cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cyclotrons and positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals for clinical imaging

Positron emission tomography (PET) requires positronemitting radionuclides that emit 511-keV photons detectable by PET imagers. Positron-emitting radionuclides are commonly produced in charged particle accelerators, eg, linear accelerators or cyclotrons. The most widely available radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging are carbon-11-, nitrogen-13-, and oxygen-15-labeled compounds, many of which, either in their normal state or incorporated in other compounds, serve as physiological tracers. Other useful PET radiopharmaceuticals include fluorine-18-, bromine-75-, gallium-68 ( 68 Ga)-, rubidium-82 ( 82 Rb)-, and copper-62 ( 62 Cu)-labeled compounds. Many positron emitters have short half-lives and thus require on-site cyclotrons for application, and others ( 68 Ga, 82 Rb, and 62 Cu) are available from radionuclide generators using relatively long-lived parent radionuclides. This review is divided into two sections: cyclotrons and PET radiopharmaceuticals for clinical imaging. In the cyclotron section, the principle of operation of the cyclotron, types of cyclotrons, medical cyclotrons, and production of radionuclides are discussed. In the section on PET radiopharmaceuticals, the synthesis and clinical use of PET radiopharmaceuticals are described.
Telecommunications and the Internet in Shanghai: Political and Economic Factors Shaping the Network in a Chinese City

This paper examines the ways in which the Shanghai municipal and Chinese central political leaders have shaped the development of telecommunications and Internet growth in China's most populous city over the past two decades. It assesses the ways the local and national authorities have co-ordinated funding from municipally backed corporations, state-owned enterprises and foreign investors, and their efforts to build rapidly major telecommunications and data networks. It concludes that the municipal and national leaders have effectively employed policies to give the city a powerful base of telecommunications skill and infrastructure. However, future growth of the sector is likely to depend on a smaller government role and greater participation by foreign corporations and private Chinese enterprises.
P4 cap modified tetrapeptidyl α-ketoamides as potent HCV NS3 protease inhibitors

We describe herein the design, syntheses, and biological evaluation of new series of P4 tetrazole and adipic acid, ester, amide capped tetrapeptidyl α-ketoamide based HCV protease inhibitors.
Confidence Bands for Quantile Functions: A Parametric and Graphic Alternative for Testing Goodness of Fit

Abstract This article derives simultaneous 100(1 − α)% confidence intervals for the quantiles of a normal distribution using a method first proposed by Cheng and Iles and independently rediscovered by Satten. These methods yield a novel parametric/graphic alternative to the usual goodness-of-fit tests for normality based on normal Q-Q plots, or extensions of Kolmogorov's test based on the empirical distribution function: Draw the graph of the empirical quantile plot, then plot the corresponding upper and lower bounds for these quantiles. We thus obtain a 100(1 − α)% confidence band for the empirical quantile plot. The more the parent distribution of the data departs from the normal, the more likely the empirical quantile plot will have points that lie outside these bounds. The empirical quantile plot and its confidence bands are pleasing to the eye and easy to interpret, even for a user unfamiliar with the underlying theory. Our bounds, although not optimal, are easily computable in terms of the normal, t...
Molecular dynamics simulations of the TEM-1 β-lactamase complexed with cephalothin

Herein, we present theoretical results aimed at elucidating the origin of the kinetic preference for penicillins over cephalosporins characteristic of the TEM/SHV subgroup of class A β-lactamases. First, we study the conformational properties of cephalothin showing that the C2-down conformer of the dihydrothiazine ring is preferred over the C2-up one by ∼2 kcal/mol in solution (0.4−1.4 kcal/mol in the gas phase). Second, the TEM-1 β-lactamase complexed with cephalothin is investigated by carrying out a molecular dynamics simulation. The ΔGbinding energy is then estimated using molecular mechanics Poisson−Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) and quantum chemical PBSA (QM-PBSA) computational schemes. The preferential binding of benzylpenicillin over cephalothin is reproduced by the different energetic calculations, which predict relative ΔΔGbinding energies ranging from 1.8 to 5.7 kcal/mol. The benzylpenicillin/cephalothin ΔΔGbinding energy is most likely due to the lower efficacy of cephalosporins than that of...
Effect of GI endoscopy nurse experience on screening colonoscopy outcomes.

