cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical web-page clustering via in-page and cross-page link structures

Despite of the wide diversity of web-pages, web-pages residing in a particular organization, in most cases, are organized with semantically hierarchic structures For example, the website of a computer science department contains pages about its people, courses and research, among which pages of people are categorized into faculty, staff and students, and pages of research diversify into different areas Uncovering such hierarchic structures could supply users a convenient way of comprehensive navigation and accelerate other web mining tasks In this study, we extract a similarity matrix among pages via in-page and crosspage link structures, based on which a density-based clustering algorithm is developed, which hierarchically groups densely linked webpages into semantic clusters Our experiments show that this method is efficient and effective, and sheds light on mining and exploring web structures.
Sequence of morphological and hemodynamic changes of gastric microvessels in portal hypertension

Abstract Changes in gastric microvasculature and blood flow at different phases of portal hypertension were studied in rats 1, 2, 3, 4, and 15 days after induction of portal hypertension or sham operation. Vessel lumen and vessel wall thickness were expressed as a ratio referred to the vessel size. On day 2 after constriction of the portal vein, gastric blood flow was decreased (0.57 ± 0.06 vs. 0.99 ± 0.20 mL · min −1 · 100 g −1 ; P P P −1 · 100 g −1 ; P P P P P
Influences of graphite reinforcement on the tribological properties of self-lubricating aluminum matrix composites for green tribology, sustainability, and energy efficiency—a review

Aluminum/graphite (Al/Gr) composites have been used as self-lubricating materials due to the superior lubricating effect of graphite during sliding. This paper summarizes various tribological aspects of self-lubricating aluminum composites. The influence of various factors such as (a) material factors, graphite size and volume fraction, and (b) mechanical factors, applied load and sliding speed on the tribological properties of self-lubricating aluminum composites, is discussed. Furthermore, the tribological properties of self-lubricating composites as a function of these parameters and the active wear mechanism involved in various systems are discussed. Bringing self-lubricating composites into different operating systems is a solution to reduce the use of external toxic petroleum-based lubricants in sliding contacts in a way to help the environment and reduce energy dissipation in industrial components for strategies toward sustainability and energy efficiency.
Classification by attribute evaluation

We consider a classification of objects by combining classification estimates that are derived from attributes of each object. These estimates are modelled as fuzzy sets and are combined with the help of a decision function into an output fuzzy set that represents the overall assessment of the object. A final linguistic classification is obtained by comparing the output of the decision function with target classes. Possible applications of the described classification procedure include target recognition from approximate sensor inputs, triage procedures and diagnostics in medical praxis, risk assessments, foreign document classification, and other problems where classification requires a combination of uncertain judgements from heterogeneous sources.
Electrotransport of carbon in molybdenum and uranium

The electrotransport velocity of carbon in molybdenum and uranium was measured over a temperature range slightly below their melting points. Carbon was found to have a positive effective valence of 2.26 to 1.74 in molybdenum over the temperature range of 1890 to 2320°C and a negative value of - 5.0 in γ-uranium between 850 and 1000°C. The effective valences of nitrogen and oxygen were also observed to be positive in molybdenum and negative in uranium but their magnitudes were not determined. The diffusion coefficients for carbon in both metals were determined over the same temperature ranges.14Carbon was used as a tracer in the molybdenum work. The diffusion coefficient for carbon in molybdenum is described by the equationD = D0 exp (-†H/RT) whereD0 and †H are 0.033 cm2/s and 153 kJ/mole (36.60 kcal/mole), respectively. The values forD0 and †H for carbon in γ-uranium were determined as 0.218 cm2/s and 123 kJ/mole (29.40 kcal/mole), respectively. Electrotransport was shown to be an effective method of purifying a small amount of each metal with regard to carbon as indicated by resistance ratio measurements and chemical analysis. A correlation is also presented showing the relationship between the atomic size of the solvent metal and the sign of the effective charge of the migrating solute.
MicroRNAs: expression, avoidance and subversion by vertebrate viruses.

MicroRNAs are exciting new regulators of genes involved in cell growth and development. Regulatory roles for microRNAs have been identified in plants and animals, but these tiny regulators have not been found in bacteria or fungi. Here, Sarnow and colleagues discuss the fascinating roles of both virus- and host-cell-encoded microRNAs in virus lifestyles.
Modification of an habitual upper airway constrictive response: A case study

Behavioral assessment for a 28-year-old female suggested that she experienced habitual glottal constriction in the presence of airborne irritants. She was trained in deep muscle relaxation and provided electromyographic (EMG) feedback from the glottal musculature across six sessions during which she was also exposed to suggestion of smoke and actual smoke. Glottal muscle tension levels decreased for all conditions across sessions. Inspiratory flow rates, which had been significantly affected by airborne irritant challenges prior to treatment, were minimally affected by such challenges following treatment. Although questions regarding the separate effects of deep muscle relaxation, EMG training, placebo, and demand effects were not addressed, the results suggest the utility of muscle relaxation techniques in the treatment of certain psychophysiological disorders.
Aphasics can distinguish permuted orders of phonemes : but only if presented rapidly

