cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of neural networks for predicting program faults

Accurately predicting the number of faults in program modules is a major problem in the quality control of large software development efforts. Some software complexity metrics are closely related to the distribution of faults across program modules. Using these relationships, software engineers develop models that provide early estimates of quality metrics that do not become available until late in the development cycle. By considering these early estimates, software engineers can take actions to avoid or prepare for emerging quality problems. Most often, the predictive models are based upon multiple regression analysis. However, measures of software quality and complexity exhibit systematic departures from the assumptions of these analyses. With extreme violations of these assumptions, multiple regression models become unstable and lose most of their predictive quality. Since neural network models carry no data assumptions, these models could be more appropriate than regression models for modeling software faults. In this paper, we explore a neural network methodology for developing models that predict the number of faults in program modules. We apply this methodology to develop neural network models based upon data collected during the development of two commercial software systems. After developing neural network models, we apply multiple linear regression methods to develop regression models on the same data. For the data sets considered, the neural network methodology produced better predictive models in terms of both quality of fit and predictive quality.
Local Liquid Velocities in Horizontal, Annular Air/Water Flow

A newly developed flow visualization method that utilizes a three color LED strobe has been used to study the axial and circumferential velocities of the liquid in horizontal, annular two-phase flow. This non-intrusive technique allows the tracking of naturally entertained air bubbles within the liquid film along the top, bottom, and sides of the tube. Sets of images have been obtained for multiple combinations of air and water flow rates ranging in quality from approximately 0.07 to 0.49. The bubble-tracking velocimetry measurement method is explained, and comparison of the current data with past results and their impact on annular flow modeling are discussed. The data do not support two of the four theories for liquid film distribution in annular, horizontal multiphase flow, while the two remaining theories cannot be directly examined using the three color LED strobe measurement technique.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
CO_2 Laser Heating of Gases for Combustion Kinetics Research: A Heat Transfer Analysis

This paper describes a model for CO2 laser heating of fuel/air mixtures (contained within a reaction cell), intended for combustion kinetics research. The model identifies a previously unknown source for the hot spots which have hindered this technique. Results indicate that it is theoretically possible to create a uniformly heated field of quiescent gases, but it does not appear to be practical.
14. Contraceptive Microbicide Attitudes Among Young Women

Purpose: To evaluate relationship and behavioral predictors of attitudes towards contraceptive versus non-contraceptive microbicides among young women.
Trunk Kinematics under Sudden Loading Impact when Adopting Different Foot Postures

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of foot posture on trunk biomechanical responses when experiencing sudden external loading. Fifteen subjects were recruited to perform a series of sudden loading tasks using three different foot postures with two levels of weight. Our results showed that sudden external loading generated the smallest impact when subjects adopted “Staggered Stance”. Compared with “Wide Stance”, “Staggered Stance” significantly decreased the increment of trunk flexion angle, increment of L5/S1 joint moment, and peak L5/S1 joint anterior-posterior shear force by 21.5%, 6.5%, and 22.5%, respectively. Compared with “Narrow Stance”, the decreases were 15.1%, 3.2%, and 16.2% respectively. Heavier load weight resulted in larger spinal impact. The interaction effect between foot posture and magnitude of the load was not significant. The findings of this study could be used in reducing the risk of low back pain when dealing with sudden loading.
Effect of Visual Display Parameters on Driving Performance in a Virtual Environments Driving Simulator

In virtual environment applications, there is a tradeoff between the quality of the graphic image and the speed at which the application runs. In driving simulation, the content and quality of the visual image are particularly important, which suggests that there are limits to the degree they can be reduced. A virtual environments driving simulator was used to investigate the effects of visual display parameters on driver performance and perception. A road tracking study compared two display devices, two rendering algorithms, and three levels of road side delineation poles. Subjects drove the simulator through a series of road courses, and answered questionnaires designed to evaluate their perception of the realism of the simulator and the sense of immersion in the virtual environment. The results of the study confirm previous work on the beneficial effects of road side delineation poles on driving performance. They also suggest the importance of lag in the perception of driving performance and immersion,...
Origin of the Hubble constant controversy

The long-standing argument as to whether the Hubble constant is closer to 50 or 100 km s−1 Mpc−1 may be due to large local disturbances in galactic motions caused by excess mass in the Coma-Sculptor cloud. Outside this region, a value of 85 to 95 km s−1 Mpc−1 is consistently found.
Calcium sulfate hemihydrate scaling threshold enhancement by magnesium ion augmentation

