cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeated DNA in Pneumocystis carinii.

Abstract A 16-kb DNA fragment designated Rp3-1 and cloned from the genome of rat-derived Pneumocystis carinii was found to contain sequences that were repeated approximately 70 times per genome. The repeated sequences in Rp3-1 spanned at least 10.4 kb. Sequences in Rp3-1 were present on each of the 16 P. carinii chromosomes resolved by field inversion gel electrophoresis. Most of the P. carinii genomic sequences homologous to those in the Rp3-1 clone appeared to be as long as those in the Rp3-1 clone but were highly polymorphic with respect to restriction enzyme cleavage sites. The Rp3-1 DNA fragment appears to be a member of a family of large, degenerate, dispersed repeats.
De Vaucouleurs's Galaxy.

Gerard de Vaucouleurs proposed the standard geometerical descriptions of both the disk and spheroid populations of spiral galaxies, and applied this description in a pioneering model of the Galaxy. This talk describes the results of computer modeling of the Galaxy using the de Vaucouleurs distributions for the disk and spheroid.
Fast dielectric volume breakdown in liquid nitrogen

Summary form only given, as follows. Miniaturization of electrical components along with growing superconductor technology requires a better understanding of the phenomenology of breakdown in liquid nitrogen. It is known that the time delay between breakdown-onset and final impedance-limited arc current can occur within a few nanoseconds. For a temporal resolution down to several 100 ps, a discharge apparatus was built and tested that uses a cable discharge into a coaxial system with axial discharge, and a load line to simulate a matched terminating impedance. Main experiments are done in self-breakdown mode in supercooled liquid nitrogen, pulsed breakdown at high over-voltages in standard electrode geometry is investigated as well. Transmission line type current sensors and capacitive voltage dividers with fast amplifiers/attenuators cover an amplitude range of 0.1 mA to 1 kA with a time resolution of 300 ps, providing complete information about discharge voltage and current. The light emission is measured with fast photomultiplier tubes (risetime 800 ps), and these optical measurements will be supplemented by high-speed photography and spectroscopic investigations on a nanosecond time scale. Preliminary results on self-breakdown in the surface flashover mode with a gap width of 2 mm and electrodes with 5 mm radius of curvature (breakdown voltage /spl sim/ 60 kV) show a three-phase development: the current rises from an unknown level to several mA during 2 ns, stays approximately constant for 100 ns with superimposed ns-duration spikes, and shows a final exponential rise to the full impedance limited current amplitude during several nanoseconds. The detailed optical and spectroscopic diagnostics along with the high-speed electrical diagnostics will in particular address the physical mechanisms initiating/assisting the liquid nitrogen volume breakdown, such as bubble formation during the pre-breakdown phase.
Dual dipole imaging array for MIR and ECE imaging

Two dual dipole antennas have been designed in the frequency range of 85-95 GHz and 100-135 GHz for use as imaging array elements for magnetic fusion plasma microwave imaging reflectometry (MIR) and electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) diagnostics, respectively. The antenna pattern is of primary importance for these applications, with emphasis on clean antenna patterns and low sidelobe levels for low interchannel crosstalk, tight channel spacing to minimize interchannel spacing in the plasma, and wide instantaneous bandwidth for real time 2D imaging. The extremely high temperature of the imaged plasma (>10 million degrees), means that a low receiver noise temperature is not critical as long as it is sufficiently low (/spl les/20000 degrees) to facilitate absolute calibration. The simulated and measured antenna patterns are presented in this paper.
Dry Years Decrease Abundance of American Alligators in the Florida Everglades

The Everglades has been greatly reduced and is threatened by land use change and altered hydrology. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan calls for monitoring and assessment of key ecosystem attributes, one of which is abundance of American alligators. We examined 10 years of alligator night spotlight counts from Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge along two canals and in the interior marsh to determine trends and how dry years affect alligator abundance. Alligators showed population response to hydrologic conditions. In particular, there were declines in abundance after dry years followed by an apparent recovery in abundance in subsequent years. Increases in abundance were lower in the marsh than L-40 Canal. In addition, there was evidence that intensity of dry events affected population dynamics with greater declines observed in years with drier conditions. Results revealed that overall population of alligators increased from 2004 to 2013, but that increases varied by survey route. These results demonstrate that dry years cause a decline in alligator abundance proportional to the intensity of the dry event, and that it is important to make a distinction between canals and marsh when measuring alligator response to hydrology.
An unsteady wake model for a hingeless rotor

A simple nonsteady wake model derived from the unsteady moment of the momentum equation for zero advance ratio is correlated with cyclic pitch frequency response tests conducted with a small hingeless rotor model. Two and three or more bladed rotor analyses are presented.
On numerical methods for acoustic problems

