Enhancement and suppression effects resulting from information structuring in sentences

Information structuring through the use of cleft sentences increases the processing efficiency of references to elements within the scope of focus. Furthermore, there is evidence that putting certain types of emphasis on individual words not only enhances their subsequent processing, but also protects these words from becoming suppressed in the wake of subsequent information, suggesting mechanisms of enhancement and suppression. In Experiment 1, we showed that clefted constructions facilitate the integration of subsequent sentences that make reference to elements within the scope of focus, and that they decrease the efficiency with reference to elements outside of the scope of focus. In Experiment 2, using an auditory text-change-detection paradigm, we showed that focus has similar effects on the strength of memory representations. These results add to the evidence for enhancement and suppression as mechanisms of sentence processing and clarify that the effects occur within sentences having a marked focus structure

Expanding the use of real-time electromagnetic tracking in radiation oncology.

In the past 10 years, techniques to improve radiotherapy delivery, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for both inter- and intrafraction tumor localization, and hypofractionated delivery techniques such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), have evolved tremendously. This review article focuses on only one part of that evolution, electromagnetic tracking in radiation therapy. Electromagnetic tracking is still a growing technology in radiation oncology and, as such, the clinical applications are limited, the expense is high, and the reimbursement is insufficient to cover these costs. At the same time, current experience with electromagnetic tracking applied to various clinical tumor sites indicates that the potential benefits of electromagnetic tracking could be significant for patients receiving radiation therapy. Daily use of these tracking systems is minimally invasive and delivers no additional ionizing radiation to the patient, and these systems can provide explicit tumor motion data. Although there are a number of technical and fiscal issues that need to be addressed, electromagnetic tracking systems are expected to play a continued role in improving the precision of radiation delivery

A computational approach to implicit entities and events in text and discourse

In this paper we will focus on the notion of “implicit” or lexically unexpressed linguistic elements that are nonetheless necessary for a complete semantic interpretation of a text. We refer to “entities” and “events” because the recovery of the implicit material may affect all the modules of a system for semantic processing, from the grammatically guided components to the inferential and reasoning ones. Reference to the system GETARUNS offers one possible implementation of the algorithms and procedures needed to cope with the problem and enables us to deal with all the spectrum of phenomena. The paper will address at first the following three types of “implicit” entities and events: – the grammatical ones, as suggested by a linguistic theories like LFG or similar generative theories; – the semantic ones suggested in the FrameNet project, i.e. CNI, DNI, INI; – the pragmatic ones: here we will present a theory and an implementation for the recovery of implicit entities and events of (non-) standard implicatures. In particular we will show how the use of commonsense knowledge may fruitfully contribute to find relevant implied meanings. Last Implicit Entity only touched on, though for lack of space, is the Subject of Point of View, which is computed by Semantic Informational Structure and contributes the intended entity from whose point of view a given subjective statement is expressed

Comparison of fluorescence-based techniques for the quantification of particle-induced hydroxyl radicals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reactive oxygen species including hydroxyl radicals can cause oxidative stress and mutations. Inhaled particulate matter can trigger formation of hydroxyl radicals, which have been implicated as one of the causes of particulate-induced lung disease. The extreme reactivity of hydroxyl radicals presents challenges to their detection and quantification. Here, three fluorescein derivatives [aminophenyl fluorescamine (APF), amplex ultrared, and dichlorofluorescein (DCFH)] and two radical species, proxyl fluorescamine and tempo-9-ac have been compared for their usefulness to measure hydroxyl radicals generated in two different systems: a solution containing ferrous iron and a suspension of pyrite particles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>APF, amplex ultrared, and DCFH react similarly to the presence of hydroxyl radicals. Proxyl fluorescamine and tempo-9-ac do not react with hydroxyl radicals directly, which reduces their sensitivity. Since both DCFH and amplex ultrared will react with reactive oxygen species other than hydroxyl radicals and another highly reactive species, peroxynitite, they lack specificity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The most useful probe evaluated here for hydroxyl radicals formed from cell-free particle suspensions is APF due to its sensitivity and selectivity.</p

Near Infrared Spectra of H2O/HCN Mixtures

Cassini's VIMS has already returned exciting results interpreting spectra of Saturn's icy satellites. The discovery of unidentified features possibly due to CN compounds inspired the work reported here. We wanted to test HCN as a possibility for explaining these features, and also explore how the features of HCN change when mixed with H2O. We have previously noted that mixing H20 and CO2 produces new spectral features and that those features change with temperature and mixing ratio

Personality Change as a Validation of the Bereiter Differential-Change Scales

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67011/2/10.1177_001316446802800112.pd

Can an Optical Plankton Counter Produce Reasonable Estimates of Zooplankton Abundance and Biovolume in Water With High Detritus?

