cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semantic Vector Combinations and the Synoptic Gospels

This paper applies some recent methods involving semantic vectors and their combination operations to some very traditional questions, including the discovery of similarities and differences between the four Gospels, relationships between individuals, and the identification of geopolitical regions and leaders in the ancient world. In the process, we employ several methods from linear algebra and vector space models, some of which are of particular importance in quantum mechanics and quantum logic. Our conclusions are in general positive: the vector methods do a good job of capturing well-known facts about the Bible, its authors, and relationships between people and places mentioned in the Bible. On the more specific topic of quantum as opposed to other approaches, our conclusions are more mixed: on the whole, we do not find evidence for preferring vector methods that are directly associated with quantum mechanics over vector methods developed independently of quantum mechanics. We suggest that this argues for synthesis rather than division between classical and quantum models for information processing.
To determine educational objectives for undergraduate urologic teaching. Results of a comprehensive study.

Abstract A protocol to determine specific educational objectives for undergraduate urology teaching is outlined. Its purpose was to obtain the input of the consumer, namely the practicing physician, regarding what urologic knowledge he needs, what he wishes he knew, and so forth. Twenty-two hundred physicians selected at random from the fields of urology, internal medicine, pediatrics, and general practice were involved in the study, and the resulting 99 objectives that 70 per cent or more of all the physicians responding (regardless of specialty) believed “necessary for every graduating medical student” are presented.
A second-generation single-chip stereo imager

A second-generation stereo vision chip, fabricated in a 0.35/spl mu/m 4M2P CMOS process and incorporating two 128 /spl times/ 128 pixel linear current-mode imagers and current-mode disparity computation circuitry, is presented. Parallel computation of the sum-of-absolute-difference matching metric allows the chip to produce 114 /spl times/ 124 pixel depth maps at 30 frames per second, performing 2.2 billion operations per second, while using 10.1mA from a 3.3V supply.
Recovery of a unique bacterial organism in human middle ear fluid and its possible role in chronic otitis media.

The middle ear fluids of 10 children with persistent otitis media with effusion (OME) were found to contain an unclassified, slow-growing, gram-positive organism. Large gram-positive cocci, often present as diplococci or tetrads, were readily seen in each effusion. Culture of the fluid on a blood agar plate required 2 to 5 days of incubation at 37 degrees C and yielded a slow-growing coccus in pure culture in 70% of cases and in mixed culture in 30% of cases. The organism in question was unique and could be distinguished from aerococci, gemellas, enterococci, and micrococci. It grew in 6.5% saline and on bile esculin agar. It did not grow at 45 degrees C or anaerobically. It was uniformly catalase and hippurate positive. It gave negative reactions with tellurite, tetrazolium, and pyruvate and did not utilize any of the carbohydrates tested. Reactions to bile esculin were variable. The episodes of OME associated with the bacterium in question were asymptomatic, had been present from 1 to 8 months, and occurred in children who had previously experienced OME. The middle ear fluids were typically serous or seromucinous and contained inflammatory cells. The data suggest that the gram-positive coccus is a newly described middle ear pathogen and may be responsible, in part, for persistent middle ear effusion. The characteristically slow growth of the organism in vitro could hinder recovery of the organism from clinical specimens and may therefore have prevented its earlier recognition. Images
TH-AB-BRB-08: Optimizing Global Liver Function in Liver SBRT Treatment Planning

Purpose: Liver SBRT patients have variable pre-treatment liver function, which strongly influences liver toxicity risk. Previous studies include a “perfusion-weighted” mean dose model as a surrogate for liver function in plan optimization. This work investigates the benefit of using a more sophisticated dose-response model that incorporates two important dose thresholds: (i) based on pre-treatment function, a significant low-dose may need to be exceeded before noticeable damage is done, and (ii) a high-dose saturation point, beyond which no additional damage is done. Methods: Voxel-based liver perfusion from DCE-MRI was obtained. Two optimization models subject to the same linear dose constraints (e.g., minimum target EUD, maximum critical structure dose) were compared: the original linear model, which use pre-treatment perfusion-weighted mean liver dose only, and a new model designed to directly optimize the predicted post-treatment global liver function. The latter, a highly non-linear non-convex problem, was approximately solved by optimizing a piece-wise linear approximation of the objective function with a customized mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) based algorithm. 2D synthetic and 3D clinical cases were studied to assess the potential benefit of the new model. Results: Compared to those of the original model, dose distributions for the functional dose response model take advantage of voxels with saturated damage to deliver the required dose to the target instead of inflicting additional damage on other well-functioning voxels. This leads to an improvement in predicted post-treatment global liver function. The customized solution method also improves optimization efficiency compared to solving the MILP conventionally. Conclusion: Functional imaging such as DCE-MRI can be used during treatment planning to maximize potential post-treatment function. However, simple approximations such as minimization of perfusion-weighted mean dose may not be sufficient. Alternatively, a dose-response model that reflects response threshold and saturation effects was shown to improve the prediction of post-treatment function in liver SBRT. Supported by P01 CA 059827
Competitive Advantages of Shadow Banking Industry: An Analysis Using Porter Diamond Model