Abstract Finite element methods are introduced for the approximate solution of periodic acoustic problems. A least squares technique is used for those problems which are governed by a first order system of partial differential equations while for second order equations, a Galerkin/multigrid technique is employed. In both cases, the solution process for the algebraic system resulting from discretization is iterative in character.
Fast parallel algorithms for the maximum sum problem

Abstract A problem in pattern recognition is to find the maximum sum over all rectangular subregions of a given (n × n) matrix of real numbers. The problem has one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) versions. For the 1D version, it is to find the maximum sum over all contiguous subvectors of a given vector of n real numbers. We give an algorithm for the 1D version running in O(log n) time using O( (n) ( log n) ) processors on the EREW PRAM, and an algorithm for the 2D version which takes O(log n) time using O( (n 3 ) ( log n) ) processors on the EREW PRAM.
SU-FF-T-633: Impact of Tissue Heterogeneity Corrections in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Treatment Plans for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose: To study the effect of tissue heterogeneity corrections on the dosimetry of stereotactic body radiation therapytreatment plans for patients with non‐small cell lungcancer.Materials and Methods: Data from 15 stage I non‐small cell lung patients was used. Treatment planning was done with 6 MV non‐opposing coplanar beams using Varian Eclipse TPS (PBC Algorithm with Modified Batho Power Law). Prescription dose was 60 Gy in 3 fractions with tissue heterogeneity corrections. Plans were normalized to deliver prescription dose to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) maintaining the spinal cord dose under 10 Gy. Separate plans were generated by recalculating the optimized treatment plans without heterogeneity correction while keeping identical beam arrangements, monitor units, and fluences. Results: Compared with the heterogeneity corrected plans, the uncorrected plans had lower minimum, mean, and maximum tumordoses by at least 12.5%, 7.7%, and 6.0%. The PTV receiving less than prescription dose was significantly higher (>25%) in the uncorrected plans. The percentage of uninvolved lung volume receiving minimum doses of 10 Gy, 15 Gy, 20 Gy, and 30 Gy was ⩽ 10% for both treatment plans. However, the uncorrected plans calculated slightly less dose to normal lung. The average maximum spinal cord dose was 8.56 Gy and 9.73 Gy for corrected and uncorrected plans respectively. Conclusions: Treatment plans optimized with tissue heterogeneity corrections were generated to satisfy planning goals and constraints. Re‐calculating such plans without tissue heterogeneity corrections and keeping identical conditions of beam and monitor units resulted in target underdosing because the planning system assumed that more tissue attenuation was present than is actually the case. By extension, failure to use tissue heterogeneity correction to plan complex beam arrangements to treattumors within the lung will lead to delivery of higher doses than are prescribed to less than optimum dose distributions.
Isolation and characterisation of wheat flour proteins. IV.—effects on wheat flour proteins of dough mixing and of oxidising agents†

Proteins dispersible in 3M-urea increased from about 65 to 85% during mixing of dough in Farinograph. The increase was positively correlated with length of mixing. Protein dispersibility was highest in doughs mixed with five-fold excess potassium iodate, and was lowest in flours. Intermediate amounts of proteins were extracted from doughs mixed in air, in a nitrogen atmosphere, or in air with a five-fold excess of potassium bromate. Proteins, extracted with 3M-urea from doughs mixed to optimum consistency, were separated by fractionation on Sephadex G-100 columns into at least 6 fractions, constituting 3 distinct peaks. Distribution of proteins in the peaks was measured by Kjeldahl-N, biuret, and absorbance at 280 mμ methods. Mixing in air, but not in a nitrogen atmosphere, increased substantially the amount of proteins with a molecular weight above 150,000 and decreased the amount of low molecular-weight proteins. The effects of mixing bromated doughs were similar to mixing plain doughs in air, but the chemical modifications in bromated doughs were much more pronounced. No such changes were observed in iodate-treated doughs. Similar changes in distribution of protein fractions were observed when the gross protein extracts or Sephadex-fractionated proteins were studied by electrophoresis on starch gel in the presence of 3M-urea.
Automated crime report analysis and classification for e-government and decision support

With an increasing number of anonymous crime tips and reports being filed and digitized, it is generally difficult for crime analysts to process and analyze crime reports efficiently. We are developing a decision support system (DSS), combining Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, a document similarity measure, and machine learning, i.e., a Naive Bayes' classifier, to support crime analysis and classify which crime reports discuss the same and different crime. The DSS is developed with text mining techniques and evaluated with an active crime analyst. We report here on an experiment that includes two datasets with 40 and 60 crime reports and 16 different types of crimes for each dataset. The results show that our system achieved the highest classification accuracy (94.82%), while the crime analyst's classification accuracy (93.74%) is slightly lower.
Ablation of atrial fibrillation in the rapid pacing canine model using a multi-electrode loop catheter

