cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-I-02: Size-Dependent Computed Tomography Histogram Analysis: Towards Breast Tissue Segmentation.

Purpose: To examine the effects of object size on scatter‐corrected CT histograms to be used in threshold‐based tissue segmentation. Methods: A polyethylene cone filled with various concentrations of water and methanol mixtures, simulating glandular and adipose tissues, were imaged with our quasi‐monochromatic dedicated breast CT, and scatter corrected using beam‐stop array measurements. Images were reconstructed using iterative OSC, and individual coronal slices along the central axis of the cone were analyzed, with radii ranging from 3.25–6.25cm. Histograms from each slice were fit with two Gaussians (fluid filling and cone material) using nonlinear least squares methods, and the corresponding standard deviation and peak centroid of each filled material were evaluated as a function of object radius. Identical methods were applied to dedicated breast CTimages of four patients for clinical comparison. Results:Analysis of phantoms and breast data indicates low correlation between the standard deviation and object diameter. The centroids of the Gaussian peaks demonstrate an inverse linear relationship with increasing object size, independent of object material. The clinical datasets show a similar linear relationship between centroids and breast radius. Conclusions: Data indicate that using a linear combination of Gaussian distribution functions to segment breast tissue in scatter corrected, quasi‐monochromatic cone beam dedicated breast CT is possible. An object size‐independent variation of attenuation values may allow for consistent restraints on initial fit parameters, resulting in improved confidence using Gaussian curve fitting. Appropriate scaling of the size‐dependent volume slices, or independent slice analysis, is necessary to minimize binning variability for accurate tissue segmentation using Gaussian curve fitting. This work is supported by National Institutes of Health (R01‐CA096821) and NIH Training Grant (T32‐EB007185). MPT is the inventor of this hybrid breast imaging technology, and is named as an inventor on the patent for this technology assigned to Duke (US Pat. #7,609,808). If this technology becomes commercially successful, MPT and Duke could benefit financially.
The status of organizational communication in speech departments

A report is given of the results of a survey of speech departments to discover how many are offering courses in Organizational Communication, what is being taught, the rationale for teaching it, and predictions for future development.
Fitness of drug resistant HIV-1: methodology and clinical implications

Recent studies of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) fitness have examined the potential relationship with plasma viral load, drug resistance, and disease progression. For example, treatment of HIV-1 infected individuals with antiretroviral drugs may result in the selection and emergence of inhibitor-resistant variants with reduced replicative capacity. However, it is still unclear whether in vitro HIV-1 fitness has any direct relationship to in vivo disease progression or treatment success. A related question is which in vitro assay of viral fitness is the most appropriate for comparison with in vivo HIV-1 fitness. Characterization of the relative viral fitness of drug-resistant HIV-1 strains may lead to a better understanding of whether or not less fit viruses pose a clinical benefit to the patient.
LES flamelet modeling of a three-stream MILD combustor: Analysis of flame sensitivity to scalar inflow conditions

Abstract Large-eddy simulations (LES) of a jet issuing into a hot and diluted coflow are performed. To model this three-stream burner configuration, which is operated in the moderate and intense low-oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion regime, a flamelet/progress variable (FPV) formulation is extended by introducing an additional conserved scalar. This additional scalar is associated with the oxidizer split, and is used to identify flamelets of different mixture composition. Due to the extended spatial structure of this jet diffusion flame, the moderate Reynolds number, and the overall lean operating condition, different flamelets interact only weakly in mixture composition space, so that the thermochemical state-space is populated from the solution of the one-dimensional flamelet equations. To account for the turbulence/chemistry interaction on numerically unresolved scales, a presumed probability density function (PDF) is used in the LES combustion model. This three-stream FPV combustion model is applied in LES of the MILD combustor, which was experimentally investigated by Dally et al. (2002) [4] . The comparison with results obtained from the single-mixture fraction FPV formulation shows that the coflow mixture composition can only inadequately be represented by a single mixture fraction, resulting in a significant overprediction of the flame temperature and CO mass fraction. The second part of this work addresses the sensitivity of the flow field and flame structure to the specification of scalar inflow conditions under kinetics-controlled, low-Damkohler number combustion conditions. To this end, LES calculations are performed that employ an increasing level of fidelity in the specification of the scalar boundary conditions, including homogeneous and intermittent turbulent scalar inflow conditions that are derived from experimental data. From this analysis, it is shown that the consideration of turbulent fluctuations in the scalar composition leads to improved predictions for temperature and mass fractions of CO and OH. Furthermore, the results from this simulation also suggest that effects of scalar inflow conditions are not only confined to the nozzle-near region but extend throughout the entire flame. It is anticipated that these findings could also be of relevance to other simulations of kinetics-controlled and low-temperature combustion systems, including autoignition, lifted flames, and premixed systems in which flames are stabilized by vitiated and hot coflows.
COURAGE: In the Eye of the Beholder

