cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal Subtraction of "Virtual Dual-Energy" Chest Radiographs for Improved Conspicuity of Growing Cancers and Other Pathologic Changes

A temporal-subtraction (TS) technique provides enhanced visualization of tumor growth and subtle pathologic changes between previous and current chest radiographs (CXRs) from the same patient. Our purpose was to develop a new TS technique incorporating "virtual dual-energy" technology to improve its enhancement quality. Our TS technique consisted of ribcage edge detection, rigid body transformation based on a global alignment criterion, image warping under the maximum cross-correlation criterion, and subtraction between the registered previous and current images. A major problem with TS was obscuring of abnormalities by rib artifacts due to misregistration. To reduce the rib artifacts, we developed a massive-training artificial neural network (MTANN) for separation of ribs from soft tissue. The MTANN was trained with input CXRs and the corresponding "teaching" soft-tissue CXRs obtained with real dualenergy radiography. Once trained, the MTANNs did not require a dual-energy system and provided "soft-tissue" images. Our database consisted of 100 sequential pairs of CXR studies from 53 patients. To assess the registration accuracy and clinical utility, a chest radiologist subjectively rated the original TS and rib-suppressed TS images on a 5-point scale. By use of "virtual dual-energy" technology, rib artifacts in the TS images were reduced substantially. The registration accuracy and clinical utility ratings for TS rib-suppressed images (3.7; 3.9) were significantly better than those for original TS images (3.5; 3.6) (P<0.01; P<0.02, respectively). Our "virtual dual-energy" TS CXRs can provide improved enhancement quality of TS images for the assessment of pathologic change.
Robust and scalable finite element domain decomposition solvers for CEM

We outline a scalable and robust finite element Domain Decomposition Method (DDM) in Computational Electromagnetics (CEM). The methodology is based on the effective and efficient preconditioning of the Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting (FETI) matrix via a fully algebraic, local preconditioner called the Locally Exact Algebraic Preconditioner (LEAP), combined with a global macro-basis multi-grid on interfaces, called the MultiGrid-FETI (MG-FETI). Results for a variety of challenging industrial-grade models showcase the robustness, scalability and efficiency of the method.
Experiences of youth who transition to adulthood out of care: Developing a theoretical framework

Abstract Adverse adulthood outcomes are well documented among youth who age out of foster care. However, not all youth who age out of care experience deleterious adult outcomes, despite struggling with similar challenges during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Childhood maltreatment, which places youth at greater risk for later maladaptive functioning and psychopathology, may partially explain poor adjustment outcomes in adulthood. Similarly, a history of unstable placements and residing in institutional congregate care settings may also contribute to hardship during this time. However, none of these factors help to explain how some young people aging out of care manage to achieve stability while transitioning into adulthood. This article reviews the literature through the lens of the identity capital framework, and discusses the applicability of this framework to the experiences of youth aging out of foster care.
Different methods of selecting animals for genotyping to maximize the amount of genetic information known in the population

It is possible to predict genotypes of some individuals based on genotypes of relatives. Different methods of sampling individuals to be genotyped from populations were evaluated using simulation. Simu- lated pedigrees included 5,000 animals and were as- signed genotypes based on assumed allelic frequencies for a SNP (favorable/unfavorable) of 0.3/0.7, 0.5/0.5, and 0.8/0.2. A field data pedigree (29,101 animals) and a research pedigree (8,688 animals) were used to test selected methods using simulated genotypes with al- lelic frequencies of 0.3/0.7 and 0.5/0.5. For the simulat- ed pedigrees, known and unknown allelic frequencies were assumed. The methods used included random sampling, selection of males, and selection of both sex- es based on the diagonal element of the inverse of the relationship matrix (A −1 ) and absorption of either the A or A −1 matrix. For random sampling, scenarios in- cluded selection of 5 and 15% of the animals, and all other methods presented concentrated on the selection of 5% of the animals for genotyping. The methods were evaluated based on the percentage of alleles correctly assigned after peeling (AKP), the probability of assign- ing true alleles (AKG), and the average probability of correctly assigning the true genotype. As expected, random sampling was the least desirable method. The most desirable method in the simulated pedigrees was selecting both males and females based on their diago- nal element of A −1 . Increases in AKP and AKG ranged from 26.58 to 29.11% and 2.76 to 6.08%, respectively, when males and females (equal to 5% of all animals) were selected based on their diagonal element of A −1 compared with selecting 15% of the animals at ran- dom. In the case of a real beef cattle pedigree, selection of males only or males and females yielded similar re- sults and both selection methods were superior to ran- dom selection.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the context of a high intellectual quotient/giftedness

The diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with a high intellectual quotient (IQ) and/or giftedness is controversial with many opinions existing on both sides of the debate. Relationships between IQ and cognitive vulnerabilities frequently described in the ADHD population vary in strength. Data asserting the validity of ADHD in the high IQ/giftedness population are discussed with comparisons made to average IQ ADHD. Educational implications of having ADHD in thecontext of a high IQ/giftedness are presented.
Lens culinaris lectin is a t-cell mitogen. Binding inhibition by concanavalin a and phytohemagglutinin-p.

