cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of the gametophyte of the fern Schizaea pusilla

Schizaea pusilla is a pteridophyte with several unique developmental characteristics. In contrast to most other fern species, S. pusilla gametophytes remain filamentous throughout their development, and the gametophytes are associated with an endophytic fungus which appears to be mycorrhizal. In terms of tropistic responses, apical filament cells of young gametophytes are negatively phototropic compared with germ filaments of other ferns which exhibit positive phototropism. Cryofixation (propane jet freezing and high-pressure freezing) in conjunction with freeze substitution electron microscopy was used to study young gametophytes. The results demonstrate that apical filament cells have a distinctive structural polarity and that rhizoids also can be successfully frozen by these methods. The cytoskeleton and endomembrane system were particularly well preserved in cryofixed cells. In addition, Schizaea gametophytes were used as a test system to evaluate potential artifacts of propane jet freezing and high pressure freezing. There was little apparent difference in ultrastructure between cells cryofixed by either freezing method. These gametophytes will be useful in determining the effectiveness of cryofixation techniques and as a model system in tip growth studies.
Low pH Inactivation of Pectinesterase in Single Strength Orange Juice

Frozen orange juice concentrate (63.8° Brix) was reconstituted with water to single strength juice and supplemented with a commercial citrus pectinesterase (PE) to give an activity of 1.5 PE units/mL juice. Reconstituted juice and freshly squeezed single strength orange juice were treated with a cation exchange resin. Resin treatment decreased the pH of the juice from 3.75 to 2.0 and completely inactivated PE. PE was also inactivated following acidification of the juice to pH 2.0 with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Very little cloud loss occurred in refrigerated (4°C) juice at pH 2.0 for approximately 12 wk; however, a loss (> 95%) of ascorbic acid resulted. Only microorganisms died-off rapidly (> 99.9%) in juices adjusted to pH 2.0 using ion exchange resin, but not in juices lowered to pH 2.0 with HCl.
Deoxycytidyl transferase activity of yeast REV1 protein

MUTAGENESIS induced by DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the products of the REV1, REV3 and REV7 genes1. The Rev3 and Rev7 proteins are subunits of DNA polymerase-zeta2 (Pol-ζ), an enzyme whose sole function appears to be translesion synthesis3. Rev1 protein has weak homology with UmuC protein4, which facilitates translesion synthesis in Escherichia coli by an unknown mechanism. We show here that Revl protein has a deoxycytidyl transferase activity which transfers a dCMP residue from dCTP to the 3′ end of a DNA primer in a template-dependent reaction. Efficient transfer occurred opposite a template abasic site, but ∼20% transfer also occurred opposite a template guanine and ∼10% opposite adenine or uracil; ≤1% was seen opposite thymine or cytosine. Insertion of cytosine opposite an abasic site produced a terminus that was extended efficiently by Pol-ζ, but not by yeast Pol-α.
Graft-induced plasticity in the mammalian host CNS

In this review we trace back the history of an idea that takes a new approach in restorative neurotransplantation by focusing on the "multifaceted dialogue" between graft and host and assigns a central role to graft-evoked host plasticity. In several experimental examples ranging from the transfer of solid fetal tissue grafts into mechanical cortical injuries to deposits of neural stem cells into hemisectioned spinal cord. MPTP-damaged substantia nigra or mutant cerebella supportive evidence is provided for the hypothesis, that in many CNS disorders regeneration of the host CNS can be achieved by taking advantage of the inherent capacity of neural grafts to induce protective and restorative mechanisms within the host. This principle might once allow us to spare even complex circuitry from neurodegeneration.
Field evaluation of carrot cultivars for susceptibility to fungal leaf blight diseases in New York

Abstract Carrot cultivars grown in New York were evaluated for susceptibility to the fungal leaf blight pathogens Alternaria dauci (1999) and Cercospora carotae (2000–03) in an experimental field under continuous carrot cultivation since 1996. Replicated plots were established in a randomized complete block design. Plants were rated for disease incidence and severity at regular intervals. Cultivar susceptibility was ranked based on the area under the disease progress curve. An IPM program for carrot leaf blights conducted in growers’ fields provided the opportunity to determine the impact susceptibility had on the date the 25% disease incidence threshold was reached to prompt the first fungicide application. Of the cultivars evaluated, Bolero, Carson, Calgary, Ithaca, and Fullback were less susceptible to A. dauci whereas, Bolero, Carson, and Bergen were less susceptible to C. carotae . Fontana was most susceptible to both fungal leaf blight pathogens. In grower fields less susceptible cultivars reached the 25% threshold later than their more susceptible counterparts. Carrot cultivar susceptibility was incorporated into an IPM program for these diseases.
Compact holographic imaging spectrograph for process control applications