Abstract OBJECTIVES This investigation details our experience using a loop catheter to ablate atrial fibrillation (AF) in dogs. BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia and has significant morbidity. Maintenance of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) after conversion in many patients is still a challenge. METHODS A multi-electrode loop catheter was used to create linear atrial lesions to ablate AF in a rapid atrial pacing model in 29 dogs. Rhythm status was assessed over a six-month recovery period, after which tissue analysis was performed. RESULTS Acute conversion to NSR or atrial tachycardia (AT) was achieved in 90% of cases. Six of 26 conversions occurred after only left atrial (LA) lesions, and two after just right atrial lesions. Sixteen (62%) of 26 lesions that resulted in AF conversion were in the LA, and 11 of these 16 conversions occurred during a lesion connecting the mitral ring to the pulmonary veins. Acute conversion rate was similar with ring and coil electrodes, but AT was more frequent with coil electrodes (63% vs. 31%). At six months 80% of dogs were in NSR, 14% were in AT, and 7% remained in AF. There was an average reduction in P-wave amplitude of 64 ± 26% after power application. Tissue analysis revealed transmural contiguous lesions when final outcome was NSR, and nontransmural/noncontiguous lesions where AF persisted. CONCLUSIONS Multi-electrode loop catheters can create contiguous transmural lesions in either atrium to safely and effectively ablate AF and provide a stable long-term rhythm outcome in this dog model. The left atrium appears to be the dominant chamber that sustains AF. Atrial tachycardia is a frequent acute outcome with coil electrodes.
The supreme court, family policy, and alternative family lifestyles: The clash of interests

This article reviews the basis for the judicial system's involvement in the development of national family policy. Major Supreme Court decisions in establishing the rights of the nuclear family, the extended family, foster families, communal families, homosexual couples, and unwed fathers are discussed. The Supreme Court is seen as having established the parameters of a nationally definedfamily, and the implications of the court's actions for the development of national family policy are considered.
Duration of venom immunotherapy: Relationship to the severity of symptoms of initial insect sting anaphylaxis

Abstract Background: This study assessed the postulate that the adequate duration of venom immunotherapy (VIT) is related to the severity of the initial sting anaphylactic symptoms. Methods: Data were collected from patients with venom allergy who had sting anaphylaxis and subsequent positive venom skin test results, received maintenance VIT, and had field re-stings after cessation of HT There were 217 re-stings in 113 patients with 15 systemic reactions in 10 patients (a re-sting reaction rate of 9% per sting and 7% per patient). Results: Re-sting reactions occurred in 1 of 25 patients with initial mild anaphylaxis (4%), 2 of 41 patients with moderate reactions (5%), and 7 of 47 patients with initial severe symptoms (15%). The results were not influenced by the duration of VIT or the interval between cessation of VIT and the re-sting. Eighteen patients who converted to negative skin test reactions had no reactions when re-stung. Conclusions: These results suggest a relationship between the severity of anaphylaxis and subsequent duration of HT Two to three years is sufficient for patients who had mild to moderate anaphylaxis. Longer duration of therapy is advisable for patients who had severe symptoms and continue to have positive venom skin test results.
Proportional Counter Photon Camera

A gas-filled proportional counter camera that images photon emitting sources was built and tested. This camera measures and displays the impact location of individual photons in an energy range between 1 and 150 keV and permits pulse shape and energy discrimination for background reduction. Possible fields of applications for this camera include nuclear medicine, nuclear physics, x-ray diffraction, and related areas. The signal processing of the camera is based on further improvements and simplifications of the risetime method as applied to multiwire position-sensitive counters. Materials inside the counter were selected so that the camera can be used over long periods of time without purification of the counter gas. The sensitive area of the camera is 200 × 200 mm2, and the size of each picture element is 1 × 1 mm2; thus 40,000 picture elements are resolved. Counting rates of up to 20,000 photons/s do not appreciably affect the spatial resolution. The camera has been tested only with low energy photons ( 10 atm) Xe counter gas, a useful detection efficiency (>30%) and good spatial resolution are expected for 150-keV photons.
Interactive analysis and visualization of situationally aware building evacuations

