cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerating total variation regularization for matrix-valued images on GPUs

The advent of new matrix-valued magnetic resonance imaging modalities such as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) requires extensive computational acceleration. Computational acceleration on graphics processing units (GPUs) can make the regularization (denoising) of DTI images attractive in clinical settings, hence improving the quality of DTI images in a broad range of applications. Construction of DTI images consists of direction-specific Magnetic Resonance (MR) measurements. Compared with conventional MR, direction-sensitive acquisition has a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Therefore, high noise levels often limit DTI imaging. Advanced post-processing of imaging data can improve the quality of estimated tensors. However, the post-processing problem is only made more computationally difficult when considering matrix-valued imaging data.This paper describes the acceleration of a Total Variation regularization method for matrix-valued images, in particular, for DTI images on NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600. The TV regularization of a 3-D image with 1283 voxels ultimately achieves 266X speedup and requires 1 minute and 30 seconds on the Quadro, while this algorithm on a dual-core CPU completes in more than 3 hours. In this application study we are aimed at analyzing the effective of excessive synchronization, which provides an insight into generally adapting Variational methods to the GPU architecture for other image processing algorithms designed for matrix-valued images.
Liriomyza (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and Parasitoid Species on Pepper in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Abstract. Liriomyza (Diptera: Agromyzidae) leafminers are polyphagous and important pests of vegetables, field crops, and ornamental plants around the world. Liriomyza cause economic damage to vegetable crops in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The current species composition of the leafminers and associated parasitoid species is unknown. Infested foliage and pupae collected from sand-filled trays beneath pepper, Capsicum annum L., plants were sampled in fields in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in fall 2007 and spring 2008. Foliage was stored in ziplocked bags to allow specimen emergence, and sand from the trays was sieved to collect pupae. All specimens that emerged as adults were identified and recorded. Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) was the dominant species in peppers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, accounting for 99% of the specimens identified. Our survey showed 20 species of parasitoids from four families (Eulophidae, Braconidae, Figitidae, and Pteromalidae) to be associated with L. trifolii. Neoch...
Radar detection in multipath

An analysis of the detection of radar targets in multipath environments is presented. Radar targets often undergo enhancements or fades due to multipath where the direct-path energy combines with a phase-shifted reflection to enhance or reduce the received energy. This phenomenon is a function of frequency. Radars are often designed to avoid the problems of fades by changing frequency or using an assortment of frequencies in an M-out-of-N detector. To understand the detection statistics and choose M and N, the probability density function (PDF) of the noise plus the target times the multipath propagation factor must be known. This PDF is derived for a nonfluctuating target and for a Rayleigh target. The PDF is used to show the benefits of choosing the best M for a multipath environment compared to using the M that would be chosen in a free-space environment.
Intensive insulin therapy improved glycemic control more than oral hypoglycemic agents in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Source Citation Weng J, Li Y, Xu W, et al. Effect of intensive insulin therapy on β-cell function and glycaemic control in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a multicentre randomised pa...
Population Studies of Vitamin D Binding Protein Microheterogeneity by Mass Spectrometry Lead to Characterization of its Genotype-Dependent O-Glycosylation Patterns

Mass spectrometric evidence presented here characterizes the genotype-dependent glycosylation patterns for each of the three major allele products of Vitamin D Binding Protein found in the general ...
Mixed-metal polymetallic platinum complexes designed to interact with DNA

Abstract Complexes of the general form [(bpy) 2 M(dpb)PtCl 2 ]Cl 2 (where MRu II or Os II , bpy = 2.2′-bipyridine and dpb = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)benzoquinoxaline) have been designed by our group to form the basis of a new type of structural motif for metal-based complexes which bind to DNA. These systems are of interest in that they couple a light absorbing ruthenium or osmium site to a reactive platinum site. The platinum site contains the cis -dichloride platinum moiety thought to be responsible for the anticancer activity of cisplatin, cis -[Pt(NH 3 ) 2 Cl 2 ]. The bridging ligand used, dpb, has an extended π system. Complexes of similar structures containing polyazine ligands with extended π systems have been shown to undergo binding to DNA, often in an intercalative fashion. The design of our complexes was to couple a light absorber to a cis -dichloride platinum moiety using a ligand, which is capable of intercalative binding to DNA. This provides a system with two potential modes of binding to DNA, intercalative and covalent. This study explores the nature of the covalent interaction of our two heterobimetallic complexes with DNA. Our study utilizes a 2958 bp linearized plasmid DNA and denaturing gel electrophoresis to probe the nature of this interaction. Comparisons are given to cisplatin, which forms primarily intrastrand crosslinks, and [( trans -PtCl(NH 3 ) 2 ) 2 -(μ-H 2 N(CH 3 ) 4 NH 2 )]Cl 2 (1.1/t,t), which forms primarily interstrand crosslinks. Our results indicate that our [(bpy) 2 M(dpb)PtCl 2 ]Cl 2 complexes, like cisplatin, form primarily intrastrand crosslinks. It is also evident that our systems form a higher percentage of interstrand crosslinks than cisplatin. Details of these studies are presented herein.
REAL-TIME MONITORING OF HIGH-INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND LESION FORMATION USING ACOUSTO-OPTIC SENSING

