cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steady-State Engine Testing of γ-Alumina Catalysts Under Plasma Assist for NOx Control in Heavy-Duty Diesel Exhaust

A slipstream of exhaust from a Caterpillar 3126B engine was diverted into a plasma-catalytic NOx control system in the space velocity range of 7,000 to 100,000 hr-1. The stream was first fed through a non-thermal plasma that was formed in a coaxial cylinder dielectric barrier discharge reactor. Plasma treated gas was then passed over a catalyst bed held at constant temperature in the range of 573 to 773 K. Catalysts examined consisted of g-alumina, In/g-alumina, and Ag/g-alumina. Road and rated load conditions resulted in engine out NOx levels of 250 ? 600 ppm. The effects of hydrocarbon level, catalyst temperature, and space velocity are discussed where propene and in one case ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (late cycle injection) were the reducing agents used for NOx reduction. Results showed NOx reduction in the range of 25 ? 97% depending on engine operating conditions and management of the catalyst and slipstream conditions.
EOS Aqua Amsr-E Sea Ice Validation Program: Meltpond 2000 Flight Report

This flight report describes the field component of Meltpond2000, the first in a series of Arctic and Antarctic aircraft campaigns planned as part of NASA's Earth Observing System Aqua sea ice validation program for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E). This prelaunch Arctic field campaign was carried out between June 25 and July 6, 2000 from Thule, Greenland, with the objective of quantifying the errors incurred by the AMSR-E sea ice algorithms resulting from the presence of melt ponds. A secondary objective of the mission was to develop a microwave capability to discriminate between melt ponds and seawater using low-frequency microwave radiometers. Meltpond2000 was a multiagency effort involving personnel from the Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and NASA. The field component of the mission consisted of making five eight-hour flights from Thule Air Base with a Naval Air Warfare Center P-3 aircraft over portions of Baffin Bay and the Canadian Arctic. The aircraft sensors were provided and operated by the Microwave Radiometry Group of NOAA's Environmental Technology Laboratory. A Navy ice observer from the National Ice Center provided visual documentation of surface ice conditions during each of the flights. Two of the five flights were coordinated with Canadian scientists making surface measurements of melt ponds at an ice camp located near Resolute Bay, Canada. Coordination with the Canadians will provide additional information on surface characteristics and will be of great value in the interpretation of the aircraft and high-resolution satellite data sets.
Who Benefits From Funds Of Hedge Funds? A Critique Of Alternative Organizational Structures In The Hedge Fund Industry (I)

This paper provides a critique of alternative organizational structures in the hedge fund industry. Our critique is facilitated by several stylized models describing alternative industry structures. The models include: (1) An insideonly hedge fund model; (2) A straddling hedge fund model; (3) A straddling “feeder” fund of funds (FOF) hedge fund model; (4) A stand-alone outside hedge fund; and (5) An outside “feeder” FOF hedge fund model. Our discussion of these models, which centers on benefits vs. fundamental problems related to illiquidity, information asymmetry, and conflicts of interest, leads to several hypotheses about the differential characteristics and return performance of both individual hedge funds and FOFs.
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Post‐Herniorrhaphy Pain

Objective. Post-herniorrhaphy pain syndrome can be difficult to treat. The exact mechanism of pain is not always apparent. Multiple therapeutic modalities have been suggested for the treatment of this syndrome. Method. This includes both conservative (medical management), surgical (scar revision, excision of neuroma), and/or interventional approaches (local blocks to the entrapped nerves or sympathetic ganglion). Results. Two cases of intractable post–herniorrhaphy pain syndrome which failed to respond to conservative therapy are reviewed. Both cases had a successful trial therapy with spinal cord stimulation for their pain. Both then had permanent implantable systems inserted with favorable outcomes. Conclusion. Post-herniorrhaphy pain can have the same features of both nociceptive and neuropathic pain syndromes. In cases which have failed conservative therapy we believe that a trial of spinal cord stimulation is warranted as in other cases of neuropathic pain syndromes.
New partners, new tools, new possibilities: views from the fields of education and public health.

School-based programs should be a key component of a comprehensive community health promotion agenda. Youth who are ill, are physically inactive, use tobacco, or use other drugs are unlikely to succeed in school. Furthermore, the burden that chronic diseases place on our nation's medical and economic systems will likely worsen unless we in public health are able to prevent the risk among our young people (1). Our nation's 121,000 schools can play a critically important role in improving the health of children and adolescents. School-based health promotion programs also can have a positive impact on the academic performance, quality of life, and economic productivity of students (2).
Chapter 16. Antineoplastic Agents