The following comment provides another perspective on the COURAGE Trial. A prior Editorial on this subject was by Franklin (Franklin BA. Lessons learned from the COURAGE Trial: generalizability, limitations, and implications.
The relative odds ratio and the theory of abortion choice

This paper hypothesizes that rational household choice with respect to abortion can be conceptualized and empirically measured by way of the relative odds ratio. If, indeed, the household behaves rationally and is endowed with perfect information, it can state its odds of choosing an abortion and will do so in a consistent and noncontradictory way. In this respect, the behavior of the household's odds ratio with respect to abortion choice should confirm Becker's hypothesis regarding cost minimization of child rearing as a tradeoff between child quality and child quantity. This study's empirical findings for a sample of U.S. households reveal odds ratios consistent with Becker's expectation that white household responses to hypothetical abortion inquiries would indicate a preference for child quality, while black responses yield odds ratios pointing to a decided preference for child quantity.
Statistical Evidence: A Likelihood Paradigm

Although the likelihood paradigm has been around for some time, Royall's distinctive voice, combined with his contribution of several novel lines of argument, has given new impetus to a school of statistical thought deserving the renewed attention of the human genetics community. For, among all the possible purposes of statistical inference, surely the measurement of evidence is first and foremost among our needs. Royall, already well-known in statistical circles for his earlier work on principles of inference and finite-population inference, has now provided a valuable manifesto for statisticians who wish to practice not just mathematics—but science.
A new micro-method for the L.E. cell phenomenon.

SummaryA micro-method for the demonstration of the L. E. cell in peripheral blood employing a “disc” of granulocytes spread on glass has been presented. It has the advantage of ease of performance, simplicity in reading, and increased sensitivity.
Effects of mechanical flexion on the penetration of fullerene amino acid-derivatized peptide nanoparticles through skin.

Dermatomed porcine skin was fixed to a flexing device and topically dosed with 33.5 mg·mL-1 of an aqueous solution of a fullerene-substituted phenylalanine (Baa) derivative of a nuclear localization peptide sequence (Baa-Lys(FITC)-NLS). Skin was flexed for 60 or 90 min or left unflexed (control). Confocal microscopy depicted dermal penetration of the nanoparticles at 8 h in skin flexed for 60 and 90 min, whereas Baa-Lys(FITC)-NLS did not penetrate into the dermis of unflexed skin until 24 h. TEM analysis revealed fullerene-peptide localization within the intercellular spaces of the stratum granulosum.
An improved calculation of critical magnetic shear in an inhomogeneous plasma

Previous calculations of the amount of magnetic shear necessary to stabilize a drift wave in an inhomogeneous plasma with a linear density profile have been somewhat inconsistent in that the destabilizing influence of the resonant electrons is treated as a perturbation. By removing this inconsistency and, in fact, by including all non-resonant electron effects as well, an improved stability criterion is found analytically to agree with the previous perturbation technique result to within a multiplicative factor very nearly equal to one for 1 Ln/Ls m/M, where Ln and Ls are the density and shear lengths and m and M are the electron and ion masses. Both the previous and the present treatments require ln(MLn/mLs) > 1, and the stability condition is found herein to be relaxed by approximately {ln[ln(MLn/mLs)]}1/3. Furthermore, the critical shear is shown to be relatively insensitive to the non-resonant electron corrections not retained in previous work. Consequently, when finite-β effects are included, both the neglect of non-resonant electron corrections to the fluid response and the treatment of the resonant electrons via perturbation theory are well motivated.
Normal zone propagation in adiabatic superconducting magnets Part 1: Normal zone propagation velocity in superconducting composites

Abstract A normal zone propagation model has been developed for superconducting composites under adiabatic conditions. It is based on the Whetstone-Roos model, originally developed for normal zone propagation in adiabatic wires of unclad superconductor. The model takes into account the temperature and magnetic field dependent material properties, for both superconductor and matrix metal. Analytical results agree well with experimental data.
Homeless military veterans and the intersection of partner violence

The objective of this paper was to identify, screen, and assess homeless veterans through outreach for domestic abuse services. This study focuses on 507 homeless veterans, from 2002 to 2007 identified in a homeless shelter and a transitional housing program. Homeless veterans completed the Domestic Violence/Abuse Screen (DV/AS) and psychosocial assessment. The majority were males, African American, divorced, Army, Vietnam, substance-dependent, and homeless, while the minorities had combat-PTSD; were charged and convicted of domestic violence; were on supervised parole or probation; had juvenile records; were victims of domestic violence during rearing; had a perpetrator relative; had prior domestic violence treatment; and were referred for domestic abuse treatment services. There is a lack of research evidence for the effectiveness for screening of homeless veteran partner violence. This sample shows the benefit of integrating domestic abuse screening into homeless programs and more research.
A brief measure of peer affiliation and social acceptance (PASA): validity in an ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a multiagent–multimethod analysis of the validity of a brief measure of deviant peer affiliations and social acceptance (PASA) in young adolescents. Peer relationships are critical to child and adolescent social and emotional development, but currently available measures are tedious and time consuming. The PASA consists of a youth, parent, and teacher report that can be collected longitudinally to study development and intervention effectiveness. This longitudinal study included 998 middle school students and their families. We collected the PASA and peer sociometrics data in Grade 7 and a multiagent–multimethod construct of deviant peer clustering in Grade 8. Confirmatory factor analyses of the multiagent–multimethod data revealed that the constructs of deviant peer affiliations and social acceptance and rejection were distinguishable as unique but correlated constructs within the PASA. Convergent, discriminant, concurrent, and predictive validity of the PASA was ...
Pulsed low-dose irradiation of orthotopic glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in a pre-clinical model: Effects on vascularization and tumor control