Speech consists of a rapid succession of phonemes, and receptive aphasia has been attributed to an impairment in temporal acuity that interferes with the ability to discriminate between different arrangements of brief sounds. The present study reports evidence that aphasic listeners could distinguish between permuted orders of steady-state vowels occurring at rates matching or exceeding those employed in natural speech production. They could not, however, distinguish between different arrangements when the rate of presentation was slowed, although this task could be accomplished with ease by nonaphasic listeners. Our results suggest that the poor comprehension of language by aphasics is not the consequence of deficits in the ordering of brief sounds, but rather involves difficulties in performing tasks requiring specific psycholinguistic skills.
The characteristics of takeover targets and other measures

Abstract This study attempts to assess differences in the financial characteristics of target and non-target firms using logit analysis and a case-control methodology in which control groups are matched by size or industry. The results indicate that unregulated non-financial target firms are characterized by low q ratios (market/replacement values) and to a lesser extent high current financial liquidity. Measures of financial leverage were not found to be significant.
An AHP application to computer system selection

Computer application development is an area of explosive growth, providing dramatic new capabilities to do additional work faster and more accurately. In the construction industry, computer aided design and drafting (CADD) systems make it possible to more completely specify work to be done. Some project owners require drawings be submitted in magnetic form. Therefore, it is necessary for construction and engineering firms to acquire and develop expertise in state of the art computer systems. Because many system configurations are available, selection of CADD systems is an important decision, requiring consideration of a number of objectives. AHP is used to combine cost factors with subjective factors. AHP also is used to consider the impact on end users as a group and an central data processing.
An automated dental caries detection and scoring system for optical images of tooth occlusal surface

Dental caries are one of the most prevalent chronic diseases. The management of dental caries demands detection of carious lesions at early stages. This study aims to design an automated system to detect and score caries lesions based on optical images of the occlusal tooth surface according to the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) guidelines. The system detects the tooth boundaries and irregular regions, and extracts 77 features from each image. These features include statistical measures of color space, grayscale image, as well as Wavelet Transform and Fourier Transform based features. Used in this study were 88 occlusal surface photographs of extracted teeth examined and scored by ICDAS experts. Seven ICDAS codes which show the different stages in caries development were collapsed into three classes: score 0, scores 1 and 2, and scores 3 to 6. The system shows accuracy of 86.3%, specificity of 91.7%, and sensitivity of 83.0% in ten-fold cross validation in classification of the tooth images. While the system needs further improvement and validation using larger datasets, it presents promising potential for clinical diagnostics with high accuracy and minimal cost. This is a notable advantage over existing systems requiring expensive imaging and external hardware.
Medium effects on the rho meson.

The property of a rho meson in dense nuclear matter is studied using the QCD sum rule. The spectral function appearing on the hadronic side of the sum is evaluated in the vector dominance model that takes into account the interaction between the rho meson and the pion. Including pion modification by the delta-hole polarization in the nuclear medium, we find that as the nuclear density increases the rho meson peak in the spectral function shifts to smaller invariant masses and its width becomes smaller. We discuss the possibility of studying the rho meson property in dense matter via the dilepton invariant mass spectrum from heavy-ion collisions.
Engaging ‘Critical Globalization Studies’: Global Capitalism and the Twilight of Neo-Liberalism in Latin America

William I. Robinson (2008), Latin America and Global Capitalism: A Critical Globalization Perspective, Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 440 Pages. ISBN 978–0801890390. $55.00. Lat...
Surgery in the human fetus: the future

Fetal surgery was born of clinical necessity. Observations by pediatric surgeons and neonatologists of neonates that were born with irreversible organ damage led to the conclusion that one possible approach to prevent this alteration of developmental physiology, was fetal surgical intervention. This led to experimental validation of the pathophysiology of specific fetal defects in animal models and to the development of techniques for their prenatal surgical correction. The demonstration in animal models that the correction of an anatomical defect could reverse the associated pathophysiology led to the first systematic application of fetal surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, in the early 1980s. Since that time, fetal surgery has been applied in only a few centres and has remained relatively limited in scope. Nevertheless, there has been a dramatic improvement in our ability to diagnose, select and safely operate on an expanding number of fetal anomalies. The purpose of this article is to briefly summarize the present status of fetal surgery and to speculate about what may be in store for the future. Inherent in such an effort is a definition of what constitutes fetal surgery. In this discussion I will take considerable latitude with the definition of what constitutes fetal surgery in the future, as it is my belief that technological progress in a number of areas will result in dramatic changes in the practice and perception of fetal surgery.
Exact Dynamics of Multicomponent Bose-Einstein Condensates in Optical Lattices in One, Two and Three Dimensions