Publisher Summary Drugs that exhibit antitumor activity in animals bearing transplanted neoplasms or cytotoxicity in cell cultures are considered for further study. These chemicals are examined with respect to toxicology, effects upon resistant tumors, and biochemical mechanism of action. The animal tumor screen continues in use in spite of widespread doubt as to its efficacy because no better method to select drugs for clinical trial against cancer has yet been found. Drugs that show consistent antitumor activity in pre-clinical studies are evaluated for therapeutic effects against various forms of cancer in man. Modifications of 6-mercaptopurine are of continuing interest because of mercaptopurine's activity in human leukemia, and the ultimate development of resistance by the leukemic cells to this drug. A number of tumor-inhibitory antibiotics form stable complexes with DNA, thereby interfering with the synthesis of RNA. Three of these antibiotics, actinomycin, mithramycin, and daunomycin possess unequivocal activity against cancer in man. Recent studies on a number of other antitumor antibiotics are significant because of their pertinence to the study of normal cell metabolism although the drugs in question either have little clinical applicability or are yet to receive adequate trial. Cycloheximide and related glutarimide antibiotics are receiving increasing use as inhibitors of protein synthesis in yeast and mammalian cells.
Cross-Loop Reuse Analysis and Its Application to Cache Optimizations

In this paper we describe the design of a data-flow framework for detecting cross-loop reuse. Cross-loop reuse takes place when a set of data items or cache lines is accessed in a given loop nest and then accessed again within some subsequent portion of the program, usually another outer loop nest. In contrast to intra-loop reuse, which occurs during the execution of a single loop nest, cross-loop reuse is hard to analyze using traditional dependence-based techniques. The framework we have constructed is based on a combination of array section analysis (to capture array access patterns at a high level) and data-flow analysis (to deal with intra-procedural control flow). The framework is designed to account for cache size when gathering reuse information, and when used in an interprocedural setting, the framework also provides a mechanism for summarizing the effects of procedure calls.
Management and outcomes of 42 surgical suprascapular nerve injuries and entrapments.

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective chart reviews of 42 patients with surgical suprascapular nerve (SSN) injury/entrapment were performed. Presenting symptoms, findings, operative approach, and results are documented. METHODS: Forty-two patients with SSN injuries/entrapments underwent operations between 1970 and 2002. Charts were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of shoulder pain; spinati muscle function was evaluated with the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center grading system. Side of lesion and sex were equally represented; mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-48 mo). SSN injuries/ entrapments were associated with occupational overuse (19), sports-related injury (16), direct trauma (4) and ganglion cysts (3). Thirty-one (79%) of 39 patients with suprascapular notch SSN injuries/entrapments, excluding ganglion cysts, presented with mild to moderate shoulder pain and spinati weakness. RESULTS: Motor function for these 31 patients was graded on a scale of 0 to 5. Preoperatively, patients had supraspinatus function Grades 0 to 2 and infraspinatus function Grades 0 to 2. Supraspinatus function improved postoperatively to Grade 4 or better in 28 patients (90%) and to Grades 2 to 3 in 3 patients (10%). Infraspinatus function improved to better than Grade 3 in 10 patients (32%), to Grades 2 to 3 in 14 patients (45%), and to Grade 1 in 7 patients (23%). Preoperatively, eight (21%) of 39 patients presenting with persistent severe pain had Grade 3 spinati strength. Of these eight patients, seven (88%) had an improvement in pain postoperatively. Strength in this group remained the same or improved to Grade 4. Postoperatively, three patients with ganglion cysts had good improvement in spinati function. CONCLUSION: Although SSN injury/entrapment is rare, 42 patients are presented who responded well to SSN release. Supraspinatus muscle improvement was as good as or better than that achieved in the infraspinatus.
Understanding Initiation Behavior in Chinese Negotiations: An Examination of Distinctions across Three Regional Subcultures

While many individuals speak of China as a single trading partner, in reality Greater China consists of at least three regional subcultures ‐ the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. These regions differ in terms of their historical development, values, and traditions, which have implications for what to expect in negotiations. This article examines the cultural differences found in these three regions of Greater China, with particular attention to an often overlooked yet critical stage of the negotiation process ‐ the initiation stage. Using data from the GLOBE Study on cultural practices and values, propensity to initiate a negotiation (engage a counterpart, make a request or demand, and optimize that request) is estimated for each regional subculture. The implications of these findings for practitioners and future research are discussed.
CHARACTERIZATION OF VACUOLAR BODIES IN SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA: II. SOME PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

A B S T R A C T Spheres 0.5 to 2.5 ,tm in diameter with an outer golden matrix and usually one or more internal vesicles were found in certain leaf cells of Spartina alterniflora and were termed vacuolar bodies. Reactions of the vacuolar bodies to osmolality changes indicated that they were permeable to water and NaCl and accumulated NaCl and were relatively impermeable to sucrose. Cytochemical tests and tests on vacuolar body extracts suggested that vacuolar body matrices were composed of compounds tentatively identified as phenolic aldehydes. Microscopic bodies similar to vacuolar bodies in structure, chemical composition, and physical properties were formed from vacuolar body extracts. Vacuolar bodies and bodies formed in vitro have physical properties in common with two types of coacervate bodies. Possible function of
Further investigations of the capacity of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons to elicit atherosclerotic lesions.