A novel spectrograph configuration, ideally suited for process control applications, is discussed. The configuration, referred to as axial transmissive, consists of axially-symmetric refractive optics and a volume phase holographic transmission grating. The axial transmissive spectrograph is very compact and robust, featuring no moving optical elements. This configuration also results in very high spatial resolution, allowing a large number of different processes to be monitored simultaneously on a single 2-D array detector. Results are presented for experiments, performed using the axial transmissive spectrograph with a laser, fiber optic sampling, and a multi-channel CCD detector, that are representative of process control applications.
Selenium Adsorption onto Iron Oxide Layers beneath Coal-Mine Overburden Spoil

A field experimental study to determine the feasibility of sequestering dissolved selenium (Se) leached from coal-mine waste rock used an iron (Fe)-oxide amendment obtained from a mine-drainage treatment wetland. Thirty lysimeters (4.9 × 7.3 m), each containing 57.7 t (1.2-1.8 m thickness) of mine-run carbonaceous shale overburden, were installed at the Hobet mine in southeastern West Virginia. The fine-grained Fe-oxide was determined to be primarily metal oxides (91.5% ferric and 4.37% aluminous), with minor (<3%) SO and Ca, perhaps as gypsum. The mineralogy of the Fe was goethite, although residual ferrihydrite may have been present. Various thicknesses of this amendment (0.0064, 0.057, 0.229, and 0.457 m, plus a zero-amendment control) were used, ranging from 0 to 2.2% weight percent of the spoil. The control and each treatment were replicated six times to estimate uncertainty due to compositional and hydrological variation. Infiltration of rainfall created leachate that drained to individual batch-collection tanks that were sampled 46 times at approximately 2-wk intervals from 2010 to 2012. Basal Fe-oxide layers in the three highest amendment categories removed up to 76.1% selenium (in comparison to unamended piles) from leachate by adsorption. Only lysimeters with very thin Fe-oxide layers showed no significant reduction compared with unamended piles. Reproducibility of replicates was within acceptable limits for amended and unamended lysimeters. Results indicate that in situ amendment using Fe-oxide obtained from treatment of mine water can sequester Se by adsorption on surfaces of goethite and possibly also ferrihydrite. This process is demonstrated to substantially reduce dissolved Se in leachate and improve compliance with regulatory discharge limits.
Integrating Immersive Computing Technology With Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming for Disassembly Sequence Planning Under Uncertainty

Disassembly sequence planning at the early conceptual stage of design leads to enormous benefits including simplification of products, lower assembly and disassembly costs, and design modifications which result in increased potential profitability of end-of-life salvaging operations. However, in the early design stage, determining the best disassembly sequence is challenging. First, the required information is not readily available and very time-consuming to gather. In addition, the best solution is sometimes counterintuitive, even to those with experience and expertise in disassembly procedures. Integrating analytical models with Immersive Computing Technology (ICT) can help designers overcome these issues. A two-stage procedure for doing so is introduced in this paper. In the first stage, a stochastic programming model together with the information obtained through immersive simulation is applied to determine the optimal disassembly sequence, while considering uncertain outcomes, such as time, cost and the probability of causing damage. In the second stage, ICT is applied as a tool to explore alternative disassembly sequence solutions in an intuitive way. The benefit of using this procedure is to determine the best disassembly sequence, not only by solving the analytic model, but also by capturing human expertise. The designer can apply the obtained results from these two stages to analyze and modify the product design. An example of a Burr puzzle is used to illustrate the application of the method.© 2012 ASME
Distribution of arsenic, selenium, and other trace elements in high pyrite Appalachian coals: Evidence for multiple episodes of pyrite formation

Abstract Pennsylvanian coals in the Appalachian Basin host pyrite that is locally enriched in potentially toxic trace elements such as As, Se, Hg, Pb, and Ni. A comparison of pyrite-rich coals from northwestern Alabama, eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia reveals differences in concentrations and mode of occurrence of trace elements in pyrite. Pyrite occurs as framboids, dendrites, or in massive crystalline form in cell lumens or crosscutting veins. Metal concentrations in pyrite vary over all scales, from microscopic to mine to regional, because trace elements are inhomogeneously distributed in the different morphological forms of pyrite, and in the multiple generations of sulfide mineral precipitates. Early diagenetic framboidal pyrite is usually depleted in As, Se, and Hg, and enriched in Pb and Ni, compared to other pyrite forms. In dendritic pyrite, maps of As distribution show a chemical gradient from As-rich centers to As-poor distal branches, whereas Se concentrations are highest at the distal edges of the branches. Massive crystalline pyrite that fills veins is composed of several generations of sulfide minerals. Pyrite in late-stage veins commonly exhibits As-rich growth zones, indicating a probable epigenetic hydrothermal origin. Selenium is concentrated at the distal edges of veins. A positive correlation of As and Se in pyrite veins from Kentucky coals, and of As and Hg in pyrite-filled veins from Alabama coals, suggests coprecipitation of these elements from the same fluid. In the Kentucky coal samples (n = 18), As and Se contents in pyrite-filled veins average 4200 ppm and 200 ppm, respectively. In Alabama coal samples, As in pyrite-filled veins averages 2700 ppm (n = 34), whereas As in pyrite-filled cellular structures averages 6470 ppm (n = 35). In these same Alabama samples, Se averages 80 ppm in pyrite-filled veins, but was below the detection limit in cell structures. In samples of West Virginia massive pyrite, As averages 1700 ppm, and Se averages 270 ppm (n = 24). The highest concentration of Hg (≤ 102 ppm) is in Alabama pyrite veins. Improved detailed descriptions of sulfide morphology, sulfide mineral paragenesis, and trace-element concentration and distribution allow more informed predictions of: (1) the relative rate of release of trace elements during weathering of pyrite in coals, and (2) the relative effectiveness of various coal-cleaning procedures of removing pyrite. For example, trace element-rich pyrite has been shown to be more soluble than stoichiometric pyrite, and fragile fine-grained pyrite forms such as dendrites and framboids are more susceptible to dissolution and disaggregation but less amenable to removal during coal cleaning.
Genome size in birds

