cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic Web Tagging and Person Tagging Using Language Models

Social tagging systems, such as Delicious, My Web 2.0, Flickr, YouTube, have been very successful and attracted hundreds of million users. User provided tags of an object/page can be used to help the user re-find the object through search or share the customized object with other people. Instead of waiting for a user to find and input the appropriate words to tag an object, we propose to automatically recommend tags for user to choose from, a process that requires much less cognitive effort than traditional tagging. In particular, we formalize the tag suggestion problem as a ranking problem and propose a new probabilistic language model to rank meaningful tags, including words or phrases, for bookmarks. Besides, we adapt the probabilistic language model to tag users. The user tags can be viewed as recommended queries for the user to search documents. They can also be used as meta data about the users, which could be beneficial for people search or person recommendation. The effectiveness of the proposed techniques are demonstrated on data collected from del.icio.us.
ICE CORE RECORDS | South America

Ice cores from the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia contain records of climatic and environmental variability that extend back as far as 25 000 years ago. Three of the records (Quelccaya, Huascaran, and Illimani) come from mountain ranges along the east side of the Andes, which receives most of its summertime precipitation from the tropical Atlantic Ocean via the Amazon Basin. The fourth ice-core record (Sajama) comes from the high, arid Bolivian Altiplano, where the precipitation (also from the northeast) is more directly affected by Pacific Basin processes such as the El Nino/Southern Oscillation. The long Huascaran and Sajama records show cold conditions at the end of the late glacial stage, but also show that effective moisture over the Bolivian Altiplano was much greater than to the north in the Cordillera Blanca. Abrupt dry events during the Holocene are also evident in the dust records. The 1500-year long Quelccaya ice core records of stable isotopic ratios and net accumulation are of very high (annual) resolution, and provide some of the first evidence of the interhemispheric extent of the ‘Little Ice Age’. The recent warming in the Andes is not only causing the retreat of these tropical glaciers, but also the eradication of their climate records.
Deep-Inelastic e^+p Scattering at Very High Q^2 from ZEUS at HERA

Neutral-current and charged-current deep-inelastic scattering at very high four-momentum transfer squared (Q^2) have been studied in positron-proton collisions at center-of-mass energy 300 GeV using the ZEUS detector at HERA. An integrated luminosity of 47.7 $pb^{-1}$ was collected in the years 1994-1997. Differential cross sections are presented for $Q^2 > 400 GeV^2$ and compared to Standard Model predictions.
Renaissance of gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Meeting the challenge of capillary columns with a beam deflection instrument and time array detection.

Abstract This report describes the use of a unique beam deflection time-of-flgith mass spectrometer to address some of the demands made on mass spectrometry by new developments in high-resolution capillary column gas chromatography. An integrating transient recorder is used in combination with this beam deflection time-of-flight instrument to apply the concept of time array detection in capturing all of the mass spectral information available from the ion source, thereby greatly enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio quality of the mass spectral data. The applicability of the time array detection approach to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is demonstrated in the context of an analysis of the standard Grob mixture for assessing performance of capillary column chromatography. During analysis of the Grob mixture by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, mass spectra were recorded at a rate of 20 scan files per second. The data indicate that this rate of mass spectral scan file generation is adequate to provide a suitable data base for reconstruction of the chromatographic profile. In addition, the effective scan rate is high enough that there is no distortion in the relative peak intensities throughout the individual mass spectra of components regardless of the relatively high dynamic changes in partial pressure of the analyte as reflected by the sharp peaks in the chromatographic profile. The experimental results indicate that the beam deflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer can provide mass spectra at a scan file generation rate much higher than that possible with the conventional quadrupole or magnetic sector mass spectrometer, but at comparable detection limits.
Study on Cathode Structure Optimization of Aluminum Reduction Cell

The authors of this paper using the thermo-electric field simulation software secondary development based on ANSYS studied the difference of horizontal current, cathode voltage drop, steel bar maximum current density when adopting different techniques, such as slotted steel bar, partial insulation steel bar, and low resistivity steel bar technologies. The results showed that the partial insulation steel bar technology to reduce the horizontal current of liquid aluminum pad is most obvious, and current distribution uniformity is also the best. The effect of reducing horizontal current is limited when adopting slotted steel bar technology. The using of low resistivity bar is more conducive to reducing the cathode voltage drop.
LP-Posteriori Error Analysis of Mixed Methods for Linear and Quasilinear Elliptic Problems

We consider mixed finite element methods for the approximation of linear and quasilinear second-order elliptic problems. A class of postprocessing methods for improving mixed finite element solutions is analyzed. In particular, error estimates in L p , 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞, are given. These postprocessing methods are applicable to all the existing mixed methods, and can be easily implemented. Furthermore, they are local and thus fully parallelizable.
Effective recruitment of rural breast cancer survivors into a lifestyle intervention.