Treatment of chickens for up to 20 wk with varying doses (0.1–10 mg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) or 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) resulted in significant increases in incidence and size of atherosclerotic lesions at the two higher doses utilized (1 and 10 mg/kg). Maximal lesion formation for birds treated chronically with BaP occurred at 1 mg/kg, while development of lesions in birds treated with DMBA was roughly linear over the dose, range tested. The largest doses of BaP or DMBA (10 mg/kg for 20 wk) produced the highest percentage of chickens with detectable lesions (75 and 89%, respectively). Lower doses of BaP or DMBA resulted in a smaller percentage of birds (per group) with lesions, and the lowest dose (0.1 mg/kg) produced no statistical increase in lesion incidence. At approximately equimolar doses, DMBA appeared to be more potent than BaP in enhancing the development of lesions in the chickens. Administration of a single dose of BaP or DMBA followed by weekly doses of the tumor promoter 12‐...
Phycobiliprotein fusion proteins: versatile intensely fluorescent constructs

Since 1982, phycobiliproteins have served as fluorescent labels in a wide variety of cell and molecule analyses. The exceptional spectroscopic properties of these labels include very high absorbance coefficients and quantum yields, and large Stokes shifts. The spectroscopic diversity of these reagents is restricted to a subset of naturally occurring phycobiliproteins with stable assembly states in vitro, whose target specificity is generated by chemical conjugation to proteins or small molecules. The latter step generates heterogeneity. These limitations have been overcome by expressing various recombinant phycobiliprotein constructs in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120. Modular recombinant phycobiliprotein-based labels were constructed with some or all of the following features (a) an affinity purification tag; (b) a stable oligomerization domain (to maintain stable higher order assemblies of the phycobiliprotein monomers at very low protein concentration); (c) a biospecific recognition domain. Such phycobiliprotein constructs are readily purified from crude cell extracts by affinity chromatography and used directly as fluorescent labels. To generate constructs for intracellular in vivo labeling, the entire pathways for the biosynthesis of the His-tagged holo- α (phycocyanobilin-bearing) subunit of phycocyanin (emission max. 641 nm) and of the His-tagged holo-α (phycobiliviolin-bearing) subunit of phycoerythrocyanin (emission max. 582 nm) were reconstituted in Escherichia coli.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An Adaptive Grid Scheme Using the Boundary Element Method

A technique to solve the Poisson grid generation equations by Green's function related methods has been proposed, with the source terms being purely position dependent. The use of distributed singularities in the flow domain coupled with the boundary element method (BEM) formulation is presented in this paper as a natural extension of the Green's function method. This scheme greatly simplifies the adaption process. The BEM reduces the dimensionality of the given problem by one. Internal grid-point placement can be achieved for a given boundary distribution by adding continuous and discrete source terms in the BEM formulation. A distribution of vortex doublets is suggested as a means of controlling grid-point placement and grid-line orientation. Examples for sample adaption problems are presented and discussed.
Residue detection for real-time removal of paint from metallic surfaces

Paint stripping from large steel ships and other metallic surfaces is a major issue in the maintenance and refurbishing of structures, and environmental concerns are greatly limiting the possible options. As a result, waterjet with water recycling has become the leading form of paint stripping and robotic manipulators with scanning bridges were constructed by various manufacturers to address this need. The application of such scanning bridges is slow and their access is constrained by the complex shape of the ship hull and various features on the surface. To overcome these limitations, a robotic system that is called Ultrastrip (UltraStrip Systems, Inc., Stuart, FL) is developed. This system uses magnetic wheels to attach the stripper to the structure and travel on it while performing paint stripping. To assure efficient paint stripping feedback data is required to control the travel speed by monitoring the paint thickness before and during the stripping process. Efforts at JPL are currently underway to develop the required feedback capability to assure effective paint stripping. Various possible sensors were considered and issues that can affect the sensitivity, reliability and applicability of the sensors are being investigated with emphasis on measuring the initial conditions of the paint. Issues that affect the sensory data in dynamic conditions are addressed while providing real-time real feedback for the control of the paint stripper speed of travel.
Regression of Choroidal Neovascularization Results in Macular Atrophy in Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Treated Eyes

