cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The development and application of a realistic simulation dataset for simultaneous cardiac and respiratory gated ECT/CT

We have developed and evaluated a realistic simulation dataset for simultaneous cardiac and respiratory gated ECT/CT using the 4D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom and Monte Carlo simulation methods. To include both cardiac and respiratory motions simultaneously, we generated 3D NCAT phantoms with different combinations of respiratory and cardiac gated time frames. The respiratory motion of the body excluding the heart was modeled by a total of 24 separate 3D NCAT phantoms over a respiratory cycle, and the beating heart was simulated separately with 48 frames per cardiac cycle for each of the 24 respiratory phases. Then, an almost noise-free projection dataset for each 3D NCAT phantom was generated using a long Monte Carlo simulation to simulate 99 mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion (MP) SPECT projections with different gating schemes and relative phases. To evaluate the dataset, we performed simulation studies of gated MP SPECT that demonstrates the effect of the motions. The separate projection datasets were combined and grouped into different gating schemes including no gating, 6 respiratory-gates only, 8 cardiac-gates only, and some combinations of them. Each projection was reconstructed using the 3D OS-EM without and with attenuation correction using the averaged and respiratory gated attenuation maps. The image artifacts of the reconstructed images obtained from the different projection datasets were compared. The result demonstrated that respiratory motion generated artifactual decreases in both the anterior and inferior regions of the cardiac gated and non-gated MP polar map. While respiratory gating reduces the artifact significantly, attenuation correction with the gated attenuation map further reduced it. We conclude that the simulation dataset provides a powerful tool in the study of the effects of cardiac and respiratory motions, and development of cardiac and respiratory gating schemes and motion correction methods for improved ECT/CT imaging.
Convexity and Fast Speech Extraction by Split Bregman Method

A fast speech extraction (FSE) method is presented using convex optimization made possible by pause detection of the speech sources. Sparse unmixing filters are sought by l1 regularization and the split Bregman method. A subdivided split Bregman method is developed for efficiently estimating long reverberations in real room recordings. The speech pause detection is based on a binary mask source separation method. The FSE method is evaluated and found to outperform existing blind speech separation approaches on both synthetic and room recorded data in terms of the overall computational speed and separation quality. Index Terms: convexity, sparse filters, split Bregman method, fast blind speech extraction.
Climate in Relation to Crops

Scientific study of the relation between climates and plants began as soon as instruments and observations became available. In 1735 Reaumur expressed by means of a temperature summation the quantity of heat required to bring a plant to a given stage of maturity. Many other investigators followed his lead. In the nineteenth century official weather services established standardized systems of observations throughout the United States largely to serve agriculture. The standardized observations proved to be inadequate to the solution of most problems. Since 1930 there has been a realization of the need for special observations for special problems and a consequent rapid development of the field of microclimatology. The early attempts to relate climate with plant growth and development puts into proper perspective the currently popular “heat unit” system. The deficiencies of the system that are found today are the same as were found by Reaumur’s successors two centuries ago. A new scheme based on the concept of potential evapotranspiration has been developed. Since it links the moisture and heat factors in climate, potential evapotrans-piration is at once an indicator of both plant development and water use. The scheme thus provides a possible single solution to the twin problems of crop and irrigation scheduling.
Strengthening Security in an Age of Irregular Migration Flows: Considerations for Applied Security Research

Security and immigration are both emerging global issues. Radical ideologies have infiltrated borders across Europe and the United States. Policy implications and ethical concerns surrounding mass ...
Preoperative Localization of Lung Nodules With Fiducial Markers: Feasibility and Technical Considerations

Background The purpose of this study was to determine whether computed tomography-guided fiducial placement is a feasible and safe localization procedure to aid resection of small pulmonary nodules. Methods A retrospective review was performed of 20 nodules (mean size 11 mm; range, 6 to 19 mm) referred for preoperative computed tomography-guided fiducial placement in 19 patients (average age 64 ± 11 years; 13 women and 6 men). Results The technical success rate for the placement of fiducials was 95%, with deployment of fiducials into the pleural space in 1 case. Biopsy specimen was obtained at time of the fiducial placement in 4 cases, with sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 100% for malignancy. Two procedures (10%) were complicated by a pneumothorax requiring chest tube placement. The median time between fiducial placement and surgery was 7 days (range, 1 to 123). One to four fiducials were placed a median distance of 0 mm (range, 0 to 7 mm) from the edge of the nodule. Fiducials were identified by on-table fluoroscopy in all cases, and all nodules were completely excised with negative surgical margins. Mean fluoroscopy time was 46 seconds, and mean radiation dose was 12.97 mGy. The final diagnosis was primary lung cancer in 85% of cases, with organizing pneumonia and sarcoidosis accounting for the three benign nodules. Conclusions Computed tomography-guided fiducial placement is a feasible and safe technique that allows biopsy at the time of the procedure and aids localization of small pulmonary nodules during video-assisted thoracic surgery.
Costs of Care for Hospitalized Adults with Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) in Maryland (MD) Have Skyrocketed: 1995–2003.