Background The effect of the GI endoscopy nurse experience on colonoscopy outcomes is unknown. Objective To determine whether the nurse experience was associated with screening colonoscopy complications, procedure length, and cecal intubation. Design A retrospective analysis of screening colonoscopies performed by attending physicians between August 2003 and August 2005. Nurse experience was measured in weeks. Setting University of North Carolina Hospitals. Subjects Twenty-nine nurses were employed during the study period, 19 of whom were newly hired. A total of 3631 eligible screening colonoscopies were analyzed. Main Outcome Measurements The primary outcome was any immediate complication; secondary outcomes included time to cecum, total procedure time, and cecal intubation rate. Results In procedures staffed by nurses with 2 weeks of experience or less, 3.2% had complications compared with 0.3% for procedures with more experienced nurses (odds ratio [OR] 10.4 [95% CI, 3.55-30.2]). For nurses with 6 months or less of experience, 18% of procedures had cecal-intubation times more than 1 standard deviation above the mean compared with 12% for more experienced nurses (OR 1.60 [95% CI, 1.30-1.97]). Similar results were seen for the total procedure duration (OR 1.61 [95% CI, 1.32-1.97]) and cecal-intubation rates (OR 1.81 [95% CI, 1.37-2.39]). All relationships held after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Limitations A retrospective, single-center study. Conclusions GI endoscopy nurse inexperience is associated with an increase in immediate complications, prolonged procedure times, and decreased cecal-intubation rates for screening colonoscopies. These findings have implications for nurse training, procedure efficiency, colonoscopy quality assessment, and patient safety.
Simulating less‐than‐truckload terminal operations

Purpose – Recent surveys indicate that transportation companies are not utilizing technology in decision making despite growing complexity of transportation systems. This paper aims to present a discrete simulation approach to benchmarking performance measures of terminal operations of less‐than‐truckload (LTL) freight carriers.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology involves design of heuristics for the dock assignment problem and uses discrete event simulation to evaluate performance of the various heuristics.Findings – Intelligent dock assignment for incoming trailers can greatly improve performance of LTL terminals and simulation is an effective tool to determine the effects of various assignments on terminal performance.Originality/value – The paper introduces a dock assignment heuristic and integrates the tactical level decision‐making process and operational aspects in LTL terminals to evaluate the performance of the system. A case study is used to demonstrate the use of the heuristic and per...
Blind nonlinear system identification during ventricular fibrillation

A 'blind' nonlinear system identification procedure for instantaneous nonlinear systems is described. The word 'blind' is used to emphasize that the procedure is performed when no access to the driving function is available, that is, access is to the output signal only. The problem is important as there are often problems where one cannot apply a test signal yet one wishes to identify the system. In particular an example is presented using data recorded from the myocardium during ventricular fibrillation. The original contributions of the work are the analytical solution for the blind nonlinear system identification procedure presented with underlying assumptions and the application to electrical signals from the heart during ventricular fibrillation. >
OPTIMAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT WITH FIXED TRANSACTION COSTS

We study optimal portfolio management policies for an investor who must pay a transaction cost equal to a fixed Traction of his portfolio value each time he trades. We focus on the infinite horizon objective function of maximizing the asymptotic growth rate, so me optimal policies we derive approximate those of an investor with logarithmic utility at a distant horizon. When investment opportunities are modeled as m correlated geometric Brownian motion stocks and a riskless bond, we show that the optimal policy reduces to solving a single stopping time problem. When there is a single risky stock, we give a system of equations whose solution determines the optima! rule. We use numerical methods to solve for the optima! policy when there are two risky stocks. We study several specific examples and observe the general qualitative result that, even with very low transaction cost levels, the optimal policy entails very infrequent trading.
Carbon Offsets as Ecological Restorations

The explosive growth of carbon markets is creating unprecedented opportunities for landscape-scale restoration worldwide. Most mandatory and voluntary greenhouse gas reduction programs allow use of carbon offset credits, including biosequestration projects, to replace actual emission reductions. Are the market schemes configured in a way that promotes ecosystem recovery and long-term carbon storage? As importantly, is it likely that these efforts will provide significant social and environmental co-benefits to justify trading offsets rather than actually reducing emissions? Compared with social scientists working in sustainable development, restoration ecologists have not offered much advice on the way carbon markets could be configured to support lasting restorations. Under current standards, the market price is likely governing the quality of restorations, not the reverse. A variety of reforms are needed to ensure that biosequestration projects deliver real, additional, and permanent removals of carbon dioxide. In particular, developing and adopting social and environmental impact assessment tools, changing accounting practices to allow for natural disturbances, universal adoption of strong additionality testing, and supporting critical research through tonnage fees could substantially improve what is accomplished through carbon offsets. Given the magnitude and importance of what carbon markets are attempting to achieve, insights from restoration ecologists are urgently needed to help shape their future.
Voice Lessons: Rethinking the Relationship Between Education and Political Participation

The association between education and political participation is one of the strongest and most reliable in American politics, but it is poorly understood. Whether human capital acquired through education affects participation remains unknown. Most studies of this question restrict measurement of human capital to years of schooling (attainment) or civics knowledge. But attainment is a weak instrument for human capital, which varies considerably within attainment levels. And skills beyond civics—particularly verbal communication skills—are politically important. With data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, I examine the relationship between verbal skills acquired in school during adolescence and participation later in life. I find a strong positive effect, showing that when young people learn to use their voices in school, they are more likely to speak up as participatory adults. The findings reveal an important mechanism by which education affects democratic life, call for a broadening of the empirical treatment of education in political science, and suggest an answer to the puzzle of participation.
High resolution CMR perfusion imaging demonstrates reduced flow reserve and endo/epi ratio in microvascular coronary disease

