cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of current passive-microwave- and infrared-based satellite rainfall remote sensing for flood prediction

[1] The adequacy of current passive-microwave-(PM)- and infrared-(IR)-based satellite rainfall retrieval and sampling for flood prediction of a medium-sized watershed is investigated. On the basis of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar rainfall measurements, rain retrieval error parameters for PM and IR sensors are derived. PM rain retrievals are inferred from the overland component of the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) rain estimation algorithm, while IR retrievals are obtained from hourly PM-calibrated IR rain fields, which are part of a variable rainfall product (VAR) array produced at NASA/GSFC. A probabilistic error model is developed for satellite-based precipitation measurements on the basis of retrieval error parameters in this simulation study. The PM rain detection ability was found to be significantly more sensitive than that of IR while the successful no-rain detection probabilities were found to be 93% and 88%, respectively. The IR retrieval was found to give false alarm rain rates about twice as large as that of PM. The PM sensor constellation comprised two Special Sensor Microwave Imagers (SSM/I) (F14 and F15), the TMI, and the Advanced Microwave Sensing Radiometer (AMSR-E). It was found that current PM sampling is associated with flood prediction uncertainty approximately 50–100% higher than that of a canonical 3-hourly sampling planned for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The comparatively greater limitation in capturing the correct space-time rain structure by IR retrievals had the effect of increasing the error in predicting the time of peak runoff when merging was performed with PM retrievals. It was found that a reduced standard error ( 0.90) can make IR retrievals useful in reducing uncertainty in the prediction of peak runoff. To reduce the error in time to peak, further improvement, such as reduction in the IR retrieval's false alarm rates coupled with an even higher POD, may be necessary. In terms of overall runoff volume, combined moderate improvements in POD and error variance of current IR retrieval algorithms are sufficient for the reduction of prediction uncertainty.
Production of high-purity water by membrane processes

Membrane processes, especially reverse osmosis, have played a major role since the early 1990s in the production of high-purity water for power, pharmaceutical, beverage and semi-conductor industries, and will continue to play a critical role in the growth of this water sector to meet everincreasing demands of water purity, especially in microelectronics applications. Power plants are the single largest user of high-purity water. Membrane processes are also being increasingly used in the reduction of wastewater, water reclamation, recycle and conservation, and environmental pollution control. The production of high-purity water and ultra-pure water for the above-mentioned industries is described in detail. Recent advances, new processes and membrane development such as high performance systems, hot water sanitisation and shrinking line width in microelectronics devices to meet critical requirements are discussed.
The Rocky Road to New Paradigms: Modernizing News and Citizenship Standards

There was a time when nearly everybody who was anybody among Western cognoscenti knew that the world was flat. All the maps showed it, the scientists confirmed it, and the church preached it. Anyone who nonetheless proposed sailing westward from Europe to reach India found himself without resources to undertake a voyage expected to lead to a disastrous drop off the edge of the flat earth. Anyone daring to even question the established paradigm about the shape of the world risked excommunication from the church and eternal damnation. Came Christopher Columbus! He was able to convince the Queen of Spain that testing the accuracy of prevailing geography paradigms was worth modest funding for ships and crews. The rest is history, familiar to all of us. Columbus’ trip proved that the earth is round. Still, it took a very long time before the scholarly community, the church, and the proverbial men in the street were willing and psychologically able to tolerate, accept, and finally embrace the paradigm switch. John Zaller is no Christopher Columbus. In fact, to carry out the analogy, he is probably more like some of the early converts who embraced the new, empirically grounded, round-earth paradigm ahead of the crowd. “A New Standard of News Quality: Burglar Alarms for the Monitorial Citizen” puts Zaller squarely into a small camp of iconoclastic scholars. These scholars have been laboring to bury the unsustainable belief that democracy requires citizens who fully understand all major policy issues and a press that supplies them with all of the necessary information. As a long-time member of the iconoclast group, I welcome John Zaller with open arms. I share his belief that American democracy can thrive even though American citizens (and citizens in other Western democracies as well) cannot and will not be held to the standards of the “Informed Citizen,” as Michael Schudson (1998) describes the breed. Full knowledge about all major political issues has become impossible. There is simply too much to know and most of it is extraordinarily complex, requiring technical, managerial, and political expertise beyond the reach of most citizens. I agree with Zaller and like-minded scholars that good citizenship in the 21st century requires a new paradigm and that the “Monitorial Citizen” serves the purpose quite well. That paradigm takes into account that most citizens lead complex lives in which civic duties are one of many pressing claims for each person’s attention. Given the strain on most citizens’ attention resources, it is also clear that the database that citizens
UBIQUITOUS FRACTIONAL ORDER CONTROLS

