cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salinity induced effects on the nutrient status of soil, corn leaves and kernels

Abstract The effect of salinity in inducing soil macro and micronutrient deficiencies that can decrease crop growth was evaluated in a corn (Zea mays L.) field located in east central Wyoming. In this study water soluble Na was found to be a better predictor of salinity than pH and other cations. Soil saturated paste extracts had electrical conductivities that were negatively correlated with soil total K, Cu, Fe, and Mn. Total N, NO3‐N, PO4‐P, Zn, pH, and water soluble Na, Ca, and Mg of the soil were positively correlated with EC. Significant positive relationships existed between soil EC and N, P, Mo, and Zn, and negative relationships with K, Cu, Fe, and Mn of corn leaves and kernels. Concentrations of nutrients in the kernels were positively correlated with corresponding nutrient concentrations in the leaves and with AB‐DTPA extractable soil nutrients. The analysis of variance of EC data indicated that soil samples possessing high salinity were higher in pH and contained significantly higher soluble Na...
Effects of texture and grain structure on electromigration lifetime of Al-Cu interconnects

The effects of Ti underlayer (collimated Ti vs. standard Ti) and Al deposition power (12 KW vs. 6 KW) on the electromigration (EM) lifetime of Ti/Al-0.5 wt. %Cu/Ti/TiN stack films were investigated The. (002) texture of standard Ti (s-Ti) was stronger than that of collimated Ti (c-Ti), and the Al (111) texture, grain size distribution, and EM lifetime of Al stack prepared with s-Ti underlayer were also better than those with c-Ti underlayer independent of the Al deposition power. The low power (6 KW) deposition led to better Al (111) texture, larger median grain size, and longer EM lifetime than did high power (12 KW) deposition independent of the type of Ti underlayer. Longer deposition time for low power sputtering allowed more time for the deposited Al atoms to be rearranged at more stable sites and to react with Ti, which resulted in a stronger Al (111) texture, larger median grain size, and a more uniform Ti−Al reaction layer. The (002) texture of the Ti underlayer is closely related to the Al (111) texture which is a major factor affecting EM lifetime.
Expectancy effects on relaxation instructions: Physiological and self-report indices

Two sessions of relaxation instructions were administered under high and low expectancy conditions. Fifty-four college students scoring high on a self-report measure of anxiety served as subjects. Live and taped abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation instructions and a self-relaxation condition were equally effective in reducing within-session self-report and physiological indices of anxiety. High expectancy instructions led to greater reductions in heart rate than did low expectancy instructions. Factors controlling anxiety reduction during relaxation therapies are discussed.
Feature reduction using a singular value decomposition for the iterative guided spectral class rejection hybrid classifier

Feature reduction in a remote sensing dataset is often desirable to decrease the processing time required to perform a classification and improve overall classification accuracy. This paper introduces a feature reduction method based on the singular value decomposition (SVD). This SVD-based feature reduction method reduces the storage and processing requirements of the SVD by utilizing a training dataset. This feature reduction technique was applied to training data from two multitemporal datasets of Landsat TM/ETM+ imagery acquired over a forested area in Virginia, USA and Rondonia, Brazil. Subsequent parallel iterative guided spectral class rejection (pIGSCR) forest/non-forest classifications were performed to determine the quality of the feature reduction. The classifications of the Virginia data were five times faster using SVD-based feature reduction without affecting the classification accuracy. Feature reduction using the SVD was also compared to feature reduction using principal components analysis (PCA). The highest average accuracies for the Virginia dataset (88.34%) and for the Rondonia dataset (93.31%) were achieved using the SVD. The results presented here indicate that SVD-based feature reduction can produce statistically significantly better classifications than PCA.
Flexible Response: Executive Federalism and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The federal government promised that it would limit waiver grants to states for the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). It largely kept that promise, but states did gain significant flexibility through amendments to accountability plans. OLS model estimates showed that larger, more affluent, and more Republican states submitted more amendment requests and the federal Department of Education approved the amendments of states that received more federal funding, had a more developed standardized testing system in place prior to NCLB, and voted Republican. These findings suggested new avenues of exploration for scholars of executive federalism.
An experimental UHF radar using digital adaptive beamforming

The author describe a radar system developed for the Navy by Lincoln Laboratory as part of the Radar Surveillance Technology (RST) program, which employs digital adaptive beamforming in the elevation plane to reject unwanted jammer interference. A system description is given along with details of the digital adaptive beamforming. Very deep nulls have been achieved in field measurement. >
A 1.7-1.9 THz local oscillator source