Abstract High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising modality that is used to noninvasively ablate soft tissue tumors. Nevertheless, real-time treatment monitoring with diagnostic ultrasound still poses a significant challenge since tissue necrosis, in the absence of cavitation or boiling, provides little acoustic contrast with normal tissue. In comparison, the optical properties of tissue are significantly altered accompanying lesion formation. A photorefractive crystal-based acousto-optic (AO) sensing system that uses a single HIFU transducer to simultaneously generate tissue necrosis and pump the AO interaction is used to monitor the real-time optical changes associated with thermal lesions induced in chicken breast ex vivo . It is found that the normalized change in AO response increases proportionally with the volume of necrosis. This study demonstrates AO sensing can identify the onset and growth of lesion formation in real time and, when used as feedback to guide exposures, results in more predictable lesion formation. (E-mails: laipuxiang@gmail.com or ronroy@bu.edu )
Depletion of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex decreases the basal electrophysiological activity of mesolimbic dopamine neurons.

One hypothesis regarding the etiology of schizophrenia proposes that disruption of the dopaminergic innervation of the prefrontal cortex leads to an increase in dopamine (DA) transmission in subcortical regions. In the present study, we examined the effect of 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dopamine innervation on the spontaneous electrophysiological activity of ventral tegmental DA neurons recorded in vivo. DA cell activity was assessed along three dimensions: (1) the relative proportion of DA neurons exhibiting spontaneous activity, (2) their basal firing rate, and (3) the mean percentage of spikes fired in bursts. In lesioned rats, DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) exhibited a significantly slower mean firing rate, as well as a significant reduction in the percentage of spikes fired in bursts relative to controls. In contrast, depletion of DA in the mPFC did not have a significant effect on the relative proportion of VTA DA neurons exhibiting spontaneous activity. We suggest that by reducing the basal electrophysiological activity of VTA DA neurons, mPFC DA depletion may lead to an increase in the level of responsivity of the system to excitatory stimuli. Thus, the magnitude of increase in action potential-dependent DA release that occurs in response to a challenge may be augmented in lesioned rats.
Starting Small: Building Preschool Teacher Knowledge that Supports Early Literacy Development.

A growing body of research is emerging that investigates the teacher knowledge base essential for supporting reading and writing development at the elementary school level. However, even though increasing recognition is given to the pivotal role that preschool teachers play in cultivating children’s early literacy development, considerably fewer studies have examined the knowledge base of these early childhood educators. This paper will discuss the existing research literature and then examine a recent study that investigated the knowledge constructs of 20 preschool teachers. Findings indicate that preschool teachers lack the disciplinary knowledge required to promote early literacy and, in fact, tend to overestimate what they know, creating a potential obstacle for seeking additional knowledge. Recommendations for strengthening professional development programs and developing more robust measures of preschool teacher knowledge are proposed.
Simulation-based energy efficiency improvement for sustainable manufacturing systems

Energy efficiency improvement as well as carbon footprint reduction in the manufacturing industry becomes increasingly important for a green world from the point of sustainability. However, because of the complexity of modern manufacturing systems, most of the existing research efforts in energy efficiency improvement only focus on either single-machine system or process level. Seldom work has been performed to study the potential of energy consumption reduction for typical manufacturing systems with multiple machines and buffers. In this paper, a simulation-based method is proposed to study various strategies for energy efficiency improvement of complex manufacturing systems. This study provides an initial framework to study the real time energy control of multi-machine manufacturing systems, and demonstrates the energy efficiency improvement and energy saving potentials by adjusting the machines’ power level according to their operation states while maintaining the system throughput. Comparison between the results with and without power level adjustment is performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Copyright © 2012 by ASME and General Motors
Uncertainty Propagation in Abstracted Systems via the Liouville Equation

