cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational classification of numbers and algebraic properties

In this paper, we propose a computational classification of finite characteristic numbers (Laurent series with coefficients in a finite field), and prove that some classes have good algebraic properties. This provides tools from the theories of computation, formal languages, and formal logic for finer study of transcendence and algebraic independence questions. Using them, we place some well-known transcendental numbers occurring in number theory in the computational hierarchy. Existence of or lack of patterns in the digit sequences of naturally occurring real numbers is a natural question. Rational numbers (and only rational numbers) have eventually periodic digit sequences. But the question has not been studied much for irrational real numbers, except for statistical studies on normality and randomness of digits for general numbers as well as special numbers such as π. Apart from the fact that no interesting patterns are found in general, the other reason for the lack of such studies is that irrationals usually are not naturally presented by their digit expansions (say decimals), at least in theoretical studies. Also, since it is hard to control carry-overs well, when we add or multiply, it is usually hard to manipulate the formulas to get good control on digit expansions of sums and products. The situation seems to be much better for finite characteristic numbers: There are well-known strong analogies between integers, rationals, and reals on one hand, and polynomials, rational functions, and Laurent series (all with coefficients in a finite field) on the other. Again rational functions correspond to eventually periodic Laurent series expansions. Also the Laurent series representation is widely used: There are no
Modeling of three-way catalytic converter performance with exhaust mixtures from dithering natural gas-fueled engines

Abstract The behavior of a three-way catalytic converter (TWC) to treat the exhaust from a natural-gas fueled engine in fuel dithering conditions was evaluated by numerical simulation. A validated comprehensive and thermodynamically consistent surface reaction mechanism was utilized to model the natural gas engine exhaust conversion in the TWC at dithering conditions. The mechanism was implemented in a tank-in-series model to study the TWC behavior while air to fuel ratio was cyclically varied (dithering conditions). The simulation results were evaluated by comparison with data collected from a TWC operated at dithering conditions. The microkinetic reaction model predicted the post catalyst total hydrocarbon (THC), NO and CO concentrations well when 5 reaction steps out of 115 elementary steps were modified. Both simulations and experiments showed that TWC window widened in the dithering conditions, particularly dithering yielded improved NO conversion as compared to steady state operation at higher air to fuel ratios. Simulations showed that this was due to a higher number of surface vacancies with dithering that improved NO adsorption and surface reaction. Both dithering parameter including amplitude and frequency was modeled and the results indicated there is an optimal dithering amplitude to achieve lower exhaust emission, larger dithering amplitude decreased the THC conversion because the air fuel ratio shifted to the fuel rich side. Simulations indicated that the dithering frequency did not noticeably impact the exhaust conversion simply because the transition time is relative short.
The multiple risk factor intervention trial (MRFIT).: III. The model for intervention

Abstract The design, planning, and implementation steps taken to develop the MRFIT intervention model are discussed. The objective of the MRFIT program, which extends from 1974 to 1982, was to intervene on the primary risk factors for CHD: cigarette smoking, elevated blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. Participants in the program are at high risk of developing CHD although initially free of clinical signs of CHD. The assumptions underlying the behavioral model, the use of group techniques, and other behavioral techniques over the life of the trial are discussed here. Overall intervention objectives and specific risk factor objectives of the MRFIT program are outlined. Brief descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of the intervention staff and the training programs used to achieve standardization and of the MRFIT intervention program are given.
Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (gBLUP) for the Estimation of Genomic Breeding Values

Genomic best linear unbiased prediction (gBLUP) is a method that utilizes genomic relationships to estimate the genetic merit of an individual. For this purpose, a genomic relationship matrix is used, estimated from DNA marker information. The matrix defines the covariance between individuals based on observed similarity at the genomic level, rather than on expected similarity based on pedigree, so that more accurate predictions of merit can be made. gBLUP has been used for the prediction of merit in livestock breeding, may also have some applications to the prediction of disease risk, and is also useful in the estimation of variance components and genomic heritabilities.
MINING HUMAN INTERPRETABLE KNOWLEDGE WITH FUZZY MODELING METHODS: AN OVERVIEW

This chapter focuses on one particular class of data mining methodologies that expresses the mined knowledge in the form of fuzzy If-Then rules or fuzzy decision trees that can be easily understood by a human. Past studies on generating fuzzy If-Then rules (mostly from exemplar crisp data and a few from exemplar fuzzy data) are grouped into six major categories: grid partitioning, fuzzy clustering, genetic algorithms, neural networks, hybrid methods, and others. The representative method in each category is detailed. The latest improvements and advancements in each category are also reviewed. Similarly, past studies on generating fuzzy decision trees (from exemplar nominal and/or numeric data as well as from exemplar fuzzy data) are surveyed. The essence of each method is presented. Moreover, we discuss selected studies that address most of the necessary conditions for a fuzzy model to be interpretable and highlight areas for future studies. To give an idea of where fuzzy modeling methods have been applied, major application areas are also summarized.
Is there a Change in the Baryonic Structure Formation if Quark Strings and Domain Walls Exist at About the Electro-Weak Era?

