cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian block-wise segmentation of interframe differences in video sequences

Abstract We present an algorithm for Bayesian estimation of temporally active and inactive spatial regions of video sequences. The algorithm aids in the use of conditional replenishment for video compression in many applications which feature a background/foreground format. For the sake of compatibility with common block-type coders, the binary-valued segmentation is constrained to be constant on square blocks of 8 × 8 or 16 × 16 pixels. Our approach favors connectivity at two levels of scale, with two intended effects. The first is at the pixel level, where a Gibbs distribution is used for the active pixels in the binary field of suprathreshold interframe differences. This increases the value of the likelihood ratio for blocks with spatially contiguous active pixels. The final segmentation also assigns higher probability to patterns of active blocks which are connected, since in general, macroscopic entities are assumed to be many blocks in size. Demonstrations of the advantage of the Bayesian approach are given through several simulations with standard sequences.
The biphasic response of porcine tendon to recombinant porcine growth hormone.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of recombinant porcine growth hormone (rpGH) administration on the growth and maturational changes of the calcanean tendon in male pigs. Twenty-four orchidectomized crossbred (Duroc X Large White X Landrace) pigs were randomly assigned to 2 months of rpGH-treatment (2mo-rpGH), 3 months of rpGH-treatment (3mo-rpGH), or saline-treated control (Control) groups. Saline or rpGH (10 mg/mL given as a constant dose throughout the experiment) was administered twice weekly via 1 mL intramuscular injections. Following the 2mo-rpGH treatment, tendon concentrations of proteoglycan (uronic acid) significantly decreased, non-reducible collagen cross-link content (HP) significantly increased, and hydroxyproline (Hyp) concentrations remained unchanged, with a concomitant significant increase in tendon DNA concentrations, suggesting an up-regulation of cell proliferation. In the 3mo-rpGH treated animals, a decrease in tendon DNA concentration, an increase in proteoglycan and hydroxyproline concentrations, as well as a decrease in HP cross-links were found, suggesting accretion and differentiation of the extracellular matrix components. These findings support the idea that calcanean tendon responds temporally to rpGH treatment, affecting both cell division and tendon metabolism. Responsiveness of the tendon collagen to rpGH may be influenced by the onset and/or the duration of the exogenous growth hormone treatment.
Technical Section: Fourier method for large-scale surface modeling and registration

Spherical harmonic (SPHARM) description is a powerful Fourier shape modeling method for processing arbitrarily shaped but simply connected 3D objects. As a highly promising method, SPHARM has been widely used in several domains including medical imaging. However, its primary use has been focused on modeling small or moderately sized surfaces that are relatively smooth, due to challenges related to its applicability, robustness and scalability. This paper presents an enhanced SPHARM framework that addresses these issues and show that the use of SPHARM can expand into broader areas. In particular, we present a simple and efficient Fourier expansion method on the sphere that enables large-scale modeling, and propose a new SPHARM registration method that aims to preserve the important homological properties between 3D models. Although SPHARM is a global descriptor, our experimental results show that the proposed SPHARM framework can accurately describe complicated graphics models and highly convoluted 3D surfaces and the proposed registration method allows for effective alignment and registration of these 3D models for further processing or analysis. These methods greatly enable the potential of applying SPHARM to broader areas such as computer graphics, medical imaging, CAD/CAM, bioinformatics, and other related geometric modeling and processing fields.
Viscoelasticity and surface tension at the defect-induced first-order melting transition of a vortex lattice

We show that thermally activated interstitial and vacancy defects can lead to first-order melting of a vortex lattice. We obtain good agreement with experimentally measured melting curve, latent heat, and magnetization jumps for ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}.$ The shear modulus of the vortex liquid is frequency dependent and crosses over from zero at low frequencies to a finite value at high frequencies. We also find a small surface tension between the vortex line liquid and the vortex lattice.
HALOTHANE ADSORPTION COMPLICATING THE USE OF SODA-LIME TO HUMIDIFY ANAESTHETIC GASES

If tbe anaesthetic circle system is arranged to increase the humidity of fresh anaesthetic gases by placing the carbon dioxide absorbent canister between the fresh gas inlet and the patient, drying of the soda-lime can occur. Very dry soda-lime adsorbs significant quantities of halothane. Using fresh soda-lime, effluent halothane concentration reached 50% of the input concentration in 35 s, but this time increased to 500s when dry soda-lime was used The use of dry soda-lime can result in a slow inhalation induction or in the release of adsorbed halothane during a subsequent anaesthetic.
Ultrastructural alterations in the mitochondrial membranes of ischemic myocardium as revealed by freeze-fracture technique☆☆☆