Nuclear DNA amounts of twenty-three species of birds from seventeen families of seven orders were determined by Feulgen cytophotometry. Genome size is constant in these birds, the ratio between the largest and smallest genome in the sample is 1.3 to 1. The modal diploid DNA amount for birds is about 3.6 picograms, slightly higher than previously reported. The data point towards an evolutionary control of genome size regardless of chromosome number. Birds represent an example of a group in which reduction of genome size is correlated with active speciation.
The Longitudinal Vibrations of a Liquid Contained in a Tube with Elastic Walls

This paper investigates the most general longitudinal vibrations of an elastic tube partly filled with liquid. From the rather complicated exact solution of the problem, a simple approximate formula is derived for the reduction of the velocity of sound in the liquid due to the vibrations of the wall of the tube.
Software architectural support for handheld computing

The authors present a software-architecture-based approach to support computing on distributed, handheld, mobile, resource-constrained devices.
Bulk and impurity infrared absorption in 0.5 As2Se30.5 GeSe2 glass

Abstract A study of infrared absorption in the 250–4000 cm −1 region has been carried out for 0.5 As 2 Se 3 0.5 GeSe 2 glasses quantitatively doped with oxide impurity. The frequencies of the intrinsic 2- and 3-phonon absorption bands at 490 and 690 cm −1 correspond well to those predicted from combinations of the high frequency bands in the first order IR and Raman spectra of As 2 Se 3 and GeSe 2 glasses. Glasses doped with As 2 O 3 exhibit the same oxide impurity absorptionbands as those doped with GeO 2 . Unlike As 2 Se 3 glass, at impurity concentrations up to 1000 ppm As 2 O 3 , 0.5 As 2 Se 3 0.5 GeSe 2 glass exhibits only one major oxide impurity species, characterized by absorption bands at 780 and 1260 cm −1 and due to oxygen bonded to network Ge. The observation of a much weaker network AsO vibration band at 670 cm −1 confirms that oxygen bonds preferentially to Ge in this glass. The same minor oxide species appears to determine excess IR absorption at the CO 2 laser wavelength of 10.6 μm in both As 2 Se 3 and 0.5 As 2 Se 3  0.5 GeSe 2 glasses. The frequencies and intensities of absorption bands due to hydrogen impurities are also quite comparable for these two materials.
The Benchmark Cluster Reddening Project. III. A Comparison of Reddening Values Derived from F and K Stars in NGC 752

A protocol for reddening analysis developed in previous papers in this series is reviewed here and applied to NGC 752. The protocol includes (1) detailed scrutiny of the histories of reddening determinations for program clusters, (2) adherence to statistical norms, (3) quality control of all reddening techniques, (4) a primary focus on techniques with limited metallicity sensitivity, (5) zero-point control of source data, (6) use of the solar neighborhood to establish a zero point for reddening values, (7) use of a standard permitting meaningful quantities to be as small as a few millimagnitudes, and (8) rejection of ad hoc data assessments. After certain published results are set aside, it is found that a reddening value derived for F stars by using a technique that is insensitive to blanketing disagrees by about 0.04 mag with a value derived for K giants by using DDO photometry. This disagreement does not appear to be an artifact of the use of questionable data, and it persists if additional techniques are considered. Partly because two comparable reddening results for K giants are afterward found to disagree with each other, the problem is attributed to a blanketing effect (with an unknown source) on the reddening values derived for the K giants. Pending a final resolution of that problem, the adopted value of E(B - V) for the cluster (44 ± 3.4 mmag) is based solely on the initial F-star analysis. A discussion of the potential usefulness of small standard errors like the one derived here for E(B - V) is given. In a parallel investigation, it is found that no definitive value of [Fe/H] can be assigned to NGC 752 at present because a statistically significant disagreement between two published high-precision metallicities is detected.
Firefighting on a random geometric graph