Purpose To determine the incidence and progression of macular atrophy in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antagonists. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Methods All patients with neovascular AMD treated by the same physician during a 12-month period of ascertainment had all images from their entire follow-up period evaluated, and areas of retina that developed atrophy were compared to the same areas prior to the onset of anti-VEGF treatment. Longitudinal measurements of retinal atrophy were made. Results In 39 patients, 52 eyes with neovascular AMD were identified. We excluded 5 eyes from analysis (4 had retinal pigment epithelium tears, and 1 had a laser scar). Fundus photographs of the remaining eyes showed that 18/47 eyes (38%) contained hypopigmented areas suggestive of atrophy within the macula at some time during follow-up. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography confirmed that these areas had loss of retinal pigmented epithelium and ellipsoids zones, with or without subretinal material suggestive of subretinal fibrosis. Comparison of fundus photographs with fluorescein angiograms showed that in 13/18 eyes (72%), atrophy developed in areas previously occupied by choroidal neovascularization, and the other 5 eyes had atrophy prior to the onset of anti-VEGF treatment. The mean (±standard deviation) rate of increase in pure atrophic areas (no subretinal material) was 0.7 ± 0.8 mm 2 per year, with a range of 0.01–2.6 mm 2 /year. Conclusion Treatment of neovascular AMD with a VEGF-neutralizing protein can result in regression of choroidal neovascularization, which is sometimes associated with atrophy of overlying retina.
Viscoelastic Model for Discrete Element Simulation of Asphalt Mixtures

This paper presents a viscoelastic model of asphalt mixtures with the discrete element method, where the viscoelastic behaviors of asphalt mastics (fine aggregates, fines, and asphalt binder) are represented by a Burger's model. Aggregates are simulated with irregular shape particles consisting of balls bonded together by elastic contact models, and the interplaces between aggregates are filled with balls bonded with viscoelastic Burger's model to represent asphalt mastic. Digital samples were prepared with the image analysis technique. The micromechanical model was developed with four constitutive laws to represent the interactions at contacts of discrete elements (balls) within an aggregate, within mastic, between an aggregate and mastic, and between two adjacent aggregates. Each of these constitutive laws consists of three parts: a stiffness model, a slip model, and a bonding model in order to provide a relationship between the contact force and relative displacement and also in order to describe slipping and tensile strength at a particular contact. The relationship between the microscale model input and macroscale material properties was derived, and an iterative procedure was developed to fit the dynamic modulus test data of asphalt mastic with Burger's model. The favorable agreement between the discrete element prediction and the lab results on dynamic moduli and phase angles indicates that the viscoelastic discrete element model developed in this study is very capable of simulating constitutive behavior of asphalt mixtures.
Microperoxidases catalytically degrade reactive oxygen species and may be anti-cataract agents.

Abstract μPx-11, a ferriheme undecapeptide proteolytic degradation product of cytochrome C is shown to be a peroxidase with broad specificity degrading H 2 O 2 and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide. It is also capable of effectively eliminating superoxide and hydroxyl radical. The peroxidase loses activity in the presence of peroxide unless it is stabilized by ascorbate (Asc) or solutions such as aqueous humor or medium 199. While thiol but not disulfides inactivates the μPx-11, it is not inhibited in the presence of the rat lens which has a high GSH content. μPx-11 at concentrations 10 to 50 fold greater than are required to achieve good protective activity exhibits no toxicity based on cell viability, ATP levels and lens transparency after long-term incubations of αTN4-1 cells or cultured rat lens. The peroxidase is capable of protecting cultured rat lenses from photochemical stress where H 2 O 2 , O 2 . − and OH . are generated based on transparency, choline transport, epithelial cell viability and protein integrity as indicated by SDS-PAGE of the rat lens protein. In the absence of the peroxidase, extensive epithelial cell death and other degradative changes are observed. The DNA of αTN4-1 cells can also be protected from H 2 O 2 induced single strand breaks by the μPx-11. The overall results suggest that a number of cytochrome C proteolytic degradation products are peroxidases which may be effective anti-cataract agents protecting the lens from oxidative stress.
Physiological Determinants of Hyperreactivity to Stress in Borderline Hypertension

Blood pressure hyperreactivity during stress is characteristic of borderline hypertension in white men. The present study evaluated the hemodynamic basis of this hyperreactivity and assessed its physiological basis in terms of sympathetic nervous system function. Cardiovascular adjustments to an aversive reaction time test were compared with those of the forehead cold pressor test, representing stressors that elicit active behavioral responses in contrast to passive tolerance of aversive stimulation. As anticipated, blood pressure increases were greater in 12 borderline hypertensive men compared with 21 age-matched normotensive men during the active reaction time stressor but not during the passive cold pressor test. The pressor hyperreactivity in borderline hypertensives was associated with excessive rises in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine, leading to greater increases in cardiac output, despite evidence that the cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors in these subjects were downregulated compared with those of normotensive subjects. During the cold pressor test, borderline hypertension was associated with greater increases in systemic vascular resistance, which, in the presence of normal baroreceptor reflex function, led to an attenuation of cardiac output, thus producing no greater net effect on blood pressure than seen in normotensive subjects. Evidence of vascular hypertrophy in the borderline hypertensive subjects was considered to account for their vascular hyperreactivity to cold pressor stimulation. Collectively, the observations in this study further support the view that the early stages of hypertension in white men are characterized by sympathetic nervous system hyperreactivity, but only in association with tasks that elicit active behavioral coping responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Context of deletions and insertions in human coding sequences.

