cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical hybrid carbon nano-structures as robust and reusable adsorbents: Kinetic studies with model dye compound

Abstract This study demonstrates the potential of using multi-scale hierarchical carbon structures as robust, reusable solids suitable for removal of aqueous pollutants such as dye molecules from wastewater. Carpet-like vertical arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNT) were attached on surfaces of porous carbon foams by pre-coating with silica buffer layer followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The surface morphology and specific surface areas were varied by controlling the buffer layer thickness and CVD deposition times. Surface characteristics have been correlated with adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics by investigating the removal rates of methylene blue (MB) dye in simulated water. The results show that MB adsorption capacity correlates well with total CNT surface area in the carpet, indicating full utilization of the nanotube surfaces. Adsorption rates fit well with pseudo second order kinetics model. Maximum MB adsorption capacity of the CNT surfaces in this structure was estimated by extrapolating equilibrium adsorption amounts at different dye concentrations using the Langmuir isotherm. This was found to be about 43.5 mg/g, which compares favorably with adsorption capacity of isolated nanotubes. It must be noted that whereas isolated nanotubes can disperse in the liquid and pose environmental threats, the hierarchical solids as demonstrated in this study can be repeatedly agitated in water without the loss of CNT or performance deterioration. These results indicate promising application potential for these types of hybrid materials in environmental purification applications.
Small-RNA loading licenses Argonaute for assembly into a transcriptional silencing complex

Argonautes and their small-RNA cofactors form the core effectors of ancient and diverse gene-silencing mechanisms whose roles include regulation of gene expression and defense against foreign genetic elements. Although Argonautes generally act within multisubunit complexes, what governs their assembly into these machineries is not well defined. Here, we show that loading of small RNAs onto Argonaute is a checkpoint for Argonaute's association with conserved GW-protein components of silencing complexes. We demonstrate that the Argonaute small interfering RNA chaperone (ARC) complex mediates loading of small RNAs onto Ago1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and that deletion of its subunits, or mutations in Ago1 that prevent small-RNA loading, abolish the assembly of the GW protein-containing RNA-induced transcriptional silencing (RITS) complex. Our studies uncover a mechanism that ensures that Argonaute loading precedes RITS assembly and thereby averts the formation of inert and potentially deleterious complexes.
Good Statistics Practice in the Drug Development and Regulatory Approval Process

During the development and approval process of a new drug, the concept of good statistics practice (GSP) is necessarily implemented. GSP is a set of principles which assures the validity of the design and analysis of the intended studies conducted at various stages of the process of drug development and regulatory approval. GSP provides a fair assessment of the drug product with the desired accuracy, precision, and reliability. In essence, GSP not only concerns the validity of statistical inference regarding drug efficacy and safety, but also provides assurance of the proper identity, strength, quality, purity, and stability of the drug product. This paper describes regulatory requirements for statistics and the role of statistics in the drug development and regulatory process. The concept and importance of GSP are illustrated through some practical and/or regulatory statistical issues that commonly occur during the drug development and regulatory approval process.
A RULES APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF TELEVISION AND SOCIETY

A rule-based theoretical framework is presented as an alternative to scientific laws or purely interpretive approaches for examination of the activities undertaken by television audiences. Communication rules, which explains human actions in terms of its pragmatic and normative rather than causal features, is productively applied to the study of audience activity at two levels—the family and the larger society. Habitual, parametric, and tactical rule types are defined and described in relation to basic mass communication processes. Television-related interpersonal activities in the home are shown to be rule-governed while audience members and sources of media programming at the societal level are revealed to engage in rule-based interaction that perpetuates selected ideologies and their accompanying lifestyle models. Communication rules is proposed as a viable approach for resolving fundamental problems in mass communication theory building, including the “effects” vs. “uses” argument regarding direction of influence, and conceptual and methodological differences that have often polarized media critics and empiricists.
How do trabeculae affect the calculation of structural properties of bone

One difficulty that arises in an analysis of the cross-sectional properties of bone is whether to include the cancellous bone in the analysis. The purpose of this paper is to determine how different amounts of cancellous bone affect the measurement of structural properties of bone cross-sections. Thirty-two tibial and femoral cross-sections were chosen at random from a series of cross-sectioned nonhuman primate bones. Geometrical properties were calculated for the cross-sections, and torsional and bending stress analyses were performed. The results suggest that the effect of including cancellous bone in the analysis is closely related to the amount of bone, where it lies within the cross-section, and the type of analysis performed. Including cancellous bone in calculations of structural properties of bone cross-sections may cause the strength and stiffness of the bone to be exaggerated.
Parametric face modeling and affect synthesis