LetGλ be the graph whose vertices are points of a planar Poisson process of density λ, with vertices adjacent if they are within distance 1. A "fire" begins at some vertex and spreads to all neighbors in discrete steps; in the meantime f vertices can be deleted at each time-step. Let fλ be the least f such that, with probability 1, any fire on Gλ can be stopped in finite time. We show that fλ is bounded between two linear functions of λ. The lower bound makes use of a new result concerning oriented percolation in the plane; the constant factor in the upper bound is is tight, provided a certain conjecture, for which we offer supporting evidence, is correct. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 46, 466-477, 2015
Not at All Effective: Differences in Views on the Causes of Prescription Non-adherence Between North Korean Defectors and Medical Providers in South Korea

By focusing on North Korean defectors’ medical experiences in South Korea and their medical providers’ experiences treating the defectors, this article considers the differences between the views of these two groups in regard to the causes of prescription non-adherence. The results suggest that (a) whereas the defectors tended to see their symptoms as being physical in nature, the medical providers often ascribed symptoms to psychological/socio-cultural influence; (b) whereas the defectors tended to trust in their ability to self-diagnose and in their belief systems established in North Korea, the medical providers tended not to place trust in these aspects; (c) whereas the defectors tended to view the available medical treatment as inappropriate for them, the medical providers often noted the presence of tolerant bacterial strains as causes of treatment failure; and (d) whereas the defectors felt that the treatment they received was slow and ineffective and attributed this to capitalism, the medical providers felt that the defectors failed to understand the concept of staged treatments. Based on the findings, some solutions are suggested to address the complex issue of North Korean defectors’ prescription non-adherence in terms of subjective/objective health assessments and patient-centered care. North Korean defectors’ established health beliefs/lack of medical knowledge based on their previous medical and cultural experiences gave rise to beliefs and practices associated with medicine that differ significantly from those of the health providers and that have the potential to severely compromise the defectors’ health. Therefore, therapy negotiation and appropriate education are suggested as possible solutions, and as an agenda, the notion of civic friendship is addressed. Implications for medical practice, prevention, and intervention are also discussed.
Growth and Development Symposium: Endotoxin, inflammation, and intestinal function in livestock.

Endotoxin, also referred to as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can stimulate localized or sys- temic infl ammation via the activation of pattern recognition receptors. Additionally, endotoxin and infl ammation can regulate intestinal epithelial function by altering integrity, nutrient transport, and utilization. The gastrointestinal tract is a large reservoir of both gram-positive and gram-nega- tive bacteria, of which the gram-negative bacteria serve as a source of endotoxin. Luminal endotoxin can enter circu- lation via two routes: 1) nonspecifi c paracellular transport through epithelial cell tight junctions, and 2) transcellular transport through lipid raft membrane domains involving receptor-mediated endocytosis. Paracellular transport of endotoxin occurs through dissociation of tight junction protein complexes resulting in reduced intestinal barrier integrity, which can be a result of enteric disease, infl amma- tion, or environmental and metabolic stress. Transcellular transport, via specialized membrane regions rich in glyco- lipids, sphingolipids, cholesterol, and saturated fatty acids, is a result of raft recruitment of endotoxin-related signaling proteins leading to endotoxin signaling and endocytosis. Both transport routes and sensitivity to endotoxin may be altered by diet and environmental and metabolic stresses. Intestinal-derived endotoxin and infl ammation result in suppressed appetite, activation of the immune system, and partitioning of energy and nutrients away from growth toward supporting the immune system requirements. In livestock, this leads to the suppression of growth, particu- larly suppression of lean tissue accretion. In this paper, we summarize the evidence that intestinal transport of endo- toxin and the subsequent infl ammation leads to decrease in the production performance of agricultural animals and we present an overview of endotoxin detoxifi cation mecha- nisms in livestock.
Directed evolution of a glycosynthase via chemical complementation.

Recently, we reported a general assay for enzyme catalysis based on the yeast three-hybrid assay, Chemical Complementation, which is intended to expand the range of chemical reactions to which directed evolution can be applied. Here, Chemical Complementation was applied to a glycosynthase derived from a retaining glycosidase, an important class of enzymes for carbohydrate synthesis. Using the yeast three-hybrid assay, the glycosynthase activity of the E197A mutant of the Cel7B from Humicola insolens was linked to transcription of a LEU2 reporter gene, making cell growth dependent on glycosynthase activity in the absence of leucine. Then the LEU2 selection was used to isolate the most active glycosynthase from a Glu197 saturation library, yielding an E197S Cel7B variant with a 5-fold increase in glycosynthase activity. These results not only establish Chemical Complementation as a platform for the directed evolution of glycosynthases, but also show the generality of this approach and the ease with which it...
A clinical comparison of rigid and inflatable endorectal-coil probes for MRI and 3D MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of the prostate.