Abstract Efficient high temperature distillation of sea water cannot be realized without development of scale control systems for calcium sulfate. This paper describes a new concept of scaling threshold enhancement based on complexing a portion of dissolved sulfate ion in the form of stable MgSOo ion pairs. Complexing may be accomplished by augmentation of feed water with magnesium ion recovered and recycled from distilling plant blowdown. This “tying up” of sulfate ion results in higher solubility levels of calcium sulfate. Magnesium ion augmentation at levels up to three times ambient results in markedly improved resistance to hemihydrate scaling in natural sea water. Significantly higher levels of operating temperature and concentration factor may be achieved by this technology.
Head-up displays—A Review

Part 1 of this review traces the background parameters which generate and specify requirements for head-up displays Taking the most common type as an example, the design of the optical unit, collimating lens and combiner glass is broadly described. Further applications of the concept are briefly discussed with reference to their impact on the optical industry. In Part 2 a more specific discussion of existing and proposed optical solutions to the airborne head-up display problem will be given.
In pursuit of the best Artificial Neural Network for predicting the most complex data

When faced with the struggle to extract insights from complex and noisy data, often the end user may assume that there exist no significant relation between the features and target in the dataset and is forced to either quit the study or resort to alternate means. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) might be of help to predict some of the most complex data used in the industry. But it is neither easy to identify such situations where ANNs might be more useful as compared to some of the other techniques, nor to identify the best Artificial Neural Network(ANN) to be used in a given situation for the available data. This paper deals with comparing the two most popular variants of Artificial Neural Networks, namely the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and the Radial Basis Function (RBF) Neural Networks with respect to their capabilities to predict noisy, complex, heteroskadastic or multi/ mixed-distribution data. The data used for the study has been synthetically produced and is subjected to complex transformations, correlations and random noises of different orders so that it can best represent and surpass the complexity of average data available in any industry. Therefore the results of the study may be used in any industry, over most of its complex data scenarios. At the end a comparison of the results of applying these two ANNs and some of the other popular statistical prediction algorithms is produced to identify the best algorithm for predicting the most complex data.
Attribute-Distributed Learning: Models, Limits, and Algorithms

This paper introduces a framework for distributed learning (regression) on attribute-distributed data. First, the convergence properties of attribute-distributed regression with an additive model and a fusion center are discussed, and the convergence rate and uniqueness of the limit are shown for some special cases. Then, taking residual refitting (or boosting) as a prototype algorithm, three different schemes, Simple Iterative Projection, a greedy algorithm, and a parallel algorithm (with its derivatives), are proposed and compared. Among these algorithms, the first two are sequential and have low communication overhead, but are susceptible to overtraining. The parallel algorithm has the best performance, but has significant communication requirements. Instead of directly refitting the ensemble residual sequentially, the parallel algorithm redistributes the residual to each agent in proportion to the coefficients of the optimal linear combination of the current individual estimators. Designing residual redistribution schemes also improves the ability to eliminate irrelevant attributes. The performance of the algorithms is compared via extensive simulations. Communication issues are also considered: the amount of data to be exchanged among the three algorithms is compared, and the three methods are generalized to scenarios without a fusion center.
Mass spectrometric identification of cosmic-ray-produced neon in terrestrial rocks with multiple neon components

Studies of cosmic-ray-produced nuclides in terrestrial rocks are expected to provide important geomorphological and glaciological information, such as surface exposure ages, erosion rates and extent of glacial cover. In the case of the stable nuclide21Ne, the cosmic-ray-produced component may represent but one of several components, and a component resolution based on three-isotope correlations is essential. We developed analytical techniques which permit accurate corrections for all interfering ions. We show (for our modified Nier source) that corrections for doubly charged species based on constant charge state ratios are not satisfactory. The improved techniques permit isotopic studies of < 106 atoms of21Ne. The spallation ratio(22Ne/21Ne)c from Si was calibrated using a quartz separate from an Allan Hills sandstone and yields a value of1.243 ± 0.022. This ratio is expected to be essentially constant for terrestrial quartz samples and should be useful in component resolutions. The stepwise release of Ne at increasing temperatures shows that cosmic-ray-produced Ne is released from quartz at rather low temperatures. This permits an estimate of the activation energy for Ne diffusion in quartz (90 ± 10 kJ/mol).
Hugoniot equation of state of the lanthanides

Abstract Shock wave studies of the lanthanide series show the existence of a very high pressure phase transition in all members of the series. The data show that this transformation is of necessity to a more incompressible phase and has been identified with melting. Thermodynamic considerations allow calculation of the solid-liquid phase boundary from these data; the results indicate that all the rare earths melt anomalously at sufficiently high pressures. This can be understood in the context of a “two-fluid” theory, in which the composition of the liquid along the phase boundary changes continuously with pressure due to the degree of pressure-induced electronic transition present in the liquid. Hence, at sufficiently high pressure, the density of the liquid becomes greater than the density of the contiguous solid and dP dT becomes negative.
The changing effects of Alaska's boreal forests on the climate system

