cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphate transport in the rabbit cortical collecting tubule.

The presence and mode of phosphate transport beyond the late distal convoluted tubule remains controversial. Micropuncture studies in the parathyroidectomized rat have been for the most part suggestive of a difference between phosphate delivery to the late distal tubule in superficial nephrons and that appearing in the final urine (l,2). This difference may be accounted for in one of two ways. First, there may be differences in the phosphate reabsorptive capacity of superficial and deeper nephron populations (3). Thus, increased phosphate reabsorption by more proximal segments of deep nephrons would reduce delivery to the late distal tubule of those nephrons and the mixture of these two populations would result in a urinary value lower than that obtained in the superficial distal tubule. Alternatively, phosphate reabsorption could continue in segments of the nephron beyond the late distal convoluted tubule.
Chemistry and Physics of Covalent Amorphous Semiconductors

Although, as Ovshinsky [1] has often noted, the history of civilization is intimately connected with advances in materials research (e.g., the Stone, Bronze, Iron, and Steel Ages), a quantitative theory of materials did not evolve until after the development of quantum mechanics in 1925. When Bloch [2] developed the quantum theory of solids in 1930, physicists were unduly influenced by the discovery less than 20 years previous that many solids were periodic arrays of atoms. By making use of the mathematical simplifications resulting from periodicity, Bloch was able to derive some general properties of the electronic states in crystals, from which Wilson [3] developed the band theory of electronic transport. There is no question that this theory has been very successful in providing a detailed understanding of the properties of crystalline solids, including the electrical and optical properties of a wide array of commercially important semiconductors and metals. However, it has long been known that many solids are not crystalline but are amorphous, and do not exhibit any long-range periodicity.
A Comparative Analysis of Trends in Agricultural Productivity in Central Asian Transition Economies

The land, labor and total factor productivity indices analyzed in this paper present strong upward trends until 1990 and downward trends during 1991–1996 period, some recovering signs appears close to 1999. In all five Central Asian Republics, land productivity was much higher than labor productivity, which was achieved at a relatively high cost. In order to get self-sufficiency in food products, which were never attained during Soviet period, government has spent enormous amount of resources. However, they could not increase food production very much but managed increase land productivity in high cost.
Distension-induced myoelectrical dysrhythmia and effect of intestinal pacing in dogs.

The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of duodenal distension on intestinal myoelectrical activity and to investigate whether intestinal pacing was able to reverse the effects of distension. Six female hound dogs with four pairs of electrodes on the proximal jejunum were involved in this study. The protocol consisted of 30 min of recording of jejunal myoelectrical activity as baseline and 90 min of recording during distension. Intestinal pacing was performed during the second 30 min of distension. Duodenal distension severely impaired intestinal myoelectrical activity. The percentage of normal slow waves was reduced from 90.8 ± 8.4% at baseline to 73.8 ± 10.2%, 57.2 ± 11.4%, and 53.7 ± 16.0% during the first, second and third 30 min of distension (P < 0.05, ANOVA). The dominant power was similarly decreased and the minute-by-minute variation of dominant frequency was significantly increased after distension. Intestinal pacing reversed distension-induced dysrhythmia. The percentage of normal slow waves during the 30 min of distension with pacing was significantly higher than the corresponding 30 min of distension without pacing (88.5 ± 6.6% vs 57.2 ± 11.4%, P < 0.03). It was concluded that intestinal pacing can normalize distension-induced dysrhythmia and has a potential as a future therapeutic modality for intestinal motor disorders.
Effect of changes in the health care system on the career outlook of University of Washington, Seattle, medical students

We describe how market-oriented and governmental reforms were shaping students' career choice and outlook toward future clinical practice during the 1993-1994 academic year. A random sample of a third of University of Washington, Seattle, medical students (n = 212) was surveyed regarding attitudes toward health care reform, specialty choice, and future clinical practice; 171 responded (81%). Most students (90%) thought that the health care system required fundamental change. An equal proportion favored managed competition and single-payer proposals (40% and 39%, respectively). Most (72%) were confident that they would be able to practice medicine in a professionally satisfying environment. More than half the students interested in specialty careers thought that they might not be able to practice in their chosen field, but only 21% of these were more likely to choose a career in primary care in light of anticipated reforms. Most students were optimistic about their future medical careers. Knowledge of market-oriented reforms exerted little influence on the career decisions of students interested in nonprimary care fields. Medical schools should play a more active role at the undergraduate level so that those students who apply to medical school have a better understanding of the changing nature of health care delivery in this country.
Single-cell mobility shift electrophoresis reports protein localization to the cell membrane