In this paper, we present a fast algorithm for automatically generating a 3D model of a human face and synthesizing affects on it. This work is a step towards low bandwidth virtual tele-presence using avatars. The idea is to generate a 3D model of a person's face and animate different emotions on the face at a remote observer's end, thus eliminating the need to send raw video. This research is part of a larger project, which deals with development of novel sensory systems and interfaces to enhance safety of a driver. The proposed algorithm uses a stereo pair of images of a driver's face and creates a 3D mesh model by deforming and texture mapping a predefined 3D mesh.
Regulation of the ATP-sensitive K channel Kir6.2 by ATP and PIP2

ATP-sensitive K (K(ATP)) channels are blocked by ATP and activated by PIP(2). Both negatively-charged ligands are presumed to bind to positively-charged residues on the N-and C-termini of the channel's cytoplasmic domain. Evidence summarized here suggests that the channel's interaction with ATP and PIP(2) is regulated by separate groups of residues, involving both direct charge-charge interactions and allosteric effects. ATP interaction is regulated by R50 in the N-terminus and by K185, R192 and R201 in the C-terminus. R192 and R201 mutations decrease channel sensitivity to ATP, ADP and AMP to a similar extent, implying that they regulate interaction with either the alpha phosphate group, common to all three adenine nucleotides, or the adenosine moiety. K185 mutations, and to a lesser extent R50 mutations, decrease ATP and ADP sensitivity without markedly affecting AMP sensitivity, implying that they regulate interaction with the beta phosphate of ATP and ADP. In addition, when open probability decreases due to rundown, ATP sensitivity increases in R50, K185 and R192, but not in R201 mutants. Combining these observations with recent structural data, we hypothesize the following scenario: 1) the ATP binding site is located at the outside of the channel's cytoplasmic domain away from the pore. 2) When the channel is open, R50 and K185 interact directly with the beta phosphate of ATP, whereas R192, which appears to be removed from the ATP binding site, modulates the initial interaction with ATP allosterically. 3) When the channel closes, R201 is in position to interact with the alpha phosphate of ATP to stabilize the closed state. 4) PIP(2) also interacts with the channel's cytoplasmic domain, but at distinct positively-charged residues located above the ATP binding site and near to the plasma membrane. These residues include R54 in the N-terminus and R176, R177 and R206 in the C-terminus. Thus, the binding domains of ATP and PIP(2) in the N- and C-termini do not appear to overlap.
Teacher and Student Behavior in Suzuki String Lessons: Results from the International Research Symposium on Talent Education.

The investigation described in this report documents the types of behavior that take place in the studios of nationally and/or regionally acclaimed string teachers whose instruction is based on the...
Skeletal change at surgery as a predictor of long-term soft tissue profile change after mandibular advancement

Purpose: This study examined the time course of hard and soft tissue changes after mandibular advancement surgery and the association between skeletal changes as a result of surgery and subsequent soft tissue changes. Patients and Materials: Subjects were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of rigid versus wire fixation after sagittal split ramus osteotomy, with cephalometric data obtained before orthodontics, immediately before surgery and at 8 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postsurgery. This early report describes changes in 20 Caucasian female subjects who had completed all phases of the study; these were not segregated by fixation method. Cephalometric changes were referenced to a cranial base coordinate system. Differences in soft and hard tissue changes among time intervals were examined using analysis of variance; the associations between immediate surgical change in chin landmarks and subsequent short- and long-term soft and hard tissue changes were examined using linear regression analysis. Results: Soft and hard tissue mandibular structures were positioned anteriorly and inferiorly during surgery; the horizontal and vertical hard tissue mandibular changes were stable for 2 years after surgery (P > .30), as were the vertical soft tissue changes (P > .08). There was horizontal relapse of the lower lip and the inferior sulcus (P < .03) by 8 weeks; no horizontal relapse was detected in soft tissue chin points for up to 2 years after surgery. The time course of changes in osseous pogonion was more strongly predicted by the amount of surgical osseous chin change than were changes in soft tissue chin projection. Conclusions: Prediction of changes in soft tissue chin projection after mandibular advancement surgery is less certain as time from surgery increases and less certain than the prediction of changes in bony chin projection.
Microphotometric analysis of individual particle absorption spectra1

We describe a microphotometric procedure to measure directly the absorption efficiency factor (Qa)a) of individual phytoplankton cells and detrital particles. The technique has spectral resolution comparable to traditional spectrophotometric techniques and allows direct measurement of absorption by the major photosynthetic pigments. This procedure was used to study the photoadaptive response in Qa(λ) for the diatom Navicula saprophila grown at high and low irradiance. Observed spectral flattening of Qa(λ) for the low light culture is interpreted in the context of the theory of absorption by discrete particles, which predicts nonlinearity between Qa and intracellular pigment concentration. Measurement of Qa(λ) for individual field particles revealed great intrasample variability in spectral shape and magnitude.
AN EVALUATION OF THE CROSSING NUMBER ON RIBBON 2-KNOTS