Background Patients with angina without obstructive coronary artery disease are increasingly recognized and microvascular disease (MVD) is felt to play a significant role. Patients with MVD have an abnormal myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR). An abnormal MPR by positron emission tomography is prognostic of increased cardiovascular events, particularly in women, diabetics, and those with metabolic syndrome. Also, high resolution CMR perfusion imaging has been shown to detect transmural differences in perfusion as evidenced by an endocardial-toepicardial ratio (EER) >1 in normal segments and a reduced ratio in segments with obstructive CAD. We hypothesize that there would be a global reduction in MPR and EER with stress due to subendocardial ischemia in patients with anginal symptoms and non-obstructive CAD/normal coronaries. Methods
New software system to improve AGU membership management

Almost 2 years ago, AGU began investigating how it could more efficiently manage member and customer records as well as support processes that currently run on multiple systems. I am pleased to announce that on 25 June, as the result of intense efforts, AGU will migrate to a new database software system that will house the majority of AGU operations. AGU staff will have more tools at their disposal to assist members, and members will have more intuitive and user-friendly options when using the online interface to update their profiles or make purchases. I am particularly excited about this major improvement to our infrastructure because it better positions AGU to achieve goals in its strategic plan.
Growth and Interface Evolution of HfO2 Films on GaAs(100) Surfaces

The initial film growth 2–100 cycles and the interface evolution of HfO2 thin films on GaAs surfaces were investigated for an atomic layer deposition chemistry that utilizes tetrakis ethylmethyl amino hafnium and H2O at 250°C. Starting surfaces include native oxide and HF or NH4OH-etched substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that deposition on native oxide GaAs surfaces results in the gradual consumption of the arsenic and gallium oxides. Arsenic oxides are easier to remove, leaving some metallic arsenic–arsenic suboxide at the interface. The removal of the gallium oxides is slower, and some residual Ga2O3 and Ga2O are detected after 100 process cycles. High resolution transmission electron microscopy confirms the presence of an almost sharp interface for the 100 cycle 12 nm film and indicates that the as-deposited film is polycrystalline. The depositions on either HF or NH4OH-etched substrates result in a sharp interface with very little residual gallium oxide and arsenic suboxide present. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy shows that steady-state growth comparable to that achieved on SiO2 is reached after 20 ALD cycles for all GaAs surfaces; however, high initial surface activity is detected for the etched surfaces. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/1.3353166 All rights reserved.
Disposition and metabolic fate of benzo[a]pyrene in the common carp

Abstract The biological fate of intraperitoneally administered benzo[a]pyrene (BP) was investigated in the wild strain of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) maintained in flowing water. The tissue distribution of BP-derived radioactivity was determined at 24 and 72 h after treatment. Bile contained high concentrations of BP-derived radioactivity (7.9 μg BP equivalents g bile at 72 h), which amounted to 25% of the radioactivity found in the fish at this time point. The major components of bile collected at 72 h were glucuronides (54%), sulfates (12%) and unmetabolized BP (14%). The potentially genotoxic metabolite BP-7,8-dihydrodiol and its glucuronide represented 0.7 and 20%, respectively, of the radioactivity of the bile at 72 h. High concentrations of BP-derived radioactivity were also present in liver and gonads (1,060 and 843 ng equivalents of BP g tissue at 24 h, respectively). Muscle contained 10% of the BP-derived radioactivity found in the fish (46 ng eq g at 24 h). No significant change was found between 24 and 72 h in the concentrations or proportional amounts of BP-derived radioactivity except in liver, in which the proportional amount decreased from 19 to 10% of the total found in the fish. In muscle, unmetabolized BP represented 95% of the radioactivity that could be extracted with ethyl acetate and characterized by HPLC. At 24 h BP-7,8-diol represented 0.6% of this extractable radioactivity in muscle and 1.0% of the extractable (0.4% of the total) radioactivity in liver. These data indicate that carp tissues produce significant amounts of BP-7,8-diol and its glucuronide, potentially capable of being converted (after hydrolysis of the glucuronide) to active metabolites capable of alkylating DNA and other macromolecules. However, only relatively small amounts of covalently bound radioactivity were found (amounting to 4% and 7% of the total radioactivity present in muscle and liver, respectively).
Investigating Tasks in Formal Language Learning edited by GARCÍA MAYO, MARÍA DEL PILAR

The article reviews the book "Investigating Tasks in Formal Language Learning," edited by Garcia Mayo, Maria Del Pilar.
A passive wireless integrated humidity sensor