While profiling of cell surface receptors grants valuable insight on cell phenotype, surface receptors alone cannot fully describe activated downstream signaling pathways, detect internalized receptor activity, or indicate constitutively active signaling in subcellular compartments. To measure surface-bound and intracellular targets in the same cell, we introduce a tandem single-cell assay that combines immunofluorescence of surface-bound epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) with subsequent protein polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of unfixed MCF7 breast cancer cells. After surface staining and cell lysis, surface EpCAM is analyzed by single-cell PAGE, concurrent with immunoprobing of intracellular targets. Consequently, the single-cell electrophoresis step reports localization of both surface and intracellular targets. Unbound intracellular EpCAM is readily resolved from surface EpCAM immunocomplex owing to a ∼30% mobility shift. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence are in concordance with single-cell PAGE. Lastly, we challenged the stability of the EpCAM immunocomplexes by varying ionic and non-ionic component concentrations in the lysis buffer, the lysis time, and electrophoresis duration. As expected, the harsher conditions proved most disruptive to the immunocomplexes. The compatibility of live-cell immunostaining with single-cell PAGE eliminates the need to perform single-cell imaging by condensing read-out of both surface-bound proteins (as low mobility immune complexes) and intracellular targets to a single immunoblot, thus linking cell type and state.
Quantifying record entanglement in extremely large Hilbert spaces with adaptively sampled EPR correlations

As applications of quantum information and processing grow in scale in sophistication, the ability to quantify the resources present in very high-dimensional quantum systems is an important experimental problem needing solution. In particular, quantum entanglement is a resource fundamental to most applications in quantum information, but becomes intractable to measure in high dimensional systems, both because of the difficulty in obtaining a complete description of the entangled state, and the subsequent calculation of entanglement measures. In this paper, we discuss how one can measure record levels of entanglement simply using the same correlations employed to demonstrate the EPR paradox. To accomplish this, we developed a new entropic uncertainty relation where the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlations between positions and momenta of photon pairs bound quantum entropy, which in turn bounds entanglement. To sample the EPR correlations efficiently, one can sample at variable resolution, and combine this with relations in information theory so that only regions of high probability are sampled at high resolution, while entanglement is never over-estimated. This approach makes quantifying extremely high-dimensional entanglement scalable, with efficiency that actually improves with higher entanglement.
A Review of the Genomic Analysis of Children Presenting with Developmental Delay/Intellectual Disability and Associated Dysmorphic Features.

This review describes the clinical criteria of developmental delay (DD)/intellectual disability (ID) as well as the various techniques that are currently implemented to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders that typically present with associated dysmorphic features such as Angelman syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and DiGeorge syndrome. These analyses include various forms of chromosomal microarray (CMA), which have proven to be superior to previously implemented techniques such as G-banded karyotyping and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, as well as whole exome sequencing (WES), which is implemented as a secondary examination when CMA analysis is unrevealing. The clinical significance of identified variants and how it relates to facilitating the management of specific genetic disorders such as the above mentioned is also discussed. In addition, the importance of genomic databases and bioinformatics technologies as they relate to variant classification is also considered. Essentially, the discovery of pathogenic variants allows for enhanced management of a patient’s clinical phenotype, whereas the identification of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) has proven to have an increase in the number of associated conflicts as they typically generate more ambiguity in regard to the clinical manifestations present within the child. As a result, additional procedures need to be implemented to mitigate the issues that surround their identification. The concluding remarks are in regard to both the ethical and legal considerations of genetic testing as they relate to informed consent, testing of minors, how to handle secondary findings, as well as the anticipated future direction of genomic analysis.
DNA methylation studies of depression with onset in the peripartum: A critical systematic review.

Abstract Objective Major depression with peripartum onset (MDP) has been associated with multiple adverse offspring health outcomes. The biological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, but DNA methylation (DNAm) represents a plausible mechanism for mediating MDP exposures and changes in offspring development, behavior, and health. Advances in DNAm research necessitate reevaluating the MDP-DNAm literature to determine how well past studies conform with current best practices. Method Five databases were searched to identify studies of prenatal-onset MDP and DNAm. Quality scores were assigned to each article independently by two raters using a novel scale specific for MDP-DNAm research. Results Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Quality scores ranged from 10 to 17 out of 24 points (M = 12.8; SD = 1.9), with higher scores indicating increased study rigor. Poor covariate reporting was the most significant contributor to lower scores. Conclusion No longitudinal MDP-DNAm studies exist. Earlier MDP-DNAm studies should be interpreted with caution, and future research must commit to sharing methodology and data to facilitate cross-study comparisons and maximize dataset utility.
Immune System Promiscuity in Human and Nonhuman Primate Evolution