This paper tries to find out why shadow banking system has become so competitive in the global financial system and how it can be controlled. For this reason we use Porter’s diamond model to find the competitive advantages of shadow banking. Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that factor conditions, chance and government do not contribute to the competitiveness of shadow banking industry. On the other hand the results suggested that related and supporting industries, firm strategy, structure and rivalry, and demand conditions contribute to the competitiveness of shadow banking industry. It is important to regulate the activities of shadow banking industry in order to prevent this industry from creating systemic risk.
Computational Study on the Interaction Between a Vortex and a Shock Wave

A computational study of two-dimensional shock vortex interaction is discussed in this paper. A second order upwind finite volume method is used to solve the Euler equations in conservation form. In this method, the shock wave is captured rather than fitted so that the cases where shock vortex interaction may cause secondary shocks can also be investigated. The effects of vortex strength on the computed flow and acoustic field generated by the interaction are qualitatively evaluated.
Performance of an anisotropic Allman/DKT 3-node thin triangular flat shell element☆

Abstract A simple, explicit formulation of the stiffness matrix for an anisotropic, 3-node, thin triangular flat shell element in global coordinates is presented. An Allman triangle (AT) is used for membrane stiffness. The membrane stiffness matrix is explicitly derived by applying an Allman transformation to a Felippa 6-node linear strain triangle (LST). Bending stiffness is incorporated by the use of a discrete Kirchhoff triangle (DKT) bending element. Stiffness terms resulting from anisotropic membrane-bending coupling are included by integrating, in area coordinates, the membrane and bending strain-displacement matrices. Using the aforementioned approach, the objective of this study is to develop and test the performance of a practical 3-node flat shell element that could be used in plate problems with unsymmetrically stacked composite laminates. The performance of the latter element is tested on plates of varying aspect ratios. The developed 3-node shell element should simplify the programming task and have the potential of reducing the computational time.
A new system of melanocytes in the skin of the potto (Perodicticus potto)

Dendritic cells which contain alkaline phosphatase and which are darkened by osmium iodide are found both in the nonpigmented and in the pigmented epidermis of the potto (Perodicticus potto). Similar cells are numerous in the pilary canals of the hair follicles. These cells, which are DOPA-negative, are found throughout the epidermis, from the dermoepidermal junction to the stratum granulosum. In distribution and in appearance, these dendritic cells are identical to the “Langerhans” cells or to “high-level” branched cells. Even though we have not been able to ascertain whether or not the melanotic melanocytes contain demonstrable alkaline phosphatase, we conclude, tentatively, that in the potto the dendritic cells in the basal layer, whether melanotic or amelanotic, and “high-level” branched cells belong to the same cell line.
POSITRON ANNIHILATION IN SEMI-CONDUCTING INDIUM TELLURIDE.

Abstract Angular correlation experiments following positron annihilation in semi-conducting indium telluride suggest an effective electron mass m ∗ m .
Heat conduction in heterogeneous materials and irregular boundaries II: A simple and fast algorithm for massively parallel computer

Abstract In an earlier paper [1], a simple model for investigating heat conduction in materials of irregular shapes having heterogeneous thermal conductivity was presented. In this method, referred to as the Effective Parameter for Interfacial cells (dubbed as EPIC) [2], the material is tessellated into cells (square or cubes), a cell with non-uniform thermal conductivity inside it is replaced by a cell with an effective uniform conductivity, and the heat conduction equation is then solved numerically by discretizing in time and space. The implementation of EPIC on a massively parallel SIMD machine (MasParMP-1) is described. Sample results are shown for 2-D and 3-D materials.
Natural history of Danon disease

Background: Danon disease is a rare but serious cardiac and skeletal myopathy leading to substantial morbidity and early mortality due to arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. The X-linked nature of inheritance accounts for reported differences in phenotypic severity between men and women. The rarity of Danon disease has limited understanding of the complete phenotype. Clinical estimates of ages of disease onset and survival based on gender have not been published. Methods and Results: We present data on 82 patients with Danon disease from 36 families, the largest series to date. Men were severely affected with cognitive disabilities (100%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (88%), and muscle weakness (80%). Men had a high morbidity and were unlikely to reach the age of 25 years without a cardiac transplantation. Women were less severely affected but reported higher than expected levels of cognitive (47%) and skeletal muscle complaints (50%) and manifesting an equal prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Combining our data with that of 63 other Danon disease case reports in the literature, the average ages of first symptom, cardiac transplantation, and death were 12.1, 17.9, and 19.0 years in men and 27.9, 33.7, and 34.6 years in women, respectively. Conclusion: These data more broadly illuminate the Danon disease phenotype and should prove useful to physicians working with and providing genetic counseling to families with Danon disease. Women with Danon disease present with clinical symptoms and events approximately 15 years after men and report a higher proportion of cognitive and skeletal muscle problems than previously recognized.
Conservation paleobiogeography: the past, present and future of species distributions