Evacuation of large urban structures, such as campus buildings, arenas, or stadiums, is of prime interest to emergency responders and planners. Although there is a large body of work on evacuation algorithms and their application, most of these methods are impractical to use in real-world scenarios (nonreal-time, for instance) or have difficulty handling scenarios with dynamically changing conditions. Our overall goal in this work is toward developing computer visualizations and real-time visual analytic tools for evacuations of large groups of buildings, and in the long term, integrate this with the street networks in the surrounding areas. A key aspect of our system is to provide situational awareness and decision support to first responders and emergency planners. In our earlier work, we demonstrated an evacuation system that employed a modified variant of a heuristic-based evacuation algorithm, which (1) facilitated real-time complex user interaction with first responder teams, in response to informat...
Transport coefficients for a silicon hydrodynamic model extracted from inhomogeneous Monte-Carlo calculations

Abstract A set of hydrodynamic equations is derived for a more accurate description of the hot-electron and nonstationary transport phenomena in Si devices containing local inhomogeneities in the submicron range. The transport coefficients are extracted from a Monte-Carlo calculation of a modeled test device which includes a rapidly varying electric field. The mobility is found to depend on the ratio of the average energy flux density to the current density (rather than the average energy) and the components of the electronic heat flux density are identified separately. This transport model can accurately predict velocity overshoot and carrier heating phenomena in realistic devices.
Eye development at the Houston "Fly Meeting"

The 47th Annual Drosophila Research Conference or "Fly Meeting" took place at Houston, Texas, USA from March 29th- April 2nd, 2006, under the aegis of the Genetics Society of America. The Fly Meeting provides an excellent opportunity for fly researchers to present their work and to get a snapshot of recent developments and upcoming trends in their research field. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster is a very versatile model to study growth, patterning, neural development, evolution, systemetics and various other facets of biomedical science. The topics presented in the meeting covered a very broad spectrum of fly research. In this commentary, I have focused mainly on the presentations related to two fields: 1) research in various fields that use the Drosophila eye as a model system, and 2) the community resources available to all fly researchers.
Geological applications of simplex optimization

Abstract A FORTRAN program is described which translates elemental oxide data for a particular rock into a component set representation. This program is based on the simplex algorithm. To use the program, a component set for the rock of interest is selected and a response function is defined. This function is minimized according to the rules of the algorithm, and the coordinates of the minimum describe the fraction of each component in the rock. The algorithm is described and illustrated and new applications of it are presented. The advantages of simplex compared to least-squares and linear-programming approaches are discussed.
The effect of coal volatility on mercury removal from bituminous coal during mild pyrolysis

Abstract Two high volatile and one low volatile bituminous coals (Lower Freeport #6A, Pittsburgh #8 and Lower Kittanning, respectively) used primarily for electricity production were tested to determine the percentage of mercury content removed during mild pyrolysis. Size-segregated samples of the well-characterized coals were tested in a tube furnace with a nitrogen blanket at different residence times for different processing temperatures through the range 275–600°C. The resulting char was analyzed for mercury and compared to the original parent coal concentration to determine the percentage of removal. Experiments have shown that as much as 80% of the original mercury is removed from these coals at these conditions. The percentage mercury removal was found to be a function of residence time and temperature. The high volatile bituminous coals show a near-constant mercury removal rate as the temperature increases until the temperature reaches a level where mercury removal is inhibited and the rate decreases with increasing temperature. For the low volatile coal, the rate of mercury does not show a change in mechanism as temperature increases and follows the Arrhenius form throughout the temperature range studied. The results were modeled as a homogeneous reaction with distinct maximum percent mercury available for conversion ( X max ) for a specified temperature. Data analysis indicates the following: at 500°C, mild pyrolysis of the Lower Kittanning low volatile sample resulted in 75% maximum mercury removal and the corresponding reaction rate coefficient is 1.56 min −1 ; mild pyrolysis of Lower Freeport #6A coal sample at 500°C resulted in 74% maximum mercury removal and the corresponding reaction rate coefficient is 0.42 min −1 ; the Pittsburgh #8 coal sample had a maximum mercury removal amount of 80% at a furnace temperature of 400°C and a reaction rate coefficient of 0.44 min −1 .
Manipulations of the B-Side Charge-Separated States' Energetics in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides Reaction Center

The mutation HL(M182) in the Rb. sphaeroides reaction center (RC) results in the replacement of the monomer bacteriochlorophyll on the inactive side (B side) of the reaction center with a bacteriopheophytin (φB). In φB containing reaction centers, excitation of the initial electron donor, the special pair P, results in about 35% electron transfer along the normally inactive B side. However, the electron is transferred only to the exchanged cofactor φB. Several additional mutations in close proximity to bacteriopheophytins φB or HB have been created with the goal of altering the energetics of charge-separated states P+φB- and P+HB-. Aspartic acid residues were introduced to replace methionine L174 or valine M175 in the vicinity of the φB cofactor in order to raise the free energy of state P+φB-. Threonine M133 was mutated to the aspartic acid to add a hydrogen bond to the HB cofactor and lower the free energy of state P+HB-. The mutations in the environment surrounding the φB pigment resulted in a decrease...
Preferential localization of lanthanum to nuclear-pore complexes.