Abstract There is an increasing interest in dynamic systems and controls of noninteger orders or fractional orders. Clearly, for closed-loop control systems, there are four situations. They are 1) IO (integer order) plant with IO controller; 2) IO plant with FO (fractional order) controller; 3) FO plant with IO controller and 4) FO plant with FO controller. However, from engineering point of view, doing something better is the major concern. This review article will first show two examples that the best fractional order controller outperforms the best integer order controller. Then, we try to argue why consider fractional order control even when integer (high) order control works comparatively well. We will also address issues in fractional order PID controller tuning. Using several real world examples, we further argue that, fractional order control is ubiquitous when the dynamic system is of distributed parameter nature.
Adenoid basal carcinoma of the cervix : A potential pitfall in cervicovaginal cytology

Adenoid basal carcinoma (ABC) of the cervix is a quite uncommon, indolent, yet invasive neoplasm rarely identified on cervico-vaginal smears. This may be due in part to sampling. Unless ABCs become ulcerated, even vigorous brushing of the endocervical canal may not be adequate to dislodge the small, cohesive cells of this neoplasm. Fortunately, the association of ABC with squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) often results in its incidental diagnosis on follow-up cervical biopsy or endocervical curettage. We report two cases of ABC. In case 1, a 79-yr-old white woman was diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma on cervicovaginal (CV) smear. High-grade SIL, carcinoma in situ, and ABC were identified on subsequent cervical cone biopsy and hysterectomy. Retrospective evaluation of the CV smear revealed a few aggregates of small, uniform cells, with hyperchromatic nuclei representing fragments of ABC. In case 2, atypical basaloid cells suspicious for ABC were recognized on the CV smear of a 67-yr-old black woman, and ABC was subsequently confirmed on cervical cone biopsy. In neither case did the intervening cervical biopsy reveal ABC. In addition to a review of the clinical information useful in the diagnosis of ABC, the cytologic features of these two cases are compared with their subsequent histopathology and contrasted with other similar lesions comprising the differential diagnosis of small neoplastic cells found in cervicovaginal smears. Diagn Cytopathol 1996;14:172–177. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF BACTERIAL DIFFERENCES IN PSEUDOMONAS ISOLATES FROM CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS

Pseudononas pulmonary infection is a major factor in the morbidity and moitality in cystic fibrosis (CF). Of the 450 patients in this center, 80% are colonized with Pseudomonas. Isolates are classified morphologically in our laboratory into mucoid, rough, classic, dwarf, gelatinous or enterobacter varieties. Approximately 70% of the patients have 2 or more morphologic varieties. Morphologically different Pseudomonas from the same patient have different antibiotic sensitivity 28% of the time. Both morphological variety and antibiotic sensitivity appear to be unstable because they change rapidly upon subculture. Recently, Zierdt compared the serotypes cf Pseudomonas isolated from patients of seven CF centers, and found 60% to be Homma aerotype 8. Subsequently, we serotyped isolates from our center and 50% were found to be serotype 8. Although more than one morphological variety was found in an individual patient, the serotypes of each variety were always identical. This vas true with 4 other serotypes in addition to type 8. Serologic typing was found to be stable after repeated subculture. A CF patient may have only one Pseudomonas which is capable of expressing many variant characteristics and this suggests the possibility that some interference prevents the establishment of more than one Pseudomoras serotype. An understanding of the basic biology of Pseudomonas in the CF respiratory tract is crucial tc achieve control of infections.
Sustained and controlled release of daunomycin from cross-linked poly(aldehyde guluronate) hydrogels

We have incorporated daunomycin, an antineoplastic agent, into a biodegradable hydrogel through a labile covalent bond. In brief, sodium alginate was chemically broken down to low molecular weight and followed by oxidation to prepare poly(aldehyde guluronate). Adipic dihydrazide was used to incorporate the drug into the polymer backbone and cross-link the polymer to form hydrogels. Daunomycin can be released from the hydrogel after the hydrolysis of the covalent linkage between the drug and the polymer. A wide range of release profiles of daunomycin (e.g., from 2 days to 6 weeks) has been achieved using these materials, and the biological activity of the released daunomycin was maintained.
Initiation of remote microvascular preconditioning requires KATP channel activity

The purpose of this study was to investigate vascular preconditioning of individual microvascular networks. Prior work shows that exposure of downstream arterioles to specific agonists preconditions upstream arterioles so that they exhibit an altered local vasoactive response [remote microvascular preconditioning (RMP)]. We hypothesized that mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels were involved in stimulation of RMP. Arteriolar diameter (∼15 μm) was observed ∼1,000 μm upstream of the remote exposure site in the cheek pouch of pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized (70 mg/kg) male hamsters (n = 104); all agonists were applied via micropipette. RMP was initiated by application of pinacidil (Pin), diazoxide (DZ), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or bradykinin (BK) to the downstream vessel. After 15 min, RMP was apparent at the upstream observation site from testing of local vasoactive responses to l-arginine. Pin, DZ, SNP, and BK each stimulated RMP. To evaluate a specific role for mitochondrial KATP channels i...
POINTS OF LOCAL NONCONVEXITY AND SETS WHICH ARE ALMOST STARSHAPED