species distributions even more than the limits of their fundamental niches: interspecific interactions, dispersal limitations, and disequilibrium or historical contingencies (Fig. 1; Peterson et al. 2011). Occasionally, there may also be situations where a species distribution strays outside of its fundamental niche, for example in the cases of facultative interactions or sink populations (Fig. 1).With all of these various environmental and biotic stressors acting on the populations of interest, one can see that the populations should evolve over time. In theory, the stronger the stress or the more evolvable the species, the more rapidly their fundamental niche will change. As a result, the entire set of geographic regions where that species could theoretically live would shift. A long-standing suite of questions in the field concern niche conservatism through time. At what taxonomic or temporal scale does niche conservatism occur? In what situations do we find increased or decreased niche conservatism?In January 2013, at the biennial meeting of the International Biogeography Society in Miami, FL (Dawson et al. 2013), we brought together a group of researchers working on progressive aspects of conservation paleobio-geography in a symposium entitled “The Convergence of Conservation Paleontology and Biogeography.” Several of their research projects are included in this special issue of
Interferon-α Engages the Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 to Associate with the Phosphatidylinositol 3′-Kinase (∗)

Interferon-alpha (IFN alpha) induces rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), a docking protein with multiple tyrosine phosphorylation sites that bind to the Src homology 2 (SH2) domains of various signaling proteins. During IFN alpha stimulation, the p85 regulatory subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase binds via its SH2 domains to tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1, and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity is detected in association with IRS-1. Thus, IFN alpha responses occur by activation of the IRS signaling system, which it shares with insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1, and interleukin-4.
Effects of Adenosine on Transmembrane Potential and Sarcolemmal Na+-K+ ATPase Activity of Human Atrial Myocardium

Adenosine effects on the transmembrane potential characteristics and the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ ATPase activity of human atrial myocardium were studied in tissue from 20 patients who were divided into 2 groups based on the maximum diastolic potentials (MDP) greater than or less than -60 mV. Group A consisted of 10 patients with MDP of 70.84 +/- 4.20 mV and Na+-K+ ATPase activity of 15.37 +/- 0.46 mumole Pi/mg/hr. Ten patients with MDP of 44.54 +/- 6.24 mV and Na+-K+ ATPase activity of 12.55 +/- 0.42 mumole Pi/mg/hr were included in group B. Adenosine had no effects on the electrophysiological properties and the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ ATPase activity of atrial myocardium at concentrations below 1 X 10(-5) M in either group. Adenosine resulted in mildly altered atrial transmembranes potentials without significant effect on Na+-K+ ATPase activity at concentrations between 1 X 10(-5) M and 5 X 10(-4) M. However, a significant reduction of transmembrane potentials and an apparent inhibition of Na+-K+ ATPase activity were observed only in tissue from group B. These results suggest that: 1) adenosine has no effect on the electrophysiological properties and the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ ATPase activity of human atrial myocardium at physiological concentrations; 2) adenosine induced inhibition of the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ ATPase activity in slow channel-dependent atrial tissues may be a mechanism responsible for the alterations of transmembrane potentials under unphysiological conditions; and 3) adenosine contributes to the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischemia, which can reduce transmembrane potentials of the myocardial cells and may increase the myocardial adenosine level above its effective concentration.
Black Lipid Membranes: Visualizing the Structure, Dynamics, and Substrate Dependence of Membranes

The structure and long-time dynamics of suspended lipid bilayers made of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (SOPE) in the gel phase was interrogated using electrical measurements co-recorded with second harmonic generation (SHG) micrographs. SHG microscopy was shown to be an efficient method for distinguishing between the regions of bilayer and annulus as well as probing structural and dynamical variations within a single bilayer. Micromachined silicon chips and two types of plastic partitions, delrin and polyethylene, were investigated as substrate materials. Silicon chips yielded the most stable bilayers, lasting for 1 or 2 days. The membrane characteristics, including the amount of incorporated solvent within the bilayer, the dynamics of bilayer formation, and the stability of the bilayer, were found to be strongly substrate-dependent. In a second set of experiments, SHG-active membrane dyes, di-8-ANEPPS and di-4-ANEPPS, were used to interrogate the domain structure of the same suspended bilayers using scanning two-photon fluorescence (2PF) and SHG microscopy, again correlated with capacitance measurements. Using these dyes, an enhancement in the SHG signal due to membrane potential was recorded, and the rates of molecular diffusion for di-4-ANEPPS through the membrane were investigated. Polarization-resolved SHG imaging was used to determine the orientation of the dye molecules within the membrane.
Bypass of a nick by the replisome of bacteriophage T7.