We studied the dependence of the rate of short deletions and insertions on their contexts using the data on mutations within coding exons at 19 human loci that cause mendelian diseases. We confirm that periodic sequences consisting of three to five or more nucleotides are mutagenic. Mutability of sequences with strongly biased nucleotide composition is also elevated, even when mutations within homonucleotide runs longer than three nucleotides are ignored. In contrast, no elevated mutation rates have been detected for imperfect direct or inverted repeats. Among known candidate contexts, the indel context GTAAGT and regions with purine-pyrimidine imbalance between the two DNA strands are mutagenic in our sample, and many others are not mutagenic. Data on mutation hot spots suggest two novel contexts that increase the deletion rate. Comprehensive analysis of mutability of all possible contexts of lengths four, six, and eight indicates a substantially elevated deletion rate within YYYTG and similar sequences, which is one of the two contexts revealed by the hot spots. Possible contexts that increase the insertion rate (AT(A/C)(A/C)GCC and TACCRC) and decrease deletion (TATCGC) or insertion (GCGG) rates have also been identified. Two-thirds of deletions remove a repeat, and over 80% of insertions create a repeat, i.e., they are duplications. Hum Mutat 23:177–185, 2004. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Genetic basis for chamber-specific ventricular phenotypes in the rat infarct model

Background: We, and others, have previously reported a strong correlation between increased inter-ventricular dispersion of repolarization and the occurrence of fatal arrhythmia in animal models of CHF. The existence of this and other such distinct electrophysiologic phenotypes in right (RV) vs. left ventricles (LV) could be explained by chamber-specific patterns of gene expression. Methods: We employed microarray gene profiling of 13 824 sequence-verified, nonredundant rodent cDNAs to compare myocardial gene expression in RV vs. LV of rats with surgically induced myocardial infarction (MI: n =3) and in sham-operated animals (Sham: n =3). Results: Significant LV infarction (32±4% LV) and severe CHF were observed in all MI animals at 4 weeks. In Sham animals, 937 genes exhibited significant differential expression in RV vs. LV myocardium. In MI animals, 1158 genes exhibited significant differential expression in RV vs. LV. Of those genes exhibiting significant differential expression, only 241 were common to both Sham and MI animals. Differentially expressed genes included those involved in signal transduction, cell growth and maintenance, and apoptosis. Genes with potential roles in altered dispersion of repolarization included voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel γ subunit (MI 8-fold↑) and K+ inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J, member 10 (MI 6-fold↓). Gap junction membrane channel protein α 4 (MI 6-fold↓) and cardiac troponin I (MI 8-fold↓) were also significantly differentially expressed. Inter-ventricular comparisons revealed significantly greater alterations in gene expression vs. intra-ventricular comparisons. Conclusions: Microarray gene profiling has revealed candidate genes, some of them novel, which may account for chamber-specific ventricular electrophysiologic phenotypes, both in physiologic as well as in arrhythmogenic states such as CHF.
Ability of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 to Predict Therapeutic Warfarin Dose During the Initial Weeks of Therapy

Summary. Background: CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes predict therapeutic warfarin dose at initiation of therapy; however, the predictive ability of genetic information after a week or longer is unknown. Experts have hypothesized that genotype becomes irrelevant once international normalized ratio (INR) values are available because INR response reflects warfarin sensitivity. Methods: We genotyped the participants in the Prevention of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism (PREVENT) trial, who had idiopathic venous thromboemboli and began low-intensity warfarin (therapeutic INR 1.5–2.0) using a standard dosing protocol. To develop pharmacogenetic models, we quantified the effect of genotypes, clinical factors, previous doses and INR on therapeutic warfarin dose in the 223 PREVENT participants who were randomized to warfarin and achieved stable therapeutic INRs. Results: A pharmacogenetic model using data from day 0 (before therapy initiation) explained 54% of the variability in therapeutic dose (R2). The R2 increased to 68% at day 7, 75% at day 14, and 77% at day 21, because of increasing contributions from prior doses and INR response. Although CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotypes were significant independent predictors of therapeutic dose at each weekly interval, the magnitude of their predictive ability diminished over time: partial R2 of genotype was 43% at day 0, 12% at day 7, 4% at day 14, and 1% at day 21. Conclusion: Over the first weeks of warfarin therapy, INR and prior dose become increasingly predictive of therapeutic dose, and genotype becomes less relevant. However, at day 7, genotype remains clinically relevant, accounting for 12% of therapeutic dose variability.
Assessment of dentin remineralization with PS-OCT