Numerous exact solutions to the nonlinear mean-field equations of motion are constructed for multicomponent Bose-Einstein condensates on one-, two-, and three-dimensional optical lattices. We find both stationary and nonstationary solutions, which are given in closed form. Among these solutions are a vortex-antivortex array on the square optical lattice and modes in which two or more components slosh back and forth between neighboring potential wells. We obtain a variety of solutions for multicomponent condensates on the simple cubic lattice, including a solution in which one condensate is at rest and the other flows in a complex three-dimensional array of intersecting vortex lines. A number of physically important solutions are stable for a range of parameter values, as we show by direct numerical integration of the equations of motion.
Instabilities during coupled growth of hypermonotectics

Abstract The production of aligned fibrous microstructures in hypermonotectic (immiscible) alloys by directional solidification requires control of several instabilities including maintaining a macroscopically planar solidification front. However, even when the conditions for a macroscopically planar interface are used when processing a sample of hypermonotectic composition, difficulties often arise due to convective instabilities. Examples are shown of samples processed under one-g conditions where convective instability causes continuous flow during processing and of samples processed under alternating gravity level conditions.
Desirability of First Names, Ethnicity and Parental Education:

Summary.-The relationships between desirability of first names and both parental education and parental ethnicity were studied. Parental education and ethnicity data were collected from about 1700 children in Grades 2 through 6. Desirability of first names was rated by a somewhat larger sample which also included students in Grades 8 and 11. Both mothers' and fathers' educational levels were unrelated to desirability of children's first names. The first names of Afro-American boys were liked significantly less than names of boys from 7 other ethnic groupings. First names of Afro-American girls were liked significantly less than names of children from 2 of 7 other ethnic groupings. No other differences were found. Findings suggest that ethnic group membership should be taken into account in studies of effects of first names on personal characteristics.
Brain dopamine and serotonin receptor sites revealed by digital subtraction autoradiography

Autoradiography combined with image analysis permitted quantitative visualization of dopamine (D2) and serotonin (S2) binding sites in rat brain. Forebrain sections were incubated with tritiated spiroperidol alone or with tritiated spiroperidol plus unlabeled compounds that saturated the D2 or S2 sites. By subtracting the digitized image of an autoradiograph derived from the latter sections from that of the former, the D2 or S2 sites were specifically revealed. The resulting quantitative images demonstrate the differing anatomical distributions of these sites. The D2 site is largely restricted to the striatal complex (caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens septi, and olfactory tubercle), whereas the S2 site is enriched in layer 5 of motor cortex, the perirhinal and cingulate cortices, and the claustrum.
Naltrexone prevents footshock-induced performance deficit in rats.

Abstract Three experiments demonstrate that inescapable footshock delivered to unrestrained rats produces analgesia as well as performance deficits in subsequent one-way shuttle acquisition. Both the performance and the antinociceptive effects are prevented by pretreatment with as little as 0.1 mg/kg i.p. of the opiate antagonist, naltrexone. These studies suggest that both effects are mediated through opiate receptors with similar underlying naltrexone pharmacodynamics.
Control of inhomogeneous quantum ensembles

Finding control fields (pulse sequences) that can compensate for the dispersion in the parameters governing the evolution of a quantum system is an important problem in coherent spectroscopy and quantum information processing. The use of composite pulses for compensating dispersion in system dynamics is widely known and applied. In this paper, we make explicit the key aspects of the dynamics that makes such a compensation possible. We highlight the role of Lie algebras and noncommutativity in the design of a compensating pulse sequence. Finally, we investigate three common dispersions in NMR spectroscopy, namely the Larmor dispersion, rf inhomogeneity, and strength of couplings between the spins.
Mexican Immigrant Students' Schooling Experiences and the Construction of Disengagement in Mathematics Learning Contexts.

Through an ethnographic and narrative inquiry approach, this study draws attention to the plight of 4 Mexican immigrant high school students and their pursuit of education and mathematics learning. Their elementary school stories and experiences show a deep relationship between the learning contexts in which these students largely do school (i.e., an English learner context) and the nature of students' relationships (or lack thereof) with teachers and their process of disengagement from mathematics learning and school. Doing school is used to convey a key distinction from simply attending school. Attending school assumes uniformity/neutrality in how students might experience schooling and is a passive way of describing student participation in school. Doing school implies that students make sense of and respond to their schooling experiences in different ways and accounts for how these experiences are shaped and/or influenced by other forces (e.g., structural forces, social forces) in and out of school.
Defining the Role of Adjuvant External Beam Radiotherapy on Resected Adenocarcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater

The role of adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of ampullary carcinoma (AC) remains unclear. We hypothesized that adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) does not improve survival following resection for AC. The SEER database was queried for patients with non-metastatic AC who underwent surgery (S) from 2004 to 2010. Propensity score (PS) modeling was applied to create balanced cohorts of patients that would be equally likely to receive RT. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare survival. Of 1,287 patients, 329 (25.6 %) received adjuvant RT. Unadjusted median overall survival (OS) for patients receiving adjuvant RT compared to S alone was 27 vs. 36 months (p = 0.14). Patients receiving RT were younger (63 vs. 69 years, p < 0.001), had more advanced tumors (69 vs. 53 % T3/T4, p < 0.001), and had more frequent lymph node metastasis (73 vs. 40 %, p < 0.001). Adjuvant RT failed to improve both overall survival (27 vs. 29 months, p = 0.58) and disease-specific survival (36 vs. 40 months, p = 0.92) in propensity-matched cohorts, although certain imbalances remained between treatment groups. Adjuvant RT does not confer a survival benefit for patients with ampullary tumors. The lack of disease-specific survival benefit suggests that it may also not be beneficial to prevent local recurrences.
Feynman-Parameter Approach to N -Tower Exchange in φ 3 Theory

We investigate by Feynman-parameter techniques the asymptotic form of $N$-tower graphs in ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{3}$ theory. A detailed study of the two-tower case in the leading $\mathrm{ln}s$ approximation agrees with the second-order piece of the eikonal expansion. By using certain assumptions about the $N$-tower case, we develop an iterative scheme for summing all $N$-tower exchanges. This generates the eikonal form outside of the framework of momentum-space techniques. Furthermore, only a limited class of structures contribute to the asympotic form: the Mandelstam nests.
Studies on the swelling of rat-liver mitochondria in relation to tumor incidence during feeding of aminoazo dyes.

Dans des groupes de rats nourris a un regime contenant du 3′-methyl-p-dimethylaminoazobenzene, on constate, qu'il y a un accroissement soudain, a 4 semaines, de l'incidence de tumeurs hepatiques. Cette observation etablit une correlation directe entre la cancerogenese et le minimum des courbes de gonflement des microsomes et des mitochondries de foies de rats, nourris dans les memes conditions.
A Survey of P-V-T Data for Water in the Critical Region

A comprehensive review is given of P-V-T data available for water at pressures from 2700 to 4000 psia, specific volumes from 0.025 to 0.125 cu ft per lb, and temperatures from about 680 to 800 deg F. Experimental and computed values of various investigations are given. A description of the various methods and formulas used to interpolate the original data is also given. The results indicate there is a lack of smoothed or computed values for the specific volumes of the superheated vapor at sufficiently close intervals in the critical region. This makes it difficult to interpolate accurately and derive such properties as density and coefficients of volume expansion and compressibility. Furthermore, there are significant differences between the data for superheated steam given in the various tables which can be attributed to erroneous methods of interpolating the original experimental data.
Unified nomenclature for chromatography

The most important definitions, terms and symbols included in the new, unified Nomenclature for Chromatography issued by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) are outlined.
Improved motion correction for T1 mapping

Medicine, BIDMC/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article Figure 1 DICE similarity coefficients obtained with and without the proposed motion correction approach in pre (5-3 scheme) and post contrast (4-3-2 scheme) T1w image series. Average DICE coefficients over each T1w image series (left column), and over each individual T1-weighted image (right column) are shown. Similar DICE coefficients were observed before and after motion correction in T1w image series with high pre-registration coefficients (~0.9). Substantial improvements in DICE coefficient values were achieved in T1w image series with low pre-registration coefficients (< 0.9). Roujol et al. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2014, 16(Suppl 1):P45 http://www.jcmr-online.com/content/16/S1/P45
I = 2 ππ scattering using G-parity boundary condition

To make the ππ state with non-zero relative momentum as the leading exponential, we impose anti-periodic boundary condition on the pion, which is implemented by imposing G-parity or H-parity on the quark fields at the boundary. With this, we calculate the I = 2 ππ phase shift from lattice simulation by using Luscher's formula.
Source mechanics for monochromatic icequakes produced during iceberg calving at Columbia Glacier, AK

[1] Seismograms recorded during iceberg calving contain information pertaining to source processes during calving events. However, locally variable material properties may cause signal distortions, known as site and path effects, which must be eliminated prior to commenting on source mechanics. We applied the technique of horizontal/vertical spectral ratios to passive seismic data collected at Columbia Glacier, AK, and found no dominant site or path effects. Rather, monochromatic waveforms generated by calving appear to result from source processes. We hypothesize that a fluid-filled crack source model offers a potential mechanism for observed seismograms produced by calving, and fracture-processes preceding calving.
Chemistry of Trivalent Uranium Metallocenes: Electron-Transfer Reactions with Carbon Disulfide. Formation of [(RC5H4)3U]2[μ= η1, η2-CS2]