Abstract Binding and mitogenicity of a lectin from Lens culinaris (LcH) were studied in mouse lymphocytes. Both continuous and pulse treatment of lymphocytes with LcH induced a mitogenic response selectively in T cells. LcH and Con A, which have similar binding specificities, exhibited binding inhibition both in unfixed cells and glutaraldehype-fixed cells, with native Con A and succinyl Con A and at 37 °C as well as 0 °C. On the other hand, reciprocal binding inhibition by a third T-cell mitogen, phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), was found only in unfixed cells at 37 °C and with native Con A, indicating that the inhibition is a secondary effect as opposed to direct competition for receptors. The inhibition of mitogenic responses to LcH and PHA-P by pretreatment of cells with Con A was studied in relation to the two different types of binding inhibition. Only the type of binding inhibition caused by a secondary effect correlated with interference with the mitogenic response.
Comparative rates of hydrolysis of ochratoxins A and B in vitro

Abstract The rates of hydrolysis of ochratoxins A and B in vitro by the enzyme, bovine carboxypeptidase A, and by enzymes in tissue extracts of rat liver, small intestine and large intestine were studied. The Vmax values for the hydrolysis of ochratoxins A and B by carboxypeptidase are 5·15 × 10−7 and 4·35 × 10−5 moles/litre/min, respectively. Incubation of the extracts of rat tissue with an equimolar amount of ochratoxin A or B indicated that ochratoxin B was hydrolysed 6–7 times faster than ochratoxin A. It is suggested that this difference in hydrolysis rate may partly account for the difference in toxicity of ochratoxins A and B.
Development of a dual-energy kinestatic charge detector

A design for a dual-energy Kinestatic Charge Detector (KCD) with segmented charge collection fingers is discussed. The front segment of the KCD charge collectors will produce a digital low-energy image and the back segments will produce a digital high-energy image. A gap between the front and back collectors acts as a mid filter to increase the separation between the mean energies absorbed in the front and back segments. This dual-energy KCD design was optimized by using computer simulations to maximize a figure of merit defined as the square of the signal-to-noise ratio divided by the average absorbed dose. The optimal KCD parameters are presented for a dual-energy KCD designed for mammography. Preliminary experimental data are given for a small non imaging dual-energy KCD research detector.
The solution of the time-independent neutron slowing down equation using a numerical laplace transform inversion

Abstract The transport equation describing steady state neutron slowing down in an infinite medium with constant cross sections is solved numerically using a recently developed numerical Laplace transform inversion algorithm. The basis for the algorithm (described below) is an evaluation of the Bromwich integral without analytical continuation. This method of evaluation avoids the requirement of determining the singularities of the transform in detail and readily allows consideration of scattering from multiple species when constant cross sections are assumed.
Drug specific, tuning of an ionic liquid's hydrophilic–lipophilic balance to improve water solubility of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients

Amphotericin B and itraconazole were used to demonstrate that ionic liquids can be designed or chosen to provide tunable hydrophilicity in one ion and lipophilicity in the other allowing one to match the structural requirements needed to solubilize poorly water soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients. These liquid, amphiphilic excipients could be used as both drug delivery systems and solubilization agents to improve the aqueous solubility of many drugs. The solubility in deionized water, simulated gastric fluid, simulated intestinal fluid, and phosphate buffer solution was greatly improved over current methods for drug delivery by utilizing designed ionic liquids as excipients.
Flow cytometric analysis of the effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on mouse teratocarcinoma cells.

Several flow cytometric techniques were used to study the effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) on the growth and differentiation of mouse teratocarcinoma cells. The teratocarcinoma system mimics embryogenesis, and the stem cells of this tumor, termed embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, spontaneously differentiate in vitro to progeny that are morphologically, biochemically and biologically distinct from the EC cells. When cultures of EC cells were treated with 30 μM BrdUrd, a pleiotropic response was observed; i.e., certain parameters mimicked spontaneous differentiation but occurred 2–3 times more rapidly while others were inconsistent with, or diametric to, spontaneous differentiation. In one line of diploid EC cells in which tetraploidy accompanies spontaneous differentiation, the BrdUrd accelerated the appearance of the tetraploid population. Analysis of cell cycle distributions during the course of the BrdUrd treatment showed that virtually all of the cells had cycled 2 or more times and incorporated BrdUrd into both strands of DNA. Multiangle light-scattering and electrical impedance analyses indicated that with respect to these two parameters, cultures treated with BrdUrd for 3 days resembled spontaneously differentiating cultures of 6–8 days. However, BrdUrd treatment dit not induce increases in the kinetics of esterase (EC3.1.1.) activities in teratocarcinoma cells that normally accompany spontaneous differentiation. Analysis of alkaline phosphatase (APase) EC (3.1.3.1.) activities showed that, unlike the decrease in APase activities which accompany spontaneous differentiation, BrdUrd Treatment causes an increase in APase activities.
Cyclic steroid replacement alters auditory brainstem responses in young women with premature ovarian failure.