Abstract Mitochondrial membranes of ischemic myocardium were studied with freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Four fracture faces, two each from inner and outer membranes, were exposed. The protoplasmic leaflet or P face contained more intramembranous (IM) particles per μm 2 than the exoplasmic or E face of the same membrane. Mitochondria became swollen after coronary artery occlusion. The density of IM particles was more reduced on the outer membrane than on the inner membrane of mitochondria examined from myocardium ischemic for 45 min. Aggregation of IM particles was prominent in the tissue reperfused after 45 min of ischemia. Upon progression of ischemia the density of IM particles on both outer and inner membranes was reduced approximately by 50% in mitochondria from myocardium rendered ischemic for 2 and 24 h. More areas of the lipid bilayer which lacked IM particles were exposed in mitochondria examined from myocardium ischemic for 24 h and showed several successive undelineated fracture planes. These findings suggest that myocardial ischemia induces alterations in the lipid fluidity and the distribution pattern of IM particles of the mitochondrial membranes.
Development of local immunity: Role in mechanisms of protection against or pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial viral infections

The bronchus associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) and the precursor immunocompetent lymphoid cells in the nasopharynx, tonsils, and salivary glands represent the basic source of specific secretory IgA, other immunoglobulin, and T cell mediated specific immunity in the respiratory tract. The bulk of this immunologic reactivity is derived largely from BALT, and via the migration of antigen-sensitized immunocompetent cells, from the gut associated lymphoid tissues (GALT). Recent investigations have suggested that mechanisms underlying the development of virus-induced bronchopulmonary diseases, notably bronchospasm, include host factors such as altered immune response with persistent virus-specific IgE and IgG4 antibody responses in the respiratory tract, the appearance of specific immune complexes, and development of exaggerated immune response to other environmental agents and dietary proteins. In addition, pathogen related factors responsible for direct tissue damage during infection also play an important role.
Programming common distributions for precise 2 3 -values

In recent years the demand for precise exceedance probabilities in hypothesis testing has grown slowly but steadily. Certain procedures have been advanced and statistical software packages offer P-value printout, but accuracy is not always satisfactory. Available are FORTRAN and PASCAL listings for right tail probabilities corresponding to the z, X2, t, and F distributions, as well as the continued fraction formulas on which these are based. Smaller z and X2 arguments are better handled through power series. Empirically determined criteria for selecting the more efficient formula and for estimating the number of required iterations are built into the software. These are designed to yield right tail areas accurate to seven significant figures, regardless of the size of the exponent. Comparison with previously determined P-values have not produced any errors.
Far-field polarization characterization of the fundamental modes of a strip silicon waveguide

The fundamental quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes of a sub-wavelength strip silicon waveguide are not purely TE or TM as the plane waves in free space. We investigate theoretically and experimentally the far-field polarization compositions of the two waveguide modes after they emanate from the waveguide facet. The measured polarization extinction ratios (PERs) of 31 dB for the quasi-TM mode and 26 dB for quasi-TE mode using free-space polarizers are consistent with our numerical analysis. Moreover, our far-field simulations show that the free-space measurement of PERs is influenced, and in many cases limited, by the sizes of various apertures in the experimental setup. This suggests a potential trade-off between achievable PERs and overall power detection/collection efficiency.
Flexible simultaneous feasibility test in energy market

The simultaneous feasibility test (SFT) performs the network sensitivity analysis under the base case and contingency cases in power systems. This paper presents the practical implementation of the simultaneous feasibility test in the energy market. SFT calculation includes loss sensitivities and constraint shift factors either for E-nodes or P-nodes and the used reference is the distributed load reference. Several SFT modes are discussed in the paper. The schematic of data flow between SFT and other market system applications in a day-ahead market clearing process is also analyzed. Especially, the dead bus logic is proposed to compute the sensitivities for the open / dead node such as open unit. The calculating results based on PJM system are shown in the paper.
Inertial mode oscillations of Jupiter

The properties of the inertial modes of Jupiter are investigated using several different models for that planet. The inertial modes are rotationally induced oscillation modes for which the kinetic energy generally dominates the potential energy of oscillation. The frequency spectrum of the inertial modes mainly depends on the density stratification of Jupiter and sensitively reflects the existence or nonexistence of density discontinuities in the interior. A particularly interesting consequence of the calculations is that observations of the inertial oscillations of Jupiter may enable us to determine whether or not the dense hydrogen in the envelope of this planet undergoes the plasma phase transition (PPT). This may provide an astrophysical test of current theories of the thermodynamic properties of dense hydrogen. It is also found that the discontinuity modes associated with the PPT have observable amplitdues at the surface. These modes may provide an independent test of the interior structure of Jupiter.
A classification scheme for software modules