Let S≠o be a bounded connected set in R2, and assume that every 3 or fewer lnc points of S are clearly visible from a common point of S. Then for some point p in S, the set A≡{s : s in S and [p, s] ⊂ S} is nowhere dense in S. Furthermore, when S is open, then S in starshaped.
Towards a measure of deformability of shape sequences

In this paper we develop a theory for characterizing how deformable a shape is given a sequence of its observations. We define a term called ''deformability index'' (DI) for shapes. The novelty of the proposed method lies in its ability to separate the effects of observation noise from the underlying non-rigid deformation process. The DI is computed from the tracked positions of a sequence of deformable shapes, using an affine camera model. Our method assumes that a deformable shape sequence can be represented by a linear combination of rigid basis shapes, where the weights assigned to each basis shape change with time. The tracked points obtained from the 2D shape sequence are transformed to a 3D shape space, whose dimension is then estimated using spectral analysis methods. The dimension of this shape space determines the number of basis shapes needed to represent the shape sequence, which, in turn, determines the deformability index. Our method is different from existing techniques since it is non-iterative, does not require setting an arbitrary threshold and is able to precisely model the effects of noise in the feature positions. Rigid 3D transformations of the shape are taken into account in estimating the DI; however, the method does not require estimation of 3D structure or motion. Experimental results show that the DI is in accordance with our intuitive judgment. Applications and comparative analysis on 3D deformable object modeling are also presented.
A compiler scheme for reusing intermediate computation results

Recent research has shown that programs often exhibit value locality. Such locality occurs when a code segment, although executed repeatedly in the program, takes only a small number of different values as input and, naturally, generates a small number of different outputs. It is potentially beneficial to replace such a code segment by a table, which records the computation results for the previous inputs. When the program execution re-enters the code segment with a repeated input, its computation can be simplified to a table look-up. We discuss a compiler scheme to identify code segments, which are good candidates for computation reuse. We discuss the conditions under which the table look-up costs less than repeating the execution, and we perform profiling to identify candidates, which have many repeated inputs at run time. Compared to previous work, this scheme requires no special hardware support and is therefore particularly useful for resource constrained systems such as handheld computing devices. We implement our scheme and its supporting analyses in GCC. We experiment with several multimedia benchmarks and the GNU Go game by executing them on a handheld computing device. The results show the scheme to improve the performance and to reduce the energy consumption quite substantially for these programs.
The processes of inference

Mental models represent possibilities, and the theory of mental models postulates three systems of mental processes underlying inference: (0) the construction of an intensional representation of a premise's meaning – a process guided by a parser; (1) the building of an initial mental model from the intension, and the drawing of a conclusion based on heuristics and the model; and (2) on some occasions, the search for alternative models, such as a counterexample in which the conclusion is false. System 0 is linguistic, and it may be autonomous. System 1 is rapid and prone to systematic errors, because it makes no use of a working memory for intermediate results. System 2 has access to working memory, and so it can carry out recursive processes, such as the construction of alternative models. However, it too is fallible when the limited processing capacity of working memory becomes overburdened. The three systems are embodied in a unified computational implementation of the model theory, called mReasoner, wh...
Software-based correction of single compartment series resistance errors.

Abstract Resistance across a patch pipette following seal formation and attainment of the whole cell recording configuration can introduce considerable and sometimes non-intuitive errors into voltage clamp recordings. These errors can be corrected actively on most commercially available amplifiers, although decisions during the experiment often must be made concerning the degree of correction to be employed, and the decision is essentially irreversible once the data is recorded. Amplifier-based corrections assume a single compartment, and thus any degree of compensation could be applied after data collection with a delay of only a single digitization interval. This report describes computer algorithms that correct capacitative filtering that results from pipette series resistance as well as the voltage error for current responses with either linear or non linear current–voltage curves. The algorithms are designed to operate on data that are recorded at a single holding potential rather than in response to voltage steps. The simplest algorithm for correction of responses with linear IV consists of about a dozen lines of C code and can easily be incorporated into data analysis programs, spreadsheets, and mathematical analysis packages. Code, sample programs, and spreadsheets that implement these algorithms are available from ftp.pharm.emory.edu.
Chronic Cardiac Gene Delivery of proBNP in Experimental Progressive Hypertensive Heart Disease Improves Survival

A Multimarker Panel Improves Risk Prediction in Chronic Heart Failure Bonnie Ky, Benjamin French, James C. Fang, Nancy K. Sweitzer, Wayne C. Levy, AlanH.B.Wu, LeeR.Goldberg,Mariell Jessup, ThomasP.Cappola; Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; Cardiovascular Medicine, Case Western University, Cleveland, OH; Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
A destination-initiated multicast routing protocol for shortest path tree constructions