We report on the design and performance of a /spl times/2/spl times/3/spl times/3 frequency multiplier chain to the 1.7-1.9 THz band. GaAs-based planar Schottky diodes are utilized in each stage. A W-band power amplifier, driven by a commercially available synthesizer, was used to pump the chain with 100 mW of input power. The peak measured output power at room temperature is 3 /spl mu/W at 1740 GHz. When cooled to 120 K, the chain provides more than 1.5 /spl mu/W from 1730 to 1875 GHz and produced a peak of 15 /spl mu/W at 1746 GHz.
Isolated short femur length on second-trimester sonography: A marker for fetal growth restriction and other adverse perinatal outcomes

Objective To estimate the association between isolated mid-trimester short femur length (FL) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) as well as other adverse perinatal outcomes.
The time-rescaling theorem and its application to neural spike train data analysis

Measuring agreement between a statistical model and a spike train data series, that is, evaluating goodness of fit, is crucial for establishing the model's validity prior to using it to make inferences about a particular neural system. Assessing goodness-of-fit is a challenging problem for point process neural spike train models, especially for histogram-based models such as perstimulus time histograms (PSTH) and rate functions estimated by spike train smoothing. The time-rescaling theorem is a well-known result in probability theory, which states that any point process with an integrable conditional intensity function may be transformed into a Poisson process with unit rate. We describe how the theorem may be used to develop goodness-of-fit tests for both parametric and histogram-based point process models of neural spike trains. We apply these tests in two examples: a comparison of PSTH, inhomogeneous Poisson, and inhomogeneous Markov interval models of neural spike trains from the supplementary eye field of a macque monkey and a comparison of temporal and spatial smoothers, inhomogeneous Poisson, inhomogeneous gamma, and inhomogeneous inverse gaussian models of rat hippocampal place cell spiking activity. To help make the logic behind the time-rescaling theorem more accessible to researchers in neuroscience, we present a proof using only elementary probability theory arguments. We also show how the theorem may be used to simulate a general point process model of a spike train. Our paradigm makes it possible to compare parametric and histogram-based neural spike train models directly. These results suggest that the time-rescaling theorem can be a valuable tool for neural spike train data analysis.
Navigate like a cabbie: probabilistic reasoning from observed context-aware behavior

We present PROCAB, an efficient method for Probabilistically Reasoning from Observed Context-Aware Behavior. It models the context-dependent utilities and underlying reasons that people take different actions. The model generalizes to unseen situations and scales to incorporate rich contextual information. We train our model using the route preferences of 25 taxi drivers demonstrated in over 100,000 miles of collected data, and demonstrate the performance of our model by inferring: (1) decision at next intersection, (2) route to known destination, and (3) destination given partially traveled route.
Cancer chemotherapeutic agents as human teratogens.

BACKGROUND Cancer is the second leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. Although the coincidence of pregnancy and cancer is rare and treatment may sometimes be safely delayed, the use of chemotherapeutic agents in pregnancy is sometimes unavoidable or inadvertent. METHODS We review the literature for the use of antineoplastic agents in single-agent and combination therapy from 1951 through June 2012. We also summarize the evidence relating to teratogenicity of disorder-specific combination chemotherapy treatments for those malignancies frequently encountered in women of childbearing age. Major endpoints were called “adverse pregnancy outcomes” (APOs), to include structural anomalies (congenital malformations), functional defects, blood or electrolyte abnormalities, stillbirths, spontaneous abortions (miscarriages), and fetal, neonatal, or maternal deaths. RESULTS The registry totals 863 cases. Rates of APOs (and congenital malformations) after any exposure were 33% (16%), 27% (8%), and 25% (6%), for first, second, and third trimesters. Among the groups of cancer drugs, antimetabolites and alkylating agents have the highest rates of APOs. Mitotic inhibitors and antibiotics seem more benign. Mixed results were observed from single-agent exposure, often because of small numbers of exposures. As a whole, the alkylating agents and antimetabolites are more harmful when given as a single agent rather than as part of a regimen. First-trimester exposure poses a more permanent risk to the fetus. CONCLUSIONS Systematic ascertainment of women early in pregnancy, preferably in a population base, is needed for assessment of true risks. Long-term follow-up is needed to rule out neurobehavioral effects. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 94:626–650, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kinetic studies of the reaction of atomic sulfur with acetylene

Abstract The rate constant for reaction of sulfur atoms with acetylene was measured. Laser flash photolysis of CS2 precursor was employed to generate ground-state S(3P) atoms, which were monitored with time-resolved resonance fluorescence as they reacted with C2H2 in a large excess of Ar bath gas. Temperatures from 295 to 1015 and pressures from 10 to 500 mbar were investigated. A pressure-dependence was observed at all temperatures, revealing that adduct formation is the dominant reaction channel. The necessary stability suggests H2CCS or possibly HCCSH are the products at high temperatures, so that the reaction is spin-forbidden. The fall-off curves may be represented with a broadening factor Fcent = 0.6, and low and high-pressure limiting rate constants of k0 = 1.0 × 10−18 (T/K)−3.55 exp(−1990 K/T) cm6 molecule−2 s−1 and k∞ = 2.1 × 10−11 exp(−11.2 kJ mol−1/RT) cm3 molecule−1 s−1, respectively. An entrance barrier to recombination of about 10 kJ mol−1 is proposed to arise where the singlet and triplet potential energy curves cross.
Library-based image coding