In the boreal forests of Alaska, recent changes in climate have influenced the exchange of trace gases, water, and energy between these forests and the atmosphere. These changes in the structure and function of boreal forests can then feed back to impact regional and global climates. In this manuscript, we examine the type and magnitude of the climate feedbacks from boreal forests in Alaska. Research generally suggests that the net effect of a warming climate is a positive regional feedback to warming. Currently, the primary positive climate feedbacks are likely related to decreases in surface albedo due to decreases in snow cover. Fewer negative feedbacks have been identified, and they may not be large enough to counterbalance the large positive feedbacks. These positive feedbacks are most pronounced at the regional scale and reduce the resilience of the boreal vegetation – climate system by amplifying the rate of regional warming. Given the recent warming in this region, the large variety of associated ...
Decreasing Noncompliance in a Severely Multihandicapped Child.

The noncompliant behavior of a severely multihandicapped 6-year-old boy was modified through systematic manipulations of an instructional antecedent. Responding to teacher requests within 5 seconds was measured under three conditions: decreased rate of commands, increased rate of commands, and unconditional rate of commands, coupled with contingent consequation. A multielement design was employed to evaluate differential effectiveness. Increasing the density of instructional commands and reinforcing discrete compliant responses was found to be the most effective treatment package for controlling behavior. Commands issued at a frequent and consistent pace reduced inapproriate responding to zero, suggesting the viable potential of this antecedent as a variable in programming for noncompliant children.
Sacral neuromodulation in children with dysfunctional elimination syndrome: description of incisionless first stage and second stage without fluoroscopy

Objectives To detail a percutaneous technique of sacral nerve neuromodulation (SN) that eliminates the first-stage incisions and the need for second-stage fluoroscopy. Our group has previously described the results of SN in children with medically refractory dysfunctional elimination syndrome. The drawbacks to SN include the use of fluoroscopy and the need to reopen recent skin incisions during the second stage. This results in increased radiation exposure, poor cosmesis, and possible wound infection. Methods The incisionless first stage consisted of percutaneously tunneling the temporary external appliance to the contralateral axillary line at the buttock after localization of the S3 nerve root and placement of a quadripolar tined lead under fluoroscopic guidance. A subcutaneous bolus of methylene blue marked the lead connector site, obviating the need for later fluoroscopic localization to place the implantable pulse generator at the second stage. Results A total of 27 children with refractory dysfunctional elimination syndrome underwent SN using the InterStim device. Of the 27 patients, 19 underwent our modified technique. The operative time for our modified tunneling and placement technique was ≤2 minutes. The mean hospital stay was 0.6 day, with no patient requiring postoperative intravenous narcotics. At a mean follow-up of 35.9 months, no wound infections had occurred in the incisionless cohort compared with 1 postoperative wound infection requiring device explantation in the conventional lead placement group. Conclusions The incisionless technique of SN device implantation is technically simple, quick to perform, and results in decreased radiation exposure, excellent pain control, and improved cosmesis without compromising the outcomes.
Adenosine A2A Receptor Activation Promotes Wound Neovascularization by Stimulating Angiogenesis and Vasculogenesis

Recent reports indicate that circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may be recruited to sites of neovascularization where they differentiate into endothelial cells (EC). As we have previously demonstrated that adenosine A 2A agonists promote neovascularization in wounds, we sought to determine whether adenosine A 2A receptor agonist-augmented wound healing involves vessel sprouting (angiogenesis) or EPC recruitment (vasculogenesis) or both. Four weeks after bone marrow reconstitution from donor FVB/N Tie2GFP transgenic mice, two full-thickness excisional wounds were performed on the dorsum of FVB/N wild-type mice and treated with either an A 2A receptor agonist (CGS-21680) or vehicle alone. Vessel density, as measured by CD31 staining, and density of EPC-derived vessels, as measured by GFP expression, were quantified in a blinded fashion using two-color fluorescence microscopy. We observed nearly a threefold increase in CD31-positive vessels and a more than 10-fold increase in GFP-positive cells in A 2A agonist-treated 3-day old wounds, but by 6 days after wounding the differences between A 2A agonist-treated and vehicle-treated wounds were no longer statistically significant. In conclusion, this is the first evidence that an exogenous agent such as an adenosine A 2A receptor agonist increases neovascularization in the early stages of wound repair by increasing both EPC recruitment (vasculogenesis) and local vessel sprouting (angiogenesis).
Insect Growth Regulators for Control of Chironomid Midges in Residential-Recreational Lakes

