cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does signal-free detrending increase chronology coherence in large tree-ring networks?

Abstract Over the past decade, dendrochronologists have increasingly adopted the signal-free detrending (SFD) method to remove age-size trends in tree-ring measurement series, amplify the common stand-wide signal in composite chronologies, and recover medium- to low-frequency patterns that may be inadvertently removed by other detrending approaches. However, since its introduction in 2008, no systematic evaluation of the effects of SFD on tree-ring chronologies has been performed. Here we conduct the first review of SFD in dendrochronology and assess its effects when applied to large tree-ring networks. We analyzed the PAGES North America 2 K database of nearly 300 temperature-sensitive chronologies and the Missouri River database of over 350 chronologies curated for the purpose of reconstructing Missouri River streamflow. Both databases contain multiple versions of each chronology generated by different detrending methods, including those produced with (and without) the signal-free procedure applied. We evaluated (i) whether SFD increases chronology coherence at the site level by boosting the between-tree agreement, (ii) whether SFD increases coherence on a regional basis by making neighboring chronologies more similar to each other, and (iii) whether signal-free chronologies retained more medium- to low-frequency variability than their traditional counterparts. We find that, while SFD increased the strength of common signals in many instances, the effect was not universal and some sites even show a decrease in signal coherence. At regional scales, SFD increases chronology coherence in temperature-sensitive records but had no detectable effect on moisture-sensitive records. Our results demonstrate the importance of evaluating the effects of SFD prior to deploying this method for chronology development and paleoclimate reconstruction.
Experimental Demonstration Of Broadband Self-Collimation Effect In 3d Hexagonal Lattice Fabricated Using A Low-Refractive-Index Polymer

Wide-angle self-collimation from the E- to L-band is experimentally demonstrated in a hexagonal lattice of air-holes fabricated in a low-refractive-index medium by multiphoton lithography.
Rescuing the Magdalen: Aurora Leigh as Social Reform Worker

In the decade before Elizabeth Barrett Browning drafted Aurora Leigh (1856), feminists, politicians, and reformers opened so-called Magdalen refuges, inviting working-class prostitutes and unmarrie...
Predicting Kidney Discard Using Machine Learning.

BACKGROUND Despite the kidney supply shortage, 18%-20% of deceased donor kidneys are discarded annually in the United States. In 2018, 3569 kidneys were discarded. METHODS We compared machine learning (ML) techniques to identify kidneys at risk of discard at the time of match run and after biopsy and machine perfusion results become available. The cohort consisted of adult deceased donor kidneys donated between December 4, 2014, and July 1, 2019. The studied ML models included Random Forests (RF), Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), Neural Networks (NNet), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and K-nearest Neighbors (KNN). In addition, a Logistic Regression (LR) model was fitted and used for comparison with the ML models' performance. RESULTS RF outperformed other ML models. Of 8036 discarded kidneys in the test dataset, LR correctly classified 3422 kidneys, whereas RF correctly classified 4762 kidneys (area under the receiver operative curve [AUC]: 0.85 versus 0.888, and balanced accuracy: 0.681 versus 0.759). For the kidneys with kidney donor profile index of >85% (6079 total), RF significantly outperformed LR in classifying discard and transplant prediction (AUC: 0.814 versus 0.717, and balanced accuracy: 0.732 versus 0.657). More than 388 kidneys were correctly classified using RF. Including biopsy and machine perfusion variables improved the performance of LR and RF (LR's AUC: 0.888 and balanced accuracy: 0.74 versus RF's AUC: 0.904 and balanced accuracy: 0.775). CONCLUSIONS Kidneys that are at risk of discard can be more accurately identified using ML techniques such as RF.
A novel deep multi-source domain adaptation framework for bearing fault diagnosis based on feature-level and task-specific distribution alignment

Abstract In recent years, deep learning has been extensively applied for intelligent fault diagnosis systems. Most of the developed algorithms ignore the domain shift problem and assume distribution of the training data, known as the source domain, is similar to that of testing data, denoted as the target domain. However, in real-world applications, this assumption is not necessarily true. In current work, a novel multi-source domain adaptation deep learning framework for fault diagnosis of rotary machinery is proposed, which aligns the domains in both feature-level and task-level. The proposed Feature-level and Task-specific Distribution alignment multi-source domain adaptation (FTD-MSDA) framework transfers the knowledge from multiple labeled source domains into a single unlabeled target domain by reducing the feature distribution discrepancy between the target domain and each source domain. Sliced Wasserstein discrepancy is utilized to shape task-specific decision boundaries. Besides, the model can be easily reduced to a single-source domain adaptation problem. Also, the model can be readily updated to unsupervised domain adaptation problems in other fields such as image classification and image segmentation. The experimental verification results show the superiority of the proposed framework over state-of-the-art multi-source domain-adaptation models.
Home and Faraway Places