Endorectal Coils can provide dramatically improved (~10-fold) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spatial resolution for MRI of the prostate as compared to phased-array coils (1,2). This is particularly important for functional imaging studies such as spectroscopic imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and diffusion-weighted MRI. Commonly, a coil placed in the rectum on an air-inflated balloon is used (3,4). This design by Medrad, Inc. (Indianola, PA, USA) has been used extensively and has been shown to provide increased SNR over pelvic phased-array coils (2). While this coil provides an increase in SNR, it can cause tissue distortion (5). Additionally, the common implementation of this inflated coil is to fill the probe with air. This air in close proximity to the tissue of interest (peripheral zone of the prostate) causes magnetic susceptibility artifacts (6-8). Alternative approaches to this setup have been shown to improve the MRI quality. These include inflation with an alternative substance, such as perfluorocarbon (7,9) or barium (8), and the design of a rigid, noninflatable endorectal probe (6). While these alternative approaches have been investigated, only some aspects of their performance have been evaluated. The different advantages and disadvantages of different endorectal-coil probe setups have not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the performance and ease of use of four endorectal-coil probe setups: 1) an air-filled inflatable probe; 2) a perfluorocarbon (PFC)-filled inflatable probe; 3) a prototype rigid coil; and 4) a rigid coil designed for biopsying the prostate.
Acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: T- and B-cell distribution within the target organ.

Abstract The sequence of T-cell events in the central nervous system (CNS) has been further studied during acute experimental autoimmune (allergic) encephalomyelitis (EAE). T cells were labeled by indirect fluorescence using a monoclonal antibody against guinea pig T cells. In addition, B cells, IgG, C 3 , and albumin were localized by direct fluorescence. T cells were demonstrable as early as 5 days postinoculation (PI), well before the onset of signs and were predominantly found within the CNS parenchyma. B cells and macrophages appeared later (10 days PI) and were restricted to the meninges and perivascular spaces. IgG and albumin were found from day 5 PI onwards and were probably indicative of damage to the blood-brain barrier. C 3 was observed later and was distributed similar to IgG. These findings (a) further underline the primary involvement of T cells in this autoimmune condition, (b) indicate a difference in the migratory activity of T and B cells in the CNS, (c) suggest that suppression of clinical EAE with myelin basic protein can be correlated with a diminution of inflammatory cells within the CNS, and (d) represent an unambiguous demonstration of T cells in situ in the target organ in EAE.
Palaeophis casei, new species, a tiny palaeophid snake from the early Eocene of Mississippi

ABSTRACT Fourteen vertebrae from an estuarine site in the Bashi Marl early Eocene of Meridian, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, represent Palaeophis casei n. sp. (Ser-pentes: Palaeophidae). The snake resembles Palaeophis virginianus and differs from other American species in having but a single vertebral hypapophysis; however, it differs from the giant P. virginianus in being quite small, as well as in several other morphological characters.
Asthma in the hospitalized obstetrical patient.

Acute exacerbation of asthma in a pregnant woman should be considered a medical emergency. Patient should be attended promptly by the physician skilled and experienced in the treatment of asthma. More harm to the fetus and the patient can come from undue delay in delivering appropriate care in the ED or in the hospital than from any of the asthma drugs currently approved for use in the nonpregnant patient. The ED physician or hospital-based specialist must work closely with the asthma care specialist and perinatologist to ensure optimal care of the pregnant asthmatic in the hospital.
WE‐G‐BRCD‐02: Speed Up Standard Optimization of IMPT Treatment Planning Through the Application of GPUs

Purpose: While intensity‐modulated proton therapy (IMPT) has great potential to deliver highly conformal tumoricidal dose to targets whilst minimizing dose to nearby organs‐at‐risk, IMPT optimization is very time consuming and memory extensive due to finer dose grids and a large number of energy layers used compared to intensity‐modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). In this presentation, for the first time, a new approach is introduced to speed up the IMPT treatment planning through application of parallel computing with Graphic Processor Units (GPUs). Methods: Parallel computation with GPUs, which are affordable and can be plugged in a workstation easily, is potentially a good way to improve the computation efficiency. In our approach, we used the standard quadratic objective function to optimize the intensity map of beamlets. The objective function and gradient equations, which are the most time consuming parts of the optimization, were calculated with GPUs. We compared the computation time of optimization done by an Intel ® Core™ i7 CPU and that by the same CPU accelerated by GPUs (TESLA C1060). The influence matrix was pre‐ calculated before optimization with an in‐house proton pencil beam dose calculation engine. Two clinical cases were studied: one base‐of‐skull (BOS) case (clivus chordoma) and one prostate case (adenocarcinoma). The dose volume histogram (DVH) data for the tumor and critical organs were derived for comparison of optimization results generated by CPU and GPUs. Results: For the BOS case, application of GPUs for the optimization and overall gained 54 and 36.5 times speedup. For the prostate case, application of GPUs for the optimization and overall gained 69 and 28.5 times speedup. Conclusions: The application of GPUs for the parallel computing of IMPT treatment plan optimization can dramatically improve the computation efficiency. The optimization time can be reduced from typically half to one hour to only several minutes.
A Computer-controlled Ventilator Weaning System: A Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study was to determine if a computer-directed weaning system could wean patients with complex medical problems from mechanical ventilation and appropriately respond to signs of respiratory failure more effectively than traditional physician-directed weaning methods. In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, we tested the system in 15 patients who had required prolonged mechanical ventilation and met predetermined weaning tests. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) automatic, computer-directed weaning or (2) physician-controlled weaning. The computer-directed system decreased or increased the synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation rate and pressure support (PS) based on predetermined limits of patient respiratory rate (RR) and tidal volume (TV). Pulse oximeter oxygen saturation was monitored, and alarms were triggered by an oxygen saturation of 30, RR
Generalized purpuric drug exanthem with hemorrhagic plaques following bendamustine chemotherapy in a patient with B-prolymphocytic leukemia

