cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Layer-by-Layer Assembled Polyaniline Nanofiber/Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Thin Film Electrodes for High-Power and High-Energy Storage Applications

Thin film electrodes of polyaniline (PANi) nanofibers and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are created by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly for microbatteries or -electrochemical capacitors. Highly stable cationic PANi nanofibers, synthesized from the rapid aqueous phase polymerization of aniline, are assembled with carboxylic acid functionalized MWNT into LbL films. The pH-dependent surface charge of PANi nanofibers and MWNTs allows the system to behave like weak polyelectrolytes with controllable LbL film thickness and morphology by varying the number of bilayers. The LbL-PANi/MWNT films consist of a nanoscale interpenetrating network structure with well developed nanopores that yield excellent electrochemical performance for energy storage applications. These LbL-PANi/MWNT films in lithium cell can store high volumetric capacitance (~238 ± 32 F/cm(3)) and high volumetric capacity (~210 mAh/cm(3)). In addition, rate-dependent galvanostatic tests show LbL-PANi/MWNT films can deliver both high power and high energy density (~220 Wh/L(electrode) at ~100 kW/L(electrode)) and could be promising positive electrode materials for thin film microbatteries or electrochemical capacitors.
Realtime Image Processing Algorithms for the Detection of Road and Environmental Conditions

This paper discusses image processing algorithms for the recognition of environmental and road conditions from real-time camera images. This research addresses various implementation techniques for and considerations of the implementation of algorithms to extrapolate various features from images taken by stationary traffic cameras. These algorithms have uses in the areas of traffic pattern analysis, emergency response, real-time traffic situation awareness, and homeland security. This paper covers the design and implementation of an automated camera heading detection system in order to determine the directional components of a camera’s position using the current camera image, various computer vision techniques, and a series of classification training images. Image processing topics addressed as part of this research include edge detection, line detection, and tow-dimensional filtering.
Quantitative analysis of some system of integral equations

In this paper, we study the integrability of the non-negative solutions to the Euler-Lagrange equations associated with Weighted Hardy-Littlewood-Sobolev (HLS) inequality. We obtain the optimal integrability for the solutions. The integrability and the radial symmetry (which we derived in our earlier paper) are the key ingredients to study the growth rate at the center and the decay rate at infinity of the solutions. These are also the essential properties needed to classify all non-negative solutions. Some simple generalizations are also provided here.
The Situation of Pathology in Germany

Zusammenfassung Die meisten wissenschaftlichen Vorhaben werden noch immer durch die personliche Erfahrung des Forschenden, durch die Zahl und Qualitat seiner Hilfskrafte und durch seine finanziellen Mittel begrenzt. Die weitreichendsten Erfolge vieler nichtmedizinischer Wissenschaftler, z. B. der Technologen fur Weltraumforschung, begannen mit einer klaren Formulierung der Forschungsziele. Das mussen Medizin und Pathologie nachholen. Die Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Pathologie oder andere Forschungsorganisationen sollten Spezialisten zusamenrufen, damit diese in kleinen, informellen Kreisen („think tanks“) Forschungsziele und -prioritaten festlegen konnen. Als nachster Schritt sollten Ausschusse gebildet werden, welche die Talente und technologischen Hilfsmittel von Naturwissenschaftlern aller Schattierungen kombinieren und koordinieren konnen. Diese demokratisch und sachbezogen zusammengesetzten Ausschusse konnten raumliche und interdisziplinare Abstande uberbrucken, und sich um die Finanzierung kummern. Das System sollte flexibel genug sein, um auf wichtige, unerwartete Ergebnisse mit einer Anderung der Forschungsprogramme reagieren zu konnen. Die Qualitat medizinischer Fachzeitschriften und die Qualitat medizinischer Forschung hangen voneinander ab. Viele Fachzeitschriften konnten verbessert werden, wenn die Herausgeber strengere Kriterien fur annehmbare Arbeiten anlegen wurden. Der freiwerdende Platz konnte durch wissenschaftliche Kommentare der Schriftleitung, durch Ubersichtsarbeiten oder durch Diskussionen ausgefullt werden. Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten sollten ohne Kenntnis der Autorennamen uberpruft werden. Unvollstandige Forschungsarbeiten sollten nicht als „Vorlaufige Mitteilung“ gedruckt werden. Probleme der Technologie und der Organisation sind oft verhaltnismasig einfach zu losen. Dagegen sind Gewohnheiten, Vorurteile und Traditionen sehr schwer zu andern. Wir mussen untersuchen, was Forschungsarbeit befriedigend macht oder was sie hemmt — und wir mussen dann danach handeln. Ohne die entschlossene Fuhrung durch die Institutsvorstande mus die deutsche Forschung im alten Geleise bleiben.
MRI in motor delay: important adjunct to classification of cerebral palsy.