The structural formation and baryonic fluctutations being presented initially come from an article by Chechin as to perturbation growth in the early universe. Due to a set of notes as written up by Sahoo, and Misra the author has reviewed what would be the consequences of adding in strange quark matter, cosmic strings and also domain walls, which change the nature of the initial baryonic model perturbations. The conclusion which jumps out, via what is the consequences for domain walls and galaxy formation , after the electro weak, is that the initial perturbations are heavily influenced by domain wall tension. I.e. almost as a free parameter, which is troubling since there is no experimental way to quantify what sort of domain wall tension is suitable at/ before the electro-weak regime.
Introduction: A Dedication to Beatrice and Jonathan Wittenberg

This introduction to the volume presents a dedication to Beatrice and Jonathan Wittenberg, and summarizes their many joint contributions to our understanding of oxygen transport and utilization.
Distal Ureteral Papilloma Associated with Extensive Proliferative Ureteritis

Abstract We describe a case of ureteral papilloma associated with extensive submucosal atypia throughout the length of the ureter. We suggest that this atypia may reflect a loss of the normal epithelial-stromal interaction.
Kinematics of a Particle

Dynamics is the branch of analytical mechanics devoted to the study of the motion of bodies and thc forces and torques that may produce it. However, sincc geometric considerations play a principal role in dynamics, we shall consider initially only the purely geometrical aspecls of motion. The theory of motion without regard to the agents that produce it is called kinematics. Kinematics is the geometry of motion. Thus. in this chapter we set the stage for future developments by making precise the idea of motion and its relation to velocity and acceleration. These definitions subsequently are applied to describe the general motion of a material point in terms characterized by the geometry of the curve along which the point moves. After the basic kinematical ideas are explored thoroughly for a rigid body in Chapters 2 and 3 and for moving reference Systems in Chapter 4, we shall proceed to investigate the relation of forces and torques to the motion of bodies. Let us begin with a discussion of some primitive terms needed in our work.
Temporal expression of circulating miRNA after severe injury

Abstract Background Severe injury can lead to immune dysfunction and predispose patients to infection and death. Micro-RNAs regulate gene expression and may act as biomarkers for susceptibility to infection. The aim of this study was to examine the temporal and differential expression of previously identified dysregulated micro-RNAs in patients with severe injury. Methods Fourteen severely injured patients requiring transfusion were enrolled prospectively in this study approved by our institutional review board. Inclusion criteria consisted of adult patients deemed clinically to be in hemorrhagic shock necessitating transfusion in the acute phase of their injury care. Peripheral blood samples were obtained after admission to the surgical intensive care unit and again at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after admission. The samples obtained at arrival to the intensive care unit and 24 and 48 hours later were analyzed in this data set. Fourteen healthy volunteers served as controls. The 10 dysregulated micro-RNAs identified in a prior study at the 12-hour time point and important genes in innate immunity were measured using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Results The participants were 21–77 years old (median, 42), 78% were male, and their Injury Severity Score ranged from 11 to 43 (median, 27); 11 had blunt and 3 had penetrating injuries. Three were intubated and 5 had received blood products before arrival at the hospital. Base deficit on hospital admission was 3–20 (median, 9). All patients required blood transfusion secondary to blood loss sustained during injury. Eleven of the 14 patients went directly to the operating room from the emergency department for control of the source of hemorrhage. Survival to discharge was 93%. Seven patients developed infection. Compared with healthy controls, miR-106a was downregulated at all time points compared with controls ( P P P P Conclusion miR-106a was downregulated in trauma patients after major injury for up to 48 hours after intensive care unit admission. Tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-10 are targeted by miR-106a, which are regulators of the immune response. Manipulation of micro-RNA expression may be a therapeutic target for immune dysfunction.
The Power of the Normal