Application of 2 insect growth regulators (IGRs) to 2 residential-recreational lakes produced excellent control of most aquatic nuisance midges. Methoprene at the rate of 0.25 lb/acre-surface to a shallow lake (Lake Calabasas, 6 ft deep) yielded excellent inhibition of emergence 3–4 days after treatment, and the duration of desired inhibition of emergence (IE) ranged from 1–3 wk, the duration of (IE) becoming shorter on successive treatments. Larval populations were not markedly suppressed by methoprene treatments. Dimilin® [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)-urea] at 0.1 and 0.25 lb/acre-surface produced excellent IE of midges in Lake Calabasas; however, after elimination of the prevailing midge fauna, the midge Labrundinia maculata (Roback) absent from Lake Calabasas heretofore appeared in the lake. Two additional treatments with Dimilin, including one at 0.25 lb/acre-surface did not effectively control L. maculata . All Dimilin treatments reduced larval populations except that of the new invader. Spring Valley Lake, covering 200 acres area and 12 ft deep, was treated with 0.1 and 0.21 lb/acre-surface of Dimilin. Due to the greater depth of this lake and the resultant low concentration of the IGR, high level of inhibition of emergence was obtained for only 4 wk or so with lower rate and 6–8 wk with the higher rate.
Implanting impairment: contextualizing a US special education category

There has been a growing debate during an increasingly poststructural era that has paved the way for open discussions regarding the interplay between impairment, disability and society. Some of these discussions have led to the conclusion that modernity is responsible for the production, construction and/or sustenance of impairment. The purpose of this paper is to trouble a special education impairment category, the US educational category of ‘learning disabilities’ (LD). This is done by discussing the dilemma of whether or not impairment is real and by contextualizing it within US federal policy that has recently shifted to require what is called a response to intervention approach for determining LD labels. This significant policy shift helps illuminate how impairments are produced, constructed and sustained by social mechanisms. Finally, the same arguments are extrapolated beyond special education and are brought to bear on other medicalized fields.
Time-Varying Initialization and Laplace Transform of the Caputo Derivative: With Order Between Zero and One

This paper derives the time-varying initialization function for the Caputo derivative with order between zero and one. The derivative is redefined to include this initialization function. Then, the Laplace transform for the redefined Caputo derivative is determined which corrects (supplants) that given for the derivative in the literature and properly accounts for time-varying initialization effects.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Strict convexity, strong ellipticity, and regularity in the calculus of variations

In this paper we investigate the connection between strong ellipticity and the regularity of weak solutions to the equations of nonlinear elastostatics and other nonlinear systems arising from the calculus of variations. The main mathematical tool is a new characterization of continuously differentiable strictly convex functions. We first describe this characterization, and then explain how it can be applied to the calculus of variations and to elastostatics.
The Effect of Programmed Materials on the Vocal Development of Selected Children's Choruses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of programmed materials with adjunct listening examples on the vocal development of children's choruses. A programmed text was designed, tested, and revised in several pilot studies that constituted Phase 1. The text, developed by means of the systems approach model, was effective as measured by pretest-to-posttest gains by all subjects in summative and formative pilot testings. Phase 2 of the study was an experimental design to determine the amount of methods and materials presented in the text that could be implemented by practicing teachers. Forty music teachers and their respective choruses served as subjects and were divided into two groups: a no-contact control and an experimental group. Judges' ratings of the performances were used as the main variable to match groups; other variables included length of rehearsal, grade levels, and size of the chorus. All choruses were tape recorded singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Teachers in the experimen...
Recovery of Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Tennessee in peanut butter after electron beam exposure.

: The effect of electron beam (e-beam) radiation on the recovery of Salmonella serotypes Tennessee (ATCC 10722) and Typhimurium (ATCC 14028) in creamy peanut butter over a 14-d storage period at 22 °C was studied. Each Salmonella type was independently inoculated into peanut butter and subjected to e-beam doses that ranged from 0 to 3.1 kGy, confirmed by film dosimetry. After 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, and 14-d of storage, microbial analyses were conducted. Survivors were recovered on growth and selective media using standard spread-plating methods. Microbial counts (CFU/g) were log-converted and differences were determined by ANOVA and Tukey's Honestly Significant Differences test. When samples were not e-beam-treated, there were no significant changes (P > 0.05) in microbial numbers over time. In e-beamed samples, microbial numbers decreased over time; however, reductions were not always significant. Initial recovery rates (R-rates) 2 d after e-beam treatment were significantly different for the 2 strains of Salmonella and between recovery media (P 0.05) indicating that injured cells were not able to survive in the high-fat, low-water activity peanut butter environment. R-rates for both strains of Salmonella were maintained until day 14 when there were significant reductions in Salmonella Typhimurium (P < 0.05). These results indicate that Salmonella Tennessee and Salmonella Typhimurium will survive in peanut butter when exposed to nonlethal doses of e-beam irradiation. Practical Application: Electron beam (e-beam) irradiation is an alternative to thermal processing; this technique inactivates microorganisms and insects that might be present in a food by generating radiation by accelerated electrons that inactivate organisms directly because of interaction with cell components and indirectly by producing free radicals that disrupt integrity of the cell membrane. E-beam radiation will reduce the number of probable microbiological hazards that could be present while the food remains generally unaffected in texture, taste, and nutritional value. A recent study showed e-beam irradiation to be effective at reducing both Salmonella Tennessee and Typhimurium in peanut butter by one log after exposure to less than 1 kGy, highlighting the need to explore this process further.
Antioxidant capacity and quercetin levels in Alaska wild berries