DNA polymerase and DNA helicase are essential components of DNA replication. The helicase unwinds duplex DNA to provide single-stranded templates for DNA synthesis by the DNA polymerase. In bacteriophage T7, movement of either the DNA helicase or the DNA polymerase alone terminates upon encountering a nick in duplex DNA. Using a minicircular DNA, we show that the helicase·polymerase complex can bypass a nick, albeit at reduced efficiency of 7%, on the non-template strand to continue rolling circle DNA synthesis. A gap in the non-template strand cannot be bypassed. The efficiency of bypass synthesis depends on the DNA sequence downstream of the nick. A nick on the template strand cannot be bypassed. Addition of T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein to the complex stimulates nick bypass 2-fold. We propose that the association of helicase with the polymerase prevents dissociation of the helicase upon encountering a nick, allowing the helicase to continue unwinding of the duplex downstream of the nick.
Growth standards for anatomic measurements and growth rates derived from longitudinal studies of normal fetal growth.

A statistical procedure for deriving growth standards for anatomic measurements and their growth rates from longitudinal studies of fetal growth was evaluated using Rossavik growth models for the biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), and femur diaphysis length (FDL) determined in a previous study of normal fetal growth. For each anatomic parameter, the coefficients c and s of the model was used to define a set of growth curves that constituted the boundary growth curves of a region containing 95% of the growth curves of this data set. The set of boundary growth curves was used to specify the mean, lower limit, and upper limit values for the anatomic parameter and its growth rate at weekly intervals between 14 and 38 weeks, menstrual age. Comparison of these values to those determined from cross-sectional studies of fetal growth gave differences of −1.9% to 4.8% (SD: ±0.9 to ±2.6) for mean vs. predicted value of the anatomic measurements. For the lower limit, similar values were 0.4% to 13.8% (SD: ± 1.7 to ±8.8); for the upper limit the values were 8.3% to 18.0% (SD: ±1.5 to ±7.0). Comparisons of HC growth rates determined using polynomial and Rossavik growth models gave values of −3.4% (SD: ±4.4) for mean vs. predicted value, −12.6% (SD: ±10.6) for the lower limit and 5.2% (SD: ±9.3) for the upper limit. The degree of agreement was similar for AC growth rates. These results indicate that reasonable growth standards for anatomic measurements and their growth rates can be determined from longitudinal studies of as few as 20 normal fetuses, although better estimates of normal variability could be obtained with a larger sample.
A Historical perspective of the 1976-77 Lake Michigan Ice Cover

Abstract The. formation of ice cover on the Great Lakes during the 1976–77 winter was unusual because of the early onset and continuation of below normal air temperatures. The severe winter produced a particularly extensive ice cover in the southern half of Lake Michigan. During the height of the winter, in early February 1977, the lake was almost entirely frozen over. To put the winter in its proper perspective, temperature records starting in 1897 and ice-cover records beginning in the 1962–63 winter were analyzed to classify winter severity and to examine the relationship between winter severity and maximum ice extent an Lake Michigan. The winters were classified by freezing degree-days into five categories.. severe, severe than normal, milder than normal and mild. The classification indicates that the winter of 1976–77 was one of the four coldest in the past 80 years. The analysis also shows that the past 15–20 winters have been colder than the normal established by the 80-year data base. As well-docu...
Low-Light-Level Performance Analysis For Charge-Coupled Device TV Cameras

Charge-coupled device (CCD) area image sensors of the interline-transfer type include design features which enable the transfer and detection of signal charge packets of the order of tens of electrons. These sensors, which include devices with 190 x 244 and 380 x 488 elements, have application in all-solid-state TV cameras designed for use with very low levels of scene illumination. The designer of TV cam-eras which fully exploit this low-light performance potential is faced with a challenging constraint; extraneous noise effects must be mini-mized. In order to assess progress to date, both for sensor design and utilization techniques, the theoretical performance limitations imposed by non-cancellable noise of the detection process, and the effects of sensor CTF, are examined. This paper describes an analytical model for predicting the sensor-limited resolution-irradiance characteristics of CCD-TV camera systems as a function of responsivity, CTF, dark charge, on-chip amplifier NES, optical image contrast, and the required threshold signal-to-noise ratio. The results of the analysis are compared with recent experimental results approaching the predicted sensor-limited camera performance.
Granular cell tumor of the bronchus.