This technical brief shows that given a system and its abstraction, the evolution of uncertain initial conditions in the original system is, in some sense, matched by the evolution of the uncertainty in the abstracted system. In other words, it is shown that the concept of Φ-related vector fields extends to the case of stochastic initial conditions where the probability density function (pdf) for the initial conditions is known. In the deterministic case, the Φ mapping commutes with the system dynamics. In this paper, we show that in the case of stochastic initial conditions, the induced mapping Φ pdf commutes with the evolution of the pdf according to the Liouville equation.
Multiple objective behavior-based control

Abstract The notion of optimality and its feasibility are revisited in the context of behavior-based control. It is argued that optimal behavior is not feasible for real-world applications. As an alternative to optimality I promote Pareto-optimal and satisficing solutions which correspond to efficient and “good enough” behavior. It is then demonstrated that multiple objective decision theory provides a suitable framework for formulating behavior-based controllers that generate Pareto-optimal and satisficing behavior. A set of simulated and real-world experiments are reported that support this view.
A matrix converter utility interface for grid resources with a high-frequency bus

Many proposed improvements to the electric power grid utilize a common bus to aggregate many sources that are connected to the grid via an inverter. A dc bus configuration is commonly used for these systems, but in some cases, a matrix converter is an interesting alternative which can eliminate the dc-bus capacitors and reduce the number of conversion stages, though this is at the cost of a more complex control scheme. This paper presents a modified matrix converter topology which uses an active clamp to guarantee a high-frequency (HF) square-wave input in order to simplify the control strategy while still achieving reductions in the size of the bus capacitors and the number of conversion steps.
ATP production in the tissues of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (Pelecypoda) under normal and anoxic conditions

Abstract 1. 1. Normal animals contained 133 ± 9 nmoles ATP/g wet weight. During prolonged anoxia (24–72 hr) a considerable percentage (up to 60 per cent) of this level was maintained. 2. 2. The energy production is thought to be realized by means of a mechanism called anoxic endogenous oxidation where the oxidative agent is the lipochrome pigment of the cytosomes. Quantitative calculations of the possible energy production based on the redox potential of the pigment agree well with the maximal ATP level observed during anoxia. 3. 3. The mechanism of endogenous oxidation is activated by the gradual decrease of oxygen tension in the environment, whereas the acute total oxygen shortage cannot activate.
Connections of nicotine to cancer

This Opinion article discusses emerging evidence of direct contributions of nicotine to cancer onset and growth. The list of cancers reportedly connected to nicotine is expanding and presently includes small-cell and non-small-cell lung carcinomas, as well as head and neck, gastric, pancreatic, gallbladder, liver, colon, breast, cervical, urinary bladder and kidney cancers. The mutagenic and tumour-promoting activities of nicotine may result from its ability to damage the genome, disrupt cellular metabolic processes, and facilitate growth and spreading of transformed cells. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are activated by nicotine, can activate several signalling pathways that can have tumorigenic effects, and these receptors might be able to be targeted for cancer therapy or prevention. There is also growing evidence that the unique genetic makeup of an individual, such as polymorphisms in genes encoding nAChR subunits, might influence the susceptibility of that individual to the pathobiological effects of nicotine. The emerging knowledge about the carcinogenic mechanisms of nicotine action should be considered during the evaluation of regulations on nicotine product manufacturing, distribution and marketing.
Unsteady inviscid and viscous computations for vortex-dominated flows

The unsteady supersonic flow around a rigid sharp-edged delta wing is solved using the unsteady Euler and thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. The problem is formulated relative to a moving frame of reference so that computation of the grid motion is not required. A three-dimensional, implicit, aproximately factored, central-differencing, finite-volume scheme is used to obtain the time-accurate, unsteady, locally conical flow. The inviscid and viscous results are compared during the periodic response of a wing undergoing forced rolling-oscillation motion. The results show substantial differences in the surface pressure results and other distributed flow characteristics. These differences are attributed to the inviscid and viscous flow predictions in the vortex-dominated regions. The results of the total loads do not show any significant differences.
Effect of the cathode open ratios on the water management of a passive vapor-feed direct methanol fuel cell fed with neat methanol

Abstract A novel approach has been proposed to improve the water management of a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with neat methanol without increasing its volume or weight. By adopting perforated covers with different open ratios at the cathode, the water management has been significantly improved in a DMFC fed with neat methanol. An optimized cathode open ratio could ensure both the sufficient supply of oxygen and low water loss. While changing the open ratio of anode vaporizer can adjust the methanol crossover rate in a DMFC. Furthermore, the gas mixing layer, added between the anode vaporizer and the anode current collector to increase the mass transfer resistance, can improve the cell performance, decrease the methanol crossover, and increase the fuel efficiency. For the case of a DMFC fed with neat methanol, an anode vaporizer with the open ratio of 12% and a cathode open ratio of 20% produced the highest peak power density, 22.7 mW cm−2, and high fuel efficiency, 70.1%, at room temperature of 25 ± 1 °C and ambient humidity of 25–50%.
Environmental Measurement Requirements Resulting from the Tmi-2 Accident