Abstract The current abstract view of the detailed architecture of a software program simply focuses on a set of modules that interact with each other. The pictorial view of the architecture of modules abstracts to a directed, connected, acyclic graph whose nodes are modules and whose arcs reveal the reference dependency relationship. No distinction exists among the modules. This paper provides a decided distinction. This paper introduces a new, formal, objective classification scheme of ten classes for modules. The process of fashioning the classification scheme applies the software principle of information hiding to three internal structural components of a module. These components are the variable, the data structure, and the subprogram. Two conceptual constructs enable information hiding. One is the encapsulation of a data structure (object). The other is the inaccessible section of a module which is the section that no external module can reference. Each module belongs to exactly one class. The assignment of a module to a class is objective, not subjective. The scheme opens up the opportunity for a deeper study into each class. The classes of the scheme are subjectively ranked into four categories, ranging from best to worst. The paper lists five benefits of this classification scheme, and relates these benefits to three application areas.
Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik''s ‘Confrontation’: A Reassessment

Responding to a recent symposium on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's 1964 article on the propriety of Christian-Jewish dialogue, this essay begins by assessing several arguments put forth by Soloveitchik. These include the incommensurability of religious faith, the risks interreligious dialogue presents to the Jewish minority, the dangers of syncretism, and the ability to separate neatly the sacred and the profane. The article then proceeds to discuss the nature of Catholic-Jewish today, and concludes with thoughts about the future of Christian and Jewish interaction.
One year psychosocial outcome in head injury.

Psychosocial outcome at one year post-injury was examined prospectively in 466 hospitalized head-injured subjects, 124 trauma controls, and 88 friend controls. The results indicate that head injury is associated with persistent psychosocial limitations. However, the presence and extent of limitations are related to the demographics of the population injured, to other system injuries sustained in the same accident, and particularly to the severity of the head injury. More severe head injuries are associated with limitations implying greater dependence on others including poorer Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) ratings, dependent living, unemployment, low income, and reliance on family and social subsidy systems. Head injury severity is more closely related to more objective indices of psychosocial outcome (e.g., employment) than to self-perceived psychosocial limitations, such as measured by the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP).
Epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations in amphibian brain.

Abstract 1. The whole brain concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine in North American amphibians, orders Caudata and Salientia, are reported. 2. Epinephrine is the major catecholamine in the Salientia while norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations are roughly equivalent in suborders of Caudata. 3. Relative regional concentrations are similar to other classes (mammals, reptiles and birds) although the absolute concentration of epinephrine is considerably higher in amphibians than in most other species.
Crystal structure of colicin Ia

The ion-channel forming colicins A, B, El, Ia, Ib and N all kill bacterial cells selectively by co-opting bacterial active-transport pathways and forming voltage-gated ion conducting channels across the plasma membrane of the target bacterium1,2. The crystal structure of colicin Ia reveals a molecule 210 A long with three distinct functional domains arranged along a backbone of two extraordinarily long α-helices. A central domain at the bend of the hairpin-like structure mediates specific recognition and binding to an outer-membrane receptor3. A second domain mediates translocation across the outer membrane via the TonB transport pathway4; the TonB-box5 recognition element of colicin Ia is on one side of three 80 A-long helices arranged as a helical sheet. A third domain is made up of 10 α-helices which form a voltage-activated and voltage-gated ion conducting channel across the plasma membrane of the target cell. The two 160 A-long α-helices that link the receptor-binding domain to the other domains enable the colicin Ia molecule to span the periplasmic space and contact both the outer and plasma membranes simultaneously during function6,7.
Formation of bubbles in a simple co-flowing micro-channel

Bubble generation in a simple co-flowing micro-channel with a cross-sectional area of 1.69 × 0.07 mm2 was experimentally and numerically investigated. Air and water were used as the gas and liquid, respectively. Mixtures of water–glycerol and water–Tween 20 were also used to obtain the effects of viscosity and surface tension. The experimental data show that the break-up process is periodic under certain operating conditions. The break-up dynamics are also examined using three-dimensional incompressible two-phase flow numerical simulation based on the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The simulation successfully predicts the flow behavior and provides a more detailed examination of the bubble shape. The physics can be further explained by the detailed micro-PIV measurements, which show that the bubble is formed due to the velocity component perpendicular to the gas flow created by the sudden change of the liquid velocity distribution around the barrier. The bubble length L is dependent on the liquid flow rate Ql and the gas flow rate Qg, and the ratio of L to the channel width w is a function of the ratio of gas and liquid flow rates Qg/Ql which is similar to that previously used in the T-junction case. The formulation of bubble frequency f is derived under current conditions and it shows a good agreement with the experimental data at the low frequency region. Different bubble shapes can be obtained at different liquid viscosities and surface tensions. The ratio L/w can still be predicted by a modified equation which uses the real bubble width wb or an equivalent bubble length Le.
Cancer Chemoprevention with Korean Angelica: Active Compounds, Pharmacokinetics, and Human Translational Considerations