To determine the independent contributions of estradiol and progesterone to the auditory brainstem response (ABR) latency changes associated with the menstrual cycle, we obtained ABRs on young women with premature ovarian failure who were undergoing cyclic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We evaluated the influence of cyclic HRT on the ABRs of young women in three controlled phases of the same replacement cycles 1) no steroid replacement, 2) estrogen-only replacement (E2, only), and 3) estrogen-plus-progesterone replacement (E2-plus-P). A significant lengthening of wave V peak latency and I-V interpeak interval was found during E2 only replacement. Despite equivalent circulating estradiol levels, both wave V peak latencies and wave I-V interpeak intervals significantly decreased during the E2-plus-P replacement phase as compared to the E2-only replacement phase. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that estradiol potentiates secretion of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) at auditory nerve synapses, leading to delayed synaptic conduction time Progesterone is known to blunt E2-potentiated GABA release and may antagonize its prolongation of wave V latency.
Cyclohexene skeletal isomerization activity of sepiolites modified with B3+ or Al3+ ions

The effect of sepiolite modification by B3+ and Al3+ ions on catalytic performance were investigated in cyclohexene skeletal isomerization (CSI) reaction. Catalytic activity to 1- and 3-methylcyclopentenes (1- and 3-MCP) fit the Bassett-Habgood kinetic model for first order processes. These ions induced strong acidity in the sepiolite and the best results (greater activity and selectivity to 1-MCP) were found when the sepiolite was exchanged with an BF3/methanol solution which contained 3 wt.% of the B3+ ion.
Low light level imaging with commercial charge-coupled devices

Low light level imaging with commercially available CCDs has been limited by CCD availability as well as by poor performance at low signal levels by many devices constructed for consumer applications. These performance limitations usually take the form of poor charge-transfer efficiency at the low temperatures and/or high noise levels associated with charge-detection schemes that normally need to operate only near room temperature. This paper describes a commercial virtual-phase CCD and associated operating mode that allow high performance low light level imaging at low temperatures. This capability makes the described device ideally suited to both scientific and military low light level imaging applications.
Material and spatial gauge theories of solids — I. Gauge constructs, geometry, and kinematics

Abstract A gauge-theoretic approach for modeling continuous distributions of defects in solids is undertaken, based on local internal and external symmetries of an appropriate Lagrangian for those materials. The invariance of the Lagrangian under global action of internal (spatial) and external (material) symmetry groups is extended to invariance under local action of both groups of symmetries through an application of the minimal replacement construct of gauge theory. This is achieved by introduction of nontrivial spatial and material gauge connections. Both connections are used for the construction of two sets of Cartan equations of structure with two different types of torsion and curvature (spatial and material). The spatial torsion and curvature are shown to model “microcracks” and “microrotations”, while the material torsion and curvature model dislocations, disclinations, and energy dissipation mechanisms.
Fibroblasts from long-lived Snell dwarf mice are resistant to oxygen-induced in vitro growth arrest

Snell dwarf mice live longer than controls, and show lower age-adjusted rates of lethal neoplastic diseases. Fibroblast cells from adult dwarf mice are resistant to the lethal effects of oxidative and nonoxidative stresses, including the carcinogen methyl methanesulfonate. We now report that dwarf-derived fibroblasts are slow to enter the stage of growth arrest induced by culturing normal cells under standard culture conditions at 20% O(2). Dwarf cells cultured at 20% O(2) resemble control cells cultured at 3% O(2) not only in their delayed growth arrest, but also in their rapid growth rates and resistance to both oxidative and nonoxidative forms of cytotoxic stress. Levels of the heat-shock protein HSP-70 respond to serum withdrawal and stress only in control cells, showing that intracellular signals are blunted in dwarf-derived cells. These data suggest a model in which stable epigenetic changes induced in skin fibroblasts by the hormonal milieu of the Snell dwarf lead to resistance to multiple forms of injury, including the oxidative damage that contributes to growth arrest in vitro and neoplasia in intact mice.
Diurnal variations in the hygroscopic growth cycles of ambient aerosol populations

