cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2-D Digital signal processing with an array processor

The applicability of array processor (AP) technology to 2-D digital signal processing is investigated in this paper. The AP-based image processing facility at LLL is described, with emphasis on our applications software Package which utilizes the array processor. Implementations of several key image processing algorithms are discussed and compared with other conventional processors, indicating that array processors are extremely cost-effective for image processing applications.
Morning commute problem considering route choice, user heterogeneity and alternative system optima

Abstract This paper extends the bottleneck model to study congestion behavior of morning commute and its implications to transportation economics. The proposed model considers simultaneous route and departure time choices of heterogenous users who are distinguished by their valuation of travel time and punctual arrival. Moreover, two dynamic system optima are considered: one minimizes system cost in the unit of monetary value (i.e., the conventional system optimum, or SO) and the other minimizes system cost in the unit of travel time (i.e., the time-based SO, or TSO). Analytical solutions of no-toll equilibrium, SO and TSO are provided and the welfare effects of the corresponding dynamic congestion pricing options are examined, with and without route choice. The analyses suggest that TSO provides a Pareto-improving solution to the social inequity issue associated with SO. Although a TSO toll is generally discriminatory, anonymous TSO tolls do exist under certain circumstances. Unlike in the case with homogenous users, an SO toll generally alters users’ route choices by tolling the poorer users off the more desirable road, which worsens social inequity. Numerical examples are presented to verify analytical results.
Antigens of the human glomerular basement membrane.

The intent of the previous discussion has been to acquaint the reader with the recent expanding knowledge in matrix biochemistry and immunopathology as it pertains to the human GBM. However, it must be emphasized that the GBM antigens, which have yet to be characterized, may outnumber those that are currently defined. SDS-PAGE analysis of GBM isolated by detergent solubilization or sonication reveals at least fifteen different polypeptide components [39]. Of a panel of nine monoclonal antibodies developed following immunization of mice with human GBM, eight stain mature and/or fetal GBM by immunofluorescence microscopy, but only two react by ELISA with currently defined components of basement membrane [98]. Furthermore, current understanding of the mechanisms by which matrix macromolecules participate in such human pathological states as diabetic nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, sclerosis, and immune complex glomerulonephritis is still quite limited. It is obvious that much is yet to be learned and considerably more is to be gained from continued research in this area.
Unraveling inner ear induction by gene manipulation using Pax2-Cre BAC transgenic mice

One of the biggest drawbacks of conventional mouse knockout techniques in the study of the inner ear is that loss of a gene of interest may cause embryonic lethality before the inner ear develops. Thus, there is a need for an inner ear-specific gene manipulation system for loss- and gain-of-function analysis in the mouse inner ear. We generated a Pax2-Cre BAC transgenic line in which Cre recombinase expression recapitulates Pax2 expression in the presumptive otic ectoderm. Here, we present a brief summary of a recent model of inner ear induction suggested by the results of inner ear-specific gene modification using Pax2-Cre mice.
On the Impact of Resilience, Inertia, and Information Foraging in Global Participatory Innovation Communities

The adaptive cycle of knowledge creation and co-evolution of knowledge networks are simulated to examine what behavioral mechanisms and rules of interaction confer community structures conducive to innovation. Specifically, we use small-world network and clustering coefficient as a proxy metric to study the impact of domain tolerance, receptivity, inertia, and mobility on stability and innovation potential. Preliminary results suggest that medium and high receptivity communities are able to balance integrated differentiation over their lifetime, while growing inertia lead to tension and spillovers. Also, medium and high levels of reward sensitivity consistently generate cohesive collaboration networks.
Image Guidance-Based Target Volume Margin Expansion in IMRT of Head and Neck Cancer.

This study quantifies the setup uncertainties to optimize the planning target volume (PTV) margin based on daily image guidance, its dosimetric impact, and radiobiological implication for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in head and neck cancer. Ten patients were retrospectively chosen who had been treated with IMRT and with daily image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). The daily setup errors of the 10 patients from on-board imaging for the entire treatment were analyzed. Planning target volumes were generated by expanding the clinical target volumes (CTVs) with 0 to 10 mm margins. The IMRT plans with the same dose–volume constraints were created in an Eclipse treatment planning system. The effect of volume expansion was analyzed with biological indices such as tumor control probability, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and equivalent uniform dose. Analysis of 906 daily setup corrections using daily IGRT showed that 98% of the daily setups are within ±5 mm. The relative increase i...
Some properties of the verbal transformation (VT) effect

Using a group method of testing, the verbal transformations (VTs) of the repeated word “distress” were studied in 85 Ss who had also taken the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS). Number of VTs occurred according to a negatively accelerated growth function during 4 min of listening. Disclosing the repetitive nature of the tape reduced the number of VTs produced when compared to a nondisclosure group. The results did not support a satiation analysis of the VT effect.
Financial revolutions and economic growth: Introducing this EEH symposium

