitary TSH synthesis and releaseb IV Retardation of amino acid efflux from the cells V Regulation of synthesis of proteins and enzymes, e. g. Increased synthesis: Skin epidermis and hair hypophyseal hormones: growth hormone, prolactin Cell membrane Na, K-ATPase mitochondrial—glycerophosphate dehydrogenase glycolytic enzymes including NAD-specific isocitric dehydrogenase, hexokinase, malic enzyme, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, etc. Decreased synthesis, e. g., mitochondrial NADP-linked isocitric dehydrogenase in rats given thyroid hormones VI Activation of enzymes, e. g. Na, K-ATPase Cytochromes Disphosphoglycerate mutase that results in formation of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in erythrocytes L-T3 aminotransferase in the liver VII Conversion of carotenes to vitamin A VIII Stimulation of erythropoietin mediated erythropoeisis IX Inhibition of phosphodiesterase in the cartilage X Interaction with other hormones e. g., stimulation (or inhibition in case of rT3) of lipolytic action of epinephrine, ACTH, and glucagon Edelman 1976). Evidence exists to suggest that TSH suppressive effects of thyroid hormones may also be mediated via synthesis of a protein (Bowers et al. 1968).
A Conjectural Emendation Of 1 Cor 15:31–32: Or the Case of the Misplaced Lion Fight

Even though the text of 1 Cor 15:31–32 printed above agrees with all recent critical editions of the NT, it almost certainly is false to the autograph. The basis for this claim comes neither from new textual evidence nor from a more scientific analysis of the old evidence, but from conjecture prompted by internal problems in the passage which other methods have not yet solved. Before I make my case, however, I should mention the two points in these verses where the ancient versions differ. Some texts do not contain the ἀδeλϕοί (“brothers”) in line 31b, and others expand it to ἀδeλϕοί μου (“my brothers”) or to ἀδeλϕοί ἡμῶν (“our brothers”). Because it is difficult to know which reading is best, the American Bible Society edition is wise to put ἀδeλϕοί in brackets and to acknowledge the difficulty in the apparatus.
Physical transformations of iron oxide and silver nanoparticles from an intermediate scale field transport study

In recent years, there has been increasing concern regarding the fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in environmental systems and the potential impacts on human and environmental health due to the exponential increase in commercial and industrial use worldwide. To date, there have been relatively few field-scale studies or laboratory-based studies on environmentally relevant soils examining the chemical/physical behavior of the NPs following release into natural systems. The objective of this research is to demonstrate the behavior and transfor- mations of iron oxide and silver NPs with different capping ligands within the unsaturated zone. Here, we show that NP transport within the vadose zone is minimal primarily due to heteroaggregation with soil surface coatings with results that (99 % of the NPs remained within 5 cm of the original source after 1 year in intermediate-scale field lysimeters. These results suggest that transport may be overestimated when compared to previous laboratory-scale studies on pristine soils and pure minerals and that future work must incorporate more environmentally relevant parameters.
Transformational Leadership's Role in Promoting Corporate Entrepreneurship: Examining the CEO-TMT Interface

Research about transformational CEOs' impact on firm-level outcomes, particularly corporate entrepreneurship, has been equivocal, partially because the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Given that the individuals most closely influenced by a firm's CEO are its top management team (TMT) members, we focus on the CEO-TMT interface as a salient intervening mechanism. We posit that transformational CEOs influence TMTs' behavioral integration, risk propensity, decentralization of responsibilities, and long-term compensation and that these TMT characteristics impact corporate entrepreneurship. Data from 152 firms supported most of our hypothesized links, underscoring how the CEO-TMT interface helps explain transformational CEOs' role in promoting corporate entrepreneurship.
Conductance-Based Chemical Sensing in Metallic Nanowires and Metal-Semiconductor Nanostructures

Conductance-based chemical sensing in metal-semiconductor nanostructures and all-metal nanowires of atomic dimensions is garnering increased interest. Adsorbed gas molecules can migrate to a metal-semiconductor junction, thereby shifting the magnitude of the Schottky barrier and altering electrical impedance, whereas atomic scale metal junctions can sensitively report the presence of adsorbates through their impact on ballistic electron transport.