Lifestyle interventions targeting exercise and weight control in cancer survivors have become increasingly common due to the strong associations with improvements in function, quality of life, and cancer prognosis [1]. One of the most challenging aspects of conducting these trials is recruitment, especially for underserved populations. Rural residents who represent 20% of the U.S. population experience many of the same disparities as other minority groups including poorer lifestyle behaviors [2] and higher obesity rates [3]. Rural cancer survivors have less access to survivorship care, poorer mental health and quality of life [4, 5] and limited access to lifestyle intervention [6]. Geographic isolation and travel requirements pose additional barriers, however, little has been written about successful recruitment of this group. This paper describes the recruitment of rural breast cancer survivors into a randomized trial investigating the effects of an 18-month intensive lifestyle intervention. We describe a variety of recruitment methods and data on participant yield by different recruitment strategies.
Potent inhibition of CYP2D6 by haloperidol metabolites: stereoselective inhibition by reduced haloperidol.

Aims We evaluated the inhibitory effect of haloperidol and its metabolites on CYP2D6 activity in order to better understand the potential role of these metabolites in drug interactions involving haloperidol. Methods The inhibitory effects of haloperidol and five of its metabolites on dextrorphan formation from dextromethorphan, a marker probe of CYP2D6 activity, were measured in human liver microsomal preparations. Apparent kinetic parameters for enzyme inhibition were determined by nonlinear regression analysis of the data. Results Racemic reduced haloperidol and its metabolite, RHPTP competitively inhibited dextromethorphan O-demethylation with estimated Ki values (0.24 µm and 0.09 µm, respectively) that were substantially lower than that of haloperidol (0.89 µm). The inhibitory effect of S(–)-reduced haloperidol was more potent than the R(+)-enantiomer, with estimated Ki values of 0.11 µm and 1.1 µm, respectively. The pyridinium metabolite of haloperidol, HPP+ inhibited the enzyme activity noncompetitively with a Ki value of 0.79 µm. The N-dealkylated metabolites of haloperidol (FBPA and CPHP) had a diminished inhibitory potency. While FBPA showed no notable inhibitory effect on dextrorphan formation, CPHP showed moderate competitive inhibition with a Ki value of 20.9 µm. Conclusions The principal metabolites of haloperidol inhibit CYP2D6, suggesting that they might contribute to the inhibitory effects of the drug. Reduced haloperidol seems to inhibit CYP2D6 activity in an enantioselective manner with the physiologically occurring S(–) enantiomer being more potent.
Investigation of 2H(d,n) 3He and 3H(d,n) 4He Fusion Reactions as Alternative Neutron Sources for BNCT

Beam-shaping assemblies have been designed to moderate high energy neutrons from the fusion reactions 2H(d,n)3He (DD) and 3H(d,n)4He (DT) for use in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. The low yield of DD is an obstacle for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Our analysis shows that the high-energy neutrons from DT can be moderated to epithermal energy range without reducing the neutron flux to a negligible level. With the optimal beam-shaping assembly design for DT, a 1A deuteron beam with energy of l20keV leads to a treatment time of 50 minutes. The dose near the center of the brain obtained with this configuration is about 50% higher than the dose from a typical spectrum produced by the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR), and is comparable to the dose obtained by other accelerator-produced neutron beams.
Band gap effect on H- ion survival near Cu surfaces

Abstract The presence of a band gap in the direction normal to the surface, such as the L-gap in the case of the Cu(1 1 1) surface, should dramatically influence various experimental results on electron capture (loss) in atom–surface collisions. The main goal of this joint theoretical and experimental work is to investigate the impact of the L-gap on the survival probability of hydrogen negative ions interacting with a copper surface. We show that the ion survival probability strongly depends on the collision velocity. At low velocities the electron loss is increased by the collision velocity, whereas at high velocities the Cu(1 1 1) surface behaves like a jellium surface and the shorter the interaction time, the smaller the decay.
The charge-relay system of serine proteinases: proton magnetic resonance titration studies of the four histidines of porcine trypsin.

Abstract Peaks corresponding to the C (2) -protons of all four histidine residues of porcine β-trypsin were resolved in 250 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectra after deuteration of the slowly exchangeable N- H groups (whose resonances obscure the histidine peaks) by reversible unfolding of the protein in D 2 O. One of the four peaks was assigned to the charge-relay histidine in the active site of trypsin (His(57) in the bovine chymotrypsinogen numbering system). Whereas the three other histidine C (2) -peaks exhibited normal titration curves with single p K′ values of 7.20, 6.71 and 6.67, the peak assigned to His(57) had an abnormal titration curve showing two protonation steps in the pH range from 1 to 9. The first protonation with a pH′ mid of 5.0 is rapid on the nuclear magnetic resonance time-scale; the second with a pH′ mid of 4.5 is slow and apparently involves conformational transitions between two states having lifetimes of approximately 18 ms. In the complex between porcine β-trypsin and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) His(57) was found to be insensitive to pH over the range from 4 to 9 and its chemical shift resembles that of His(57) in the singly protonated charge relay of free trypsin. This result provides direct evidence that the trypsin charge relay acts as a proton acceptor in the initial catalytic step which leads to the formation of a tetrahedral complex. In the presence of equimolar bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) the pH' mid of the conformational transition that affects the charge-relay histidine is lowered from 4.5 to approximately 3.5.
Effect of electrodeposition parameters on growth habit and morphology