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed prospectively in 45 children (ages 3-27 months) with clinically documented motor delay to evaluate the ability of MRI to determine etiologic factors, to determine whether myelination correlated with motor delay, and whether the clinical category corresponded with the imaging findings. Of the 22 children diagnosed clinically as having major motor delay (i.e., cerebral palsy), 77% had magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities. In 23%, etiologic associations were established from MRI alone and in 32% a clinically suspected etiology was supported. No children had myelination delay as the sole abnormality. In 23 children with minor motor delay, only 17% had abnormal scans. Clearly, MRI provided useful information in the majority of children with cerebral palsy; therefore, a classification system is proposed in which MRI can be used in conjunction with clinical assessment to specify more precisely the etiologic factors in cerebral palsy.
Local option policies and alcohol availability in North Carolina counties.

Concerned about social problems related to alcohol, communities are considering legal alternatives for restricting its availability. Whether restrictive local polices are realistic means for curtailing the physical availability of alcohol is unknown. Using North Carolina's 100 counties as the unit of analysis, the extent to which 1994 local option policies predicted 1995 rates of alcohol permits, controlling for other factors related to the demand for alcohol, was examined. Counties with restrictive policies were found to have lower rates of alcohol permits than counties with permissive policies, after accounting for alcohol demand. Local option policies may be a reasonable strategy for limiting the physical availability of alcohol. In turn, limiting alcohol availability may be effective in reducing alcohol-related community problems such as traffic crashes and violent assaults.
Evidence for resource homogenization in 50 trophic ecosystem networks

Abstract Connectivity patterns of ecological elements are often the core concern of ecologists working at multiple levels of organization (e.g., populations, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes) because these patterns often reflect the forces shaping the system’s development as well as constraining their operation. One reason these patterns of direct connections are critical is that they establish the pathways through which elements influence each other indirectly. Here, we tested a hypothesized consequence of connectivity in ecosystems: the homogenization of resource distributions in flow networks. Specifically, we tested the generality of the systems ecology hypothesis of resource homogenization in 50 empirically derived trophic ecosystem models representing 35 distinct ecosystems. We applied Network Environ Analysis (NEA) to calculate resource homogenization for these models, where homogenization is defined as the ratio of the coefficient of variation of the direct flow intensity matrix ( C V ( G ) ) to the covariance of the integral flow intensity matrix ( C V ( N ) ). A ratio greater than unity indicates the presence of homogenization. We also tested the hypotheses that homogenization increases with system size, connectance, and cycling. We further evaluated the robustness of our results in two ways. First, we verified the close correspondence between the input- and output-oriented homogenization values to ensure that our results were not biased by our decision to focus on the output orientation. Second, we conducted a Monte Carlo based uncertainty analysis to determine the robustness of our results to ± 5 % error introduced into the original flow matrices for each model. Our results show that resource homogenization occurs universally in the 50 ecosystem models tested, with values ranging from 1.04 to 1.97 and a median of 1.61. However, our results do not support the hypothesized relationship between network homogenization and system size and connectance, as the results of the linear regressions are insignificant. Further, there is only weak support for the positive relationship between homogenization and cycling. We confirm that our results are not biased by using the output-oriented homogenization values instead of the input-oriented values because there is a significant linear regression between the two types of homogenization ( r 2 = 0.38 , p 0.001 ) and the values are well correlated ( S = 8 , 054 , ρ = 0.61 , p 0.001 ). Finally, we found that our results are robust to ± 5 % error in the flow matrices. The error in the homogenization values was less than the error introduced into the models and ranged from a minimum of 0.24% to a maximum of 1.5% with a median value of 0.58%. The error did not change the qualitative interpretation of the homogenization values. In conclusion, we found strong support for the resource homogenization hypothesis in 50 empirically derived ecosystem models.
Life testing in variably scaled environments

Typically, accelerated life-testing models postulate a specific functional relationship between the stress level at which an experiment is performed and the parameters of the assumed family of lifetime distributions. These models, and the statistical analyses that accompany them, are often criticized on the basis of the dubious validity of the assumed functional relationship and of the uncertainty involved in the extrapolation of experimental results to low stress levels at which little or no data have been obtained. This study focuses on an exponential factorial model for accelerated life tests that postulates that the lifetime distributions of different component types tested under varying environmental conditions are linked via environmental or component-related scale changes. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the identifiability of model parameters. For both censored and complete data, the derivation and properties of maximum likelihood estimates of these parameters are discussed in de...
Disabling effects of chronic disease and impairment.