Persistent atelectasis and recurrent pneumonia in the same location should raise suspicion of congenital anomalies or obstructing lesions of the bronchus leading to the affected area. We present an 8-year-old black female with a history of recurrent fever, cough, atelectasis of the right middle and lower lobes, and weight loss for several months. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed a polypoid mass obstructing the bronchus intermedius. Biopsy of the neoplasm demonstrated a granular cell tumor (GCT). The patient had a lobectomy of the right lower and middle lobes. She had no recurrence of the tumor after several years of follow-up.
On the 58Ni(3He, p)60Cu reaction

A shell-model description of 58Ni and 60Ni, 60Cu and 60Zn is attempted on the basis of an inert 56Ni core and two or four valence particles moving in the p32, f52 and p12 shells. space is restricted to the lowest-seniority configurations. Energy eigenvalues and angular distributions for the reaction 58N(3He, p)60Cu are obtained and compared with available experimental data.
A statistical model of electrical resistance of carbon fiber reinforced composites under tensile loading

The electrical resistance of carbon fiber polymer–matrix composites under tensile loading was measured using both the two-probe and four-probe techniques. Unlike most existing tests, which show an exponential or power relation between the electrical resistance and the tensile strain due to fiber breakage and/or electrical percolation under tensile loading; our results exhibit a more complex response. When the strain is increasing, the electrical resistance increases with a decreasing rate at the beginning, then decreases, and eventually increases exponentially up to the breaking point. To explain this interesting phenomenon, a statistical model based on Weibull distribution function is introduced. Three stages of the electrical resistance versus tensile strain curve have been identified. At the primary and secondary stages, the conductivity of the composite follows a Weibull statistical distribution function. This is mainly due to the increasing number of contact points of the fibers during loading. At the tertiary stage the usual exponential function is obtained, which is controlled by fiber breakage. The results obtained from the theoretical model agree well with the experiment.
Strategies for the Prescription of Psychotropic Drugs with Black Box Warnings

Background The Black Box Warning (BBW) is the Food and Drug Administration’s highest level of drug warning. It signifies that a medication has serious (or potentially life-threatening) side effects and is prominently displayed on a medication’s package insert. It literally consists of the medication warning and is surrounded by a bold black border. Objective This article aims to review data related to BBWs on psychotropic medications currently used in clinical practice, with special attention to clinical situations and questions relevant to consultation-liaison psychiatrists. Results We review 3 clinical advisories or BBWs for psychotropic medications (i.e., antidepressant medication and suicidality in the pediatric population, stimulant medication and sudden death in the pediatric population, and antipsychotic medication and increased mortality in the elderly) and discuss the effect they have had on prescribing practices. We provide a table of current BBWs relevant to psychotropic medications. Conclusions BBWs can have unintended and far-reaching consequences, albeit with a limited ability to target specific populations and practice patterns. Although it is critical for clinicians to be aware of these serious potential side effects and to inform patients about these warnings, medications with boxed warnings remain Food and Drug Administration-approved and may have critically important therapeutic roles.
Performance metrics for climate models

[1] Objective measures of climate model performance are proposed and used to assess simulations of the 20th century, which are available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) archive. The primary focus of this analysis is on the climatology of atmospheric fields. For each variable considered, the models are ranked according to a measure of relative error. Based on an average of the relative errors over all fields considered, some models appear to perform substantially better than others. Forming a single index of model performance, however, can be misleading in that it hides a more complex picture of the relative merits of different models. This is demonstrated by examining individual variables and showing that the relative ranking of models varies considerably from one variable to the next. A remarkable exception to this finding is that the so-called “mean model” consistently outperforms all other models in nearly every respect. The usefulness, limitations and robustness of the metrics defined here are evaluated 1) by examining whether the information provided by each metric is correlated in any way with the others, and 2) by determining how sensitive the metrics are to such factors as observational uncertainty, spatial scale, and the domain considered (e.g., tropics versus extra-tropics). An index that gauges the fidelity of model variability on interannual time-scales is found to be only weakly correlated with an index of the mean climate performance. This illustrates the importance of evaluating a broad spectrum of climate processes and phenomena since accurate simulation of one aspect of climate does not guarantee accurate representation of other aspects. Once a broad suite of metrics has been developed to characterize model performance it may become possible to identify optimal subsets for various applications.
Fan Noise Prediction: Status and Needs

The prediction of fan noise is an important part to the prediction of overall turbofan engine noise. Advances in computers and better understanding of the flow physics have allowed researchers to compute sound generation from first principles and rely less on empirical correlations. While progress has been made, there are still many aspects of the problem that need to be explored. This paper presents some recent advances in fan noise prediction and suggests areas that still need further development. Fan noise predictions that support the recommendations are taken from existing publications.
A comparison of dispersal strategies in two genera of brachyuran crab in a secondary estuary