When incorporated into fixatives, lanthanum was preferentially localized to nuclear pores in a variety of cells. Pore complexes other than nuclear pores did not stain. This preferential staining occurred with a concentration as low as 5 mM. When cells were prefixed with aldehyde and subsequently exposed to lanthanum, the staining pattern was inconsistent suggesting that the tracer did not permeate the cell membrane in adequate concentration to reach the nuclear-pore complexes. Although the reason for this affinity of the tracer to nuclear pores is not clear, lanthanum can be used as a probe for nuclear pore complexes.
Triggers of Acute Coronary Syndromes

Despite recent progress in prevention of coronary heart disease, approximately 50% of the deaths from coronary artery disease continue to occur out of hospital, and many major cardiac events occur in individuals not previously known to be at risk. These facts create the need to identify the acute causes of myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden death, which has led to a rapid growth in interest over the last 15 years in the field of triggering research. Since initial observations that the incidence of MI onset was time and activity dependent with circadian, circaseptan, and circannual variation, triggering of MI by heavy exertion, sexual activity, anger, mental stress, cocaine and marijuana use, and exposure to air pollution has been demonstrated. Study of the pathophysiological changes produced by these triggers may provide novel therapeutic and preventive targets by a more thorough understanding of vulnerable plaque disruption and coronary thrombosis.
Imaging intrinsic diffusion of bridge-bonded oxygen vacancies on TiO2(110).

We report the first measurements and calculations of the intrinsic mobility of bridge-bonded oxygen (BBO) vacancies on a rutile ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}(110)$. The sequences of isothermal (340--420 K) scanning tunneling microscope images show that BBO vacancies migrate along BBO rows. The hopping rate increases exponentially with increasing temperature with an experimental activation energy of 1.15 eV. Density functional theory calculations are in very good agreement giving an energy barrier for hopping of 1.03 eV. Both theory and experiment indicate repulsive interactions between vacancies on a given BBO row.
Determination of trace elements in non-aqueous samples by d.c. plasma emission spectrometry

Abstract Following minor modification to the sample introduction system, a d.c. plasma emission spectrometer was used to determine trace elements in five organic solvents: hexane, dichloro, trichloro and tetrachloromethane, and 4-methyl-2-pentanone. These solvents are extensively vaporized in the nebulization system, resulting in improved sample delivery to the plasma and enhanced sensitivity. The technique was used to analyse silicone fluid in the bond paper employed in photocopies and to determine trace elements in coastal seawater following solvent extraction.
Ofloxacin in cystic fibrosis.

UTIs are amongst the most frequently encountered problems in primary care practice (Stanton 1973). They are also the most common nosocomial infections, accounting for as many as 40% (Buck & Price 1977). Knowledge of both the prevailing urinary pathogens in the community and hospitals and their susceptibility patterns to available antimicrobial agents is of great value to primary care physicians and hospital practitioners. The changing pattern of urinary tract pathogens in Egypt over the last 25 years and the rapidly mounting importance of both Klebsiella in the community and resistant Enterobacteriaceae in hospitals has been reported (Sabbour & Osman 1985). This report confirms previously published data that ofloxacin is a very potent antimicrobial against aerobic Gram-negative micro-organisms. (Isaacson et al. 1985; Lucht et al. 1986; Wongwanich et al. 1985.) These include Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas strains which are responsible for the majority of UTIs. The therapeutic efficacy of ofloxacin in complicated UTI caused by multiresistant pathogens requires investigation.
Analytical/numerical Prediction of the Three-Dimensional Temperature Variation in Tubes Having Streamwise Internal Fins

Abstract An analytical/numerical analysis is made of the hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of a fluid flow through internal, longitudinal finned tubes. Employing control volume discretization in the cross section of the tube only, the two-dimensional momentum equation is solved numerically, whereas the three-dimensional energy equation is solved analytically. The pressure gradients are numerically determined, and Ike heat transfer rates, in terms of the tube length, are expressed in analytical form. The computed results are presented for different configurations corresponding to selected combinations of relative fin heights and the number of equally spaced fins in the array.
Number of training trials and frustration effects of nonzero reward reduction in the double alley

A double runway was employed to examine the possibility that nonzero reduction of reward in the first goalbox (Bl) leads to frustration effects in the form of energized running in the second runway. Groups of rats were given 12 or 72 rewarded runs to eight pellets in Bl prior to receiving a test phase of 24 trials, which included 12 trials on which a single Bl pellet was available. Significant interactions between number of preshift rewards and FE magnitude in both start- and run-speed measures provided evidence for frustration effects of nonzero reward reduction.
A comparative study of MPPT methods for distributed photovoltaic generation

Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation is becoming an increasingly prevalent means of producing clean, renewable power. PV is renewable, reliable, and domestically secure. One of the most important components of PV systems is the inverter technology that converts the direct current (DC) power output from the PV panel or array to alternating current (AC) used on both the individual end-user and centralized grid levels. The large variety of inverters share the same general goal: to allow for the most efficient and stable transfer of as much power as possible. One specific means of accomplishing this goal is the inclusion of a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) DC-DC converter. The purpose of MPPT is to ensure that the PV panel or array is always producing power as near to the knee of its I-V curve as possible. This extracts the maximum amount of power at any given time. In constantly sunny situations, there is little impact on overall performance of a particular MPPT design on the PV system, as only small voltage differences due to the particular construction of each panel effects the overall voltage outputs. However, cloud cover changes the output from a PV panel drastically with reduced solar irradiation causing the current of the solar panel to drop. It is postulated herein that the stability and quality problems created by central MPPT during periods of differing solar irradiation on various panels could be solved with a system of MPPT distributed on each panel. These would then feed collectively to a central inverter. To test these systems, a PSCAD model was developed for both centralized and distributed MPPT systems, and the solar irradiation was randomly varied. This allowed for observation of the stability and quality of the output voltage for each system.
Effect of early Class II treatment on the incidence of incisor trauma.

Introduction Many researchers have examined the prevalence of dental injuries in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and incidence of incisor trauma in subjects who participated in a randomized clinical trial designed to investigate early growth modifications in the treatment of Class II malocclusion. Methods The subjects were randomized to 3 treatment groups during the initial phase of the study: (1) headgear or biteplane, (2) bionator, and (3) observation (no treatment). All 3 groups underwent phase 2 treatment with fixed appliances. Incisor injury was scored at every data collection point with the Ellis index by a blinded examiner using dental casts, intraoral photos, and panoramic and periapical x-rays. Results Twenty-five percent of the subjects had incisor trauma at the baseline examination, and 28% experienced new or worsening maxillary incisor injury during the study. No significant differences were found with regard to sex and prevalence of injury at baseline. No differences in incidence of trauma were found between the 3 treatment groups throughout the study ( P = 0.19); however, boys were more likely to experience maxillary incisor injury (odds ratio estimate, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.33, 4.21), and those with an injury at baseline were more likely to experience an additional injury (odds ratio estimate, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.03, 3.17). Conclusions Early orthodontic treatment did not affect the incidence of incisor injury. The majority of the injuries before and during treatment were minor; therefore, the cost-benefit ratio of orthodontic treatment primarily to prevent incisor trauma is unfavorable.
Path selection based on static timing analysis considering input necessary assignments

We describe a procedure based on an existing static timing analysis tool for selecting path delay faults to target during test generation. The use of an existing static timing analysis tool ensures that a state-of-the-art process can be used for estimating path delays. However, static timing analysis, by itself, can be inaccurate as it does not take into consideration conditions that are necessary for detecting path delay faults. In the proposed method, these conditions are captured as what are called input necessary assignments, which static timing analysis tools are able to use. By providing the static timing analysis process with the input necessary assignments for a selected path, the static timing analysis process can estimate the delay of the path more accurately. It can also identify additional paths whose delays are at least as high as those of the selected paths. Thus, feeding back the input necessary assignments to the static timing analysis process enhances the correlation between static timing analysis and actual timing of tests on silicon. The result is a set of potentially detectable path delay faults associated with critical paths based on more accurate estimates of the path delays that can be exhibited by a test set, compared with the set that would be obtained by static timing analysis alone.
An assessment of the potential risks of groundwater and surface water contamination by agricultural chemicals used in vegetable production

Abstract This study identifies agricultural chemicals used in vegetable production in Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Texas that are potential contaminants of groundwater and surface water, which, in turn, pose risks to human health. Arizona and Florida are more likely to have nitrate leaching problems than Michigan or Texas. The potential for pesticide leaching is relatively high in Arizona head lettuce production and Michigan asparagus production but only moderate in Florida tomato production and Texas watermelon production. The potential for soil-adsorbed runoff and solution runoff in Arizona head lettuce, Florida tomatoes and Michigan asparagus is low to moderate. The potential for these sorts of losses in Texas watermelon production is relatively high. Vegetable production around Phoenix, Arizona, in southeast Texas, and in the entire State of Florida is located such that groundwater aquifers which supply drinking water are vulnerable to contamination.
Interdisciplinary research is the key.