Abstract A great amount of effort has been placed on the correct conditions for smooth electrodeposition. The extraneous growth, unwanted by the electro-platers, has been given comparatively little attention. Dendritic growth by electrodeposition of several metals was studied by Wranglen, Yang, Chen, and Hudson. These were reported to be single crystals. Faust and John studied the dendrites of several metals including some of those studied by Wranglen, Yang et al., and found that they contained twin planes. Since then more studies have been made by others with similar results. In this preliminary study, the growth habit as a function of current density, and to a lesser degree, temperature and concentration were investigated for Ag, Ni, and Cu. Several distinct habits were found as the current density was varied. At low c.d. smooth deposition resulted. Increasing the c.d. gave the following sequence: polyhedral growth, dendritic growth in the 〈110〉 direction, dendritic growth in the 〈211〉 direction, a special type of dendritic growth in the 〈110〉 direction (the last three all contained twin planes), a single crystal dendritic growth in the 〈100〉 direction, and finally a spongy mass. Temperature showed its influence by giving better faceting at lower temperatures.
HLA-Identical Sibling Compared With 8/8 Matched and Mismatched Unrelated Donor Bone Marrow Transplant for Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Purpose Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from an unrelated donor (URD) is an option for many patients who do not have an HLA-identical sibling donor (MSD). Current criteria for the selection of URDs include consideration for HLA alleles determined by high resolution typing methods, with preference for allele-matched donors. However, the utility and outcome associated with transplants from URDs compared with those from MSDs remains undefined. Patients and Methods We examined clinical outcome after patients received bone marrow transplants (BMTs) from MSDs; HLA-A, -B, -C, and DRB1 allele-matched URDs (8/8); and HLA-mismatched URDs in a homogeneous population of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in first chronic phase (CP1) where a strong allogeneic effect and hence a lower risk of relapse is anticipated. Transplantation outcomes were compared between 1,052 URD and 3,514 MSD BMT recipients with CML in CP1. Results Five-year overall survival and leukemia-free survival (LFS) after receipt...
Other Religions as Sacred Reminders

Not only are there many particular relationships among religions to be ex plored, but there are many types of relationships or categories of relation ships to be considered. As examples of these types we might mention histor ical, metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, sociological, or theological relationships without in any way being exhaustive. The prominence of some of these concerns has limited the attention given to other actual or possible relationships. For example, there has been an understandable, even justifi able, prominence given to historical relationships for the sake of accurate fact, to theological relationships for the purpose of clarifying how to think of other religions from a received confessional norm, and to ethical relation ships for the sake of judging practical accomplishments and superiorities. What I want to say in this article falls in a category that we might call the 'self-reflective' type of relationship, that is, the sorts of relations that are, or may become, pertinent in the ongoing process of self-study of one's own religion in relation to other religions. I select this topic with no sense of desiring to demote other interests or of claiming a preferred standpoint. In fact, theory is not uppermost in this piece at all; I want simply to direct attention to one possible relationship, among others, that seems to me worth stressing. Now within this category there are already two relationships at least which have been much discussed, and I want to distinguish what I have in mind from these, in fact to dissociate it from them. One of these is what Hocking emphasised in his notion of 'reconception'. According to this notion the religions of the world were to reconceive themselves in the light of other religions, presumably incorporating into themselves such features as they could take from other religions, without however aiming at a single universal mixture. This is the relationship of potential appropriation. Whatever be its merits, it is not what I have in mind. The other emphasis has been to take the best in one's own religion as a basis for highlighting the worst in others, or, vice versa, to take the worst in others as a pretext for displaying the best in one's own. For example, one may declare that we have a concern for personal welfare in this life, whereas X and Y show other-worldly indiffer ence; or X and Y degrade women, whereas we stand for women's equality. Apart from boastfulness, one may be seeking in this way to ponder and
REM sleep deprivation impairs latent extinction in rats

Abstract Preextinction exposure to some aspects of the nonreward condition has been shown to facilitate extinction of bar pressing. Deprivation of REM sleep immediately following preextinction experience blocked this facilitation. REM sleep appears to be necessary for assimilation of the preextinction experience.
The yield of EUS-FNA in undiagnosed upper abdominal adenopathy is very high.