Abstract Background and purpose To compare dose-escalated pulsed low-dose radiation therapy (PLRT) and standard radiation therapy (SRT). Methods and materials Intracranial U87MG GBM tumors were established in nude mice. Animals received whole brain irradiation with daily 2-Gy fractions given continuously (SRT) or in ten 0.2-Gy pulses separated by 3-min intervals (PLRT). Tumor response was evaluated using weekly CT and [ 18 F]-FDG-PET scans. Brain tissue was subjected to immunohistochemistry and cytokine bead array to assess tumor and normal tissue effects. Results Median survival for untreated animals was 18 (SE±0.5) days. A significant difference in median survival was seen between SRT (29±1.8days) and PLRT (34.2±1.9days). Compared to SRT, PLRT resulted in a 31% ( p p p =0.01) reduction in normalized tumor volume and a 48% ( p p p p =0.05). Compared to SRT, PLRT was associated with a 28% reduction in degenerating neurons in the surrounding brain parenchyma ( p =0.05). Conclusions Compared to SRT, PLRT resulted in greater inhibition of tumor growth and improved survival, which may be attributable to preservation of vascular density.
Perfectly fair channel assignment in non-cooperative multi-radio multi-channel wireless networks

The channel assignment problem is very important in wireless networks. In this letter, we study the non-cooperative channel assignment problem in competitive multi-radio multi-channel wireless networks, with a focus on fairness issues. We propose a Nash equilibrium solution with stronger guarantee on fairness among players than existing works, by requiring a payment from each player. We show that, in our scheme, when system converges to a stable status achieving Nash equilibrium, all players obtain the same throughput. Simulation results verify that our scheme achieves perfect fairness.
Abnormal selective cytology results predict recurrence of upper-tract transitional-cell carcinoma treated with ureteroscopic laser ablation.

Background and Purpose: Endoscopic management of transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) of the upper urinary tract remains associated with a significant rate of recurrence. We evaluated the impact of selective uppertract cytology findings on tumor recurrence and renal salvage rate after ureteroscopic laser tumor ablation. Patients and Methods: From 1993 though 2003, 38 patients with upper-tract TCC underwent ureteroscopic laser tumor ablation. Cytology specimens were collected from the upper urinary tract prior to ablation. "Abnormal cytology" was defined as the presence of malignant or atypical cells. Patients with abnormal cytology results were compared with patients with those having negative findings for tumor recurrence and renal salvage rates using the X 2 test. Results: Of the 38 patients, 26 (68.4%) experienced at least one recurrence at a mean follow-up of 37.2 months. Pretreatment upper-tract cytology results were available in 34 of these patients: 17 (50%) were negative, and 17 were abnormal. Sixtee...
Cloning of the replication origin from Drosophilavirilis mitochondrial DNA

Abstract Mitochondrial DNA from Drosophila contains high “A+T”-rich region. Its DNA replication starts in the “A+T”-rich region and proceeds unidirectionally around the molecule. In order to determine precise location of the DNA replication origin and elucidate unique feature of its nucleotide sequence, the “A+T”-rich region of mitochondrial DNA from Drosophila virilis has been cloned in Escherichia coli . The chimeric plasmid DNA containing the “A+T”-rich region stimulates in vitro DNA replication system from Drosophila virilis mitochondria about ten fold higher than the parental plasmid DNA, as does native mitochondrial DNA.
Globally optimal smoothing functional for multichannel image restoration

It is expected that a globally optimal restored multichannel image should be superior to a suboptimally restored image without the use of cross-channel information. In this paper, a regularized multichannel image restoration approach is proposed, which is based on the minimum multichannel regularized noise power criterion. Furthermore, no prior knowledge about the variance of the noise at each channel and a bound on the high frequency energy of the image are assumed, but this information is estimated based on the partially restored result at each step. The multichannel smoothing functional to be minimized is formulated to have a global minimizer with the proper choice of the multichannel regularization functionals. With this algorithm, the regularization functional for each channel is determined by incorporating not only within-channel information but also cross-channel information. It is also shown that the proposed multichannel smoothing functional is convex, and therefore, has a global minimizer. The proposed multichannel algorithm not only does not depend on initial conditions but is also shown to be much more computationally efficient than existing algorithms.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Statistical Inference From Censored Weihull Samples