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is a major medicinal herb used in Korea and several other Asian countries. Traditionally, its dried root has been used to treat anemia, pain, infection and articular rheumatism, most often through boiling in water to prepare the dosage forms. AGN extract or AGN-containing herbal mixtures are sold in the US and globally as dietary supplements for pain killing, memory enhancement and post-menopausal symptom relief. Decursin (D) and its isomer decursinol angelate (DA) are the major chemicals in the alcoholic extracts of the root of AGN. The anti-cancer activity of AGN alcoholic extract has been established in a number of animal cancer models, including a transgenic model of prostate carcinogenesis. Cell culture structure-activity studies have uncovered distinct cellular and molecular effects of D and DA vs. their pyranocoumarin core decursinol (DOH) with respect to cancer cells and those associated with their microenvironment. Pharmacokinetic (PK) study by us and others in rodent models indicated that DOH is the major and rapid in vivo first-pass liver metabolite of D and DA. Cognizant of metabolic differences among rodents and humans, we carried out a first-in-human PK study of D/DA to inform the translational relevance of efficacy and mechanism studies with rodent models. The combined use of vigorous animal tests and human PK studies can provide stronger scientific rationale to inform design and execution of translational studies to move AGN toward evidence-based herbal medicine.
Lifetime cost optimization with time-dependent reliability

Product lifetime cost is largely determined by product lifetime reliability. In product design, the former is minimized while the latter is treated as a constraint and is usually estimated by statistical means. In this work, a new lifetime cost optimization model is developed where the product lifetime reliability is predicted with computational models derived from physical principles. With the physics-based reliability method, the state of a system is indicated by computational models, and the time-dependent system reliability is then predicted for a given set of distributions and stochastic processes in the model input. A sampling approach to extreme value distributions of input stochastic processes is employed to make the system reliability analysis efficient and accurate. The physics-based reliability analysis is integrated with the lifetime cost model. The integration enables the minimal lifetime costs including those of maintenance and warranty. Two design examples are used to demonstrate the propos...
UV refractive indices of aqueous ammonium sulfate solutions

Refractive indices of aqueous solutions of ammonium sulfate were measured over a wavelength range of 240 to 400 nanometers (nm) at a temperature of 292 K. The solutions examined cover a broad range from the saturation concentration of ammonium sulfate in water at 292 K down to low concentrations. Solutions studied were: 42.5, 30.4, 23.6, 16.3, 8.5 weight per cent ammonium sulfate. Optical field measurements of these aerosols require knowing the necessary optical constants, and these constants in the ultraviolet (UV) are given here. Our results were found to be in agreement with literature values at longer wavelengths. Additionally, a Lorentz-Lorenz analysis is presented to extend our results to other wavelengths and temperatures.
Lethal effects of Northwest Atlantic Ocean isolates of the dinoflagellate, Scrippsiella trochoidea, on Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and Northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) larvae

The thecate dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea is a cosmopolitan, bloom-forming alga that has been generally considered non-toxic. Here, we report that environmentally relevant cell densities (104 cells mL−1) of Scrippsiella trochoidea strains isolated from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean caused 100% mortality in Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae during 3-day exposures while parallel control larvae exhibited 100% survival. S. trochoidea also exhibited lethal effects on Northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) larvae (70% mortality during 3-day exposure) but were non-toxic to juvenile fish (Cyprinodon variegates). The cultures of S. trochoidea were more lethal to Northern quahog larvae than ten other species of harmful algae, including the highly toxic species Cochlodinium polykrikoides. Scrippsiella trochoidea cultures within later stages of growth were more toxic than exponential growth stages to bivalve larvae, and the toxicity was dose dependent. Furthermore, toxicity was maintained in the cultures that were sonicated, boiled, and frozen as well as in resuspended residues of the culture but was significantly lower in cell-free culture media. Collectively, these results suggest that S. trochoidea causes mortality in bivalve larvae through a physicochemical rather than strictly chemical mechanism, such as clogging of larval feeding apparatuses by materials produced by S. trochoidea (e.g., lipids, extracellular polysaccharides, and/or cell debris) which accumulate as cells in culture or blooms age. This is the first report of the lethal effects of Scrippsiella trochoidea on shellfish larvae.
Can Confidence Come Too Soon? Collective Efficacy, Conflict and Group Performance over Time.

Abstract Groups with a strong sense of collective efficacy set more challenging goals, persist in the face of difficulty, and are ultimately more likely to succeed than groups who do not share this belief. Given the many advantages that may accrue to groups who are confident, it would be logical to advise groups to build a high level of collective efficacy as early as possible. However, we draw on Whyte’s (1998) theory of collective efficacy and groupthink, to predict that when confidence emerges at a high level toward the beginning of a group’s existence, group members may be less likely to engage in process conflict; a form of conflict that may be beneficial in the early phase of a group project. We found support for this prediction in two longitudinal studies of classroom project teams.
Time-dependent scaling relations and a cascade model of turbulence