In this chapter, the argument for the book is presented: national media and political rhetoric largely reborder the borderlands, while border leaders strategically and rhetorically deploy a different story to deborder the region from rest of the nation. “The border” has become a specific device in American media and political wrangling to border and reborder, processes of making or reinforcing social, economic, and cultural boundaries in our nation, that mirror historical discourse associated with colonialism and Western expansionism in the United States. Local leaders suggest the U.S. southern borderlands are uniquely and productively American because of the region’s proximity and interconnectedness to Mexico. The argument is contextualized within place-making about the U.S.–Mexico border in major national stories in the 2010s, the discipline of Anthropology, and the author’s professional and personal experiences. Positionality and reflexivity are highlighted as key orientations to anthropological analysis of narratives of places and people.
Proteolytic Activation of Human-specific Olduvai Domains by the Furin Protease

ABSTRACT Olduvai protein domains (formerly DUF1220) show the greatest human-specific increase in copy number of any coding region in the genome and are highly correlated with human brain evolution and cognitive disease. The majority of human copies are found within four NBPF genes organized in a variable number of a tandemly arranged three-domain blocks called Olduvai triplets. Here we show that these human-specific Olduvai domains are posttranslationally processed by the furin protease, with a cleavage site occurring once at each triplet. These findings suggest that all expanded human-specific NBPF genes encode proproteins consisting of many independent Olduvai triplet proteins which are activated by furin processing. The exceptional correlation of Olduvai copy number and brain size taken together with our new furin data, indicates the ultimate target of selection was a rapid increase in dosage of autonomously functioning Olduvai triplet proteins, and that these proteins are the primary active agent underlying Olduvai’s role in human brain expansion.
Luminescence Energy Transfer–Based Screening and Target Engagement Approaches for Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery:

Luminescence is characterized by the spontaneous emission of light resulting from either chemical or biological reactions. Because of their high sensitivity, reduced background interference, and ap...
Robert Merton and the History of Focus Groups: Standing on the Shoulders of a Giant?

This article uses a bibliographic analysis to examine Robert Merton’s role in the ongoing history of the focus group. It begins by considering Merton’s own suggestion that the lack of attention to his early contributions was due to “obliteration by incorporation,” but the pattern of citation to his work does not fit the predicted pattern. Instead, it is a better match to a process known as the “reawakening” of a “sleeping” source. What does, however meet the criteria for obliteration incorporation is the work that helped reintroduce the focus groups to the social sciences, based on the increasingly widespread use of focus groups without any citation to the literature. After a brief consideration of Merton’s preferred uses for focus groups, article concludes with a consideration of how focus groups represent a technique that become established outside of academia before making its way back into academia.
Re-envisioning Church and State

Given our critique of the liberal solution to the problem of worldview pluralism, our conclusions about public reason, and our argument that the religious worldview has a limited place in public discourse, it becomes necessary to re-envision the notion of the relationship between church and state. After a brief overview of the conventional view, both morally and legally, the chapter presents the argument that it is no longer possible to put religion into a separate category, given the rise of secularism and the problem of worldview pluralism. So religious arguments cannot be completely excluded from public deliberation. We then consider the question of the limits of what is allowed, and illustrate with some concrete examples. The chapter then turns to consider a worry about the tyranny of the majority and the related notion of populism, which is generating much discussion today, and how these issues relate to our position on approaching the problem of a contentious pluralism democratically. The chapter concludes with ten suggestions for how to engage in public discourse in a democracy.
Parametric evaluation of an SMR design domain

Abstract The complex and coupled behavior of the variables that affect the currently developing generation IV reactors and the increase of interest in Small Modular Reactors are major incentives to seek efficient design methods. Instead of the brute force design methodology, often applied to the analysis of nuclear reactors, other more economical and systematic methods should be applied. In a complex system with a high number of variables, it often is necessary to develop models to describe the behavior of each performance characteristic with respect to a set of variables and their interactions. If expensive experiments are needed to develop these models, the number of experiments should be minimized. This can be achieved by designing the experiments to be performed. Once the system’s models are developed, they can be used to decouple the variables’ effects on the performance characteristics and simplify the optimization process. In this article, three screening and sensitivity analysis methods are applied to decouple and understand the effects of fourteen variables on six performance characteristics of a Small Modular Reactor’s design, based on the Advanced Passive (AP-1000) reactor. The application of these methods facilitated the determination of the most important parameters of each performance characteristic, and resulted in several distinctive findings. These findings are applicable to any Light Water Small Modular Reactor that falls within the variables’ design domain.
Joining of RNA molecules with RNA ligase.