Background: In 1998 the FDA approved the use of hydroxyurea (HU) for use in patients (pts) with SCA. The trial on which the approval was based demonstrated that adult pts that were on HU had fewer hospitalizations, fewer episodes of acute chest syndrome and required fewer transfusions than those patients that were not on HU. The authors of this original study were able to calculate a cost savings of over 20 million dollars a year if every eligible patient in the US were taking HU. There is currently no literature that addresses changes in hospital utilization for SCA outside the setting for a clinical study since the implementation of HU. Methods: Using data collected for the MD Health Services Cost Review Commission, we looked at admission data for the State of MD from FY1995 through FY2003. The ICD9 coding system is an international classification system which groups related disease entities and procedures. The following ICD9 codes were used to identify individuals with SCA: 28261 (sickle cell Hgb SS without crisis), and 28262 (sickle cell, hgb SS with crisis). In order to control for population growth we estimated the total number of individuals with SCA in MD using 1990 and 2000 census data and a prevalence of SCA of 1 in 600 African Americans. Negative binomial and ordinary least squares regression models were used to test the trends in hospitalization rates and length of stay. An inflation factor from the Producer Price Index (PPI) was used to compare 2003 inpatient costs to 1995 inpatient costs. Mann-Whitney tests and t-tests were used to compare the ages, average costs per hospitalization and length of stay among patients admitted to JHH in FY2003. Results: The rate of adult SCA admissions per estimated African American SCA patient in MD increased from 1.006 in 1995 to 1.29 in 2003 (p Conclusions: The number of adults admitted with SCA has increased over the last 9 years. Importantly the costs of caring for these patients has increased by almost 60% while the costs of caring for the general population has increased by only 31%. This has occurred while the LOS has significantly decreased. The reasons for the cost increases are unclear and further investigation is warranted.
Radiologic signs of adipocytic maturation (AM) in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (ddLPS) patients (pts) treated with trabectedin (T): Correlation with disease control.

10561 Background: T has been shown to induce histological AM in myxoid liposarcoma (mLPS), but this has not previously been described in ddLPS. In this retrospective analysis, we analyzed the imaging studies in pts with various LPS subtypes (ddLPS, mLPS, pleomorphic LPS (pLPS), unclassified LPS (uLPS)) treated with T to see whether radiologic AM is detectable in clinical assessments. Methods: This single institution study, which enrolled 55 pts with LPS, was conducted as part of an expanded access trial of T (NCT00210665). Assessable pre- and post-T imaging studies were available for 48 pts (33M, 15F), including 24 ddLPS, 16 mLPS, 4 pLPS, and 4 uLPS. Mean age at diagnosis was 50 yr (range 24 – 74 yr). T was administered until disease progression, and restaging scans were performed approximately every 6 weeks. Radiologic evidence of AM (change of tumor to fat density), changes in lesion density and size, and best response per RECIST 1.1 were assessed at final T cycle. Clinical benefit and rate (CBR) was ba...
Experience, Theory, and Experiment (1955)

Science today is much like government or big business: Scientists are specialists not only in a single science but even in a single problem, each a senior bureaucrat jealous of interference from the multitude of others whose actions are in turn as isolated as his own, and the multiplied sciences themselves are self-fecundating compartments which reproduce, if at all, by division. Everyone is an expert in something. We are accustomed to speaking of every scientist as a leader in a particular field, but often it is difficult to discern any following. That so many experts turn out so much research that no single person can know it all even in a single field, is often brought forward as proving the progress of science. Rate of working, nevertheless, is the product of force by velocity and is not necessarily increased if velocity approaches infinity while force approaches zero. There are costly efforts to gather and review the totality of the literature in various fields, but it might be fitter to find out who, if anyone, reads the typical paper of today.
Power spectral density of 3D noise

When evaluated with a spatially uniform irradiance, an imaging sensor exhibits both spatial and temporal variations, which can be described as a three-dimensional (3D) random process considered as noise. In the 1990s, NVESD engineers developed an approximation to the 3D power spectral density (PSD) for noise in imaging systems known as 3D noise. This correspondence describes the decomposition of the full 3D PSD into the familiar components from the 3D Noise model. The standard 3D noise method assumes spectrally (spatio-temporal) white random processes, which is demonstrated to be atypically in the case with complex modern imaging sensors. Using the spectral shape allows for more appropriate analysis of the impact of the noise of the sensor. The processing routines developed for this work consider finite memory constraints and utilize Welch's method for unbiased PSD estimation. In support of the reproducible research effort, the Matlab functions associated with this work can be found on the Mathworks file exchange [1].
Nanoarmoring: strategies for preparation of multi-catalytic enzyme polymer conjugates and enhancement of high temperature biocatalysis