[1] During August and September of 2002, a relative humidity (RH) scanning tandem differential mobility analyzer system was used to measure the deliquescence/crystallization properties of ambient aerosol populations in southeast Texas. During August, sampling was conducted at a rural site on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, and in September, sampling was conducted at an urban site near the Houston ship channel. Measurements from both sites indicate that there are cyclical changes in the composition of the soluble fraction of the aerosol, which are not strongly linked to the local aerosol source. The observations show that as temperature increases and RH decreases, the hysteresis loop describing the RH dependence of aerosol hygroscopic growth collapses. On the basis of results from other studies that have shown the dominant ions present in aerosols in this region to be ammonium and sulfate, it is proposed that this collapse is due to a decrease in the ammonium to sulfate ratio in the aerosol particles, which coincides with increasing temperature and decreasing RH. This cyclical change in aerosol acidity may influence secondary organic aerosol production and may exaggerate the impact of the aerosol on human health. The compositional changes also result in a daily cycle in crystallization RH that is in phase with that of the ambient RH, which reduces the probability that hygroscopic particles will crystallize in the afternoon when the ambient RH is a minimum.
RBE and OER Values as a function of neutron energy

Abstract -A new set of RBE and OER measurements are reported for ten neutron energies between 60 ke V and 15 Me V obtained at the Radiological Research Accelerator Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. In addition two higher energy neutron beams were studied at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington and at the Texas AM the maximum RBE occurs at a neutron energy of about 350 keV. The experimental data are consistent with the theoretical predictions made on the basis of microdosimelric measurements.
K through Ka-band driver and power amplifiers

First pass low, medium, and high power MMIC amplifiers operating over the 17 to 40 GHz band have been demonstrated. The low power driver amplifier delivers 8 dBm output power with 8 dB associated gain and the medium power driver amplifier delivers a minimum of 13 dBm with 8 dB associated gain across the band. The high power amplifier delivers 24 dBm output power from 17 to 35 GHz and greater than 22 dBm from 35 to 40 GHz with a minimum of 17.5 dB associated gain. The low power driver amplifier and the high power amplifier were combined to demonstrate a minimum of 22.5 dBm output power with greater than 24.5 dB associated gain across the 17 to 40 GHz band.
Change in the Brain's White Matter

“Gray matter” is only one of two types of brain tissue; the other “white matter” is rarely mentioned. Yet white matter makes up half the human brain and has not been thought to be important in cognition or learning outside the context of pathology. That view could change. Imaging and cellular and molecular studies are revealing white matter plasticity with possible implications for normal cognitive function and psychological disorders.
EFFECTS OF CYPROHEPTADINE ON INSULIN‐INDUCED HYPOGLYCAEMIA SECRETION OF PRL, GH AND CORTISOL

SUMMARY The effect of cyproheptadine hydrochloride on release of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol following insulin-induced hypoglycaemia was investigated in a group of eight adult female and male subjects. The results of this study demonstrated that cyproheptadine does not influence the release of these three hormones under the conditions employed in this study. The conflicting observation concerning the action of cyproheptadine on pituitary function as reported in the literature, may be a reflection of the diversity of pharmacological actions of this drug. Thus, any purported influence this drug might have on pituitary hormonal release should be interpreted with caution.
Health Information-Seeking on Behalf of Others: Characteristics of “Surrogate Seekers”

Understanding the behaviors of surrogate seekers (those who seek health information for others) may guide efforts to improve health information transmission. We used 2011–2012 data from the Health Information National Trends Survey to describe behaviors of online surrogate seekers. Respondents were asked about use of the Internet for surrogate-seeking over the prior 12 months. Data were weighted to calculate population estimates. Two thirds (66.6 %) reported surrogate-seeking. Compared to those who sought health information online for only themselves, surrogate seekers were more likely to live in households with others (weighted percent 89.4 vs. 82.5 % of self-seekers; p < 0.05); no significant differences in sex, race, income or education were observed. Surrogate seekers were more likely to report activities requiring user-generated content: email communication with healthcare providers; visits to social networking sites to read and share about medical topics and participation in online health support groups. On multivariate analysis, those who had looked online for healthcare providers were more likely to be surrogate seekers (OR 1.67, 95 % CI 1.08–2.59). In addition to seeking health information, surrogate seekers create and pass along communications that may influence medical care decisions. Research is needed to identify ways to facilitate transmission of accurate health information.
Modality effects in verbal working memory: differential prefrontal and parietal responses to auditory and visual stimuli

The neural bases of verbal (nonspatial) working memory (VWM) have been primarily examined using visual stimuli. Few studies have investigated the neural bases of VWM using auditory stimuli, and fewer have explored modality differences in VWM. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine similarities and differences between visual VWM (vis-VWM) and auditory VWM (aud-VWM) utilizing identical stimuli and a within-subjects design. Performance levels were similar in the two modalities and there was extensive overlap of activation bilaterally in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC and VLPFC), intraparietal sulcus, supramarginal gyrus and the basal ganglia. However, a direct statistical comparison revealed significant modality differences: the left posterior parietal cortex, primarily along the intraparietal sulcus, showed greater responses during vis-VWM whereas the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed greater responses during aud-VWM. No such differences were observed in the right hemisphere. Other modality differences in VWM were also observed, but they were associated with relative decreases in activation. In particular, we detected bilateral suppression of the superior and middle temporal (auditory) cortex during vis-VWM, and of the occipital (visual) cortex during aud-VWM, thus suggesting that cross-modal inhibitory processes may help to provide preferential access to high-order heteromodal association areas. Taken together, our findings suggest that although similar prefrontal and parietal regions are involved in aud-VWM and vis-VWM, there are important modality differences in the way neural signals are generated, processed and routed during VWM.
Growth and feed utilization of captive wild subadult black sea bass Centropristis striata fed practical diets in a recirculating system