Many genes that respond to infection have functions outside of immunity and have been found to be under natural selection. Pathogens may therefore incidentally alter nonimmune physiology through engagement with immune system genes. This raises a logical question of how genetically promiscuous the immune system is, here defined as how heavily cross-referenced the immune system is into other physiological systems. This work examined immune gene promiscuity across physiological systems in primates by assessing the baseline (unperturbed) expression of key tissue and cell types for differences, and primate genomes for signatures of selection. These efforts revealed "immune" gene expression to be cross-referenced extensively in other physiological systems in primates. When immune and nonimmune tissues diverge in expression, the differentially expressed genes at baseline are enriched for cell biological activities not immediately identifiable as immune function based. Individual comparisons of immune and nonimmune tissues in primates revealed low divergence in gene expression between tissues, with the exception of whole blood. Immune gene promiscuity increases over evolutionary time, with hominoids exhibiting the most cross-referencing of such genes among primates. An assessment of genetic sequences also found positive selection in the coding regions of differentially expressed genes between tissues functionally associated with immunity. This suggests that, with increasing promiscuity, divergent gene expression between the immune system and other physiological systems tends to be adaptive and enriched for immune functions in hominoids.
Shade tolerance within the context of the successional process in tropical rain forests

La tolerancia a la sombra (la capacidad de sobrevivir y crecer durante largos periodos bajo sombra profunda) es un componente clave del valor adaptativo de la planta y la base de las teorias actuales de la sucesion forestal de la selva tropical. Sirve como un paradigma para entender la asignacion optima de recursos limitados bajo regimenes dinamicos de luz. En esta revision analizo como la sucesion de los bosques tropicales lluviosos influye en la expresion de los mecanismos ecofisiologicos que conducen a la tolerancia a la sombra, e identifico areas futuras que pueden aumentar nuestra comprension de las consecuencias ecologicas y evolutivas de este fenomeno. La tolerancia a la sombra es un rasgo funcional continuo y multivariable que refleja el balance de invertir recursos bajo condiciones de luz limitada versus crecer mas rapidamente en condiciones de luz intensa. Propongo el modelo de ciclo de vida a lo largo de la trayectoria de sucesion de Gomez-Pompa y Vazquez-Yanes como una herramienta integradora para entender la sucesion de la selva tropical. Este modelo muestra como las especies se distribuyen a lo largo del gradiente ambiental en funcion de su grado de tolerancia a la sombra, y representa un paradigma mas integrador para comprender la interaccion entre los diferentes componentes de la diversidad de especies (diversidad taxonomica y funcional y variacion ontogenetica) a lo largo de la sucesion. El modelo propone que las diferentes combinaciones de caracteres funcionales que determinan la tolerancia a la sombra se expresan en diferentes etapas del ciclo de vida, y afectan como y cuando las plantas ingresan en el proceso de sucesion. Los modelos que explican la expresion de tolerancia a la sombra (disponibilidad de recursos, ganancia de carbono, CSR, competencia de recursos) se basan en la economia de toda la planta y no son mutuamente excluyentes. Se estan desarrollando explicaciones mas integradoras basadas en la distribucion de caracteres funcionales entre especies, etapas ontogeneticas, y micrositios, mediante el uso de estudios de cronosecuencia y metadatos colectados a largo plazo. El analisis de la tolerancia a la sombra esta sesgado hacia las plantulas de arboles y el sotobosque. Otras formas de vida y microhabitats dentro del perfil del bosque estan casi excluidas de estos analisis. En resumen, la tolerancia a la sombra es un fenomeno complejo, esta determinada por multiples caracteres funcionales que cambian ontogeneticamente en el espacio y el tiempo, e implica una considerable plasticidad. Los metodos actuales no toman en cuenta esta plasticidad. Comprender la naturaleza de la tolerancia a la sombra y su base funcional es fundamental para entender el crecimiento de la planta y mejorar la gestion, restauracion, y conservacion de los bosques tropicales, los cuales enfrentan las amenazas combinadas del calentamiento global y la perdida de habitat.
A novel approach to monitoring wetland dynamics using CYGNSS: Everglades case study

Abstract Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is a remote sensing technique that uses scattered navigation signals opportunistically for science applications. The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is the first science-driven GNSS-R satellite mission. Although the CYGNSS mission is motivated and designed to better observe weather processes, the data are also useful for other applications, including surface hydrology. This paper aims to demonstrate that CYGNSS has a capability for frequent, high-resolution observations of the wetland dynamics across a wide range of timescales in the tropics. Using matched estimates of water depth from the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN), we develop methods for mapping inundation over the South Florida Everglades wetland region using CYGNSS data. CYGNSS enables inundation mapping at rapid timescales throughout the diverse Everglades ecosystem, and the data could be complementary to those of well-established observational platforms. The strengths of GNSS-R could be leveraged with the strengths of other techniques to enable studies of wetlands dynamically at short timescales.
Serotonin Receptor Regulation of Eosinophil Transendothelial Migration