This paper presents a single-chip integrated humidity sensor (IHS) capable of wireless operation through inductive coupling with a remote transmitter. The 1.5/spl times/0.5/spl times/8mm/sup 3/ sensor chip consists of a planar electroplated copper coil (20 /spl mu/m thick, 30 /spl mu/m pitch, and 23 turns) and a silicon substrate separated by a 4100-5600 /spl Aring/ polyimide film. The resonant frequency of the IHS changes with humidity and the measured sensitivity ranges from 4-16 kHz/%RH. Measurements show a hysteresis of 4.5%RH over a range of 30-70%RH for a 5600 /spl Aring/-thick polyimide film IHS.
On the Design, Analysis, and Implementation of a Generalized Periodic Broadcast Server

Periodic broadcast is an effective paradigm for large-scale dissemination of popular videos. Considerable research efforts have gone into designing many excellent periodic broadcast protocols in terms of minimizing the server network bandwidth and the client resources. However, there are only few implementations of periodic broadcast protocols available. In this paper, we present a Generalized Periodic Broadcast Server (GPBS) architecture that supports many periodic broadcast protocols. Based on this architecture, we use mathematical analysis to formulate and solve a new optimization problem whose solution provides insights into the server's memory and disk resources allocation. We also discuss our implementation of a video server which embodies the GPBS architecture and analysis. The video server implements three representative broadcast protocols. Our work facilitates implementation and deployment of many other periodic broadcast protocols
Transfer function between airborne VLF transmit and receive loop antenna

The US Navy TACAMO aircraft is required to receive very low frequency/low frequency (VLF/LF) signals via a pair of orthogonal H-field loop antennas while simultaneously transmitting a 200 kW VLF signal using a half wavelength dual trailing wire antenna (DTWA). The transfer function is determined from the DTWA current, at a point where it can be measured, to the electromagnetic H-field as sensed by the receive loop antennas. The energy from the collocated VLF transmitter interferes with reception over a large portion of the VL/LF spectrum. The results of the calculations suggest that self-interference can be reduced with simple cancellation techniques. >
Gas chromatographic analysis of urinary tyrosine and phenylalanine metabolites in patients with gastrointestinal disorders

Main urinary bacterial metabolites of phenylalanine (total benzoic and phenylacetic acids) and of tyrosine (total p-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) were determined by gas chromatography in controls and patients with cystic ubrosis of the pancreas, coeliac disease, intestinal resection and unclassified enteritis. In various patients, especially in the untreated coeliacs, high amounts of one or more of the abovementioned metabolites were found. In this paper results in controls and patients are presented and discussed.
Spectra and magnitudes of T‐waves from the 1993 earthquake swarm on the Juan de Fuca Ridge

A swarm of earthquakes on the crest of the Juan de Fuca Ridge was detected in June and July 1993 by a network of hydrophones. The activity migrated 60 km along the crest, suggesting a lateral dike injection and the possibility of a volcanic eruption. Subsequent geologic and oceanographic investigations confirmed that an eruption had taken place. Examination of the individual acoustic arrivals shows changes in the character of the signal that are consistent with an injection of magma. A reduction in the rise time of the wave packet and a proportional increase in high frequency energy was observed and is interpreted to result from a shoaling of the earthquake source region. Second, the source magnitudes were largest at the onset of the swarm and became smaller over time, also consistent with shoaling of the dike. The appearance of the T-wave arrivals changed significantly 5 days after the beginning of the swarm, potentially indicating the onset of a surface eruption.
The Connection between Recovery and Glide Type in Aluminum and Al-Mg

The large size of Mg, and presumably also Li, substitutional atoms in aluminum leads to an abnormally high equilibrium vacancy concentration and results in planar glide in spite of high stacking fault energies and thus ease of cross slip. By contrast, apparently all other fcc planar glide alloys are associated with low stacking fault energies and correspondingly suppressed cross slip. As previously suggested, the reason for this peculiar behavior of Al-Mg (and by implication Al-Li) alloys is a concomitant reduction of `mushrooming . This is the interaction of glide dislocations with the supersaturated lattice vacancies that in wavy glide are generated in the course of plastic deformation. In the process of mushrooming the dislocations 'tangle' into three-dimensional arrangements, involving different Burgers vectors, namely through a mixture of glide, climb and nucleation of vacancy loops. Distinctly extended glide dislocations, inhibit both the formation of supersaturated vacancies and dislocation climb, and thus `mushrooming . In that case, therefore, dislocations are rather closely confined to their crystallographic slip planes, and 'planar glide' with underlying Taylor lattices results. In wavy glide materials, by contrast, glide generates in the order of a 10 - atomistic vacancy concentration per unit strain that causes the dislocations at the end of their paths to tangle and in the process also nucleate loops with all possible Burgers vectors. Besides 3-D dislocation mobility, the latter are needed for cell formation in stage III. In Al-Mg (and presumably Al-Li) alloys, easy cross slip conveys the requisite 3-D mobility, but the high equilibrium vacancy concentrations inhibit loop nucleation and thus the availability or the requisite extra Burgers. In this paper the recovery expected from these two types of dislocation structures, i.e. mosaic block structures and Taylor lattices, is theoretically investigated and shown to be associated with different recovery behaviors that conform to observation in pure aluminum and Al-Mg alloys, respectively.
La domination masculine

La domination masculine. Pierre Bourdieu. Paris: Seuil, 1998. 142 pp. (English translation, Masculine Domination. Richard Nice. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. 133 pp.)
Purification and characterization of second thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylase in Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859.

