cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic identification of papillary muscles in left-ventricular short-axis echocardiographic images

An automatic method for identifying the location of the papillary muscles in two-dimensional (2-D) short-axis echocardiographic images is described. The technique uses both spatial and temporal information to identify the presence and track the location of the muscles in the left ventricle from end-diastole to end-systole. The three main steps of the method are spatial preprocessing, spatial processing, and temporal processing. The spatial preprocessing step includes a region of search estimation. The spatial processing step includes a papillary muscle existence test and an initial approximation of the papillary muscle points. The temporal processing includes motion-pattern evaluation and final papillary muscle location, The estimates of existence and position for the automatic method were compared with estimates made by an independent expert observer. Two hundred and ten frames, three taken from each of 70 image sequences, were evaluated. Since two regions of search were processed for each frame (one for the posterior-inferior and one for the anterior-lateral papillary muscle), a total of 420 approximations were made. Of this total, 340 automatic estimates were judged to be in close agreement with estimates made by the expert. Of the remaining 80 approximations, 54 estimates were made by the expert when the computer determined that no papillary muscle was present, 17 estimates provided poor results, and nine estimates were made by the computer when the observer concluded that no papillary muscle was present.
Forest Transition: Without Complexity, Without Scale

The forest transition is an empirical regularity of long-term changes in forest cover that has been observed in a number of countries and large regions. In the February 2007 issue of The Professional Geographer, Stephen Perz addressed the theoretical explanations that have been advanced to explain forest transition in his article entitled, “Grand Theory and Context-Specificity in the Study of Forest Dynamics: Forest Transition Theory and Other Directions.” Perz criticizes forest transition theory, and suggests possible remedies. This article takes issue with Perz's critique, as well as with the proposed remedies.
Differences in excretion of hippuric acid and glucuronates after ingestion of sodium benzoate and benzoic acid.

Slow absorption of benzoic acid from the intestine, compared with the rate of absorption of sodium benzoate, might well explain the absence of glucuronate excretion* after intake of benzoic acid in normal persons.
Youth, race, and labor : working kids and historical ambivalence in twentieth century America

As a society, we share assumptions that exhibit a profound historical ambivalence regarding young people at work. On the one hand, we all acknowledge that there is something socially and morally reprehensible about forcing children to toil. Many of us see child labor as a vestigial remnant of the harshest aspects of the Industrial Revolution. On the other hand, we also continue to see work as a sign of the moral and social health of a community and hence, we see employment among the young as a stabilizing and redemptive activity. Especially when addressing the nation's poor, urban and African-American populations, youth unemployment is almost universally understood as a root cause of social unrest and community breakdown. This paper outlines some of the historical arguments about children in the work force and raises the question about the national resolve to seriously address this issue. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Commentary: efficacy and safety of ribavirin plus pegylated interferon-alpha in geriatric patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The study of Hu et al. from Taiwan adds evidence on the safety and efficacy of treatment with pegylated interferonalpha plus ribavirin (PR) in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This topic is of clinical interest, as life expectancy is increasing both in developed and developing countries, anti-HCV positivity in the general population reaches peak prevalence in older age groups, the prevalence of cirrhosis in HCV-infected people above the age of 50 years is climbing and the yearly incidence of HCC reaches somewhere between 2% and 8%. 3 However, patients >65 years have been excluded from clinical trials of PR, because of a tendency towards lower sustained virological response (SVR) and a higher rate of treatment discontinuation. At the same time clinical data encourages the effort of treating chronic HCV in advanced age. In this context, the results of the present study support the view that treatment should not be denied to patients based on age, or other unfavourable factors, alone. However, because of the small number of cases in the age and HCV-genotype (HCV/G) subgroups, some differences may not have attained statistical significance. Thus, SVR rates were lower in older compared with middle-aged patients but the difference was significant only in HCV/G non-1 infections. Moreover, the duration of treatment was limited to 24 weeks regardless of HCV/G with SVR rates in HCV/ G1 similar, or even higher, in comparison with those in patients from Western countries treated for 48 weeks with PR. Race variations, IL28B genotypes or other factors may account for these differences. Therefore, the findings of this Asiatic study are not transferrable, as such, to Western populations either with G1 or non-1 infections. Possibly the development of new all oral HCV therapies with direct-acting antivirals will become the standard of care in the difficult to treat HCV patients, including the elderly.
The effect of twinning on the work-hardening behavior and microstructural evolution of hafnium

The work-hardening behavior of hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) metals, such as hafnium, is influenced by temperature, strain rate, chemistry, and texture. In the case of hafnium, while slip on the prism and pyramidal planes is dominant during deformation, the propensity of deformation twinning is known to increase with decreasing temperature and increasing strain rate. In this study, hafnium was prestrained quasi-statically in compression at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), creating a heavily twinned microstructure. The specimens were then reloaded in compression at room temperature (298 K). Yield stress, flow stress, and work-hardening behaviors of the prestrained specimens were higher than room-temperature compression test data typical of the as-annealed material. The microstructure of each specimen was characterized optically and using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Texture was measured by neutron diffraction and the texture evolution due to twinning, and the interaction of slip with the twins was seen to lead to higher work-hardening rates and flow stresses in the cold prestrained specimens.
Alternative splicing: a novel mechanism of regulation identified in the chorismate mutase gene of the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis

Chorismate mutase (CM) secreted from the stylet of plant-parasitic nematodes plays an important role in plant parasitism. We isolated and characterized a new nematode CM gene (Gr-cm-1) from the potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis. The Gr-cm-1 gene was found to exist in the nematode genome as a single-copy gene that has two different alleles, Gr-cm-1A and Gr-cm-1B, both of which could give rise to two different mRNA transcripts of Gr-cm-1 and Gr-cm-1-IRII. In situ mRNA hybridization showed that the Gr-cm-1 gene was exclusively expressed within the subventral oesophageal gland cells of the nematode. Gr-cm-1 was demonstrated to encode a functional CM (GR-CM-1) potentially having a dimeric structure as the secreted bacterial *AroQ CMs. Gr-cm-1-IRII, generated by retention of intron 2 of the Gr-cm-1 pre-mRNA through alternative splicing (AS), would encode a truncated protein (GR-CM-1t) lacking the CM domain with no CM activity. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay revealed that splicing of the Gr-cm-1 gene was developmentally regulated; Gr-cm-1 was up-regulated whereas Gr-cm-1-IRII was down-regulated in early nematode parasitic stages compared to the preparasitic juvenile stage. Low-temperature SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that GR-CM-1 could form homodimers when expressed in Escherichia coli and the dimerization domain was retained in the truncated GR-CM-1t protein. The specific interaction between the two proteins was demonstrated in yeast. Our data suggested that the novel splice variant might function as a dominant negative isoform through heterodimerization with the full-length GR-CM-1 protein and that AS may represent an important mechanism for regulating CM activity during nematode parasitism.
Receptors for phorbol esters are primarily localized in neurons: comparison of neuronal and glial cultures.

Binding of [3H]PDB has been measured in the present study to determine the levels of protein kinase C in the neuronal and astrocytic glial cells in culture from rat brain. Binding of [3H]PDB to homogenates of cultured neuronal cells from the brains of normotensive and hypertensive rats was time-dependent and specific. The relative potency for competition by various phorbol esters to [3H]PDB binding was TPA > β-PDD > POE > α-PDD ≥4αphorbol. Scatchard analysis showed that neuronal cultures from normotensive rat brains contained 2–3 fold more phorbol ester receptors compared with the glial cultures from the same brains. No differences in theKd andBmax were observed between neuronal cultures from normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rat brains. These studies suggest that the phorbol ester receptors are primarily localized in neuronal cells.
Introduction: Applying Anthropology In HIV/AIDS Research

We are now living in the second decade of the AIDS pandemic. Incidence rates for HIV infection and deaths from HIV-related illness continue to climb in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Health care practitioners debate alternatives in treatment strategies, biomedical researchers pursue the elusive search for "the cure," and social scientists explore the interface of the biological and cultural, dealing with the underlying social correlates and consequences of AIDS. While the connections with death and dying have convinced some people to remain at a distance from the pandemic, others have come to realize that AIDS is now a part of living and is likely to remain so for some time to come.
Genetics and Treatment Options for Recurrent Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis

Worldwide research efforts demonstrate a major role of gene-environment interactions for the risk, development, and progression of most pancreatic diseases, including recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis. New findings of pancreas disease-associated risk variants have been reported in the CPA1, GGT1, CLDN2, MMP1, MTHFR, and other genes. These risk genes and their regulatory regions must be added to the known pathogenic variants in the PRSS1, SPINK1, CFTR, CTRC, CASR, UBR1, SBDS, CEL, and CTSB genes. This new knowledge promises to improve disease management and prevention through personalized medicine. At the same time, however, knowledge of an increasing number of pathogenic variants, and their complicated effects when present in combination, results in increasing difficulty in interpretation and development of recommendations. Direct-to-consumer marketing of genetic testing results also adds complexity to disease management paradigms, especially without interpretation and, in many cases, proven accuracy. While improvements in the ability to rapidly and accurately interpret complex genetic tests are clearly needed, some results, such as pathogenic CFTR variants, including a new class of bicarbonate-defective mutations, and PRSS1 variants have immediate implications that direct management. In addition, discovery of pancreatitis-associated genetic variants in patients with glucose intolerance may suggest underlying type 3c diabetes, which also has implications for treatment and disease management.
Effect of local environment on nanoscale dynamics at electrochemical interfaces: anisotropic growth and dissolution in the presence of a step providing evidence for a schwoebel-ehrlich barrier at solid/liquid interfaces.