How do judgments about law and morality shift? Why do we come to see political or other conduct as acceptable, when we had formerly seen it as unacceptable, immoral, or even horrific? Why do shifts occur in the opposite direction? Why accounts for the power of “the new normal”? A clue comes from the fact that some of our judgments are unstable, in the sense that they are an artifact of, or endogenous to, what else we see. This is true of sensory perception: Whether an object counts as blue or purple depends on what other objects surround it. It is also true for ethical judgments: Whether conduct counts as unethical depends on what other conduct is on people’s viewscreens. It follows that conduct that was formerly seen as unethical may come to seem ethical, as terrible behavior becomes more common, and also that conduct that was formerly seen as ethical may come to seem unethical, as good behavior becomes more common. In these circumstances, law (and enforcement practices) can have an important signaling effect, giving people a sense of what is normal and what is not. There is an important supplemental point, intensifying these effects: Once conduct comes to be seen as part of an unacceptable category – abusiveness, racism, lack of patriotism, microaggression, sexual harassment – real or apparent exemplars that are not so egregious, or perhaps not objectionable at all, might be taken as egregious, because they take on the stigma now associated with the category. Stigmatization by categorization can intensify the process by which formerly unobjectionable behavior becomes regarded as abhorrent. There is a relationship between stigmatization by categorization and “concept creep,” an idea applied in psychology to shifting understandings of such concepts as abuse, bullying, mental illness, and prejudice. The idea of “concept creep” has large and insufficiently explored implications for law and politics.
Do Trade Creditors Possess Private Information? Evidence from Firm Performance

Theories of customer–supplier relationships propose that the private information that suppliers have about buyers explains why trade credit arises in the presence of a competitive banking sector. However, there is limited evidence that trade creditors possess private information about the quality of buyers. Using a novel dataset of trade credit relationships, we find evidence consistent with suppliers possessing private information about buyers. The amount of trade credit that a supplier offers to a buyer and the ability of the buyer to pay back the trade credit on time are both positively associated with future buyer financial performance and solvency. Finally, increases in trade credit and the timeliness of payments are also associated with higher returns surrounding subsequent earnings announcements and lower volatility.
Cortical Color Defects

A simplified review is given of types of color processing defects which may be caused by cortical disorders. Testing for cortical color defects is then discussed with particular emphasis on demonstrating whether a cortical achromatopsia is ‘color-selective’ in the sense that color discrimination is more affected than other visual functions.
Trends in binge drinking and alcohol abstention among adolescents in the US, 2002-2016.

Abstract Background Binge drinking accounts for several adverse health, social, legal, and academic outcomes among adolescents. Understanding trends and correlates of binge drinking and alcohol abstention has important implications for policy and programs and was the aim of this study. The current study examined trends in adolescent binge drinking and alcohol abstention by age, gender, and race/ethnicity over a 15-year period. Methods Respondents between the ages of 12 and 17 years who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) between 2002 and 2016 were included in the sample of 258,309. Measures included binge drinking, alcohol abstention, and co-morbid factors (e.g., marijuana, other illicit drugs), and demographic factors. Results Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the significance of trend changes by sub-groups while controlling for co-morbid and demographic factors. Findings indicated that binge drinking decreased substantially among adolescents in the US over the last 15 years. This decrease was shown among all age, gender, and racial/ethnic groups. In 2002, Year 1 of the study, 26% of 17-year-olds reported past-month binge drinking; in 2016, past-month binge drinking dropped to 12%. Findings also indicated comparable increases in the proportion of youth reporting abstention from alcohol consumption across all subgroups. Black youth reported substantially lower levels of binge alcohol use and higher levels of abstention, although the gap between Black, Hispanic and White youth narrowed substantially between 2002 and 2016. Conclusion Study findings are consistent with those of other research showing declines in problem alcohol- use behavior among youth.
Developing self-efficacy: does switching to a hospitality major matter?

Many undergraduate hospitality students matriculated into this major from a previous major. The issue was that myriad of hospitality students chose this major because they were either undecided or ...
Laparoscopic Resection of Ovarian Vessel Coils and a Tubal Occlusion Device

Video Objective To describe the anatomy of the ovarian vessels cephalad to the pelvic brim. Setting A 45 year old multiparous woman presents with chronic right pelvic pain following hysteroscopic tubal sterilization. Bilateral ovarian vein embolization was performed for suspected pelvic congestion syndrome. Her pain worsened post-embolization. After an extensive pelvic pain evaluation, the decision was made to remove her embolization and tubal occlusion coils. Interventions Laparoscopic dissection and removal of the right ovarian vessels above the pelvic brim is described. Multiple steps are required for a safe and complete resection: 1- Retroperitoneal access; 2- Maintaining hemostasis; 3- Traction/counter-traction; 4- sharp and blunt dissection; 5- judicious use of electrosurgical energy. Conclusion Successful dissection/resection of ovarian vessels is feasible and safe with in-depth knowledge of neighboring structures cephalad to the pelvic brim.
Parallel Processing of Two Mechanosensory Modalities by a Single Neuron in C. elegans.