In life testing experiments it is a fairly common practice to terminate the experiment before all items have failed. The Weibull distribution is often used as a model for the observations and when a computer is available maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters is to be recommended. The tables presented in this paper enable one to set confidence limits on the parameters and the reliability based on the maximum likelihood estimates for selected censoring and sample sizes. It is also observed that, as in the case with no censoring, the maximum likelihood estimator of the reliability is very nearly unbiased and its variance is near the Cramer-Rao lower bound, Unbiasing factors for the maximum likelihood estimator of the shape parameter are given.
Estimating impervious surface distribution by spectral mixture analysis

Abstract Estimating the distribution of impervious surface, a major component of the vegetation–impervious surface–soil (V–I–S) model, is important in monitoring urban areas and understanding human activities. Besides its applications in physical geography, such as run-off models and urban change studies, maps showing impervious surface distribution are essential for estimating socio-economic factors, such as population density and social conditions. In this paper, impervious surface distribution, together with vegetation and soil cover, is estimated through a fully constrained linear spectral mixture model using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data within the metropolitan area of Columbus, OH in the United States. Four endmembers, low albedo, high albedo, vegetation, and soil were selected to model heterogeneous urban land cover. Impervious surface fraction was estimated by analyzing low and high albedo endmembers. The estimation accuracy for impervious surface was assessed using Digital Orthophoto Quarterquadrangle (DOQQ) images. The overall root mean square (RMS) error was 10.6%, which is comparable to the digitizing errors of DOQQ images. Results indicate that impervious surface distribution can be derived from remotely sensed imagery with promising accuracy.
The virtual library in action: Collaborative international control of high-energy physics pre-print

This paper will discuss how control of the grey literature in high-energy physics pre-prints developed through a collaborative effort of librarians and physicists. It will highlight the critical steps in the development process and describe one model of a rapidly evolving virtual library for high-energy physics information. In conclusion, this paper will extend this physics model to other areas of grey literature management.
Serum copper in Hodgkin's disease in children.

A study of 37 cases of Hodgkin's disease in children, including 669 serum copper levels (SCL), has demonstrated a clinically useful relationship between SCL and the disease process. SCL are high in untreated Hodgkin's disease, falling to normal levels when the clinical findings change from recognized disease to unrecognized or absent disease. SCL rises to abnormal levels upon relapse, and provides an indication of relapse before clinical findings. These relations are even more pronounced in Stage IV Hodgkin's disease and with systemic symptoms due to the disease, and are not present in the limited number of lymphocytic predominance cases. A typical case reflecting response of SCL to treatment and predicting relapse is included, as well as an exceptional case with nonresponsive SCL and unusual clinical and histologic pattern. Serum copper levels provide a valuable aid in the determination and evaluation of activity in Hodgkin's disease.
ortho-wurster's crowns : Synthesis and properties of a novel phenylenediamine-based redox-active macrocyclic ligand

A hybrid, macrocyclic structure based on o-phenylenediamine and a crown ether promotes an intimate mutual interaction with a bound potassium ion in the form of chelation by the redox-active moiety. A general synthetic method and properties are described for the first member of a new class of redox-active, lariat-type macrocycles called the "o-Wurster's crowns".
Effects of SR141716A on Diazepam Substitution for Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Rat Drug Discrimination

Interaction of cannabinoids with GABAergic systems has been noted in a number of previous studies. In the present study, this interaction was examined in a drug-discrimination paradigm. Rats were trained to discriminate either delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC; 3 mg/kg) or diazepam (2.5 mg/kg) from vehicle in two-lever drug discrimination procedures for food reinforcement. As in previous studies, diazepam partially substituted for delta9-THC, but only at high doses that also decreased response rates. In contrast, delta9-THC did not substitute for diazepam in any of the rats. Hence, cross-generalization of these two drugs was asymmetrical. When tested in combination with diazepam, the brain cannabinoid (CB1) receptor antagonist SR141716A did not block the partial substitution of diazepam for delta9-THC, nor did it antagonize the discriminative stimulus effects of diazepam in diazepam-trained rats. These results suggest that the partial overlap in the discriminative stimulus effects of delta9-THC and diazepam is not mediated by diazepam action at CB1 receptors. However, the fact that diazepam produced partial substitution for delta9-THC is consistent with a GABAergic component to cannabinoid drug discrimination.
Investigations of the Stillwater Complex: Part V. Apatites as indicators of evolving fluid composition