The dynamics of nanoscale islands in the vicinity of a monoatomic step on a metal electrode surface under potential control have been investigated by potential pulse perturbation time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy (P3 TR-STM). As the metastable islands decay, a clear anisotropy develops in the spatial distribution of islands, relative to the monoatomic step. Islands appear to be stabilized above the step, while a denuded region develops below the step over a distance of about 100 nm. Vacancy islands are observed to be more stable than adatom islands. These results provide evidence for an electrochemical Schwoebel–Ehrlich barrier to diffusion of atoms across the step.
Distribution of the likelihood ratio criterion for testing Σ = Σ0, μ = μ0

The exact null distribution of the likelihood ratio criterion for testing H0: Σ = Σ0 and μ = μ0 against alternatives H1: Σ ≠ Σ0 or μ ≠ μ0 in Np(μ, Σ) has been obtained as (a) a chi-square series and (b) a beta series. Percentage points have been tabulated for p = 2(1) 6, α = .005, .01, .025, .05, .1, and .25 and various values of sample size N.
Distinctive Sorghum Starch Granule Morphologies Appear to Improve Raw Starch Digestibility

Various factors, including starch granule channels, have been suggested to contribute to the control of sorghum starch digestibility for animal feed. Isolated starch from two normal sorghum lines (P721N, IS6986) and one high protein digestibility (HPD) mutant line (111) that differed in starch granule morphology were selected to study the influence of these factors on starch digestibility. Scanning electron micrographs were taken of raw and digested starches. Microscopy results confirmed that in all three sorghum lines channels in starch granules are the main route of enzyme penetration and the central cavity area is the starting point of enzyme digestion. Channel density was more pronounced in the HPD sorghum mutant line than in normal lines, which may have been responsible for its relatively high digestibility. Micrographs of IS6986 showed unique starch granule morphology with a collapsed ”doughnut-shaped” structure in a portion of the granules. These unusual granules were rapidly digested and, unlike normal spherical granules, totally disappeared after 30 min of digestion. Amylases appeared to have fast access to the collapsed-appearing starch granules. Digestion profiles, following incubation with pepsin and α-amylase, showed that IS6986 and the HPD mutant (111) had the highest initial rate of starch digestion, followed by P721N. These findings provide insight as to how new sorghum cultivars might be developed with high starch digestibility for animal feed use.
Detection of Abrupt Changes in Deep-Sea Sediment Cores: The Forward Problem

Post-depositional processes alter climate proxy signals recorded in deep-sea cores. These processes along with timescale problems and measurement noise make the detection of abrupt events a difficult problem. The need for a dual approach which combines forward and inverse approaches is discussed. The forward approach is illustrated with examples of numerical solutions of an advection-diffusion equation representing bioturbation processes in a variable sedimentation rate environment. Requirements for a comprehensive inverse approach are also discussed.
Failure of interbreeding between Atlantic and Pacific populations of the marine calanoid copepod Acartia clausi Giesbrecht

This project was supported in part by NOAA Sea Grant Institutional Grant 04-3-158-4. The work at Woods Hole used facilities provided by NSF Grant GA 29303. This is Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Contribution No. 3215. E. Carrillo was recipient of a scholarship from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia of Mexico.
Quantum 1/f quartz resonator theory versus experiment

The quantum 1/f theory, as applied to bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators has recently been generalized to the case of an arbitrary coherence length of the phonons, which may be large or small compared with the size of the resonator. The theory has further been extended to include defect scattering along with the phonon scattering case exclusively considered earlier. The present paper compares the new theoretical results with experimental results obtained by F.L. Walls et al., T. Parker et al., J.R. Vig et al., as well as by other research groups.
Reply to Comment on 'On the importance of the free energy for elasticity under pressure'

All criticisms by Steinle-Neumann and Cohen of the correctness of our calculations of equilibrium structure and elastic constants under pressure from the Gibbs free energy are answered and the criticisms are rejected. The difference between the free energy and the internal energy as functions of structure is described to clarify the use of the free energy. The meaning of elastic constants in a system under pressure is discussed in order to derive the basic quadratic expansion of the free energy in the strains. The coefficients in the expansion are the elastic constants under pressure and are in agreement with well-known work. We give reasons why calculations based on the Gibbs free energy are simpler and more accurate than the usual calculations based on minima of the energy at constant volume.
Condom Use During Most Recent Vaginal Intercourse Event Among a Probability Sample of Adults in the United States