Summary Neurons convert synaptic or sensory inputs into cellular outputs. It is not well understood how a single neuron senses, processes multiple stimuli, and generates distinct neuronal outcomes. Here, we describe the mechanism by which the C. elegans PVD neurons sense two mechanical stimuli: external touch and proprioceptive body movement. These two stimuli are detected by distinct mechanosensitive DEG/ENaC/ASIC channels, which trigger distinct cellular outputs linked to mechanonociception and proprioception. Mechanonociception depends on DEGT-1 and activates PVD’s downstream command interneurons through its axon, while proprioception depends on DEL-1, UNC-8, and MEC-10 to induce local dendritic Ca2+ increase and dendritic release of a neuropeptide NLP-12. NLP-12 directly modulates neuromuscular junction activity through the cholecystokinin receptor homolog on motor axons, setting muscle tone and movement vigor. Thus, the same neuron simultaneously uses both its axon and dendrites as output apparatus to drive distinct sensorimotor outcomes.
Turning points towards sustainability: integrative science and policy for novel (but real) landscape futures

Non-metropolitan landscapes are the major theatre of interactions where large-scale alteration occurs precipitated by local to global forces of economic, social and environmental change. However, these regional landscape effects are critical also to local natural resource and social sus- tainability, ecosystem health through to larger scales of biospheric functioning. The institutions con- tributing pressures and responses consequently shape future landscapes and in turn influence how social systems, resource users, governments and policy makers perceive those landscapes and their future. These are, in essence, complex social-ecological systems intertwined in a multitude of ways at many spatial scales across time. Over time, the cycles of complex social-ecological systems also reach crossroads, which might be crisis points at which future options are no longer available (possibly because of resource degradation or loss), or turning points where opportunities arise when it is easier to change direction towards more sustainable activities. This paper provides some examples of inter- disciplinary research that has provided a holistic integration through close engagement with resi- dents and communities or through deliberately implementing integrative high-risk 'on-ground' experimental models to 'learn by doing'. In the final analysis, each project has characteristically, how- ever, sought to integrate through spatial (if not temporal) synthesis, policy analysis and (new or changed) institutional arrangements that are relevant locally and corporately, as well as at broader levels of government and geography. This has provided transferable outcomes that can contribute real options and adaptive capacity for suitable positive futures.
2020 National Residency Match Program Results: Where Does Family Medicine Stand and What’s Next?

Although overshadowed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, results of the 2020 National Residency Match Program (The Match) are in.
Can patients make heads or tails of enhanced primary health care (EnPHC)? Experience through their own journey

Implementation of the new Enhanced Primary Health Care (EnPHC) intervention aims to improve service quality and experience at primary healthcare clinics; especially to newly diagnosed patients. This was achieved by restructuring and improving existing services to better manage non-communicable diseases amongst patients. Objectives of this study are to explore patients’ experiences of the EnPHC intervention, to document their feedback and to determine effects of EnPHC intervention on patients. This phenomenological qualitative study focussed on patients’ experiences in relation to EnPHC interventions. Participants were purposely selected from a group of patients who attended the eight intervention primary healthcare clinics in Johor and Selangor regularly for treatment. Data collection was conducted between April to July 2018. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at average an hour per interview for four to five patients per clinic. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. A total of 35 patients participated. Analysis revealed five main themes about patient experiences receiving the EnPHC intervention. These are: (1) health assessment in disease progress monitoring, (2) patient-doctor relationship and continuity of care, (3) professionalism in service delivery, (4) ensuring compliance in achieving health targets and (5) communication skills. Each theme represents an important aspect of the service, how it should be delivered within the patient expectations and how it can improve patient’s health through their lens. Even though patients were not able to exactly identify the EnPHC intervention components implemented, they are able to describe the process changes that occurred; enabling them to improve their healthcare status. Engagement is necessary to better inform patients of the EnPHC intervention, its purpose, mechanisms, changes and importance for healthcare. It would reduce resistance and increase awareness amongst patients at the clinic.
Axiological Constellations in Literary Response Writing: Critical SFL praxis in an ELA classroom.

To engage in critical praxis, teachers of literary response writing need concepts and methods for understanding the efficacy of teaching practices in helping students develop particular disposition...
Semi-automated cerebral aneurysm segmentation and geometric analysis for WEB sizing utilizing a cloud-based computational platform:

BackgroundAccurate aneurysm measurements are important for selecting the WEB device. The objective was to validate a cloud-based platform, SurgicalPreview (SP) against manual measurements for aneur...
Taking Stock of Interpretation Research: Where Have We Been and Where are We Heading?:

We reviewed all manuscripts published within the Journal of Interpretation Research from 2010 to 2019 to identify lessons learned from the past decade and to propose future directions to advance th...
Non-degenerate two-photon absorption spectroscopy of bulk silicon

Non-degenerate two-photon absorption (ND-2PA) across the indirect gap of silicon is theoretically and experimentally investigated. Three theoretical pathways for the two photons and a phonon are explained, and the most dominant process is determined by comparing to our measurements and the enhancement of ND-2PA was observed.
Consequences of Migrating U.S. Contagious Facilities Into General Hospitals, 1900-1950.