Publisher Summary T4 RNA ligase catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphodiester bond formation between a 5´-terminal phosphate (donor) and a 3´-terminal hydroxyl (acceptor). Although the enzyme can produce circular products with substrates of sufficient length that contain the required termini RNA ligase is also a very effective intermolecular joining reagent for oligonucleotide synthesis. The versatility of RNA ligase as a reagent for oligoribonucleotide synthesis is illustrated by the following two examples. For preparative synthesis, the enzyme readily catalyzes the equimolar joining of two oligoribonucleotide blocks on a moderate scale (ca. 1 μmol) and the enzyme can be used to synthesize small amounts of internally P-labeled oligomers of high specific activity. This chapter discusses applications for oligoribonucleotide synthesis and also explains the use of RNA ligase for the preparation of deoxy oligomers.
Maximum likelihood image reconstruction in positron emission tomography using subgradient projections algorithms

In this paper, we present novel maximum likelihood reconstruction algorithms for positron emission tomography (PET). The key idea behind the algorithms is that the set of maximum likelihood estimates is equivalent to the intersection of certain convex sets. Given this equivalence, we exploit results from set theoretic estimation and develop subgradient projection algorithms to maximize the log likelihood function. From experiments using synthetic data, it was found that the proposed algorithms produced images that were both smoother and more well defined than those obtained using the ML-EM algorithm.
Room temperature ferromagnetism in epitaxial Cr2O3 thin films grown on r-sapphire

We report on the epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of Cr2O3 thin films grown on r-sapphire substrate using pulsed laser deposition. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) (2θ and Φ) and TEM characterization confirm that the films are grown epitaxially. The r-plane ( 011¯2) of Cr2O3 grows on r-plane of sapphire. The epitaxial relations can be written as [ 011¯2] Cr2O3 ‖ [ 011¯2] Al2O3 (out-of-plane) and [1¯1¯20] Cr2O3 ‖ [1¯1¯20] Al2O3 (in-plane). The as-deposited films showed ferromagnetic behavior up to 400 K but ferromagnetism almost vanishes with oxygen annealing. The Raman spectroscopy data together with strain measurements using high resolution XRD indicate that ferromagnetism in r-Cr2O3 thin films is due to the strain caused by defects, such as oxygen vacancies.
Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)

The extensible stylesheet language (XSL) is an XML-based technology for transforming XML documents from one form to another. It uses a declarative programming paradigm and a specific XML namespace that gives programmers full access to all XML components - elements, attributes, and text - and the ability to manipulate them in ways that go far beyond the capabilities of cascading style sheets. XSL can be used to control the rendition of XML data, selectively filter the data items selected for transformation, convert data from various incompatible forms into a single, standard form, or implement just about any other operation that one might want to perform on XML data without changing the original XML source. Various parts of XSL are now industry standards (known as “Recommendations” by the World Wide Web Consortium) and are therefore highly usable even in today's ever-changing Web environment. This chapter presents the basic concepts and techniques used in XSL. It provides a variety of examples of XSL transformations (XSLT), XPath expressions (the language used to refer to collections of XML nodes for processing by XSLT), and XSL formatting objects. Keywords: cascading style sheets (CSS); stylesheet; XML; XSL formatting objects (XSL-FO); XSL templates; XSL transformations (XSLT)
Chapter 64 Structural Econometric Modeling: Rationales and Examples from Industrial Organization

Abstract This chapter explains the logic of structural econometric models and compares them to other types of econometric models. We provide a framework researchers can use to develop and evaluate structural econometric models. This framework pays particular attention to describing different sources of unobservables in structural models. We use our framework to evaluate several literatures in industrial organization economics, including the literatures dealing with market power, product differentiation, auctions, regulation and entry.
Optimization of Looped Water Distribution Systems

An optimization technique is presented for use in planning and designing looped water distribution systems. The technique is iterative, employing linear programming and a gradient procedure; and it produces a locally optimal solution. A demonstration using data for the New York City water supply system, shows a potential cost saving of 13 percent for the solution obtained using the new method, in comparison to the best design developed in an earlier study.
Business Ethics in Transitional Economies: Introduction

This paper introduces the special issue of papers selected from those presented at the International Conference on Business Ethics in Transitional Economies, held March 20–22, 2002 in Celakovice and Prague, Czech Republic. A brief background on the conference is given, and a summary of the papers offered in this special issue is provided.
Rat Brain Tubulin and Protein Kinase Activity

Abstract Preparations of partially purified rat brain tubulin contain protein kinase activity that phosphorylates tubulin preferentially on the β chain. The protein kinase activity associated with tubulin is independent of adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate and is not affected by incubation with colchicine or vinblastine. Protamine is the best exogenous substrate for this protein kinase activity; histone and casein also act as substrates. Incubation of tubulin with [γ-32P]ATP gives a maximum molar incorporation of phosphate into tubulin of 0.1 mole of 32P per mole of tubulin dimer; tryptic maps of this in vitro 32P-tubulin show that there are at least five major 32P-tryptic peptides. Gel filtration of native in vitro 32P-tubulin indicates that all of the tubulin that is labeled with 32P is aggregated; no tubulin dimer is labeled. The tubulin dimer does not have protein kinase activity, but it was not possible to achieve a complete separation of protein kinase activity from aggregated tubulin. Based on the low specific activity of the protein kinase activity associated with aggregated tubulin, the different temperature stability of protein kinase activity and colchicine binding activity, and partial solubilization of protein kinase activity, it is suggested that no form of tubulin has protein kinase activity.
Topological fundamental groups can distinguish spaces with isomorphic homotopy groups