SE VERA L recent studies have focused on clarifying the concepts involved in disability [l-4] and on factors affecting the assessment of disability [5]. Disease or injury are clearly necessary antecedents in the development of disability. The available evidence, however, indicates little relationship between the type of chronic condition and the extent of incapacity for expected performance [6-81. This paper examines the relationship of disability to the disease or injury identified as the major disabling condition and compares morbidity and disability rates for selected conditions. The relationship of the major disabling condition to age, sex, functional limitations and socio-economic factors is also examined. In a general sense, this analysis may be considered a test of the hypothesis that ‘disability is a distinct entity with characteristic causes and with features which are not necessarily related to the etiology or pathogenesis of the coextant chronic disease . . . [l]. Anatomic and functional abnormalities are frequently used as ‘the sole or real criterion of permanent disability . . . [9]‘. The Committee on Rating of Mental and Physical Impairment has pointed out, however, that the evaluation of disability is not a purely medical function [9]. The ability to engage in gainful activity may be affected by a variety of personal, economic and environmental attributes, in addition to the medical condition or impairment. Evaluation of impairment is ‘an appraisal of the nature and extent of the patient’s illness or injury as it affects his personal efficiency in one or more activities of daily living [9 : 13’. Impairments are often defined in terms of the precipitating chronic condition, however [IO, 113, rather than in relation to the consequential performance limitations. Hirschfeld and Behan [12] have noted that physicians are trained to focus on disease entities rather than on disability. Since mental and physical disorders vary in their severity, visibility and prognosis, the predictive value of the condition classification or diagnosis for disability evaluation is questionable. Hanman [13], for example, has observed that similar impairments do not always cause similar activity limitations nor are residual capacities the same.
PENETRATION OF UV-B AND BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE DOSE-RATES IN NATURAL WATERS*

Abstract— Spectral irradiance measurements. from 310 to 650 nm. have been made in low and modcrately productive ocean waters. These new data and selected earlier clear ocean water data are used as a basis for extrapolating the diffuse attenuation coefficient for irradiance into the 280 nm region. This allows a quantitative calculation of the penetration of UV-B (280–340 nm) and of biologically (DNA) effective dose-rates as a function of depth into various ocean water types. The model of Green et al. (1974a) for various atmospheric ozone thicknesses has been used to obtain input surface irrddiancc for this calculation. Our purpose is to provide a basis for estimating the penetration of possible increased UV-B into natural waters due to possible changes in the ozone concentration of the stratosphere. Given appropriate biological data, this method allows a quantitative evaluation of radiation effects on aquatic organisms as a function of depth. As a specific example, our results have been graphically compared with the dosage-response results on anchovy larvae obtained by Hunter et al. (1978).
Crystallographic evidence for noncoplanar catalytic aspartic acids in plasmepsin II resides in the Protein Data Bank.

The carboxylate atoms of the two catalytic aspartic acid residues in aspartic proteases are nearly coplanar and in the uncomplexed form share an in-plane nucleophilic water molecule that is central to the mechanism of these enzymes. This note reports that while reviewing the electron-density maps derived from the deposited data for uncomplexed plasmepsin II from Plasmodium falciparum (Asojo et al. (2003), J. Mol. Biol. 327, 173-181; PDB code 1lf4), it was discovered that the aspartic acid residues in this structure should in fact be distinctly noncoplanar. The crystallographic model from the deposited coordinates has been re-refined against the 1.9 {angstrom} resolution published diffraction data to an R{sub cryst} of 21.2% and an R{sub free} of 22.2%. The catalytic water molecule is present, but the plane of the carboxylate group of Asp214 is rotated by 66 degrees from its original position.
Effects of Spatial Ability, Gender Differences, and Pictorial Training on Children Using 2-D and 3-D Environments to Recall Landmark Locations from Memory.

AbstractThis study examines the effects of spatial ability, gender differences, and pictorial training on fourth grade students’ ability to recall landmark locations from memory. Ninety-six students used Google Earth over a 3-week period to locate landmarks (3-D) and mark their location on a 2-D topographical map. Analysis of covariance on posttest scores revealed that spatial ability was a significant predictor of student performance. The overall results support the efficacy of the instructional strategy and provide insight into the development of spatial knowledge among young children. Implications for the design of instruction and training on spatial abilities among young children are discussed.
The Multiple Substrate Recognition Properties of Ribonuclease P