The effects of four practical diets on growth, feed utilization, and body composition of wild-caught juvenile and subadult black sea bass Centropristis striata (316 ± 113 g =±± SD) were compared for 221 d in a recirculating tank system consisting of 12 2,660-L tanks. Salinity averaged 33.5 ppt and temperature averaged 20.9 C but vaned from 12 to 27.1 C. Diets differed in crude protein (CP) and crude lipid (CL) as follows: 1) low CP (44.0%), low CL (11.4%) trout diet; 2) low CP (44.8%), high CL (15.0%) trout diet; 3) midlevel CP (47.9%), midlevel CL (12.8%) Bounder diet; and 4) high CP (53.9%), high CL (15.1%) marine finfish diet. Energy: protein ratios (E: P) were 44.6, 45.3, 41.8, and 39.1 W/g. Survival to 221 d on all diets was 100%. Significant (P < 0.05) differences in growth rates were observed among diets. Final weights were higher for midlevel and high CP diets 3 and 4 (1,051 and 1,013 g) than for low CP diet 1 (873 g). Relative growth rate (RGR, % total increase in weight), specific growth rate (SGR, % increase in body weight/d), and daily weight gain (DWG, g/d) were higher for higher CP diets 3 and 4 (RGR = 223 and 221; SGR = 0.53; DWG = 3.28 and 3.16), than for low CP diet 1 (RGR = 181; SGR = 0.47; DWG = 2.54). There were no significant differences between initial and final whole body protein and fiber content among diets. Lipid and gross energy levels significantly increased (P < 0.0001) in all treatments while moisture levels significantly decreased (P < 0.001). Although these differences were not significant, feed conversion ratio (FCR = dry weight fed/wet weight gain) was lower for fish given midlevel CP diet 3 (1.49) and high CP diet 4 (1.52) than for those fed low CP diets 1 and 2 (1.60 and 1.62). Protein efficiency ratios (PER = weight gain/weight protein fed) (1.43 to 1.24), apparent net protein retention (ANPR = weight protein gain/weight protein fed) (20 to 25%), and apparent net energy retention (ANER = energy gain/energy fed) (53.3 to 56.8%) were not significantly different among treatments. The midlevel CP (50%), midlevel CL (12%) diet maximized growth rates and was also significantly less expensive per kg fish weight produced ($1.40) than the high CP diet ($1.94) which produced the second highest growth rates. These results demonstrated that wild-caught black sea bass can be successfully reared in recirculating tanks from juvenile to marketable sizes with high survival and with good feed conversion and growth on commercially prepared diets with a wide range of protein and lipid levels.
The Effects of Age and Domain Knowledge on Text Processing

The author investigated age differences in the effects of knowledge during encoding by comparing time allocated to naturalistic domain-related (cooking) and general texts among young and older adults with varying levels of (cooking) knowledge. High-knowledge individuals increased time allocated to conceptual integration when reading domain-related texts but not general texts and showed relatively greater recall for domain-related texts. These findings suggest that knowledge application can be effortful during encoding and that this effort pays off in terms of a more elaborated and integrated text representation that engenders better memory performance. There were no age differences in effects of knowledge on either resource allocation at encoding or on memory performance. These results suggest that knowledge-based processing is preserved in later life.
Transmission blocking vaccines to control insect-borne diseases: a review

Insect-borne diseases are responsible for severe mortality and morbidity worldwide. As control of insect vector populations relies primarily on the use of insecticides, the emergence of insecticide resistance as well to unintended consequences of insecticide use pose significant challenges to their continued application. Novel approaches to reduce pathogen transmission by disease vectors are been attempted, including transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) thought to be a feasible strategy to reduce pathogen burden in endemic areas. TBVs aim at preventing the transmission of pathogens from infected to uninfected vertebrate host by targeting molecule(s) expressed on the surface of pathogens during their developmental phase within the insect vector or by targeting molecules expressed by the vectors. For pathogen-based molecules, the majority of the TBV candidates selected as well as most of the data available regarding the effectiveness of this approach come from studies using malaria parasites. However, TBV candidates also have been identified from midgut tissues of mosquitoes and sand flies. In spite of the successes achieved in the potential application of TBVs against insect-borne diseases, many significant barriers remain. In this review, many of the TBV strategies against insect-borne pathogens and their respective ramification with regards to the immune response of the vertebrate host are discussed.
Investigation of the Intrinsically Disordered Protein IA3 by Multiple SDSL-EPR Techniques