We exhibit a map f between aspherical spaces X and Y such that f induces an isomorphism on homotopy groups but, with natural topologies, X and Y fail to have homeomorphic fundamental groups. Thus the topological fundamental group has the capacity to distinguish homotopy type when the Whitehead theorem fails.
Diffusion in deformable media

We begin with the initial-boundary-value problem for a coupled system of partial differential equations which describes the Biot consolidation model in poroelasticity. Existence, uniqueness and regularity theory is developed for the quasi-static case as an application of the theory of linear degenerate evolution equations in Hilbert space, and this leads to a precise description of the dynamics of the system. Current work on the foundations of the model and appropriate extensions to models with elasticviscous- plastic media or nonhomogeneous media will be briefly described.
Plate Hemolysin Test for the Rapid Screening of Toxoplasma Antibodies

A plate hemolysin test was developed to screen serum specimens for the presence of toxoplasma antibodies. When we tested 130 sera by both this test and the standard toxoplasma dye test, we found the plate hemolysin test to be a rapid, sensitive, and economical method for detecting toxoplasma antibodies. In all but one instance it paralleled the dye test. A comparison of the results of testing six sera by the hemolysin, hemagglutination, and dye-test techniques suggested that the hemolytic antibodies were more closely related to hemagglutinating antibodies than to dye-test antibodies. We could not store sheep erythrocytes sensitized with toxoplasma lysate for more than 3 days without altering the sensitivity of the test. Concanavalin A proved to be an effective coupling agent for binding toxoplasma antigens to red-cell membranes, a quality attributed to its affinity for specific polysaccharide-combining sites.
Free-standing Ni–NiO nanofiber cloth anode for high capacity and high rate Li-ion batteries

Abstract Here we present a low cost, free-standing, high capacity, stable, and environmentally benign nickel–nickel oxide (Ni–NiO) nanofiber cloth anode for Li-ion batteries. Ni–NiO nanofibers are fabricated by simple electrospinning and thermal oxidation processes which create a free-standing, core–shell nanofiber structure. The nickel backbone mitigates poor conductivity issues observed in Li-ion anodes due to repeated volume change during lithiation/delithiation. The Ni–NiO nanofiber anode possesses a high surface area compared to that of a slurry cast electrode which helps facilitate Li-ion diffusion into the active material. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicates improved capability of current collecting metal (nickel in this case) to withstand volume change in our free-standing structure. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy indicates the stability of the Ni–NiO nanofiber cloth anode in excess of 400 charge/discharge cycles, partly evidenced by the stable evolution of solid-electrolyte interphase. As an anode, the Ni–NiO nanofiber cloth shows impressive results with a gravimetric capacity of 1054 mA h g−1 at a current density of 2154 mA g−1 or 3 C (1 C=718 mA g−1), a long cycle life of more than 1500 cycles, and exceptional stability throughout its cycle life with a Coulombic efficiency >99%. Performance evaluation enables the Ni–NiO cloth material for next-generation high capacity, high rate, stable, and environmentally benign Li-ion batteries.
Antenatal steroids decrease blood-brain barrier permeability in the ovine fetus

Antenatal corticosteroid therapy reduces the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants. Enhanced microvascular integrity might provide protection against intraventricular hemorr...
Keynote Article: On Stanley Cavell's Band Wagon

This is a revised version of a keynote presentation delivered by Professor Rothman at the Conference on Stanley Cavell’s Philosophy the Day After Tomorrow , University of Paris I: Pantheon-Sorbonne, September 2012.
CONTRACTED, -FULL AND RELATED CLASSES OF IDEALS IN LOCAL RINGS

The class of $\mathfrak{m}$ -full and four related classes of ideals in a local ring ( R , $\mathfrak{m}$ ) are extended by replacing $\mathfrak{m}$ with other ideals and the resulting classes of ideals are compared. It is shown that contracted ideals are $\mathfrak{m}$ -full in a local ring with infinite residue field.
Identification and modeling of nonlinear systems