We explore a video coding algorithm that uses long term memory in addition to motion compensated prediction to build a model from video frames for coding. The long term memory, modeled on the cache used in operating systems and searched by a vector quantization formalism, holds recurring visual elements such as cyclically revealed information and actors that persist though several images. This video "library" exploits persistence to gain coding efficiency. Further, the existence of such a library can facilitate interactive and content-based operations on the video sequence such as browsing, searching by content, categorizing and enhancing the pictorial quality of the images. >
Explicit expressions for energy release rates using virtual crack extensions

A new finite element technique for calculating energy release rates is presented. An explicit expression for energy changes due to virtual crack extensions is formulated based on a variation of isoparametric element mappings. Energy release rates are calculated directly from integral expressions evaluated over singular quarter-point isoparametric elements surrounding the crack tip. Since the energy release rates are expressed in variational form, there is no need for the analyst to select a small finite crack extension to simulate a virtual crack extension. The method is shown to produce very accurate solutions even with fairly coarse element meshes. A similar technique for mixed-mode fracture based on mutual potential energy release rates is described.
Modelling the local spread of invasive plants: importance of including spatial distribution and detectability in management plans

Summary 1. The success of locally applied treatments for exotic weed control depends on the effectiveness of the method used and workers’ abilities to find plants within infested sites. Detectability of exotic plants, however, depends on aspects of a plant’s spatial distribution such as the number and size of patches. We lack an explicit examination of how incomplete detection affects the spread of exotic weeds under a range of realistic field conditions. 2. We developed a model of spatial spread of the exotic plant, Lespedeza cuneata, based on 3 years of data in a Kansas, USA, grassland. We then expanded and generalized the model to study how treatment intensity, spatial distribution of stems and detectability influenced control efforts. 3. When left untreated, occupancy and abundance were higher with randomly distributed infestations than with patchy distributions. Control treatments slowed spread, but only the most intense treatments reduced occupancy and abundance. 4. The greatest spread occurred when low detectability was accompanied with low treatment intensity because many small patches were not treated; this phenomenon was particularly common with random spatial distributions that initially lacked large, easily detectable patches. In contrast, high treatment intensity led to similarly slow spread for both spatial patterns and a range of detectability functions. 5. Synthesis and applications. We developed a model to simultaneously manipulate the spatial distribution of the invading plant, the intensity of control methods used to manage the population and the detectability of occupied areas at a site; different combinations of these three factors led to very different rates of exotic spread. Managers will reasonably try to implement intensive weed control. However, poor timing of treatments, for example, could lead to variation in treatment effectiveness. To maximize success, managers should explicitly consider detectability, especially where small patches are scattered throughout a site. To quantify the probability of detection, managers could perform multiple observer surveys; such information could help to determine the effort needed for effective control. Creating weed maps may increase the detection of existing patches from year to year, but workers would still need to search the entire site for new or previously undetected patches.
NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF A FLUIDIZED BED FOR IFE TARGET LAYERING

A fluidized bed is being studied as a very promising method for mass production of IFE targets. Large beds could be filled with many targets to provide large-scale production, while a near-isothermal environment could be maintained in principle around each target (as required for smooth layering to meet the physics requirements on the ice characteristics) through the random movement and spin of individual targets within a precisely controlled gas stream. Concerns exist, however, including the effect of unbalanced spheres on the bed behavior and ultimately on the target thermal environment, as well as the possible damage of the target surface (in particular the thin high-Z coating). This effort includes developing a numerical fluidized bed model and conducting laboratory-scale companion experiments to help understand the cryogenic fluidized bed behavior. Key challenges in developing the model include the relative size of the spherical targets (~4.0 mm) compared to the size of the prototypic fluidized bed container (~26 mm in diameter), which is much larger than those found in conventional fluidized bed models and which calls for a different modeling approach. In addition, the behavior of unbalanced targets, which results from the initial D-T filling and freezing in the target production process, needs to be accounted for. This paper summarizes the development of this model, including the validation performed by comparing the model results to controlled lab-scale experiments. The goal is to use the model for parametric analysis to help determine the most promising state of operation to deliver large quantities of uniformly layered target shells. This will provide key pre-operational input to the prototypical experimental set-up, which is currently being built and which includes a high-pressure deuterium filling station in addition to the cryogenic fluidized bed operating at temperatures around 18 K.
A new approach for the synthesis of novel 5-substituted isodeoxyuridine analogs.