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are proteins that contain little to no secondary or tertiary structure and are often functional proteins that are essential in biological systems. Many IDPs undergo a conformational change where the lack of intrinsic structure is relieved upon binding to its target protein. Due to the very nature of unstructured proteins, characterization of the conformational propensities and function of these proteins present a major challenge. Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) coupled with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a valuable tool in characterizing the mobility and conformational changes of proteins. This combined technique, however, is not often used to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). IA3 is a 68 residue IDP that has been extensively characterized by various biophysical techniques and was used in this study as a model system to show SDSL-EPR may be employed to characterize conformational changes in IDPs. The TFE-induced disordered-to-α-helical transition of IA3 was monitored by various SDSL-EPR techniques. CW-EPR experiments were performed at X-, Q-, and W-band resonant frequencies and reveal conformational changes can be observed at all three frequencies, with the W-band spectra revealing the most striking changes in dynamics upon inducing α -helical secondary structure by TFE. Low temperature CW-EPR and DEER distance measurements were also performed to evaluate the ability of these methods in characterizing the induced α-helical conformation.
Maximizing the Lifetime of a Barrier of Wireless Sensors

To make a network last beyond the lifetime of an individual sensor node, redundant nodes must be deployed. What sleep-wake-up schedule can then be used for individual nodes so that the redundancy is appropriately exploited to maximize the network lifetime? We develop optimal solutions to both problems for the case when wireless sensor nodes are deployed to form an impenetrable barrier for detecting movements. In addition to being provably optimal, our algorithms work for nondisk sensing regions and heterogeneous sensing regions. Further, we provide an optimal solution for the more difficult case when the lifetimes of individual nodes are not equal. Developing optimal algorithms for both homogeneous and heterogeneous lifetimes allows us to obtain, by simulation, several interesting results. We show that even when an optimal number of sensor nodes has been deployed randomly, statistical redundancy can be exploited to extend the network lifetime by up to seven times. We also use simulation to show that the assumption of homogeneous lifetime can result in severe loss (two-thirds) of the network lifetime. Although these results are specifically for barrier coverage, they provide an indication of behavior for other coverage models.
Basic Materials Studies of Lanthanide Halide Scintillators.

Cerium and lanthanum tribromides and trichlorides form isomorphous alloys with the hexagonal UCl3 type structure, and have been shown to exhibit high luminosity and proportional response, making them attractive alternatives for room temperature gamma ray spectroscopy. However the fundamental physical and chemical properties of this system introduce challenges for material processing, scale-up, and detector fabrication. In particular, low fracture stress and perfect cleavage along prismatic planes cause profuse cracking during and after crystal growth, impeding efforts to scale this system for production of low cost, large diameter spectrometers. We have reported progress on basic materials science of the lanthanide halides. Studies to date have included thermomechanical and thermogravimetric analyses, hygroscopicity, yield strength, and fracture toughness. The observed mechanical properties pose challenging problems for material production and post processing; therefore, understanding mechanical behavior is key to fabricating large single crystals, and engineering of robust detectors and systems. Analysis of the symmetry and crystal structure of this system, including identification of densely-packed and electrically neutral planes with slip and cleavage, and comparison of relative formation and propagation energies for proposed slip systems, suggest possible mechanisms for deformation and crack initiation under stress. The low c/a ratio and low symmetry relative to traditional scintillators indicate limited and highly anisotropic plasticity cause redistribution of residual process stress to cleavage planes, initiating fracture. Ongoing work to develop fracture resistant lanthanide halides is presented.
Ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis.

A 52-year-old woman receives a diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid is recommended. Therapy with this drug appears to prolong transplantation-free survival, although the mechanism of benefit is unclear.
Correlation Between Oxygen Vacancy, Microstrain, and Cation Distribution in Lithium-Excess Layered Oxides During the First Electrochemical Cycle

Dynamic structural changes during the first electrochemical charge and discharge cycle in the Li-excess layered oxide compound, Li[Li1/5Ni1/5Mn3/5]O2, are studied with synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (a-S/TEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). At different states of charge, we carefully examined the crystal structures and electronic structures within the bulk and have found that increased microstrain is accompanied with the cation migration and a second phase formation which occurs during the first cycle voltage plateau as well as into the beginning of the discharge cycle. The evidence indicates that the oxygen vacancy formation and activation may facilitate cation migration and results in the formation of a second phase. The EELS results reveal a Mn valence change from 4+ to 3+ upon oxygen vacancy formation and recovers back to 4+ at the discharge. The oxygen vacancy formation and activation at the partially delithiated sta...
Porphyromonas gingivalis resistance to polymyxin B is determined by the lipid A 4'-phosphatase, PGN_0524.