Abstract This special issue of Explorations in Economic History includes four articles that delve into the 19th century financial development of Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and Japan, and relate these developments to economic growth. In this guest editor’s introduction, we survey current thinking about “financial revolutions” and their role in rapidly assembling the factors that can set modern growth into motion, and link this paradigm to both the more traditional and recent literatures on banks, stock markets, and growth. We conclude with summaries and some commentary on the articles that follow.
Subsoiling and Potassium Placement Effects on Water Relations and Yield of Cotton

Deep placement of K fertilizer may alleviate late-season K deficiency of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) on soils adequate in surface soil K but low in subsoil K. This 2-yr study in Alabama evaluated effects of deep tillage (in-row subsoiling) and K fertilizer placement on yield, leaf K deficiency, soil water depletion, and stomatal conductance of cotton grown on a soil with a root-restricting hardpan. The Norfolk sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudults) soil tested medium for K in the top 15 cm and low at greater depths. Treatments were : (i) no K, no subsoiling ; (ii) no K, subsoiled ; (iii) surface application (84 kg K ha -1 ), no subsoiling ; (iv) surface application, subsoiled ; and (v) deep placement in the subsoiled channel. Surface application without subsoiling resulted in the greatest soil water content (0- to 80-cm depth) ; deep placement, the lowest. Stomatal conductance was highest with no-K, no subsoiling and lowest with K (surface or deep), subsoiled. There was no evidence of K or drought stress-induced stomatal closure, and stomatal closure was not related to severity of leaf K deficiency. All three K treatments increased leaf K concentration at early bloom. Subsoiling without K fertilizer increased plant size and severity of leaf K deficiency ; with surface K, subsoiling more than doubled total leaf area but did not affect leaf K deficiency. Within subsoiled treatments, leaf K deficiency was more severe with deep placement of K than with surface application. Subsoiling, especially with K fertilizer, maximized seed cotton yield in both years (avg. 3261 kg ha -1 ) but reduced stomatal conductance. Stomatal closure and premature leaf senescence are not the likely mechanism for late-season leaf K-deficiency in cotton. Although subsoiling was necessary to maximize cotton yields on this Coastal Plain soil with a root-restricting hardpan, deep placement of K fertilizer was not superior to surface application.
SU‐GG‐I‐82: Contrast Detail Curves in Head CT Examinations

Purpose: To generate CT based contrast detail curve using a representative head CTimage from each of five clinical head CT examinations. We measured detection of 4 to 12.6 mm sized lesions using a 2 Alternate Forced Choice (2‐AFC) experimental. In each experiment the observer identifies the lesion location in one of two regions of interest; after 128 such observations, it is possible to determine the contrast (I) corresponding to a 92% accuracy (I92%) of lesion detection. For each lesion size, we performed four repeat detection experiments, and the order of the 100 AFC experiments (i.e., 5 patients × 5 lesion sizes × 4 repeats) was randomized to eliminate experimental bias (i.e., learning curve and/or observer fatigue). Average values of I92% were obtained for one observer at each lesion size. Contrast detail curves were generated with log(I92%) plotted versus log(lesion size). There were major differences in contrast detail curves for the five patients depending on the presence of anatomical structure in the image. The coefficient of variation in lesion detection, averaged over the five images and five lesion sizes, was found to be 33%. The slope of the contrast detail curve averaged over five patients was −0.14; this slope is a factor of seven lower than the value of −1.0 predicted by the Rose model of lesion detection. Results from our pilot study of low contrast lesion detection in clinical head CT suggest that that anatomical structure is of greater importance than quantum mottle.
The Pupation Rhythm in Aedes taeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae). V. Physiology of Growth and Endogenous Diurnal Rhythm of Pupation

A study of mitosis in the brain cells, size of nuclei of the median neurosecretory cells of the brain, dry weight, and accumulation of glycogen and trehalose during the 4th larval stage of the black salt-marsh mosquito, A. taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann), under the conditions where pupal ecdysis is manifested as a diurnal rhythm with more than 3 peaks, showed diurnal rhythmic patterns in mitosis in brain cells, size of nuclei in the median neurosecretory cells, and amounts of available trehalose in the body. Dry weight and glycogen did not show any diurnal rhythmicity even with different quantities of food provided to 4th-stage larvae. Higher quantities of food than basic ration synchronized larval development as well as pupal ecdysis, thus only 1 major peak of mitosis in brain cells was exhibited, and trehalose diurnal rhythmicity was suppressed. A light regime did not show phase-shift of the diurnal rhythm of trehalose. Maximum amounts of trehalose with indications of diurnal rhythmicity were expressed under 12 hours light: 12 hours dark as compared with con tinuous light or continuous dark, at 32°C. It is suggested that diurnal rhythmic patterns investigated here in the larvae endure to the pupal stage with the occurrence of pupal ecdysis as a diurnal rhythm.
Gaining Insight Through “Journaling”

Keeping a journal can help students gain a clearer sense of self and increase teacher insight into student behavior.
Return of results from genomic sequencing: A policy discussion of secondary findings for cancer predisposition