Until the 1880s, hospitals excluded contagious disease patients from admission because of the danger they posed to other patients; by the 1950s, contagious disease care had literally moved into the...
SUMO Interacting Motifs: Structure and Function.

Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) is a member of the ubiquitin-related protein family. SUMO modulates protein function through covalent conjugation to lysine residues in a large number of proteins. Once covalently conjugated to a protein, SUMO often regulates that protein’s function by recruiting other cellular proteins. Recruitment frequently involves a non-covalent interaction between SUMO and a SUMO-interacting motif (SIM) in the interacting protein. SIMs generally consist of a four-residue-long hydrophobic stretch of amino acids with aliphatic non-polar side chains flanked on one side by negatively charged amino acid residues. The SIM assumes an extended β-strand-like conformation and binds to a conserved hydrophobic groove in SUMO. In addition to hydrophobic interactions between the SIM non-polar core and hydrophobic residues in the groove, the negatively charged residues in the SIM make favorable electrostatic contacts with positively charged residues in and around the groove. The SIM/SUMO interaction can be regulated by the phosphorylation of residues adjacent to the SIM hydrophobic core, which provide additional negative charges for favorable electrostatic interaction with SUMO. The SUMO interactome consists of hundreds or perhaps thousands of SIM-containing proteins, but we do not fully understand how each SUMOylated protein selects the set of SIM-containing proteins appropriate to its function. SIM/SUMO interactions have critical functions in a large number of essential cellular processes including the formation of membraneless organelles by liquid–liquid phase separation, epigenetic regulation of transcription through histone modification, DNA repair, and a variety of host–pathogen interactions.
The space broker: a middleware for mediating interactions in smart IoT spaces

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a major technological development likely to have a profound effect on all aspects of society. Among other things, it promises smooth and personalized interactions between people and the spaces they inhabit and visit. Unfortunately, we are not yet at the point of interacting with smart spaces per se; rather, we simply interact with collections of devices having different interfaces, offered by different manufacturers, living in different administrative domains, and using different apps. The research reported in this paper promises to take us a step closer to achieving the personalized interaction modalities the IoT technology is capable of offering. The starting point is to reimagine the smart space as being defined by spatial characteristics (e.g., illumination, security, temperature, etc.) with most devices receding from the user's explicit awareness. Users can specify their needs from the environment in terms of the abstract characteristics. Key to accomplishing this is the introduction of the concept of the Space Broker, a software agent that manages available devices so as to meet user requirements expressed in terms of spatial characteristics.
Size-structured competition and predation in red-eyed treefrog tadpoles

SIZE-STRUCTURED COMPETITION AND PREDATION IN RED-EYED TREEFROG TADPOLES By Christopher Michael Asquith, Master of Science A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Dr. James Vonesh Assistant Professor, Biology Department Body size is important in determining the outcome of competition and predator-prey interactions. Size structure of a population (i.e. relative proportion of large and small conspecifics) may be particularly important in organisms with prolonged breeding periods and rapid growth where populations may have multiple cohorts at different stages of development competing for one resource. Both the consumptive and nonconsumptive effects of predators can also be size-dependent and can alter competitive interactions. Here we study the importance of size structure in the Neotropical leaf-breeding tree frog, Agalychnis callidryas. This species is a prolonged breeder such that multiple overlapping cohorts of differing sizes are common. Specifically, we examine size-specific intraspecific competition between A. callidryas tadpoles and then explore how predation
Toward a Hajnal-Szemeredi theorem for hypergraphs

Let H be a triple system with maximum degree d > 1 and let r > 10 7 p dlog 2 d. Then H has a proper vertex coloring with r colors such that any two color classes dier in size by at most one. The bound on r is sharp in order of magnitude apart from the logarithmic factors. Moreover, such an r-coloring can be found via a randomized algorithm whose expected running time is polynomial in the number of vertices of H. <
Social, psychological and physical factors affecting the nutritional status of elderly subjects: separating cause and effect

The fact that most of the important changes in nutritional status with age are not secondary to aging per se in no way detracts from their importance. This paper reviews three factors that can affect nutritional status in elderly adults: ethanol intake, cognitive status, and institutionalization. The discussion focuses on the difficulties in obtaining reliable information on the interaction of nutritional status with these factors.
Estimation of crystallinity in a model thermoplastic composite

Crystallinities as low as 16 percent have been estimated by determination of the interplanar spacing on PET/carbonaceous filament composites with resin content of aobut 25 percent w/w using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) in the angular range 2 theta = 16-18 deg. The diffraction pattern of the carbonaceous reinforcements masks the major reflections of the resin, and the resin content and the crystallinity are kept low to make the simulation reasonable.
Submillimeter quantum cascade laser in the GaAs/AlGaAs system