Ribonuclease P is an essential enzyme that is responsible for catalyzing the 5’end maturation of transfer RNA. In Bacteria, the RNase P holoenzyme is composed of a large RNA (∼400nt) and a smaller (∼100aa) protein. RNase P RNA contains the enzyme active site and interacts with tRNA; however, the protein subunit is essential in vivo because it binds the pre-tRNA leader sequence and increases active site metal ion binding. Unlike most enzymes, RNase P processes multiple structurally distinct substrates. Although the processing kinetics of individual substrates have been examined, comparison of processing kinetics and kinetic competition between substrates has not been explored. To understand the basis for multiple substrate recognition by the holoenzyme we determined kinetic schemes forpre-tRNA608MET, a consensus pre-tRNA, and pretRNA605fmet, a non-consensus pre-tRNA, using fluorescence assays and standard discontinuous assays. Remarkably, the results show processing kinetics to be uniform with the rate limiting step being association. To obtain a complete and comprehensive understanding of how sequence and structure influence processing rates and competition between substrates, we undertook two complementary directions. First, we directly examined the competition between pre-tRNA608MET and pre-tRNA605fmet distinguishing products using different leader sequence length. Second, we designed a high throughput method to determine the effects, if any, of differences in pre-tRNA leader sequence and structure by using deep sequencing to follow the range in distribution of different substrate sequence variants in the same reaction.
Introductory lectures on fibre bundles and topology for physicists

These lectures may provide useful background material for understanding gauge theories, particularly the nonperturbative effects such as instantons and monopoles. The mathematical language of topology and fibre bundles is introduced.
Establishment of global multinode teleconferencing environment infrastructure for research and education

Most HBCU institutions have had difficulties developing and sustaining independent programs in research. Thus, there is a paucity of underrepresented minority scientists who are pursuing successful research careers. Despite various initiatives, progress in realizing a significant increase in the number of underrepresented minority scientists who are competitive for significant national research grants has been slow. Major research centers and educational institutions are geographically dispersed organizations with well-organized programs for training scientists. These are organized units supported by the national funding agencies that conduct research; sponsor research training in the basic, clinical, and population sciences; provide information services; and develop and sustains educational and outreach programs that benefit surrounding communities. Yet, in general, the progress of these organizations in focusing on research issues of particular importance to minorities, in training underrepresented minority scientists, in reaching out to and partnering with different racial and ethnic minority populations in their communities, and in bringing the benefits of research to these populations has been slow and often disappointing. To bring the two entities together, this project was aimed at conducting a pilot study of and planning for a state-of-the-art teleconferencing network environment to fulfill research and educational involvement, integration, and interaction needs of the university community. This allows HBCU faculty to collaborate with other research and educational institutions in all fields more effectively.
Effect of nitrogen source on short-term light and dark CO2 uptake by a marine diatom

Based on a series of short-term incubations involving the marine diatom Chaetoceros simplex (Bbsm), precultured in NH 4 + -, NO 3 - -and urea-limited continuous cultures at several dilution rates, we found that both the short-term specific rate of 14CO2 uptake and the amount of CO2 fixed after 8- and 16-min incubations were unaffected by enrichment with NH 4 + , urea, or NO 3 - when NH 4 + or urea were the preconditioning forms of N, but were slightly suppressed when the cells were first grown on NO 3 - . Similar enrichments in the dark, however, led to significant CO2 uptake under all conditions of NH 4 + enrichment and to similarly enhanced CO2 uptake, but only at high growth rates, when urea was the source of enrichment nitrogen. Our light results are contrary to some contemporary findings, but there does seem to be agreement that photosynthetic rates of rapidly growing phytoplankton will not be affected by exposure to pulses of nitrogen. Enhanced dark uptake, in contrast, appears to be characteristic of phytoplankton under all degrees of N limitation, and, as such, may be useful as an “all or nothing” index of the nitrogen status of natural waters. There is some indication that the index may be useful in determining both the form of and the degree of N limitation as well.
Bounding cities as a means of managing conflict: Sarajevo, Beirut and Jerusalem

This article investigates state and international manipulation of political ethnic geographies in politically contested cities and examines the consequences of such territorial projects for longer-term peacebuilding. I explore Sarajevo, Beirut and Jerusalem. In each case, there has been the constricting, or bounding, of urban territory in pursuit of inter-group stability and violence reduction. Bounding of urban space takes several forms – municipal boundary drawing, sectarian power-sharing and physical wall building – with each accepting ethno-national group differences and reinforcing them geographically. These actions, whether undertaken by international negotiators, through local elite agreements, or through unilateral fiat, are consequential in terms of urban peacebuilding. Sarajevo ethnic circumscription creates a new externalised sectarian urban node and territorial hardening of competing identity groups. The Beirut urban area is debilitated by the loss of place-based political voice for a demograp...
An empirical study of fault localization for end-user programmers

End users develop more software than any other group of programmers, using software authoring devices such as e-mail filtering editors, by-demonstration macro builders, and spreadsheet environments. Despite this, there has been little research on finding ways to help these programmers with the dependability of their software. We have been addressing this problem in several ways, one of which includes supporting end-user debugging activities through fault localization techniques. This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted in an end-user programming environment to examine the impact of two separate factors in fault localization techniques that affect technique effectiveness. Our results shed new insights into fault localization techniques for end-user programmers and the factors that affect them, with significant implications for the evaluation of those techniques.
Asymptotic analysis of transient curved crack in functionally graded materials