In this work, we design a destination-initiated protocol, which aims at building source-rooted shortest path tree (SPT) in a hop-by-hop manner for providing scalable multicast. The designed protocol can support group applications with dynamic membership well. Performance analysis and simulation results show that the destination-initiated characteristic can significantly reduce the computation, storage and communication overhead associated with SPT constructions.
The Effects of Exercise Training on Fatigue and Dyspnea in Heart Failure

Background: Physiological benefits of exercise training for heart failure (HF) patients have been demonstrated, however little is known about the effects of training on the symptoms of fatigue and dyspnea.Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine HF symptoms of fatigue and dyspnea in response to a 24-week exercise training intervention.Methods: This pilot study was a randomized, two-group repeated measures design. Fifteen subjects in the intervention group completed a combination of aerobic and resistance training three times per week in a standard cardiac rehabilitation setting. The control group consisted of 6 subjects who were instructed not to begin any formal exercise program during the 24-week intervention.Results: Subjects (19 males and 2 females) had a mean age of 66.2 ± 10.2 years and mean ejection fraction (EF) of 28.4 ± 7.4%. Non-parametric Friedman Analysis of Variance by Ranks showed the exercise group significantly decreased sensory fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale) over time (χ2 = 6.49, p =...
The incredible years teacher classroom management program: Using coaching to support generalization to real-world classroom settings

This article focuses on the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training (IY TCM) intervention as an example of an evidence-based program that embeds coaching within its design. First, the core features of the IY TCM program are described. Second, the IY TCM coaching model and processes utilized to facilitate high fidelity of implementation of IY TCM by classroom teachers are highlighted. The goal is to demonstrate the use of coaching as a support system toward effective generalization of the IY TCM strategies among teachers with diverse backgrounds and skills who work with students with varying developmental, academic, and social–emotional needs. Implications for school psychologists, researchers, and implementation science are discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transforming the international learning experience for students: Moving beyond the principle of accompaniment

Evidence exists that international learning experiences provide undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to develop intercultural competence and global perspectives. This development is grounded in the idea of accompaniment that is prevalent in study abroad programs and international service experiences at the higher education level. Accompaniment is firmly planted in the idea of mutual relationships and sharing culture. However, it only creates a superficial understanding of the community and fails to address and implement systems of sustainable practice. This theoretical supposition challenges educators to go beyond the foundation of accompaniment and explore innovative practice that can benefit the development of intercultural competence in students and promote sustainability in the international contexts that these academic-based international service programs work with. The authors detail suggestions that educators can use as a framework for transforming international service experiences, their students, and the communities they serve.
Spherical rolling robot: a design and motion planning studies

Describes a prototype and analytical studies of a spherical rolling robot, a new design of a nonholonomic robot system. The spherical robot is driven by two remotely controlled, internally mounted rotors that induce the ball to roll and spin on a flat surface. It is tracked on the plane by an overhead camera. A mathematical model of the robot's motion was developed using the nonholonomic constraints on its motion. For a number of simple motions, it is shown experimentally that the model agrees well with the results. Methods were developed for planning feasible, minimum time and minimum energy trajectories for the robot. These methods are illustrated both by mathematical simulation and hardware experiments.
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen transcription is repressed through an E2F consensus element and activated by geminivirus infection in mature leaves

The geminivirus tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) amplifies its DNA genome in differentiated plant cells that lack detectable levels of DNA replication enzymes. Earlier studies showed that TGMV induces the accumulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), the processivity factor for DNA polymerase δ, in mature cells of Nicotiana benthamiana. We sought to determine if PCNA protein accumulation reflects transcriptional activation of the host gene. RNA gel blot analysis detected an ∼1200-nucleotide PCNA transcript in young leaves. The same RNA was found in mature leaves of infected but not healthy plants. Reporter gene analysis showed that a 633-bp promoter fragment of the N. benthamiana PCNA gene supports high levels of expression in cultured cells and in young but not mature leaves of healthy transgenic plants. In contrast, PCNA promoter activity was detected in both young and mature leaves of TGMV-infected plants. Developmental studies established a strong relationship between symptom severity, viral DNA accumulation, PCNA promoter activity, and endogenous PCNA mRNA levels. Mutation of an E2F consensus element in the PCNA promoter had no effect on its activity in young leaves but increased transcription in healthy mature leaves. Unlike the wild-type PCNA promoter, TGMV infection had no detectable effect on the activity of the mutant E2F promoter. Together, these results demonstrate that geminivirus infection induces the accumulation of a host replication factor by activating transcription of its gene in mature tissues, most likely by overcoming E2F-mediated repression.
Government Contracts With Private Organizations Are There Differences Between Nonprofits and For-profits?