We propose to develop a submillimeter quantum cascade laser in the GaAs/AlGaAs material system. This device relies on intersubband transitions in GaAs quantum wells of the device for lasing. Preliminary calculations show that there is sufficient gain to produce lasing in the wavelength range 80 to 125 micrometer. The active region of the laser structure consists of coupled quantum wells which can be grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The model uses a 30 nm-wide active quantum well which contains two levels separated by 14.8 meV which corresponds to a wavelength of 83.5 micrometer at a bias of 8850 V/cm with 12.2 nm and 29.8 nm wide quantum well energy filters inserted on either side of the active well. The energy filters are designed to allow only electrons with the energy of the upper state to be injected into the active well and only electrons with the energy of the lower state to be extracted from the active well. The proposed device uses a 10-period injector/active well/collector structure. The collector/injector is a superlattice region, which acts as a reservoir for the electrons. The gain of this system has been calculated to be approximately 2500 cm -1 . Threshold current density has been calculated to be about 622 A/cm 2 at 77 K.
A saturation model of the atmosphere of Uranus

A model of the atmospheric structure of Uranus is presented which differs from previous types of models in two important respects: (1) the CH4/H2 ratio is sufficiently large that CH4 is saturated to large depths in the Uranian atmosphere and (2) the internal energy flux is small compared with that due to solar heating. Because of the small internal flux, the thermal flux decreases rapidly with depth and the atmosphere is radiative to large optical depths. A CH4 droplet cloud forms where the atmosphere finally becomes convective due to the internal flux. The model is shown to be in reasonable agreement with published observations of the H2 quadrupole 3-0 and 4-0 bands, the visible (4000-6000 A) CH4 bands, and the infrared emission spectrum.
Testing aspect-oriented programs as object-oriented programs

Along with the evolution of the technique and use of aspect-oriented programming (AOP), the difficulty of testing the aspect-oriented programs is now receiving much attention. Besides lots of methods of testing AOP, testing the woven source code seems to be a feasible way. In this paper we discuss the feasibility of this method and propose an OOP testing method with case study for AspectJ programs in which the decompiled woven code is tested.
Ultrasonography of the chest wall.

Ultrasonography of the chest wall has been used to aid in radiation therapy treatment planning. The sonogram reveals the lung surface and the sternum in relation to the skin surface. Tumor tissue tends to be more sonolucent than normal breast tissue. This technique has been used to detect post-mastectomy recurrent tumor.
Inhibition of oral mucosal cell wound healing by bisphosphonates.

Bisphosphonates are a widely used class of drugs that have been proven to be extremely useful in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, hypercalcemia of malignancy, and bone metastases associated with multiple myeloma, breast cancer, and other solid tumors. In the past several years there have been numerous reports describing the occurrence of Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (ONJ) associated with these drugs. In the great majority of cases this condition develops after surgical manipulation of the oral tissues. The natural history and pathophysiology of ONJ however, remains unknown at the present time. Furthermore, whether the ONJ lesion initiates in the oral mucosa or derives from the underlying bone has not been determined. In this report we describe the effect of pamidronate, a second generation bisphosphonate, on oral mucosal cells. Our results show that bisphosphonate pre-treatment of oral mucosal cells inhibits proliferation and wound healing at clinically relevant doses and that this inhibition is not due to cellular apoptosis.
An approach to postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment: a case study review.

Purpose To review and discuss the clinical evaluation and therapeutic options for a postmenopausal woman with osteoporosis. Data Sources Review of scientific literature, practice guidelines, and a case study. Conclusions To prevent and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, women should be encouraged to per-form weight-bearing exercise, to not smoke, and to optimize calcium and vitamin D intake through diet and supplements. Drug regimens are effective and well tolerated in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis. Implications for Practice Drugs currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis include the bisphosphonates risedronate and alendronate; the selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene; and intranasal calcitonin-salmon spray. Bisphosphonates have demonstrated the most impressive fracture risk reduction in prospective clinical trials of women with post-menopausal osteoporosis. Risedronate has consistently demonstrated significant reductions in vertebral fracture risk at 1 year and in vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk at 3 years. Alendronate has demonstrated significant reductions in vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk after 3 years.
Probation officer victimization: An emerging concern

Abstract Field visitation has long been a basic part of the probation supervision process. In recent years, however, probation officers have become increasingly reluctant to make field visits, primarily because of personal safety fears. Many believe that visitation is more dangerous than ever before, and they attribute this to a more difficult probationer population, the drug epidemic, and increased violence in their fieldwork environments. The emergence of field safety as an issue in probation is exemplified by the development of safety training programs, recent publications in professional journals and the popular media, and several studies of officer safety. Several probation agencies have changed their fieldwork policies to enhance officer safety. Many are supplying or encouraging the use of defensive weapons when in the field. This article reviews the changes that have led to the emergence of the staff safety issue and assesses the impact of this issue on probation field practices. Finally, it discusses the policy changes that are likely to occur, should the staff safety issue intensify.
Regulation of retention of FosB intron 4 by PTB.