Thermostable purine nucleoside phosphorylases, PUN PI and PUNPII, have been purified from Bacillus stearothermophilus JTS 859. The characterization of PUNPI was reported previously. [Hori et al.9 Agric. Biol. Chem. 53, 2205 (1989)] PUNPII had a molecular weight of 113,000, consisting of 4 identical subunits (Mw 28,000). The isoelectric point was 5.3. The Michaelis constants for inosine, guanosine, and adenosine were 0.22, 0.34, and 0.075 mm, respectively. The optimal temperature of the reaction was 70°C. The enzyme was stable at 70°C. Although other reported purine nucleoside phosphorylases were SH-enzymes, PUNPII was not a SH-enzyme because the enzyme reaction was not inhibited by PCMB and iodoacetic acid, the optimal pH of the enzyme reaction was from 7.0 to 11.0, and the enzyme did not contain cysteine.PUNPII and PUNPI were different in several points. Not PUNPI but PUNPII could catalyze the phosphorolysis of adenosine. Specific activity of PUNPI and II for inosine were 405 and 50.6 μmol/min/mg protein...
Inactivation of Pectin Methyl Esterase in Orange Juice by Pulsed Electric Fields

ABSTRACT: Pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatments were applied to nonpasteurized orange juice using a bench top PEF system to study effects of PEF on the activity of pectin methyl esterase (PME). Effects of electric strength on PME activity at a constant water bath temperature were studied using electric field strengths up to 35 kV/cm at 30 °C. Increase of electric field strength caused a significant inactivation of PME with increase in orange juice temperature (p < 0.05). A thermal inactivation study showed that heating of orange juice at the same temperature as orange juice during PEF treatment was not effective as PEF treatment in inactivating PME. Effects of electric field strength at different water bath temperatures were studied using electric field strengths up to 25 kV/cm and water bath temperatures of 10–50 °C. Higher electric field strengths at higher water bath temperature were the more effective to inactivate PME. A combination of PEF treatment at 25 kV/cm and a water bath temperature of 50 °C caused 90% inactivation of PME.
Concurrent engineering and its consequences

Abstract Technology and market changes introduce uncertainty and equivocality in the product development arena, and firms are considering various structural relationships to help them cope with these changes. Concurrent engineering (CE) is a mechanism that can reduce uncertainty and equivocality and improve an organization’s competitive capabilities. CE is typically manifested through concurrent work-flows, product development teams, and early involvement of constituents. It enables information to flow through the organization quickly and effectively thereby, reducing uncertainty. At the same time, it enables debate, clarification, and enactment which are essential elements in combating equivocality. CE practices are also purported to have significant effects on product innovation, quality, and premium price capabilities. This research carefully defines CE and creates a valid and reliable instrument to assess it. It reports on the development and testing of a model that relates CE to some of its most salient consequences. Half of the sample of 244 firms is used for exploratory purposes and half for confirmatory work and hypotheses testing. Results indicate that firms that experience a high technological and product change in their environment are using more CE practices. In addition, results suggest that CE practices have significant direct effects on product innovation. However, only the indirect effects of CE on quality and premium pricing are statistically significant. Firms with higher levels of product innovation have higher levels of quality. Firms with higher levels of product innovation do exhibit premium pricing capabilities but only if they affect quality capabilities. Firms that display elevated quality levels excel in their premium pricing capabilities.
Characteristics of Effective Graduate Psychology Courses: Student and Faculty Perspectives

This study compares graduate students' and faculty views of effective psychology courses. Students and faculty agreed on the more important (e.g., practical, challenging, and informative) and less important (e.g., assignments to enhance writing and speaking skills ingredients of effective courses. Students placed more emphasis on course components directly related to their class performance (e.g., clearly defined assignments and evaluation methods) than did faculty. Student participation in class, a potential source of feedback to instructors, was rated more highly by faculty than-students. In addition, students rated some short-range and course-specific components more highly than did faculty, whereas than did students. Strategies for addressing the different perspectives of students and faculty are suggested.
Estimation of number of spectrally distinct signal sources in hyperspectral imagery