Seasonal occurrence and vertical distribution of larvae of two genera of brachyuran crab were studied in a secondary estuary flowing into Delaware Bay. Spawning in the xanthid crabRhithropanopeus harrisii occurred earlier with peak abundance of larvae in June and with a distinct decline in abundance in August. In contrast,Uca spp. larvae reached peak abundance in August. All zoeal stages ofR. harrisii were collected in the river suggesting that larvae of this species are retained in secondary estuaries near areas of prime adult habitat. Only zoea stage I larvae and megalopa ofUca spp. were collected in the river indicating that larvae of these speies may be flushed into the Delaware Bay and may not return to secondary estuaries near areas suitable for adult habitat until the megalopa stage is reached. It is not clear if this dispersal pattern is an active or passive process. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY019 00004
The epidermal growth factor receptor and the product of the neu protooncogene are members of a receptor tyrosine phosphorylation cascade.

Abstract The protein product of the neu protooncogene, p185, is a tyrosine kinase with a high degree of sequence homology to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Although p185 does not bind EGF, EGF stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of p185. To determine the mechanism of this interaction we have used a vaccinia virus/bacteriophage T7-based transient gene expression system to induce production of normal and kinase-deficient forms of p185 in the absence and presence of EGF receptors. Tyrosine phosphorylation of kinase-deficient p185 was observed, but only in the presence of the EGF receptor. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that p185 is a substrate for the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase in a tyrosine kinase cascade.
Feedback in coupled-resonance optical waveguides

Coupled Mode Theory analysis of a new architecture for coupled-resonance optical waveguide design is presented that enables a feedback mechanism in a photonic crystal scheme while also increasing resonant finesse from 2.77 to 10.15.
Architecture of the parallel recirculating pipeline

Current image analysis and image understanding applications in DoD systems require very high performance image pixel processing in real time. To attain the necessary performance within stringent system size weight and power constraints requires special-purpose parallel processing hardware architectures. At the same time it is desirable to retain as much programmability as possible in order to rapidly adapt the hardware to new applications or evolving system requirements. The Parallel Recirculating Pipeline processor uses techniques adopted from image algebra and mathematical morphology to provide a low-cost low-complexity high-performance architecture that is suitable for silicon implementation and programmable in high-order languages. The parallel recirculating pipeline hardware architecture is based on a cellular array structure in which each cell is a pipelined neighborhood processor. Each processor cell transforms an entire image segment by successively executing an operation on small fixed-size neighborhoods around each pixel. By cascading a series of these operations transforms on larger neighborhoods can be achieved. The parallel recirculating pipeline achieves cascading by allowing a series of cells to be connected in a pipelined fashion. Partial results can recirculate several times through the hardware pipeline via an external buffer memory. A virtual pipeline of any length is thus achieved. Several novel features of the architecture allow multiple pipelines to operate in parallel on strips of the same image. These features can support parallel expansion to a large number of processors with correspondingly
The effect of Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol on serotonin metabolism in the rat brain

Abstract Δ1-Tetrahydrocannabinol significantly altered 5-HT metabolism in the rat brain. Whole brain levels of 5-HT were elevated 66% over control 30 minutes after administration of 20 mg/kg of Δ1-THC. The hypothalamus plus midbrain region and cerebellum were most affected and apparently accounted for the overall increase seen in the whole brain levels of 5-HT. Since Δ-THC.did not affect MAO activity, the increase in 5-HT was evidently not due to inhibition of its degradation. However, synthesis rate of 5-HT was significantly reduced (50%) by Δ1-THC. Furthermore, pretreatment with Δ1-THC retarded the rate of reserpine-induced depletion of brain 5-HT. Alteration of the vesicular membrane is suggested as a possible mechanism for the effects of Δ1-THC on 5-HT metabolism.
SU‐E‐T‐353: Verification of Water Equivalent Thickness (WET) and Water Equivalent Spreadness (WES) of Proton Beam

Purpose: To verify calculated water equivalent thickness (WET) and water equivalent spreadness (WES) in various tissue equivalent media for proton therapy Methods: Water equivalent thicknesses (WET) of tissue equivalent materials have been calculated using the Bragg‐Kleeman rule. Lateral spreadness and fluence reduction of proton beams both in those media were calculated using proton loss model (PLM) algorithm. In addition, we calculated lateral spreadness ratios with respect to that in water at the same WET depth and so the WES was defined. The WETs of those media for different proton beam energies were measured using MLIC (Multi‐Layered Ionization Chamber). Also, fluence and field sizes in those materials of various thicknesses were measured with ionization chambers and films Results: Calculated WETs are in agreement with measured WETs within 0.5%. We found that water equivalent spreadness (WES) is constant and the fluence and field size measurements verify that fluence can be estimated using the concept of WES. Conclusions: Calculation of WET based on the Bragg‐Kleeman rule as well as the constant WES of proton beams for tissue equivalent phantoms can be used to predict fluence and field sizes at the depths of interest both in tissue equivalent media accurately for clinically available protonenergies.
From the fundamental to the applied

International Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics. Editor-in-chief Iam-Choon Khoo. World Scientific. 4/yr. $348 (institutional); $170 (personal, and institutions from developing countries).
The origin and significance of large, tabular dunite bodies in the Trinity peridotite, northern California

Kilometer-sized, tabular dunite bodies are contained within harzburgite, lherzolite and plagioclase lherzolite host rocks in the Trinity peridotite, northern California. An igneous origin for the dunite by crystal fractionation of olivine from a melt is suggested by their tabular shapes, clots of poikilitic clinopyroxene grains, chromite pods, and by analogy to dunite bodies in the Samail and Vourinos ophiolites (Hopson et al. 1981; Harkins et al. 1980; Moores 1969). However, structures and systematic variations in mineralogy and mineral chemistry suggest that at least the marginal few meters of the bodies are residues produced by extraction of a basaltic component from a plagioclase lherzolite protolith. A model is suggested in which a picritic melt ascended through the upper mantle in vertically oriented channels. Part of the dunite in the tabular bodies was produced by fractional crystallization of olivine from the melt. Additional dunite at the margins of the bodies was formed by extraction of a basaltic component from plagioclase lherzolite wall-rocks during partial assimilation by the picritic melt. The latter process is similar to the “wall-rock reaction” discussed by Green and Ringwood (1967) and is essentially zone refining of the the mantle wall rocks by the migrating melt. It is significant because it suggests a mechanism in addition to fractional crystallization for enrichment of incompatible elements in basalts.
Localized catastrophic disruption of the Gasconade River flood plain during the December 1982 flood, southeast Missouri

The December 1982 floods in southeast Missouri were the largest on record for many rivers. Overbank sand and gravel were deposited on many flood-plain sites, and scouring of flood-plain surfaces was common. The flood plain of the Gasconade River near Mt. Sterling, Missouri, underwent significantly greater erosional and depositional alteration than any other locality in the region. Here, sand and gravel derived from the Gasconade channel were deposited on the flood-plain surface as a lobate ridge 30–100 m wide, 1–2 m high, and about 1 km long. A large scour hole occupying an area of 5 ha was vertically eroded into the flood plain to a maximum depth of more than 7 m. These processes destroyed prime farmland and threatened bridge safety. Normal flood effects were exaggerated at Mt. Sterling by changes made on the flood-plain surface prior to 1982 during construction of a new bridge.
Motor vehicle restraint system use and risk of spine injury.

Objective. Motor vehicle collision (MVC)-related spinal injury is a severe and often permanently disabling injury. In addition, strain injuries have been reported as a common outcome of MVCs. Although advances in automobile crashworthiness have reduced both fatalities and severe injuries, the impact of varying occupant restraint systems (seatbelts and airbags) on thoracolumbar spine injuries is unknown. This study examined the relationship between the occurrence of mild to severe cervical and thoracolumbar spine injury and occupant restraint systems among front seat occupants involved in frontal MVCs. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among subjects obtained from the 1995–2004 National Automotive Sampling System. Cases were identified based on having sustained a spine injury of ≥1 on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), 1990 Revision. Risk risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed comparing occupant restraint systems with unrestrained occupants. Results. We found an ove...
Aerosol synthesis of nanoscale clusters using atmospheric arc evaporation

A gas aggregation source that operates at atmospheric pressure and is capable of producing grams per hour of unaggregated, equiaxed metal clusters with diameters in the nanometer range is described. A controlled current d.c. arc is employed to evaporate metal atoms from a liquid metal pool. These evaporated atoms are entrained in a flowing stream of inert gas and quickly transferred to a quench region where the hot stream from the arc plasma is mixed with a second quench stream of cold inert gas. The quench gas provides rapid cooling and immediate dilution, both initiating cluster growth and suppressing cluster aggregation. Cluster size is controlled by varying the metal atom density and residence time in the arc plasma, in the quench region and in the flow downstream from the quench region.
Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic behavior of ruthenium(II) Schiff base complexes

The complexes (X6-acen)Ru(PPh3)2 (X = H (1) and F (2)) have been prepared and characterized by standard spectroscopic and analytical methods. Additionally, the solid-state structure of 2 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Ligand exchange reactions involving the labile Ru−PPh3 bond are easily performed, and complex 1 serves as a catalyst precursor for the isomerization of 1-hexene.
Non-vector space control for nanomanipulations based on compressive feedbacks