Transient mixed-mode elastodynamic crack growth along arbitrary smoothly varying paths in functionally graded materials (FGMs) is considered. The property gradation in FGMs is considered by varying shear modulus and mass density exponentially along the gradation direction. Crack tip out of plane displacement fields and their gradients are developed for propagating curved cracks of arbitrary velocity using asymptotic approach. The mode-mixity due to the inclination of curved crack with respect to property gradient is accommodated in the analysis through superposition of the opening and shear modes. The expansion of the displacement fields and their gradients around the crack-tip are derived in powers of radial coordinates with the coefficients of expansion depending on the instantaneous value of the local curvature of the crack path, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors. The effect of the transient terms instantaneous local curvature, crack-tip speed, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors on the contours of constant out of plane displacement are also discussed.
Mixing models with varying stage size

Two progression models which can be employed to represent flow systems with varying degree and mode of mixing along the direction of flow such as a shallow fluidized bed, radial flow reactors, and short tubular reactors, etc. are proposed. Residence time distributions are derived from the standpoint of stochastic processes. The use of progression models is illustrated with a second order, isothermal reaction. On propose deux modeles de progression qu'on peut utiliser pour representer des systemes d'ecoulement qui possedent des degres et modes differents de melange suivant le plan de direction de l'ecoulement, tels que, par exemple, un lit fluidise et peu profond, des reacteurs a ecoulement radial et des reacteurs tubulaires de faible longueur. On deduit les distributions du temps de sejour moyen dans le reacteur, en se basant sur les methodes conjecturales et on illustre l'emploi des modeles de progression au moyen d'une reaction isothermique de second ordre.
Effects of disopyramide on left ventricular diastolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract Thus, the potential beneficial effects of disopyramide in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include reduction in LV outflow tract gradient and antiarrhythmic actions but not improvement in LV diastolic function.
Distinguishing congestion losses from wireless transmission losses: a negative result

The TCP is a popular transport protocol used in the present-day Internet. When packet losses occur the TCP assumes that the packet losses are due to congestion, and responds by reducing its congestion window. When a TCP connection traverses a wireless link, a significant fraction of packet losses may occur due to transmission errors. The TCP responds to such losses also by reducing the congestion window. This results in unnecessary degradation in the TCP performance. We define a class of functions named loss predictors which may be used by a TCP sender to guess the actual cause of a packet loss (congestion or transmission error) and take appropriate actions. These loss predictors use simple statistics on round-trip times and/or throughput, to determine the cause of a packet loss. We investigate their ability to determine the cause of a packet loss. Unfortunately, our simulation measurements suggest that the three loss predictors do not perform too well.
Ilkhanid Buddhism: Traces of a Passage in Eurasian History

Buddhism contributed to the culture and politics of thirteenth-century Eurasian intellectual exchange, depositing literary, artistic, and architectural traces subsequently eclipsed by layers of Islamic and Eurocentric history. Within extensive cross-continental networks of diplomatic and commercial activity, Ilkhanid Buddhism and the Buddhist revival of which it was a part drew serious attention among contemporary travelers, scholars, and statesmen including Ibn Taymiyah, Roger Bacon, and Rashid al-Din. This article argues that awareness of a Buddhist scholarly and political elite in the Muslim heartland, with its center at Tabriz, generated a historically significant Eurasian Buddhist discourse during a critical passage in the turn to modernity.
Performance Analysis of Double-Channel 802.11n Contending with Single-Channel 802.11

Due to their ease of deployment, 802.11 networks are widely used. To cope with increasing throughput requirements, and to take advantage of improvements in hardware performance, 802.11n has been introduced. One of the extra features is the 20/40 functionality, which allows 802.11n devices to operate using one or two 802.11 channels. In this paper, we study the contention rules for such 20/40 operation on top of the 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function (DCF). We then study the performance of double-channel users in presence of single-channel 802.11 users. Similar to the 802.11 model introduced by Bianchi, we introduce a Markov model for both the legacy 802.11 and double-channel 802.11n users. To couple the Markov models of both types of users, we have to understand how to relate virtual time slots of both types. Next, we introduce collision rules that capture traditional in-channel 802.11 collisions as well as collisions between the different types of users. This allows us to complete the analytical throughput model for 802.11 and double-channel 802.11n users when they coexist. The conclusions are important for understanding 802.11 networks in particular, but also for contention of heterogeneous devices in general.
Vasopressin mediates the inhibitory effect of central angiotensin II on cerebrospinal fluid formation