Abstract A nonparametric identification technique is presented for use with discrete multidegree of freedom nonlinear dynamic systems of the type encountered in nuclear reactor technology. The method requires information regarding the system response and estimates of its pertinent “mode shapes” to determine, by means of regression techniques involving the use of two-dimensional orthogonal functions, an approximate expression for the system generalized restoring forces in terms of the corresponding generalized system state variables. For the special class of nonlinear systems that have chain-like characteristics, drastic simplifications in the procedure are realized, and the identification task can be easily and accurately accomplished without using any information regarding estimated “mode shapes”. The technique is applied to several example systems. The method can be used with deterministic or random excitation to identify dynamic systems with arbitrary nonlinearities, including those with hysteretic characteristics. It is also shown that the method is easy to implement and needs much less computer time and storage requirements compared to the Wiener-Kernel approach.
How can you tell if two line drawings are the same

Two drawings, each composed of line segments, may appear identical, even though the data sets by which they are stored in a computer bear no obvious relationship to one another. An algorithm is presented by which any data set specifying a line drawing may be reduced to a canonical form. Any two data sets that specify line drawings that look the same will become identical when reduced to canonical form.
The neuron-specific protein PGP 9.5 is a ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase

A complementary DNA (cDNA) for ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L3 was cloned from human B cells. The cDNA encodes a protein of 230 amino acids with a molecular mass of 26.182 daltons. The human protein is very similar to the bovine homolog, with only three amino acids differing in over 100 residues compared. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA was 54% identical to that of the neuron-specific protein PGP 9.5. Purification of bovine PGP 9.5 confirmed that it is also a ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase. These results suggest that a family of such related proteins exists and that their expression is tissue-specific.
A new class of one-step methods for the solution of Volterra functional differential equations

A unified theory for the construction of one-step methods for the numerical solution of Volterra functional differential equations is achieved using the Moore-Penrose generalized inverse. In particular a class of methods based ong-splines is developed and compared, by the use of prototype problems, to methods based on polynomials.
Theorizing teacher identity: self-narratives and finding place in an audit society

Noting the need for richer theories of identity and identity formation in education, the author describes aspects of D. P. McAdams’ psychosocial constructivist framework enriched by select concepts drawn from Life Course research for conceptualizing and analyzing identity development within audit-driven societies and educational systems. Drawing on the language and concepts of the framework, the author illustrates some of its interpretative power by conducting a ‘close reading’, a method drawn from literary theory, of portions of a head teacher’s published self-narrative.
Empathy and motivation for justice: Cognitive empathy and concern, but not emotional empathy, predict sensitivity to injustice for others

Why do people tend to care for upholding principles of justice? This study examined the association between individual differences in the affective, motivational and cognitive components of empathy, sensitivity to justice, and psychopathy in participants (N 265) who were also asked to rate the permissibility of everyday moral situations that pit personal benefit against moral standards of justice. Counter to common sense, emotional empathy was not associated with sensitivity to injustice for others. Rather, individual differences in cognitive empathy and empathic concern predicted sensitivity to justice for others, as well as the endorsement of moral rules. Psychopathy coldheartedness scores were inversely associated with motivation for justice. Moreover, hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that self-focused and other-focused orientations toward justice had opposing influences on the permissibility of moral judgments. High scores on psychopathy were associated with less moral condemnation of immoral behavior. Together, these results contribute to a better understanding of the information processing mechanisms underlying justice motivation, and may guide interventions designed to foster justice and moral behavior. In order to promote justice motivation, it may be more effective to encourage perspective taking and reasoning than emphasizing emotional sharing with the misfortune of others.
The Synthesis of Computers, Communication and Engineering Education

The use of computers for simulation and modeling is already being added to science, analysis, and experimentation as a fourth basic component of engineering education. This inclusion is driven by engineering practice where computer use is pervasive for many purposes, including the use of complex design programs which have been created by specialists. The fact that such designers can support a large clientele by means of computer produced designs raises the question of how the larger number of future engineers, the users of such programs, should be educated. The educational challenge is to broadly educate these engineers in several aspects of engineering and computing without sacrificing the development of physical intuition and design judgment, which are the essence of engineering.
An alteration in ATG16L1 stability in Crohn disease

Individuals who harbor a common coding polymorphism (Thr300Ala) within a structurally unclassified region of ATG16L1 are at increased risk for the development of Crohn disease. Recently, we reported on the generation and characterization of knockin mice carrying the ATG16L1 T300A variant. We demonstrate that multiple cell types from T300A knock-in mice exhibit reduced selective autophagy, and we mechanistically link this phenotype with an increased susceptibility of ATG16L1 T300A to CASP3- and CASP7-mediated cleavage. These findings demonstrate how a single polymorphism can result in cell type- and pathway-specific disruptions of selective autophagy and alterations in the inflammatory milieu that can contribute to disease.
Unfavourable expression of pharmacologic markers in mucinous colorectal cancer.