The organizational sciences are rapidly coming together with neuroscience theory and methods to provide new insights into organizational phenomena (Becker et al., 2011; Senior et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2012), and even the potential development of individuals within organizations (Waldman et al., 2011). A number of challenges become relevant in the pursuit of such an amalgamation, but perhaps the most apparent is the inherent need for interdisciplinary perspectives and research. An overall purpose of this opinion piece is to clarify the importance of interdisciplinary efforts, while at the same time clarifying the challenges to be faced if we are to apply neuroscience to organizations. Scientists are typically trained and reinforced to work in a unidisciplinary, specialized mode. It really does not matter if we are considering people trained in the so-called “soft” sciences (e.g., psychology), or whether they come from the “hard” sciences (e.g., neuroscience). We are largely groomed and later reinforced to be specialists. I personally was trained in industrial/organizational psychology, a specialized area of the broader field of psychology. When I was undergoing my graduate education, as well as in the years that followed, I never dreamed that I would someday be working with neuroscientists. But it is now happening. In other words, I am conducting interdisciplinary research involving neuroscientists. In so doing, I certainly do not represent the norm among my colleagues. I say this as a professor in a management department of business school. I realize that for many academic psychologists working in psychology departments, the notion of combining psychology and neuroscience has become the norm. Accordingly, much of what I will address in this opinion piece would not apply to them. I will address three primary questions in this article. First, what are the institutional and personal impediments that may prevent researchers, especially those in settings such as my own, from engaging in the type of interdisciplinary research that might involve neuroscience? Second, what is the myth vs. reality of the obstacles that might preclude the success of interdisciplinary efforts? Third, what steps can we take to engage in more interdisciplinary research? By addressing these questions, I hope to provide some insight into the issues and benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to neuroscience research. Most of my approach is framed through the perspective of an organizational researcher such as myself, although I conclude with some consideration of why neuroscientists might want to pursue interdisciplinary research that reaches out to the organizational sciences.
FINITE-RATE INTERPHASE HEAT-TRANSFER EFFECTS ON MULTIPHASE BURNING IN CONFINED POROUS PROPELLANTS

Deflagrations in porous solid propellants are often affected by an increasing pressure difference, or overpressure, between the burned-gas region and the gas deep within the pores of the material. As a result, there appears to be a relatively rapid change in the burning-rate response over a certain range of overpressures in which the sensitivity, or slope, of the propagation speed as a function of overpressure transitions from relatively small to large values. This is often referred to as a transition from “conductive” to “convective” burning, corresponding to the increased role played by convective gas transport relative to thermal diffusion in determining the propagation speed of the deflagration. In the present work, we consider the analysis of a two-temperature model in which finite-rate interphase heat-transfer effects also play an important role in determining the burning-rate eigenvalue. In particular, we revisit a physically relevant scenario in which the first effects of temperature nonequilibriu...
Mask pyramid methodology for enhanced localization in image fusion and enhancement

Image fusion is a process that combines regions of images from different sources into a single fused image based on a salience selection rule for each region. In this paper, we proposed an algorithmic approach using a mask pyramid to better localize the selection process. A mask pyramid operates in different scales of the image to improve the fused image quality beyond a global selection rule. The proposed approach offers a generic methodology for applications in image enhancement, high dynamic range compression, depth of field extension, and image blending. The mask pyramid can also be encoded for intelligent analysis of source imagery. Several examples of this mask pyramid method are provided to demonstrate its performance in a variety of applications. A new embedded system architecture that builds upon the Acadia® II Vision Processor is proposed.
Variable Expressivity of Autosomal Dominant Anterior Segment Mesenchymal Dysgenesis in Six Generations