The tryptophan amino acid metabolite, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP), is a metabolic precursor of serotonin. 5HTP reduces allergic inflammation in the lungs of mice and blocks eosinophil migration acro...
Motivational Interviewing to Improve Quitline Referrals – a Resident Education Initiative

OBJECTIVES To improve referral rates to the New York State Smoker’s Quitline (NYSSQL) in resident continuity clinics; to educate residents on motivational interviewing techniques to address tobacco smoke exposure with their patients/patients’ families. METHODS In 2012, our Children’s Hospital partnered with the New York State Smokers Quitline (NYSSQL) to implement a policy-driven Quitline program, Opt-to-Quit™ in all inpatient units and the Emergency Department. Smokers are referred to the NYSSQL, primarily by nursing staff, via direct data …
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Unaccompanied Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Minors: A Scoping Review

Background: Worldwide, up to 50 million children have migrated across borders or been forcibly displaced, with 300,000 unaccompanied or separated. The prevalence and negative effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been thoroughly studied in accompanied refugee and asylum-seeking minors, but fewer studies have focused on PTSD in unaccompanied minors (UAMs). Objective: Review literature regarding PTSD in unaccompanied refugee and asylum-seeking minors; define what factors separate this group in PTSD prevalence; identify …
Towards Guaranteed Safety Assurance of Automated Driving Systems with Scenario Sampling: An Invariant Set Perspective (Extended Version).

How many scenarios are sufficient to validate the safe Operational Design Domain (ODD) of an Automated Driving System (ADS) equipped vehicle? Is a more significant number of sampled scenarios guaranteeing a more accurate safety assessment of the ADS? Despite the various empirical success of ADS safety evaluation with scenario sampling in practice, some of the fundamental properties are largely unknown. This paper seeks to remedy this gap by formulating and tackling the scenario sampling safety assurance problem from a set invariance perspective. First, a novel conceptual equivalence is drawn between the scenario sampling safety assurance problem and the data-driven robustly controlled forward invariant set validation and quantification problem. This paper then provides a series of resolution complete and probabilistic complete solutions with finite-sampling analyses for the safety validation problem that authenticates a given ODD. On the other hand, the quantification problem escalates the validation challenge and starts looking for a safe sub-domain of a particular property. This inspires various algorithms that are provably probabilistic incomplete, probabilistic complete but sub-optimal, and asymptotically optimal. Finally, the proposed asymptotically optimal scenario sampling safety quantification algorithm is also empirically demonstrated through simulation experiments.
How the environment became global

Abstract As Environment is a relational concept (existing in the interactions between humans and biophysical systems), the globalization of human impacts on biophysical systems has resulted not only in a quantitative magnification of those impacts, but in a qualitative shift in the conceptualization and experience of the environment. Contrary to its historical perception, specifically, people now view the environment predominantly as a global rather than a local phenomenon. For this shift in spatial scale to occur, science had to recognize that biophysical processes operate globally and that human actions are modifying these global systems. The public also had to recognize these concepts. The post-1945 period of globalization of the environment corresponds with the timeframe of the Great Acceleration, as the economic growth of this period caused both global environmental changes and the technology and scientific advances needed to detect them. This article articulates a viewpoint that human activities have made the environment global, resulting from positive feedbacks among biophysical and human systems.
A subset of nucleus accumbens neurons receiving dense and functional prelimbic cortical input are required for cocaine seeking

Background: Prelimbic cortical projections to the nucleus accumbens core are critical for cue-induced cocaine seeking, but the identity of the accumbens neuron(s) targeted by this projection, and the transient neuroadaptations contributing to relapse within these cells, remain unknown. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent cocaine or sucrose self-administration, extinction, and cue-induced reinstatement. Pathway-specific chemogenetics, patch-clamp electrophysiology, in vivo electrochemistry, and high-resolution confocal microscopy were used to identify and characterize a small population of nucleus accumbens core neurons that receive dense prelimbic cortical input to determine their role in regulating cue-induced cocaine and natural reward seeking. Results: Chemogenetic inhibition of prelimbic cortical projections to the nucleus accumbens core suppressed cue-induced cocaine relapse and normalized real-time cue-evoked increases in accumbens glutamate release to that of sucrose seeking animals. Furthermore, chemogenetic inhibition of the population of nucleus accumbens core neurons receiving the densest prelimbic cortical input suppressed cocaine, but not sucrose seeking. These neurons also underwent morphological plasticity during the peak of cocaine seeking in the form of dendritic spine expansion and increased ensheathment by astroglial processes at large spines. Conclusions: We identified and characterized a unique subpopulation of nucleus accumbens neurons that receive dense prelimbic cortical input. The functional specificity of this subpopulation is underscored by their ability to mediate cue-induced cocaine relapse, but not sucrose seeking. This subset of cells represents a novel target for addiction therapeutics revealed by anterograde targeting to interrogate functional circuits imbedded within a known network.
A New Estimate of the Hawaiian Population for 1778, the Year of First European Contact