With very high spectral resolution, hyperspectral sensors can now uncover many unknown signal sources which cannot be identified by visual inspection or a priori. In order to account for such unknown signal sources, we introduce a new definition, referred to as virtual dimensionality (VD) in this paper. It is defined as the minimum number of spectrally distinct signal sources that characterize the hyperspectral data from the perspective view of target detection and classification. It is different from the commonly used intrinsic dimensionality (ID) in the sense that the signal sources are determined by the proposed VD based only on their distinct spectral properties. These signal sources may include unknown interfering sources, which cannot be identified by prior knowledge. With this new definition, three Neyman-Pearson detection theory-based thresholding methods are developed to determine the VD of hyperspectral imagery, where eigenvalues are used to measure signal energies in a detection model. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods, two information criteria, an information criterion (AIC) and minimum description length (MDL), and the factor analysis-based method proposed by Malinowski, are considered for comparative analysis. As demonstrated in computer simulations, all the methods and criteria studied in this paper may work effectively when noise is independent identically distributed. This is, unfortunately, not true when some of them are applied to real image data. Experiments show that all the three eigenthresholding based methods (i.e., the Harsanyi-Farrand-Chang (HFC), the noise-whitened HFC (NWHFC), and the noise subspace projection (NSP) methods) produce more reliable estimates of VD compared to the AIC, MDL, and Malinowski's empirical indicator function, which generally overestimate VD significantly. In summary, three contributions are made in this paper, 1) an introduction of the new definition of VD, 2) three Neyman-Pearson detection theory-based thresholding methods, HFC, NWHFC, and NSP derived for VD estimation, and 3) experiments that show the AIC and MDL commonly used in passive array processing and the second-order statistic-based Malinowski's method are not effective measures in VD estimation.
Pathology of the NovaSure (Radio-Frequency) Impedance-Controlled Endometrial Ablation System

Abstract The widespread use of increasingly novel diagnostic and neoadjuvant therapeutic modalities necessitates that contemporary pathologists familiarize themselves with the spectrum of tissue derangements that may be seen in the eventual surgical specimens. In the management of endometrial lesions, for example, a variety of endometrial ablation technologies, such as cryosurgery, balloon therapy, microwave, hot circulating saline, and bipolar impedance technology, have been introduced in the past decade and are being utilized with increasing frequency. We describe herein pathologic changes associated with one such technology, the NovaSure impedance-controlled endometrial ablation system. The US Food and Drug Administration approved NovaSure in 2001 for ablation of the endometrial lining in premenopausal women with menorrhagia. The ablation is accomplished by the delivery of radio-frequency energy for a period of approximately 90 seconds through a device inserted transcervically into the endometrial cavi...
Does consumer debt cause economic recession? Evidence using directed acyclic graphs

This study investigates the relationship between consumer debt and aggregate economic activity based on time series methods and directed acyclic graphs (DAG). Quarterly US data, measured over the period 1980 to 2003, on consumer debt, gross domestic product (GDP), interest rates, housing starts, and domestic auto sales, are analysed in an Error Correction Model (ECM). Contemporaneous innovations from this ECM are given a structural representation, using recent developments in DAG modelling. The ECM and DAG components are summarized using innovation accounting techniques (impulse response functions and forecast error variance decomposition). The DAG causal pattern reveals a causal flow from GDP to consumer debt; the subsequent innovation accounting results also show that consumer debt is not exogenous in contrast to GDP and other indicators. This result concurs with a previous study based on Granger causality, but contradicts other works that claim consumer debt is a root cause of aggregate economic perfor...
Grounding: The good, the bad and the stupid

The grounding of electrical systems has become commonplace with little or no thought given to the consequences of indiscriminate grounding. The study of the history of application of electricity with respect to grounding reveals that early procedures that solved the problem at hand resulted in dangerous and hazardous electrical conditions years later. Lessons that Edison learned and have been forgotten will be described along with the early grounding practices. The solution to lightning arresters functioning resulted in allowing not only the lightning current but primary neutral current to enter the majority of the homes in North America. The disadvantages of multi-grounded neutral distribution systems are listed. The error in spacing of equipment grounding electrodes and Ufer grounds along with equipotential planes are described. Proposals for the resolution of these electrical misjudgments are presented. The predominate source of information on the evolution of the electrical distribution systems in North America was the complete set of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers' (AIEE) transaction located at the University of Kansas.
Holes with Dirichlet Conditions

In the fall of 1975, after studying the homogenization of monotone operators, described in Chap. 11, and the question of correctors, described in Chap. 13, I thought about degenerate elliptic problems, corresponding to holes in the domain, imposing either Dirichlet boundary conditions, described in this Chap. 15, or Neumann boundary conditions, described in Chap. 16. I started with the case of a homogeneous Dirichlet condition on the boundaries of the holes, which I discarded after proving easily that the solutions converge to 0, by an argument about the constant in the Poincare inequality.
The homeologous Zea mays gigantea genes: characterization of expression and novel mutant alleles