Variations in the F, Cl and OH contents of apatite are not constrained by crystal-chemical factors (in contrast to micas and amphiboles), and thus changes in the abundance of these components provide an indicator of halogen fugacity variations and insights into the degassing history of igneous rocks. Microprobe analysis of intercumulus apatites from the Stillwater Complex reveal that Cl-rich apatites, typically containing 6.0 wt % Cl, occur throughout the lower 1/3 of the complex excluding the Basal series. A change from Cl-rich to more F-rich apatite occurs within olivine-bearing zone I (OB I) of the Banded series, the host zone of the platiniferous J-M Reef. Although apatite compositions are somewhat variable above the J-M Reef, more F-rich apatites predominante and typically contain >1.2 wt % F and <3.0 wt % Cl. The most F-rich apatites occur in the uppermost exposed cumulates. Pristine apatites from coeval sills and dikes from below the complex and from the Basal series are similarly F-rich. In all apatites, the Cl and F contents are lower in rocks affected by later metamorphic fluids. Rare earth element (REE) concentrations in chlorapatites show a marked peak in the olivine-rich rocks of the J-M Reef, and contain up to 2 wt % Ce2O3 + La2O3. The trend of first increasing, then decreasing Cl/F ratios with stratigraphic height is modeled by a vapor-driven zone refining process occurring within the cumulate pile causing Cl-enrichment in the interstitial melt accompanied by degassing at the top of the magma chamber causing overall loss of Cl from the magma as crystallization proceeded. The abrupt change from Cl-rich to more F-rich apatites within OB I is interpreted as the result of a breakdown of the Cl-rich zone refining front and mixing with Cl-poor supernatant melt. Any high temperature fluids that exsolved and circulated through the lower 1/3 of the complex must have been enriched in Cl and could have transported REE and trace metals.
Lung cancer with visual loss

Abstract A 58-year-old man with primary large cell carcinoma of the lung presented with rapidlyprogressive, bilateral visual loss. The patient was alert and oriented, had no complaints of headache, and was found to have full ocular motility. The optic disks and fundi appeared normal. No visual pathway lesions or other CNS abnormalities were detected on neuro-imaging. The authors discuss their differential diagnosis, clinical diagnostic approach, and subsequent management of this unusual patient.
Collector Receiver Design for Data Collection and Localization in Sensor-driven Networks

We consider a sensor network in which the sensors communicate at will when they have something to report, without prior coordination with other sensors or with data collection nodes. The burden of demodulating the sensor data, and localizing the sensor which is communicating, falls on a network of collector nodes which are perpetually monitoring transmissions from the sensor network. This model allows the random deployment of very large numbers of sensor nodes with minimal capabilities, while shifting the complexity to a network of collector nodes. While the philosophy is similar to prior work on "imaging" sensor nets, the key difference is that the communication model is now sensor-driven, rather than collector-driven. The two major technical challenges addressed in this paper are as follows: (a) Are there simple physical layer implementations of the collector receiver for jointly solving the tasks of detection of a sensor transmission, estimation of the direction from which it comes, and demodulating the data? (b) Given that the collectors are not time synchronized well enough to permit the use of time-difference-of-arrival techniques for sensor localization, how well can the sensors be localized with spatial information alone, assuming that each collector node has a relatively small number of antennas? The results reported in this paper indicate that the preceding issues can be addressed satisfactorily with appropriate design of the collector physical layer, together with Bayesian combining of the spatial information extracted by each collector.
Standardization of clinical cholinesterase measurements.

Previous studies showed that commonly used kits for measuring cholinesterases were not optimal for determining acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Clinical use of different kits and methodologies resulted in AChE levels being reported in different units and activities that were not reproducible among laboratories. Findings such as these led to a revision in California regulations (covering AChE measurements for pesticide worker safety) calling for clinical laboratories to standardize their findings. The laboratories were contacted and invited to participate in a split-sample study of human blood AChE and nonspecific cholinesterase (BChE) assays. Participating laboratories measured erythrocyte (RBC) AChE and/or plasma BChE from undiluted and 50% diluted blood, according to their practices. Aliquots of blood samples were shipped to University of California Davis for measurement, using an optimized semiautomated plate reader version of the method of Ellman. Nine of 25 laboratories sent samples for comparison. Two others performed their own comparisons and submitted data to the state. Best correlations were obtained with BChE activity. Correlations (r(2)) were .88 or above for four of five laboratories for BChE, and above .9 for two of seven laboratories for AChE. Reasons for poor correlations may include difficulties in pipetting RBCs, storage, and processing. A bovine AChE RBC ghost "standard" was devised and tested. Activity of the preparation was maintained at -70 degrees C for approximately 11 months. A test with an East coast laboratory resulted in a high correlation, demonstrating the reliability of the RBC ghost standard and that one laboratory can replicate the AChE findings of another. The overall poor correlation of interlaboratory cholinesterase results points to the need to further standardize sample handling and assay methods.
Zone-Based Inspection and Defect Classification for LCD Manufacturing: Trivial Defect Free Procedure for TFT Glass Inspection