Abstract Advances in DNA sequencing technology now allow for the rapid genome-wide identification of inherited and acquired genetic variants including those that have been identified as pathogenic alleles for a number of diseases including cancer. Whole genome and exome sequencing are increasingly becoming a part of both clinical practice and research studies. In 2013 the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommended that results of pathogenic genetic variants in 56 genes, nearly half of which comprise cancer genes (including BRCA1 , BRCA2 , TP53 , MLH1 , MLH2 , MSH6 , PMS2 , and APC ), be returned to patients who have their genome sequenced independent of the purpose for the test. This recommendation has been highly controversial for several reasons, particularly the recommendation that individuals be returned secondary findings of disease causing variants for adult onset conditions regardless of age and without consideration of patient preferences. In addition, the policy regarding returning results of secondary findings from genomic sequencing studies in research settings is currently unclear. In response to these emerging ethical issues, the Washington University Brown School of Social Work in St. Louis, MO, United States hosted a policy forum entitled " First do no harm: Genetic privacy in the age of genomic sequencing " on February 25th, 2014. The forum included a panel of experts to discuss their views on ethical issues related to return of results in both the clinical and research settings. In this report, we highlight key issues related to return of results from genome sequencing tests that emerged during the forum.
Decongestive lymphatic therapy for patients with cancer-related or primary lymphedema

Abstract PURPOSE: A prospective evaluation was undertaken to assess the efficacy of intensive, short-term decongestive lymphatic therapy coupled with focused patient instruction in long-term self-care for the management of lymphedema. METHODS: The therapeutic responses of 79 patients with lymphedema were analyzed prospectively. Each patient received intensive, short-term decongestive lymphatic therapy, with quantification of the extent and durability of the clinical response. Decongestive lymphatic therapy was performed by therapists trained in these techniques. The mean (±SD) duration of therapy was 8 ± 3 days. Instruction in self-management techniques was incorporated into the therapeutic regimen by day 3 of the patient's treatment. The mean period of follow-up was 38 ± 52 days. Changes in the volume of the affected limb were assessed with a geometric approximation derived from serial measurements of circumference along the axis of the limb. RESULTS: The mean short-term reduction in limb volume was 44% ± 62% of the excess volume in the upper extremities and 42% ± 40% in the lower extremities. At follow-up, these results were adequately sustained: mean long-term excess volume reductions of 38% ± 56% (upper extremities) and 41% ± 27% (lower extremities) were observed. CONCLUSION: Decongestive lymphatic therapy, combined with long-term self-management, is efficacious in treating patients with lymphedema of the extremity.
Differential retroactive inhibition effects with pictures and words

Picture and word lists were manipulated in a retroactive inhibition design to investigate possible differential interference effects in free recall. Retroactive inhibition was demonstrated for both picture and word material, and the results also suggest that pictures produce less interference than words. Interlist similarity effects were also found where recall was better when one list consisted of pictures and the other list of words as compared to when both lists were pictures or words.
Duplicate gene expression in allopolyploid Gossypium reveals two temporally distinct phases of expression evolution

Polyploidy has played a prominent role in shaping the genomic architecture of the angiosperms. Through allopolyploidization, several modern Gossypium (cotton) species contain two divergent, although largely redundant genomes. Owing to this redundancy, these genomes can play host to an array of evolutionary processes that act on duplicate genes. We compared homoeolog (genes duplicated by polyploidy) contributions to the transcriptome of a natural allopolyploid and a synthetic interspecific F1 hybrid, both derived from a merger between diploid species from the Gossypium A-genome and D-genome groups. Relative levels of A- and D-genome contributions to the petal transcriptome were determined for 1,383 gene pairs. This comparison permitted partitioning of homoeolog expression biases into those arising from genomic merger and those resulting from polyploidy. Within allopolyploid Gossypium, approximately 24% of the genes with biased (unequal contributions from the two homoeologous copies) expression patterns are inferred to have arisen as a consequence of genomic merger, indicating that a substantial fraction of homoeolog expression biases occur instantaneously with hybridization. The remaining 76% of biased homoeologs reflect long-term evolutionary forces, such as duplicate gene neofunctionalization and subfunctionalization. Finally, we observed a greater number of genes biased toward the paternal D-genome and that expression biases have tended to increases during allopolyploid evolution. Our results indicate that allopolyploidization entails significant homoeolog expression modulation, both immediately as a consequence of genomic merger, and secondarily as a result of long-term evolutionary transformations in duplicate gene expression.
How three rocky shore snails coexist on a limited food resource