A high level of uncertainty surrounds the size of the Hawaiian population at the time of first European contact in 1778. Estimates range from 200,000 to 1,000,000. While some estimates have more of an empirical base than others, none of them takes advantage of the high level of momentum found in demographic processes, something that is done in this paper using “backcasting,” a demographic forecasting method run in reverse from known data. Using a commonly used technique for this purpose, the 1910 count of Native Hawaiians by age in Hawaiʻi is taken back to 1770 in decennial cycles. Interpolating between the 1780 and 1770 estimates yields an estimated 683,200 Hawaiians in 1778. Another finding is that the population reaches stability (a constant relative age structure over time) by 1820.
Resource-advantage theory

(2010). Resource-advantage theory. International Journal of Advertising: Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 15-36.
Using Conversational Word Bursts in Spoken Term Detection

We describe a language independent word burst feature based on the structure of conversational speech that can be used to improve spoken term detection (STD) performance. Word burst refers to a phenomenon in conversational speech in which particular content words tend to occur in close proximity of each other as a byproduct of the topic under discussion. To take advantage of bursts, we describe a rescoring procedure that can be applied to lattice and confusion network outputs to improve STD performance. This approach is particularly effective when acoustic models are built with limited training data (and ASR performance is relatively poor). We find that word bursts appear in the four languages we examined and that STD performance can be improved for three of them; the remaining language is agglutinative.
Analysis, Identification, and Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems

The general results in stability theory were developed by the Ukrainian scientist A. Lyapunov (he was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Kharkov University). Lyapunov formulated a basic concept of stability and derived sufficient stability conditions for dynamic systems described by ordinary differential equations. In recent years, there has been considerable activity in the application of the second method, and innovative methods were developed. The application of efficient and flexible software, such as MATLAB, has changed the aim of the Lyapunov stability theory, and the second method is rarely used for derivation of solutions. Nonlinear differential equations can be solved, and the value of Lyapunov’s theory is shifted from the descriptive theory of solutions of differential equations to convergence and stability analysis as well as to design of stabilizing controllers. The Lyapunov concept is a viable tool in solution of stabilization and optimization problems, encountered in the wide areas of control. In particular, the second method has been applied and extensively used in control, diagnostics, identification, and model reduction of nonlinear systems to analyze different algorithms, as well as to study and visualize the qualitative features of the theoretical developments. For example, control and optimization methods employ the sufficient conditions for stability, as given by the second method, and the design techniques are based on the solution of Lyapunov-type equations or inequalities. Further studies are needed to make the so-called Lyapunov second method available for a wide range of applications and to demonstrate additional capabilities and practical benefits of the Lyapunov theory. The main reason and basic motivation of this section is to apply the Lyapunov concept to nonlinear dynamic systems. It is demonstrated that the application of nonquadratic Lyapunov candidates is an important step to using the full potential of the second method. These allow one to cope with more difficult problems in analysis of nonlinear systems. Nonlinear time-invariant systems were considered in Chapter 4.4 (see Section 4.4.2), where the definitions and the Lyapunov theorem were stated.
SU-E-J-167: Dosimetric Consequences From Minimal Displacements in APBI with SAVI Applicators

Purpose: To determine the importance of providing proper solid immobilization in every fraction of treatment in APBI with brachytherapy. Methods: 125 patients treated with APBI brachytherapy with SAVI applicators at SFRO Boca Raton, from 2013–2015 were considered for this retrospective study. The CT scans of each patient, which were taken before each treatment, were imported in to the Oncentra treatment planning system. Then they were compared with the initial CT scan which was used for the initial plan. Deviation in displacements in reference to ribs and skin surface was measured and dosimetric evaluations respective to the initial image were performed. Results: Small deviations in displacements were observed from the SAVI applicator to the ribs and the skin surface. Dosimetric evaluations revealed, very small changes in the inter-fractionation position make significant differences in the maximum dose to critical organs. Additionally, the volume of the cavity also changed between fractions. As a Result, the maximum dose manifested variance between 10% and 32% in ribs and skin surface respectively. Conclusion: It appears that taking a CT scan before each treatment is necessary to minimize the risk of delivering undesired high doses to the critical organs. This study indicates, in 30% of the casesmore » re-planning was necessary between treatments. We conclude that, treatment planning teams should evaluate the placement of the device by analyzing the CT images before each treatment and they must be prepared for re-planning if needed. This study also reveals the urgent need of improving the immobilization methods with APBI when treating with the SAVI applicator.« less
Some Methodological Contributions From a Functional Analysis of Child Development