Porphyromonas gingivalis Resistance to Polymyxin B Is Determined by the Lipid A 4′‐Phosphatase, PGN_0524
The Futures of European Capitalism

The Futures of European Capitalism. By Vivien A. Schmidt. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. 376p. $18.95. This is a multilevel book that deals with a multilayered topic. It operates on three levels, the national, the European, and the global, and has three distinct (albeit related) objectives. The first objective is to chart the courses that the three main types of European capitalism (liberal, state, and managed) have taken since the 1970s, and then to detail the pressures that have pushed these “national capitalisms” along these different paths. The second objective is to bring the European Union back into discussions of the European political economy. This may seem a surprising objective given the vast amount of ink spilled on the EU in general, but Vivien Schmidt attempts to disaggregate the effects of “Europeanization” from those of “Globalization” and thus give a more nuanced account of the pressures facing European states. The third objective is to “bring discourse back in,” thereby giving greater analytic specificity to our understandings of institutional change and economic adjustment. This is a big and bold book.
On the Order Statistics of Standard Normal-Based Power Method Distributions

This paper derives a procedure for determining the expectations of order statistics associated with the standard normal distribution (𝑍) and its powers of order three and five (𝑍3 and 𝑍5). The procedure is demonstrated for sample sizes of 𝑛≤9. It is shown that 𝑍3 and 𝑍5 have expectations of order statistics that are functions of the expectations for 𝑍 and can be expressed in terms of explicit elementary functions for sample sizes of 𝑛≤5. For sample sizes of 𝑛=6,7 the expectations of the order statistics for 𝑍, 𝑍3, and 𝑍5 only require a single remainder term.
Capacity of block transmission systems with quantized inputs and outputs

A common inaccuracy that is made when computing the capacity of digital channels, is to assume that the inputs and outputs of the channel are analog Gaussian random variables and then based upon that assumption, invoke the Shannon capacity bound for an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. In a channel utilizing a finite set of inputs and outputs, clearly the inputs and outputs are not Gaussian distributed and Shannon bound is not exact. In this paper we study the capacity of a block transmission AWGN channel with quantized inputs and outputs given the simultaneous constraints that the channel is frequency selective and there exists an average power constraint P at the transmitter. The channel is assumed known at the transmitter. In Ndili, O and Ogunfunmi, T (2005) we show supporting simulation results consequent upon the theoretical framework developed in this paper as well as the results obtained by applying the framework to a practical example.
A model for observing a moving agent

The authors address the problem of observing a moving agent. In particular, they propose a system for observing a manipulation process, where a robot hand manipulates an object. A discrete event dynamic system framework is developed for the hand/object interaction over time and a stabilizing observer is constructed. Low-level modules are developed for recognizing the 'events' that cause state transitions within the dynamic manipulation system. The work examines closely the possibilities for errors, mistakes and uncertainties in the manipulation system, observer construction process and event identification mechanisms. The system utilizes different tracking techniques in order to observe and recognize the task in an active, adaptive and goal-directed manner. >
Mammogram enhancement using alpha weighted quadratic filter

Mammograms are widely used to detect breast cancer in women. The quality of the image may suffer from poor resolution or low contrast due to the limitations of the X-ray hardware systems. Image enhancement is a powerful tool to improve the visual quality of mammograms. This paper introduces a new powerful nonlinear filter called the alpha weighted quadratic filter for mammogram enhancement. The user has the flexibility to design the filter by selecting all of the parameters manually or using an existing quantitative measure to select the optimal enhancement parameters. Computer simulations show that excellent enhancement results can be obtained with no apriori knowledge of the mammogram contents. The filter can also be used for automatic segmentation.
Effect of mean and fluctuating pressure gradients on boundary layer turbulence

This study focuses on the effects of mean (favourable) and large-scale fluctuating pressure gradients on boundary layer turbulence. Two-dimensional (2D) particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements, some of which are time-resolved, have been performed upstream of and within a sink flow for two inlet Reynolds numbers, and 5285. The corresponding acceleration parameters, , are and . The time-resolved data at enables us to calculate the instantaneous pressure distributions by integrating the planar projection of the fluid material acceleration. As expected, all the locally normalized Reynolds stresses in the favourable pressure gradient (FPG) boundary layer are lower than those in the zero pressure gradient (ZPG) domain. However, the un-scaled stresses in the FPG region increase close to the wall and decay in the outer layer, indicating slow diffusion of near-wall turbulence into the outer region. Indeed, newly generated vortical structures remain confined to the near-wall region. An approximate analysis shows that this trend is caused by higher values of the streamwise and wall-normal gradients of mean streamwise velocity, combined with a slightly weaker strength of vortices in the FPG region. In both boundary layers, adverse pressure gradient fluctuations are mostly associated with sweeps, as the fluid approaching the wall decelerates. Conversely, FPG fluctuations are more likely to accompany ejections. In the ZPG boundary layer, loss of momentum near the wall during periods of strong large-scale adverse pressure gradient fluctuations and sweeps causes a phenomenon resembling local 3D flow separation. It is followed by a growing region of ejection. The flow deceleration before separation causes elevated near-wall small-scale turbulence, while high wall-normal momentum transfer occurs in the ejection region underneath the sweeps. In the FPG boundary layer, the instantaneous near-wall large-scale pressure gradient rarely becomes positive, as the pressure gradient fluctuations are weaker than the mean FPG. As a result, the separation-like phenomenon is markedly less pronounced and the sweeps do not show elevated small-scale turbulence and momentum transfer underneath them. In both boundary layers, periods of acceleration accompanying large-scale ejections involve near-wall spanwise contraction, and a high wall-normal momentum flux at all elevations. In the ZPG boundary layer, although some of the ejections are preceded, and presumably initiated, by regions of adverse pressure gradients and sweeps upstream, others are not. Conversely, in the FPG boundary layer, there is no evidence of sweeps or adverse pressure gradients immediately upstream of ejections. Apparently, the mechanisms initiating these ejections are either different from those involving large-scale sweeps or occur far upstream of the peak in FPG fluctuations.
Speeding up 3D speckle tracking using PatchMatch