We study the time-dependent solutions of a nonlinear cascade model for homogeneous isotropic turbulence first introduced by Novikov & Desnyansky. The dynamical variables of the model are the turbulent kinetic energies in discrete wave-number shells of thickness one octave. The model equations contain a parameter C whose size governs the amount of energy cascaded to small wavenumbers relative to the amount cascaded to large wavenumbers. We show that the equations permit scale-similar evolution of the energy spectrum. For 0 ≤ C ≤ 1 and no external force, the freely evolving energy spectrum displays the Kolmogorov k power law, and the total energy decreases in time as a power t−w, where the exponent w depends on the value of C. Grid-turbulence experiments seem to favour a value of C in the range 0·3-0·6. In the presence of an external stirring force acting near a wavenumber k0, the model predicts, in addition to the Kolmogorov k spectrum for k > k0, a scale-similar flow of energy to wavenumbers k 1 to the behaviour of turbulent fluid for a spatial dimensionality near 2. The model is shown to approach the Kovasznay and the Leith diffusion approximation equations in the limit in which the thickness of the wavenumber shells approaches zero. However, the cascade model with finite shell thicknesses appears to behave in a more physically reasonable way than the limiting differential equations.
Tetrathiolate coordination of germanium(IV) in a protein active site

Abstract The tetracysteine metal coordination site of the rubredoxins from Clostridium pasteurianum ( Cp ) and Pyrococcus furiosus ( Pf ) are shown to stably bind the inorganic Ge(IV) ion. This is the first characterized coordination complex of tetravalent germanium with a biological macromolecule. Zn(II), Ga(III) and Ge(IV) substitution yields differential NMR chemical shifts for the 1 H and 15 N amide resonances throughout much of the protein structure. The differential shifts for the six backbone amides that hydrogen bond to the metal-coordinated sulfurs indicate that the pseudo 2-fold symmetry of the active site is more closely maintained in the hyperthermophile Pf rubredoxin than in its mesophile Cp homolog. These three metal substitutions form an isoelectronic series of small diamagnetic proteins for which reference structures are known to 1 A resolution. These series provide a promising system to analyze theoretical predictions of the effects of differential charge distribution on chemical shifts from both proximal and long range interactions.
Linear operation of the MOSFET complementary pair

An arctangent model is derived to represent the voltage-transfer characteristic of a type of MOSFET complementary pair. Biasing for class-A operation may be accomplished by directly connecting output and input ports; the resulting observed variation in voltage gain caused by variations in the power-supply voltage is explained. A 10-kHz sinusoidal oscillator using two pairs is realized.
Impact of Mobility on Last Encounter Routing Protocols

In this study, we analyze last encounter based routing protocol (eg., FResher Encounter SearcH, or FRESH) that utilizes encounter history to create time (or age) gradients for information diffusion in wireless networks. FRESH protocols can be used for resource discovery, routing or node location, and hold great promise for future wireless networks. We provide the first study on sensitivity of this class of protocols to a rich set of mobility models (manhattan, group, random walk and random waypoint models). We find that FRESH is sensitive to the mobility pattern. However, somewhat to our surprise, FRESH's performance after warm-up is insensitive to velocity for all the mobility models examined. To expose the fundamental reason behind these observations, we develop analytical models to analyze FRESH's performance and validate these models via extensive simulations. Finally, our analysis concludes that the characteristics of the age gradient tree is the key factor to explain this interplay between mobility and the performance of FRESH protocols.
Internal efficiency analysis of 280-nm light emitting diodes

Compact ultraviolet light sources are currently of high interest for a range of applications, including solid-state lighting, short-range communication, and bio-chemical detection. We report on the design and analysis of AlGaN-based light-emitting diodes with an emission wavelength near 280 nm. Internal device physics is investigated by three-dimensional numerical simulation. The simulation incorporates a drift-diffusion model for the carrier transport, built-in polarization, the wurtzite energy band-structure of strained quantum wells, as well as radiative and nonradiative carrier recombination. Critical material parameters are identified and their impact on the simulation results is investigated. Limitations of the internal quantum efficiency by electron leakage and nonradiative recombination are analyzed. Increasing the stopper layer bandgap is predicted to improve the quantum efficiency and the light output of our LED substantially.
Serum-free media for periosteal chondrogenesis in vitro.