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses two methodological problems of child behavior and development from a “functional point of view.” This phrase implies an approach in which only objectively defined concepts are used and the behaviors of the children are related directly to observable elements of their present circumstances and past interactional history. On the surface, this description may seem to be merely a reiteration of nearly universal current research practices with children. On closer scrutiny, this is found not to be the case. Therefore, prior to discussions of research, the chapter makes clear the meaning of psychological development, points out some of its implications, and takes a specific view of the nature of development.
Visual CAPTCHA with handwritten image analysis

By convention, CAPTCHA is an automated test that humans can pass but current computer programs can′t. In general, the research on CAPTCHA and Human Interactive Proofs is focusing on those recognition tasks that are harder for machines than for humans. The recognition of unconstrained handwriting continues to be a difficult task for computers and handwritten image analysis is still an unsolved problem. Therefore, handwriting recognition provides a reasonable gap between humans and machines that could be exploited and used for new CAPTCHA challenges. In this paper we use handwritten word images and explore Gestalt psychology to motivate our image transformations. The deformation methods are individually described and results are presented and compared to other traditional handwritten image transformations. Several applications for Web services would find our handwritten CAPTCHA an excellent biometric for online security and a way of defending online services against abusive attacks.
Deterministic computations whose history is independent of the order of asynchronous updating

Consider a network of processors (sites) in which each site x has a finite set N(x) of neighbors. There is a transition function f that for each site x computes the next state \xi(x) from the states in N(x). But these transitions (updates) are applied in arbitrary order, one or many at a time. If the state of site x at time t is \eta(x,t) then let us define the sequence \zeta(x,0), \zeta(x,1), ... by taking the sequence \eta(x,0), \eta(x,1), ..., and deleting repetitions. The function f is said to have invariant histories if the sequence \zeta(x,i), (while it lasts, in case it is finite) depends only on the initial configuration, not on the order of updates. This paper shows that though the invariant history property is typically undecidable, there is a useful simple sufficient condition, called commutativity: For any configuration, for any pair x,y of neighbors, if the updating would change both \xi(x) and \xi(y) then the result of updating first x and then y is the same as the result of doing this in the reverse order.
The Liquidity Effects of S&P 500 Additions

We argue that the addition of a stock to the S&P 500 index leads to an increase in the volume of liquidity-motivated trading in the stock by index investors. This, in turn, lowers the cost of supplying liquidity and generates abnormal returns. Consistent with this argument, we document a permanent increase in the liquidity of stocks added to the S&P 500 index. Specifically, the median quoted and effective spreads decrease and the median quoted depth, trading volume and trade frequencies increase over three months following listing. The improvement in liquidity is due primarily to a decrease in the median direct cost of transacting and a smaller decline in the median asymmetric information cost of transacting. Further, we find that the event period cumulative abnormal returns are strongly associated with the decrease in the direct cost of transacting. These findings provide strong support for a liquidity-based explanation for the observed wealth effect due to S&P 500 listing.
ICI cancellation based channel estimation for OFDM systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which is a multicarrier modulation scheme, splits high data rate information symbols into lower rate parallel data streams and transmits this parallel information on different orthogonal carriers. The loss of orthogonality among subcarriers causes inter-carrier interference (ICI), which affects both channel estimation and detection of OFDM data symbols. Channel estimation error degrades the performance of coherent receiver limiting capacity, data rate and performance of the overall OFDM system. This paper proposes a novel frequency-domain channel estimator, which mitigates the effects of ICI by jointly finding the frequency offset and channel frequency response (CFR). Unlike conventional channel estimation techniques, where ICI is treated as part of the noise, the proposed approach considers the effect of frequency offset in estimation of CFR. A binary search algorithm is used to find the present frequency offset and CFR jointly. Variance of the frequency offset estimator and mean-square error (MSE) performances for conventional least-squares (LS) estimator and the proposed method are obtained using computer simulations. The variance of the jointly estimated frequency offset is found to be very close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound. It is shown that the proposed method outperforms LS channel estimator especially in ICI dominated situations.
Engineering semiconducting polymers for efficient charge transport

Electronic performance in semiconducting polymers has improved dramatically in recent years owing to a host of novel materials and processing techniques. Our understanding of the factors governing charge transport in these materials has also been enhanced through advancements in both experimental and computational techniques, with disorder appearing to play a central role. In this prospective, we propose that disorder is an inextricable aspect of polymer morphology which need not be highly detrimental to charge transport if it is embraced and planned for. We discuss emerging guidelines for the synthesis of polymers which are resilient to disorder and present our vision for how future advances in processing and molecular design will provide a path toward further increases in charge-carrier mobility.
Unconventional Gas Development in the USA: Exploring the Risk Perception Issues