For an arbitrary 1-knot k1, the spun 2-knot of k1, denoted by spun(k1), is a ribbon 2-knot in R4. Hence for a ribbon 2-knot K2, we can also induce a notion corresponding to the crossing number on a 1-knot, and it is said to be the crossing number of K2, denoted by cr(K2). In this note, we will show that the Alexander polynomial plays an important role in determining the crossing number of a ribbon 2-knot. Lastly, we will prove the following: If k1 is a (p,q)-torus knot, then cr(spun(k1)) is equal to (p - 1)(q - 1).
Image compression by parameterized-model coding of wavelet packet near-best bases

Top-down tree search algorithms with non-additive information cost comparisons as decision criteria have recently been proposed by Taswell for the selection of near-best bases in wavelet packet transforms. Advantages of top-down non-additive near-best bases include faster computation speed, smaller memory requirement, and extensibility to biorthogonal wavelets in addition to orthogonal wavelets. A new compression scheme called parameterized-model coding was also proposed and demonstrated for one-dimensional signals. These methods are extended here to two-dimensional signals and applied to the compression of images. Significant improvement in compression while maintaining comparable distortion is demonstrated for parameterized-model coding relative to quantized-scalar coding. In general, the lossy compression scheme is applicable for low bit rate coding of the M largest packets of wavelet packet decompositions with wavelet packet basis libraries and the M atoms of matching pursuit decompositions with time-frequency atom dictionaries.
Orthogonalizing Through Residual Centering: Extended Applications and Caveats

Residual centering is a useful tool for orthogonalizing variables and latent constructs, yet it is underused in the literature. The purpose of this article is to encourage residual centering’s use by highlighting instances where it can be helpful: modeling higher order latent variable interactions, removing collinearity from latent constructs, creating phantom indicators for multiple group models, and controlling for covariates prior to latent variable analysis. Residual centering is not without its limitations, however, and the authors also discuss caveats to be mindful of when implementing this technique. They discuss the perils of double orthogonalization (i.e., simultaneously orthogonalizing A relative to B and B relative to the original A), the unintended consequences of orthogonalization on model fit, the removal of a mean structure, and the effects of nonnormal data on residual centering.
The prevalence and correlates of single cigarette selling among urban disadvantaged drug users in Baltimore, Maryland.

Background Selling of single cigarettes, also known as loosies, is a public health concern. Loosies allow for those with fewer resources to buy cigarettes without having to purchase a pack. Selling of loosies may cue smoking behaviors. In the US, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations have high rates of smoking and illicit drug use and the selling of loosies appears to be linked to the urban informal economy. We examined the proportion and frequency of cigarette selling and roles in the informal economy associated with selling loosies among a sample of urban drug users.
Mississippi Basin/Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan sent to Congress

Culminating an intense 5-year effort, President Clinton sent to Congress on January 18 a consensus-based action plan to deal with the summertime hypoxic “dead zone” that appears each spring and summer in the northern Gulf of Mexico (see Eos, July 18, 2000, p.321). The plan aims to reduce the hypoxic area to less than 5,000 square kilometers by 2015, about two-thirds less than the running average over the past 5 years. The plan states that “the best current science” indicates that the aim should be for a 30% reduction in nitrate and other forms of nitrogen discharge from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. This represents a compromise that stops short of declaring a nutrient reduction goal.
Active optics and wavefront sensing at the upgraded 6.5-meter MMT

Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors have been commissioned and are now in routine use at both of the optical foci (f/9 and f/5) of the converted MMT. Both units are of moderate resolution with 14x14 square apertures across the pupil for f/5 and 13x13 hexagonal apertures for f/9. They share a common software interface that fits a set of 19 Zernike polynomials to the wavefront errors. Zernike focus and coma are corrected by moving the secondary mirror, third order spherical by a combination of secondary motion and primary bending, and the rest by primary bending alone. In this paper we will describe the two wavefront sensor systems and how they have performed thus far.
Shape description using weighted symmetric axis features

Abstract We present here an application of symmetric axis geometry to shape classification and description. Shapes are segmented into simplified segments, in which a sequential string of features is derived. These are based on both width and axis properties, and two linear combinations of them, as well as their derivatives. These are felt to have intuitively and geometrically simple meanings. A weighting measure is developed which evaluates the importance of these shape descriptors. Consequently, small perturbations are recognizable despite their generation of sizable symmetric axis arcs. A variety of other segment measures for shape is introduced.
Fine structure of mouse embryonic palatal epithelium prior to and after midline fusion