Abstract Angiotensin II infused at low doses into the cerebral ventricles decreases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production. Since central angiotensin II also activates the sympathetic nervous system and promotes vasopressin release, the roles of these two factors in mediating the inhibitory effect of angiotensin II on CSF formation were studied. CSF production was measured in rats by the ventriculocisternal perfusion method. During central angiotensin II infusion (5 pg min −1 ), the following adrenoceptor antagonists were administered intravenously (i.v.): phentolamine ( α 1 / α 2 , 2 mg/kg per h), prazosin ( α 1 , 1 mg/kg per h), and propranolol ( β , 1 mg/kg per h). None of these agents affected the inhibitory effect of angiotensin II on CSF formation. In comparison, in animals administered i.v., the vasopressin V 1 receptor antagonist, d(CH 2 ) 5 Tyr(Me)Arg-vasopressin (10 μ g/kg per h), the angiotensin II-induced decrease in CSF production was abolished. Our observations indicate, therefore, that vasopressin mediates the inhibitory effect of central angiotensin II on CSF formation.
Efficient index assignment by improved bit probability estimation for parallel processing of distributed video coding

Distributed video coding (DVC) is attracting attention as a paradigm for video compression. One reason is that it transfers the high complexity computation to the decoder. However, the DVC decoder that uses channel coding based on a belief propagation algorithm has complexity exceeding that of the H.264/AVC encoder. This paper proposes a parallelized DVC scheme that treats each bitplane independently. Unfortunately, simple parallelization schemes suffer low compression efficiency because they can't use additional side information for the decoding of subsequent bitplanes. Therefore, we propose an effective estimation method that can calculate the bit probability as accurately as possible by index assignment. Simulations show that the proposed system can reduce the decode time by up to about 30-35 [%] with only slight parallelization loss.
Skp2 Protein Expression in Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Background: p45 S phase kinase-associated protein-2 (p45skp2), a member of the F-box family of proteins, is an important component of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box protein (SCF) ubiquitin-ligase complex (SCFskp2). The latter has been implicated in the ubiquitination and degradation of p27kip1 (p27) and G1-S cell cycle progression. The expression and prognostic role of Skp2 in a large series of soft tissue sarcomas has not been previously investigated. Methods: Clinicopathologic features and immunohistochemical expression of Skp2, p27, and Ki-67 proteins were studied in 182 cases of soft tissue sarcomas (American Joint Committee on Cancer stages II and III). Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression model. Results: The male to female ratio was 1.2:1, and the median age at the diagnosis was 53 years. The tumors were predominantly located in the lower extremities (n = 163; 90%) and had a median size of 9 cm. High Skp2 expression (≥ 10% of the cells) was identified in 68 tu...
Selective local delivery of RANK siRNA to bone phagocytes using bone augmentation biomaterials.

Fracture healing and fracture fixation in the context of osteoporosis is extremely difficult. To inhibit osteoclast-induced bone resorption and associated implant loosening in this pathology, we describe a local delivery strategy to delivery RNA interfering technology to bone sites to target and down-regulate osteoclast formation and function. Resorbable polymer, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles were exploited as a passive phagocyte-targeting carrier to deliver RANK siRNA to both osteoclast precursors and osteoclasts e the professional phagocytes in bone. These natural phagocytes internalize micron-sized particles while most other non-targeted cells in bone cannot. PLGA-siRNA microparticles were dispersed within biomedical grade calcium-based injectable bone cement clinically used in osteoporosis as a bone augmentation biomaterial for fragility fracture prevention and fixation. siRNA released from this formulation in vitro retains bioactivity against the cell target, RANK, in cultured osteoclast precursor cells, inhibiting their progression toward the osteoclastic phenotype. These data support the proof-of-concept to utilize a clinically relevant approach to locally deliver siRNA to phagocytes in bone and improve fragility fracture healing in the context of osteoporosis. This local delivery system delivers siRNA therapeutics directly to osteoporosis sites from clinically familiar injected bone augmentation materials but could be extended to other injectable biomaterials for local siRNA delivery.
Applications of depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy

Depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy (DRCLS) has developed over the past few decades into a powerful technique for characterizing electronic properties of advanced materials structures and devices on a nanoscale. The lateral and depth-resolved capabilities of DRCLS enable researchers to probe native defects, impurities, chemical changes and local band structure inside state-of-the-art device structures on an unprecedented scale. A key strength of DRCLS is its ability to distinguish electronic features at buried interfaces within multilayer device structures, interfaces whose microscopic physical features can determine macroscopic electronic properties. This review provides a general overview of DRCLS and illustrates the wide array of applications now available using this technique. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Exciton coupled circular dichroic studies of self-assembled brevetoxin-porphyrin conjugates in lipid bilayers and polar solvents