Inspection of thin film transistor (TFT)-patterned glass is one of the important processes for TFT-LCD panel manufacturing. Minute pattern defects and particles coexist on the glass and a few defects can cause serious quality problems. If there was a way to classify the defects by its potential fatality, it would be useful to control the product quality and loss of inspection time. This article introduces a rule-based approach of zone-based inspection and defect classification. For the zone-based processing, a defect classifier and its decision boundary were also proposed to differentiate non-fatal defects. An experimental result showed that the defect classifier was useful to select non-fatal defects and over 70% of the trivial defects could be selected with little risk of quality problems. This article also presents an application result to utilize the method in a plant. Since prejudged trivial defects have little influence on panel quality, they could be eliminated without interfering with the factor e...
Semiclassical theory of stability in a laser using a generalized entropy

The stability criteria in the pumping and lasing states in a cw solid-state laser are investigated using the semiclassical theory of the multimode laser. The model admits of one (trivial) steady state corresponding to thermal equilibrium, for which an $N$-body principle of minimum-entropy production may be obtained the entropy production serving as a Lyapounov function in this case. The other (multiple) steady states are far from thermal equilibrium. It is possible to construct an $N$-body Lyapounov function in the general, multimode case for these states within the framework of the rate approximation. Near equilibrium, the linear thermodynamics of the multimode laser are developed with the entropy production.
Virus activated filopodia promote human papillomavirus type 31 uptake from the extracellular matrix

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), etiological agents of epithelial tumors and cancers, initiate infection of basal human keratinocytes (HKs) facilitated by wounding. Virions bind to HKs and their secreted extracellular matrix (ECM), but molecular roles for wounding or ECM binding during infection are unclear. Herein we demonstrate that HPV31 activates signals promoting cytoskeletal rearrangements and virion transport required for internalization and infection. Activation of tyrosine and PI3 kinases precedes induction of filopodia whereon virions are transported toward the cell body. Coupled with the loss of ECM-bound virions this supports a model whereby virus activated filopodial transport contributes to an increased and protracted virion uptake into susceptible cells.
METABOLIC ASPECTS OF THERMOGENESIS IN MALE CONES OF FIVE CYCAD SPECIES

High starch concentrations in the sporophylls of male cones of five species of cycad and their depletion during their heat-producing phase of development suggest that starch is a major fuel source for thermogenesis in these plants. Carbon- 1 3/carbon- 12 ratio analyses of respired C02, starch, and lipids in a male cone of one of these species, Macrozamia moorei F. Muell., indicate that although starch is a major contributor to respiration, lipids are also an important respiratory substrate. THERMOGENESIS, although uncommon in plants in general, has been shown to occur in the flowers or inflorescences of diverse types of plants, including many aroids (Meeuse, 1975), the water lily Victoria sp. (Meeuse, 1975), some palms (Schroeder, 1978), and many species of
True MRI assessment of stem cell chondrogenesis in a tissue engineered matrix

Developing a non-invasive method to monitor the growth of tissue-engineered cartilage is of utmost importance for tracking the progress and predicting the success or failure of tissue-engineering approaches. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a leading non-invasive technique suitable for follow-through in preclinical and clinical stages. As complex tissue-engineering approaches are being developed for cartilage tissue engineering, it is important to develop strategies for true non-invasive MRI monitoring that can take into account contributions of the scaffold, cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) using MR parameters. In the current study, we present the preliminary MRI assessment of chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow derived stem cells seeded onto a specially designed osteochondral matrix system. We performed water relaxation times (T1 and T2) MRI measurements at 7, 14 and 28 days after cell seeding. The MRI experiments were performed for the tissue-engineered cartilage as well as for acellular scaffolds. We identified that the contribution of the scaffold is the dominant contribution in MR parameters of engineered cartilage and that it hinders observation of the tissue growth. An attempt is made to filter out this contribution, for the first time, in order to make a true observation of tissue growth using MRI.
Child Development Knowledge and Early Childhood Teacher Preparation: Assessing the Relationship--a Special Collection.

Abstract An assessment of the field's relationship with its dominant knowledge base is both timely and critical. The early care and education field is defining what it means to be an early childhood professional, demand for early care and education practitioners is soaring, and the demographic context for provision of early care and education programs is shifting. Furthermore, the discipline of child development and its research methodology are increasingly under attack. Such an examination has direct implications for the preparation of early childhood teachers. Yet realities of the early care and education field complicate the profession's capacity to respond. By listening to calls to develop its own paradigm of professionalism, the early care and education profession could elucidate, on its own terms, a more meaningful relationship between child development knowledge and early childhood teacher preparation.
Evaluation and Modification of Commercial Dry Powder Inhalers for the Aerosolization of a Submicrometer Excipient Enhanced Growth (EEG) Formulation