We report a general and modular approach for the synthesis of multi enzyme–polymer conjugates (MECs) consisting of five different enzymes of diverse isoelectric points and distinct catalytic properties conjugated within a single universal polymer scaffold. The five model enzymes chosen include glucose oxidase (GOx), acid phosphatase (AP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and lipase (Lip). Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is used as the model synthetic polymer scaffold that will covalently conjugate and stabilize multiple enzymes concurrently. Parallel and sequential synthetic protocols are used to synthesise MECs, 5-P and 5-S, respectively. Also, five different single enzyme–PAA conjugates (SECs) including GOx–PAA, AP–PAA, LDH–PAA, HRP–PAA and Lip–PAA are synthesized. The composition, structure and morphology of MECs and SECs are confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The bioreactor comprising MEC functions as a single biocatalyst can carry out at least five different or orthogonal catalytic reactions by virtue of the five stabilized enzymes, which has never been achieved to-date. Using activity assays relevant for each of the enzymes, for example AP, the specific activity of AP at room temperature and 7.4 pH in PB is determined and set at 100%. Interestingly, MECs 5-P and 5-S show specific activities of 1800% and 600%, respectively, compared to 100% specific activity of AP at room temperature (RT). The catalytic efficiencies of 5-P and 5-S are 1.55 × 10−3 and 1.68 × 10−3, respectively, compared to 9.11 × 10−5 for AP under similar RT conditions. Similarly, AP relevant catalytic activities of 5-P and 5-S at 65 °C show 100 and 300%, respectively, relative to native AP activity at RT as the native AP is catalytically inactive at 65 °C. The catalytic activity trends suggest: (1) MECs show enhanced catalytic activities compared to native enzymes under similar assay conditions and (2) 5-S is better suited for high temperature biocatalysis, while both 5-S and 5-P are suitable for room temperature biocatalysis. Initial cytotoxicity results show that these MECs are non-lethal to human cells including human embryonic kidney [HEK] cells when treated with doses of 0.01 mg mL−1 for 72 h. This cytotoxicity data is relevant for future biological applications.
Self-Forgiveness and Health: A Stress-and-Coping Model

In this chapter, we present a stress-and-coping model of self-forgiveness and health. Three propositions are built from the seminal transactional model of stress and coping and the stress-and-coping model of forgiveness. The three propositions of the stress-and-coping model of self-forgiveness include: (1) self-condemnation is stressful; (2) self-forgiveness can be used to cope with the stressful effects of self-condemnation; and (3) self-forgiveness is related to health. Studies bearing on these propositions are briefly reviewed. Research is rapidly growing and supportive of the proposition that self-forgiveness is related to health, but studies examining the stressfulness of unforgiveness and the efficacy of self-forgiveness as a coping mechanism for self-condemnation are needed. There are countless applications of self-forgiveness in the promotion of health and wellness, and the relevance of self-forgiveness to students, interpersonal relationships, and workers is highlighted.
Factors Associated with Romantic Relationship Self-Efficacy Following Youth-Focused Relationship Education

Objective To explore how youths' perceived relationship self-efficacy following relationship education may vary on the basis of program and youth characteristics. Background Youth-focused relationship education has been shown to promote attitudes and behaviors that foster healthy romantic relationships. Yet little is known about the factors associated with variations in these program outcomes. Method Using data collected from a convenience sample of 1,076 youth who participated in the Love U2: Relationship Smarts Plus program, structural equation models and multiple group analysis using chi-square difference tests were examined to assess whether and how various program and youth characteristics are associated with relationship self-efficacy. Results Youths' romantic relationship self-efficacy was greater when programming was offered within a week or weekly versus monthly, after school rather than in-school, and whether participants were female and had previous dating experiences. Several demographic factors (e.g., race, sex) moderated the influence of programmatic and individual characteristics on self-efficacy. Conclusion Variability exists in how relationship and marriage education programs are implemented in uncontrolled real-world settings. Our findings suggest that program outcomes may also vary on the basis of certain youth and program characteristics. Implications Practitioners should carefully consider how the tailoring of program content and delivery to meet the needs of diverse audiences maintains program fidelity and can potentially influence program outcomes.
De novo formation of the biliary system by TGFβ-mediated hepatocyte transdifferentiation

Transdifferentiation is a complete and stable change in cell identity that serves as an alternative to stem-cell-mediated organ regeneration. In adult mammals, findings of transdifferentiation have been limited to the replenishment of cells lost from preexisting structures, in the presence of a fully developed scaffold and niche1. Here we show that transdifferentiation of hepatocytes in the mouse liver can build a structure that failed to form in development-the biliary system in a mouse model that mimics the hepatic phenotype of human Alagille syndrome (ALGS)2. In these mice, hepatocytes convert into mature cholangiocytes and form bile ducts that are effective in draining bile and persist after the cholestatic liver injury is reversed, consistent with transdifferentiation. These findings redefine hepatocyte plasticity, which appeared to be limited to metaplasia, that is, incomplete and transient biliary differentiation as an adaptation to cell injury, based on previous studies in mice with a fully developed biliary system3-6. In contrast to bile duct development7-9, we show that de novo bile duct formation by hepatocyte transdifferentiation is independent of NOTCH signalling. We identify TGFβ signalling as the driver of this compensatory mechanism and show that it is active in some patients with ALGS. Furthermore, we show that TGFβ signalling can be targeted to enhance the formation of the biliary system from hepatocytes, and that the transdifferentiation-inducing signals and remodelling capacity of the bile-duct-deficient liver can be harnessed with transplanted hepatocytes. Our results define the regenerative potential of mammalian transdifferentiation and reveal opportunities for the treatment of ALGS and other cholestatic liver diseases.
SWI/SNF and RSC cooperate to reposition and evict promoter nucleosomes at highly expressed genes in yeast