The "lessons learned" from the TMI-2 accident has resulted in expansion of the radiological monitoring requirements in and around nuclear power facilities. Additional instrument requirements, include expanded range of detection (10-6 to 105 ?Ci/cc), broader energy response, and environs monitors are under consideration. Environs monitors are real-time exposurerate monitors with a range of 10-6 to 10 R/hr. These monitors are supplemented by TLD's in the environment placed by the facility operator and supplemented by additional TLD's placed by the State and NRC. Present considerations indicate that both active and passive environmental monitoring will be required. Active monitoring including selected area monitoring can be useful in conjunction with emergency planning and evacuation measures and routes. Both active and passive systems can be used to assess the radiological impact on the population.
Optical pumping with a frequency-modulated multimode dye laser.

Efficient, stable optical pumping of a collimated beam of Ar(3P2) metastable atoms is obtained using a low-power, frequency-modulated multimode dye laser. The advantages provided by frequency modulation are discussed. The technique is suitable for use in optically pumping a wide variety of atomic species.
Goniotomy for glaucoma secondary to chronic childhood uveitis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of standard goniotomy surgery for young patients with refractory glaucoma associated with chronic childhood uveitis. DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all goniotomies performed at our institution for patients with a diagnosis of refractory glaucoma associated with chronic childhood uveitis from 1994 to 2000 (this was our first-line surgery for such patients during these years). Uveitis was medically controlled in all cases for at least 6 weeks before surgery. The main outcome measure was time after surgery without failure. Success was defined as final intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mm Hg after one or two goniotomies without need for further surgical intervention. Follow-up was ≥6 months or until surgical failure. RESULTS: Nineteen goniotomies were performed on 16 eyes (12 patients). Diagnoses included uveitic glaucoma associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, and idiopathic uveitis. The mean patient age at first goniotomy was 15.3 years (range, 6.5–30), with mean follow-up 32.4 months (range, 6–84). Cases included were phakic (10 eyes), aphakic (four eyes), and pseudophakic (two eyes). The mean preoperative IOP was 32.3 ± 4.6 mm Hg. Surgical success was achieved in 12 of 16 (75%) eyes with a mean postoperative IOP of 12 ± 2.5 mm Hg for these eyes (mean IOP reduction, 20.0 mm Hg, P CONCLUSIONS: Goniotomy represents a safe and effective first-line surgery for young patients with refractory glaucoma associated with chronic uveitis, although the majority of patients require glaucoma medication after the procedure.
Using real-time awareness to manage performance of Java clients on mobile robots

In this paper, we propose an extension to existing mobile robot development environments that explicitly declares the frequency requirements for client controller threads. This extension enables better use of robot resources by running modules only as fast as needed. Developers are forced to consider the frequency requirements and their impacts, which should result in better code. Physical experiments employed a K-team Koala robot. Preliminary results showing the effect of explicitly defining frequency are also presented.
Stray losses in the stator and rotor of induction machines with sinusoidal supplies

This paper proposes parameterised models to predict segregated stray load losses (SLL) at full load in the stator and rotor of caged induction machines. By analysing iron losses obtained from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in the context of the proposed circuit models, the behaviour of stray load loss admittance elements is determined, and associated models to be developed. The model parameters are identified using the differential evolution algorithm. It is found that it is necessary to include the excess loss component in SLL conductances. Furthermore, the SLL inductance behaviour is shown to be related to the mutual flux. The models are compared with experimental data.
Differential Effects of Gamma Interferon on Chlamydia trachomatis Growth in Polarized and Nonpolarized Human Epithelial Cells in Culture

The effects of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) on Chlamydia trachomatis growth in polarized epithelial cells were examined. The range of IFN-γ concentrations causing aberrant chlamydial growth was wider in polarized than in nonpolarized cultures. Results indicate that chlamydial growth modulation in polarized cells readily leads to persistence and better reflects in vivo conditions.
Seismic site effects and the spatial interpolation of earthquake seismograms: Results using aftershocks of the 1986 North Palm Springs, California, earthquake