Abstract The fine structure of the epithelium covering the medial aspect of the palatal shelves prior to fusion was studied in an attempt to elucidate the formation of the midline epithelial seam after fusion. Heads of embryonic C57BL mice were fixed in paraformaldehyde, and the mandibular process was removed. The palatal shelves were examined, and those palates which had only partly fused were microdissected out and post-fixed in osmium tetroxide. Ultrathin sections from the region just prior to fusion revealed that each palatal shelf had an epithelial covering approximately two to six cells thick, but soon after fusion the midline seam was reduced in thickness in some areas. Degenerative changes were noted along the epithelium covering the medial aspect of the palatal shelves before contact occurred. This epithelial degeneration occurred primarily in the superficial cells but was also observed in cells adjacent to the basal lamina. Their desquamation prior to fusion could account for the decreased thickness of the midline seam. No hemidesmosomes were observed and interruptions in the basal lamina did not appear to be directly associated with epithelial degeneration. Large electron-dense granules were observed in the epithelial cells prior to fusion and they became more numerous after fusion. The possible relationship of early epithelial degeneration and electron-dense granule formation to cleft palate formation is discussed.
T-phases from an earthquake swarm on the mid-Atlantic ridge at 31.6° N

An ocean bottom seismometer array on the Nova Scotia shelf edge recorded T-phases from an earthquake swarm on the mid-Atlantic ridge at about 31.6° N in June 1975. The swarm occured along a segment of the ridge that ruptured similarly 17 yr previously. From 1964 to mid-1979 the worldwide network recorded three other earthquake swarms along this segment of the mid-Atlantic ridge (MAR). A sparse network of sensors in the SOFAR channel, having a lower magnitude threshold, might provide a better means of monitoring the seismicity of both short-length transforms and ridge crests along the MAR than does the worldwide seismic network.
Studies on the Role of Sex Steroids in the Feedback Control of FSH Concentrations in Men

The effect of sex steroids on plasma concentrations of FSH and LH was studied in 18 men. Steroids were administered by constant infusion for 96 hr at twice the estimated daily production rate of normal men to obtain stable levels in peripheral blood. Testosterone, 15 mg daily, increased plasma testosterone and estradiol levels 2-fold and suppressed FSH and LH approximately 40% during the 3rd and 4th days of infusion. Infusion of estradiol, 90 μg daily, caused similar suppression of FSH and LH (approximately 30%), and addition of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, 4.5 mg daily, to the estradiol, 90 μg daily, had no additive effect. Dihydrotesterone, in pharmacologic dosage (7.5 mg daily) produced no detectible changes in plasma FSH or LH. There was no evidence for a selective effect of any of the steroids on FSH secretion. This study supports our previous concept that although there is a specific seminiferous tubular factor regulating FSH secretion, testicular steroids also modulate FSH secretion.
Computer validation and statistical correlations of a modern decompression diving algorithm

A diving algorithm is a safe combination of model and data to efficiently stage diver ascents following arbitrary underwater exposures. To that end, we detail a modern one, the LANL reduced gradient bubble model (RGBM), dynamical principles, and correlations with the LANL Data Bank data. Table, profile, and meter fit and risk parameters are obtained in statistical likelihood analysis from decompression exposure data. The RGBM algorithm enjoys extensive and utilitarian application in mixed gas diving, both in recreational and technical sectors, and forms the bases for released tables, software, and decompression meters used by scientific, commercial, and research divers. The LANL Data Bank is described, and the methods used to deduce risk are detailed. Risk functions for dissolved gas and bubbles are summarized. Parameters that can be used to estimate profile risk are tallied. To fit data, a modified Levenberg-Marquardt routine is employed. The LANL Data Bank presently contains 2879 profiles with 20 cases of DCS across nitrox, trimix, and heliox deep and decompression diving. This work establishes needed correlation between global mixed gas diving, specific bubble model, and deep stop data. Our objective is operational diving, not clinical science. The fit of bubble model to deep stop data is chi squared significant to 93%, using the logarithmic likelihood ratio of null set (actual set) to fit set. The RGBM algorithm is thus validated within the LANL Data Bank. Extensive and safe utilization of the model reported in field user statistics for tables, meters, and software also suggests real world validation, that is, one without noted nor reported DCS spikes in the field.
The flash-triggering action potential of the luminescent dinoflagellate Noctiluca