Patients with mucinous colorectal cancer generally have worse prognoses than those with the nonmucinous variety. The reason for this disparity is unclear, but may result from a differential response to adjuvant chemotherapy. We examined known molecular markers for response to common chemotherapy in these two histological subtypes. In all, 21 patients with mucinous and 30 with nonmucinous Dukes C colorectal cancer were reviewed for demographic data and outcome. Total RNA from the tumours and adjacent normal mucosa was isolated and reverse transcribed. Quantitative expression levels of drug pathway genes were determined using TaqMan RT–PCR (5-fluorouracil (5-FU): TYMS, DPYD, ECGF1; oxaliplatin: GSTP1 (glutathione S-transferase pi), ERCC1 and 2; irinotecan: ABCB1, ABCG2, CYP3A4, UGT1A1, CES2, TOP1). Mucinous tumours significantly overexpressed both TYMS and GSTP1 relative to nonmucinous tumours and patient-matched normal mucosa. No significant differences in expression of the remaining markers were found. Mean follow-up was 20 months; 17 patients had recurrent disease. Among patients receiving 5-FU, those with mucinous tumours experienced shorter disease-free survival (DFS) than those with nonmucinous tumours (median DFS 13.8 vs 46.5 months, P=0.053). Mucinous colorectal cancer overexpresses markers of resistance to 5-FU and oxaliplatin. Likewise, DFS may be decreased in patients with mucinous tumours who receive 5-FU. The presence of mucin should be carefully evaluated in developmental trials of new agents for treating colorectal cancer.
Historico-critical review of dimensional analysis

Abstract The history of dimensional analysis is examined critically from the first notions about dimensions in old civilizations to the powerful methods of recent times. Dimensional analysis, as we know it and use it today, has been in active use for almost a century, although the basic ideas were published one hundred and fifty years ago. The elementary notions have a much longer history, because some of them were tacitly applied whenever a system of measurement of physical quantities was invented or put to use. This aspect has been keenly analyzed in the early 1920's by P.W. Bridgman, who used it in establishing one of the two basic theorems of dimensional analysis. The other theorem had been derived some thirty years before by A. Vaschy, and was rediscovered once or twice, and given more rigorous proofs by several mathematicians. Dimensional analysis remains a method which is most useful in areas in which knowledge is developing through an intermediate stage at which the basic laws are already known, but there is still a lack of powerful methods of solution. This study has been restricted to dimensional analysis proper, leaving out as much as possible the akin topics of similitude, modeling and simulation. Some rather recent developments of dimensional analysis have not been examined because of the obvious reason of their lack of historical prospective.
Initiating psychotherapy with "unmotivated" patients.

A clinical procedure is presented to deal with the problem of initiating psychotherapy with hospitalized patients who refuse continuing meetings with a therapist. Eight therapists spent a total of 13 hours a week on a state hospital ward with 24 patients. The therapists were available to the patients in a therapy office on the ward, but also initiated relationships, often tentative and silent, in the hall or day room. In a large proportion of cases, therapy relationships gradually began, and regular meetings became possible. Some significant points of this procedure are discussed.
Is He Boyfriend Material? Representation of Males in Teenage Girls' Magazines

Teenage girls'magazines play an important role in shaping the norms of the millions of girls who read them. In this article, I examine, through the discursive analysis of two issues each of five different popular teenage girls' magazines (ten issues total), how males and male behavior are represented. Guided by the magazines, girls are “ empowered” to be informed consumers of boys, who are written about as shallow, highly sexual, emotionally inexpressive, and insecure, but also as potential boyfriends, providing romance, intimacy, and love. Framed by fashion and beauty products in both the advertisement and magazine content, success in attracting the “right” boy and finding love is presented as a result of girls' self-regulation, personal responsibility, and good choices, with only their own lack of self-esteem and effort holding them back.
Effects of near-ultraviolet radiation and temperature on soluble phenols in Nicotiana tabacum☆

Abstract Low levels of near-ultraviolet radiation (300–400 nm) along with the visible radiation during the daily illumination periods resulted in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants with about twice the concentrations of total soluble phenolics and chlorogenic acid isomers present in leaves of tobacco that did not receive near-u.v. radiation. Plants grown at 24° had about 150 per cent of the total soluble phenolic concentrations contained in plants that received the same quality of light, but were maintained at 32°.
Correlations between mRNA expression levels and GC contents of coding and untranslated regions of genes in rodents.

Gene expression is regulated by a highly coordinated network of events whose efficiency may constrain the level of expression. Among other factors, natural selection for increased translational efficiency and/or fidelity may shape nucleotide composition and, hence, codon usage during evolution. Previous studies have shown that highly expressed genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster have relatively higher codon usage biases. However, in the case of mammals, results have been equivocal. In this study, we assessed the correlation between nucleotide composition and mRNA expression levels of rodent genes measured by cDNA microarray and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) techniques. We found that mRNA expression levels were correlated with the third nucleotide position GC (GC3) content for both Rattus norvegicus (r= 0.246, p= 0.01; N= 110) and Mus musculus (r= 0.21, p= 0.0026; N= 203) genes. However, no significant correlation was evident between mRNA expression level and GC contents of 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) for either species. This suggests that, in rodents, nucleotide composition of coding sequences and UTRs might evolve differentially when considered along an expression gradient. Accordingly, it is possible that higher GC levels may present the rodent genes with a selective advantage for translational efficiency. However, the increase in GC3 content seems to level off above an expressional threshold (e.g., ≥threefold the median expression for R. norvegicus), suggesting that conflicting demands posed by different aspects of transcriptional and translational machineries (e.g., efficiency versus fidelity) may set an upper limit for GC3.
Numerical simulation of liquid transfer between particles