[(MeC 5 H 4 ) 3 U] 2 [CS 2 ] cristallise dans le systeme monoclinique, groupe d'espace P2 1/n et sa structure est affinee jusqu'a R=0,025
Estimating an inflation index by quantile regression

This article gives a methodology for estimating an inflation index using the quantile regression of Bassett and Koenker. The regression – orthogonal in the logarithmic price changes – is computed by linear programming for each percentile of inflation; and the results are bootstrapped to estimate standard errors. The procedure is applied to monthly data on seven metals.
The application of a figure of merit for nuclear explosive utility as a metric for material attractiveness in a nuclear material theft scenario

Abstract Effective integration of nonproliferation management into the design process is key to the broad deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems, and is an explicit goal of the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The nuclear explosives utility of a nuclear material to a state (proliferator) or sub-state (terrorist) is a critical factor to be assessed and is one aspect of material attractiveness. In this work, we approached nuclear explosives utility through the calculation of a “figure of merit” (FOM) that has recently been developed to capture the relative viability and difficulty of constructing nuclear explosives starting from various nuclear material forms and compositions. We discuss the integration of the figure of merit into an assessment of a nuclear material theft scenario and its use in the assessment. This paper demonstrates that material attractiveness is a multidimensional concept that embodies more than the FOM. It also seeks to propose that other attributes may be able to be quantified through analogous FOMs (e.g., transformation) and that, with quantification, aggregation may be possible using concepts from the risk community.
Optimal maintenance headcount allocation: an application of Chebyshev Goal Programming

In a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility (as well as virtually any type of factory), the allocation of maintenance technicians to tool sets (or clusters of tools) plays a crucial role in the determination of tool set availability. Tool availability, in turn, determines factory capacity and serves to drive factory performance in terms of outs, inventory, cycle time and WIP velocity. With tools now composing 70% or more of the cost of current (i.e. 300 mm wafer) multi-billion dollar facilities, even seemingly slight increases in tool set availability can translate into savings on the order of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars. In this paper, an approach for deriving the allocation of maintenance technicians for this problem by means of Chebyshev Goal Programming is described and illustrated.
Mechanistic Toxicology of Triethyl Citrate in Cultured Mammalian Cells by Cinematography

The role of triethyl citrate in growth inhibition of mouse fibroblast cells (strain L-929) in culture has been studied by the use of phase-contrast microscopy and time-lapse microphotography. Concentrations of the ester studied ranged from 7.9 to 48 mM of growth medium. It was found that at concentrations below 12 mM, the primary site of action of the toxicant was mitochondria resulting in mitochondrial swelling, inhibiting the function of this organelle, and growth inhibition. At higher dose levels, a second mechanism masks the mitochondrial involvement. The cytological picture is characterized by cytoplasmic gelation, plasma membrane contraction, and eventual lysis of the cell. The mechanism proposed was protein denaturation, but further studies are necessary for its definition. The method is a valuable tool for observing the effects of toxicants on living cells. When coupled with biochemical procedures, it offers a workable technique for the interpretation of mechanisms of actions of toxicants.
Development of High-Power Pulsed Klystrons for Practical Applications

This paper describes the development of three practical, sealed-off, tunable klystrons intended for operation in the region of 1 to 2 megw at the S, L, and X radar frequency bands. These tubes are an outgrowth of the previous development at Stanford of a 30-megw S-band klystron in conjunction with the billion-volt linear electron accelerator program. Similar design principles apply to all of these tubes, but the three smaller klystrons described make use of cavity tuning methods appropriate to the three frequency bands.
Synthesis of micrometer to nanometer CaCO3 particles via mass restriction method in an emulsion liquid membrane process

A mass restriction principle has been applied for the synthesis of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) with particle sizes from nanometer to micrometer via a simple emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) process. The internal liquid droplets in ELM were designed as individual microreactors in which the concentration and the total mass of the reaction chemicals were carefully mediated. Instrumental analysis, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), wide X-ray diffraction (WXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, confirmed a predominant calcite form of the final product via this process. The comparison of calculated particle sizes with that obtained from experimental measurements using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and SEM analysis suggested that approximately one PCC particle was formed in one water-in-oil (w/o) droplet.
Effects of pulse modulation on multistep laser excitation

Through numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation we illustrate the influence of laser modulation upon the excitation of anN-level system irradiated by simultaneous laser pulses. We show that amplitude modulation, applied to a Gaussian statistical distribution of detunings, creates a sideband structure to the excitation-reaction profile which can enhance the excitation over that for monochromatic excitation.
The Phenomenon of Electron Rollout for Energy Deposition and Defect Generation in Irradiated MOS Devices