The two homeologous Zea mays gigantea (gi) genes, gi1 and gi2, arose from the last genome duplication event in the maize lineage. Homologs of these genes in other species are required for correct circadian rhythms and proper regulation of growth and development. Here we characterized the expression of these two maize gi genes. Although gi1 and gi2 shared comparable 24-hour rhythmic expression profiles, gi1 levels were consistently higher than gi2. Furthermore, short day photoperiods repressed gi2 expression. The transcriptional unit for gi1 is established based on 5’-RACE analysis. Two independent mutant alleles for gi1 are described that are caused by transposons of the Mutator (Mu) class inserted into the 5’-end of the gene. The type of Mu element and position of the transposon in gi1 was different for each gi1 allele. Mutant plants had a marked reduction in gi1 expression and carried transcripts interrupted by the Mu element. Together, these results provide a deeper understanding of the gi genes in maize. In addition, the novel gi1 mutant alleles described here will be valuable tools to study gi1 function in maize, as well as the role of circadian clock regulation in maize metabolism, growth, and development.
Travel burden and dentist bypass among dentally insured children.

OBJECTIVES Using administrative data from Iowa Medicaid and a large private dental insurer, we compared distance to the nearest primary care dentist for children ages 6-15 in 2012. Additionally, we examined rates of provider bypass in both populations as an indicator of spatial accessibility to dental care. METHODS We calculated measures of travel burden, including distance to the nearest primary care dentist and distance to current primary care dentist. Distance outcomes and rates of bypass, traveling beyond the nearest dentist for care, were compared by insurance type. RESULTS We found that Medicaid-enrolled children lived farther from the nearest dentist and farther from their current dentist than privately insured children. However, rates of bypass were higher among the privately insured population. These results were consistent among urban and rural residents; additionally, both rural populations demonstrated greater travel distances than urban dwellers. CONCLUSIONS Travel burden was greater among Medicaid-enrolled children. Lower rates of bypass, in conjunction with lower rates of dental utilization in this population, may indicate a distance threshold beyond which dental care becomes unattainable.
DNA repair and replication in xeroderma pigmentosum and related disorders.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), ataxia telangiectasia (AT), and Cockayne syndrome (CS) are human diseases t hat exhibit increased sensitivity to environmental carcinogens [e.g., ultraviolet (UV) light, ionizing radiations, chemicals] because of genetic defects in the patient’s capacity to repair and replicate damaged DNA accurately. The major defect in XP is a failure to repair UV damage to DNA; in AT, the failure is in repair or replication of double-strand breaks in DNA; in CS, the failure is in recovery of DNA replication after UV irradiation. Cancer is a major clinical feature of XP and AT, but not of CS. Each disease is complex, with multiple groups defined by complementation in cell-cell hybridization. Overlap is reported between some XP and CS groups. UV-sensitive hamster cell mutants are also known: most of these complement XP groups, and a human gene on chromosome 19 can correct the defects in hamster mutants, but not XP. XP group C is distinct from the other groups in exhibiting a strongly clustered mode of repair, as if only certain regions of the genome can be mended. This mode mainly occurs in confluent group C cells under conditions that permit much greater survival than in exponential growth, and therefore represents a more efficient mode of repair. These diseases all represent important examples of perturbation in the way carcinogen damage in DNA is metabolized, and further research aimed at identifying the kinds of molecular changes involved in the malignancy will be important.
A Larval and Ovipositional Medium for the Smaller European Elm Bark Beetle

Two artificial media for Scalytus multistriatus (Marsham) that contained wheat germ as the only major source of nutrition proved suitable for larval development and oviposition of viable eggs. The media differed mainly in the type of microbial inhibitors. Two complete generations of S. mullistriatus were reared on the media.
Mean Velocity and Turbulence Measurements of Supersonic Jets with Fluidic Inserts

The noise produced by the supersonic, high temperature jets that exhaust from military aircraft is becoming a hazard to naval personnel and a disturbance to communities near military bases. Fluidic inserts have been developed for noise reduction using distributed nozzle blowing. Fluidic inserts are created that simulate mechanical, hardwall corrugations, while having the advantage of being an on demand noise reduction method. This research focuses on detailed measurements of the flow field modifications created by the hardwalled and fluidic corrugations to better understand how each produces noise reduction of the jet. Unsteady velocity measurements using a Laser Doppler Velocimeter are performed on jets exhausting from nozzles with fluidic inserts and hardwall corrugations. Measured mean axial velocity and axial turbulence intensity are examined to illuminate the differences in the flow field from jets with fluidic inserts. Comparisons of laser Doppler measurements with RANS CFD simulations are shown with good agreement. The fluidic inserts produce less velocity deficit but more turbulence in the near exit region of the jet. After one jet diameter the mean flows are nearly identical, but the turbulent levels behind the fluidic inserts continue to be slightly higher than behind the hardwall corrugations.
An Automated Technic for Separate Fluorometric Measurement of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine in Urine