Echocardiography provides valuable information to diagnose heart dysfunction. A typical exam records several minutes of real-time cardiac images. To enable complete analysis of 3D cardiac strains, 4-D (3-D+t) echocardiography is used. This results in a huge dataset and requires effective automated analysis. Ultrasound speckle tracking is an effective method for tissue motion analysis. It involves correlation of a 3D kernel (block) around a voxel with kernels in later frames. The search region is usually confined to a local neighborhood, due to biomechanical and computational constraints. For high strains and moderate frame-rates, however, this search region will remain large, leading to a considerable computational burden. Moreover, speckle decorrelation (due to high strains) leads to errors in tracking. To solve this, spatial motion coherency between adjacent voxels should be imposed, e.g., by averaging their correlation functions. 1 This requires storing correlation functions for neighboring voxels, thus increasing memory demands. In this work, we propose an efficient search using PatchMatch, 2 a powerful method to find correspondences between images. Here we adopt PatchMatch for 3D volumes and radio-frequency signals. As opposed to an exact search, PatchMatch performs random sampling of the search region and propagates successive matches among neighboring voxels. We show that: 1) Inherently smooth offset propagation in PatchMatch contributes to spatial motion coherence without any additional processing or memory demand. 2) For typical scenarios, PatchMatch is at least 20 times faster than the exact search, while maintaining comparable tracking accuracy.
Mechanical Property Measurement of Carbon Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Structures for Compliant Micromechanisms

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be grown in dense lithographically patterned forests to form framework structures that can be filled in via chemical vapor deposition to form solid structures. These solid structures can then be used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. Initial testing with these structures suggests that when these frameworks are filled with carbon, the resulting material exhibits favorable properties for use in compliant MEMS. To better understand this material's properties, we conducted tests to measure its Young's modulus, failure stress, and stress relaxation in the direction perpendicular to the CNT growth, as well as the modulus and stress in the direction parallel to the CNTs. To determine the properties in the transverse direction, we applied vertical loads to the tips of simple cantilever beam samples, and recorded the force and deflection until failure. The results showed failure strain up to 2.48%. Cantilever samples prepared from the same pattern were also used to measure the stress relaxation of the material. The first test for each sample showed an average force relaxation of 3.72%, while successive tests only produced 1.23% after 24 h. To determine the properties in the direction parallel to the CNTs, we prepared simple rectangular beams and subjected them to 3-point bending tests. The average strain calculated in the parallel direction was 8.17%.
Direct determination of deuterium in untreated water and urine by NMR: application to DLW analysis

Determination of deuterium (D) concentration in tap water and urine is demonstrated to average error approximately 0.5% (coefficient of variation) using a 400-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument. Time domain data are obtained using 0.75-ml samples in a broadband probe. Peak areas derived from absorption and magnitude mode Fourier transforms and least-squares fitting of the time domain free induction decays (FIDs) are all investigated as means to derive D concentrations from raw data. Least-squares fits using a sum of exponentially damped sinusoids, which yields estimates for the amplitude, damping constant (relaxation time), wavelength (resulting from mixing of precession and reference frequencies), and phase for each of the two components, are shown to provide the best precision for unfiltered FID. Amplitudes are proportional to the number of spins at each frequency, as analysis of untreated urine from doubly labeled water experiments yield highly linear washout data (r2 > 0.99998) for baseline-corrected log-transformed data. The procedure is general and should extend to other body fluids with minimal modifications. These data show that least-squares curve fitting is the most precise method of quantitative NMR data reduction for a wide range of experimental conditions.
Research on Spot Weld Topology Optimization for Vehicle Body Performance Improvement

】Topology optimization method is extended to spreading space,spot-weld topological optimization and combined topological optimization are made to a light duty commercial vehicle body model after panel optimization is made,and the body static and dynamic analysis are made to the optimized spot-weld distribution.The results show that,after topological optimization,the body stiffness is improved by more than 10% while the number of spot welds is kept unchanged;by using panel thickness optimization and spot-weld topological optimization,body mass can be reduced by 29%.