Abstract Alaska wild berries were harvested in 2003 to evaluate levels of antioxidants in non-cultivated fruit. Berries were stored frozen for up to 20 months until analysis for levels of quercetin and hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORACFL). H-ORACFL levels were highest in lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.(119-320, average 203 µmol of Trolox Equivalents (TE)/g fresh weight (FW), n = 13). H-ORACFL levels in other berries from interior Alaska averaged 174 µmol TE/g for highbush cranberry Viburnum edule (Michx.) Raf., 107µmol of TE/g for crowberry Empetrum nigrum L., and 77 µmol of TE/g for bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum L. Quercetin levels ranged from 0.5 to 14.6 µg/g FW in these 4 species from interior Alaska. Lingonberry and bog blueberry had higher levels of quercetin than most other berries tested. Alaskan wild berries are rich sources of antioxidants.
Extracting objective estimates of sedentary behavior from accelerometer data: measurement considerations for surveillance and research applications.

Background Accelerometer-based activity monitors are widely used in research and surveillance applications for quantifying sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA). Considerable research has been done to refine methods for assessing PA, but relatively little attention has been given to operationalizing SB parameters (i.e., sedentary time and breaks) from accelerometer data - particularly in relation to health outcomes. This study investigated: (a) the accrued patterns of sedentary time and breaks; and (b) the associations of sedentary time and breaks in different bout durations with cardiovascular risk factors. Methods Accelerometer data on 5,917 adults from the National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2003–2006 were used. Sedentary time and breaks at different bout durations (i.e., 1, 2–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–19, 20–24, 25–29, and ≥30-min) were obtained using a threshold of <100 counts per minute. Sedentary time and breaks were regressed on cardiovascular risk factors (waist circumference, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and body mass index across bout durations. Results The results revealed that the majority of sedentary time occurred within relatively short bout durations (≈70% and ≈85% for <5-min and <10-min, respectively). The associations of sedentary time and breaks with health outcomes varied depending on how bout time was defined. Estimates of SB parameters based on bout durations of 5 min or shorter were associated with reduced cardiovascular risk factors while durations longer than 10-min were generally associated with increased risk factors. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that the duration of sedentary bouts should be further considered when operationalizing the SB parameters from accelerometer data. The threshold of 5 minutes to define a bout is defensible, but a 10 minute threshold would provide a more conservative estimate to clearly capture the prolonged nature of sedentary behavior. Additional research is needed to determine the relative sensitivity and specificity of these thresholds.
Military conversion and economic reform: Implications for the Post‐Soviet Era

The republics of the former Soviet Union are now faced with the mammoth task of reconstructing their economies. Cutting military spending and converting defence industries to civilian production is one of the main ways these countries have set about the task. But conversion alone cannot be the panacea for post‐Soviet economic ills. Unless these moves are accompanied by other radical measures, the situation may only be worsened. Professor Kramer here explores the issues arising from this dilemma, and the military, political and economic implications of post‐Soviet conversion.
Comparison of Starch Physicochemical Properties from Medium-Grain Rice Cultivars Grown in California and Arkansas

The starch molecular structure and physicochemical properties of two medium-grain rice cultivars from Arkansas (Bengal, Medark) and from California (M202, M204) were determined and compared when they were grown in their respective locations and grown together in Arkansas to better understand the impacts of genetics and environment on starch characteristics. Both M202 and M204 contained significantly higher amylose contents (13.2-15.3%) compared with the Arkansas cultivars (11.6-12.4%). Starch from the Arkansas rice cultivars exhibited higher pasting and gelatinization temperatures and higher enthalpy values. Rice amylopectin from the California cultivars consisted of a smaller proportion of intermediate chains (DP 13-24), and had a lower molecular weight and a smaller radius of gyration. When the four cultivars were grown together in Arkansas, the ranges for amylose content narrowed (10.6-12.4%), their differences in thermal and pasting properties became smaller, and the molecular characteristics of amylose and amylopectin changed for all four cultivars. This study demonstrated that genetics, location, and crop year all contributed to variations in rice starch fine structure and physicochemical properties.
Efficient Spread Spectrum Communication without Preshared Secrets