Energy deposition and defect generation in the gate oxides of MOS devices irradiated with 10 keV x-rays are analyzed. Particular attention is given to the role of secondary electrons produced by inelastic scattering and plasmon decay processes. It is shown that more than 50% of x-ray generated holes are produced by electrons of less than 100 eV. A mechanism, "electron rollout", which reduces hole generation in thin gate oxides is discussed. A concept of the hole production enhancement factor is introduced as an refinement of the commonly used absorbed dose enhancement factor. Results of calculations of enhancement factors based on these ideas are presented. These revised enhancement factors are about 20% smaller than previously calculated absorbed dose enhancement factors for oxides with thicknesses in the neighborhood of 50 nm.
Semiquantitative analysis of in-situ hybridization results using IMAGE software: a rapid method for counting reduced silver grains over mRNA-positive cells

The advent of microcomputers has brought about a revolution in the computing power available to the average user. Image analysis is a very resource-intensive process, making great demands on computing power, memory, and display capabilities of most computers. Thus, in the past, dedicated, single-use hardware and software had to be custom made for environments requiring image analysis. We present here an easy-to-use image analysis protocol available to most users with a Macintosh II series computer and access to IMAGE (a public domain image analysis program). The protocol allows for semi-quantitation of silver grains over cells used in the interpretation of in-situ hybridization results. We show that the method provides a quick and reliable means of counting grains over mRNA-positive cells in an automated fashion. We also provide evidence that the method can be used to detect differences between experimental treatments.
Effects on Myocardial Contractility, Hemodynamics and Cardiac Metabolism of a New Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Drug, Sotalol

Effects of a recently Introduced β-adrenergic blocking drug—sotalol (MJ 1999), on myocardial contractility, hemodynamics and lactate/pyruvate extraction of the heart were examined in closed-chest anesthetized dogs. It was found that the drug resulted in a diminution of myocardial contractile state as indicated by a downward and leftward shift of the force-velocity curve. Decrease in heart rate and rate dependent functions of the heart was pronounced. Thus, significant drop in velocity of shortening, mean systolic ejection rate and the rate of left ventricular pressure rise was noted. On the other hand, due to prolongation of the systolic time, stroke output, stroke work and T.T.I. per beat remained essentially unchanged. Related to the decline in heart rate, however, these parameters, when calculated per minute, fell. LVEDP showed no significant increase. Arteriovenous difference in lactate/pyruvate ratio and lactate extraction ratio of the heart were not altered significantly.
A theoretical study of a direct contact membrane distillation system coupled to a salt-gradient solar pond for terminal lakes reclamation.

Abstract Terminal lakes are water bodies that are located in closed watersheds with the only output of water occurring through evaporation or infiltration. The majority of these lakes, which are commonly located in the desert and influenced by human activities, are increasing in salinity. Treatment options are limited, due to energy costs, and many of these lakes provide an excellent opportunity to test solar-powered desalination systems. This paper theoretically investigates utilization of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) coupled to a salt-gradient solar pond (SGSP) for sustainable freshwater production at terminal lakes. A model for heat and mass transport in the DCMD module and a thermal model for an SGSP were developed and coupled to evaluate the feasibility of freshwater production. The construction of an SGSP outside and inside of a terminal lake was studied. As results showed that freshwater flows are on the same order of magnitude as evaporation, these systems will only be successful if the SGSP is constructed inside the terminal lake so that there is little or no net increase in surface area. For the study site of this investigation, water production on the order of 2.7 × 10 −3 m 3 d −1 per m 2 of SGSP is possible. The major advantages of this system are that renewable thermal energy is used so that little electrical energy is required, the coupled system requires low maintenance, and the terminal lake provides a source of salts to create the stratification in the SGSP.
Bacterial protein kinases that recognize tertiary rather than primary structure

Abstract While all characterized eukaryotic protein kinases that phosphorylate hydroxy aminoacyl residues in proteins recognize primary structure, certain bacterial protein kinases are proving to recognize tertiary structure. It is proposed that thse latter enzymes evolved independently of the superfamily of the former protein kinases and that their modes of target protein recognition and action are entirely different.
I/O virtualization

Decoupling a logical device from its physical implementation offers many compelling advantages.
Uses and Misuses of Student Evaluations of Teaching: The Interpretation of Differences in Teaching Evaluation Means Irrespective of Statistical Information

Student evaluations of teaching are among the most accepted and important indicators of college teachers’ performance. However, faculty and administrators can overinterpret small variations in mean...
Windbreak effect on biomass and grain mass accumulation of corn : A modeling approach