ABSTRACT Introduction Correct and consistent condom use remains the most effective way to reduce sexually transmissible infection/HIV transmission during sex and is a highly effective contraceptive method. Understanding correlates of condom use is vital to public health programs. Aim To explore sociodemographic, event characteristics, and experiential correlates of condom use at last penile–vaginal intercourse (PVI). Methods Survey data were collected from a nationally representative probability sample of adults in the United States as part of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior. Main Outcome Measures Condom use/non-use at most recent PVI was the main outcome. Logistic regression analyses predicted condom use from sociodemographic variables (i.e., age, education, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, health status, type of relationship with sexual partner) and event characteristics (i.e., location of sexual encounter, prior intercourse experience with partner, whether partner had other sex partners in the 6 months prior to sex with the participant; other contraceptive use, alcohol use, marijuana use, and for men, erection medication use). Logistic regression analyses examined evaluations of the sexual aspects of the experience (pleasure, arousal, erection/lubrication difficulty, participant orgasm, partner orgasm) in light of condom use. Results Condom-protected PVI was significantly greater among younger people, blacks and Hispanics, and those having PVI with a nonrelationship partner. Statistically adjusting for these differences, condom use was significantly associated with fewer previous intercourse experiences with the partner and not using other forms of contraception. The sexual aspects of experience were evaluated similarly regardless of whether or not a condom was used. Conclusion Public health programs among youths and minorities may underlie higher condom use rates among these groups. Condom use may be further improved by continuing such programs and also expanding outreach to older persons and whites, suggesting prolonging use as relationships develop, and highlighting that condom use does not necessarily interfere with the sexual experience. Sanders SA, Reece M, Herbenick D, Schick V, Dodge B, and Fortenberry JD. Condom use during most recent vaginal intercourse event among a probability sample of adults in the United States. J Sex Med 2010;7(suppl 5):362–373.
Temperature dependence of thin film spiral inductors on Alumina over a temperature range of 25 to 475° C

In this paper, we present an analysis of inductors on an Alumina substrate over the temperature range of 25 to 475° C. Five sets of inductors, each set consisting of a 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and a 4.5 turn inductor with different line width and spacing, were measured on a high temperature probe station from 10 MHz to 30 GHz. From these measured characteristics, it is shown that the inductance is nearly independent of temperature for low frequencies compared to the self resonant frequency, the parasitic capacitances are independent of temperature, and the resistance varies nearly linearly with temperature. These characteristics result in the self resonant frequency decreasing by only a few percent as the temperature is increased from 25 to 475° C, but the maximum quality factor decreases by a factor of 2 to 3. These observations based on measured data are confirmed through 2D simulations using Sonnet software.
The nrfA and nirB Nitrite Reductase Operons in Escherichia coli Are Expressed Differently in Response to Nitrate than to Nitrite

Escherichia coli possesses two distinct nitrite reductase enzymes encoded by the nrfA and nirB operons. The expression of each operon is induced during anaerobic cell growth conditions and is further modulated by the presence of either nitrite or nitrate in the cells' environment. To examine how each operon is expressed at low, intermediate, and high levels of either nitrate or nitrite, anaerobic chemostat culture techniques were employed using nrfA-lacZ and nirB-lacZ reporter fusions. Steady-state gene expression studies revealed a differential pattern of nitrite reductase gene expression where optimal nrfA-lacZ expression occurred only at low to intermediate levels of nitrate and where nirB-lacZ expression was induced only by high nitrate conditions. Under these conditions, the presence of high levels of nitrate suppressed nrfA gene expression. While either NarL or NarP was able to induce nrfA-lacZ expression in response to low levels of nitrate, only NarL could repress at high nitrate levels. The different expression profile for the alternative nitrite reductase operon encoded by nirBDC under high-nitrate conditions was due to transcriptional activation by either NarL or NarP. Neither response regulator could repress nirB expression. Nitrite was also an inducer of nirB and nrfA gene expression, but nitrate was always the more potent inducer by >100-fold. Lastly, since nrfA operon expression is only induced under low-nitrate concentrations, the NrfA enzyme is predicted to have a physiological role only where nitrate (or nitrite) is limiting in the cell environment. In contrast, the nirB nitrite reductase is optimally synthesized only when nitrate or nitrite is in excess of the cell's capacity to consume it. Revised regulatory schemes are presented for NarL and NarP in control of the two operons.
Aging of lapped tape insulated model cables at cryogenic temperature

High temperature superconducting (HTS) power cables are generally divided into two generic designs, cold dielectric and warm dielectric. In the cold dielectric design lapped tape insulation and liquid nitrogen are used in combination to provide the electrical insulation between the conductor and the ground shield of a HTS cable. Using non HTS conductors, lapped tape insulated model cables have been tested at high voltage, including AC breakdown, negative impulse breakdown, and long term aging under AC stress. Two high voltage cryostats have been built for short and long term aging studies that permit testing model cables under the combined conditions of high electric stress, cryogenic temperature and elevated pressures up to 15 bar. A log-log plot of electric stress versus time-to-breakdown has yielded a linear curve having an "n" value indicative of cable life performance. For data obtained thus far, aging experiments (ranging from a few minutes in duration to several weeks) have yielded an n value of 26.2. Since aging at cryogenic temperatures is not expected to have a thermal cause, dielectric wear in HTS cables reduces to partial discharge as the primary cause. Phase and amplitude resolved partial discharge data of model cable in liquid nitrogen are also presented.
A New Parametric GLRT for Multichannel Adaptive Signal Detection