Purpose: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) allows sampling of abdominal adenopathy easily and safely from locations that were previously deemed too risky and inaccessible. The efficacy of EUS-FNA in a large cohort of patients with abdominal adenopathy has not been previously described in the literature. Methods: We conducted a large retrospective study at a tertiary referral center. Two hundred twenty-five consecutive patients undergoing EUS-FNA for only abdominal adenopathy between 2004 through August 2009 were included in our study. Patient demographics, indications, EUS findings, and final cytologic diagnoses were recorded. Results: A total of 230 lymph nodes were biopsied in 225 patients. Common locations of nodes included peripancreatic (19%), porta hepatis (18%), and celiac axis (18%). Adequate specimens were obtained in 200/230 nodes (87%) and the most common diagnoses based on cytology were: benign/reactive (50%), adenocarcinoma (20%), lymphoma (8%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were 71%, 99%, 99%, 78%, and 85%, respectively, for EUS-FNA. Based on EUS imaging alone, malignant nodes were more likely to be larger in diameter (17 mm versus 26 mm, p < 0.001), have a round shape (p = 0.002), well-defined borders (p = 0.04), and hypoechic echotexture (p < 0.001). Conclusions: EUS-FNA allows for excellent tissue acquisition in abdominal lymphadenopathy. Our study supports the use of traditional EUS imaging criteria to identify suspected malignant adenopathy. The results from our large cohort of patients show that EUS-FNA should be considered as a first-line diagnostic modality for ascertaining the etiology of abdominal lymphadenopathy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2013
Fibronectin-Integrin Signaling Is Required for L-Glutamine’s Protection against Gut Injury

Background Extracellular matrix (ECM) stabilization and fibronectin (FN)-Integrin signaling can mediate cellular protection. L-glutamine (GLN) is known to prevent apoptosis after injury. However, it is currently unknown if ECM stabilization and FN-Integrin osmosensing pathways are related to GLN’s cell protective mechanism in the intestine. Methods IEC-6 cells were treated with GLN with or without FN siRNA, integrin inhibitor GRGDSP, control peptide GRGESP or ERK1/2 inhibitors PD98059 and UO126 under basal and stressed conditions. Cell survival measured via MTS assay. Phosphorylated and/or total levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved PARP, Bax, Bcl-2, heat shock proteins (HSPs), ERK1/2 and transcription factor HSF-1 assessed via Western blotting. Cell size and F-actin morphology quantified by confocal fluorescence microscopy and intracellular GLN concentration by LC-MS/MS. Results GLN’s prevention of FN degradation after hyperthermia attenuated apoptosis. Additionally, inhibition of FN-Integrin interaction by GRGDSP and ERK1/2 kinase inhibition by PD98059 inhibited GLN’s protective effect. GRGDSP attenuated GLN-mediated increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation and HSF-1 levels. PD98059 and GRGDSP also decreased HSP levels after GLN treatment. Finally, GRGDSP attenuated GLN-mediated increases in cell area size and disrupted F-actin assembly, but had no effect on intracellular GLN concentrations. Conclusion Taken together, this data suggests that prevention of FN degradation and the FN-Integrin signaling play a key role in GLN-mediated cellular protection. GLN’s signaling via the FN-Integrin pathway is associated with HSP induction via ERK1/2 and HSF-1 activation leading to reduced apoptosis after gut injury.
Silicon Nitride Boundary Lubrication: Lubrication Mechanism of Alcohols

This paper describes the lubrication mechanism of alcohols with silicon nitride under boundary lubrication conditions. Dynamic wear tests and static chemical reaction studies were conducted to study the chemical interaction between alcohols and silicon nitride. Direct evidence of chemical reactions occurring between alcohols and silicon nitride was collected. Gel-permeation-chromatography-graphite-furnace-atomic-absorption (GPC-GFAA) analysis detected the presence of high molecular weight (HMW), silicon-containing, metallo-organic compounds in the wearing contact. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis of the reaction products from wear tests revealed the formation of silicon alkoxides. These alkoxides subsequently reacted to form HMW products which had been independently verified as capable of lubricating silicon nitride surfaces. A two-ball collision test was used to verify the lubricating quality of the film generated from the wear test. A lubrication mechanism is proposed in which alcohols ad...
HIP DYSPLASIA IN THE AFGHAN HOUND

In evaluation of pelvic radiographs and necropsy specimens of 3 litters of Afghan Hound puppies resulting from matings of dysplastic parents a spectrum of radiographic phenotypes similar to that reported in other breeds was found. The percentage of dysplastic offspring (75% and 71%) and age at which the diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia could be made (28.5% at 6; 67% at 12; 90.5%at 18; 95% at 35; and 100% at 36 months of age) was also similar to that reported for other breeds. Hip dysplasia in the Afghan Hound is similar in radiographic appearance to hip dysplasia in other breeds despite the low. incidence of this condition among Afghan Hounds. The inheritance of hip dysplasia appeared to be the same in Afghan Hounds as that reported in other breeds
Efficient Thermal Image Segmentation through Integration of Nonlinear Enhancement with Unsupervised Active Contour Model