Unconventional gas development (UGD) is growing rapidly in the United States. Drawing on insights from risk perception and risk governance theories and recent public opinion surveys, we find that UGD is an emerging technology that is likely to be perceived as risky, even though objective risk assessments suggest that risks are low and controllable through best risk management practices. Perceived risk varies significantly depending on the state and locality but perceptions of risk appear to be increasing as the technology is used more widely in the United States and as organized opponents of the technology intensify their efforts. Risk perceptions are attenuated somewhat because of the perceived benefits of UGD and compensation schemes for individuals and communities. The types of triggering events necessary for large-scale social amplification and stigmatization have not yet occurred but awareness of UGD is growing and organized opposition has been sufficient to cause prohibitions of UGD in some U.S. states and localities. Additional directions for social science research on public reactions to UGD are recommended.
Advances in hyperspeed digital interconnects using electromagnetic bandgap technology: measured low-loss 43-GHz passband centered at 50 GHz

We have performed a computational and experimental study of a promising new wireless interconnect for high-speed digital circuits employing linear defects in electromagnetic bandgap structures at 50 GHz center frequency. Our recent results confirm the scalability of this technology. We found that employing low-loss dielectrics can maintain the approximately 80% bandwidth with excellent stopband, gain flatness, and matching characteristics previously observed at 10 GHz. When further scaled to millimeter-wave center frequencies above 300 GHz (to leverage emerging silicon transistor technology), EBG wireless interconnects should be able to support data rates in the hundreds of Gbit/s, assuming the availability of suitable low-loss dielectrics.
Texture Density Aftereffects in the Perception of Artificial and Natural Textures

Three experiments are reported concerning the texture density aftereffect. The experiments address the question of how visual texture density information is encoded by examining patterns of transfer between different textures. In the first two experiments, it is shown that manipulation of spatial frequency and orientation information does not affect the direction of the aftereffect of density (reduction in perceived density), though similarity between adaptation and test textures does influence aftereffect strength. The third experiment demonstrates that adaptation to density differences in artificial textures in which spatial frequency information is held constant produces density aftereffects in naturalistic test textures in which density and spatial frequency covary.
Long-term effects of self-monitoring on reactivity and on accuracy☆

Abstract This experiment investigated accuracy and reactivity as a function of time spent in self-monitoring. Students (n = 16) self-recorded the frequency of face-touching during an evening class. The experimental design had three within-subject conditions (baseline, self-monitoring and return-to-baseline) and two between-subject conditions (the duration of the self-monitoring phase, either 2 weeks (4hr) or 9 weeks (11 hr)). Reactivity was determined through observational data collected by trained observers (inter-observer agreement = 0.90). Accuracy was determined by comparing the observers' and self-recorders' recorded frequencies of face-touching. Self-recorders were as accurate when they recorded over a long period of time (r = 0.76) as over a short period (r = 0.70). The mean frequencies of face-touching per 5-min interval for the long-term group in baseline, treatment and return-to-baseline phases were 14.3, 3.5 and 10.6, respectively. In the short-term group, comparable means were 11.9, 3.0 and 9.9. Thus, the reactive effects of self-monotiring persisted over a fairly long period of time, but continued only so long as the self-recording procedure was employed. Clinical implications for assessment and therapeutic uses of self-monitoring were discussed, as were theoretical implications for explanations of reactivity.
Inflation or disinflation? Evidence from maturing US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities

The prices of maturing US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) during the last 6-month coupon period reveal whether the market is anticipating an inflationary or disinflationary regime. Against the benchmark of the Treasury bill yield to adjust for the time value of money, maturing TIPS prices represent a sequence of updated forecasts of the consumer price index (CPI) to be used to determine the final single cash flow on the maturity date. Under the assumption of risk-neutrality, the sequence of forecasts is modelled as a martingale. Generalized method of moments and regression analysis are used to test two martingale properties of the CPI forecasts: (1) the unconditional mean of daily changes in the CPI forecasts is zero and (2) serial correlations of the daily changes in the CPI forecasts are zero. The test statistics reject both martingale properties of the CPI forecasts implied in maturing TIPS prices. A persistent upward movement of the CPI forecasts toward the actual target CPI during the ...
Corn residue retention by a combination chisel plow