Competition theory poses a major problem when several species coexist on what appears to be one resource. ThreeThais species living on the Pacific Northwest Coast provide an example: at many sites, all three depend primarily on one barnacle species. Growth rates of three species were measured for 3 years and these provide an indirect means to assess how these snails use their common food resource. Major temporal differences were observed:T. lamellosa grew 0–1 mm/mo during the spring and 2–3 mm/mo during the summer, whileT. emarginata andT. canaliculata grew 2–3 mm/mo during the spring and 0–1 mm/mo during the summer. However, all species are opportunists when food is available, and seasonal and interspecific differences disappeared when all three species were kept well fed together in the laboratory. Therefore, temporal differences arise from spatial segregation rather than from intrinsic differences in activity, and must arise because barnacle abundance patterns differe consistently from one area of the shore to another. Species-specific activity patterns lead each species to a food intake that is independent of the food supply on the shore as a whole and is also independent of food intake by the other two species. Where two snail species depend upon a single food species, their use of the food supply appears to make it function as two different resources. This resource use is possible because prey quality is markedly dependent on shore level.
An iterative method for ill-posed problems with inequalities

Ill-posed problems for integral and operator equations with nonnegativity and band inequality constraints arise in a wide range of applications. The effect and propagation of data perturbations in mathematical programming problems are highly dramatized in the area of ill-posed problems. In this note an iterative method for solving an ill-posed integral inequality and its moment discretization is described.
Twice removed: Mizrahi settlers in Gush Katif

What does ethnicity (or race) have to do with the struggle over land in post-1967 Israeli occupied territories? On the Israeli scene, post-1967 settlers tend to be depicted as religiously motivated Jews of Ashkenazi descent and often Anglophone origin, while Jews from the Middle East and North Africa (Mizrahim) tend to be associated with development towns and other locations known for high unemployment and generally depressed socio-economic situations. Prior to the Israeli disengagement of 2005 there was a great deal of public attention focused on the controversy surrounding settlement in the occupied territories. The conflict often appeared in stark oppositions of ‘left-wing secular liberals’ against ‘right-wing religious radicals.’ The most outspoken messianic settlers and those often depicted in mainstream media tended to be of Ashkenazi origin, a representation that denies the presence of Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent (Mizrahim) in the settlements then slated for evacuation. This ar...
Mathematical Modeling of Lake Tap Flows

A lake tap is the submerged piercing of a tunnel at the intake to connect the reservoir to the tunnel system. It is referred to as a dry lake tap if the tunnel is dry before the blasting of the last rock plug at the tunnel entrance. Transient state conditions in the tunnel following a dry lake tap are modeled using the lumped and distributed-system approaches. Fourth-order Runge-Kutta method and the method of characteristics are used in the lumped-system model and distributed-system models, respectively. The results computed by the lumped and distributed-system approaches agree with one another. Pressures computed by using distributed-system and lumped-system models are compared with the experimental results available in literature for rapid filling of a pipeline with closed end. The rate of dissipation of pressure oscillations in the measured air pressure during prototype lake tap at Crater Lake Snettisham project in Alaska, and in the experiments reported in the literature is higher than that computed by the mathematical models using steady state friction and constant wave velocity.
Random breaking waves: A closed-form solution for planar beaches

Abstract Based on the assumption that in the surf zone, random waves behave as a collection of individual regular waves, a closed-form transformation of random variable is performed to yield the probability density function for wave height across a beach of uniform slope. Starting from a Rayleigh distribution well seaward of the surf zone, the transformation is accomplished by using linear wave theory for shoaling and an analytical solution of a model for decay of regular waves due to breaking. Comparisons of the solution to histograms from the DUCK'85 field experiment demonstrate the model's ability to reproduce salient changes in shape of the histogram as the surf zone is traversed. Both data and model indicate that relative position in the surf zone, denoted by the local proportion of waves that are breaking, and bottom slope are the parameters which have the greatest effect on the shape of the probability density function. General expressions for characteristic wave heights (e.g. root-mean-square wave height) are also derived, and their transformation across the surf zone is found to depend distinctly on beach slope and mean wave steepness behavior that has been previously reported as trends in laboratory and field data. Although some facets not included in the model can be important, such as nonlinear shoaling or a distribution in wave period, the closed-form solution made possible by this simpler formulation inherently contains much of the behavior observed in field data, and thereby serves to edify the problem of random breaking waves in the surf zone.
Evaluation of neonicotinoids as pyrethroid alternatives for rice water weevil management in water-seeded rice

The rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Kuschel) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive insect pest of rice in the United States. Water-seeded rice, which is flooded at an earlier stage of crop development than drill-seeded rice, is at heightened risk of loss from root-feeding RWW larvae. Pyrethroids, the most widely used group of foliar insecticides for RWW control, have inherent limitations such as limited residual activity, narrow window of activity and extreme toxicity to non-target aquatic organisms. An array of field, lab and greenhouse experiments was conducted to compare the activity of two neonicotinoids with that of λ-cyhalothrin, a widely used pyrethroid, against the RWW. Small-plot efficacy trials were conducted during 2009, 2010 and 2011. Foliar clothianidin (Belay 2.13 SC) and a granular formulation (3%) of dinotefuran applied to plots were as effective as, and showed greater residual activity than, foliar applications of λ-cyhalothrin. Topical bioassays on adult weevils revealed that clothianidin possessed lower contact toxicity than λ-cyhalothrin. Residual assays using weevils placed on foliage of sprayed plots revealed that the toxic and sublethal behavioral effects of clothianidian on adult weevils were more persistent for clothianidin than for λ-cyhalothrin. Granular dinotefuran applied to greenhouse-grown plants previously infested with weevil larvae showed excellent larvicidal activity. Overall, these studies showed that neonicotinoids have potential as pyrethroid replacements against the RWW in water-seeded rice culture.
Identification of a Novel Inhibitor (NSC 665564) of Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase with a Potency Equivalent to Brequinar