The action potential which elicits luminescence in Noctiluca is recorded from the flotation vacuole as a transient all-or-none hyperpolarization in response to either local or general application of inward (bath to vacuole) current. Experiments were performed to determine whether the unorthodox polarities of both the stimulus current and the potential response resulted from uncommon bioelectric mechanisms or from special morphological features of this species. The findings all indicate that the action potential belongs to the familiar class of responses which have their origin in voltage- and time-dependent selective increases in membrane permeability, and that morphological factors account for the observed deviations from normal behavior. Both the stimulus and the response have orthodox polarities provided the vacuole is designated as an "external" extracytoplasmic compartment. Differential recording between vacuole and cytoplasm showed that the action potential occurs across the vacuolar membrane, with the cytoplasmic potential, which at rest is negative with respect to the vacuole, overshooting zero and reversing sign to become transiently electropositive. The rising phase of the action potential therefore depends on active current flow through the vacuolar membrane from the vacuole into the cytoplasm. Propagation of the action potential over the subspherical cell from the locus of stimulation is thought to depend largely on the core conductor properties of the thin perivacuolar shell of cytoplasm which is bounded on its inner surface by the excitable membrane and on its outer surface by inexcitable membranes.
SELF-CONSISTENT-FIELD PERTURBATION THEORY FOR THE SCHRODINGER EQUATION

A method is developed for using large-order perturbation theory to solve the systems of coupled differential equations that result from the variational solution of the Schr\"odinger equation with wave functions of product form. This is a noniterative, computationally efficient way to solve self-consistent-field (SCF) equations. Possible applications include electronic structure calculations using products of functions of collective coordinates that include electron correlation, vibrational SCF calculations for coupled anharmonic oscillators with selective coupling of normal modes, and ab initio calculations of molecular vibration spectra without the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
Pollen tube development in two species of Trithuria (Hydatellaceae) with contrasting breeding systems

Trithuria (Hydatellaceae; Nymphaeales) is unique among early-divergent angiosperms in that its species are extremely small and most have exceptionally short, annual life histories. Given the evolution of these extremes of size and development, we sought to understand whether post-pollination processes still varied predictably with breeding system in Trithuria. To address this question, we studied two Western Australian species, Trithuria austinensis (dioecious, obligately outcrossing) and Trithuria submersa (bisexual, highly selfing). To document developmental timing, carpels were hand-pollinated, collected at sequential time points, and examined with light and fluorescence microscopy. In both species, pollen tubes first entered ovules <1 h after pollination, but the pollen tube pathway of outcrossing T. austinensis was almost four times longer and its pollen tube growth rates were up to six times faster (≤2,166 vs. 321 μm/h) than those of T. submersa. T. austinensis also exhibited greater male investment, slower pollen germination, and greater pollen tube attrition. These differences in male gametophyte development are predicted for outcrossers versus selfers in phylogenetically derived angiosperms. These new data for Hydatellaceae reinforce the idea that an acceleration of pollen tube development occurred in the Nymphaeales stem lineage, before the origin of Hydatellaceae. We infer that a recent evolutionary transition to selfing in T. submersa has been accompanied by predictable modifications to reproductive development, which, because of the ancient relationship between Hydatellaceae and all other angiosperms, suggests that traits underlying the lability of flowering plant post-pollination biology were present early in their history.
Accuracy of auto-calibration for pinhole micro-SPECT

We have developed a pinhole SPECT device for small animal imaging which "auto-calibrates" by acquiring calibration data from point sources simultaneously with the emission data. The entire device has integrated pinholes and is placed on the patient table of an uncollimated clinical gamma camera system with no special alignment performed and no mechanical fixtures. Four point sources are placed in grooves machined on the surface of a plastic cylinder, such that the sources are at equal radius and located at the vertices of a trapezoid. The cylinder is otherwise hollow and contains the object to be imaged. The projected point sources are tracked and their coordinates are determined as a function of projection angle. A global least squares fit is performed to estimate the sixteen geometric parameters associated with the dual detector/pin hole configuration, along with the axial locations of the sources and the wobble parameters of the cylinder. Angular sampling over 180 degrees provides highly accurate calibration. Through phantom experiments and simulations, we find that /sup 57/Co point sources with activities as low as 2/spl mu/Ci per source allow for accurate calibration and robust localization of the sources in the presence of scatter from 2mCi /sup 99m/Tc. The corresponding error in image reconstruction is 0.1 mm or better. This error exhibits a statistical component depending on counts acquired and a non-statistical component of magnitude 0.03 mm.
Flow-based Statistical Aggregation Schemes for Network Anomaly Detection