The nucleosome remodeling complex RSC functions throughout the yeast genome to set the positions of -1 and +1 nucleosomes and thereby determines the widths of nucleosome-depleted regions (NDRs). The related complex SWI/SNF participates in nucleosome remodeling/eviction and promoter activation at certain yeast genes, including those activated by transcription factor Gcn4, but did not appear to function broadly in establishing NDRs. By analyzing the large cohort of Gcn4-induced genes in mutants lacking the catalytic subunits of SWI/SNF or RSC, we uncovered cooperation between these remodelers in evicting nucleosomes from different locations in the promoter and repositioning the +1 nucleosome downstream to produce wider NDRs-highly depleted of nucleosomes-during transcriptional activation. SWI/SNF also functions on a par with RSC at the most highly transcribed constitutively expressed genes, suggesting general cooperation by these remodelers for maximal transcription. SWI/SNF and RSC occupancies are greatest at the most highly expressed genes, consistent with their cooperative functions in nucleosome remodeling and transcriptional activation. Thus, SWI/SNF acts comparably with RSC in forming wide nucleosome-free NDRs to achieve high-level transcription but only at the most highly expressed genes exhibiting the greatest SWI/SNF occupancies.
Somatic mutation landscape of appendiceal cancer.

671Background: Appendiceal cancers are rare, comprising just 0.5% of all intestinal neoplasia, which has prevented the systematic study of these tumors in randomized clinical trials. Given this abs...
Do Academic Medical Centers Disproportionately Benefit The Sickest Patients

Academic medical centers are widely considered to have higher costs than nonteaching hospitals, which has led some policy makers to suggest that the centers should be reserved for patients with the most complex conditions. While prior studies have shown lower mortality at the centers, it is unclear how this varies by patient severity. We examined more than 11.8 million hospitalizations in the period 2012–14 for Medicare beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older and found that, after adjustment for patient and hospital characteristics, high-severity patients had 7 percent lower odds, medium-severity patients had 13 percent lower odds, and low-severity patients had 17 percent lower odds of thirty-day mortality when treated at an academic medical center for common medical conditions, compared to similar patients treated at a nonteaching hospital. For surgical procedures, high-severity patients had 17 percent lower odds of mortality, medium-severity patients had 10 percent lower odds, and there was no differenc...
Acid‐catalyzed isobutane–isobutylene alkylation in liquid carbon dioxide solution

Liquid carbon dioxide was studied as a solvent for the isobutane–isobutylene alkylation. The acid catalysts in the reaction were anhydrous HF (AHF), pyridinium–poly(hydrogen fluoride) complex (PPHF), concentrated sulfuric acid and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFSA). The effect of the acid–hydrocarbon volume ratio, temperature and residence time on the alkylate quality were studied over the temperature range of 50 ⩾ T ⩾ 0 °C. Carbon dioxide as a competing weak base decreases the acidity of the system which parallels the alkylate quality. In the case of HF and TFSA catalysts, solvent CO2 increased the octane number of the alkylate product (RON 95.6 for HF‐ and 88.0 for TFSA‐catalyzed alkylation with CO2 solvent).
Elements of Law

An account of law should explain the character of legal obligation. And one of the main problems of the philosophy of law according to Hart is the similarities and differences between legal obligation and coercion. Before distinguishing legal obligation from coercion (and later moral obligation) Hart sets himself “to understand the general idea of obligation as a necessary preliminary to understanding it in its legal form” (CL, 83). Central to this task is an understanding of two points of view one may take toward rules. Once the nature of obligation is understood, one can proceed to examine how the addition of some power-conferring rules to duty-imposing ones provides a basis for a legal system.
Lung surfactants for replacement therapy: biochemical, biophysical, and clinical aspects

This article characterizes and analyzes current concepts of the pulmonary surfactant system, and its actions and importance in respiration. Much of the discussion concerns the fundamental role of lung surfactant in the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of premature infants, and the success of exogenous surfactant replacement in clinical therapy for this disease. In addition, basic descriptions of the biophysical and physiological activity of lung surfactant are provided to define mechanisms behind surfactant replacement therapy, and how it might be optimized by the further development of appropriate synthetic lung surfactant substitutes.
Determination of the degree of grain refinement in irradiated U-Mo fuels.