Thermal images are exploited in many areas of pattern recognition applications. Infrared thermal image segmentation can be used for object detection by extracting regions of abnormal temperatures. However, the lack of texture and color information, low signal-to-noise ratio, and blurring effect of thermal images make segmenting infrared heat patterns a challenging task. Furthermore, many segmentation methods that are used in visible imagery may not be suitable for segmenting thermal imagery mainly due to their dissimilar intensity distributions. Thus, a new method is proposed to improve the performance of image segmentation in thermal imagery. The proposed scheme efficiently utilizes nonlinear intensity enhancement technique and Unsupervised Active Contour Models (UACM). The nonlinear intensity enhancement improves visual quality by combining dynamic range compression and contrast enhancement, while the UACM incorporates active contour evolutional function and neural networks. The algorithm is tested on segmenting different objects in thermal images and it is observed that the nonlinear enhancement has significantly improved the segmentation performance.
Critical Impairments to Globalizing the Western Human Rights Discourse

This article focuses on the philosophical implications of Euro-centrism and Eurocentric discourse for the Western human rights narrative. It is argued that there is insufficient theoretical and practical consideration of those implications, particular for advocacy and activity in the so-called "Third World" where such arguments frequently become mere vehicles for the advance of economic and political neocolonialism. In many ways, colonialism with a humanistic, liberal democratic "face". Finally, a proposition is advanced that if the Western human rights discourse is to be effectively corrected and evolve into a global one, critiques of Euro-centrism from outside the Western discursive world must be taken seriously.
Predicted refraction versus refraction outcome in cataract surgery after trabeculectomy.

The success rate of cataract surgery after trabeculectomy (bleb survival and/or maintenance of IOP control) approaches 80-90%1-3. Successful pseudophakic rehabilitation after glaucoma filtering surgery requires accurate intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation, which depends on several factors including axial length (AL), corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth. Changes in these three parameters following glaucoma surgery have been reported. Decreases in axial length by 0.1 to 0.9 mm have been reported after glaucoma surgery4-7. It is suggested that the AL change after trabeculectomy can occur when the eye loses a significant amount of intraocular pressure (IOP) by the external flow of aqueous humor through a surgical fistula5. Besides, a thickened choroid accompanying a low IOP after glaucoma surgery might have an effect on AL measurement8. Furthermore, a possible increase in IOP in posttrabeculectomy eyes after cataract extraction can result in a longer AL depending on scleral rigidity. Lastly, contact AL measurements, such as A-scan ultrasonography, can induce bias by probe deformation of the eye resulting in falsely low postoperative readings of AL, especially in hypotonous eyes. This may predispose to a greater myopic refractive error than expected. Induction of with-the-rule corneal astigmatism after trabeculectomy with or without using mitomycin C has been reported5, 9-13. However, it tends to resolve over longer follow-up. Several studies14-18 have shown that the anterior chamber tends to shallow in the postoperative period following trabeculectomy, and that maximal shallowing occurs by the fifth day. However, most anterior chambers tend to re-form spontaneously by 2 weeks after surgery. As a result of AL, corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth changes following trabeculectomy, optimum IOL calculation and subsequent predictable refractive error are less easily obtained. In this study we aim at finding whether the final refractive outcome in patients undergoing phacoemulsification of cataract with IOL implantation following trabeculectomy is different from the predicted refraction.
Alloying element vaporization during laser spot welding of stainless steel

Alloying element loss from the weld pool during laser spot welding of stainless steel was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The experimental work involved determination of work-piece weight loss and metal vapour composition for various welding conditions. The transient temperature and velocity fields in the weld pool were numerically simulated. The vaporization rates of the alloying elements were modelled using the computed temperature profiles. The fusion zone geometry could be predicted from the transient heat transfer and fluid flow model for various welding conditions. The laser power and the pulse duration were the most important variables in determining the transient temperature profiles. The velocity of the liquid metal in the weld pool increased with time during heating and convection played an increasingly important role in the heat transfer. The peak temperature and velocity increased significantly with laser power density and pulse duration. At very high power densities, the computed temperatures were higher than the boiling point of 304 stainless steel. As a result, evaporation of alloying elements was caused by both the total pressure and the concentration gradients. The calculations showed that the vaporization occurred mainly from a small region under the laser beam where the temperatures were very high. The computed vapour loss was found to be lower than the measured mass loss because of the ejection of tiny metal droplets owing to the recoil force exerted by the metal vapours. The ejection of metal droplets has been predicted by computations and verified by experiments.
Fast Approximation of High-Order Voronoi Diagrams and Distance Transforms on the GPU

We present a graphics hardware implementation of the tangent-plane algorithm for computing the kth-order Voronoi diagram of a set of point sites in image space. Correct and efficient implementation of this algorithm using graphics hardware is possible only with the use of an appropriate shader program on the GPU. This is achieved by rendering in k passes the parallel projection of the top k levels of an arrangement of planes tangent to the paraboloid z = x2+y2. Each level of the arrangement corresponds to the so-called kth-nearest point diagram, which is interesting in its own right. Composition of the images of the k top levels results in the kth-order Voronoi diagram. The diagram facilitates efficient computation of the k nearest neighbors of an arbitrary query point. We describe our implementation of the algorithm in OpenGL and Cg, and several optimizations. We also show how to efficiently compute the distance transform of the given sites using the GPU, based on the first-order Voronoi diagram.
Electromagnetic properties of the graphene junctions