In this paper, we present novel flow-based statistical aggregation schemes (FSAS) for network anomaly detection. An IP flow is a unidirectional series of IP packets of a given protocol, traveling between a source and destination, within a certain period of time. Based on "flow" concept, we developed a flow-based aggregation technique that dramatically reduces the amount of monitoring data and handles high amounts of statistics and packet data. FSSAS sets up flow-based statistical feature vectors and reports to a neural network classifier. The neural classifier uses back-propagation networks to classify the score metric of each flow. FSAS can detect both bandwidth type DOS and protocol type DOS. Moreover, flow here could be any set of packets sharing certain common property as "flow key". FSAS configures flow flexibly to provide security from network level to application level (IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP...), and different aggregation schemes, such as server-based, client-based flow. This novel IDS has been evaluated by using DARPA 98 data and CONEX test-bed data. Results show the success in terms of different aggregation schemes for both datasets
Managing application complexity in the SAMRAI object‐oriented framework

A major challenge facing software libraries for scientific computing is the ability to provide adequate flexibility to meet sophisticated, diverse, and evolving application requirements. Object-oriented design techniques are valuable tools for capturing characteristics of complex applications in a software architecture. In this paper, we describe certain prominent object-oriented features of the SAMRAI software library that have proven to be useful in application development. SAMRAI is used in a variety of applications and has demonstrated a substantial amount of code and design re-use in those applications. This flexibility and extensibility is illustrated with three different application codes. We emphasize two important features of our design. First, we describe the composition of complex numerical algorithms from smaller components which are usable in different applications. Second, we discuss the extension of existing framework components to satisfy new application needs. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Setting the Pace: Tbx3 and Tbx18 in Cardiac Conduction System Development

See related articles, pages 388–397 A vexing problem for clinicians in the management of children and adults with congenital heart disease is the management of the accompanying arrhythmias. In the recent decade, the mutational spectrum associated with human congenital heart disease has begun to come into focus.1 The number of distinct genes implicated in human congenital heart disease is considerable, and a large portion of mutated genes encode transcription factors. Autosomal dominant mutations in NKX2.5 associate with primarily atrial septal defects, but importantly these defects are distinguished by the presence of atrioventricular nodal defects including heart block. The Holt–Oram syndrome, or heart–hand syndrome, arises from dominant mutations in Tbx5, a member of the brachyury family of transcription factors and is also associated with the development of atrioventricular nodal disease. Further investigation of these genes using mouse genetic models has begun to refine the detailed program required for development of specific components of the cardiac conduction system. The mammalian cardiac conduction system is composed of the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, the His bundle, the left and right bundle branches, and the ventricular Purkinje fibers. For many of these components, transcriptional regulators have been identified that are critical for their proper development or maintenance (see Figure). Nkx2.5 is required for the development and maintenance of the atrioventricular node.2 In addition, the development of the atrioventicular node is also dependent on Tbx5 and Id2, whereas the distal ventricular conduction system requires Id2 and HOP.3,4 The precise delineation and maintenance of the conduction system likely requires more than just these factors. Figure. Transcription factors required for cardiac conduction system development. Top, Schematic of the conduction system of the mammalian heart including the sinus node (blue), atrioventricular node (green), bundle of His (light blue), bundle branches, and Purkinje fibers …
Attitudes of Georgians toward “Do Not Call”

Using data collected from the Fall 2003 Georgia Poll, this research note examines the proportion of Georgians who are aware of National and Georgia Do Not Call legislation and estimates the proportion of Georgians who report being registered on the Do Not Call Registry. The estimated number of Georgians who report being signed up on the Do Not Call Registry is then compared to the number of Georgians who have actually signed up on the registry. A secondary analysis examines public understanding of Do Not Call legislation by examining knowledge of what types of organizations may not call a household on the Do Not Call Registry, which organizations are not covered by Do Not Call legislation, and attitudes towards receiving unsolicited telephone calls from different types of organizations.
SearchBar: a search-centric web history for task resumption and information re-finding

Current user interfaces for Web search, including browsers and search engine sites, typically treat search as a transient activity. However, people often conduct complex, multi-query investigations that may span long durations and may be interrupted by other tasks. In this paper, we first present the results of a survey of users' search habits, which show that many search tasks span long periods of time. We then introduce SearchBar, a system for proactively and persistently storing query histories, browsing histories, and users' notes and ratings in an interrelated fashion. SearchBar supports multi-session investigations by assisting with task context resumption and information re-finding. We describe a user study comparing use of SearchBar to status-quo tools such as browser histories, and discuss our findings, which show that users find SearchBar valuable for task reacquisition. Our study also reveals the strategies employed by users of status-quo tools for handling multi-query, multi-session search tasks.
An Ignition Criterion for Droplets in Sprays

Abstract The ignitability of a fuel droplet in a reactive oxygen/fuel-vapor/inert environment simulating the spray interior is studied using large activation energy asymptotics. The cold boundary difficulty is removed by recognizing that ignition occurs at a finite radial distance which can be physically prescribed. A set of universal ignition Damkohler number curves have been numerically generated and subsequently fitted to yield an explicit ignition criterion suitable for incorporation into spray modeling.
Internality vs externality and personal adjustment: a factor analytic study.