Cyclic sulfates of carbohydrates provide excellent synthons for the preparation of isodeoxyuridines through direct nucleophilic substitution reactions. These substitution reactions have exceptional regioselectivity. The products of the reactions served as key precursors for the synthesis of 5‐substituted isodeoxyuridines via the Stille and Heck coupling reactions. Interestingly, unprotected nucleosides could be used in these metal‐mediated functionalizations. The methodologies are general and allow ready access to a variety of C‐5 functionalized isomeric deoxyuridines, but also have the potential to be extended to other nucleoside analogs. †In honor and celebration of the 70th birthday of Professor Leroy B. Townsend.
A Systems Biology Approach to Anatomic Diversity of Skin

Human skin exhibits exquisite site-specific morphologies and functions. How are these site-specific differences specified during development, maintained in adult homeostasis, and potentially perturbed by disease processes? Here, we review progress in understanding the anatomic patterning of fibroblasts, a major constituent cell type of the dermis and key participant in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. The gene expression programs of human fibroblasts largely reflect the superimposition of three gene expression profiles that demarcate the fibroblast's position relative to three developmental axes. The HOX family of homeodomain transcription factors is implicated in specifying site-specific transcriptional programs. The use of gene, tiling, and tissue microarrays together gives a comprehensive view of the gene regulation involved in patterning the skin.
Vehicle adaptation aided by spreadsheet graphics

An electronic spreadsheet method for nontechnical users has been developed to aid recommendation of driving devices and van modifications. Macroprograms prompt the user through menus and process and display the data. Three orthogonal views of vehicle controls and client data are available through spreadsheet graphics. The displays are helpful in visualizing and documenting the spatial relationships between driver and driving controls. >
Preferential accumulation of antigen-specific effector CD4 T cells at an antigen injection site involves CD62E-dependent migration but not local proliferation

The migration of antigen-specific T cells to nonlymphoid tissues is thought to be important for the elimination of foreign antigens from the body. However, recent results showing the migration of activated T cells into many nonlymphoid tissues raised the possibility that antigen-specific T cells do not migrate preferentially to nonlymphoid tissues containing antigen. We addressed this question by tracking antigen-specific CD4 T cells in the whole body after a localized subcutaneous antigen injection. Antigen-specific CD4 T cells proliferated in the skin-draining lymph nodes and the cells that underwent the most cell divisions acquired the ability to bind to CD62P. As time passed, CD62P-binding antigen-specific CD4 T cells with interferon γ production potential accumulated preferentially at the site of antigen injection but only in recipients that expressed CD62E. Surprisingly, these T cells did not proliferate in the injection site despite showing evidence of more cell divisions than the T cells in the draining lymph nodes. The results suggest that the most divided effector CD4 T cells from the lymph nodes enter the site of antigen deposition via recognition of CD62E on blood vessels and are retained there in a nonproliferative state via recognition of peptide–major histocompatibility complex II molecules.
Evaluation of Frankliniella bispinosa (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) as a Vector of the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Pepper

Frankliniella occidentalis is the key vector responsible for the emergence of Tomato spotted wilt virus as a global threat to agriculture. Frankliniella bispinosa is a common thrips in Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, but the role of F. bispinosa in the epidemiology of the virus is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of F. bispinosa to acquire and transmit Tomato spotted wilt virus in pepper. In laboratory experiments, the number of larvae produced per F. bispinosa female was less than the number of larvae produced per F. occidentalis female. The larvae of F. bispinosa successfully acquired Tomato spotted wilt virus, although at a lower percentage than F. occidentalis. Viruliferous adults of both species transmitted the virus to pepper. Our results confirm the competence of F. bispinosa as a vector of Tomato spotted wilt virus.
On the use of the variance in resolving two practical problems often encountered in input-output analysis

The preceding chapter provided an exposition of the TSLS method of estimating a set of technical coefficients. It was argued that TSLS produces both consistent estimates of these parameters and consistent estimates of the coefficient standard errors. These standard errors were interpreted as measures of the uncertainty associated with observing the true technical coefficients. In the discussion to follow, this interpretation of the TSLS standard errors will be applied in dealing with two problems which are often encountered in regional input-output analysis. These problems are: (1) reconciling ‘rows only’ and ‘columns only’ estimates of the technical coefficients and (2) choosing sectoral sample sizes for purposes of data collection.
Association Between CT Angiogram Collaterals and CT Perfusion in the Interventional Management of Stroke III Trial.