In this empirical study, we examine whether systematic differences exist between government contracts with nonprofit and for-profit service providers. Based on principal–agent theory, we examine the potential comparative advantage of nonprofit organizations over for-profits in two areas: contracting process and contract performance. We test hypotheses using data from a national survey of local government contracts with private service providers. The results provide some support for the propositions that public officials trust nonprofits more than for-profits and grant them additional discretion. Even stronger support is found for the propositions that nonprofits are monitored less than for-profits and are awarded contracts of longer duration and for services characterized by higher levels of task uncertainty than those awarded to their for-profit counterparts. We find no significant differences in performance between nonprofit and for-profit contractors in terms of cost, quality of work, responsiveness to...
The hepatitis C self‐management programme: a randomized controlled trial

Summary. Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection afflicts millions of people worldwide. While antiviral treatments are effective for some patients, many either cannot or choose not to receive antiviral treatment. Education about behavioural changes like alcohol avoidance and symptom management, in contrast, is universally recommended, particularly in HCV-infected persons from disadvantaged groups where liver risk factors are most prevalent. Self-management interventions are one option for fostering improved HCV knowledge and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). One hundred and thirty-two patients with VA with HCV (mean age of 54.6, 95% men, 41% ethnic minority, 83% unmarried, 72% unemployed/disabled, 48% homeless in last 5 years) were randomized to either a 6-week self-management workshop or an information-only intervention. The weekly 2-h self-management sessions were based on cognitive-behavioural principles and were adapted from an existing self-management programme that has been efficacious with other chronic diseases. HCV-specific modules were added. Outcomes including HRQOL, HCV knowledge, self-efficacy, depression, energy and health distress were measured at baseline and 6 weeks later. Data were analysed using ANOVA. When compared to the information-only group, participants attending the self-management workshop improved more on HCV knowledge (P < 0.001), HCV self-efficacy (P = 0.011), and SF-36 energy/vitality (P = 0.040). Similar trends were found for SF-36 physical functioning (P = 0.055) and health distress (P = 0.055). Attending the self-management programme improved disease knowledge and HRQOL 6 weeks later in this disadvantaged population. The intervention can improve the health of people with hepatitis C, independent of antiviral therapy. Future research will study longer-term outcomes, effects on antiviral treatment and costs.
Phase transition and finite-size scaling for the integer partitioning problem

We consider the problem of partitioning n randomly chosen integers between 1 and 2 m into two subsets such that the discrepancy, the absolute value of the difference of their sums, is minimized. A partition is called perfect if the optimum discrepancy is 0 when the sum of all n integers in the original set is even, or 1 when the sum is odd. Parameterizing the random problem in terms of κ = m/n, we prove that the problem has a phase transition at κ = 1, in the sense that for κ 1, there are no perfect partitions with probability tending to 1. Moreover, we show that this transition is first-order in the sense the derivative of the so-called entropy is discontinuous at κ = 1. We also determine the finite-size scaling window about the transition point: κn = 1 − � 2n� −1 log2 n + λn/n, by showing that the probability of a perfect partition tends to 1� 0, or some explicitly computable p� λ �∈� 0� 1� , depending on whether λn tends to −∞� ∞ ,o r λ ∈ �−∞ � ∞� , respectively. For λn →− ∞fast enough, we show that the number of perfect partitions is Gaussian in the limit. For λn →∞ , we prove that with high probability the optimum partition is unique, and that the optimum discrepancy is � 2 λn � . Within the window, i.e., if � λnis bounded, we prove that the optimum discrepancy is bounded. Both for λn →∞ and within the window, we find the limiting distribution of the (scaled) discrepancy. Finally, both for the integer partitioning problem and for the continuous partitioning problem, we find the joint distribution of the k smallest discrepancies above the scaling window. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 19, 247-288, 2001
Cubic law with aperture-length correlation: implications for network scale fluid flow

Previous studies have computed and modeled fluid flow through fractured rock with the parallel plate approach where the volumetric flow per unit width normal to the direction of flow is proportional to the cubed aperture between the plates, referred to as the traditional cubic law. When combined with the square root relationship of displacement to length scaling of opening-mode fractures, total flow rates through natural opening-mode fractures are found to be proportional to apertures to the fifth power. This new relationship was explored by examining a suite of flow simulations through fracture networks using the discrete fracture network model (DFN). Flow was modeled through fracture networks with the same spatial distribution of fractures for both correlated and uncorrelated fracture length-to-aperture relationships. Results indicate that flow rates are significantly higher for correlated DFNs. Furthermore, the length-to-aperture relations lead to power-law distributions of network hydraulic conductivity which greatly influence equivalent permeability tensor values. These results confirm the importance of the correlated square root relationship of displacement to length scaling for total flow through natural opening-mode fractures and, hence, emphasize the role of these correlations for flow modeling.
The Clinical Characteristics of Atraumatic Intracranial Abscess Patients