A parametric generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) for multichannel signal detection in spatially and temporally colored disturbance was recently introduced by modeling the disturbance as a multichannel autoregressive (AR) process. The detector, however, involves a highly nonlinear maximum likelihood estimation procedure, which was solved via a two-dimensional iterative search method initialized by a suboptimal estimator. In this paper, we present a simplified GLRT along with a new estimator for the problem. Both the estimator and the GLRT are derived in closed form at considerably lower complexity. With adequate training data, the new GLRT achieves a similar detection performance as the original one. However, for the more interesting case of limited training, the original GLRT may become inferior due to poor initialization. Because of its simpler form, the new GLRT also offers additional insight into the parametric multichannel signal detection problem. The performance of the proposed detector is assessed using both a simulated dataset, which was generated using multichannel AR models, and the KASSPER dataset, a widely used dataset with challenging heterogeneous effects found in real-world environments.
Extremal Cayley Digraphs of Finite Abelian Groups

Cayley graphs of finite abelian groups are often used to model communication networks. Because of their applications, extremal Cayley digraphs have been studied extensively in recent years. Given any positive integers d and k. Let m∗(d, k) denote the largest positive integer m such that there exists an m-element finite abelian group Γ and a kelement subset A of Γ such that diam(Cay(Γ ,A )) ≤ d. Similarly, let m(d, k) denote the largest positive integer m such that there exists a k-element set A of integers with diam(Zm ,A )) ≤ d. In this paper, we prove, among other results, that m∗(d, k )= m(d, k) for all d ≥ 1 and k ≥ 1. This means that the finite abelian group whose Cayley group is optimal with respect to its diameter and degree is always a cyclic group.
Visualization of hyperspectral imagery

We developed four new techniques to visualize hyper spectral image data for man-in-the-loop target detection. The methods respectively: (1) display the subsequent bands as a movie (movie), (2) map the data onto three channels and display these as a colour image (colour), (3) display the correlation between the pixel signatures and a known target signature (match) and (4) display the output of a standard anomaly detector (anomaly). The movie technique requires no assumptions about the target signature and involves no information loss. The colour technique produces a single image that can be displayed in real-time. A disadvantage of this technique is loss of information. A display of the match between a target signature and pixels and can be interpreted easily and fast, but this technique relies on precise knowledge of the target signature. The anomaly detector signifies pixels with signatures that deviate from the (local) background. We performed a target detection experiment with human observers to determine their relative performance with the four techniques,. The results show that the match presentation yields the best performance, followed by movie and anomaly, while performance with the colour presentation was the poorest. Each scheme has its advantages and disadvantages and is more or less suited for real-time and post-hoc processing. The rationale is that the final interpretation is best done by a human observer. In contrast to automatic target recognition systems, the interpretation of hyper spectral imagery by the human visual system is robust to noise and image transformations and requires a minimal number of assumptions (about signature of target and background, target shape etc.) When more knowledge about target and background is available this may be used to help the observer interpreting the data (aided target detection).
A detailed study of the endoderm of hydra

The flagella of the endodermal cells of hydra have their origin in the form of a cytoplasmic spherule which appears on the cell membrane just above the blepharoplast. This spherule moves outward, and in doing so forms a small cylinder, which, in time, flattens down into a ribbon-like flagellum, the edge of which is slightly thickened. Endodermal cells were found to bear from one to five of these flagella. Dissociated endodermal cells become amoeboid and are able to move about quite freely, taking up particles of food with pseudopods; these cells are also able to elaborate flagella. In the normal well-fed hydra the endodermal cells are found to fragment endogenously; these endogenous fragments pass to the tentacles and other outlying regions, where they are taken up by the endo-epithelio cells lining these regions. The endoderm is frequently thrown into villi of quite large size: these villi, when studied over a period of days, are found to deteriorate; the cells which composed them wander to the tentacles, buds, and basal regions by means of their flagella and amoeboid movement, where they deteriorate, the cell particles being taken up by the epithelio cells lining these areas.
Exploiting planned disconnections in mobile environments

We present the notion of a distributed database made up entirely of mobile components. Since disconnections will be frequent in such an environment, we develop a disconnection and reconnection procedure to allow normal processing on the connected components. We briefly discuss a protocol based on epidemic communication to support such a system while ensuring one-copy serializability.
Validation of a Simple Thyroid Cancer Dosimetry Model Based on the Fractional Whole-Body Retention at 48 Hours Post-Administration of 131I