Abstract A simple, repeatable method for determination of the degree of grain refinement in irradiated Uranium-Molybdenum fuels has been developed. This method involves mechanical potting and polishing of samples along with examination using a scanning electron microscope located outside of a hot cell. The commercially available software package Mathematica was used to determine the degree of grain refinement by way of a built-in iterative active contour method of image segmentation. Baseline methods for degree of grain refinement assessment are suggested for consideration and further development.
The Vectorfield Model of Population Genetics

We consider a large population of diploid organisms among whose gametes we distinguish n different types, indexed by a set I. So we describe a member of the population by telling its genotype, a pair ij (= ji) with i and j elements of I. We can describe the population by telling the frequencies of the different genotypes, xij = the number of organisms with genotype ij. The information in this frequency table is equivalently described by the total population number Σxij and the distribution of diploid types {pij} where pij is the fraction of the total population having genotype ij. The diploid zygotes which make up the population are obtained by the pairing of haploid gametes. We will assume that this pairing is random in the Hardy-Weinberq sense. This means that the two gametes in the zygote are independent of one another. It is then sufficient to know the distribution of the haploid gamete types, {pi}, and their total number, which we will denote by |x|, because pij = 2pipj (i ≠ j), pii = p i 2 and Σ xij = |x|/2. If we let RI denote the n-dimensional vector space of real valued functions on I then the gamete distribution is a vector p in the simplex Δ = {p ∈ RI: pi ≥ 0 and Σ pi =1}
The making of black lives matter: a brief history of an idea: by Christopher J. Lebron, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017, 216 pp., $16.08 (paperback), ISBN: 9780190601348

As is evidenced by history, the landscape of the United States has been unnaturally populated by incidents of racial terror that have manifested themselves overtly as slavery, the segregationist la...
General structure of time-optimal control of robotic manipulators moving along prescribed paths

Abstract The structure is addressed of time-optimal control of robotic manipulators along a specified geometric path subject to constraints on control torques. Both regular and singular (where one or more effective inertia components is/are zero on any finite time interval) cases are studied by using the extended Pontryagin's minimum principle and a parametrization method. It is shown that the structure of the time-optimal control law requires either (a) one and only one control torque to be always in saturation in every finite time interval along its optimal trajectory, while the rest of them adjust their values so that the motion of the robot is guaranteed along the constrained path, or (b) at least one of the actuators to take on its extremal values. The first form of the control law dominates the robot motion along the optimal trajectory although the second form may exist. The theoretical results are verified by various existing numerical examples.
Failure Analysis and Research of Key Auxiliaries in Thermal Power Plant

The key equipment of thermal power plants such as feed pump, condensate pump, circulating pump and induced draft fan, blower fan, oxidation fan, air preheater’s vibration information are monitored and tracked. Bearing failure accounted for the largest proportion. Problems such as misalignment and unbalance are still very common. Attention should be paid to the fault diagnosis and maintenance work.
DESUB: INTEGRATION OF A FIRST-ORDER SYSTEM OF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on DESUB, which is an integration of a first-order system of ordinary differential equations. The algorithm used in the program to integrate a set of first-order ordinary differential equations is based on an extrapolation procedure. Extrapolation to zero interval size is a familiar device for improving a discrete approximation, T(h), whose truncation error can be expressed in powers of the discretization interval h. The program described in the chapter is based on the use of rational functions that apply rational extrapolation in their algorithm to a modified midpoint integration rule. At each step of the integration, the extrapolation process is considered to have converged when each component yi, (i = 1, 2, … n) of the dependent variable vector has satisfied a convergence criterion specified by the user. The user might choose one of the three convergence criteria available to him. In testing for convergence, two successive extrapolated values at the point in question are compared.
Intraoperative Fragmentation and Retention of Endovascular Devices: Clinical Consequences and Preventative Strategies:

Background:Expanded applications and increasing volumes of complex endovascular procedures have increased the risk of unintended intraoperative fragmentation and retention of catheters and sheaths....
Effect of nanomaterial shape on fabrication of conformal circuits

Abstract This paper investigates how the change in nanomaterial (NM) shape influences resistance evolution during conformal interconnect fabrication via sequential Vacuum-forming and Flash Light Sintering (FLS) approach. The NM shape in the conformal circuit is tuned by mixing nanowires (NW) with nanoflakes (NF) or nanospheres (NS) at different mixing ratios. The change in line resistance post-forming and post-sintering for any given mixing ratio is studied in greater depth using SEM characterization, UV-Vis spectrophotometry and thermal measurements. For optimal NM mixing ratio and process parameters, the fabricated circuit achieves electrical resistivity of 55.4 µΩ-cm within 30 seconds on a wall inclined at 60⁰ to the horizontal with a width to height aspect ratio of 2.5:1.
Copyright's online service providers safe harbors under siege

Reviewing the most significant changes recommended in the recently released U.S. Copyright Office Section 512 Study.
Ethical Leadership and Commitment to Behave Ethically in Government Agencies

This study investigates the relationship between ethical leadership and commitment to behave ethically, a dimension of ethical culture largely understudied in government settings. It uses survey da...
Rutting and moisture-induced damage potential of foamed warm mix asphalt (WMA) containing RAP