Abstract Background: Brevetoxins, involved in the ‘red tide' as well as shellfish poisoning, are known to bind to cell membranes and membrane proteins. Brevetoxin B (BTX-B) interacts specifically with neuronal sodium channels. We recently found that BTX also induces selective ion movements across lipid bilayers through transmembrane BTX self-assemblies. Results: We examined the self-assembly of several BTX derivatives in the presence and absence of cations and lipid bilayers using the powerful porphyrin chromophores as circular dichroism labels. BTX derivatives self-assemble into tubes, which can bind to metals both when soluble and when inserted into the bilayer to form transmembrane pores. Depending on the tendency of the BTX derivative to self-aggregate (the critical "micelle" concentration, cmc), it may aggregate in solution before membrane insertion, or may insert itself into the membrane as a monomer before assembling the pore. Conclusions: The active BTX-B complex in lipid bilayers is a cyclic, transmembrane self-assembly consisting of antiparallel aligned BTX molecules that can mediate selective ion movement through membranes. The differences in pore formation mechanisms between BTX derivatives may be reflected in differences in pore formation by natural BTX variants, perhaps explaining their varying levels of toxicity.
Mineral utilization by the lactating cow--chlorine.

Abstract Although used as a condiment and essential supplement since pre-Biblical times, chlorine as a part of the molecule salt has received little research effort by large animal nutritionists. Its low cost and the continued popularity of salt as a condiment and sodium supplement has precluded the appearance of chloride deficiencies. There is great variation in the chloride and sodium content of feedstuffs fed to lactating cows so that some formulations require no supplemental chloride or sodium. Chloride is highly available from feedstuffs, and when dietary chloride is low, the cow can reduce sharply her losses of chloride in urine, feces, skin secretions, and to some degree in milk. Clinical symptoms of chloride deficiency in the lactating cow include pica, lethargy, anorexia, lowered milk yield, constipation, and cardiovascular depression. Metabolic changes are expressed as a severe primary hypochloremia, secondary hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis. Requirement for chloride by the lactating cow is about .20%; a working allowance of .25% seems reasonable for cows in positive energy balance. With gradual resolution of the requirements for chloride and more data on chloride in feedstuffs, use of supplemental salt for either sodium or chloride can be reduced greatly.
Earth Orbit Debris: An Economic Model

Space debris, an externality generated by expended launch vehicles and damaged satellites, reduces the expected value of space activities by increasing the probability of damaging existing satellites or other space vehicles. Unlike terrestrial pollution, debris created in the production process interacts with rms’ nal products, and is, moreover, self-propagating: collisions between debris or extant satellites creates additional debris. We construct an economic model to explore private incentives to launch satellites and to mitigate space debris. The model predicts that, relative to the social optimum, rms launch too many satellites and under-invest in debris mitigation technologies. We discuss remediation strategies and policies, and calculate a socially optimal Pigovian tax.
Bioartificial kidney. II. A convective flow model of a hollow fiber bioartificial renal tubule

An existing model for volume transport in the rat proximal tubule was modified and applied to a bioartificial renal tubule. The predicted volume transport agrees well with experimental data. The volume transport model was coupled to the analytic solutions of flow in the bioartificial renal tubule bioreactor, operated in the open-shell mode with perfusion in both the lumen and surrounding shell. The results suggest that the performance of a multifiber bioreactor can be improved by controlling shell inlet conditions and fiber spacing. These results have important implications for the design and analysis not only for the bioartificial renal tubule bioreactor but also for the general case of hollow fiber bioreactors operated in the open-shell mode with perfusion in both the lumen and surrounding shell.
Learning from student data

An abundance of information is contained on every college campus. Many academic, demographic, and attitudinal variables are gathered for every student who steps on campus. Despite all this information, colleges still struggle with graduation rates. This is an apt example of an overload of information but a starvation of knowledge. This paper introduces the use of neural networks and support vector machines, both nonlinear discriminant methods, for classifying student graduation behavior from several academic, demographic, and attitudinal variables maintained about students at the University of Oklahoma
Nontuberculous mycobacterial infections: a potential complication of cosmetic procedures

Interest in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures has increased significantly over the last few decades. Billions of dollars are spent on these procedures annually. Although the associated risk is generally low, multiple cases of skin and soft tissue infections have been reported. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), in particular M. chelonae, M. fortuitum, and M. abscessus, have been increasingly identified as causative of numerous cosmetic procedure-related infections worldwide. This has therefore become a public health concern. Delays in diagnosis and appropriate management may occur given subtleties in diagnostic methods. The purpose of this review is to highlight the NTM-related skin and soft tissue infections associated with more common cosmetic procedures, describe methods of identification, and outline best treatment practices.
Cardiac activation mapping using ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI)