Liquid transfer between particles plays a central role in the operation of a variety of particle processing equipment, including flotation, spray-coating, flocculation, granulation, and drying. In each of these applications, the local liquid concentration within the bed dramatically affects the flow behavior of the system and can strongly impact performance. In this work, we introduce a dynamic liquid transfer model for use in discrete element modeling (DEM) of heterogeneous particle systems. We explicitly track moisture levels on individual particles and utilize an experimentally validated rule-set for liquid transfer upon forming/breaking contacts. As a test of this new model we present results from the simulation of a rotary drum spray-coating system, but expect that this liquid transfer-modified DEM is general and would be applicable to wide range of processing operations.
Rayleigh number scaling in numerical convection

Using direct simulations of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with rigid upper and lower boundaries at fixed temperature and periodic sidewalls, scaling with respect to Rayleigh number is determined. At large aspect ratio (6:6:1) on meshes up to 288 × 288 × 96, a single scaling regime consistent with the properties of ‘hard’ convective turbulence is found for Pr = 0.7 between Ra = 5 × 104 and Ra = 2 × 107. The properties of this regime include Nu ∼ RaβT with βT = 0.28 ≈ 2/7, exponential temperature distributions in the centre of the cell, and velocity and temperature scales consistent with experimental measurements. Two velocity boundary-layer thicknesses are identified, one outside the thermal boundary layer that scales as Ra−1/7 and the other within it that scales as Ra−3/7. Large-scale shears are not observed; instead, strong local boundary-layer shears are observed in regions between incoming plumes and an outgoing network of buoyant sheets. At the highest Rayleigh number, there is a decade where the energy spectra are close to k−5/3 and temperature variance spectra are noticeably less steep. It is argued that taken together this is good evidence for ‘hard’ turbulence, even if individually each of these properties might have alternative explanations.
Hybrid Cyberknife/IMRT radiotherapy for peri-sellar tumors

Pituitary macroadenomas are often treated with fractionated radiotherapy, due to intolerance of the optic apparatus to radiosurgical doses. Cases in which the chiasm is distorted by tumor are particularly challenging. We report on a novel use of fractionated Cyberknife radiosurgery to improve the efficacy of therapy, while retaining the safety of conventional radiotherapy, for bulky macroadenomas and other peri-sellar tumors that abut the optic chiasm. Cases of peri-sellar tumors treated with radiosurgery were reviewed, and five of these (four macroadenomas, one malignant meningioma) were found to have disease that precluded consideration of radiosurgery as the sole modality and were treated with fractionated radiotherapy (41.4 Gy) plus five Cyberknife fractions. Cyberknife optimization constrained the optic apparatus and superior portions of target volumes at 1.8 Gy per fraction while boosting inferior portions of the gland. Boost doses of 20–25 Gy at the 70–80 % isodose could be achieved, delivered in five fractions. Of the gross tumor volume, 38–77 % received the prescribed boost dose or higher. The biological equivalent dose (BED) to this boosted volume ranged from 1.4 to 1.65 times the BED of standard fractionated radiotherapy (50.4 Gy in 28 fractions). All patients had stable or improved findings on MRI, and all secreting adenomas were noted to have improved outcomes at follow-up (median 20 months, range 10–24 months). The hybrid technique described allows escalation of dose, with optic apparatus safety equivalent to that of fractionated radiotherapy. It is an attractive approach in cases where the optic apparatus has been displaced by the tumor.
Intelligent optimization models for disease diagnosis using a service-oriented architecture and management science