Spread spectrum (SS) communication relies on the assumption that some secret is shared beforehand among communicating nodes to establish the spreading sequence for long-term wireless communication. Strasser et al. identified this as the circular dependency problem (CDP). This problem is exacerbated in large networks, where nodes join and leave the network frequently, and preconfiguration of secrets through physical contact is infeasible. In this work, we introduce an efficient and adversary-resilient secret sharing mechanism based on two novel paradigms (intractable forward decoding, efficient backward decoding) called Time Reversed Message Extraction and Key Scheduling (TREKS) that enables SS communication without preshared secrets. TREKS is four orders of magnitude faster than previous solutions to the CDP. Furthermore, our approach can be used to operate long-term SS communication without establishing any keys. The energy cost under TREKS is provably optimal with minimal storage overhead, and computation cost at most twice that of traditional SS. We evaluate TREKS through simulation and empirically using an experimental testbed consisting of USRP, GNU Radio, and GPU-equipped nodes. Using TREKS under a modest hardware setup, we can sustain a 1--Mbps long-term SS communication spread by a factor of 100 (i.e., 100 Megachips per second) over a 200-MHz bandwidth in real time.
Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a group of rare, heterogeneous neoplasms that have been increasing in incidence the past few decades largely because of the diagnosis of pancreatic incidentalomas on cross-sectional imaging. Although these tumors are classically associated with clinical syndromes that result from excess secretion of particular hormones, most pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are nonfunctional tumors presenting with symptoms secondary to mass effect, metastatic disease, or as incidental findings. This article reviews the diagnostic algorithm, surgical management, and available systemic therapies for nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Qian-Kun-Nin, a Chinese herbal medicine formulation, attenuates mitochondrial oxidant stress in cardiomyocytes

Qian-Kun-Nin is a Chinese herbal medicine formulation used for several indications, including the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This formulation contains herbs which possess antioxidant properties. In this study, Qian-Kun-Nin's ability to confer protection to cardiomyocytes against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during mitochondrial electron transport inhibition was tested. The intracellular fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA, sensitive to H(2)O(2) and hydroxyl radicals) was used to assess intracellular ROS, and propidium iodide (PI) was used to assess viability in cultured chick embryonic cardiomyocytes. Qian-Kun-Nin significantly attenuated oxidation of DCFH in cells exposed to the mitochondrial site III inhibitor, antimycin A, consistent with a decrease in oxidative stress. These attenuated oxidant levels were associated with improved cell survival. After antimycin A exposure, Qian-Kun-Nin decreased cell death from 51. 6+/-3.3% in untreated cells to 27.3+/-3.8% in treated cells at 2 h. We conclude that Qian-Kun-Nin attenuates oxidant stress and protects cells from lethal oxidant damage during mitochondrial electron transport inhibition, and thus its therapeutic potential in treating cardiovascular diseases may relate to its antioxidant properties.
Improved infeasible path optimization for sequential modular simulators—II: the optimization algorithm

Abstract Recently it was shown that chemical processes modeled by steady-state simulators could be optimzied without repeatedly converging the process simulation. Instead, optimization and simulation of the flowsheet can be performed simultaneously, along an infeasible path, thus leading to much more efficient performance. In this two-part study, we describe several improvements to this infeasible-path approach. This second article deals with theoretical and computational improvements to the optimization algorithm. Because recycle convergence and optimization occur simultaneously, the consequences of algorithmic failure can be severe, since little useful information is recoverable. Here we consider and improve several factors that affect the efficiency and robustness of the successive quadratic programming (SQP) optimization algorithm. The improvements are demonstrated on several small problems as well as on three chemical process problems. The results show significant improvement in performance as predicted from the theory.
Effect of hypophysectomy on a virus-induced T-cell leukaemia

WE have found that removal of the pituitary from rats decreases their susceptibility to leukaemia induced by Gross virus. This provides preliminary support for our hypothesis that the pituitary through one of its hormones, is involved in leukaemogenesis.
Alpha1‐Adrenergic Receptor Modulation of Repolarization in Canine Purkinje Fibers