Despite significant economic and environmental benefits, performance of warm mix asphalt (WMA) containing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) remains a matter of concern. Among the current WMA technologies, the plant foaming technique (called “foamed WMA” in this study) has gained the most attention, since it eliminates the need for chemical additives. In the present study, the laboratory performance, namely rutting and moisture-induced damage potential of foamed WMA containing RAP were evaluated and compared with those of similar hot mix asphalt (HMA) containing identical amount of RAP. Dynamic modulus, Hamburg wheel tracking (HWT) and flow number tests were performed to assess the rutting resistance of the mixes. Also, stripping inflection point from HWT tests and tensile strength ratio after AASHTO T 283 and moisture induced sensitivity test (MIST) conditioning were used to evaluate the moisture-induced damage of asphalt mixes. It was found that MIST conditioning effectively simulates the moisture-induced damage and can capture the propensity of asphalt mixes to moisture damage more distinctly compared to AASHTO T 283 method due to application of cyclic loadings. The foamed WMA was found to exhibit higher rutting and moisture-induced damage potential due to lower mixing and compaction temperatures compared to HMA. However, the increase in RAP content was found to reduce rutting and moisture-induced damage potential for WMA. Therefore, the lower stiffness of foamed WMA may be compensated with the addition of stiffer binder from RAP.
Talking to Boxes, Hugging Robots

Relationships between humans and technology are at the core of my artistic research. Humanmachine communication is defined by the technological level of the machines, but even more so by the way they are perceived by humans. Concepts of artificial life and artificial intelligence gradually have become part of the everyday life of growing numbers of people, and while there is an ongoing effort to design an increasingly anthropocentric technology, our minds also adapt to the new technological reality. Through immersive installations and sculptural objects my practice explores this reality. My artwork is designed to communicate with and stimulate the viewers, allowing them to examine their own perception of phenomena such as behavioral algorithms, artificial life and artificial intelligence. Not only does it provide an opportunity of self-analysis, it also facilitates a change in the way people conceptualize communication with machines.
Laser Capture Microdissection

ances in our understanding of disease mechanisms have resulted in the need for single-cell analysis. Analytical technologies have become available to accommodate such interrogations. Typically, molecular diagnostic assays begin with a nucleic acid extraction procedure during which tissue architecture and cellular morphology is lost. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a technology that enables scientists to examine the processes of individual cells. Whether one is investigating a cell’s internal messages or its proteins, isolating that particular cell(s) from a mixed cellular environment is the function of LCM (Fig. 1). This chapter briefly describes the LCM technique by reviewing the current instrumentation and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about LCM. There is now a vast literature on LCM, which this chapter will not attempt to review. A well-organized listing of the primary papers as well as contemporary work can be found at the Arcturus website http://www.arctur.com. Conn is editor of perhaps the best compilation to date on LCM (1). There is a new methods book on LCM, edited by Murray and Curran (2). LCM was introduced by the National Institutes of Health investigators Liotta, Bonner, and Emmert-Buck in 1996 (3) and 1997 (4). The first commercial instrument was produced by Arcturus Engineering, Inc. (Mountain View, CA) as a result of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with NIH. To date, there are four companies that produce LCM equipment.
Using Random Sets to Model Learning in Manufacturing

It is widely observed that manufacturing quality metrics improve as experience is gained during production. The traditional empirical learning curves modeling such improvements have recently been explained by a predictive model deduced from first principles, namely certain principles imported into artificial intelligence from statistical mechanics. However, this new learning model is limited to a finite lesson pool of paradigm shifts. This paper presents an extension to incremental learning using sampling based on the notion of dynamic random sets.
Design and Implementation of Scheduling Systems: Basic Concepts

Analyzing a scheduling problem and developing a procedure for dealing with it on a regular basis is, in the real world, only part of the story. The procedure has to be embedded in a system that enables the decision-maker to actually use it. The system has to be integrated into the information system of the enterprise, which can be a formidable task. This chapter focuses on system design and implementation issues.
Structural and Functional Roles of the Cysteine Residues in the α Subunit of the Escherichia coli Tryptophan Synthetase III. STUDIES WITH THE BIFUNCTIONAL SULFHYDRYL REAGENT BISMALEIMIDOMETHYL ETHER

