A Dual-Fed, Self-Diplexing PIFA and RF Front-End

A dual-fed, self-diplexing planar inverted F antenna and an associated RF front-end are described. It is shown that co-design of the antenna and front-end can be used to double the operational bandwidth, without significant size or performance penalties. Indeed, the use of two feeds allows the antenna to be self-diplexing, which results in improved overall efficiency     

Computation of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised factor scores: Equal and differential weights.

Standard procedures for estimating factor scores for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R; D. Wechsler, 1981) involve equally weighted sums of the subtests that load most highly on the factor being estimated. We argue that factor scores derived in this manner lack discriminant validity; they are strongly biased toward g (the first unrotated factor) and away from the other 2 unrotated factors. If regression-like weights are applied to all of the WAIS—R subtests and the products are summed, the resulting differentially weighted factors give results that show similar convergent validity and much greater discriminant validity with respect to the original factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organisation and management of shared documents in super-peer networks based semantic hierarchical cluster trees

A super-peer semantic network defines the semantic groups that client peers and their super peers use to connect with each other according to the semantic similarity of shared documents in peers. This will result in a query that can be evaluated locally thus reducing query process time and the amount of communication required to obtain related data. In this study, new algorithms are proposed to arrange shared documents in peers into hierarchical cluster tree structures, and links will be set up to connect semantically related super peers. During query evaluation, only related peers will be searched thus the complexity of computing is significantly reduced. Consideration is also given to automatically deciding the threshold for clustering and the construction and other essential operations for hierarchical cluster trees. The experiment results illustrate the features of the approach developed in this study.     

Integration of data systems and technology improves research and collaboration for a superfund research center

Large collaborative centers are a common model for accomplishing integrated environmental health research. These centers often include various types of scientific domains (e.g., chemistry, biology, bioinformatics) that are integrated to solve some of the nation's key economic or public health concerns. The Superfund Research Center (SRP) at Oregon State University (OSU) is one such center established in 2008 to study the emerging health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons while using new technologies both in the field and laboratory. With outside collaboration at remote institutions, success for the center as a whole depends on the ability to effectively integrate data across all research projects and support cores. Therefore, the OSU SRP center developed a system that integrates environmental monitoring data with analytical chemistry data and downstream bioinformatics and statistics to enable complete "source-to-outcome" data modeling and information management. This article describes the development of this integrated information management system that includes commercial software for operational laboratory management and sample management in addition to open-source custom-built software for bioinformatics and experimental data management.     

On enabling integrated process compliance with semantic constraints in process management systems

Key to broad use of process management systems (PrMS) in practice is their ability to foster and ease the implementation, execution, monitoring, and adaptation of business processes while still being able to ensure robust and error-free process enactment. To meet these demands a variety of mechanisms has been developed to prevent errors at the structural level (e.g., deadlocks). In many application domains, however, processes often have to comply with business level rules and policies (i.e., semantic constraints) as well. Hence, to ensure error-free executions at the semantic level, PrMS need certain control mechanisms for validating and ensuring the compliance with semantic constraints. In this paper, we discuss fundamental requirements for a comprehensive support of semantic constraints in PrMS. Moreover, we provide a survey on existing approaches and discuss to what extent they are able to meet the requirements and which challenges still have to be tackled. In order to tackle the particular challenge of providing integrated compliance support over the process lifecycle, we introduce the SeaFlows framework. The framework introduces a behavioural level view on processes which serves a conceptual process representation for constraint specification approaches. Further, it provides general compliance criteria for static compliance validation but also for dealing with process changes. Altogether, the SeaFlows framework can serve as formal basis for realizing integrated support of semantic constraints in PrMS.     

An illusion of memory: False recognition influenced by unconscious perception.