Objective: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate clinical characteristics of atraumatic intracranial abscesses according to analyze the medical records and imaging studies of patients. Methods: This study is performed with retrospective reviews of medical records of 15 patients which were admitted under the diagnosis as atraumatic intracranial abscess from 2004 to 2009. Results: The infection entities were 2 epidural abscess, 1 subdural abscess, and 13 brain abscesses. Among them, 8 cases were bacterial infections, 6 unknown organisms, and 1 toxoplasmosis. 14 patients were managed with surgical and medical treatments. 1 patient was treated with medication only. Generally, the outcome was good and no mortality was recorded. According to the results of this study, the preponderance of smoking and alcoholics of intracranial abscesses were suggested. Conclusion: To diagnose intracranial abscess accurately, more careful listening to the patient’s history including smoking, alcohol consumption, and disease is necessarily required. The prognosis of the intracranial abscess would be good if accurate results for pathogens, appropriate usage of antibioticis, and suitable surgical method were done. (J Kor Neurotraumatol Soc 2010;6:57-65)
A HAPLOID AND A DIPLOID CELL CYCLE COEXIST IN AN IN VITRO IMMORTALIZED SPERMATOGENIC CELL LINE

We have recently established a conditionally immortalized germ cell line [GC-2spd(ts)] that, at the permissive temperatures of 37 degrees C and 32 degrees C, is able to undergo meiosis in vitro and form round spermatids [Hofmann et al., (1994): Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:5533-5537]. In this report, we provide data that indicate that the GC-2spd(ts) cell line consists of two cell populations undergoing a haploid (n/2n) cell cycle and a diploid (2n/4n) cell cycle, respectively. The cells containing 2n DNA, when sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, are able to reconstitute the full population of n/2n/4n DNA cells, indicating that they are able to commit to the reductive meiotic division and form haploid spermatids or to continue self-replication through a diploid cell cycle. This GC-2spd(ts) cell line provides a valuable tool to study the molecular mechanisms involved in the cellular decision between self-renewal by mitosis and commitment to meiosis.
ICASE: NASA Langley's CSE center

A brief informal memorandum, extolling the promise of supercomputers, began the countdown for the launch of an Institute for Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The name was changed before launch to the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering, and the acronym ICASE is now recognized around the world for its computational science and engineering (CSE) research. For over two decades the ICASE research program, in addition to being computational, has been multidisciplinary and multisectoral. ICASE thrives on interfaces: those between applied mathematics, application areas, and computer science; and those between NASA academia, and industry. Its purpose is to serve as a forerunner and build expertise in areas of growing or future relevance to Langley. The paper discusses some of the ICASE programs in mathematics and computer science. >
Genistein and Glyceollin Effects on ABCC2 (MRP2) and ABCG2 (BCRP) in Caco-2 Cells.

The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of glyceollins on intestinal ABCC2 (ATP Binding Cassette C2, multidrug resistance protein 2, MRP2) and ABCG2 (ATP Binding Cassette G2, breast cancer resistance protein, BCRP) function using the Caco-2 cell intestinal epithelial cell model. Glyceollins are soy-derived phytoestrogens that demonstrate anti-proliferative activity in several sources of cancer cells. 5 (and 6)-carboxy-2′,7′-dichloroflourescein (CDF) was used as a prototypical MRP2 substrate; whereas BODIPY-prazosin provided an indication of BCRP function. Comparison studies were conducted with genistein. Glyceollins were shown to inhibit MRP2-mediated CDF transport, with activity similar to the MRP2 inhibitor, MK-571. They also demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition BCRP-mediated efflux of BODIPY-prazosin, with a potency similar to that of the recognized BCRP inhibitor, Ko143. In contrast, genistein did not appear to alter MRP2 activity and even provided a modest increase in BCRP efflux of BODIPY-prazosin. In particular, glyceollin inhibition of these two important intestinal efflux transporters suggests the potential for glyceollin to alter the absorption of other phytochemicals with which it might be co-administered as a dietary supplement, as well as alteration of the absorption of pharmaceuticals that may be administered concomitantly.
Reuse by placement: a paradigm for cross-domain software reuse with high level of granularity

It is a challenge to reuse existing software at a high level of granularity across different domains. Inspired by product placement for advertising in markets, where a movie can be "reused" for advertising without losing the function of the movie, this paper proposes a new paradigm for software reuse: "reuse by placement". This concept is illustrated in this paper using serious games. A framework based on virtual interactions is presented to provide dynamic placement points with reusable services to facilitate implanting new requirements intoop games in educational and human computation domains.
Wood: Mechanical Fasteners

Strength and stability of any structure depends heavily on the mechanical fasteners that hold its parts together. Wood structural parts can be joined together using a wide variety of fasteners such as dowel type fasteners, timber rivets, metal connectors, and hangers. The lateral, withdrawal, and deformation behavior of dowel type fasteners including nails, staples, screws, lag screws, and bolts is discussed along with their use in multiple fastener connection. Strength behavior of timber rivets, metal connectors, and hangers also discussed.
Identification of Possibly Unsafe RF Exposure Thresholds for Humans Using Porcine Models

Thresholds for safe radio-frequency (RF) power exposure are unknown in humans. Identification of safe RF power dose thresholds is important for human safety since humans are exposed to RF environment in multiple applications. (1–5) To identify possible unsafe RF energy deposition limits in humans, in vivo temperature responses were measured in the scalp and brain of eight human-sized porcine models.© 2008 ASME
Reconsidering sex-based stereotypes of COPD.