Background: Standard dosimetric methods to determine the maximum tolerated activity (MTA) of 131I for the treatment of metastatic, well-differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) are time-consuming and require complex analysis. As a result, reliable, accurate, and simplified methods are desirable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of a simple regression dosimetry model. Method: Previously, the authors reported a bi-exponential model for estimating the MTA of 131I for the treatment of metastatic DTC based on a limit of 2 Gy to the blood. This model uses the patient's body surface area (BSA) along with the fractional whole-body retention (WBR) at 48 hours following oral administration of a diagnostic dosage of 131I. A bi-exponential regression model was developed between the MTA normalized to the patient's BSA and the percent retention value at the 48-hour time point (R): MTA (GBq)/BSA (m2) = (13.91 · e−0.0387R + 42.33 · e−0.8522R). In this study, the same model was applied to a different se...
Reproductive isolation and the causes of speciation rate variation in nature

Rates of species formation vary widely across the tree of life and contribute to many of the most striking large-scale patterns in biological diversity. For the past few decades, most research on speciation has focused on the evolution of barriers to gene flow between populations. The present review discusses the relationship between these barriers, collectively known as ‘reproductive isolation’, and the rate at which speciation occurs. Although reproductive isolation plays a key role in the maintenance of biological diversity, there is little evidence to suggest that any forms of reproductive isolation serve as rate-limiting controls on speciation rates as measured over macroevolutionary timescales. Identifying rate-limiting steps of the speciation process is critical for understanding why we observe the numbers of species that we do and also for explaining why some groups of organisms have more species than others. More generally, if reproductive isolation is not the rate-limiting control on speciation rates, then factors other than reproductive isolation must be involved in speciation and our definition of speciation should be expanded to incorporate these additional processes.
Response of X-ray-sensitive CHO mutant cells (xrs-6c) to radiation. II, Relationship between cell survival and the induction of chromosomal damage with low doses of α particles

The induction of cytotoxicity, chromosomal aberrations, and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) was measured in CHO K-1c cells and in isogenic X-ray-sensitive mutant xrs-6c cells that had been irradiated with X rays and α particles in isoleucine-deficient α-minimal essential medium in G1 phase of the cell cycle. There was a noticeable shoulder region on the survival curve for CHO K-1c cells irradiated with very low doses of α particles, whereas this feature was absent for xrs-6c cells with α-particle doses as low as 0.5 cGy. Higher frequencies of chromatid-type aberrations were induced in G1-phase xrs-6c cells than in G1-phase CHO K-1c cells by both γ- and α-particle irradiation. Induction of nonlethal chromosomal aberrations was observed following exposure to 2-6 cGy of α particles, doses yielding 97-100% cell survival. Irradiation with 0.5 cGy of α particles induced SCE; nearly 60% of irradiated cells contained significantly increased levels of SCE. However, only 3% of the nuclei of cells exposed to 0.5 c...
Game Theory: A Very Short Introduction

This note introduces some key game-theoretic concepts and techniques, with an emphasis on their underlying motivations. It covers the following topics: -Domination -Iterated elimination of dominated strategies -Nash equilibrium -Randomized Strategies -Bayesian equilibrium -Backward induction and perfect equilibrium -Repeated games with a fixed horizon -Repeated games with an open-ended horizon -Evolutionary equilibrium Taken together, those topics provide a brief overview of the most influential ideas within the discipline. The application of these ideas to strategizing in business contexts is left to in-depth case studies.
The Tenacity of Confederacy: Local Service Agreements in The Family of Governments

America's most original contribution to political practices among national systems has been federalism, the notion of the territorial distribution of power which creates within the same boundaries both national and state governments. Yet throughout history there has appeared an alternative form of distributing power territorially, the tradition of confederacy. The Articles of Confederation (AOC) and Confederate States of America (CSA) are two chapters in American history indicative of this other tradition. Yet the overturn of both, one peacefully and the other by war, appeared to end the confederal alternative, affirming instead, an American dedication to federalism. Yet if we examine past and recent events among the family of governments in local America, there are some surprising evidences that the confederal tradition has not been what we thought, nor has it disappeared. This article explores primarily the evidence of current local political practices which bear on this alternative arrangement. For if we peer into the local arena, we find pragmatic responses to common needs which have created a new practice of confederacy. Rarely viewed as such, these arrangements are important, not merely for their variety and growth, but for what they illuminate about the human needs to which governmental forms and practices are responses. We turn first to definitions of confederation, then apply these to historical experiences for validation, and next set out the evidence of the tenacity of confederacy in contemporary America. Hence, this article explores the suggestion of Elazarl that "The confederal conception re-
Measurement of Stress/Charge Coefficients of a Thin Polyvinylidene Fluoride Film

An experimental/analytical approach is used to detemine the piezoelectric coefficients of PolyVinyliDene Fluoride (PDVF). PVDF manufacturers usually publish the values of the charge coefficients in the 1 or 3 directions of the piezoelectric film. However; some applications, such as the use of volume displacement sensors for vibrating plates in active noise control, require the knowledge of the PVDF charge coefficients in the 2 direction. The objective of this work is to determine experimentally and numerically the stress/charge coefficient of a PVDF film in the 2 direction. The method is based on volume displacement measurement of a vibrating beam. Two PVDF volume displacement sensors are fabricated with two different piezoelectric 1 and 2 directions respectively. An accelerometer is used to measure the volume displacement of the vibrating beam. The values are compared with the output charge of the PVDF sensors to determine the unknown stress/charge coefficient. Results obtained at room temperature are presented and compare favorably with existing similar data.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Considerations for Use of Aerial Views in Remote Unmanned Ground Vehicle Operations