Abstract We address the following two questions. Can a microearthquake9s ground motions be modeled by incident P and S waves that excite a site transfer-function that is a smooth function of incidence angle? Given recorded ground motions from a set of earthquakes having known locations and mechanisms, can we derive such a site transfer-function and use it to obtain the ground motions that would result from an earthquake source occurring somewhere in the same volume but having a location and mechanism that are different from the recorded events? Although many factors will cause two distinct microearthquake sources to have different seismograms at a common station, in this paper we concentrate only upon the differences caused by source mechanisms, P - and S -wave travel-time variations and by variations in the site transfer-function. We specifically exclude the effects of waves scattered from heterogeneities in the geologic structure away from the seismic site. We express the site transfer-function as a sum of several terms having simple dependences upon incidence angle and azimuth. Each term is an independent function of time. Given a set of seismograms observed at the site, we solve a linear system of equations for the time dependences of each term. These time series may be used to calculate the seismograms that would have resulted from an earthquake having arbitrary mechanism and location. This step is an interpolation. We have applied this technique to seismograms after aftershocks of the 1986 North Palm Springs earthquake. Our interpolation technique works fairly well within the volume occupied by the recorded events, but the method is not very successful at providing accurate seismograms for sources located outside the aftershock volume. The primary causes of the inaccuracy are the inadequacy of our chosen angular functions to model the site response fully and the likely scattering of seismic waves by geological heterogeneities (in this case, the Banning and Mission Creek faults) near the seismic stations. Our methods could be used to determine the effects of single scattering from lateral heterogeneities in geologic structure.
Preparation and Pretreatment Effects on Co/SiO2 Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Catalyst drying procedures are often given little attention in the experimental section of papers on supported metal catalysts. In general, drying appears to be regarded as a method to remove water and other volatile components prior to calcining or reduction, but not as a method to affect the surface properties of the catalyst. This study uses x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to examine the surface properties of silica supported cobalt catalysts, prepared using incipient wetness impregnation of cobalt nitrate hexahydrate, and finds a wide range of cobalt distributions, extent of nitrate decomposition, and reducibility for various drying procedures. After UHV annealing and subsequent reduction, the final cobalt surface properties are found to depend on the length of heating and the environment during the drying process. Maximum cobalt metal surface area is obtained for samples exposed to limited amounts of air and dried under conditions where gas phase species generated during the precursor decomposition are rapidly removed from the surface of the sample.
Small and variable sperm sizes suggest low sperm competition despite multiple paternity in a lekking suboscine bird

ABSTRACT Sperm competition, whereby sperm from multiple males compete to fertilize an egg, selects for adaptations that increase fertilization success. Because fertilization success is related to sperm number, size, and quality, both interspecific and intraspecific variation in these traits are predicted to correlate with the level of sperm competition. Specifically, species and individuals that experience high sperm competition are predicted to produce more sperm per ejaculate, produce longer sperm, and exert higher quality control, resulting in reduced numbers of morphologically abnormal sperm and reduced size variation via selection for the most successful sperm phenotype. However, the causes of sperm morphological and size variation and its consequences for sperm competition remain poorly understood, especially within species. We quantified variation in sperm morphology, size, and number in the Lance-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata), a Neotropical suboscine passerine with a cooperative lek mati...
Truth Is at Hand How Gesture Adds Information During Investigative Interviews

The accuracy of information obtained in forensic interviews is critically important to credibility in our legal system. Research has shown that the way interviewers frame questions influences the accuracy of witnesses’ reports. A separate body of research has shown that speakers spontaneously gesture when they talk, and that these gestures can express information not found anywhere in the speaker’s talk. This study of children interviewed about an event that they witnessed joins these two literatures and demonstrates that (1) interviewers’ gestures serve as a source of information and, at times, misinformation that can lead witnesses to report incorrect details; (2) the gestures witnesses spontaneously produce during interviews convey substantive information that is often not conveyed anywhere in their speech, and thus would not appear in written transcripts of the proceedings. These findings underscore the need to attend to and document gestures produced in investigative interviews, particularly interviews conducted with children.
The utilization of e‐government services: citizen trust, innovation and acceptance factors*

Abstract. Electronic government, or e-government, increases the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens. Despite the benefits of e-government – increased government accountability to citizens, greater public access to information and a more efficient, cost-effective government – the success and acceptance of e-government initiatives, such as online voting and licence renewal, are contingent upon citizens’ willingness to adopt this innovation. In order to develop ‘citizen-centred’ e-government services that provide participants with accessible, relevant information and quality services that are more expedient than traditional ‘brick and mortar’ transactions, government agencies must first understand the factors that influence citizen adoption of this innovation. This study integrates constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusions of Innovation theory and web trust models to form a parsimonious yet comprehensive model of factors that influence citizen adoption of e-government initiatives. The study was conducted by surveying a broad diversity of citizens at a community event. The findings indicate that perceived ease of use, compatibility and trustworthiness are significant predictors of citizens’ intention to use an e-government service. Implications of this study for research and practice are presented.
Regulation of Photosynthetic Induction State by the Magnitude and Duration of Low Light Exposure