Previous studies have demonstrated that polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) can be used to image natural root caries lesions, measure non-destructively the severity of dentin demineralization and determine the efficacy of intervention with anti-caries agents including fluoride and lasers. The objective of this study was to determine if PS-OCT could be used to nondestructively measure the formation of a layer of remineralized dentin on the surface of dentin lesions after exposure to a remineralization solution. In this study images of artificial dentin lesions on extracted human teeth were acquired using PS-OCT after exposure to an artificial demineralizing solution at pH 4.9 for six days and after subsequent exposure to a remineralizing solution at pH 7.0 for 20 days. Polarized light microscopy and microradiography were used to examine histological thin sections from the samples for comparison. PS-OCT successfully measured the formation of a layer of increased mineral content near the lesion surface. PLM and TMR corroborated those results. This study demonstrates the potential use of PS-OCT for the nondestructive measurement of the remineralization of dentin surfaces.
Electrical injection and detection of spin accumulation in silicon at 500 K with magnetic metal/silicon dioxide contacts

Harnessing spin angular momentum could allow the development of electronic devices that are not limited by Moore's law. Here, electrical injection and detection of spin accumulation is achieved at temperatures that are practical for device operation.
A Diagnosis Algorithm for the BGM System Level Fault Model

A ?diagnosable system is a system in which all faults may be identified from the test results, provided that the number of faults does not exceed ?. In this correspondence we present an algorithm that may be used for the diagnosis of the system level BGM fault model proposed by Barsi, Grandoni, and Maestrini, whenever the system is ?-diagnosable and the number of faults is at most ?.
Kinase-catalyzed biotinylation for phosphoprotein detection.

Protein phosphorylation plays a critical role in a variety of cellular functions. As a result, the monitoring of phosphoproteins in cells represents an important goal for proteomics research. To facilitate phosphoprotein detection, the first enzymatic phosphorylation-dependent biotinylation reaction of proteins is described. Specifically, kinase enzymes were coupled with an ATP-biotin conjugate to efficiently biotinylate substrate peptides and proteins after phosphate transfer. The kinase-mediated biotinylation reaction enables efficient detection of phosphoproteins in cell lysates or phosphopeptides after trypsin proteolysis, demonstrating its utility for proteomics research. Importantly, the studies reveal the cosubstrate promiscuity of kinase enzymes, laying the foundation for development of new chemical tools targeting the phosphoproteome.
Rule-based cooperative control of optically linked model spacecraft: Experimental study

An experimental study is made on the alignment of an optically linked autonomous model-spacecraft triad with features similar to those in a separated-spacecraft interferometer. Each model spacecraft is magnetically levitated and free to rotate about a fixed axis. Two laser beams are used to simulate the light from a distant star impinging on the collectors of a space interferometer. The laser beams reflected from the servo-controlled mirrors on the collector model spacecraft impinge on an optical sensor array mounted on the combiner model spacecraft. Simple rule-based cooperative controls are developed for optical alignment in the presence of rotational drift induced by external impulsive or persistent disturbances. These controls are driven by events defined by the laser-beam activation of certain sensors. The resulting controlled system is a hybrid continuous-time and discrete-event system. Experimental results show that the derived control laws are effective in achieving optical alignment of the model spacecraft triad, using only a small number of optical sensors with binary outputs, provided that the relative angular drift speeds are sufficiently small.
Graph Twiddling in a MapReduce World

As the size of graphs for analysis continues to grow, methods of graph processing that scale well have become increasingly important. One way to handle large datasets is to disperse them across an array of networked computers, each of which implements simple sorting and accumulating, or MapReduce, operations. This cloud computing approach offers many attractive features. If decomposing useful graph operations in terms of MapReduce cycles is possible, it provides incentive for seriously considering cloud computing. Moreover, it offers a way to handle a large graph on a single machine that can't hold the entire graph as well as enables streaming graph processing. This article examines this possibility.
Developmental plasticity of shell morphology of quagga mussels from shallow and deep-water habitats of the Great Lakes

The invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) has quickly colonized shallow-water habitats in the North American Great Lakes since the 1980s but the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) is becoming dominant in both shallow and deep-water habitats. While quagga mussel shell morphology differs between shallow and deep habitats, functional causes and consequences of such difference are unknown. We examined whether quagga mussel shell morphology could be induced by three environmental variables through developmental plasticity. We predicted that shallow-water conditions (high temperature, food quantity, water motion) would yield a morphotype typical of wild quagga mussels from shallow habitats, while deep-water conditions (low temperature, food quantity, water motion) would yield a morphotype present in deep habitats. We tested this prediction by examining shell morphology and growth rate of quagga mussels collected from shallow and deep habitats and reared under common-garden treatments that manipulated the three variables. Shell morphology was quantified using the polar moment of inertia. Of the variables tested, temperature had the greatest effect on shell morphology. Higher temperature (approximately 18-20 degrees C) yielded a morphotype typical of wild shallow mussels regardless of the levels of food quantity or water motion. In contrast, lower temperature (approximately 6-8 degrees C) yielded a morphotype approaching that of wild deep mussels. If shell morphology has functional consequences in particular habitats, a plastic response might confer quagga mussels with a greater ability than zebra mussels to colonize a wider range of habitats within the Great Lakes.
Comments on: Exact solution of Stokes' first problem for heated generalized Burgers' fluid in a porous half-space [Nonlinear Anal. RWA 9(2008) 1628]