Remote unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) operations place the human operator at a perceptual disadvantage. Adding aerial views can benefit the operator's spatial cognition by supplying the missing contextual information regarding the vehicle's position and relation to other objects in the space surrounding the vehicle. In order to benefit from this additional information the operator must control and integrate multiple viewpoints. In a series of experiments the use of aerial views was examined including control mode options and altitude for the aerial scene imaging. Results indicate that aerial views are beneficial in UGV search tasks and that auto-tracking aerial imaging control modes should be considered.
Presence of cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus in middle ear fluids from children with acute otitis media.

Twenty-seven (10%) of 271 infants and children with acute otitis media (AOM) were found to be infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV). CMV or HSV, alone or in combination with bacteria or other viruses, was isolated from the middle ear fluid (MEF) of 10 patients. In three cases, CMV alone was isolated from the MEF, and in one case, HSV alone was isolated. One of the CMV cases involved an acute primary or reactivation of CMV infection, with CMV-bacterial otitis and conjunctivitis as major manifestations. One patient with AOM and stomatitis had purulent otitis associated with the presence of HSV in MEF, with no other bacterial or viral pathogens noted in MEF or nasal wash specimens. While most patients with CMV infection were probably asymptomatic excreters at the time of development of AOM, CMV did enter the middle ear. The presence of CMV in MEF was prolonged, and the patients continued to have clinical signs of otitis despite negative bacterial cultures. Among patients with bacterial otitis, a higher proportion of those who had CMV found only in nasal wash specimens had persistent bacteria in MEF, compared with those who were concurrently infected with other viruses (57% vs. 19%; P less than .04). This report is the first to suggest an etiologic role for CMV and HSV in AOM.
Research on Double Transistor Forward Based on the Exact Cycle Integral Function Control

The exact cycle integral function is analyzed,which is concluding characteristic and existence question is improved.The exact cycle integral function control is studied which the belt forward feed compensated in double transistor to stir up in the converter the application,has confirmed this control strategy validity and feasibility through the simulation.
An Investigation into the Processing of Lexicalized English Blend Words: Evidence from Lexical Decisions and Eye Movements During Reading

New words enter the language through several word formation processes [see Simonini (Engl J 55:752-757, 1966)]. One such process, blending, occurs when two source words are combined to represent a new concept (e.g., SMOG, BRUNCH, BLOG, and INFOMERCIAL). While there have been examinations of the structure of blends [see Gries (Linguistics 42:639-667, 2004) and Lehrer (Am Speech 73:3-28, 1998)], relatively little attention has been given to how lexicalized blends are recognized and if this process differs from other types of words. In the present study, blend words were matched to non-blend control words on length, familiarity, and frequency. Two tasks were used to examine blend processing: lexical decision and sentence reading. The results demonstrated that blend words were processed differently than non-blend control words. However, the nature of the effect varied as a function of task demands. Blends were recognized slower than control words in the lexical decision task but received shorter fixation durations when embedded in sentences.
What Can a Clinical Chemist Learn from Aviation

Most people perceive pilots who don't fly for the commercial airlines as daredevils who always “fall out of the sky.” My acquaintances are genuinely surprised to learn that I, a medical doctor and a clinical chemist, am one of those presumed reckless individuals. Piloting an airplane is a complex task that requires dedication, practice, and commitment. Flying has been my dream since the time I was a child but I didn't start pilot training until after finishing residency and fellowship. I have been flying for 25 years and it still offers satisfaction and challenges to me (Fig. 1). It is an integral part of my life, as are practicing medicine, directing a laboratory, and teaching residents and fellows. Fig. 1. The author flying his 1968 Beechcraft Bonanza over Leadville Airport, Colorado. (Photo courtesy of Robert Bodor.) Years of flying have taught me many lessons, directly applicable to laboratory medicine. As a pilot I must comply with diverse and constantly changing regulations, must participate in recurrent training, and must prove my competency at regular intervals, similarly to the College …
Isolated squares in hypercubes and robustness of commutativity

On montre que, dans toute collection non vide d'au plus d-2 carres d'un hypercube Q d de dimension d il existe un 3-cube sous-graphe de Q d qui contient exactement un de ces carres. Par suite, un diagramme d'isomorphismes sur le schema de l'hypercube d-dimensionnel ayant strictement moins de d-1 carres non commutaitfs a toutes ses faces commutatives. Des consequences statistiques sont donnees pour verifier la commutativite.
UV fluorescence lifetime modification by aluminum and magnesium nanoapertures