Background and Purpose— Collateral flow can determine ischemic core and tissue at risk. Using the Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS) III trial data, we explored the relationship between computed tomography angiogram (CTA) collateral status and CT perfusion (CTP) parameters. Methods— Baseline CTA collaterals were trichotomized as good, intermediate, and poor, and CTP studies were analyzed to quantify ischemic core, tissue at risk, and mismatch ratios. Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman tests were used to measure the strength of association and correlation between CTA collaterals and CTP parameters. Results— A total of 95 patients had diagnostic CTP studies in the IMS III trial. Of these, 53 patients had M1/M2 middle cerebral artery±intracranial internal carotid artery occlusion, where baseline CTA collateral grading was performed. CTA collaterals were associated with smaller CTP measured ischemic core volume ( P =0.0078) and higher mismatch ( P =0.0004). There was moderate negative correlation between collaterals and core ( r s=−0.45; 95% confidence interval, −0.64 to −0.20) and moderate positive correlation between collaterals and mismatch ( r s=0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.29–0.71). Conclusion— Better collaterals were associated with smaller ischemic core and higher mismatch in the IMS III trial. Collateral assessment and perfusion imaging identify the same biological construct about ischemic tissue sustenance.
Systemic optimization of on-chip thermoelectric cooling

Economic viability of on-package, in-situ cooling based on Thin-film Thermoelectric Coolants (TF-TEC) for hot-spot cooling involves myriad challenges necessitating engineering trade-offs. Principal factors include the cost of integration, the net energy consumption of the TEC based system, as well as system-level complexities arising from issues such as mutual thermal conflicts and interdependencies between the TEC and other package-level entities such as the Thermal grease (TIM), impact on the external convective cooling system, and the number of hot-spots present. In this paper, we examine these challenges both analytically and empirically, and propose a heuristic based method to overcome them. The method forms the basis for a generic optimization framework that enables system-level optimization of on-chip thermoelectric cooling in a commercial microprocessor package. We find a resultant cooling of up to 3°C at TDP delivered per core with a ∼11% improvement in energy efficiency.
Comparing a Four-Week Block Clerkship to a Twelve-Week Longitudinal Experience in Family Medicine

Approximately one third of the 1995-1996 third year medical students at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston were assigned to a 12-week ambulatory clerkship (MAC) in which they rotated through the offices of a family physician, a general internist and a pediatrician. At the same time, the remainder of the class completed a four-week block experience in family medicine. Logbook data of patient encounters from the block experience were compared to the family medicine portion of the longitudinal MAC. Data revealed that the two experiences were the same with regard to patient demographics and opportunity for continuity of care. Students in the MAC were more likely to be placed in an observational role and the block Clerkship was slightly more likely to provide students with an opportunity to see patients with problems common to family medicine. There was no difference between the two groups on the end-of-clerkship clinical performance examination.
Polarized raman spectroscopy for determining the orientation of di-d-phenylalanine molecules in a nanotube

Self-assembly of short peptides into nanostructures has become an important strategy for the bottom-up fabrication of nanomaterials. Significant interest to such peptide-based building blocks is due to the opportunity to control the structure and properties of well-structured nanotubes, nanofibrils, and hydrogels. X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, two major tools of structural biology, have significant limitations when applied to peptide nanotubes because of their non-crystalline structure and large weight. Polarized Raman spectroscopy was utilized for structural characterization of well-aligned D-Diphenylalanine nanotubes. The orientation of selected chemical groups relative to the main axis of the nanotube was determined. Specifically, the C-N bond of CNH3+groups is oriented parallel to the nanotube axis, the peptides' carbonyl groups are tilted at approximately 54° from the axis and the COO- groups run perpendicular to the axis. The determined orientation of chemical groups allowed the understanding of the orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecule that is consistent with its equilibrium conformation. The obtained data indicate that there is only one orientation of D-diphenylalanine molecules with respect to the nanotube main axis.
Bioarchaeology: Masticatory and nonmasticatory functions: craniofacial adaptation to mechanical loading

Introduction The influence of environment and behavior on skull morphology was first discussed centuries ago. In the fifth century BC, Herodotus remarked on apparent differences in cranial robusticity between Persians and Egyptians: “The skulls of Persians are so weak that if you so much as throw a pebble at one of them, you will pierce it; but the Egyptian skulls are so strong that a blow with a large stone will hardly break them.” He interpreted the strength of Egyptian skulls to the lifelong exposure of their heads to the sun. Since the time of Herodotus, the influence of environment and behavior, no matter how specious the interpretation, has been only minimally considered in discussions of cranial morphology in archaeological remains. Beginning in the eighteenth century, osteologists relied on craniofacial variation for determining population history and classification, with little attention given to the biological significance of observed patterns, especially from a population perspective (Armelagos et al., 1982; Carlson & Van Gerven, 1979; Cook, 2006; Larsen & Walker, 2010; Powell, 2005). As with the study of long bone morphology discussed in Chapter 6, there has been a gradual reorientation from typological/historical to population variation analyses. This emphasis focuses on processes and functions that influence cranial morphology, revealing the adaptive and behavioral significance of variation from a population perspective. This chapter’s central discussion is built on the premise that craniofacial morphology is a biological ensemble, influenced by processes involving the central role of the masticatory complex – composed of the jaws, teeth, and associated muscle – bone interactions – during growth and development and throughout adulthood (Daegling, 2010; Lieberman, 2011). Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence craniofacial growth, just as with any other skeletal tissue in the body. Throughout life, the cranium grows and adapts in an epigenetic context where environmental and functional factors operate on an underlying genetic infrastructure (Carlson, 2005).
Measurement of Serum IgE & IL-4 Level in Primary Amyloidosis of the Skin