This study was undertaken to examine the dependence of the regulatory enzymes of photosynthetic induction on photon flux density (PFD) exposure in soybean (Glycine max L.). The induction state varies as a function of both the magnitude and duration of the PFD levels experienced prior to an increase in PFD. The photosynthetic induction state results from the combined activity of separate processes that each in turn depend on prior PFD environment in different ways. Direct measurement of enzyme activities coupled with determination of in situ metabolite pool sizes indicated that the fast-induction component was associated with the activation state of stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase, EC 3.1.3.11) and showed rapid deactivation in the dark and at low PFD. The fast-induction component was activated at low PFD levels, around 70 [mu]mol photons m-2 s-1. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco, EC 2.7.1.19) deactivated very slowly in the dark and required higher PFD for activation. Both enzymes saturated at lower PFD than did photosynthesis, around 400 [mu]mol photons m-2 s-1. Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase (EC 2.7.1.19) appeared never to be limiting to photosynthesis, and saturated at much lower PFD than either FBPase or Rubisco. Determination of photosynthetic metabolite pool sizes from leaves at different positions within a soybean canopy showed a limitation to carbon uptake at the stromal FBPase and possibly the sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.37) in shade leaves upon initial illumination at saturating PFD levels.
Transcript Profiling in Arabidopsis Reveals Complex Responses to Global Inhibition of DNA Methylation and Histone Deacetylation

Blocking histone deacetylation with trichostatin A (TSA) or blocking cytosine methylation using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytosine (aza-dC) can derepress silenced genes in multicellular eukaryotes, including animals and plants. We questioned whether DNA methylation and histone deacetylation overlap in the regulation of endogenous plant genes by monitoring changes in expression of approximately 7800 Arabidopsis thaliana genes following treatment with azadC, TSA, or both chemicals together. RNA levels for approximately 4% of the genes were reproducibly changed 3-fold or more by at least one treatment. Distinct subsets of genes are up-regulated or down-regulated in response to aza-dC, TSA, or simultaneous treatment with both chemicals, with little overlap among subsets. Surprisingly, the microarray data indicate that TSA and aza-dC are often antagonistic rather than synergistic in their effects. Analysis of green fluorescent protein transgenic plants confirmed this finding, showing that TSA can block the up-regulation of silenced green fluorescent protein transgenes in response to aza-dC or a ddm1 (decrease in DNA methylation 1) mutation. Our results indicate that global inhibition of DNA methylation or histone deacetylation has complex, nonredundant effects for the majority of responsive genes and suggest that activation of some genes requires one or more TSA-sensitive deacetylation events in addition to cytosine demethylation.
A Model for Evaluating Interface Terminologies

Objective: Evaluations of individual terminology systems should be driven in part by the intended usages of such systems. Clinical interface terminologies support interactions between healthcare providers and computer-based applications. They aid practitioners in converting clinical "free text" thoughts into the structured, formal data representations used internally by application programs. Interface terminologies also serve the important role of presenting existing stored, encoded data to end users in human-understandable and actionable formats. The authors present a model for evaluating functional utility of interface terminologies based on these intended uses. Design: Specific parameters defined in the manuscript comprise the metrics for the evaluation model. Measurements: Parameters include concept accuracy, term expressivity, degree of semantic consistency for term construction and selection, adequacy of assertional knowledge supporting concepts, degree of complexity of pre- coordinated concepts, and the "human readability" of the terminology. The fundamental metric is how well the interface terminology performs in supporting correct, complete, and efficient data encoding or review by humans. Results: Authors provide examples demonstrating performance of the proposed evaluation model in selected instances. Conclusion: A formal evaluation model will permit investigators to evaluate interface terminologies using a consistent and principled approach. Terminology developers and evaluators can apply the proposed model to identify areas for improving interface terminologies.
Active control of flow-induced cavity oscillations

A review of active control of flow-induced cavity oscillations is motivated by two factors. First, the search for solutions to the practical problem of suppressing oscillations caused by flow over open cavities has generated significant interest in this area. Second, cavity oscillation control serves as a model problem in the growing multidisciplinary field of flow control. As such, we attempt to summarize recent activities in this area, with emphasis on experimental implementation of open- and closed-loop control approaches. In addition to describing successes, failures, and outstanding issues relevant to cavity oscillations, we highlight the characteristics of the various actuators, flow sensing and measurement, and control methodologies employed to date in order to emphasize the choices, challenges, and potential of flow control in this and other applications, such as impact on store trajectory.
In vivo biopsy by photoacousticUS based tissue characterization