AFM based nanomanipulations have been successfully applied in various areas such as physics, biology and so forth in nano scale. Traditional nanomanipulations always have to approach the problems such as hysteresis, nonlinearity and thermal drift of the scanner, and the noise brought by the position sensor. In this research, a compressive feedbacks based non-vector space control approach is proposed for improving the accuracy of AFM based nanomanipulations. Instead of sensors, the local image was used as the feedback to a non-vector space controller to generate a closed-loop control for manipulation. In this paper, there are four research topics: First, local scan strategy was used to get a local image. Second, since the feedback is an image, a non-vector space controller was designed to deal with the difficulty in vector space such as calibration and coordinate transformation. Third, in order to further decrease the time spent on local scan, compressive sensing was introduced to this system. Finally, to overcome the disadvantage that compressive sensing costs time on reconstructing the original signal, we directly use the compressive data as the feedback. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results have shown that the system has a good performance on AFM tip motion control. Therefore, the non-vector space control method can make visual servoing easier, and the compressive feedback could make a high speed real-time control of nanomanipulation possible. In addition, this new method can be applied to nano-assembly, nano-imaging and nanomanipulation.
Globally convergent self-tuning controllers

A proof of the global convergence of a single-input single-output stochastic self-tuning controller is given. The controller considered minimizes a quadratic cost measure of the Clarke-Gawthrop type and. employs a slightly modified recursive least-squares estimator. This Clarke-Gawthrop self-tuning controller is also extended into a class of multivariable systems. The global convergence of this multivariable self-tuning controller is established. It is shown that, with probability one, the system inputs and outputs are sample-mean-square bounded and the conditional mean square generalized tracking error achieves its global minimum possible value for linear feedback control, even non-minimum-phase systems, for appropriate cost functions.
Improving oversight of genetically engineered organisms

Abstract Genetic engineering (GE) has been used to produce plants with desirable qualities for over two decades, and widespread, world-wide market adoption of engineered crops with pest and disease resistance characteristics has occurred. Genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), including GE crops, have been formally overseen by the U.S. government since the mid-1980s. In this article, our previous work on identifying strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. GEO oversight system is reviewed, and a new analysis of the system based on expert and stakeholder interviews is presented. Using both analyses and an examination of historical controversies surrounding GEOs, three categories of improvements to oversight are identified: democratization of oversight processes, establishing clear mechanisms for inter-agency and -organization coordination, and taking on uncertainty through upstream and fluid approaches. The paper also discusses feasibility issues and barriers associated with implementing changes in these areas, notably the overarching U.S. approach to regulation and legal authorities.
Cellular Mechanisms of Tissue Fibrosis. 8. Current and future drug targets in fibrosis: focus on Rho GTPase-regulated gene transcription

Tissue fibrosis occurs with excessive extracellular matrix deposition from myofibroblasts, resulting in tissue scarring and inflammation. It is driven by multiple mediators, such as the G protein-coupled receptor ligands lysophosphatidic acid and endothelin, as well as signaling by transforming growth factor-β, connective tissue growth factor, and integrins. Fibrosis contributes to 45% of deaths in the developed world. As current therapeutic options for tissue fibrosis are limited and organ transplantation is the only effective treatment for end-stage disease, there is an imminent need for efficacious antifibrotic therapies. This review discusses the various molecular pathways involved in fibrosis. It highlights the Rho GTPase signaling pathway and its downstream gene transcription output through myocardin-related transcription factor and serum response factor as a convergence point for targeting this complex set of diseases.
Perioperative considerations for the patient with asthma and bronchospasm

The incidence of asthma is increasing worldwide, but morbidity and mortality are decreasing because of improvements in medical care. Although the incidence of severe perioperative bronchospasm is relatively low in asthmatics undergoing anaesthesia, when it does occur it may be life-threatening. The keys to an uncomplicated perioperative course are assiduous attention to detail in preoperative assessment, and maintenance of the anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory regimens through the perioperative period. Potential trigger agents should be identified and avoided. Many routinely used anaesthetic agents have an ameliorative effect on airway constriction. Nonetheless, acute bronchospasm can still occur, especially at induction and emergence, and should be promptly and methodically managed.
InAs/AlxGa1−xAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors with undoped active region

We report on a study of n-type quantum dot (QD) infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) based on InAs/GaAs QDs grown via an innovative technique called punctuated island growth. The electronic structure of the QDs inserted in QDIP devices is comprehensively investigated with photoluminescence, and intra- and interband photocurrent spectroscopy. The influence of AlGaAs layers inserted in active regions on the performance of the QDIPs is examined. Bias and temperature dependence of intraband photoresponse of QDIPs with undoped active region is examined. Initial results on intraband photoresponsivity and detectivity of these QDIPs at 77 K are reported.