Objective To investigate the immunological mechanism of cutaneous amyloidosis.Methods We measured serum IgE IL-4 of 46 patients with cutaneous amyloidosis by ELISA.Results The results show that serum IL-4 level of the patients is higher than that of the normal people.Serum IgE level of the patients with severe clinical manifestations is much higher than that of the normal people;while there are no significant difference between the normal people and the patients with little clinical manifestations.Serum IgE is relevant with the grade of clinical manifestation.Conclusion It is concluded that serum IL-4 IgE make important roles in the developing of cutaneous amyloidosis.
Simulation framework for the development of autonomous small scale vehicles

The development and validation of highly automated driving functions towards autonomous driving requires efficient frameworks to reduce the necessity of expensive, time-consuming and dangerous real test drives. This applies for the development of autonomous small scale as well as real scale vehicles. In the present work we introduce a simulation framework for the development and virtual validation of small scale vehicles to tackle this issue. At the concrete challenge of the student competition AUDI Autonomous Driving Cup, we demonstrate how a closed world can be transformed into appropriate simulation models in order to stimulate higher level automated driving functions. The framework is demonstrated at the example of highly automated driving functions on a small scale vehicle. At the end, we transfer the important results to the virtual validation of real scale autonomous vehicles.
Role of the N-acetylation polymorphism in solithromycin metabolism.

Aim: Solithromycin is a new macrolide antibiotic for the potential treatment of bacterial pneumonia. Materials & methods: Solithromycin N-acetylation by human NAT1 and NAT2 was investigated following recombinant expression in yeast and in cryopreserved human hepatocytes from rapid, intermediate and slow acetylators. Results: Solithromycin exhibited over twofold higher affinity for recombinant human NAT2 than NAT1. Apparent maximum velocities for the N-acetylation of solithromycin catalyzed by the NAT2 allozyme associated with rapid acetylators were significantly (p intermediate>slow acetylators) were exhibited in cryopreserved human hepatocytes in situ following incubation with 100 μM solithromycin. Conclusion: Solithromycin is N-acetylated by human NAT1 and NAT2 and the role of the NAT2 acetylation polymorphism on solithromycin metabolism may be concentration dependent.
Image Registration Based on a Minimized Cost Function and SURF Algorithm

Computer vision and image recognition became one of the interesting research areas. Image registration has been widely used in fields such as computer vision, MRI images, and face recognition. Image registration is a process of aligning multiple images of the same scene which are taken from a different angle or at a different time to the same coordinate system. Image registration transforms the target image to the source image based on the affine transformation such as translation, scaling, reflection, rotation, shearing etc. It is a challenging task to find enough matching points between the source and the target images. In the proposed method, we used Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) and Random sample consensus (RANSAC) to find the best matching points between the pair images in addition to the minimized cost function which enhances the image registration with a few matching points. We took in our concentration some of the affine transformation which is translation, rotation, and scaling. We achieved a higher accuracy in the image registration with few matching points as low as two matching points. Experimental results show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Introduction to Wind Energy

This note provides a technical and market overview of the wind power industry as of 2007. Growing off a small base, investments in wind energy technology and applications are rapidly expanding worldwide. Oil price increases, energy security, and renewable energy demand are driving investments and technology innovations as well as new entrants into the industry. As a consequence of component supply falling behind demand, prices have risen; state, federal, and international government policies will also have a significant impact on supply and demand in the years that follow. Excerpt UVA-ENT-0017 Rev. Mar. 30, 2011 INTRODUCTION TO WIND ENERGY First, there is the power of the Wind, constantly exerted over the globe…. Here is an almost incalculable power at our disposal, yet how trifling the use we make of it! It only serves to turn a few mills, blow a few vessels across the ocean, and a few trivial ends besides. What a poor compliment do we pay to our indefatigable and energetic servant! —Henry David Thoreau In 2006, the world's highest wind turbine was built in Laasow, Germany. Installed on a 160m SeeBA tower, the Fuhrlander 2.5MW turbine, designed by Wind to Energy GmbH, delivers 7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year—enough to power about 1,800 four-person households. Could wind energy, which currently meets barely 1% of the world's energy needs, become a major power source in the decades to come? This technical note describes the technology and economics of wind energy and explores some of the many forces driving the industry. Introduction Source: Wind to Energy GmbH (W2E)(http://www.wind-to-energy.de; accessed 10 October 2007). . . .
Stability Analysis of Interconnected Hybrid Dynamical Systems