Organ culture studies involving whole explants of periosteum have been useful for studying chondrogenesis, but to date the standard culture model for these explants has required the addition of fetal bovine serum to the media. Numerous investigators have succeeded in culturing chondrocytes and embryonic cells in serum-free conditions but there have been no studies focused on achieving a defined, serum-free media for culturing periosteal explants. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if whole periosteal explants can be grown and produce cartilage in serum-free conditions, and to define the minimum media supplements that would be conducive to chondrogenesis. 321 periosteal explants were obtained from the medial proximal tibiae of 31 two month-old NZ white rabbits and cultured using a published agarose suspension organ culture model and DMEM for six weeks. The explants were cultured with and without fetal bovine serum or bovine serum albumin and exposed to transforming growth factor beta alone, a combination of growth factors we call ChondroMix (10 ng/ml transforming growth factor beta, 50 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor, and 5 μg/ml growth hormone), and/or ITS+ (2.08 μg/ml each of insulin, transferrin, and selenious acid, plus 1.78 μg/ml linoleic acid and 0.42 mg/ml BSA). Maximal chondrogenic stimulation in this study was observed with the combination of ChondroMix and ITS+. However, the minimal requirement to match or exceed the level of chondrogenic stimulation seen in the standard model (TGF-1 in 10% FBS) was achieved simply by the addition of 2.0 μg/ml insulin in 0.1% BSA-containing medium (p<0.05). Therefore, based on our results, it would be reasonable to assume that insulin is the component in ITS+ responsible for the observed increase in total cartilage growth. Lower concentrations of insulin were not effective, suggesting that the observed effect of insulin requires activation of the IGF-1 receptor.
Management of postoperative lymphoceles after lymphadenectomy: percutaneous catheter drainage with and without povidone-iodine sclerotherapy

Purpose To report our single-center experience in managing symptomatic lymphoceles after lymphadenectomy for genitourinary and gynecologic malignancy and to compare clinical outcomes of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) alone versus PCD with transcatheter povidone-iodine sclerotherapy (TPIS).
Filial Responsibility and Transitions Involved: A Qualitative Exploration of Caregiving Daughters and Frail Mothers

One of the consequences of an aging society is the growing need for caregivers to the increasing number of frail older persons. This study is a qualitative examination of filial responsibility between caregiving daughters and frail mothers. It explores filial expectations and motivations and how incongruencies are met and negotiated. Twenty-two women (eleven caregiving dyads) were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Employing the grounded theory methodology, interviews were analyzed both individually and dyadically for content and themes. What emerged from the analysis was a grounded theory framework of four intrapsychic caregiving and care-receiving transitions: (1) Realizing I am a Caregiver/Care-receiver; (2) Defining the Caregiver/Care-receiver Roles; (3) Redefining the Caregiving Relationship; and (4) Relationship Acceptance. The transitions identified here comprise a loose framework influenced by different levels of filial responsibility—personal, parental, family, and religious. In addition to the four transitions, one overarching theme called “Emotional Responses to Informal Caregiving and Care-receiving” was evident throughout the findings. Findings from this research provide a framework for understanding the often unclear transitions that daughters and mothers believe they go through. Research implications are discussed for researchers, therapists, caregiving support group leaders, and women who are contemplating or confronted with filial responsibility.
Long term alterations in synaptic physiology, expression of β2 nicotinic receptors and ERK1/2 signaling in the hippocampus of rats with prenatal nicotine exposure

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with long lasting, hippocampus dependent, cognitive deficits in children. The current study was performed to investigate the effect of prenatal nicotine exposure on excitatory synaptic physiology and cellular signaling in the hippocampus using a rodent model. Excitatory synaptic physiology was analyzed using electrophysiological methods to detect changes in synaptic plasticity, excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic currents mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in the hippocampus. Additionally, western blot experiments were performed to quantify alterations in protein expression levels in the hippocampus. Prenatal nicotine exposure resulted in a decrease in long term potentiation (LTP) and an increase in long term depression (LTD). Basal synaptic transmission was also reduced with a concomitant decline in AMPAR mediated synaptic currents at the cellular and single channel levels. Presynaptic pool of vesicles docked close to release sites were also diminished in nicotine exposed rats. Moreover, reduced levels of β2 subunit containing nicotinic receptors and extracellular signal regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) were observed in nicotine exposed rats. These results suggest that long lasting alterations in excitatory synaptic physiology, AMPAR synaptic currents and ERK1/2 signaling may serve as the molecular mechanisms for cognitive deficits associated with prenatal nicotine exposure.
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spiralis in finishing swine raised in different production systems in North Carolina, USA

Abstract We compared the seroprevalence of both Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spiralis in finishing pigs raised in different production systems in North Carolina, USA. Farms were either finishing sites using all-in/all-out management of buildings in multiple-site systems (14 farms) or farrow-to-finish systems using continuous-flow management of finishing barns or outdoor accommodation (14 farms). The two groups of herds differed with respect to several management variables. A total of 13 of 2238 samples (0.58%) were positive for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii using the modified agglutination test. Of these, 12 were from 63 pigs sampled on a farm where finishing pigs were kept on pasture. Only one of 1752 (0.057%) samples from pigs kept in total confinement systems was seropositive. Only one pig of 2183 (0.046%) tested positive by ELISA for antibodies against T. spiralis. In this region, management practices in modern production systems appear to be adequate to virtually eliminate the risk of infection of finishing pigs with both T. gondii and T. spiralis .
Nuclear Photodissociation by High Energy Synchrotron Gamma-Rays