The aim of this study was to evaluate and modify commercial dry powder inhalers (DPIs) for the aerosolization of a submicrometer excipient enhanced growth (EEG) formulation. The optimized device and formulation combination was then tested in a realistic in vitro mouth-throat - tracheobronchial (MT-TB) model. An optimized EEG submicrometer powder formulation, consisting of albuterol sulfate (drug), mannitol (hygroscopic excipient), l-leucine (dispersion enhancer) and poloxamer 188 (surfactant) in a ratio of 30:48:20:2 was prepared using a Buchi Nano spray dryer. The aerosolization performance of the EEG formulation was evaluated with five conventional DPIs: Aerolizer, Novolizer, HandiHaler, Exubera and Spiros. To improve powder dispersion, the HandiHaler was modified with novel mouth piece (MP) designs. The aerosol performance of each device was assessed using a next generation impactor (NGI) at airflow rates generating a pressure drop of 4 kPa across the DPI. In silico and in vitro deposition and hygroscopic growth of formulations was studied using a MT-TB airway geometry model. Both HandiHaler and Aerolizer produced high emitted doses (EDs) together with a significant submicrometer aerosol fraction. A modified HandiHaler with a MP including a three-dimensional (3D) array of rods (HH-3D) produced a submicrometer particle fraction of 38.8% with a conventional fine particle fraction (%<5 μm) of 97.3%. The mass median diameter (MMD) of the aerosol was reduced below 1 μm using this HH-3D DPI. The aerosol generated from the modified HandiHaler increased to micrometer size (2.8 μm) suitable for pulmonary deposition, when exposed to simulated respiratory conditions, with negligible mouth-throat (MT) deposition (2.6%).
31P NMR lineshapes of β-P (ATP) in the presence of mg2+ and ca2+ : estimate of exchange rates

The 31 P NMR chemical shift of β-P of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) undergoes a substantial change (2–3 ppm) upon chelation of divalent ions such as Mg2+ or Ca2+. In the presence of nonsaturating amounts of Mg2+ or Ca2+, the lineshape of this resonance depends on the characteristic association and dissociation rates of these metal-ATP complexes. A procedure for computer simulation of this lineshape is outlined. A comparison of computer-simulated lineshapes with the experimental lineshapes obtained at 121 MHz was used to determine the following dissociation rate of Mg2+ and Ca2+ from their ATP complexes at 20°C and pH 8.0: Ca2+, > 3 × 105 s−1 (Hepes buffer); Mg2+, 1200 s-1 (no buffer), 1000 s-1 (Tris buffer) and 2100 s−1 (Hepes buffer). The limits of error are ± 10% in these values. For the Mg2+ complexes, the rates were determined as a function of temperature to obtain activation energies (with a maximum deviation of 10% in the least-squares fit): 8.1 Kcalmole (no buffer and Hepes buffer) and 6.8 kcalmole (Tris buffer). Lineshapes of the β-Presonance simulated as a function of Mg2+ concentration, using 2100 s−1 for the dissociation rate, are also presented. The computer simulation of lineshapes offers a reliable and straightforward method for the determination of exchange rates of diamagnetic cations from their ATP complexes, under a variety of sample conditions.
In vivo and in vitro Study of V Uptake in Developing Rat Molar Enamel

The uptake of 48V in developing rat molar enamel was studied in vivo and in vitro using autoradiographic and quantitative methods. It was shown that the uptake of 48V in enamel is less than in bone and dentin, and that plasma protein binding of 48V is primarily responsible for the limited uptake in enamel.
Concurrently Optimized Aeroelastic Couplings and Rotor Stiffness for Alleviation of Helicopter Aeromechanical Instability

The effectiveness of optimized aeroelastic couplings and rotor stiffness properties is examined for improving the aeromechanical stability characteristics of a helicopter with a soft-in-plane rotor, over a wide range of conditions, to enable the elimination of auxiliary lag dampers. A refined optimization procedure is developed that is robust and numerically efficient. When this procedure is used, results indicate that it is possible to reduce significantly the peak instability levels, while enforcing constraints on design variables and the rotating flap and lag frequencies. Concurrent optimization of the aeroelastic couplings and rotor stiffness parameters, rather than a sequential optimization strategy, yielded a design that provided maximum improvement in aeromechanical stability characteristics. The optimized design for the ground contact condition also resulted in improved lag damping in hover and forward flight. By the appropriate selection of additional design parameters such as landing gear stiffness and damping, it is possible to altogether alleviate instabilities in the optimized design.
Growing fractal interfaces in the presence of self-similar hopping surface diffusion

Abstract We propose and study an analytic model for growing interfaces in the presence of Brownian diffusion and hopping transport. The model is based on a continuum formulation of mass conservation at the interface, including reactions. The Burgers-KPZ equation for the rate of elevation change emerges after a number of approximations are invoked. We add to the model the possibility that surface transport may be by a hopping mechanism of a Levy flight, which leads to the (multi)fractal Burgers-KPZ model. The issue how to incorporate experimental data on the jump length distribution in our model is discussed and controlled algorithms for numerical solutions of such fractal Burgers-KPZ equations are provided.
Schooling, Blackness and national identity in Esmeraldas, Ecuador