While numerous studies have indicated that field windbreaks both improve crop growing conditions and generally enhance crop growth and yield, especially under less favorable conditions, the relationship between the two is not clearly understood. A simple model is proposed to simulate biomass and grain mass accumulation of corn (Zea mays L.) with a windbreak shelter or without (exposed condition). The model is based on the positive relationship between intercepted solar radiation and biomass accumulation and requires plant population and hourly inputs of solar radiation and air temperature. Using published data, radiation use efficiency (RUE) was related to plant population, and a temperature function was established between the relative corn growth and temperature for pre-silking stages. Biomass and grain mass simulated by the model agreed well with those measured for both sheltered and unsheltered plants from 1990 to 1992. Windbreaks did not significantly increase biomass or grain mass of corn for this study, even though air temperature was greater with than without shelter, probably indicating that the microclimatic changes induced by windbreaks were not physiologically significant for the 3-yr period studied. The model has potential use in future studies to relate windbreak effects to crop yield and to evaluate windbreak designs for maximum benefits.
Application of a model to paired-associate learning

The proposal is made to consider a paired-associate item as becoming conditioned to its correct response in all-or-none fashion, and that prior to this conditioning event the subject guesses responses at random to an unlearned item. These simple assumptions enable the derivation of an extensive number of predictions about paired-associate learning. The predictions compare very favorably with the results of an experiment discussed below.
Mathematical Foundations for Form Inspection and Adaptive Sampling

Nonlinear forms such as the cone, sphere, cylinder, and torus present significant problems in representation and verification. In this paper we examine linear and nonlinear forms using a heavily modified support vector machine (SVM) technique. The SVM approach applied to regression problems is used to derive quadratic programming problems that allow for generalized symbolic solutions to nonlinear regression. We have tested our approach to several geometries and achieved excellent results even with small data sets, making this method robust and efficient. More importantly, we identify process or inspection tendencies that could help in better designing the processes. Adaptive feature verification can be achieved through effective identification of the manufacturing pattern.
End-Stage Renal Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The progression of lupus nephritis severe enough to require dialysis does not necessarily indicate that it is "end-stage." Ten percent to 28% of patients with lupus nephritis who develop renal failure requiring dialysis will recover enough function to come off dialysis. The clinical activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is quiescent in most patients with end-stage lupus nephritis, regardless of the modality of dialysis treatment. Clinical and serologic remission of SLE permits judicious withdrawal of immunosuppressive therapy, as well as a favorable long-term outcome for patients that is comparable to that of nonlupus patients. The great majority of deaths in patients with end-stage lupus nephritis occur in the first 3 months of dialysis and most often result from infection. Later, infection and cardiovascular complications are common causes of death. Patients with lupus nephritis should wait at least 3 months on dialysis before receiving a kidney transplantation. Immunosuppressive therapy and graft survival rates for lupus patients are not different from those of nonlupus patients. Recurrence of lupus nephritis in the allograft is exceedingly rare.
Benefits of Completing Homework for Students with Different Aptitudes in an Introductory Electricity and Magnetism Course.

Department of Physics, United States Air Force Academy,USAF Academy, Colorado 80840, USA(Received 27 May 2014; revised manuscript received 29 October 2014; published 17 February 2015)We examine how student aptitudes impact how much students learn from doing graded online andwritten homework in an introductory electricity and magnetism course. Our analysis examines thecorrelation between successful homework completion rates and exam performance as well as howchanges in homework completion correlate with changes in exam scores for students with differentphysics aptitudes. On average, successfully completing many homework problems correlated tobetter exam scores only for students with high physics aptitude. On the other hand, all other studentsshowed zero or even a negative correlation between successful homework completion and examperformance. Low- and medium-aptitude students who did more homework did no better andsometimes scored lower on exams than their low- and medium-aptitude peers who did lesshomework. Our work also shows that long-term changes in homework completion correlated tolong-term changes in exam scores only for students with high physics aptitude, but not for studentswith medium or low aptitude. We offer several explanations for the disparity in homework learninggains, including cognitive load theory, ineffective homework strategies, and various mismatchesbetween homework and exams. Several solutions are proposed to address these possible deficienciesin graded online and written homework.
Keratinizing desquamative squamous metaplasia of the kidney mimicking transitional cell carcinoma

A 54-year-old patient, who had a remote history of radial nephrotomy for nephrolithiasis, presented with a symptomatic renal mass. The lesion was suspicious for malignancy on excretory urography, retrograde pyelogram, and computed tomography. A nephroureterectomy was performed. The histologic sections showed keratinizing squamous metaplasia.
Variants of the Paramyxovirus Simian virus 5 with accelerated or delayed viral gene expression activate proinflammatory cytokine synthesis