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has historically been considered a disease of older, white, male smokers, as illustrated inFrank Netter’s classic images of the ‘pink puffer’ and ‘blue bloater’. However, women may be more susceptible to COPD than men, andthe disease course may be reflective of that increased susceptibility. From a review of epidemiological data of COPD, we found differencesin the way men and women present with COPD symptoms, a bias in the way COPD symptoms are treated in men and women, anddifferences in susceptibility to airway obstruction based on age, sex, and smoking history. These data show that classic stereotypes ofCOPD – including male predominance – should be abandoned, and that there are not two but multiple COPD phenotypes, which arecharacterised by differences between women and men in susceptibility, symptoms, and disease progression. These differences impact onphysician perception. Although further research into this concept is needed, the differences we found should prompt, in the short term,changes in the way (and in whom) COPD is evaluated, diagnosed, and treated; in the long term, these differences should prompt r esearchinto the prognosis of COPD based on sex differences. © 2011 Primary Care Respiratory Society UK. All rights reserved.J Ohar
Relative effectiveness of pantothenic acid and panthenol in stimulating antibody response of pantothenic acid-deficient rats.

Summary1. Panthenol was found to be equally as effective as pantothenic acid in promoting antibody synthesis in pantothenic aciddeficient rats.
Interplay of condensation and chelation in binary and ternary Th(IV) systems.

Th(IV) readily undergoes hydrolysis and condensation in aqueous solutions to form polynuclear molecular species and the system becomes increasingly complicated when organic chelators or other metals are present in solution, leading to the formation of complexes with vastly different structural topologies. Five compounds containing binary and ternary Th(IV) complexes have been synthesized and structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, including Na4[Th6O2(C10O7N2H14)6]·20.5H2O (Th6hedta), [Th(C9O6NH12)(H2O)(NO3)]·1.5H2O (Th(ntp)), [Th2Al8(OH)14(H2O)12(C6O5NH8)4](NO3)6·17.5H2O (Th2Al8heidi), (C4N2H12) [Th2Fe2(OH)2(H2O)2(C6O7H4)2(C6O7H5)2]·6H2O (Th2Fe2cit), (C4N2H12) [ThFe2O(H2O)3(C11O9N2H13)2]·6H2O (ThFe2dhpta). Additional chemical characterization by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis provides information on the chelation by the organic ligands and thermal stability. These molecular complexes can be utilized to understand aqueous speciation in mixed-metal solutions ...
New Resistive Switching Phenomena in Devices with Limited Active Metal Source

To better understand the mechanisms of creation and rupture of conductive filaments in resistive switching devices such as Cu/TaOx/Pt, with Cu and Pt being the active and inert electrodes, respectively, a device with limited supply of active metal electrode has been manufactured and electrically characterized. The limited supply of active metal has been realized by depositing a thin (delta) Cu layer (δ-Cu), 6 nm and 12 nm thick, on TaOx, resulting in a Pt/δ-Cu/TaOx/Pt device structure. The limited active metal supply i) has a direct impact on the onresistance (Ron) of the Cu bridge, and leads, after several conventional set-reset cycles, to ii) pulsating behavior, when device turns on and off repeatedly, to iii) symmetric switching behavior with respect to applied voltage polarity, when the device can be set and reset both at positive and negative bias, and to iv) volatile switching behavior.
Looking Is Not Seeing and Listening Is Not Hearing: A Replication Study With Accelerated BSN Students

Development of perceptual aptitude is a critical yet complex skill that requires the effective organization and interpretation of data using visual and auditory clinical observation. Educators face challenges in creating pedagogy that consistently demonstrates reliability and validity in fostering clinical skills. We have dependably used the arts as a means to improve students' auditory and visual skills, and this article will describe replication of our work with accelerated nursing students in a bachelor's program in their last semester of nursing school (n = 23). Our results reveal that auscultative and observational abilities of soon-to-be registered nurses are in need of improvement. The use of art in a museum improves observational and assessment abilities, and music training increases auscultative interpretive skills significantly.
Retraction brain ischaemia: cerebral blood flow, evoked potentials, hypotension and hyperventilation in a new animal model.