Ultra-violet (UV) fluorescence lifetime modification by aluminum (Al) and magnesium (Mg) nanoapertures are reported in this manuscript. Nanoapertures with diameter ranging from 30nm to 90nm are fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB). Largest lifetime reduction are observed for apertures with smallest diameters and undercuts into glass substrate. For Al nanoapertures, largest lifetime reduction is ∼5.30×, larger than perviously reported ∼3.50×.1 For Mg nanoapertures, largest lifetime reduction is ∼6.90×, which is the largest lifetime reduction of UV fluorescence dye reported so far in literature. The dependence of count rate per molecule (CRM) on aperture size and undercut is also investigated, revealing that CRM increases with increasing undercut, however, the CRM is small (less than 2) for the entire range of aperture size and undercut we investigated. FDTD simulation were conducted and in order to favorably compare experimental results with simulated results, it is critical to take into account the exact shape and material properties of the nano aperture. Simulation results revealed the fundamental difference between Al and Mg nano aperture under 266nm illumination-Mg nano aperture presents a waveguide mode in which the maximum field enhancement and Purcell factor is within the nano aperture instead of on the surface which is the case for Al nano aperture.
Defect Engineering in Multinary Earth-Abundant Chalcogenide Photovoltaic Materials

Application of zinc-blende-related chalcogenide absorbers such as CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) has enabled remarkable advancement in laboratory- and commercial-scale thin-film photovoltaic performance; however concerns remain regarding the toxicity (CdTe) and scarcity (CIGSe/CdTe) of the constituent elements. Recently, kesterite-based Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) materials have emerged as attractive non-toxic and earth-abundant absorber candidates. Despite the similarities between CZTSSe and CIGSe/CdTe, the record power conversion efficiency of CZTSSe solar cells (12.6%) remains significantly lower than that of CIGSe (22.6%) and CdTe (22.1%) devices, with the performance gap primarily being attributed to cationic disordering and associated band tailing. To capture the promise of kesterite-like materials as prospective “drop-in” earth-abundant replacements for closely-related CIGSe, current research has focused on several key directions to control disorder, including: (i) examination of the interaction between processing conditions and atomic site disorder, (ii) isoelectronic cation substitution to introduce ionic size mismatch, and (iii) structural diversification beyond the zinc-blende-type coordination environment. In this review, recent efforts targeting accurate identification and engineering of anti-site disorder in kesterite-based CZTSSe are considered. Lessons learned from CZTSSe are applied to other complex chalcogenide semiconductors, in an effort to develop promising pathways to avoid anti-site disordering and associated band tailing in future high-performance earth-abundant photovoltaic technologies.
Abstract 5741: Evaluating the role of recurrentESR1-CCDC170fusion in breast cancer endocrine resistance

Background: Recurrent gene fusions resulting from chromosome rearrangements are central to the formation of cancer. Previously, our lab identified recurrent rearrangements between the estrogen receptor α (ERα) gene ESR1 and its neighbor gene CCDC170, in ~6-8% of luminal B tumors, a more aggressive form of ER+ breast cancer that has worse clinical outcome after endocrine therapy. ESR1-CCDC170 rearrangements enable the expression of different-sized N-terminally truncated CCDC170 (ΔCCDC170) under ESR1 promoter, such as the E2-E7 or E2-E10 variants in which exon 2 of ESR1 fused with exon 7 or exon 10 of CCDC170. Consistent with the behavior of luminal B tumors, ectopic ΔCCDC170 expression in ER+ breast cancer cells transformed cells to a more aggressive form and led to reduced endocrine sensitivity in vitro, as well as enhanced xenograft growth in vivo. In the present study, we examined the role of ESR1-CCDC170 in breast cancer endocrine resistance in vivo and further elucidated the potential engaged mechanisms of its actions. Results: Our in vivo endocrine sensitivity study showed that, while tamoxifen (Tam) treatment rendered tumor regression in the vector-expressing T47D xenograft tumors, it made the E2-E7 overexpressing T47D xenografts static and less likely to regress, whereas the E2-E10 overexpressing xenografts, though grew initially upon Tam treatment, became cytostatic and showed significant reduction in tumor regression. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly worse progression-free survival for E2-E7 (p Conclusion: These data suggest a potential role of ESR1-CCDC170 in mediating breast cancer endocrine responsivity, which may possibly through cytoplasmic mislocalization of ΔCCDC170 and interactions with ERα and HER2. Further studies will affirm and elucidate the role of overexpressed or endogenous ESR1-CCDC170 in breast cancer endocrine resistance, and pinpoint the precise mechanisms of its oncogenic function, in order to develop a novel target therapy against it for the fusion-carrying patient community around the world. Citation Format: Yiheng Hu, Jamunarani Veeraraghavan, Xian Wang, Ying Tan, Jin-Ah Kim, Rachel Schiff, Xiao-Song Wang. Evaluating the role of recurrent ESR1 - CCDC170 fusion in breast cancer endocrine resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5741. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5741