We point out and correct a number of misrepresentations and related inaccuracies that appear in the recently published paper [C. Xue, J. Nie, Nonlinear Anal. RWA 9 (2008) 1628].
Long term tolerance of high dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in patients with localized prostate carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The current study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and predictors of late toxicity in patients with localized prostate carcinoma treated with high dose three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). METHODS A total of 743 patients with prostate carcinoma classified as T1c–T3 were treated with 3D-CRT that targeted the prostate and seminal vesicles. A minimum tumor dose of 64.8 gray (Gy) was given to 96 patients (13%), 70.2 Gy to 266 patients (365), 75.6 Gy to 320 patients (43%), and 81.0 Gy to 61 patients (8%). The median follow-up time was 42 months (range, 18–109 months). Late toxicity was graded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group morbidity scoring scale. RESULTS Late gastrointestinal (GI) and urinary (GU) toxicities were absent or minimal (Grade 0 or 1) in 90% of patients. The 5-year actuarial likelihood of the development of Grade 2 and 3 late GI toxicities was 11% and 0.75%, respectively. A multivariate analysis identified doses ≥75.6 Gy (P < 0.001), history of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.01), and the presence of acute GI symptoms during treatment (P = 0.02) as independent predictors of Grade ≥2 late GI toxicity. The 5-year actuarial likelihood of the development of Grade 2 and 3 late GU toxicities was 10% and 3%, respectively. Doses ≥75.6 Gy (P = 0.008) and acute GU symptoms (P < 0.001) were independent predictors of Grade ≥2 late GU toxicity. Among 544 patients who were potent before treatment (73% of all patients), 211 (39%) became impotent after 3D-CRT. The 5-year actuarial risk of potency loss was 60%. Doses ≥75.6 Gy (P < 0.001) and the use of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation (P = 0.01) were independent predictors of posttreatment erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of severe late complications after high dose 3D-CRT was minimal. Radiation doses ≥75.6 Gy and the presence of acute treatment-related symptoms during 3D-CRT correlated with a higher incidence of Grade ≥2 late GI and GU toxicities. In addition to higher doses, the use of androgen deprivation therapy increased the likelihood of permanent impotence in these patients. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy, which makes it possible to enhance the conformality of the dose distribution, has recently been implemented in an attempt to reduce the incidence of moderate grade toxicities in patients receiving high dose 3D-CRT. Cancer 1999;85:2460–8. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Regeneration filters in post-agricultural fields of Puerto Rico and Ecuador

To better understand how rainforest regenerates after agriculture I sampled the seed rain and seed bank, and set out seeds and seedlings, on microsites defined by distance to the forest in fields both in Puerto Rico and Ecuador. I found that (1) total seeds, species richness and life-form richness were twice as great in the Ecuador seed rain compared to Puerto Rico but Puerto Rico seeds were more evenly distributed among species and (2) total seedlings from the seed bank were similar between Puerto Rico and Ecuador, (3) the majority of seeds were lost to predation among all species and study sites, (4) seed disease was absent in P. aduncum and Miconia prasina, and no seeds germinated for Gonzalagunia spicata and P. riparia, (5) in Ecuador pathogenic disease claimed more seeds than germinated for all species, and Solanum ovalifolium was the only species that had seeds germinate but did not lose seeds to disease, (6) also in Ecuador, insect predation was significantly lower in the forest border for P. aduncum, and seed disease was significantly greater at the 10 m micro site for S. ovalifolium, (7) distance has a significant effect on seedling height and basal diameter, (8) losses of leaf area due to herbivory and pathogens were always low and (9) biomass and leaf specific mass were significantly reduced in the border and forest microsites. I conclude that Ecuador fields had more seeds, species, and life-forms than Puerto Rico fields, predation was the most severe post-dispersal seed filter in all fields, seeds that survived predation on Puerto Rico were lost either to disease or germination but to both mechanisms in Ecuador, all three seed mechanisms in Ecuador fields showed distance effects of seedling growth but not survivorship.
Ultrasonic characterization of acute renal failure

Abstract The attenuation coefficient, propagation velocity and backscattering coefficient were measured in vitro, on freshly excised, normal and functionally impaired rabbit kidneys. Subcutaneous glycerol treatment was used to introduce acute renal failure. Elevated plasma creatinine levels, measured prior to the excision of kidneys, were used as an index of the degree of renal functional impairment. Propagation velocity for the ten kidneys ranged between 1538–1575 m/s with that for the normals being 1540±4 m/s. Velocity was found to increase with increasing renal damage. The attenuation coefficient for all ten kidneys exhibited a linear frequency dependence over the range 3.5–6.5 MHz. The slope of the attenuation coefficient for the glycerol treated kidneys (0.723 dB/cm/MHz) was found to be higher than the slope for the normals (0.449 dB/cm/MHz). The frequency dependence of the backscattering coefficient was not altered by glycerol treatment leading to the postulate that modification of frequency dependent behavior of the attenuation coefficient in this experimental model is primarily due to absorption.
Effect of Radiation Models on Coal Gasification Simulation