Our recent research has demonstrated that the frequency domain power distribution of radio-frequency (RF) photoacoustic (PA) signals contains the microscopic information of the optically absorbing materials in the sample. In this research, we were seeking for methods of systematically analyzing the PA measurement from biological tissues and the feasibility of evaluating tissue chemical and microstructural features for potential tissue characterization. By performing PA scan over a broad spectrum covering the optical fingerprints of specific relevant chemical components, and then transforming the radio-frequency signals into the frequency domain, a 2D spectrogram, namely physio-chemical spectrogram (PCS) can be generated. The PCS contains rich diagnostic information allowing quantification of not only contents but also histological microfeatures of various chemical components in tissue. Comprehensive analysis of PCS, namely photoacoustic physio-chemical analysis (PAPCA), could reveal the histopathology information in tissue and hold the potential to achieve comprehensive and accurate tissue characterization.
Listeria monocytogenes Serotype Identification by PCR

Serotyping is a universally accepted subtyping method for Listeria monocytogenes. Identification of the strain serotype permits differentiation between important food-borne strains (1/2a, 1/2b, and 4b) and provides a "gold standard" for comparing isolates analyzed in different labs and with different techniques. Although an efficient enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serotyping protocol was described recently, identification of PCR serotyping primers would further increase the ease and accessibility of this classification system. Serotyping PCR primers were designed from variable regions of the L. monocytogenes genome. Three primer sets were used in conjunction with a previously described Division III primer set in order to classify 122 L. monocytogenes strains into five serotype groups [1/2a(3a), 1/2b, 1/2c(3c), 4b(d,e), and 4a/c]. Results of the PCR method agreed with those of the conventional slide agglutination method for 97, 100, 94, and 91% of strains belonging to serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, and 4b, respectively.
Statistical learning of phonetic categories: insights from a computational approach.

Infants face a difficult problem in acquiring their native language because the acoustic/phonetic variability in the input far exceeds the limited number of distinctive differences that define language-specific phonemes. How do infants attend to the relevant information that distinguishes words? Recent evidence suggests that phonemic categories may be induced, in whole or in part, by a rapid statistical learning mechanism that is sensitive to the distributional properties of phonetic input (Maye, Werker & Gerken, 2002; Maye, Weiss & Aslin, 2008). This evidence suggests that the detailed frequency-of-occurrence of tokens along continuous speech dimensions plays a crucial role in the formation and modification of phonemic categories. The present paper describes a computational model of statistical speech category learning that examines the necessary and sufficient mechanisms needed to account for known empirical data from infants, and the implications of those mechanisms for early speech categories. We demonstrate that statistical learning alone is insufficient: competition is also required. However, once this feature is added to the model, it can account for a number of developmental trajectories in speech category learning. Finally, we examine the possibility that early speech categories are independent and sparsely distributed; that is, they do not fully cover all values along a phonetic dimension.
Justice Can Never Come Too Late

This article examines statute of limitations. The primary rationale for statutes of limitation is a deserved suspicion of old evidence. With time, memories fade, witnesses die, and physical evidence disappears. In 1623, when a statute of limitation was first enacted in England, these formidable problems for both prosecution and defense were avoided simply by barring prosecution after a fixed period. But time and circumstances have changed.
Design of a 400 kV deep underground, high detector efficiency, high target density, high beam intensity accelerator facility

Design of a 400 kV deep underground, high detector eﬃciency, high target density, high beam intensity accelerator facility Alberto Lemut (a) , Manoel Couder (b) , Daniel Winklehner (c) , Uwe Greife (d) , Adrian Hodgkinson (a) , Daniela Leitner (c) , 3 Mattheaus Leitner (c) , Joseph S. Saba (a) , Paul A. Vetter (a) , William L. Waldron (a) , and Michael Wiescher (b) (a) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, 94720 CA, USA University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA (c) Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA (d) Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA (b) Disclaimer This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Govern- ment. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor the Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any speciﬁc commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufac- turer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or the Regents of the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reﬂect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof or the Regents of the University of California. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation NSF-09-500 grant, proposal ID This work was supported by the Director, Oﬃce of Science, Oﬃce of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Eﬃciency and Renewable En- ergy, Oﬃce of Building Technology, State, and Community Programs, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Effective Temperature Sensing by Irreversible Morphology Evolution of Ultrathin Gold Island Films