This study compared three tests to determine the degree to which they might be measuring a single construct: Rotter's Internal-External Reinforcement Scale, Rest's adaptation of Kohlberg's test of ...
Action of metabolic hormones on the fine structure of rat liver cells. I. Effects of fasting on the ultrastructure of hepatocytes

This report provides information on the ultrastructure of liver parenchymal cells from rats fasted 2, 15–21, and 21–40 hours. Fasting rats from 2 through 40 hours provokes alterations in the quantity and patterns of glycogen, amounts and forms of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the quantity of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in hepatocytes. After two hours of fasting glycogen occurs as clumps of α particles in restricted areas of the cytosome, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is relatively sparse, and the rough endoplasmic reticulum is displayed as parallel cisternae comprising the characteristic basophilic bodies of the hepatocyte. Fasting the rat for 15 hours and longer decreases the amount of hepatic glycogen which appears predominantly as β particles in restricted regions of the liver cell. The prolonged fast provokes a dramatic proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the liver parenchymal cell. The tubules of this organelle are continuous with the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum and extend deep into the glycogen areas of the hepatocyte. Arguments are presented to support the concept that the smooth endoplasmic reticulum develops from rough endoplasmic reticulum and that its membranes provide a site for the location of enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism.
Simulation based performance modeling for a warfighter in the loop minefield detection system

There has been significant recent interest in airborne reconnaissance for target detection using high resolution airborne images collected from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Even if Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithms are able to produce satisfactory results in terms of probability of detection for certain false alarm rate, there is a need for a Warfighter-in-the-Loop (WIL) to reduce false alarms further and verify and validate detections to attain the operational performance requirements. We develop a simulation model to assess effectiveness of the warfighter in decision loop for airborne minefield detection. The war-fighter effectiveness is measured in terms of average waiting-time, number of minefield segments in queue, and the expected false alarms, and missed detection. Various parameters which potentially affect the warfighter performance were identified with the help of prior studies with human operator in laboratory settings. Simulation trials were conducted to evaluate the dependence of these parameters on warfighter performance.
A feasibility study of image registration using volumetrically classified, motion-free bony landmarks in thoracic 4DCT images for image-guided patient setup

As rigid image registration becomes unreliable in the presence of involuntary organ motion, we present a novel approach to register CT images using stable bony landmarks for image-guided patient setup. Using 3D Volumetric Image Registration (3DVIR) technique, bony anatomy is volumetrically-classified as registration landmark, while soft tissues are ignored. Based on 4DCT, it was found that the spine, posterior ribs and clavicles do not move with respiration and remain registered throughout the breathing cycle. However, mutual information based registration produces an error of 1–2 mm due to moving soft tissues. It is suggested that the 3DVIR can improve image-guided setup.
Block-aware instruction set architecture

Instruction delivery is a critical component for wide-issue, high-frequency processors since its bandwidth and accuracy place an upper limit on performance. The processor front-end accuracy and bandwidth are limited by instruction-cache misses, multicycle instruction-cache accesses, and target or direction mispredictions for control-flow operations. This paper presents a block-aware instruction set (BLISS) that allows software to assist with front-end challenges. BLISS defines basic block descriptors that are stored separately from the actual instructions in a program. We show that BLISS allows for a decoupled front-end that tolerates instruction-cache latency, facilitates instruction prefetching, and leads to higher prediction accuracy.
Deep emotion recognition using prosodic and spectral feature extraction and classification based on cross validation and bootstrap

Despite the existence of a robust model to identify basic emotions, the ability to classify a large group of emotions with reliability is yet to be developed. Hence, objective of this paper is to develop an efficient technique to identify emotions with an accuracy comparable to humans. The array of emotions addressed in this paper go far beyond what are present on the circumplex diagram. Due to the nature of correlation and am- biguity present in emotions, both prosodic and spectral features of speech are considered during the feature extraction. Feature selection algorithms are applied to work on a subset of relevant features. Owing to the low dimensionality of the feature space, several cross validation methods are employed in combination with different classifiers and their performances are compared. In addition to cross validation, the bootstrap error estimate is also calculated and a combination of both is used as an overall estimate of the classification accuracy of the model.
Preserving and Protecting Well-being among Homeless Men

In this study, we began with Snow and Anderson’s insight that the physical deprivation and extreme poverty of homelessness not only have negative effects on the health and mortality of homeless peo...
THE EFFECTS OF AGED GARLIC EXTRACT ON CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION PROGRESSION AND BLOOD PRESSURE

Previous studies have demonstrated that Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) reduces multiple cardiovascular risk factors. However, no study of sufficient power has evaluated the ability of AGE to inhibit vascular calcification, a marker of plaque formation in human coronary arteries. We sought to evaluate the
Limitations of the usefulness of the d-xylose absorption test.