The directional diagram of the charge transport through a 'clean' and short monolayer graphene junction GJ exposed to an external electromagnetic field had been examined. We find that the photon-assisted resonant chiral tunneling across the monolayer graphene junction (GJ) causes an angular redistribution of the tunneling current density. The directional a.c. transport phenomena may be utilized in novel nanoelectronic devices working in the THz frequency range.
Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficient pigs are a novel large animal model of metabolic liver disease

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1) is caused by deficiency in fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH), an enzyme that catalyzes the last step of tyrosine metabolism. The most severe form of the disease presents acutely during infancy, and is characterized by severe liver involvement, most commonly resulting in death if untreated. Generation of FAH(+/-) pigs was previously accomplished by adeno-associated virus-mediated gene knockout in fibroblasts and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Subsequently, these animals were outbred and crossed to produce the first FAH(-/-) pigs. FAH-deficiency produced a lethal defect in utero that was corrected by administration of 2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3 cyclohexanedione (NTBC) throughout pregnancy. Animals on NTBC were phenotypically normal at birth; however, the animals were euthanized approximately four weeks after withdrawal of NTBC due to clinical decline and physical examination findings of severe liver injury and encephalopathy consistent with acute liver failure. Biochemical and histological analyses, characterized by diffuse and severe hepatocellular damage, confirmed the diagnosis of severe liver injury. FAH(-/-) pigs provide the first genetically engineered large animal model of a metabolic liver disorder. Future applications of FAH(-/-) pigs include discovery research as a large animal model of HT1 and spontaneous acute liver failure, and preclinical testing of the efficacy of liver cell therapies, including transplantation of hepatocytes, liver stem cells, and pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes.
Evoked pain measures in fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is defined by widespread pain and tenderness at a minimum of 11 of 18 defined tender points. Current evidence indicates that tender points are not unique to fibromyalgia and are simply regions in the body where all people are more tender. Tenderness (i.e. sensitivity to pressure) is widespread in fibromyalgia rather than being confined to tender points, and patients are also more sensitive to heat, cold and electrical stimulation. Using the number of painful tender points as a measure of tenderness is clinically expedient but is theoretically vulnerable to bias and is influenced by subjective distress. Other means of assessing tenderness (e.g. pressure dolorimeter devices, or more elaborate psychophysical methods) demonstrate the same increased pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia that is noted with tender point assessments, but these measures are relatively independent of biasing factors or distress. Fibromyalgia is one of only a few syndromes defined by the presence of both spontaneous (i.e. clinical) and evoked (i.e. experimental) pain. While the issues associated with the evaluation of spontaneous pain are shared with all chronic pain syndromes, the issues associated with the evaluation of evoked pain sensitivity are specific to fibromyalgia and related musculoskeletal disorders. This chapter focuses on the evaluation of altered pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia. It describes current measurement methodology, briefly reviews studies of sensitivity to experimentally evoked painful and non-painful sensations, analyses the factors assessed by different measurement methodologies, and concludes with recommendations for future diagnostic criteria and measurement methods.
Slow learning with small drift in two-absorbing-barrier models

Abstract Certain two-choice learning models have the property that both the first and second moments of increments Δpn in A1 response probability pn are of the order of magnitude of a parameter τ. It is shown that the distribution of pn can be approximated by that of Xnτ, where Xt is a Markov process that is continuous in space and time.
The effect of trauma on production of herpes interferon in guinea pigs.

An appreciable amount of serum and skin interferon was produced in guinea pigs during herpes simplex virus infection. When such guinea pigs were subjected to various experimental trauma the production of interferon was generally decreased. Systemic and local injections of purified interferon confered definite protection against herpes simplex virus infection by the cutaneous, peritoneal and intravenous routes and little or no protection by the intracerebral, intranasal, or corneal routes. Diminution of interferon production thus appears to be one of the factors for the lowered resistance against herpesvirus infection following certain types of tissue injury.
Possible reduction of effective thickness of intestinal unstirred water layer by particle drifting effect.