A novel inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHO-DH) has been discovered using data from the National Cancer Institute's in vitro drug screen. Upon analysis of cytotoxicity results from the sixty tumor cell lines used in this screen, the COMPARE program predicted that NSC 665564 was likely to have the same mechanism of inhibition as brequinar, a known potent inhibitor of DHO-DH. We validated this prediction experimentally using MOLT-4 lymphoblast and found the IC50 of brequinar (0.5 microM) and NSC 665564 (0.3 microM) were comparable and that this induced cytotoxicity was reversed by either uridine or cytidine. The enzyme target of NSC 665564 was shown to be identical to that of brequinar when incubation with each drug followed by a 1 h pulse with [14C] sodium bicarbonate resulted in cellular accumulation of [14C]N-carbamyl-L-aspartic acid and [14C]L-dihydroorotic acid, with concurrent marked depletion of CTP and UTP. The Ki's for NSC 665564 and brequinar were 0.14 and 0.24 microM, respectively, when partially purified MOLT-4 mitochondria (the site of DHO-DH) were used. These results show that mechanistic predictions obtained using correlations from the COMPARE algorithm are independent of structure since the structure of NSC 665564 is dissimilar to that of other established DHO-DH inhibitors.
Homoleptic Trimethylsilylacetylide Complexes of Chromium(III), Iron(II), and Cobalt(III): Syntheses, Structures, and Ligand Field Parameters

A straightforward method for synthesizing soluble homoleptic trimethylsilylacetylide complexes of first-row transition metal ions is presented. Reaction of anhydrous CrCl2 with an excess of LiCCSiMe3 in THF at −25 °C affords orange Li3[Cr(CCSiMe3)6]·6THF (1), while analogous reactions employing M(CF3SO3)2 (M = Fe or Co) generate pale yellow Li4[Fe(CCSiMe3)6]·4LiCCSiMe3·4Et2O (2) and colorless Li3[Co(CCSiMe3)6]·6THF (3). Slightly modified reaction conditions lead to Li8[Cr2O4(CCSiMe3)6]·6LiCCSiMe3·4glyme (4), featuring a bis-μ-oxo-bridged binuclear complex, and Li3[Co(CCSiMe3)5(CCH)]·LiCF3SO3·8THF (5). The crystal structures of 1−3 show the trimethylsilylacetylide complexes to display an octahedral coordination geometry, with M−C distances of 2.077(3), 1.917(7)−1.935(7), and 1.908(3) A for M = CrIII, FeII, and CoIII, respectively, and nearly linear M−C⋮C angles. The UV−visible absorption spectrum of [Cr(CCSiMe3)6]3- in hexanes exhibits one spin-allowed d−d transition (4T2g ← 4A1g) and three lower-energy sp...
In vitro evaluation of fluoride varnish on overdenture abutments.

Abstract Statement of problem. No clinical study has evaluated the efficacy of fluoride varnish as a topical fluoride agent for the protection of overdenture abutments from dental caries. Purpose. This study assessed the efficacy of a fluoride varnish in protecting overdenture abutments from demineralization in an in vitro environment. Material and methods. Eighty caries-free, extracted teeth were sectioned and domed immediately below the cementoenamel junction, simulating overdenture abutment preparations. Acid resistant nail varnish was painted on all surfaces except for a window (1 × 4 mm) on the prepared occlusal dentin surfaces. Teeth were randomly divided into 4 groups of 20 specimens: control, washed with deionized/distilled water; Daily Gel, treated with Karigel-N (5,000 ppm) for 4 minutes daily; Weekly Gel, treated with Karigel-N for 4 minutes weekly; and Weekly Varnish, treated with Duraflor (22,600 ppm) weekly. The varnish was removed using a blade 24 hours after each application to simulate the clinical loss of the varnish. Teeth were then placed in a cycle of demineralization (2.2 mMol/L CaCl 2 2H 2 O, 2.2 mMol/L KH 2 PO 4 , and 50 mMol/L acetic acid at pH 4.3) for 6 hours and remineralization (1.5 mMol/L CaCl 2 2H 2 O, 0.9 mMol/L KH 2 PO 4 , and 150 mMol/L KCl at pH 7.0 for 17 hours) for 21 days. Half the teeth in each group were brushed with no dentifrice for 10 seconds, twice daily. Teeth were sectioned at 100 ± 10 μm buccolingually and evaluated under polarized light microscopy and contact microradiography. The depth of each lesion and the width of the remineralization bands were measured (mm). Analysis of variance models and T-tests were used to assess the effects of different treatments (α=.05). Duncan multiple range tests were then chosen as post hoc tests to evaluate the statistical significance of all pairwise comparisons. Results. The control group had the deepest lesions (mean depth 400 ± 39 μm). The lesions from the varnish and daily gel groups were significantly shallower than the lesions in both the control group and the weekly gel group. The remineralization bands in the varnish group were 52% wider than the control group bands. However, the daily gel group had the largest increase in band width (117% increase) compared with the control group. There were significant differences between all groups for net depth (lesion depth minus the remineralization band) ( P Conclusion. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, treatment of overdenture abutment with various topical fluorides significantly inhibited demineralization and enhanced remineralization of cut occlusal dentin surfaces. Daily use of Karigel-N was the most effective treatment, followed by the weekly application of Duraflor varnish. (J Prosthet Dent 2003;89:28-36.)
Interleukin-8 levels and activity in delayed-healing human thermal wounds