An ultrathin gold island film is developed showing efficient temperature sensing when maintaining at certain duration and may be a potential candidate as a temperature marker. The developed gold thin film is based on the energy minimization principle, in which unstable ultrathin films experience morphological instability and self-organization upon thermal dewetting, providing the “finger print” for recording the temperature and duration of the thermal event based on their variation of characteristic optical properties. As compared with other temperature sensing mechanisms and nanostructures, the ultrathin gold film displays an irreversible variation that may be employed ex-situ for extreme conditions in which in situ measurements of the thermal history may not be feasible. A high sensitivity is possible for temperature sensing even at temperatures as low as 100 °C when the time is fixed due to an efficient dewetting process at the nanoscale. This Au-based nanostructure allows fast readout of temperature b...
Work Environment and Quality of Working Life among the Cambodian Workforce: A Pilot Study

The first Cambodian families arrived in Lowell (Massachusetts) in the early 80s, most of them as refugees, victims of a brutal regime. Since then, the city has grown into the second largest Cambodian-American population in the U.S., behind only Long Beach, California. Cambodian workers are employed in labor-intensive jobs as well as in the service industry in the Lowell area and its surroundings. As many other immigrant groups in the U.S., they face several work and non-work related problems above and beyond their various language and culture barriers. In this paper the author presents results of a pilot study aimed at exploring Cambodian workers' perceptions of their conditions of work and the impact of such conditions in their quality of working life.
Glomerular filtration and fluid balance in genetically hypertensive mice.

AbstractThe Schlager genetically hypertensive mouse has been shown to be a valuable animal model with which to study human essential hypertension. Previous studies have characterized renal morphology, juxtaglomerular index, hematocrit, prostaglandin levels, brain catecholamines, social behavior, and patterns of inheritance. The present study continues the phenotypic characterization of this animal model. Using desiccation, isotope dilution, and clearance, the total body water, extracellular fluid volume, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in hypertensive and normotensive animals during normal postnatal development were measured. Additionally, using an electron microscopic tracer, the relative permeabilities of the glomerular filter in these animals were assessed. The data indicate a volume expansion in the young hypertensive animals along with a reduction in GFR. As the animals mature the volume expansion in the hypertensives subsides and is eventually reversed resulting in a lower than normal fluid vol...
Decision Makers' Beliefs About the Causes and Effects of Structure: An Exploratory Study

In a study of decision maker beliefs about the causes and effects of structure, a high level of agreement was found between the cognitive maps of a group of MBAs and a group of full time practicing...
Establishing a sense of urgency for leading transformational change.

Abstract This department highlights change management strategies that may be successful in strategically planning and executing organizational change initiatives. With the goal of presenting practical approaches helpful to nurse leaders advancing organizational change, content includes evidence-based projects, tools, and resources that mobilize and sustain organizational change initiatives. In this article, the author discusses successful tactics for establishing a sense of urgency to facilitate organizational change.
Pollination of Echinocereus fasciculatus and Ferocactus wislizenii

One of the most common types of cactus flower in the southwestern United States is the large, colorful, cup-shaped flower.Echinocereus fasciculatus var.boyce-thompsonii in Arizona is a representative of this class of flowers. Its flowers are visited by three common types of insect visitors: medium-sized bees, small solitary bees, and beetles. All three types of visitors come into contact with the pollen, but only the mediumsized bees regularly touch the stigma in their visitations. The main effective pollinators are therefore the medium-sized bees (Megachile, etc.).Ferocactus wislizenii has a similar floral mechanism and is likewise pollinated mainly by medium-sized bees (Megachile, Lithurge, Diadasia, etc.).
Feasibility study on crack monitoring scheme of metal structure based on eddy current array sensor

To monitor fatigue crack of aircraft metallic structure in real-time,a kind of eddy current array sensor based on flexible planar is proposed and a scheme for fatigue expansion crack monitoring is designed of aircraft metallic structure based on eddy current array sensor is put forward.The distribution rule of induced magnetic field and magnetic potential vector are obtained through establishing three dimensional finite element(FE) simulation model and the feasibility of the monitoring scheme is verified.By designing fatigue crack propagation experiment,quantitative capability of the sensor on monitoring is verified.The result of fatigue crack monitoring experiment of 2A12—T4 aluminum alloy under constant load indicates that the sensor can monitor the fatigue crack propagation efficiently with the precision of 1mm.The simulation result shows that the distribution of magnetic vector potential is symmetrical about the center of the exciting coil wire and the magnetic vector potential reaches maximum at the center of the exciting coil wire,and the normalized trans-impedance amplitude increases 10 % under the condition of fatigue crack.