INTRODUCTION Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor stimulation increases contractility and prolongs repolarization. These effects are modulated by alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-mediated inhibition of transsarcolemmal potassium currents. METHODS AND RESULTS We used standard microelectrode techniques to study the actions of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), which blocks the transient outward current, I(to), and WAY-123,398, which blocks the delayed rectifier, Ik, on canine Purkinje fiber action potential prolongation induced by phenylephrine. At a basic cycle length of 1 second, phenylephrine (0.1 to 10 microM) dose-dependently prolonged action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD90) from 331 +/- 10 msec to 400 +/- 12 msec (P < 0.05) at phenylephrine, 10 microM. Phenylephrine did not change phase 1 or plateau height. 4-AP (0.1 mM) decreased phase 1 magnitude, shifted plateau height to more positive potentials (from 0.1 +/- 1.8 mV to 14.3 +/- 1.1 mV [P < 0.05]), and shortened APD90 from 318 +/- 9 msec to 294 +/- 8 msec (P < 0.05). 4-AP did not block phenylephrine effects on APD90, which increased, at 10 microM phenylephrine, from 294 +/- 8 msec to 342 +/- 6 msec (P < 0.05). In contrast, WAY-123,398 (0.1 microM) prolonged APD90 from 360 +/- 6 msec to 452 +/- 6 msec (P < 0.05), and had no effect on plateau height. In the presence of WAY-123,398, phenylephrine no longer increased APD90. CONCLUSION (1) Agents that block I(to) shorten APD in Purkinje fibers; and (2) the alpha-agonist mediated increase of APD in canine Purkinje fibers can be explained by inhibition of Ik.
The impact of a sex offender treatment programme on the attachment styles of incarcerated male sexual offenders

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to test whether attachment styles change over the course of a sex offender-specific treatment programme for incarcerated adult male sex offenders. To measure attachment styles, 44 male sex offenders (treatment n = 26, waitlist n = 18) completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) and the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS). The results indicated that treatment participants showed significant decreases in levels of anxious attachment measures from pre- to post-test. Furthermore, the results from the RSQ 2-factor showed that participants in the treatment group demonstrated a significant decrease in avoidant attachment levels at post-test compared to the waitlist group. The results from the AAS showed that participants in the treatment group demonstrated a significant decrease in dependent attachment levels at post-test compared to the waitlist group. Implications of results are discussed.
New method to examine the curvature of the human cornea by polynomial modeling (Proceedings Only)

A new method for reconstructing 3-D corneal curvature is proposed which makes use of polynomials to represent the profile of the human cornea. It is shown that the anterior surface of the human cornea can be represented by a group of polynomials, and hence the corneal radius of the curvature can be derived without the assumption of an elliptical or spherical model.
Cosmology and perturbations in massive gravity

We study perturbations around some cosmological backgrounds in the de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley theory of massive gravity. We develop a general formalism to calculate the perturbations around any background. We derive the Lagrangian for fluctuations in the small-scale limit, and for the open Friedman-Robertson-Walker solution we repeat the analysis around the full background. We find that the perturbations display similar properties: the longitudinal modes of the massive graviton are instantaneous at quadratic level, but they acquire a kinetic term at cubic order.
Ionospheric Plasma Convection in the Midnight Sector for Northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field

The ionospheric plasma convection in the midnight sector for stably northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has been examined using the Dynamics Explorer 2 fields and plasma data. From the 12-months of noon-midnight passes, 67 passes were selected. With the electric field data from these passes, we have focused on the convection occurring in the “boundary plasma region.” The boundary plasma region is defined as a region between the equatorward boundary of the polar cap and the poleward boundary of a central/inner plasma sheet. The convection pattern in the boundary plasma region is controlled by the sign of IMF BY, the magnitude of (BY2 + BZ2)1/2 and the IMF clock angle. For a large IMF (BY2 +BZ2)1/2 and relatively large IMF clock angles (i.e., larger than 30°), the convection tends to show a By-dependent flow pattern which consists of two or three flow regions having an eastward or westward component. As the clock angle becomes smaller, the convection tends to be an irregular pattern which has multiple flow regions. Large potential difference can occur in the boundary plasma region. When the potential is more than 15 kV, the convection, in most cases, is the BY-controlled pattern. This means that for this convection pattern a significant amount of energy can be deposited in the midnight sector from the tail even if IMF BZ is stably positive.
Firing an old friend, painful decisions: The ethics between librarians and vendors