Of 58 members in a six-generation family with anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis with variable expressivity, 21 of 35 members (60%) at risk were affected. Of the 15 living affected family members, nine (60%) had visual acuities of 6/12 (20/40) or better in at least one eye, five (33%) had visual acuities between 6/15 and 6/60 (20/50 and 20/200) in at least one eye, and one (7%) had a visual acuity of less than counting fingers at one foot in both eyes. All nine affected patients who underwent slit-lamp examinations had corneal abnormalities with and without synechiae. All 15 affected patients also had cataracts, and three of the 15 (20%) had optic nerve abnormalities. In a corneal button from the severely affected proband, Descemet's layer and endothelial cells were absent even in the periphery. Other corneal and lenticular changes were secondary to the primary endothelial defect. Anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis in this family appeared to be caused by an aberration of the first wave of mesenchyme from the rim of the optic cup.
Thirty-day NSQIP database outcomes of open versus endoluminal repair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background The mortality of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) has decreased 3.5% per decade in the last 50 years to a current rate of 40%-50%. Reports have indicated that endovascular repair (EVAR) is feasible for rAAA and may offer potential benefits over open repair. We examined the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database to compare 30-day multicenter outcomes for EVAR vs open rAAA repair. Methods Patients that underwent rAAA repair in the NSQIP database from 2005 to 2007 were identified through a combination of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnoses. Preoperative comorbidities, operative duration and transfusion, and 30 day outcomes were evaluated using t tests or Chi-squared tests depending on the variable. A separate multivariable regression was performed for each outcome adjusting for all independently predictive preoperative and intraoperative risk factors. Results A total of 427 patients were identified and 76.8% of patients underwent open repair. The open repair groups exhibited lower albumin levels and higher percentage of patients with preoperative hematocrit (Hct) P P = .096) but did not reach significance. After similar adjustment the composite morbidity odds ratio for open repair versus EVAR was 1.82 (95% CI 1.11-2.99, P = .018) and the pulmonary adverse events odds ratio was 1.99 (95% CI 1.22-3.25, P = .006). Risks for the other outcomes were not significant. Conclusions Composite 30-day morbidity risk is lower after EVAR vs open repair of rAAA. Open repair is associated with increased transfusion requirements. Performance of EVAR in rAAA patients with favorable anatomy could potentially result in improved outcome as compared with open repair.
Arginase II is a target of miR-17-5p and regulates miR-17-5p expression in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Vascular remodeling and smooth muscle cell proliferation are hallmark pathogenic features of pulmonary artery hypertension. MicroRNAs, endogenously expressed small noncoding RNAs, regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. It has previously been shown that miR-17 overexpression in cultured human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (hPASMC) resulted in increased viable cell number. Previously, we have found that arginase II promotes hypoxia-induced proliferation in hPASMC. Therefore, we hypothesized that miR-17 would be upregulated by hypoxia in hPASMC and would result in greater arginase II expression. We found that levels of miR-17-5p and arginase II were significantly greater in cultured hPASMC exposed to 1% O2 for 48 h than in hPASMC exposed to 21% O2 for 48 h. Furthermore, inhibiting miR-17-5p expression decreased hypoxia-induced arginase II protein levels in hPASMC. Conversely, overexpressing miR-17-5p resulted in greater arginase II protein levels. Somewhat surprisingly, arginase II inhibition was associated with lower miR-17-5p expression in both normoxic and hypoxic hPASMC, whereas overexpressing arginase II resulted in greater miR-17-5p expression in hPASMC. These findings suggest that hypoxia-induced arginase II expression is not only regulated by miR-17-5p but also that there is a feedback loop between arginase II and miR-17-5p in hPASMC. We also found that the arginase II-mediated regulation of miR-17-5p was independent of either p53 or c-myc. We also found that l-arginine, the substrate for arginase II, and l-ornithine, the amino acid product of arginase II, were not involved in the regulation of miR-17-5p expression.
ISGF3γ p48, a specificity switch for interferon activated transcription factors

Abstract Interferon (IFN) induces gene expression by phosphorylating latent transcription factors of the STAT family. Two different STAT multimeric complexes that bind distinct enhancer elements are activated by IFNα and IFNγ, dictated by the DNA-binding protein ISGF3γ p48. This protein, a member of the IFN regulatory factor (IFR) family, acts as an adaptor protein to redirect STAT multimers from their intrinsic palindromic sequence specificity to interactions with a composite element composed of an IRF site juxtaposed with a STAT half-site. Sequence similarity within the IRF family suggests that other members could serve as adapter proteins for transcriptional activators. Recent evidence that PIP (LSIRF) sequesters the Ets protein PU.1 at a composite DNA element lends support to this adaptor hypothesis.
Application of ion-exclusion and ion-exchange techniques in preparing 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanamide and 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoic acid from acetoin via the cyanohydrin synthesis

Abstract The techniques of ion exclusion and ion exchange have been exploited to obtain substantial yields of 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanamide and 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoic acid, respectively, following acid hydrolysis of acetoin cyanohydrin. The reaction of acetoin with anhydrous HCN appears to be stereospecific, since the overall process yields an unexpectedly high percentage of only one of two possible diastereomeric dl -acid mixtures, namely, the racemate comprised of (2S,3R)-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoic and (2R,3S)-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoic acids.
Effect of Zn additions on precipitation during aging of alloy 8090

Precipitation events have been observed by TEM under two different aging conditions in three 'stretched' alloys, whose compositions are encompassed by the 8090 composition window but contain Zn additions of up to 1.07 wt pct. DSC was also used to obtain deeper insight of the precipitation-event effects obtainable through Zn content variation; it was thereby revealed that Zn is incorporated into the delta-prime phase, perhaps stabilizing it. Coarse, Zn-containing precipitates can form on the boundaries and within the interiors of the grains, when the Zn content reaches the presently investigated maximum of 1.07 wt pct.