The results of two experiments showed that an illusion of memory can be produced by unconscious perception. In a first phase of those experiments, a long list of words was presented for study. For the test of recognition memory given in the second phase of each experiment, presentation of a "context" word preceded that of most recognition test words. Ss were to judge whether or not the test words had been presented during the earlier study phase of the experiment. Effects of a context word on this recognition memory decision were opposite when Ss were aware vs. unaware of its presentation. For example, as compared to a condition in which no context word was presented, the probability of false recognition was increased when Ss were unaware but decreased when Ss were aware of the presentation of a context word that matched the recognition test word. Results are discussed in terms of unconscious influences on an attribution process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An evaluation of the effectiveness of adaptive histogram equalization for contrast enhancement

Adaptive histogram equalization (AHE) and intensity windowing have been compared using psychophysical observer studies. Experienced radiologists were shown clinical CT (computerized tomographic) images of the chest. Into some of the images, appropriate artificial lesions were introduced; the physicians were then shown the images processed with both AHE and intensity windowing. They were asked to assess the probability that a given image contained the artificial lesion, and their accuracy was measured. The results of these experiments show that for this particular diagnostic task, there was no significant difference in the ability of the two methods to depict luminance contrast; thus, further evaluation of AHE using controlled clinical trials is indicated.     

A Novel Volume-Stable Collagen Matrix Induces Changes in the Behavior of Primary Human Oral Fibroblasts,Periodontal Ligament,and Endothelial Cells

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of a novel volume-stable collagen matrix (vCM) on early wound healing events including cellular migration and adhesion, protein adsorption and release, and the dynamics of the hemostatic system. For this purpose, we utilized transwell migration and crystal violet adhesion assays, ELISAs for quantification of adsorbed and released from the matrix growth factors, and qRT-PCR for quantification of gene expression in cells grown on the matrix. Our results demonstrated that primary human oral fibroblasts, periodontal ligament, and endothelial cells exhibited increased migration toward vCM compared to control cells that migrated in the absence of the matrix. Cellular adhesive properties on vCM were significantly increased compared to controls. Growth factors TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, FGF-2, and GDF-5 were adsorbed on vCM with great efficiency and continuously delivered in the medium after an initial burst release within hours. We observed statistically significant upregulation of genes encoding the antifibrinolytic thrombomodulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, thrombospondin 1, and thromboplastin, as well as strong downregulation of genes encoding the profibrinolytic tissue plasminogen activator, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, its receptor, and the matrix metalloproteinase 14 in cells grown on vCM. As a general trend, the stimulatory effect of the vCM on the expression of antifibrinolytic genes was synergistically enhanced by TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, or FGF-2, whereas the strong inhibitory effect of the vCM on the expression of profibrinolytic genes was reversed by PDGF-BB, FGF-2, or GDF-5. Taken together, our data strongly support the effect of the novel vCM on fibrin clot stabilization and coagulation/fibrinolysis equilibrium, thus facilitating progression to the next stages of the soft tissue healing process.     

The Effects of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and BTP-2 on Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) afflicts approximately 200,000 patients annually and has a 40% mortality rate. The COVID-19 pandemic has massively increased the rate of ALI incidence. The pathogenesis of ALI involves tissue damage from invading microbes and, in severe cases, the overexpression of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). This study aimed to develop a therapy to normalize the excess production of inflammatory cytokines and promote tissue repair in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. Based on our previous studies, we tested the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and BTP-2 therapies. IGF-I was selected, because we and others have shown that elevated inflammatory cytokines suppress the expression of growth hormone receptors in the liver, leading to a decrease in the circulating IGF-I. IGF-I is a growth factor that increases vascular protection, enhances tissue repair, and decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is also required to produce anti-inflammatory 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. BTP-2, an inhibitor of cytosolic calcium, was used to suppress the LPS-induced increase in cytosolic calcium, which otherwise leads to an increase in proinflammatory cytokines. We showed that LPS increased the expression of the primary inflammatory mediators such as toll like receptor-4 (TLR-4), IL-1β, interleukin-17 (IL-17), TNF-α, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which were normalized by the IGF-I + BTP-2 dual therapy in the lungs, along with improved vascular gene expression markers. The histologic lung injury score was markedly elevated by LPS and reduced to normal by the combination therapy. In conclusion, the LPS-induced increases in inflammatory cytokines, vascular injuries, and lung injuries were all improved by IGF-I + BTP-2 combination therapy.