Abstract Cysteine 80 and cysteine 117 of the α subunit of the Escherichia coli tryptophan synthetase have been cross-linked by use of the bifunctional reagent N,N'-bis(maleimidomethyl) ether (BME). The sites of reaction were identified from the amino acid compositions of radioactive peptides purified from tryptic and tryptic-chymotryptic digests of α subunit which had reacted with 3H-BME to the extent of 1 mole of cross-linking reagent per mole of enzyme. Hydrodynamic studies showed that no significant dimer formation had occurred. The electrophoretic and immunochemical properties of the enzyme are identical with those of untreated control preparations. Although the intramolecularly cross-linked monomers are apparently homogeneous by these criteria, BME-treated α subunits are functionally heterogeneous in that 70% of the independent indoleglycerol phosphate activity of the α subunit has been lost after reaction of 1 mole of BME with 1 mole of α subunit. In addition, 70% of the protein in such preparations cannot form a functional α2β2-tryptophan synthetase complex with the β2 subunit, as measured indirectly by enzymatic activity studies and directly in studies on α2β2 complex formation in sucrose density gradient centrifugation experiments. Two possible explanations for the observed functional heterogeneity of BME cysteine 80 to cysteine 117 cross-linked α subunit preparations are advanced. These mechanisms may be interdependent. Two new asymmetric centers are introduced by the addition of the protein cysteinyl thiols across the two maleimide double bonds of the bifunctional reagent. A population of α subunits cross-linked between these 2 cysteinyl residues might contain as many as four different conformational forms of BME cross-link. The sulfhydryl group region of the enzyme is known from previous studies to be closely related to the active site of the subunit in the indoleglycerol phosphate aldolase reaction, and to be important in the association of the α subunit with β2 subunits to form the α2β2-tryptophan synthetase complex. Alternatively, the order of addition of the two cysteinyl thiols to the BME molecule is not known, and it is possible that differences in either protein active site structure, or in the stereochemical course of the cross-linking reaction may be the consequence of initial reaction of BME at one or the other of the 2 cysteinyl residues. Such differences in structure between the active and inactive subunits are nonetheless not great enough to allow the physical separation of the different forms involved.
Resolution of right heart enlargement after closure of secundum atrial septal defect with transcatheter technique.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to prospectively characterize the reduction in right atrial (RA) area and right ventricular (RV) volume after transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and to investigate factors that may predict magnitude of resolution in right heart enlargement. BACKGROUND Secundum ASD can cause volume overload of the right side of the heart with the potential for development of late complications. Little is known about reduction in right heart size after closure of ASD. METHODS Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 38 patients undergoing transcatheter closure of ASD. The RA area and RV volume were measured prior (n = 38), within 24 hours (n = 37), at 3 to 6 months (n = 24), at 12 months (n = 20) and at 24 months (n = 10) after closure of ASD. Change over time within the study group was assessed and the study group was compared to a control group of 19 patients with structurally normal hearts. RESULTS Indexed RA area decreased from baseline to 3- to 6-month follow-up (p = 0.004) as did indexed RV volume (p < 0.0001). Indexed RV volume was similar to that in the control group at 24 months (p = 0.3); however, indexed RA area remained greater than in the control group (p = 0.006). Decrease in indexed RA area over the first 12 months of follow-up was related to young age at time of closure by regression analysis (r = 0.55, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION Closure of secundum ASD results in decreased indexed RV volume comparable to that in control subjects at 24 months following closure. Indexed RA area remains increased compared to that in control subjects but does decrease over time. Decrease in RA area is inversely proportional to age at time of ASD closure. Long-term follow-up is required to evaluate the clinical impact of persistently increased RA size.
Poliomyelitis and Coxsackie viruses in paralytic poliomyelitis.

Tests for the presence of Coxsackie virus were carried out with specimens of feces and swabbings of the nasopharynx from 20 infants and children suspected of having poliomyelitis who were admitted to a hospital during the summer of 1949 in New York City. Both Coxsackie virus and poliomyelitis virus were recovered from feces collected during the course of illness from each of two children with paralysis. The strains of Coxsackie virus which were isolated from both of these patients were found to be serologically related to Dalldorf9s Type 1 Coxsackie virus. The Coxsackie and poliomyelitis viruses which were isolated from one of these patients were found not to be immunologically related to each other. Tests with specimens of serum from both patients showed that one but not the other developed, during convalescence, an increase in the capacity to neutralize the strains of Coxsackie virus which were isolated from them.
In vivo and in vitro effects of an apolipoprotein e mimetic peptide on amyloid-β pathology.

Background Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is the major apolipoprotein present in the high-density lipoprotein-like particles in the central nervous system (CNS). ApoE is involved in various protective functions in CNS including cholesterol transport, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. An ApoE peptide would be expected to exert protective effects on neuroinflammation. Objective To determine the effects of an ApoE mimetic peptide Ac-hE18A-NH2 on amyloid-β pathology. Method Using human APP/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice and in vitro studies, we have evaluated the effect of an ApoE mimetic peptide, Ac-hE18A-NH2, on amyloid plaque deposition and inflammation. Results Administration of Ac-hE18A-NH2 to APP/PS1ΔE9 mice for 6 weeks (50 μg/mouse, 3 times a week) significantly improved cognition with a concomitant decrease in amyloid plaque deposition and reduced activated microglia and astrocytes, and increased brain ApoE levels. Oligomeric Aβ42 (oAβ42) and oxidized PAPC (ox-PAPC) inhibited secretion of ApoE in U251 cells, a human astrocyte cell line, and this effect was ameliorated in the presence of peptide Ac-hE18A-NH2. The peptide also increased Aβ42 uptake in a cell line of human macrophages. Conclusions Peptide Ac-hE18A-NH2 attenuates the effects of oxidative stress on ApoE secretion, inhibits amyloid plaque deposition, and thus could be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Low voltage electron emission from Pb(Zr/sub x/Ti/sub 1-x/)O/sub 3/-based thin film cathodes