The stars and single proton tracks produced in photographic emulsions exposed to a beam of high energy synchrotron gamma-rays have been analyzed. The maximum energy of the bremsstrahlung spectrum was varied between 150 and 300 Mev. The following subjects were studied: 1. the cross section for star production as a function of the excitation energy; 2. the energy distribution of the protons from stars as well as single protons; 3. the angular distribution of star protons as well as single protons; and, 4. the relative number of stars associated with a meson coming out.The cross section for the nuclear photoevents increases with increasing energy above the meson threshold. There seem to be two sorts of processes taking place in competition with each other. One is the so called free meson effect; namely, a free meson is produced inside the nucleus by the interaction of a photon with a nucleon and is then absorbed in the same nucleus. The other effect is a process in which a photon is absorbed directly by a group of nuclear particles without emitting a real meson. Evidence for the free meson effect is seen in the fact that the angular distribution of star protons of energy between 20 and 60 Mev in the case of 300-Mev excitation shows a strong forward peak. Evidence for the existence of the direct absorption of photons comes from the fact that the angular distribution of star protons of high energy, say about 100 Mev, shows a forward asymmetry.The cross section for direct absorption is much larger than expected from Levinger's theory of nuclear photodissociation. The cross section should be at least of the same order of magnitude as the free meson effect.
Suprathreshold image compression based on contrast allocation and global precedence

Visually lossless image compression algorithms aim to keep the compression-induced distortions below the threshold of visual detection, most-often by exploiting the fact that contrast sensitivity varies with spatial frequency. However, when an image is coded in a visually lossy manner, there is little evidence to suggest that visual quality is preserved by minimizing the compression-induced distortions. This paper presents a visually lossy wavelet image compression algorithm based on contrast allocations and visual global precedence: subbands are quantized such that the distortions in the reconstructed image exhibit specific root-mean squared contrast ratios, and such that edge structure is preserved across scale-space, with a preference for global spatial scales. A model which relates contrast (of the distortions) in the reconstructed image to mean-squared error in the wavelet subbands is derived and presented; this model provides an efficient means of adjusting contrast in the transform domain via traditional quantization techniques, thus allowing the algorithm to be used in a wide variety of coders.
Getting well: Impression management as stroke rehabilitation

Participant observation, interview and photographic data reveal how stroke victims are taught impression management skills to cope with the physical limitations and sick role status brought on by their ailment. Their rehabilitation process is collective, intentional and seeks to have stroke victims redefined as normal, healthy individuals. This analysis focuses on the group's work to demedicalize the social definition of their condition.
Why thrombin generation? From bench to bedside.

Intervention for clotting and bleeding disorders is costly, and clear-cut regimens undefined. The margin of safety between hemostasis and thrombosis is narrow and unpredictable. The use of a laboratory test to help define therapeutic regimens, dissect effects of these treatments, and to differentiate them are clearly needed. The current state of the art of thrombin generation is ready to do this.
A Chronic Need for IL-21

Chronic viral infections provoke a war of attrition between cytotoxic T cells (the CD8+ subclass) of the immune system and infected host cells. Although the CD8+ T cell response gradually whittles away at the viral load, the cells progressively become “exhausted” and lose function during a chronic infection ( 1 ). This exhaustion becomes more severe in the absence of helper CD4+ T cells, potentially leading to viral persistence and loss of virus-specific CD8+ T cells ( 1 , 2 ). But how do CD4+ cells help? Three reports in this issue, by Elsaesser et al. on page 1569 ( 3 ), Yi et al. on page 1572 ( 4 ), and Frohlich et al. on page 1576 (5), suggest an unexpected role for a specific cytokine produced by CD4+ T cells called interleukin-21 (IL-21) in controlling chronic viral infections.
Broadband viscoelastic spectroscopy measurement of mechanical loss and modulus of polycrystalline BaTiO3 vs. temperature and frequency

Characterization of pure polycrystalline BaTiO, was carried out by means of Broadband Viscoelastic Spectroscopy (BVS) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) above ambient temperature. A peak in mechanical loss has been observed near the Curie point 130 °C. The magnitude of the peak increases with thermal rate and decreases with frequency. Expressions for the peak magnitude have been derived based upon available models describing the first order phase transition. Mechanical anomalies were observed outside the vicinity of the phase transition. Transition temperature measured by BVS differed from that via DSC; the effect of stress on the ferroelastic transformation is a possible cause. Isothermal frequency scans revealed a hump in mechanical loss in the vicinity of the transition temperature below 1 Hz and a modulus decrease with decreasing frequency. Quasi-isothermal studies revealed a significant softening in bulk modulus and a transient negative Poisson's ratio during the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition.
Tangible interactions in a digital age: Medium and graphic visualization in design journals