We describe the first mapping of biological current in a live heart using ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI). Ablation procedures that treat severe heart arrhythmias require detailed maps of the cardiac activation wave. The conventional procedure is time-consuming and limited by its poor spatial resolution (5-10 mm). UCSDI can potentially improve on existing mapping procedures. It is based on a pressure-induced change in resistivity known as the acousto-electric (AE) effect, which is spatially confined to the ultrasound focus. Data from 2 experiments are presented. A 540 kHz ultrasonic transducer (f/# = 1, focal length = 90 mm, pulse repetition frequency = 1600 Hz) was scanned over an isolated rabbit heart perfused with an excitation-contraction decoupler to reduce motion significantly while retaining electric function. Tungsten electrodes inserted in the left ventricle recorded simultaneously the AE signal and the low-frequency electrocardiogram (ECG). UCSDI displayed spatial and temporal patterns consistent with the spreading activation wave. The propagation velocity estimated from UCSDI was 0.25 plusmn 0.05 mm/ms, comparable to the values obtained with the ECG signals. The maximum AE signal-to-noise ratio after filtering was 18 dB, with an equivalent detection threshold of 0.1 mA/ cm2. This study demonstrates that UCSDI is a potentially powerful technique for mapping current flow and biopotentialsin the heart.
The group IV-A cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, CNGC19 and CNGC20, localize to the vacuole membrane in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are implicated in the uptake of both essential and toxic cations, Ca 2+ signalling, and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. The 20 CNGC paralogues of Arabidopsis are divided into five evolutionary groups. Group IV-A is highly isolated and consists only of two closely spaced genes, CNGC19 and CNGC20. Prior studies have shown that both genes are induced by salinity and biotic stress. A unique feature of CNGC19 and CNGC20 is their long hydrophilic N-termini. To determine the subcellular locations of CNGC19 and CNGC20, partial and full-length fusions to GFP(S65T) were generated. Translational fusions of the N- termini of CNGC19 (residues 1-171) and CNGC20 (residues 1-200) to GFP(S65T) were targeted to punctate struc- tures when transiently expressed in leaf protoplasts. In the case of CNGC20, but not CNGC19, the punctate structures were co-labelled with a marker for the Golgi. The full-length CNGC19-GFP fusion co-localized with markers for the vacuole membrane (aTIP- and gTIP-mCherry). Vacuole membrane labelling by the full-length CNGC20-GFP fusion was also observed, but the signal was weak and accompanied by numerous punctate signals that did not co-localize with aTIP- or gTIP-mCherry. These punctate structures diminished, and localization of full-length CNGC20-GFP to the vacuole increased, when it was co-expressed with the full-length CNGC19-mCherry. Vacuole membrane labelling was also detected in planta via immunoelectron microscopy using a CNGC20-antiserum on cryopreserved ultrathin sections of roots. We hypothesize that the role of group IV-A CNGCs is to mediate the movement of cations between the central vacuole and the cytosol in response to certain types of abiotic and biotic stress.
Automatic Control of Large-Scale Combined Sewer Systems

The pollution of receiving waters by overflows from combined sewers is a national problem of serious concern. A recent viable solution strategy for the problem involves the development of automatic control systems as an alternative to more expensive sewer separation or large-scale treatment projects. Development of the control logic is difficult, due mainly to the size and complexity of the problem. A hierarchical control strategy is developed and applied to the proposed San Francisco Master Plan for Wastewater Management. The large-scale problem is decomposed into several first-level subbasin problems, with a second level master problem tying them together. An aggregation approach is also presented as another way of developing a hierarchical control structure. The subbasin problems can be solved either on-line of off-line, depending on the complexity of the sewer transport models utilized.
T cell unresponsiveness in lepromatous leprosy.

T lymphocytes from patients with lepromatous leprosy are anergic to M. leprae antigens. The mechanisms which induce and maintain this antigen specific T cell unresponsiveness in lepromatous leprosy have been the subject of intensive research. Recent insights from work on T cell recognition of antigen, cytokines, and T cell subsets have considerably enhanced the understanding of the immunopathology of lepromatous leprosy
On QoS routing and path establishment in the presence of imprecise state information

In large networks, maintaining precise global network state information is impossible. The imprecise network state information has significant impacts on Quality-of-Service (QoS) routing and path establishment. In this paper, we develop analytical models for investigating the QoS routing schemes that are designed to tolerate imprecise network state information, and study the performance of various QoS routing schemes, including randomized routing, multi-path routing, and probability based routing, using both the models and simulations. We further propose a new mechanism, called local rerouting, that improves the effectiveness of QoS path establishment in the presence of imprecise global net- work state information. Local rerouting is orthogonal to existing schemes for dealing with imprecise state information and can be used in conjunction with them to alleviate the impacts of the im- precise information. The results of our performance study indicate that local rerouting is robust and effective.