A 72-year-old woman presented with dyspnea and lower extremity edema. Extreme lymphocytosis, cytopenia, and splenomegaly were found, and she was diagnosed with B-prolymphocytic leukemia. Following the first dose of therapy with bendamustine, the patient developed severe generalized maculopapular rash, which subsequently progressed to exuberant, non-blanching palpable purpura with hemorrhagic plaques suspicious for leukocytoclastic vasculitis. These events coincided with severe chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, but there were no clinical symptoms of infection. Skin punch biopsy revealed perivascular and diffuse upper dermal lymphocytic infiltrate with eosinophils and marked erythrocyte extravasation consistent with a purpuric drug exanthem. The patient was treated with steroids, with complete resolution of the findings. This new form of cutaneous toxicity of bendamustine is presented along with a review of previous experience with the drug.
Vibrational spectral/structural changes from the hydrolysis/polycondensation of methyl-modified silicates. I. comparisons for single monomer condensates

Abstract Comparisons were made for the structures of condensates of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and diethoxydimethylsilane (DEDMS) upon hydrolysis/polycondensation using infrared and Raman spectra. Vibrational spectral data indicated that all of the amorphous condensates generated from single monomer precursors possessed four-membered (Si-O) 4 rings as structural units within their structures. Three-membered rings appeared at lower concentrations for the DEDMS-derived condensate.
Comparison of XANES Analyses and Extractions To Determine Chromium Speciation in Contaminated Soils

Chromium-contaminated soils from three sites in Wisconsin were analyzed for the total concentration of chromium with neutron activation analysis, extractable Cr(VI) with a typical phosphate buffer and exchangeable Cr(VI) with isotope dilution analysis. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy provided a physical method for determining the ratio of Cr(VI):Cr(III) in the contaminated soils. In most samples, less than 10% of the total Cr was present as Cr(VI). Of the total Cr(VI) measured with XANES analysis, only a fraction was isotopically exchangeable, and an even smaller fraction of the total Cr(VI) was extracted with a phosphate buffer. The speciation and extraction of chromium in actual contaminated soils are apparently more complex than traditional chemical methods can show.
A table for estimating the significance of the difference between correlated percentages.

A table to aid in testing the statistical significance of the difference between correlated percentages is presented. Percentage points which range from .10 to .001 are included.
Application paper. Applying ray casting to the flow visualization data using linear and B-spline hyperpatch interpolation

Visualizing the flow of air or fluids is especially challenging because of their transparency and possible high velocity. Complex patterns are created when the flow is over or around an object. Our aim is to visualize the flow in three dimensions, eliminating the need for mentally piecing the flow from two-dimensional slices. We have applied the well-known ray casting technique to visualize the flow around an aircraft wing. During ray casting, when the ray does not intercept the lattice points, linear and B-spline hyperpatch interpolations are used to estimate the colour. We describe the shading equation, and compare the linear and the B-spline hyperpatch interpolation schemes during ray casting. Several images are produced to show the difference in the image quality of these two methods, and their image generation time.
Analysis of Pharmacy Student Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Web 2.0 Tools for Educational Purposes.

Background: The use of Wikis, blogs, and podcasts can engage students in collaborative learning, allow peer feedback, and enhance reflective learning. However, no survey to date has been performed across all professional years of pharmacy students in order to obtain a comprehensive overview of student perceptions. Objectives: To identify the familiarity of pharmacy students with Web 2.0 resources available for medical education, and what barriers exist. Methods: This study surveyed students enrolled in the professional program of a US-accredited pharmacy school to assess their knowledge and current use of available online resources and attitudes toward the use of Web 2.0 technologies for educational purposes. Results: Of the 836 surveys distributed, 293 were collected and analyzed (35.0% response rate). Students reported using the following Web 2.0 technologies in the didactic and experiential settings, respectively: Wikipedia (88%, 70%), YouTube (87%, 41%), Khan Academy (40%, 5%), and medical or scientif...
Mid-Season Average Zonal Winds at Sea Level and at 500 mb South of 25 Degrees South, and a Brief Comparison with the Northern Hemisphere.