Abstract According to the present theory of oral absorption, in the case of solubility limited absorption, the absorbed amount would not increase despite an increase in dose or a decrease in particle size. However, many experimental observations suggested that the absorbed amount was often increased (though sub-proportionally) as the dose strength increased. In addition, the particle size reduction was often effective to increase the absorbed amount even in the case of solubility limited absorption. Since an increase of the dose strength and a decrease of the particle size cause no or little change in solubility and the mean intestinal transit time, effective intestinal membrane permeability ( P eff ) should have changed. The previous theory postulated that drug particles do not exist in the unstirred water layer (UWL) which is adjacent to the intestinal membrane. However, many reports suggested that nano- to micro-scale drug particles existed in the UWL. In this case, the effective thickness of the UWL ( h eff ) could be smaller than the nominal thickness, resulting in an increase of P eff . In the present study, h eff was simply calculated assuming that the reduction of h eff is in proportion to the surface area of drug particles in the UWL. When the particle drifting effect was taken into account, the discrepancy between the theoretical calculation and experimental observations was reduced. It was suggested that when the dose (mg)/particle diameter (μm) ratio exceeds 20, the particle drifting effect would become significant.
Sums of finite-dimensional spaces

Analogues are developed to the sum theorems in the dimension theory of metric spaces. It is shown that, within the class of metric spaces, any locally countable, σ-locally finite, or closure-preserving sum of finite-dimensional sets is countable-dimensional. Similar results are obtained under the more general hypothesis of countable-dimensional rather than finite-dimensional sets.
Intercomparison of ATMOS, SAGE II, and ER‐2 Observations in Arctic Vortex and Extra‐Vortex Air Masses during Spring 1993

We have compared measured abundances of NOy, O3, H2O, CH4, HCl, and N2O from ATMOS and aerosol from SAGE II from inside and outside the Arctic vortex with in situ observations from the SPADE aircraft campaign in April/May 1993. When the distinction between vortex and extra-vortex air is taken into account, SPADE measurements of NOy, O3, H2O, CH4, HCl, and aerosol abundances, correlated with [N2O], demonstrate excellent agreement with ATMOS and SAGE II data. Observations of low [HCl] and high [ClNO3] inside the vortex by ATMOS and low [HCl] in vortex fragments by ALIAS suggest that vortex-influenced air masses maintained unusually high levels of [ClNO3] throughout spring 1993.
A novel heat shock response in prolactin-dependent Nb2 node lymphoma cells

Virtually all cells respond to heat stress by increased expression or induction of one or more of the highly conserved cellular stress response proteins, heat shock proteins (HSPs). Here, we report the unusual property of rat Nb2-11 cells, a prolactin-dependent pre-T-cell line, to display reduced HSP expression following exposure to elevated temperature. After heat stress (41 degrees C, 1 h), there was no evidence of inducible members of the 70 kDa HSP family, a response common to other cell culture and tissue systems. Moreover, expression of constitutive members of the HSP70 and HSP90 families decreased during the heat stress, apparently reflecting a decrease in mRNA stability. Gel shift assays revealed that heat shock factor (HSF) was activated in spite of the lack of expression of inducible HSP70 transcripts, although its DNA binding rapidly deteriorated. Immunoblotting, using an antibody specific to HSF1, indicated that proteolysis of HSF1 may be responsible for this rapid termination of heat shock element binding. CCAAT binding, a component of constitutive HSP70 expression, was also reduced by heat stress in Nb2-11 cells and may account for the decline in constitutive HSP70 expression. Prolactin pretreatment prevented the fragmentation of HSF1, protected heat shock element and CCAAT binding, prevented the decline in constitutive HSP70 and HSP90 expression, and restored a modest expression of inducible HSP70 following heat treatment. Results of this study describe a unique regulatory defect in HSP expression in Nb2-11 cells, possibly a common characteristic of other hormone-dependent tumors.
Construction of a pH-Driven Supramolecular Nanovalve

The versatility of supramolecular chemistry has been exploited in constructing nanovalves based on mesoporous silica MCM-41 and the mutual recognition between secondary dialkylammonium ions and dibenzo[24]crown-8 (DB24C8). Naphthalene-containing dialkylammonium threads were tethered to the MCM-41, followed by loading with coumarin 460 and capping with DB24C8. Controlled release of coumarin 460 from the pores of MCM-41 was demonstrated using different bases. The rate of release of coumarin 460 from the nanovalves depends on the size of the base.
Intracellular Notch1 May Induce a Conformational Change in CSL/DNA, without Forming ICN1/CSL/DNA Molecular Complex, in Vitro