To meet the greatly increased clinical demands for measurement of catecholamines in urine, a partially automated method was developed for separate and direct measurement of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE). Catecholamine extraction was facilitated by mechanical shaking in batches, and subsequent analysis of the trihydroxyindole derivatives of E and NE was controlled and recorded using an in-stream automated technic. Measurement of E was obtained at pH 3.5 using ascorbic acid stabilization; measurement of NE was obtained at pH 6.0 using thioglycolic acid stabilization. In equimolar amounts, NE contributed less than 5% of the fluorescence at pH 3.5, and E contributed no fluorescence at pH 6.0. Recovery of E and NE added to urine samples averaged 99% (range, 77 to 115%) and 97% (range, 60 to 120%), respectively. Reproducibility of results from the same urine specimen gave coefficients of variation of 5.5% for E and 7.9% for NE when analyzed on the same day, and 10.5% for E and 7.7% for NE when analyzed on separate days. The results of specimens analyzed by us and by other laboratories were comparable. Serious interference by drugs or other compounds was limited. The method greatly increases the number of specimens that can be analyzed, and the results are more accurate than those obtained by previous technics.
Evidence-based Imaging and Cost-effectiveness Analysis in Cardiopulmonary Imaging

Evidence-based imaging is a paradigm for using the best evidence to guide medical decision making. Evidence-based imaging centers on formulating a clinical question focused on a specific patient scenario, conducting a literature search and critical review, summarizing the evidence, and using the information to guide medical decision making. Additional tools important to evidence-based imaging are clinical prediction rules, designed to provide evidence for when imaging should be used, and cost-effectiveness analysis, designed to quantify the economic and patient outcomes from medical interventions.
Abstract 1097:Arfinduction by Tgf-beta2 is mediated by Smad-2/3 dependent enhancement ofArftranscription

The Arf tumor suppressor gene product, p19Arf, is induced in response to certain oncogenic signals to block cancer development and progression. How the oncogenic cues are coupled to Arf promoter activation remains poorly defined, though. We took advantage of the fact that the Arf promoter is strictly controlled during development to investigate the normal regulatory mechanisms. We have recently published that Tgf-beta2 is required for Arf promoter activation at several sites in the developing mouse. To define mechanisms for the regulation, we developed a cell culture-based assay. We now show that Tgf-beta2 (5 ng/ml) induced p19Arf expression in WT mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs), enhanced Arf promoter activity in Arf lacZ/lacZ MEFs, and maintained a G1 cell cycle arrest in an Arf-dependent manner. The Arf promoter was also increased by Tgf-beta1, which functionally overlaps with Tgf-beta2, but not by Pdgf-B, a potent mitogen, nor BMP-2, another Tgf-beta superfamily member. To elucidate which pathway mediated the Tgf-beta2 effects, we used a panel of chemical inhibitors of Smad-dependent and -independent pathways. Among them, SB431542, a Tgf-beta type I receptor inhibitor, blocked Smad2 phosphorylation and impeded Tgf-beta2 induction of Arf. Genetic studies confirmed this because RNAi-driven knock-down of Tgf-beta receptor I, Smad2 or Smad3 impaired ArflacZ induction by Tgf-beta2. Further, Tgf-beta2 failed to induce p19Arf in Cre-treated Tgfbr2 flox/flox MEFs, in which Tgf-beta receptor II was deleted. Interestingly, the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 partially impeded Arf induction, showing cross-talk with Smad signals. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that Tgf-beta2 induced the binding of Smad2/3 and RNA Polymerase II to genomic DNA proximal to Arf exon 1 beta. Increased promoter binding preceded the progressively induced Arf mRNA and primary Arf transcripts at 24 and 48 hours, indicating that the induction was due to increased transcription. In summary, our results indicate that Tgf-beta2 induces the Arf promoter via a direct Smad-dependent signaling pathway. This study provides the first evidence that Arf expression is coupled to cell extrinsic signals. We are currently exploring this pathway in other type of cells and testing whether Arf induction by oncogenes also depends on Tgf-beta signaling. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1097.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LIGHTNING CHARACTERISTICS PARAMETERS IN CHONGQING DURING 1999～2008

Based on the monitoring data of lightning location system in Chongqing from 1999 to 2008,the spatial-temporal distribution and variation characteristics of lightning frequency,lighting current amplitude,lightning days and other lightning parameters which reflect lightning activity patterns are mainly analyzed with the mathematical statistics,regression analysis,trend analysis and other methods.The results show that the lightning activity frequency has remarkable seasonal and diurnal variation.54%~80% of seasonal changes concentrate in the summer and diurnal variations mainly concentrate in two time interval of 16∶00~18∶00 and 0∶00~2∶00.Both of lightning frequency and lightning days are higher in west area of Chongqing(the lower one is in the middle and southeast area,and the lowest one is in the northeast area).The lightning current intensity of positive lighting is obvious higher than that of negative lightning,and the positive lightning proportion and average lightning current intensity are both significant higher every month in winter than that in other seasons.The cumulative probability distribution formula of lightning amplitude frequency is obtained based on all above,which offers the theoretical basis to lightning protection and mitigation work.