AbstractUndue intraoperative brain retraction can cause significant neurosurgical morbidity. By combining brain retractor blade pressure measurement with monitoring of brain electrical activity, one can determine the limits of safe brain retraction and then test systematically various therapeutic interventions. Cortical evoked potential (EP) mapping and laser-Doppler cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement were undertaken during brain retraction in the miniature swine (Sus scrofaj. Forelimb somatosensory EP recording during subtemporal retraction simulated the pterional and subtemporal approaches, respectively. Retraction pressure of 30 mmHg usually resulted in a 50% decrement in EP amplitude after 10 to 20 minutes in normotensive, normocapnic adult animals. Recovery of EP occurred within 5 to 10 minutes of retraction release. The effects of animal age, induced hypotension (nitroprusside, MAP ≈ 40), and induced hypocapnia (hyperventilation, PaCO2 ≈ 28) on EP preservation during retraction were then investig...
Comparison of FDG PET/CT and contrast enhanced CT in the staging and follow-up of cholangiocarcinoma

576 Objectives To date, only limited studies have addressed the role of FDG PET/CT in detecting cholangiocarcinoma. The NCCN Guidelines recommend the use of contrast enhanced CT (CECT) in the workup of cholangiocarcinoma, but no consensus exists regarding PET/CT. We aim to compare the efficacy of FDG PET/CT with CECT in staging and follow-up of cholangiocarcinoma. Methods Patients with biopsy proven cholangiocarcinoma who underwent PET/CT and CECT between 2011 and 2012 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included if they had PET/CT and CECT within a 2-month interval. For each eligible patient, we compared all abnormal lesions identified on either scan. Independent evaluation of the PET/CT images and comparison CECT were made in addition to correlation with the original reports. The findings were verified by pathology and/or other imaging modalities with a minimal 4-month follow-up. Results A total of 17 patients met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-eight true malignant lesions were identified in total 21-paried studies: 4-paired pre-treatment staging and 17-paired post-treatment follow-up. Lesion-based comparative analysis showed that the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values and accuracies of PET/CT and CECT for detecting cholangiocarcinoma were 91.2, 60.0, 94.4, 100.0, 94.9%; and 45.6, 87.5, 96.9, 15.9, 50.0%, respectively. In comparison to CECT, PET/CT detected more malignant lesions within the liver, lymph nodes and bone. At patient-based analysis, PET/CT changed treatment planes in three of the 17 patients (17.6%). Conclusions Our study on a small number of patients with cholangiocarcinoma suggests that PET/CT detect more malignant lesions and lead to considerable changes in treatment plan compared with CECT. Importantly, all lesions identified by CECT were not missed by PET/CT. Thus, PET/CT has an important clinical impact on staging and follow-up of patients with cholangiocarcinoma. However, a prospective large-scale, multi-center study is still needed for further clarification.
Modified MinG Algorithm to Find Top-K Shortest Paths from large RDF Graphs

MinG algorithm indexes large RDF graphs in an efficient way and then uses the index to answer all path queries between two nodes of the graph. MinG reduces the computational and space complexity of indexing by not creating a special type of adjacency matrix called Path Type Matrix at each level of indexing. We only need Path Type Matrices at first and last level of indexing. MinG was modified to answer top-K shortest paths. The experiments were performed on specific case studies. Gain in the performance is significant due to reduction in the space to index a graph and also reduction in computation time to answer path queries.
A high-performance strain sensing microsystem with remote RF power capability

This paper describes a high-performance strain sensing microsystem with a remote RF powering capability. A MEMS capacitive strain sensor converts an input strain to a capacitance change with a sensitivity of 26.5 aF per 0.1 /spl mu//spl epsiv/. Low-noise integrated sensing electronics, employing a continuous time synchronous detection architecture, convert the capacitive signal to an output voltage for further signal processing. An RF to DC converter, based on inductive coupled coils, converts a 50 MHz AC signal to a stable DC supply of 2.8 V with a current driving capability of 2 mA, sufficient to power the interface sensing electronics. The prototype microsystem achieves a minimum detectable strain of 0.09 /spl mu//spl epsiv/ over a 10 kHz bandwidth with a dynamic range of 81 dB. The sensing electronics consume 1.5 mA from a 2.8 V supply.
Stabilized wide bandgap perovskite solar cells by tin substitution

Wide bandgap MAPb(I1–yBry)3 perovskites show promising potential for application in tandem solar cells. However, unstable photovoltaic performance caused by phase segregation has been observed under illumination when y is above 0.2. Herein, we successfully demonstrate stabilization of the I/Br phase by partially replacing Pb2+ with Sn2+ and verify this stabilization with X-ray diffractometry and transient absorption spectroscopy. The resulting MAPb0.75Sn0.25(I1–yBry)3 perovskite solar cells show stable photovoltaic performance under continuous illumination. Among these cells, the one based on MAPb0.75Sn0.25(I0.4Br0.6)3 perovskite shows the highest efficiency of 12.59% with a bandgap of 1.73 eV, which make it a promising wide bandgap candidate for application in tandem solar cells. The engineering of internal bonding environment by partial Sn substitution is believed to be the main reason for making MAPb0.75Sn0.25(I1–yBry)3 perovskite less vulnerable to phase segregation during the photostriction under ill...