The accuracy of disease diagnosis remains a significant challenge that medical and health care industries experience due to a relative lack of misdiagnosis studies and a difficulty of retrieving patients' information. Validation of diagnosis and certainty of its accuracy is the goal of this research. The research, as reported in this paper introduces an innovative solution to determine the accuracy of disease diagnosis. The solution is based on Intelligent Optimization Models (IOM) using integration of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Management Science (MS). These models enable medical doctors to make inference about disease diagnosis and allow a quick diagnosis of diseases at higher level of accuracy. The models also have the advantage of reducing health risk associated with experimenting with real patients. In particular, bad decisions that cause death or wrong treatment can be avoided. About 44,000 to 98,000 Americans die annually as the result of medical errors. Experimenting with these models requires less time and is less expensive than experimenting with studying patient's condition. In a SOA environment, the study of this research develops new intelligent concepts. These concepts integrate approaches of management science models including linear programming and network, search methodologies, information retrieval, clustering extended genetic algorithm, and intelligent agents. A prototype is created and examined in order to validate the concepts. The proposed concepts strengthen the capacity and quality of STEM undergraduate degree programs. The concepts also promote a vigorous STEM academic environment to increase the number of students entering STEM careers.
Correlation of structural stability with functional remodeling of high-density lipoproteins: the importance of being disordered.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are protein−lipid assemblies that remove excess cell cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis. HDLs are stabilized by kinetic barriers that decelerate protein dissociation and lipoprotein fusion. We propose that similar barriers modulate metabolic remodeling of plasma HDLs; hence, changes in particle composition that destabilize HDLs and accelerate their denaturation may accelerate their metabolic remodeling. To test this notion, we correlate existing reports on HDL-mediated cell cholesterol efflux and esterification, which are obligatory early steps in cholesterol removal, with our kinetic studies of HDL stability. The results support our hypothesis and show that factors accelerating cholesterol efflux and esterification in model discoidal lipoproteins (including reduced protein size, reduced fatty acyl chain length, and/or increased level of cis unsaturation) destabilize lipoproteins and accelerate their fusion and apolipoprotein dissociation. Oxidation studies of plasma ...
Some discussion on moving strong discontinuity under plane stress conditions

Abstract This paper deals with moving strong discontinuities in an elastic ideally plastic solid under plane stress conditions for a Huber-Mises material. Small strain formulation is employed, inertia terms are ignored (quasi-static), and the in-plane displacements are assumed to be continuous in the body during the deformation process. It is shown that stress discontinuity is not permissible anywhere in the body. The only permissible jumps are the strains and material velocities, and they must occur across a characteristic surface. A restriction for material velocity jumps is given. The results are discussed and compared with those obtained from rigid plastic theory.
Temperature Dependent Spectral Response and Responsivity of GeSn Photoconductor on Si

The spectral response and responsivity of a GeSn photoconductor were measured from 300 to 77 K. The maximum responsivity of 0.06 A/W was measured at 1550 nm for 10 volts bias at 140 K.
MICROLAYER COLLECTION FROM THE SEA SURFACE: A NEW METHOD AND INITIAL RESULTS1

A newly constructed collecting device can remove large quantities of a thin layer (approximately 60 µ thick) from the sea surface. Samples obtained by means of this collector indicate larger amounts of organic materials in the thin surface layer of the sea than in the water at a depth of 10 cm. These organic materials include living nannoplankton organisms, structural components of disintegrated organisms, surface-active substances, chlorophyll, and carotenoid pigments.
Social multimedia: highlighting opportunities for search and mining of multimedia data in social media applications

In recent years, various Web-based sharing and community services such as Flickr and YouTube have made a vast and rapidly growing amount of multimedia content available online. Uploaded by individual participants, content in these immense pools of content is accompanied by varied types of metadata, such as social network data or descriptive textual information. These collections present, at once, new challenges and exciting opportunities for multimedia research. This article presents an approach for "social multimedia" applications. The approach is based on the experience of building a number of successful applications that are based on mining multimedia content analysis in social multimedia context.
Pyridoxine kinase activity in human erythrocytes and leukocytes: assay and properties.

Abstract In order to evaluate human erythrocyte and leukocyte pyridoxine kinase activity in normal and disease states, a new one-step assay has been developed which is not dependent on the measurement of pyridoxal 5-phosphate in deproteinated assay mixtures. The B 6 vitamers formed in assay mixtures containing 7.5 μ m [ 14 C]pyridoxine, 0.5 m m ATP, 0.5 m m magnesium chloride, 75.0 m m potassium phosphate (pH 8), and cell lysate were separated by high-voltage electrophoresis in 33.0 m m pyridine acetate (pH 5.1) and the rate of appearance of radioactivity in each vitamer was determined. Since pyridoxine 5-phosphate was the principal product formed, the problem of pyridoxal 5-phosphate extraction from Schiff bases formed with lysate proteins was avoided and specific activities obtained were thus independent of variations in other cellular proteins. The enzymes derived from lysates of normal human erythrocytes and normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes require ATP, magnesium, and potassium and have pH optima of 9.1 and 8.8, respectively. Pyridoxal and pyridoxamine were effective competitive inhibitors of pyridoxine phosphorylation in both enzyme systems, while pyridoxal 5-phosphate had no effect on enzyme activity.
Uranium−Sulfilimine Chemistry: Synthesis and Characterization of Cp*2UCl(NSPh2) and Cp*2U(NSPh2)2

Two imido derivatives of U(IV), Cp*2UCl(NSPh2) (1; Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and Cp*2U(NSPh2)2 (2), have been prepared in high yield from Cp*2UCl2 and LiNSPh2. Alternatively, 1 and 2 can b...