In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, students of African descent make sense of racial identity and discrimination in multiple and contradictory ways as they negotiate the dominant discourse of national identity. In Ecuador two simultaneous processes shape the dominant discourse of national identity: racial mixture and the movement towards Whiteness. This study is based primarily on formal interviews and classroom and school site observations. In this article I focus on the relationship between educational practices at the national and local level and the perceptions and negotiations of students of African descent concerning racial identity and discrimination. I show that the racial and spatial topography of the nation of Ecuador is transposed onto the cultural landscape of the city of Esmeraldas. I show that the formal curriculum attempts to erase the significance of Black people and Blackness from the economic and social development of the nation, while racial discrimination is pervasive inside and outside of the cla...
Mitochondrial disease and disorders of energy metabolism: A recognizable pattern of systemic disease

Symptoms of mitochondrial diseases and disorders of energy availability arc a consequence of abnormalities in the general function of mitochondria, the electron transport chain and related transport and assembly proteins to generate available energy in the form of ATP and to act as an effector of apoptosis. Despite the popular notion that mitochondrial diseases are always maternally inherited, disorders of energy production and/or availability can be inherited following maternal mtDNA inheritance patterns as well as Mendelian patterns. The vast majority of electron transport chain and related proteins arc encoded by nuclear DNA. Thus, the majority of disorders of energy availability are predicted to be consistent with Mendelian inheritance patterns. Previously recognized diseases with symptomatology typical of a mitochondrial disorder or deficient energy availability should be reevaluated. Additionally, chromosomal deletion disorders whose deletions encompass genes involved in energy metabolism, could result in lactic acidosis or reduced ATP availability, which could contribute to the pathogenetic mechanism of disease. By summing all symptoms present in individual family members and considering the symptoms as if in one individual, we have been more effective in recognizing the typical systemic pattern of illness. A complete review of systems of family members is necessary to truly exclude this class of disorders. Cross referencing, especially against a rare feature as well as the inheritance pattern significantly decreased the number of disorders in the differential diagnosis and the cost of diagnostic testing. The cross referencing system can also be used to predict those known disorders with Mendelian inheritance patterns that may be due to abnormal mitochondrial function or deficient energy availability. Examples of the cross referencing system in evaluation of patients will be presented.
Substance P and neuropsychiatric disorders: An overview

Substance P (SP) is a naturally-occurring tachykinin peptide isolated from brain tissues and gastrointestinal tract. In the brain, substantia nigra and basal ganglia contain relatively high amounts of substance P. There is evidence suggesting that substance P functions as a neurotransmitter. It has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. Substance P may also serve as a useful tool in studying the effects of antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy. However, the contribution of substance P to the understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders is far from clear. Future studies should focus on the interactions and coexistence of substance P with other neurotransmitters and neuropeptides.
Seeing Minds in Behavior: Descriptive Mentalism:

One of the core debates in the history of psychology is about the relationship between mind and behavior, or at least between particular mental phenomenon and associated behavioral phenomenon. Desc...
A superconducting magnet for In-beam magnetic moment measurements

Abstract A versatile, superconducting, split-pair solenoid with 65 kG field strength has been built for nuclear magnetic moment studies using beams from a tandem Van de Graaff. Typical projectile orbits in the fringe are shown and collimation and shielding problems are discussed.
Government Firms in Oligopoly Industries: A Short-Run Analysis

I. Introduction, 400.âII. The initial situation, 401.âIII. The entry of the government firm, 401. â IV. Price discrimination by the government firm, 407. â V. The government firm's size, 409. â VI. A numerical example, 410.â VII. Concluding remarks, 412.
Poor Law to Poverty Program: Economic Security Policy in Britain and the United States

The welfare state is a pervasive and controversial aspect of contemporary society. Samuel Mencher provides a historical and philosophical background on the growth of welfare policy through its sources, concepts, and specific programs. He covers a period from the English Poor Law of the sixteenth century through contemporary times-viewing changing attitudes toward poverty, new concepts on the nature of man and the influence of scientific thought-and also discusses mercantilism, laissez-faire, utilitarianism, liberalism, socialism, romanticism, social Darwinism, and modern capitalism as major influences on the growth of economic security policy.
Seeking global generality: a critique for mangrove modellers

Large datasets have allowed more generality in ecology than ever before but this may come at a cost of precision and realism. Modelling the dominance of mangrove species on the basis of observational data of few abiotic variables is an example of where this comes at a cost of realism. This is because the multi-factorial and inter-correlated nature of abiotic and biotic variables that limit the distribution of mangroves cannot be accounted for in statistical models on the basis of few observational data. The solution to the seemingly intractable problem of achieving general explanations is to better coordinate comparative and experimental research across a global range of mangrove environments.