Using combination chisel plows in corn (Zea mays L.) residue can reduce surface residue cover to below levels that will protect the soil against erosion. Equipment operation and setup changes can alter the residue amount incorporated into soil. We evaluated the operational effects of using a combination chisel plow, equipped with coulter gangs, on corn residue cover on two silt loam soils. Variables included timing of chiseling, point selection, speed and depth of chiseling, and coulter-gang engagement. Chisel plowing left 21 to 46% residue cover in the fall, and 13 to 33% residue cover in the spring. Differences were negated when overwintering losses after fall chiseling were considered. Only three of the eight spring chiseling treatments left >30% residue cover: (i) the DMI Tiger-C point with coulter-gang engagement, (ii) the DMI Tiger-C point without coulter-gang engagement, and (iii) the 406-mm sweep with gang engaged. Ranking of residue-retention coefficients for the chisel points was as follows: 406-mm low-crown sweep (0.42-0.53) DMI Tiger-C specialty point > 51-mm chisel point (0.33-0.40) > 102-mm twisted shovel (0.17-0.25). Depth of chiseling did not affect residue retention. Slowing the speed of operation from 6.4 to 3.2 km h -1 (resulting in 27-42% increased residue retention) had more effect than slowing from 9.6 to 6.4 km h -1 (19-24%). Primary tillage of corn residue using a combination chisel plow can provide adequate (>30%) soil surface protection from erosion processes. Residue-cover levels following secondary tillage and planting operations will likely fall below 30%.
CT and clinical criteria for conservative treatment of supratentorial traumatic intracerebral haematomas.

In search of guidelines for the management of traumatic intracerebral haematomas (TICHs) with slight mass effects on computed tomography (CT) scans, the author reviewed the records of 29 patients who did not undergo surgery and 11 patients who did.
Thermodynamic and structural insights into CSL-DNA complexes

The Notch pathway is an intercellular signaling mechanism that plays important roles in cell fates decisions throughout the developing and adult organism. Extracellular complexation of Notch receptors with ligands ultimately results in changes in gene expression, which is regulated by the nuclear effector of the pathway, CSL (C-promoter binding factor 1 (CBF-1), suppressor of hairless (Su(H)), lin-12 and glp-1 (Lag-1)). CSL is a DNA binding protein that is involved in both repression and activation of transcription from genes that are responsive to Notch signaling. One well-characterized Notch target gene is hairy and enhancer of split-1 (HES-1), which is regulated by a promoter element consisting of two CSL binding sites oriented in a head-to-head arrangement. Although previous studies have identified in vivo and consensus binding sites for CSL, and crystal structures of these complexes have been determined, to date, a quantitative description of the energetics that underlie CSL-DNA binding is unknown. Here, we provide a thermodynamic and structural analysis of the interaction between CSL and the two individual sites that comprise the HES-1 promoter element. Our comprehensive studies that analyze binding as a function of temperature, salt, and pH reveal moderate, but distinct, differences in the affinities of CSL for the two HES-1 binding sites. Similarly, our structural results indicate that overall CSL binds both DNA sites in a similar manner; however, minor changes are observed in both the conformation of CSL and DNA. Taken together, our results provide a quantitative and biophysical basis for understanding how CSL interacts with DNA sites in vivo.
Spatiotemporal problems with detecting and mapping mosaic fire regimes with coarse-resolution satellite data in savanna environments

Abstract Fire is a prominent disturbance factor and a major force of environmental change especially in the African savannas. The development of an accurate system to map and monitor fires on the African continent is a priority of numerous international research centers and programs. This effort has produced a flurry of research projects in recent years to detect and map areas affected by fires at the continental scale using coarse-resolution satellite imagery. The end product of these projects consists of weekly or monthly maps of burned area, several of which are available to the user community on the internet. It is argued here that the algorithms used to generate these products are designed to capture relatively large and contiguously burned areas and that the heterogeneous patterns of burn scars created by mosaic burning regimes pose a problem for current detection methodologies. Fine-scale burned area maps are generated using a series of Landsat ETM+imagery covering the 2002–2003 fire season for the study area in the savanna of southern Mali. These maps document a seasonal-mosaic pattern of burning in which burning begins early in the dry season and continues for several months ultimately affecting over 50% of the landscape. The majority of these fires burn relatively small areas producing a highly fragmented landscape pattern. A comparison of the fine scale maps with those from two widely available coarse-resolution products finds that the latter fail to detect approximately 90% of the burned area. A general argument is developed which suggests that the documented bias in the coarse resolution products is a function of low-resolution bias which derives from the fine-scale spatiotemporal pattern of burning not uncommon to savanna and other frequently burned environments. The study demonstrates how low-resolution bias can result in a significant underestimation of burned areas and/or a shift in the seasonal burned area profile in areas where mosaic burning occurs. The findings have implications for the development of broad-scale burned area detection algorithms as well as their applications to natural resource management and global environmental change research.
Stimulant alcohol effects prime within session drinking behavior.

Rationale Individual differences in subjective alcohol effects have been shown to differ by risk status (e.g., family history of alcoholism) and to predict future risk for alcohol-related problems. Presumably, individual differences in both stimulant and sedative responses affect the rewarding value of drinking which, in turn, impacts future drinking behavior. Although plausible, this theoretical model is largely untested.