Adequate modeling of radiation heat transfer is important in CFD simulation of coal gasification process. In an entrained-flow gasifer, the non-participating effect of coal particles, soot, ashes, and reactive gases could significantly affect the temperature distribution in the gasifier and hence affects the local reaction rate and life expectancy of wall materials. For slagging type gasifiers, radiation further affects the forming process of corrosive slag on the wall which can expedite degradation of the refractory lining in the gasifier. For these reasons, this paper focuses on investigating applications of five different radiation models to coal gasification process, including Discrete Transfer Radiation Model (DTRM), P-1 Radiation Model, Rosseland Radiation Model, Surface-to-Surface (S2S) Radiation Model, and Discrete Ordinates (DO) Radiation Model. The objective is to identify the pros and cons of each model’s applicability to the gasification process and determine which radiation model is most appropriate for simulating the process in entrained-flow gasifiers.The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach is applied to solve the Navier-Stokes equations, nine species transport equations, and seven global reactions consisting of three heterogeneous reactions and four homogeneous reactions. The coal particles are tracked with the Lagrangian method. Six cases are studied—one without the radiation model and the other five with different radiation models. The result reveals that the various radiation models yield uncomfortably large uncertainties in predicting syngas composition, syngas temperature, and wall temperature. The Rosseland model does not yield reasonable and realistic results for gasification process. The DTRM model predicts very high syngas and wall temperatures in the dry coal feed case. In the one-stage coal slurry case, DTRM result is close to the S2S result. The P1 method seems to behave stably and is robust in predicting the syngas temperature and composition; it yields the result most close to the mean, but it seems to underpredict the gasifier’s inner wall temperature.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
MO-C-17A-03: A GPU-Based Method for Validating Deformable Image Registration in Head and Neck Radiotherapy Using Biomechanical Modeling

Purpose: Deformable image registration (DIR) plays a pivotal role in head and neck adaptive radiotherapy but a systematic validation of DIR algorithms has been limited by a lack of quantitative high-resolution groundtruth. We address this limitation by developing a GPU-based framework that provides a systematic DIR validation by generating (a) model-guided synthetic CTs representing posture and physiological changes, and (b) model-guided landmark-based validation. Method: The GPU-based framework was developed to generate massive mass-spring biomechanical models from patient simulation CTs and contoured structures. The biomechanical model represented soft tissue deformations for known rigid skeletal motion. Posture changes were simulated by articulating skeletal anatomy, which subsequently applied elastic corrective forces upon the soft tissue. Physiological changes such as tumor regression and weight loss were simulated in a biomechanically precise manner. Synthetic CT data was then generated from the deformed anatomy. The initial and final positions for one hundred randomly-chosen mass elements inside each of the internal contoured structures were recorded as ground truth data. The process was automated to create 45 synthetic CT datasets for a given patient CT. For instance, the head rotation was varied between +/− 4 degrees along each axis, and tumor volumes were systematically reduced up to 30%. Finally, the original CT and deformed synthetic CT were registered using an optical flow based DIR. Results: Each synthetic data creation took approximately 28 seconds of computation time. The number of landmarks per data set varied between two and three thousand. The validation method is able to perform sub-voxel analysis of the DIR, and report the results by structure, giving a much more in depth investigation of the error. Conclusions: We presented a GPU based high-resolution biomechanical head and neck model to validate DIR algorithms by generating CT equivalent 3D volumes with simulated posture changes and physiological regression.
Organizational Volatility and Rates of Leader Succession

The study tests the contention that variations in the focal organization's context, reflecting strategies of coopting, competing, capitalizing, and corpulating, constrain the periodicity of succession in the office of chief executive within the setting of 58 petrochemical companies. Contextual variation is identified through a coefficient of volatility which accounts for economic trends in corporate growth (or decline) through least squares deviations. Results suggest that high presidential succession rates are influenced by both a low degree of variation over time in board membership and a high degree of variation in debt to equity structure. The relationship between board size variation and succession rate is somewhat unexpected, and it is even more predominant when surveyed companies are classified according to the degree of successfulness (profitability and return on investment). Further analysis reveals a prediction model for successor tenure based on volatility variables and moderator effects.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES IN SOYBEANS DURING PROCESSING TO YIELD DESOLVENTIZED-TOASTED MEAL

Microscopic examination of conventionally processed soybeans showed that flaking was sufficient to disrupt almost all of the cotyledon cells but had little effect on protein bodies or lipid bodies. Hexane extraction changed the surface of protein bodies from smooth to granular. Desolventizing-toasting was disruptive to cell walls and caused protein bodies to agglomerate.