Intracellular Notch (ICN) initiates DNA transcription in cooperation with CSL that acts as repressor in the absence of ICN. The ICN mediates recruitment of MAML protein, leading to the formation of minimal transcriptional complex, MAML/ICN/CSL/DNA. Crystal structure reveals that different conformations exist between the free (CSL/DNA) and bound (ICN/MAML/CSL/DNA) forms. The significance of this modulation of the CSL/DNA molecular complex can be better understood by experimental approaches that aim to elucidate the cause and timing of these events. There are four orthologues of human ICN (ICN1-4). We studied interactions between human full-length ICN1 and CSL/DNA without involvement of MAML, in vitro, and found that 1) the EMSA profile of CSL/DNA is altered in the presence of ICN1 as a consequence of an intrinsic change(s) in CSL/DNA, and not due to the formation of an ICN/CSL/DNA molecular complex; 2) ICN1 destabilizes CSL/DNA. These findings indicate that human ICN1 functions to modulate the CSL/DNA molecular complex for subsequent recruitment of MAML, and that modulated CSL/DNA cannot accommodate ICN1 in the absence of MAML. The latter in turn, implies that the formation of the MAML/ICN1/CSL/DNA is likely to be a collective event, wherein preassembly of MAML and ICN1 as a binary complex co-localizes at the CSL/DNA promoter site, or the MAML/ICN1/CSL complex is pre-assembled prior to binding to the promoter, rather than ICN1 arriving at CSL/DNA ahead of MAML and/or other associated transcription factors. The novel finding that ICN1 destabilizes the CSL/DNA complex opens new possibilities of transcriptional regulation by Notch.
Neural network-based detection of mechanical, sensor and biological faults in deep-trough hydroponics

Abstract In this work, two separate fault detection models are developed: one for the detection of faulty operation of a deep-trough hydroponic system which is caused by mechanical, actuator or sensor faults, and one for the detection of a category of biological faults (i.e. specific stressed situations of the plants), namely the “transpiration fault”. The neural network methodology was proved to be successful in the task of fault detection, in both applications. The general fault detection model was capable of detecting a faulty situation in a very short time, in most cases within 20 or 40 min. In the case of the biological fault detection model, the “transpiration fault” was generally detected within 2–3 h. The results show that both neural networks have useful generalization capabilities. The influences of the conditions of the plants to the measured root zone variables are also investigated and they show that biological faults in general cannot be detected in this kind of cultivation systems using the measurable variables used in this work. The most probable explanation is the inertia of overwhelming mass of the nutrient solution (compared to the mass of the plants), in a way that it becomes a limitation factor to the influence of plants condition to their root zone microenvironment.
Effect of bipropellant plume exhaust effluents on spaceborne optical instruments

Analytical tools together with a good data base are necessary to predict the transport of plume contaminants and their effects on spacecraft surfaces. The present paper describes an assessment of bipropellant thrusters, the production and transport of plume contaminants from these thrusters, and the use of the JPL contamination analysis program to assess the effects of plume contamination on the Galileo spacecraft. It is shown that, in the case of the Galileo mission, contamination from the liquid engines has been effectively reduced to nothing by the use of predictive tools. Plume shields together with precise scan platform stowage have been designed to protect the optical instruments.
A replication-efficient mutant of West Nile virus is insensitive to DI particle interference

A previous report described the isolation of a mutant of West Nile virus (WNV) from culture fluid obtained from persistently infected genetically resistant C3H/RV mouse cells that replicates significantly more efficiently in cultures of C3H/RV cells than does the parental virus. This replication-efficient mutant, designated RE-WNV, has now been found to be insensitive to interference by WNV defective interfering (DI) particles. This characteristic was demonstrated by several means. The RE-WNV mutant was able to superinfect persistently infected cultures that were no longer producing detectable parental virus, while the parental virus was not. Good yields of the mutant virus were produced during six serial undiluted passages of RE-WNV in both resistant C3H/RV and congenic susceptible C3H/HE cells. In contrast, during passage of parental virus in C3H/RV cells, progeny virus could not be detected after the third passage, due to an enhanced interference by WNV DI particles with standard virus replication in these cells. The RE-WNV was also insensitive to interference by a pool of parental virus enriched for DI particles. Analysis of the mutant genome by oligonucleotide fingerprinting indicated that the genome RNA of the mutant differs by two unique spots from the parental RNA. The relevance of this mutant to the eventual understanding of the mechanism by which C3H/RV and C3H/HE cells manifest their flavivirus-specific difference in the efficiency of progeny virus production is discussed.
Massive intratumor hemorrhage in facial plexiform neurofibroma.

Background Plexiform neurofibromatosis is a feature of von Recklinghausen's disease. Head and neck lesions may produce varying degrees of cosmetic and functional deformity. However, life-threatening hemorrhage into facial plexiform neurofibromas has not been previously reported. Method We report two patients with von Recklinghausen's disease who experienced massive hemorrhage into facial neurofibromas, one following a blunt injury and the other without a known initiating event. Results Conservative management did not stop the hemorrhage into facial neurofibromas in either instance. Surgical exploration was mandated for hemorrhage control and evacuation of blood clots. Hemostasis was attained by a combination of hypotensive anesthesia and chromic catgut suture ligatures. Conclusions These case reports demonstrate a potentially lethal complication in patients with facial plexiform neurofibroma. Where a competent and experienced interventional neuroradiologist is not available, surgical exploration should be undertaken to control bleeding. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck19: 158–162, 1997.
Synthesis of 2-Acetamido-5,6-dihalophenyl Acetates

2-Acetamido-5,6-dihalophenyl acetates were synthesized as intermediates for the preparation of 6, 7-dihalo-8-quinolinols via the Skraup procedure.