The Optical Plankton Counter (OPC) has been used in oceanic and fresh waters to estimate zooplankton abundance and biovolume. However, it is not clear whether the OPC can produce accurate estimates of zooplankton abundance and biovolume in waters with high detritus. In order to test the capability of the OPC to estimate zooplankton abundance and biovolume in Chesapeake Bay, two sets of laboratory experiments were conducted using water with high detritus concentrations collected from the upper Choptank estuary of Chesapeake Bay and laboratory cultured Artemia. Our results suggest that the OPC is able to produce accurate estimates of zooplankton biovolume after correcting for the influence of background detritus in all the detritus concentrations used, but accurate estimates of zooplankton abundance only in water with background detritus \u3c100 particles l-1. The relationship between light attenuation and OPC background particle concentrations provides a useful way to estimate OPC background particle concentrations when direct OPC background particle measurements are not available. Light attenuation corrected OPC particle abundance and particle volume gave accurate estimates of zooplankton abundance and biovolume. However, the accuracy of the corrected OPC measurements by the estimated background particle concentrations was not as high as the corrected OPC measurements by the direct background particle measurements

Triazine Herbicide Exposure and Breast Cancer Incidence: An Ecologic Study of Kentucky Counties

The incidence of breast cancer in the United States has steadily increased for the past three decades. Exposure to excess estrogen, in both natural and synthetic forms, has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of this disease. Considerable interest has been focused on organochlorines, such as the triazine herbicides, and their possible role in the initiation or promotion of human breast cancer. To explore this relationship, an ecologic study of Kentucky counties was designed. Exposure to triazines was estimated by use of water contamination data, corn crop production, and pesticide use data. A summary index of triazine herbicide exposure was developed to classify counties into low, medium, or high exposure levels. Data on county breast cancer rates were obtained from the state registry. A Poisson regression analysis was performed, controlling for age, race, age at first live birth, income, and level of education. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in breast cancer risk with medium and high levels of triazine exposure [odds ratio (OR) = 1.14,p\u3c0.0001 and OR = 1.2, p\u3c0.0001, respectively]. The results suggest a relationship between exposure to triazine herbicides and increased breast cancer risk, but conclusions concerning causality cannot be drawn, due to the limitations inherent in ecologic study design

Effects of climate and irrigation on GRACE-based estimates of water storage changes in major US aquifers

Understanding climate and human impacts on water storage is critical for sustainable water-resources management. Here we assessed climate and human drivers of total water storage (TWS) variability from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites compared with drought severity and irrigation water use in 14 major aquifers in the United States. Results show that long-term variability in TWS tracked by GRACE satellites is dominated by interannual variability in most of the 14 major US aquifers. Low TWS trends in the humid eastern U.S. are linked to low drought intensity. Although irrigation pumpage in the humid Mississippi Embayment aquifer exceeded that in the semi-arid California Central Valley, a surprising lack of TWS depletion in the Mississippi Embayment aquifer is attributed to extensive streamflow capture. Marked storage depletion in the semi-arid southwestern Central Valley and south-central High Plains totaled ∼90 km ^3 , about three times greater than the capacity of Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir. Depletion in the Central Valley was driven by long-term droughts (⩽5 yr) amplified by switching from mostly surface water to groundwater irrigation. Low or slightly rising TWS trends in the northwestern (Columbia and Snake Basins) US are attributed to dampening drought impacts by mostly surface water irrigation. GRACE satellite data highlight synergies between climate and irrigation, resulting in little impact on TWS in the humid east, amplified TWS depletion in the semi-arid southwest and southcentral US, and dampened TWS deletion in the northwest and north central US Sustainable groundwater management benefits from conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater, inefficient surface water irrigation promoting groundwater recharge, efficient groundwater irrigation minimizing depletion, and increasing managed aquifer recharge. This study has important implications for sustainable water development in many regions globally