Abstract Meridional profiles of sea-level and 500-mb average zonal winds at mid-season in both hemispheres are presented and described. Over much of the southern hemisphere the mean zonal westerly flow changes little during the year, and in each season it is always stronger for the hemisphere as a whole in the southern than in the northern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere circulation and its seasonal changes are shown to be closely related to the surface temperature distribution. It is pointed out that despite the seemingly symmetrical distribution of heat and cold sources over the southern hemisphere, regional differences in the strength and distribution of the mean zonal wind do exist, particularly during the colder part of the year. Thus, although on the whole there is a strong control arising from the ocenic dominance of the hemisphere, there are, especially in the Australian sector, large disturbances connected with continental influences on heating and cooling. The strongest zonal westerly mean c...
Using Surface Remote Sensors to Derive Radiative Characteristics of Mixed-Phase Clouds: An Example from M-PACE

Abstract. Measurements from ground-based cloud radar, high spectral resolution lidar and microwave radiometer are used in conjunction with a column version of the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model (RRTMG) and radiosonde measurements to derive the surface radiative properties under mixed-phase cloud conditions. These clouds were observed during the United States Department of Energy (US DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mixed-Phase Arctic Clouds Experiment (M-PACE) between September and November of 2004. In total, sixteen half hour time periods are reviewed due to their coincidence with radiosonde launches. Cloud liquid (ice) water paths are found to range between 11.0–366.4 (0.5–114.1) gm −2 , and cloud physical thicknesses fall between 286–2075 m. Combined with temperature and hydrometeor size estimates, this information is used to calculate surface radiative flux densities using RRTMG, which are demonstrated to generally agree with measured flux densities from surface-based radiometric instrumentation. Errors in longwave flux density estimates are found to be largest for thin clouds, while shortwave flux density errors are generally largest for thicker clouds. A sensitivity study is performed to understand the impact of retrieval assumptions and uncertainties on derived surface radiation estimates. Cloud radiative forcing is calculated for all profiles, illustrating longwave dominance during this time of year, with net cloud forcing generally between 50 and 90 Wm −2 .
“Conversi” Revert: Voluntary and Forced Return to Judaism in the Early Fourteenth Century

Forced to choose between conversion and death, many medieval Jews chose to be baptized as Christians. While not all Jews in Western Europe faced such stark choices, during the fourteenth century pressure increased on the Jewish minority to join the Christian majority. Economic, social, and political barriers to Jews often made conversion a necessity or at least an advantage, exerting a degree of coercion even without brute force. Once baptized these new Christians, called conversi , were required to abandon their Jewish practices entirely. But what kind of life actually awaited these converts? In the abstract, the converts had clear options: they could either remain Christians or return to judaism. Reality would surely reveal a range of possibilities, however, as these conversi tried to live out their conversion or to reject it without running afoul of the authorities. While the dominant Christian culture undoubtedly exerted pressure to convert, Jews did not necessarily sit idly by while their people approached the baptismal font. Some conversi felt contrary pressure to take up Judaism again. In the most extreme cases, conversi who reverted to Judaism faced death as well. This paper examines forces exerted on Jewish converts to Christianity to return to Judaism, using examples from France and northern Spain in the first half of the fourteenth century.
Salient Contour Detection using a Global Contour Discontinuity Measurement

Salient contour grouping/detection is one of the major topics in perceptual organization exploring the true meanings for contours. Extending contours discontinuity quality from low level discontinuity, we introduce a new perspective that a salient contour represents a sharp change in the ability to organize the image into meaningful parts. This new view gives a novel, general edge energy measure, which has important perceptual meanings. A new multiscale saliency function and its variational solution are also described. Experiments on real images validate our method.
Identification of the nonlinear ship rolling motion equation using the measured response at sea

This paper describes a new robust method for the identification of the parameters in the equation describing the rolling motion of a ship using only its measured response at sea. Those parameters are the linear and nonlinear damping and restoring parameters. The random decrement equations as well as the auto- and cross-correlation equations are derived for a ship performing rolling motion in random beam waves. The linear and nonlinear parameters in the equation of motion are identified using a combination of the random decrement technique, auto- and cross-correlation functions, a linear regression algorithm, and a neural networks technique. The combination of the classical parametric identification techniques and a neural networks technique provides robust results and does not require a large amount of computer time. The proposed method would be particularly useful in identifying the nonlinear damping and restoring parameters for a ship rolling under the action of unknown excitations effected by a realistic sea. Numerically generated data and experimental data for the ship rolling motion are used to test the accuracy and the validity of the method. It is shown that the method is reliable in the identification of the parameters of the equation of the rolling motion using only the measured response at sea.
On the high Reynolds number flow over a wavy boundary

The nature of a shear flow over a wavy boundary of small amplitude is investigated. It is found that if the viscosity is small, the nature of the flow is highly dependent on the wave amplitude. If the wave amplitude is truly infinitesimal, the flow is described by the Orr-Sommerfeld equation and in the neighbourhood of the critical layer viscous stresses are important even in the limit of vanishing viscosity. However, if the wave is sufficiently large, viscous stresses may be neglected even in the critical layer. An approximate solution of the inviscid equations of motion is obtained to describe the flow over a small but finite wave in the limit of infinite Reynolds number.
Improving MT Word Alignment Using Aligned Multi-Stage Parses