Abstract In the present paper we establish some new stability results for interconnected hybrid (resp., discontinuous) dynamical systems. Our results are phrased in terms of the qualitative properties of systems components (subsystems) and constraints imposed on the system interconnecting structure. This viewpoint makes it frequently possible to overcome difficulties encountered in the stability analysis of such systems. The applicability of the present results is demonstrated by means of a specific example.
Fuzzy Docs: Failure Detection and Location in Large Systems

Abstract Failure diagnosis is the task of isolating and identifying the causes of malfunction of a plant from observable symptoms. An aggregated model-based diagnostic system will saturate subsystems downstreams and therefore make it difficult to isolate the cause of the failure in an abnormal condition. This paper extends a methodology which disaggregates a large system into several subsystems that are modeled and driven by the corresponding actual measurements. Any significant deviation between measurements and simulation indicates not only failure but also the location. The dynamic simulation enables the detection of failures during transient operation as well as the detection of emerging failures before any process signals reach their alarm levels. Fuzzy rules, which reflect human expertise for each subsystem, are used further to expose details of the malfunction and suggest ways of returning the plant to normal.
The ways of coping with post-war trauma of Yezidi refugee women in Turkey

Abstract This study shows the strategies for coping with the post-war trauma of Yezidi refugee women who escaped from the Sinjar genocide by ISIS in August 2014. The interviews that became the basis of this research were done only for the psychological support of the women staying at the Diyarbakir Refugee Camp in Turkey between January and March 2015. This research was shaped with aim of understanding the women, sharing their experiences, and being these women's voices, therefore the interviews given by Yezidi women were evaluated with grounded theory methodology. Coping strategies included gratitude for surviving, finding meaning for massacres, politization, being self-enclosed, mourning rituals and worship, strengthening women's solidarity, and showing solidarity with sexually attacked women through silence. War trauma reactions included mental unpreparedness, the sense of being betrayed, verbalization about the genocide (but not the sexual attacks), re-experiencing the trauma and mood changes.
Does the serum peptidome reveal hemostatic dysregulation

There is a significant need for markers that are diagnostic of disease, particularly cancer. For these biomarkers to be useful they would need to be able to detect disease early in its progression with high sensitivity and specificity. Many approaches are being undertaken to attempt to find such biomarkers using the tools of systems biology, i.e., parallel measurement techniques including proteomics (parallel protein measurements). Often the premise behind such an approach was to cast a wide net and then design an assay for specific elements that were found to be diagnostic. One such approach has utilized matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry to interrogate the low-molecular-weight component of serum (the fluid component of blood following clotting), the serum peptidome. This approach has the appealing characteristic of speed of analysis but has a number of shortcomings mostly due to signal:noise and mass resolution in some instruments, making peak analysis difficult. Of course, experimental design and statistical analysis have to be conducted with the system limitations in mind. These points have been addressed by others, but few have focused on a potentially larger issue with serum peptidome analysis — are the signals being measured informing us about the disease state directly or indirectly through measurement of another physiological process such as hemostatic dysregulation? This article will present evidence that points to careful measures of the serum peptidome revealing differences in clotting time in disease states and not direct measures of tumor proteolytic activity on blood proteins.
Spectrin-based pathways underlying electrical and mechanical dysfunction in cardiac disease.

INTRODUCTION In the heart, pathways that transduce extracellular environmental cues (e.g. mechanical force, inflammatory stress) into electrical and/or chemical signals at the cellular level are critical for the organ-level response to chronic biomechanical/neurohumoral stress. Specifically, a diverse array of membrane-bound receptors and stretch-activated proteins converge on a network of intracellular signaling cascades that control gene expression, protein translation, degradation and/or regulation. These cellular reprogramming events ultimately lead to changes in cell excitability, growth, proliferation, and/or survival. Areas covered: The actin/spectrin cytoskeleton has emerged as having important roles in not only providing structural support for organelle function but also in serving as a signaling 'superhighway,' linking signaling events at/near the membrane to distal cellular domains (e.g. nucleus, mitochondria). Furthermore, recent work suggests that the integrity of the actin/spectrin cytoskeleton is critical for canonical signaling of pathways involved in cellular response to stress. This review discusses these emerging roles for spectrin and consider implications for heart function and disease. Expert commentary: Despite growth in our understanding of the broader roles for spectrins in cardiac myocytes and other metazoan cells, there remain important unanswered questions, the answers to which may point the way to new therapies for human cardiac disease patients.
Dietary Fiber Treatment Corrects the Composition of Gut Microbiota, Promotes SCFA Production, and Suppresses Colon Carcinogenesis