One effect of stressors such as chronic drug administration is that sequence within the terminal exon of the transcription factor FosB is recognized as intronic and removed by alternative splicing. This results in an open-reading-frame shift that produces a translation stop codon and ultimately a truncated protein, termed ΔFosB. In vitro splicing assays with control and mutated transcripts generated from a fosB mini-gene construct indicated a CU-rich sequence at the 3′ end of intron 4 (I4) plays an important role in regulating fosB pre-mRNA splicing due to its binding of polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB). PTB binding to this sequence is dependent upon phosphorylation by protein kinase A and is blocked if the CU-rich sequence is mutated to a U-rich region. When this mutated fosB minigene is expressed in HeLa cells, the splicing efficiency of its product is increased compared to wild type. Moreover, transient transfection of PTB-1 in HeLa cells decreased the splicing efficiency of a wild type fosB minigene transcript. Depletion of PTB from nuclear extracts facilitated U2AF65 binding to wild type sequence in vitro, suggesting these proteins function in a dynamic equilibrium to modulate fosB pre-mRNA alternative splicing. These results demonstrate for the first time that phosphorylated PTB promotes intron retention and thereby silences the splicing of fosB I4.
Caloric restriction leads to high marrow adiposity and low bone mass in growing mice.

The effects of caloric restriction (CR) on the skeleton are well studied in adult rodents and include lower cortical bone mass but higher trabecular bone volume. Much less is known about how CR affects bone mass in young, rapidly growing animals. This is an important problem because low caloric intake during skeletal acquisition in humans, as in anorexia nervosa, is associated with low bone mass, increased fracture risk, and osteoporosis in adulthood. To explore this question, we tested the effect of caloric restriction on bone mass and microarchitecture during rapid skeletal growth in young mice. At 3 weeks of age, we weaned male C57Bl/6J mice onto 30% caloric restriction (10% kcal/fat) or normal diet (10% kcal/fat). Outcomes at 6 (n = 4/group) and 12 weeks of age (n = 8/group) included body mass, femur length, serum leptin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) values, whole-body bone mineral density (WBBMD, g/cm2), cortical and trabecular bone architecture at the midshaft and distal femur, bone formation and cellularity, and marrow fat measurement. Compared with the normal diet, CR mice had 52% and 88% lower serum leptin and 33% and 39% lower serum IGF-1 at 6 and 12 weeks of age (p < .05 for all). CR mice were smaller, with lower bone mineral density, trabecular, and cortical bone properties. Bone-formation indices were lower, whereas bone-resorption indices were higher (p < .01 for all) in CR versus normal diet mice. Despite having lower percent of body fat, bone marrow adiposity was elevated dramatically in CR versus normal diet mice (p < .05). Thus we conclude that caloric restriction in young, growing mice is associated with impaired skeletal acquisition, low leptin and IGF-1 levels, and high marrow adiposity. These results support the hypothesis that caloric restriction during rapid skeletal growth is deleterious to cortical and trabecular bone mass and architecture, in contrast to potential skeletal benefits of CR in aging animals. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Retrieval and delivery of information in multimedia database systems

Abstract EVA is a multimedia database system capable of storage, retrieval, management, analysis and delivery of objects of various media types, including text, audio, images and moving pictures. The interface language deals with the temporal and spatial aspects of multimedia information retrieval and delivery, in addition to the usual capabilities provided by the ordinary database languages. EVA has five classes of operations, namely: operations for querying and updating (i.e. editing) the multimedia information, operations for screen management, temporal operators, operators for specifying rules and constraints, and aggregation (computational) operators. EVA, an extension of the query language Varqa, is a functional language whose notation is based on that of conventional set theory. It is formally defined in an algebraic framework. EVA is object oriented and supports objects, object classes, attributes and methods of objects, and relationships between objects. The current implementation of EVA runs on several different platforms.
Soil fauna alter the effects of litter composition on nitrogen cycling in a mineral soil