Our previous results have shown that the parainfluenza virus SV5 is a poor inducer of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). By contrast, an engineered P/V mutant rSV5-P/V-CPI- and a naturally-occurring variant WF-PIV (Wake Forest-Parainfluenza Virus) are both potent activators of IL-8 and MCP-1. In the present study, we addressed the question of why rSV5-WT is such a poor inducer of host cytokine responses relative to the two SV5 variants, and we used the CC chemokine RANTES as a measure of host responses. Time course experiments showed high-level secretion of IL-6 and RANTES following infections of human A549 lung epithelial cells with the P/V-CPI- mutant and WF-PIV. By contrast, SV5-WT induced very low cytokine responses, with the notable exception of moderate induction of RANTES. The mechanism of RANTES induction by the two SV5 variants shared common properties, since RANTES secretion from infected cells had similar kinetics, depended on virus replication, correlated with increased RANTES mRNA levels and promoter activation, and was reduced by inhibitors of the p38 MAPK, ERK, and PI3K pathways. Despite the similar mechanisms of RANTES induction, the two SV5 variants differed dramatically in their growth and gene expression kinetics. By comparison to the P/V mutant rSV5-P/V-CPI- which has accelerated viral gene expression, WF-PIV infection showed a prolonged delay in viral replication, and infected cells did not show high-level viral RNA and protein expression until approximately 12-24 hpi. Sequence analysis revealed that the N, P, V, and M genes from WF-PIV differed by 3, 8, 5, and 10 amino acids compared to rSV5-WT, respectively. Chimeric viruses harboring the WF-PIV P/V or M genes in the context of the other rSV5 genes had growth properties similar to rSV5-WT but had a RANTES-inducing phenotype similar to that of the bone fide WF-PIV virus. Our data indicate a role for both the P/V and the M gene products as determinants of RANTES induction in response to SV5 infection.
Quiescent Solar Prominences and Magnetic-Energy Storage

Analytical solutions are presented to describe the hydromagnetic support of quiescent solar prominences treated as cold plasma sheets in the characteristic normal and inverse configurations. The solar corona is modeled to be axisymmetric outside a unit sphere, with the prominence sheet lying in the equatorial plane extending from the sphere out to a finite radial distance subject to an inverse-square Newtonian gravity. The relationship between prominence support and the global topology of the surrounding poloidal magnetic field is discussed, with a particular interest in the role of magnetic flux ropes in the support of inverse prominences. A novel solution is also studied describing a rope of purely azimuthal magnetic flux held in equilibrium by the weight of an internal distribution of cold mass and by an external poloidal magnetic field rigidly anchored to the base of the model corona. This solution illustrates the role that prominence weight may play in storing magnetic energy for driving coronal mass ejections.
Singlet oxygen generators - the heart of chemical oxygen iodine lasers: past, present, and future

Since the initial demonstration of chemical oxygen iodine lasers in 1977, researchers have realized that the heart of the COIL system is the singlet oxygen generator. This drives the performance of the system in terms of output power, mass efficiency, engineering complexity, reliability and maintainability. For this reason the singlet oxygen generator has been the focus of intense research and development efforts over the last 30 years. This paper reports on the history of singlet oxygen generators - starting with the simple sparger design used in the initial COIL demonstration and ending with current jet or droplet generators used in laboratories around the world. The relative performance of the different generator types will naturally lead to performance goals for the research efforts of the future.
Efimov states in 4He trimers by two-body effective-range and scattering-length analysis: A comparison with Faddeev calculations.

A comparison is made between the number of Efimov States present in /sup 4/He trimers as calculated using the Faddeev equations in the Faddeev coordinate-momentum approach with estimates predicted by N = (1/..pi..)ln(Vertical BaraVertical Bar/r/sub 0/) using realistic phenomenological He-He potentials. It is found that there is good agreement for systems supporting few states and that agreement remains when the Efimov states are forced to disappear by mathematically altering the potentials.
Platelet mitochondrial complex I and I+III activities do not correlate with cerebral mitochondrial oxidative metabolism.

Assays of mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS) activity in circulating blood platelets have been used to investigate the cause of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the correspondence between platelet ETS function and cerebral mitochondrial metabolism is not well characterized. To assess the validity of using platelet ETS activity to infer cerebral mitochondrial metabolism, we measured platelet ETS activity (complex I and complex I+III), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), and the CMRO2/cerebral metabolic rate for glucose ratio in 40 subjects: 7 with never-medicated Parkinson's disease, 13 with genetically proved Huntington's disease, and 20 normal controls. We found no correlation between in vivo measures of cerebral mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and ex vivo assays of platelet complex I and complex I+III activity performed on blood collected immediately before cerebral metabolism studies. We saw no evidence of a threshold effect when comparing platelet complex I and complex I+III activity with cerebral oxidative metabolism across a 4- to 10-fold range of platelet ETS activity. On the basis of these data, we conclude that measures of mitochondrial complex I and I+III activity in platelets within the ranges we have studied do not correlate with oxidative function of cerebral mitochondria.