Abstract The past decade has brought many changes in the relationships between librarians and vendors and in the ethics between them. Foremost among these changes have been the advances in library technology and automation. In the past, the symbiotic relationship between librarians and vendors was relatively simple. Librarians wanted a vendor who could supply library materials efficiently, accurately, and with a good discount. The vendor was expected to be knowledgeable about library trends and needs and to be the party with the business savvy and sophistication to work with publishers. Now, not only do librarians expect vendors to supply materials efficiently and accurately, they also expect technological sophistication in the providing of these materials, automated systems, and service for the systems. This is especially true for the acquisition of serial publications and the needs of automated services such as check-in, claiming, ordering, and invoicing. Librarians now want more than just materials at a reasonable price. They want automated systems and databases for acquiring materials, managing budgets, and servicing collections. This paper will review the historical relationship of the ethics between vendors and librarians. It will explore the information and automation society and how the decline of business ethics in the eighties changed this relationship.
Preliminary studies of acyclovir in chronic hepatitis B

Three patients with HBsAg-positive and DNA-polymerase-positive chronic hepatitis were treated with increasing dosages of intravenous acyclovir. A fall in DNA polymerase activity was seen with all courses of acyclovir but no dose-response relationship was evident. In only one patient did DNA polymerase fall to zero where it has remained for five months. Two out of 10 courses were associated with significant side effects with the highest dosages of acyclovir but these promptly resolved when the agent was stopped. Acyclovir's apparently partial and transient action suggests that it will not have a role in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
Microbiology: An integrated view of the skin microbiome

An analysis of the combined genomes of microorganisms inhabiting human skin demonstrates how these communities vary between individuals and across body sites, and paves the way to understanding their functions. See Article p.59 Previous work based on taxonomic marker genes has shown that human skin is home to a rich and varied microbiota. Here Julia Segre and colleagues report a large-scale shotgun sequencing study of the healthy human skin microbiome using samples from 18 body sites from 15 healthy individuals. Their metagenomic approach reveals surprising taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as both site-specificity and individual signatures. Samples from skin have markedly higher viral and fungal representation than reported for other body sites, including the gut. This work has also generated a reference catalogue of nearly 6 million genes that can be used to identify the genetic signatures for skin microbiota species for which no reference genome exists.
Mass Spectrometry of Low-Dimensional Materials

Mass spectrometry, MS, is applied to almost every area of research being pursued today. Diverse studies such as cancer research, forensic drug analysis, atmosphere, and water environmental analysis, combustion, and lasers have benefited by mass spectrometry.1,2 In these investigations, the mass spectrometer is frequently used either as a chemical reactor or as an analytical instrument. The intent of this chapter is to focus primarily on the use of this instrument for the analysis and characterization of low-dimensional materials.
Low-Level Detection of Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum in Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) by 16s rRNA Pyrosequencing

Accurate detection and quantification of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (CLs), the putative causal agent of zebra chip disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), in the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc), has become necessary to better understand the biology of the disease cycle. Studies on the transmission efficiency of potato psyllids have shown inconsistencies with field surveys. There have also been reports of laboratory colonies inexplicably losing and regaining CLs infection as detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Until now, DNA primers were used to detect CLs in potato psyllid tissue using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis or by real-time quantitative PCR. In this study, CLs was detected using bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) at levels identifiable by PCR, and low levels, including samples with only one cell of CLs. Potato psyllids with <300 pyrosequencing reads did not show positive using conventional PCR. These results indicate that the currently accepted PCR diagnostic technique produces false negatives due to detection limits higher than what is generally present in field collected psyllids, and also provides an explanation as to why laboratory colonies seem to lose and regain CLs infection.
Robust hyperbolic square root updating in RLS estimation

A stabilized version of the hyperbolic Householder transform method for the multiple vector downdating of Cholesky factors has been developed. This approach offers roughly a twofold savings over schemes based on the multiple application of single-vector downdating schemes, and it is just as stable. The proposed approach is found to exhibit numerical behavior superior to the standard scheme in simulations. It is concluded that there is no computational penalty incurred with stabilized hyperbolic Householder transforms; they enjoy an operation count identical to their conventional counterparts. >
Examining political mobilization of online communities through e-petitioning behavior in We the People

This study aims to reveal patterns of e-petition co-signing behavior that are indicative of the political mobilization of online “communities”. We discuss the case of We the People , a US national experiment in the use of social media technology to enable users to propose and solicit support for policy suggestions to the White House. We apply Baumgartner and Jones's work on agenda setting and punctuated equilibrium, which suggests that policy issues may lie dormant for periods of time until some event triggers attention from the media, interest groups, and elected representatives. In the case study presented, we focus on 21 petitions initiated during the week after the Sandy Hook shooting (14–21 December 2012) in opposition to gun control or in support of policy proposals that are alternatives to gun control, which we view as mobilized efforts to maintain stability and equilibrium in a policy system threatening to change. Using market basket analysis and social network analysis we found a core group of petitions in the “support law-abiding gun owners” theme that were highly connected and four “communities” of e-petitioners mobilizing in opposition to change in gun control policies and in favor of alternative proposals.