Electron emission from ferroelectric thin films (/spl les/1 /spl mu/m thick) is demonstrated. In addition, electron energy distributions have been measured using an Auger Electron Spectrometer (AES). The electron emission measurements were performed using ferroelectric cathodes based on thin Pb(Zr/sub 0.53/Ti/sub 0.47/)O/sub 3/ (PZT) films and 80-110 /spl mu/m Pb/sub 0.93/La/sub 0.07/ (Z/sub 0.53/Ti/sub 0.47/)O/sub 3/ (PLZT) layered capacitors with Pt top and bottom electrodes. Current densities in the range of 0.5-1.5 mA/cm/sup 2/ were measured from the PLZT cathodes excited with 100-400 volt pulses, which produced electrons of about 265 eV with a narrow energy distribution (FWHM of about 30 eV). On the other hand, current densities in the range 0.07-0.15 /spl mu/A/cm/sup 2/ were measured for thin film PZT-based cathodes excited with pulses in the range 10-40 volts. The initial results suggest that the electron emission current may depend, among other factors, on the thickness of the ferroelectric layer, the applied excitation voltage, and the interval between the polarizing and switching pulses.
Location, Location, Location: The First Farmers

Agriculture originated 11,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent of southwestern Asia. A report on page 1312 of this issue describes the discovery of the site of domestication of einkorn wheat, a founder species for farming, in the Karacadamountains of Turkey. In his Perspective, Diamond discusses why agriculture and indeed much of Western civilization traces its roots to this unique time and place.
Measurement error and the Albert-Loewer problem

Modal interpretations of QM have the welcome consequence that unitarily evolved post-measurement states which superpose eigenstates of the anticipated pointer observable can represent devices registering determinate measurement outcomes. Albert and Loewer have claimed that modal interpretations cannot account for the outcomes of “error-prone” measurements. But Albert, Loewer, and their commentators have not always appreciated the relation of measurement error to the Albert-Loewer problem. I argue that measurement error is neither necessary nor sufficient to generate the Albert-Loewer problem, and use the Araki-Yanase theorem to show that measurements of a large class of observables, if they are error-free, are beset by the Albert-Loewer problem.
Financial intermediation and price level control

Abstract Because currency and deposits are not perfect substitutes in all transactions, there are simplified financial systems in which control of the supply of currency is sufficient to control the price level. Most important, in a currency supply approach, price level control does not imply control of financial intermediation. Thus, price level goals never have to be weighed against the availability of credit to finance real activity.
An Evaluation of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Organic Produce in the Northeastern U.S.

Abstract Many factors have been found to affect the willingness to pay for reduced pesticide produce and organic produce. In most cases, gender and income are among the most significant determinants. In contrast to existing research, this paper incorporates new explanatory variables into the logit framework and focuses on the northeastern U.S. The results indicate that those who read labels when purchasing food have heard about integrated pest management produce, say that quality of fresh produce affects where they shop and are more likely to pay a premium for organic produce.
Regional Variation of Extracellular Space in the Hippocampus

The factors responsible for the unusual susceptibility of the hippocampus to seizures and ischemic cell damage are not well understood. The CA1 pyramidal subfield of the hippocampus is particularly vulnerable to seizure activity and damage after ischemia. The possibility was examined that regional differences exist in extracellular volume, which might influence neuronal excitability and response to injury in the hippocampus. CA1 stratum pyramidale exhibited an exceptionally low extracellular volume fraction (EVF) of 0.12, whereas the EVFs of CA3 and dentate were considerably higher--0.18 and 0.15, respectively. The EVF of CA1 stratum pyramidale was reversibly reduced by 30 percent when the extracellular potassium concentration was raised from 3.5 to 8.5 mM, a procedure that induced spontaneous electrographic seizures in CA1. Thus there are regional variations in the properties of the extracellular space in the hippocampus that might underlie the propensity of the CA1 region to develop seizures and to suffer damage after ischemia.
Release the hounds! A chemokine elicits monocytes from bone marrow

The chemokine receptor CCR2 was believed to 'summon' infiltrating CCR2+ monocytes into the spleen. Instead, CCR2 seems to be important for 'release' of these cells from bone marrow niches.
Frequency domain modeling and experimental validation of surface vehicle-wave interaction for planar motion control

This paper aims at developing a model based on theoretical first principles involving nonlinear equations for the coupled heave and pitch dynamics of surface vehicles that is suitable for evaluating planar motion control strategies. The model developed uses a novel approach of representing the ship dynamics in the frequency domain that provides greater insight to the surface vehicle’s behavior over a wider operating range than the traditional time domain models. The theoretical model was validated by experimental data that was obtained from tow tank experiments. The theoretical model results compared well with the experimental data.