Epidemiological studies propose a protective role for dietary fiber in colon cancer (CRC). One possible mechanism of fiber is its fermentation property in the gut and ability to change microbiota composition and function. Here, we investigate the role of a dietary fiber mixture in polyposis and elucidate potential mechanisms using TS4Cre × cAPCl°x468 mice. Stool microbiota profiling was performed, while functional prediction was done using PICRUSt. Stool short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites were measured. Histone acetylation and expression of SCFA butyrate receptor were assessed. We found that SCFA-producing bacteria were lower in the polyposis mice, suggesting a decline in the fermentation product of dietary fibers with polyposis. Next, a high fiber diet was given to polyposis mice, which significantly increased SCFA-producing bacteria as well as SCFA levels. This was associated with an increase in SCFA butyrate receptor and a significant decrease in polyposis. In conclusion, we found polyposis to be associated with dysbiotic microbiota characterized by a decline in SCFA-producing bacteria, which was targetable by high fiber treatment, leading to an increase in SCFA levels and amelioration of polyposis. The prebiotic activity of fiber, promoting beneficial bacteria, could be the key mechanism for the protective effects of fiber on colon carcinogenesis. SCFA-promoting fermentable fibers are a promising dietary intervention to prevent CRC.
4 – PHENOLOXIDASES IN INSECT IMMUNITY

Phenoloxidases are present as zymogens in insect hemolymph, and they become activated upon wounding or infection as part of the innate immune response. These enzymes are similar to mammalian tyrosinases in their ability to use reactive sites containing copper atoms to catalyze two types of reactions that require molecular oxygen as a substrate. They can hydroxylate tyrosine to form dihydroxyphenylalanine, and they oxidize o -diphenols to form quinones. The quinones undergo additional reactions leading to synthesis of melanin, which is deposited on the surface of encapsulated parasites, hemocyte nodules, and wound sites. The melanin itself and reactive chemical species produced during melanin synthesis appear to help kill invading pathogens and parasites. Rather than having sequence similarity to mammalian tyrosinases, insect prophenoloxidases (proPOs) are homologous with arthropod hemocyanins and insect hexamerin storage proteins. ProPOs are synthesized primarily by hemocytes and released into plasma by cell lysis. They are activated by proteolytic cleavage at a specific site near their amino-terminus through the action of hemolymph serine proteases containing amino-terminal clip domains. These proPO activating proteases are themselves activated as part of a protease cascade stimulated by recognition of microbial infection. At least in some cases, activation of proPO also requires the participation of serine protease homolog (SPH) cofactors, which lack proteolytic activity. The proPO activation cascade is regulated by plasma serine protease inhibitors, including members of the serpin superfamily, and active phenoloxidase (PO) may be directly inhibited by proteinaceous factors. Such regulation is essential because the products of PO activity are potentially toxic to the host. Further research is required to gain a more detailed understanding at a molecular level of the assembly of plasma protein complexes leading to proPO activation and melanin deposition on foreign surfaces and the regulation of these processes.
Numerical and Experimental Study of Porosity Evolution during Plasma Spray Deposition of W

The porosity that is commonly associated with discrete droplet processes, such as plasma spraying and spray deposition, effectively degrades the quality of the sprayed material. In the present paper, numerical and experimental studies on porosity evolution in plasma spray deposition of W are undertaken to provide insight into the formation and evolution of porosity. In the numerical study, deformation, interaction and solidification of molten droplets impinging onto a flat and non-flat substrate during plasma spraying are investigated. The full Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the Volume Of Fluid (VOF) function are solved to determine the exact movement and interaction of droplets. A 2-domain method is employed for the treatment of the thermal field and solidification problem within the flattening droplet to track the moving solid/liquid interface. A two-phase flow continuum model is employed for the simulation of the flow problem with a growing solid layer during droplet impingement. On the basis of the VOF function and the two-phase flow continuum model the micro-porosity is quantitatively calculated. In the experimental study, a W deposit of 2 - 3 mm in thickness is prepared using low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS). The microstructure of the deposit is characterized in detail, paying particular attention to the presence of porosity. The mechanisms that govern the formation of porosity during LPPS are proposed in light of numerical and experimental results. On the basis of the mechanisms, some fundamental trends and effects of important processing parameters on micro-porosity may be reasonably explained and optimal processing conditions for reducing microporosity may be determined.