There are numerous causes for slow or delayed wound healing. Because slowly healing wounds are often inflamed, we quantitated the inflammatory chemokine, interleukin-8, produced by slowly healing human burn wounds and compared this to interleukin-8 from healed wounds and normal intact skin. Interleukin-8 levels were increased significantly in unhealed wounds (19.7 ng/ml) compared to healed wounds (7.7 ng/ml) or normal skin (5.7 ng/ml). Interleukin-8 in these ranges was added to adult human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Interleukin-8 significantly decreased keratinocyte replication but had no effect on fibroblast replication. The rate or final degree of fibroblast populated collagen lattice contraction was inhibited at interleukin-8 concentrations between 10 and 30 ng/ml, but not altered at concentrations below 10 ng/ml and above 100 ng/ml. The concurrent application of indomethacin at 10 microg/ml reversed this interleukin-8 induced inhibition. Interleukin-8 inhibited myosin ATPase activity, apparently by reducing the phosphorylation of nonmuscle myosin light chain. We conclude that elevated levels of interleukin-8 may be found during delayed healing, and these elevated interleukin-8 levels may directly contribute to retarded wound closure.
Reduced Physics Modeling of CO2 Injectivity

Abstract Understanding pressure and plume propagation in the reservoir is an essential component of feasibility and risk assessment of geologic carbon sequestration operations. Detailed numerical simulations of supercritical CO 2 injection in deep saline aquifers generally involve extensive reservoir characterization and high computational effort. Validated simplified models that are based on the most critical physical processes, on the other hand, can be efficient alternatives for rapid screening of CO 2 sequestration projects. Sensitivity analysis using a set of well-designed full-physics compositional simulations provides useful insight regarding parameter influences on pressure propagation in our domain of interest. We developed a robust 2D simplified physics model to characterize CO 2 injectivity in semi-confined layered saline aquifer systems as a function of dimensionless variables characterizing rock and fluid properties based on sensitivity analysis results. Our simplified model for injectivity can thus be used to determine the CO 2 injection rate for a given target pressure differential or alternatively, the pressure differential resulting from injecting CO 2 at a target rate.
A numerical method for the computation of induced currents inside 3-D heterogeneous biological bodies by ELF-LF electric fields

The authors present a numerical technique based on the combination of surface-charge integral equations (SCIE) and an impedance network method for computation of electric fields and currents inside 3-D heterogeneous biological bodies with arbitrary grounding impedances induced by ELF-LF electric fields. The method has been applied to a biological concentric sphere, and the numerical results agree well with an existing analytical solution. Numerical results of the induced current inside a simplified heterogeneous model of the human head, computed by this method, are also presented. >
Sensitivity of Tropical Cyclone Simulations to Parametric Uncertainties in Air–Sea Fluxes and Implications for Parameter Estimation

AbstractTropical cyclones (TCs) are strongly influenced by fluxes of momentum and moist enthalpy across the air–sea interface. These fluxes cannot be resolved explicitly by current-generation numerical weather prediction models, and therefore must be accounted for via empirical parameterizations of surface exchange coefficients (CD for momentum and Ck for moist enthalpy). The resultant model uncertainty is examined through hundreds of convection-permitting Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations of Hurricane Katrina (2005) by varying four key parameters found in commonly used parameterizations of the exchange coefficient formulas. Two of these parameters effectively act as multiplicative factors for the exchange coefficients over all wind speeds (one each for CD and Ck); the other two parameters control the behavior of CD at very high wind speeds (i.e., above 33 m s−1). It is found that both the intensity and the structure of TCs are highly dependent upon the two multiplicative parameters...
Out of Asia: Understanding the nexus between technology usage and research productivity in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan

Abstract Journal and conference publications are well-known measures of scientific and academic research productivity. Prior research on scientific productivity that studies dimensions such as research culture, technological support, and researcher collaboration focuses on Western world contexts. Asian countries, such as Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have received attention recently for the quality of their educational institutions, which have increasingly emphasized research productivity. With a large number of established and funded public universities, these countries show a strong potential for future scientific research. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence the research productivity of scholars in these countries. In this paper the focus is specifically on the research productivity of students and faculty members in three countries: Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. We investigate an important factor that influences research productivity: technology usage, which we conceptualize as the summation of mobile phone and computer usage. In addition, we analyze the relationship between technology usage and international collaboration.
Importance of the environment in conditioned behavior.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an entire experimental situation, and not an individual single stimulus, could be employed to generate a conditioned response. Experiments were conducted on four adult cats. Each cat was conditioned in two different experimental environments (Situation I and Situation II), which consisted of two compartments that differed with respect to color, shape and illumination. Experiments were carried out separately on each cat; experimental sessions, which lasted 30 min, were conducted two or three times a week. Two cats (Nos. 1 and 2) were first trained during 15 sessions in Situation I, and then during 15 subsequent sessions in Situation II. During each session in Situation I, electrical stimulation, which was applied to the basal forebrain area (BFA), evoked a slow-wave EEG pattern; in addition, the animals would close their eyes and lie down (i.e., they exhibited typical presleep behavior). After three to five sessions, this behavior began to appear as soon as the cats were introduced into the experimental compartment, even before stimulation was applied. In a further series of sessions, the cats were placed for 15 sessions in Situation II, wherein stimulation was applied to the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Stimulation of the LH evoked a desynchronized EEG pattern that was accompanied by excitatory behavior. In the other two cats (Nos. 3 and 4), the animals were first trained for 15 sessions in Situation II; subsequently, they were trained for 15 sessions in Situation I. Finally, a test of cross-stimulation was performed. Stimulation of the BFA (which was previously used in Situation I) was applied, one time only, to cats 1 and 2 in Situation II; stimulation of the LH (which was previously used in Situation II) was applied, once only, to cats 3 and 4 in Situation I. In both cases, the animals did not exhibit any of the previously observed behavioral reactions or EEG patterns of activity. The preceding results confirm our hypothesis that, in each situation, a conditioned reaction was established in response to the totality of the experimental environment.
Evolution of Ac and Dsl elements in select grasses (Poaceae)

We present data on evolution of the Ac/Ds family of transposable elements in select grasses (Poaceae). An Ac-like element was cloned from a DNA library of the grass Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet) and 2387 bp of it have been sequenced. When the pearl millet Ac-like sequence is aligned with the corresponding region of the maize Ac sequence, it is found that all sequences corresponding to intron II in maize Ac are absent in pearl millet Ac. Kimura's evolutionary distance between maize and pearl millet Ac sequences is estimated to be 0.429 ± 0.020 nucleotide substitutions per site. This value is not significantly different from the average number of synonymous substitutions for coding regions of the Adh1 gene between maize and pearl millet, which is 0.395 ± 0.051 nucleotide substitutions per site. If we can assume Ac and Adh1 divergence times are equivalent between maize and pearl millet, then the above calculations suggest Ac-like sequences have probably not been strongly constrained by natural selection. The level of DNA sequence divergence between maize and pearl millet Ac sequences, the estimated date when maize and pearl millet diverged (25-40 million years ago), coupled with their reproductive isolation/lack of current genetic exchange, all support the theory that Ac-like sequences have not been recently introduced into pearl millet from maize. Instead, Ac-like sequences were probably present in the progenitor of maize and pearl millet, and have thus existed in the grasses for at least 25 million years. Ac-like sequences may be widely distributed among the grasses. We also present the first 2 Ds1 controlling element sequences from teosinte species: Zea luxurians and Zea perennis. A total of 10 Ds1 elements had previously been sequenced from maize and a distant maize relative, Tripsacum. When a maximum likelihood network of genetic relationships is constructed for all 12 sequenced Ds1 elements, the 2 teosinte Ds1 elements are as distant from most maize Ds1 elements and from each other, as the maize Ds1 elements are from one another. Our new teosinte sequence data support the previous conclusion that Ds1 elements have been accumulating mutations independently since maize and Tripsacum diverged. We present a scenario for the origin of Ds1 elements.
An EPID based method for performing high accuracy calibration between an optical external marker tracking device and the LINAC reference frame.