Designers are interacting with an increasing number of digital tools in their design process; however, these are usually in addition to the traditional and ubiquitous paper-based design journals. This paper explores the medium of informal design information and its relationships with sketching behavior over three stages of the design process: preliminary investigation and user needs analyses, concept generation and development, and prototyping and testing. Our test bed consists of tangible, digital, and hybrid design journals collected from four semesters of UC Berkeley's graduate level, multidisciplinary course titled “Managing the New Product Development Process: Design Theory and Methods.” We developed protocols for two categories of analysis: one that codes for the media type of each journal and its content, and another one that characterizes the content within the journal. We found a trend toward hybrid digital–tangible journals for the engineering students over the 4-year period. These hybrid journals exhibited a higher degree of detail over advancing design stages, which has been shown to correlate with improved project performance. We also present several case studies of unusual design journals that illustrate the range of designers' interpretations of design journals as a medium. Based on this descriptive research, features for interactive hybrid tangible–digital design journals are recommended.
Effects of Nonadditive Genetic Interactions, Inbreeding, and Recessive Defects on Embryo and Fetal Loss by Seventy Days

Lethal recessive genes that cause early embryo loss are difficult to detect. Nonreturn rate at 70 d after first insemination (NR) was evaluated as a trait of the embryo using 1,739,055 first-service records from 1,251 Holstein bulls represented as both service sires and sires of cows. Effects modeled included herd-year-season, parity of cow, sire of cow, service bull, interaction of service bull with sire of cow, and regression on inbreeding of embryo. Variances of service bull and sire of cow were estimated using REML and estimated effects were removed from the data. Interaction variance was estimated from the residuals using the tilde-hat approximation to REML. An additive relationship matrix was used for sire of cow and a dominance relationship matrix for the interaction term. Service bull effects were assumed constant across time and unrelated. For each 10% increase in inbreeding, NR percentage declined by an estimated 1%. A regression of this size could be explained by > 20% of animals carrying defects that cause early embryo loss. Of the total variance, service bull contributed 0.36%; sire of cow, 0.24% (heritability of 1.0%); and interaction, 0.18% (dominance variance of 2.8%). Numbers of records exceeded 500 for 50 bull pair subclasses. Predicted interactions that included effects of inbreeding ranged from - 3.6% to +2.9%, compared with the mean NR of 56%. The largest negative interactions were not caused by known recessive defects. Complex vertebral malformation generally causes loss of pregnancies later in gestation, and few current bulls carry the gene for deficiency of uridine monophosphate synthase. Further study of the families with largest negative interactions could uncover new recessive defects.
Harnessing and Challenging Hegemony: The U.S. Peace Movement after 9/11:

This article examines how U.S. peace movement organizations (PMOs) sought discursively to overcome cultural and political obstacles to mass mobilization after September 11, 2001. Quantitative and qualitative methods are blended to analyze the official statements of nine U.S. PMOs. Three factors influencing framing are considered: the cultural context, the political context, and oppositional identities. The events of 9/11 presented discursive and emotional opportunities for PMOs to harness hegemony by drawing on resonant ideas, conforming to emotional norms, and linking strong emotions to opposing war and repression. Legitimated political closure in the aftermath of 9/11 also encouraged PMOs to harness hegemony by arguing that consensus for war and repression presented threats to civil liberties and democracy. Oppositional identities rooted in consciousness of structural inequalities encouraged PMOs to challenge hegemony, however, by highlighting the costs of war and repression of minority groups. This art...
e-Prescribing: characterisation of patient safety hazards in community pharmacies using a sociotechnical systems approach

Objective To characterise the safety hazards related to e-prescribing in community pharmacies. Methods The sociotechnical systems framework was used to investigate the e-prescribing technology interface in community pharmacies by taking into consideration the social, technical and environmental work elements of a user's interaction with technology. This study focused specifically on aspects of the social subsystem. Study design and setting The study employed a cross-sectional qualitative design and was conducted in seven community pharmacies in Wisconsin. Direct observations, think aloud protocols and group interviews were conducted with 14 pharmacists and 16 technicians, and audio recorded. Recordings were transcribed and subjected to thematic content analysis guided by the sociotechnical systems’ theoretical framework. Results Three major themes that may increase the potential for medication errors with e-prescribing were identified and described. The three themes included: (1) increased cognitive burden on pharmacy staff, such as having to memorise parts of e-prescriptions or having to perform dosage calculations mentally; (2) interruptions during the e-prescription dispensing process; and (3) communication issues with prescribers, patients and among pharmacy staff. Pharmacy staff reported these consequences of e-prescribing increased the likelihood of medication errors. Conclusions This study is the first of its kind to identify patient safety risks related to e-prescribing in community pharmacies using a sociotechnical systems framework. The findings shed light on potential interventions that may enhance patient safety in pharmacies and facilitate improved e-prescribing use. Future studies should confirm patient safety hazards reported and identify ways to use e-prescribing effectively and safely in community pharmacies.