The results of the conventional 5-hour d -xylose absorption test were surveyed in 38 subjects with disease of the jejunal mucosa, giardiasis or bacterial overgrowth, or no small-bowel disorder. The test was in error in 20–40% of cases, depending on the disease category, and the error for the entire group was 30%. We conclude that the test yields little guidance for diagnosis or therapy of clinical problems and is superfluous when a jejunal biopsy can be obtained.
Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolic Studies After One Year of Megestrol Acetate Treatment

22 women participated in this study of carbohydrate metabolic effects with use of megestrol acetate. These women were characteristic of a family planning population. Before steroid therapy each patient was tested with a 3-hour 100 gm oral glucose tolerance test in a fasting-resting state. They then took megestrol acetate (MA) .5 mg daily for 1 year for contraception and then underwent an identical repeat tolerance test. Venous blood samples were obtained at the fasting .5- 1- and 3-hour periods. Samples were analyzed for cholesterol triglycerides glucose insulin and growth hormone content. Cholesterol and triglyceride values showed insignificant increases. Fasting glucose values were unchanged but a significant elevation was found at .5 and 2 hours in the tests done after the year of therapy. None exceeded the normal. Plasma insulin values showed significant elevations in all but the .5-hour samples. Growth hormone differences were not significant. It would appear that MA caused more insulin to be released to maintain glucose homeostasis. Compared with findings by others the results appear to change with length of medication period. Also the metabolic effects of other progestogen contraceptives need long-term studies.
Facework among L2 speakers: a close look at intercultural communication

ABSTRACTAlthough significant attention has been devoted to the notion of facework and its functions, facework among L2 speakers, whose cultural backgrounds and language proficiencies vary, has remained unexplored. The present study attempts to explore situations of intercultural communication in which facework is used as a way to remedy moments of potential face loss. The data are drawn from communication among Korean, Malaysian, and Japanese students who were enrolled in an online synchronous class. On the basis of these data, three different types of facework were identified: self-mocking humour, group embarrassment, and attempts to build group cohesion. Tensions among the intercultural group, which could have led to a potential break in face maintenance, emerged. These tensions resulted from discrepancies within the cultural groups concerning recognition of face, cultural assumptions, and language use. When participants did not find an equitable resolution of tension in words, nonverbal face-saving str...
South-East Region: London

C. B. Fawcett’s system of distinguishing regions inevitably involved him in defining a particularly large region for the national and imperial metropolis and its hinterland. The South-East Region thus contains a quarter of all the parliamentary constituencies of England and in this political sense is half as large again as the next largest region, Lancastria. It is therefore not inappropriate for purposes of analysis to divide the region into two main parts, and to allot a chapter to each. We may devote the first chapter to the inner metropolitan region and the second to the outer suburbs and the remoter districts. To this end we may find it most convenient to define the inner metropolitan region as that contained within the boundaries of the London County Council (L.C.C.), which was established shortly after our period begins, in 1889.
Management of nerve compression in multiple hereditary exostoses: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE) is a rare autosomal dominant condition that results in the growth of cartilage-capped prominences that often cause nerve compression and injury. Many patients suffer from continued and debilitating chronic pain which leads some to advocate avoiding surgical intervention in patients with multiple hereditary exostoses. We present a review of the literature as well as a case series at our institution in order to evaluate the role of surgery in multiple hereditary exostoses. We searched the literature for reports of patients with multiple hereditary exostoses undergoing surgery for nerve compression. We then reviewed the recent experience at our institution which revealed two patients with multiple hereditary exostoses. Our literature search revealed that there have been several case series and retrospective analyses in the literature that assess the benefit of surgery in the case of nerve compression caused by exostoses. The majority of these reports are of solitary exostoses. Few reports expand on the role of surgery in patients with multiple hereditary exostoses suffering from nerve compressions secondary to bony overgrowth. A recent review of the experience at our institution revealed two patients with multiple hereditary exostoses who together underwent a total of four surgeries for treatment of peripheral nerve compression resulting in pain or weakness. Postoperative evaluation revealed improvement in pain and/or motor strength following each operation. Based on our experience and literature review, we advocate that nerve compression in selected individuals with multiple hereditary exostoses that results in neurological injury should be considered for nerve decompression and resection of the offending exostosis.