Purpose: With the increasing use of external 3D optical tracking cameras to guide modern radiation therapy procedures, it has become vitally important to have an accurate camera to linear accelerator(LINAC) reference frame calibration. To eliminate errors present in current calibration procedures based on the manual hand alignment of a device using the light field crosshairs and in room guidance lasers, a semiautomated quantitative calibration approach requiring only use of an electronic portal imaging device(EPID) was developed. Methods: A phantom comprised of seven highly IR reflective plastic BBs was placed on the LINAC treatment couch and imaged with both a 3D stereoscopic IR imager and the on board megavoltage (MV) EPIDimager. Having knowledge of the optically determined 3D positions and projected EPIDimages of the BBs, simulated annealing was used to optimize the location of the BBs in the LINAC frame using four different optimization functions. Singular value decomposition was then used to calculate the transformation matrix between the camera and LINAC reference frames. Results were then compared to a traditional cameracalibration method for overall accuracy. Results: Using modeled data, the simulated annealing process was able to determine the actual locations of the BBs with a RMSE of 0.23 mm. Using projection images acquired with an MV imager, the process was able to determine locations of BBs within .26 mm. The results depend on the choice of optimization function. Conclusions: Results show that the method can be used to provide highly accurate spatial registration between an external 3D imaging reference frame and the LINAC frame. The experimental MV imager results, while not as precise as the simulated results, exceed 1 mm accuracy and the current accepted AAPM TG-142 standard of ≤2 mm positioning accuracy.
Elsevier's ScienceDirect as an E-book Platform for Medical Libraries

With more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 19,000 books, Elsevier's ScienceDirect is a full-text, scientific database covering the fields of science, technology, and medicine. While ScienceDirect is a fully integrated database featuring journal and book content, this review focuses on ScienceDirect as an e-book platform and explores the access, interface, browsing and searching capabilities, and functionality for health sciences e-books. It finds that the ScienceDirect database is a robust resource for researchers and medical librarians, offering a wide range of tools and options for viewing and working with e-book content.
Mechanisms for the facilitated diffusion of substrates across cell membranes

Two classes of theoretical mechanisms for protein-mediated, passive, transmembrane substrate transport (facilitated diffusion) are compared. The simple carrier describes a carrier protein that exposes substrate influx and efflux sites alternately but never both sites simultaneously. Two-site models for substrate transport describe carrier proteins containing influx and efflux sites simultaneously. Velocity equations describing transport by these mechanisms are derived. These equations take the same general form, being characterized by five experimental constants. Simple carrier-mediated transport is restricted to hyperbolic kinetics under all conditions. Two-site carrier-mediated transport may deviate from hyperbolic kinetics only under equilibrium exchange conditions. When both simple- and two-site carriers display hyperbolic kinetics under equilibrium exchange conditions, these models are indistinguishable by using steady-state transport data alone. Seven sugar transport systems are analyzed. Five of these systems are consistent with both models for sugar transport. Uridine, leucine, and cAMP transport by human red cells are consistent with both simple- and two-site models for transport. Human erythrocyte sugar transport can be modeled by simple- and two-site carrier mechanisms, allowing for compartmentalization of intracellular sugars. In this instance, resolution of the intrinsic properties of the human red cell sugar carrier at 20 degrees C requires the use of submillisecond transport measurements.
The Missing Link: Explaining the Political Mobilisation of Islam in Indonesia

Abstract Why has an increase in personal piety among Indonesia's Muslims not translated into electoral gains for Islamic political parties? To help explain this conundrum, this article focuses on the role of Indonesia's mass Islamic social organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah. Using a political economy lens, it argues that control over state resources and the provision of social welfare facilities have helped political parties maintain power over the years and that NU and Muhammadiyah have at times played important mediating roles in this process. Extending this analysis into Indonesia's contemporary politics, it then proposes that since 2004 in particular, the health and education facilities provided by NU and Muhammadiyah are becoming less important to ordinary people in relation to the services provided by the state. It concludes that this trend has weakened the ability of these organisations to channel public support to political parties/candidates and is one reason why Islamic parties...
Development and characterization of a differentiated thyroid cancer cell line resistant to VEGFR-targeted kinase inhibitors.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted kinase inhibitors have emerged as highly promising therapies for radioiodine-refractory metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer. Unfortunately, drug resistance uniformly develops, limiting their therapeutic efficacies and thereby constituting a major clinical problem. Approach and Methods: To study acquired drug resistance and elucidate underlying mechanisms in this setting, BHP2–7 human differentiated thyroid cancer cells were subjected to prolonged continuous in vitro selection with 18 μM pazopanib, a clinically relevant concentration; acquisition of pazopanib resistance was serially assessed, with the resulting resistant cells thereafter subcloned and characterized to assess potential mechanisms of acquired pazopanib resistance. Results: Stable 2- to 4-fold in vitro pazopanib resistance emerged in response to pazopanib selection associated with similar in vitro growth characteristics but with markedly more aggressive in vivo xenograft growth. Sel...
Using domain knowledge to guide database knowledge discovery

Abstract Modern database technologies process large volumes of data to discover new knowledge. Some large databases make discovery computationally expensive. Additional knowledge, known as domain or background knowledge, hidden in the database can often guide and restrict the search for interesting knowledge. This paper discusses mechanisms by which domain knowledge can be used effectively in discovering knowledge from databases. In particular, we look at the use of domain knowledge to reduce the search as well as to optimize the hypotheses which represent the interesting knowledge to be discovered. Also, we discuss how to use domain knowledge to test the validity of the discovered knowledge. Although domain knowledge can be used to improve database searches, it should not block the discovery of unexpected knowledge. We provide some guidelines to use domain knowledge properly.