We use hand-coded rules and graph-aligned logical dependencies to reorder English text towards Chinese word order. We obtain a 1.5% higher F-score for Giza++ compared to running with unprocessed text. We describe this research and its implications for SMT.
Adaptive Mechanisms and Policies for Managing Cache Hierarchies in Chip Multiprocessors

With the ability to place large numbers of transistors on a single silicon chip, manufacturers have begun developing chip multiprocessors (CMPs) containing multiple processor cores, varying amounts of level 1 and level 2 caching, and on-chip directory structures for level 3 caches and memory. The level 3 cache may be used as a victim cache for both modified and clean lines evicted from on-chip level 2 caches. Efficient area and performance management of this cache hierarchy is paramount given the projected increase in access latency to off-chip memory. This paper proposes simple architectural extensions and adaptive policies for managing the L2 and L3 cache hierarchy in a CMP system. In particular, we evaluate two mechanisms that improve cache effectiveness. First, we propose the use of a small history table to provide hints to the L2 caches as to which lines are resident in the L3 cache. We employ this table to eliminate some unnecessary clean write backs to the L3 cache, reducing pressure on the L3 cache and utilization of the on-chip bus. Second, we examine the performance benefits of allowing write backs from L2 caches to be placed in neighboring, on-chip L2 caches rather than forcing them to be absorbed by the L3 cache. This not only reduces the capacity pressure on the L3 cache but also makes subsequent accesses faster since L2-to-L2 cache transfers have typically lower latencies than accesses to a large L3 cache array. We evaluate the performance improvement of these two designs, and their combined effect, on four commercial workloads and observe a reduction in the overall execution time of up to 13%.
Compact Delay Test Generation with a Realistic Low Cost Fault Coverage Metric

This paper proposes a realistic low cost fault coverage metric targeting both global and local delay faults. It suggests the test strategy of generating a different number of the longest paths for each line in the circuit while maintaining high fault coverage. This metric has been integrated into the CodGen ATPG tool. Experimental results show significant reductions in test generation time and vector count on ISCAS89 and industry designs.
Some Remarks on Solar Neutrinos

In 1970 Fred Hoyle encouraged a study of solar neutrino production which led to a long-term investigation of the influence of what have become known as ‘non-standard’ processes (i.e. processes that are not accounted for in the relatively naively constructed so-called ‘standard’ theoretical solar models). The outcome is a very much sounder understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Sun, which has yielded a knowledge of conditions in the energy-generating core so precise that one can set quite tight reliable constraints on neutrino-producing nuclear reactions, and thereby provide an important contribution to the study of neutrino transitions.
Regulation of Immunity by a Novel Population of Qa-1-Restricted CD8αα+TCRαβ+ T Cells

Regulatory mechanisms involving CD8 + T cells (CD8 regulatory T cells (Tregs)) are important in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. However, the inability to generate functional CD8 Treg clones with defined Ag specificity has precluded a direct demonstration of CD8 Treg-mediated regulation. In the present study, we describe the isolation of functional lines and clones representing a novel population of TCRαβ + Tregs that control activated Vβ8.2 + CD4 T cells mediating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. They express exclusively the CD8αα homodimer and recognize a peptide from a conserved region of the TCR Vβ8.2 chain in the context of the Qa-1a (CD8αα Tregs). They secrete type 1 cytokines but not IL-2. CD8αα Tregs kill activated Vβ8.2 + but not Vβ8.2 − or naive T cells. The CD8αα Tregs prevent autoimmunity upon adoptive transfer or following in vivo activation. These findings reveal an important negative feedback regulatory mechanism targeting activated T cells and have implications in the development of therapeutic strategies for autoimmune diseases and transplantation.
Decreased frequencies of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells and the potent CD103+ subset in peripheral lymph nodes correlate with autoimmune disease predisposition in some strains of mice

The CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells are essential for regulation of the immune response, and the integrin, CD103 (αEβ7), identifies a potent subset of these cells. Defects in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells are thought to contribute to susceptibility to autoimmune disease in predisposed individuals. Studies evaluating the quality and quantity of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory cell populations in the context of autoimmune disease susceptibility have been inconclusive, and few if any, have analyzed the CD103 subset. In this study, we analyzed regulatory T cells (Tregs) from different strains of mice with varying degrees of susceptibility to autoimmune disease. We found no differences in the ability of CD4+CD25+ or the CD103+ subset of Tregs from young female (NZB × NZW)F1 (BWF1), SJL, C57BL/6, or BALB/c mice to suppress CD4+CD25− responders in vitro. Analysis of CD4+Foxp3+ and CD4+CD25+CD103+ cell frequencies in lymphoid organs revealed that BWF1 mice had dramatically lower percentages of both populations in the lymph node (LN) th...