Plant chemical composition and the soil community are known to influence litter and soil organic matter decomposition. Although these two factors are likely to interact, their mechanisms and outcomes of interaction are not well understood. Studies of their interactive effects are rare and usually focus on carbon dynamics of litter, while nutrient dynamics in the underlying soil have been ignored. A potential mechanism of interaction stems from the role fauna plays in regulating availability of litter-derived materials in the mineral soil. We investigated the role of soil fauna (meso, macro) in determining the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen mineralization and on the micro-food web in mineral soils. In a field setting we exposed mineral soil to six types of surface-applied litter spanning wide ranges of multiple quality parameters and restricted the access of larger soil animals to the soils underlying these litters. Over six months we assessed litter mass and nitrogen loss, nitrogen mineralization rates in the mineral soils, and soil microbes and microfauna. We found evidence that the structure of the soil community can alter the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen dynamics in the mineral soil. In particular, we found that the presence of members of the meso- and macrofauna can magnify the control of nitrogen mineralization by litter quality and that this effect is time dependent. While fauna were able to affect the size of the micro-food web they did not impact the effect of litter composition on the abundance of the members of the micro-food web. By enhancing the strength of the impact of litter quality on nitrogen dynamics, the larger fauna can alter nitrogen availability and its temporal dynamics which, in turn, can have important implications for ecosystem productivity. These findings contribute to evidence demonstrating that soil fauna shape plant litter effects on ecosystem function.
A NEW METHOD FOR SAFRANIN DIFFERENTIATION

A new method of differentiating safranin in pollen-mother-cell smears and paraffin sections is described in detail. Slides stained in safranin are dehydrated in a series of alcoholic solutions containing 1.5% picric acid with constantly decreasing percentages of water. Differentiation is principally effected in 83% alcohol containing 1.5% picric acid and completed in the final dehydration and clearing. Counterstains may be applied in clove oil if desired.
Signal analysis of noninvasive Xenon-133 cerebral blood flow measurements

An anatomical model in conjunction with experimentally determined absorption data provides a framework to simulate signals as obtained from the noninvasive Xenon-133 cerebral blood flow technique. The contribution of individual tissue compartments to the total signal as well as the effect on the computed results were investigated under normal conditions. The introduction of physiological abnormalities into the model allowed the determination of sensitivity of the technique with respect to size, position, and perfusion level of the lesion. In addition, effects of cross-talk between hemispheres and signal overlap of adjacent detectors were quantified. It was found that the change of externally measured blood flow is proportional to the decrement/increment of flow in the lesion. Contrary to earlier reports, the effects of cross-talk and signal overlap were not found to be serious limitations in identifying lesions.
Interactive domains for chaperone activity in the small heat shock protein, human αB crystallin

Protein pin arrays identified seven interactive sequences for chaperone activity in human alphaB crystallin using natural lens proteins, beta(H) crystallin and gammaD crystallin, and in vitro chaperone target proteins, alcohol dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. The N-terminal domain contained two interactive sequences, (9)WIRRPFFPFHSP(20) and (43)SLSPFYLRPPSFLRAP(58). The alpha crystallin core domain contained four interactive sequences, (75)FSVNLDVK(82) (beta3), (113)FISREFHR(120), (131)LTITSSLS(138) (beta8), and (141)GVLTVNGP(148) (beta9). The C-terminal domain contained one interactive sequence, (157)RTIPITRE(164), that included the highly conserved I-X-I/V motif. Two interactive sequences, (73)DRFSVNLDVKHFS(85) and (131)LTITSSLSDGV(141), belonging to the alpha crystallin core domain were synthesized as peptides and assayed for chaperone activity in vitro. Both synthesized peptides inhibited the thermal aggregation of beta(H) crystallin, alcohol dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase in vitro. Five of the seven chaperone sequences identified by the pin arrays overlapped with sequences identified previously as sequences for subunit-subunit interactions in human alphaB crystallin. The results suggested that interactive sequences in human alphaB crystallin have dual roles in subunit-subunit assembly and chaperone activity.
Three-Dimensional Flexible Thermal Sensor for Intravascular Flow Monitoring

A novel design and assembly technology is developed for a three-dimensional (3-D) flexible thermal flow sensor based on convective heat transfer to reduce detection error caused by position variation of a sensor inside the flow of narrow and curved geometries, such as coronary artery. The 3-D sensor has three independent sensing elements equally distributed around the catheter tube. This arrangement introduces three independent information channels, and cross-comparisons are used to provide accurate flow measurement. The resistance of the sensing elements is measured at ~ 1-1.2 kΩ with the temperature coefficient of resistance at 0.086%/°C. Using a constant-current circuit, the three sensing elements are heated to ~ 10°C above ambient temperature. Flow testing is implemented in a pipe channel at two positions: on the wall and along the center line. Experimental results from these two positions are discussed and computational fluid dynamic simulation based on Newtonian fluid properties is implemented, showing comparable results within an acceptable range of experimental to simulation errors. Therefore, we demonstrate the capability of 3-D thermal flow sensor for detecting the position of the catheter in the flow channel, thereby providing an accurate flow measurement.