cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Singing speaker clustering based on subspace learning in the GMM mean supervector space

Highlights? Mixed style speech causes problems when training acoustic models for speech applications, such as speaker ID and ASR. ? This study is a first attempt for speaker clustering under mixed speaking styles which include reading and singing. ? Two types of subspace learning strategies in the GMM mean supervector space are studied: unsupervised and supervised. ? Advanced clustering algorithms are evaluated on a database that includes reading and singing the lyrics for each speaker. ? LPP subspace learning and a proposed cluster refining based on PLDA significantly improves clustering accuracies. In this study, we propose algorithms based on subspace learning in the GMM mean supervector space to improve performance of speaker clustering with speech from both reading and singing. As a speaking style, singing introduces changes in the time-frequency structure of a speaker's voice. The purpose of this study is to introduce advancements for speech systems such as speech indexing and retrieval which improve robustness to intrinsic variations in speech production. Speaker clustering techniques such as k-means and hierarchical are explored for analysis of acoustic space differences of a corpus consisting of reading and singing of lyrics for each speaker. Furthermore, a distance based on fuzzy c-means membership degrees is proposed to more accurately measure clustering difficulty or speaker confusability. Two categories of subspace learning methods are studied: unsupervised based on LPP, and supervised based on PLDA. Our proposed clustering method based on PLDA is a two stage algorithm: where first, initial clusters are obtained using full dimension supervectors, and next, each cluster is refined in a PLDA subspace resulting in a more speaker dependent representation that is less sensitive to speaking style. It is shown that LPP improves average clustering accuracy by 5.1% absolute versus a hierarchical baseline for a mixture of reading and singing, and PLDA based clustering increases accuracy by 9.6% absolute versus a k-means baseline. The advancements offer novel techniques to improve model formulation for speech applications including speaker ID, audio search, and audio content analysis.
Outside Participation in Canadian Advertising Self‐Regulation

The Canadian advertising self-regulatory system has been an innovative one, pioneering in such areas as the involvement of “outside'' non-industry members, the preclearance of children and feminine-hygiene commercials as well as the handling of sex-stereotypes and of multiculturalism in advertising. Most of these developments have been in reaction to government and consumerist pressures: and they have burdened a relatively understaffed and underfinanced system. As such, they reveal the flexibility and innovativeness of advertising self-regulation in dealing with the “taste, opinion and decency'' issue but also its current limits. The use of outsiders coming mainly from the consumer and feminist movements has been quite successful, thereby revealing the gradual shift away from pure self-regulation where only industry members are involved. This Canadian innovation is now spreading in other countries. Resume Le systeme d'autoreglementation de la publicite, au Canada, a ete innovateur. II a ete a l'avant-garde dans des domaines tels que le recours a des arbitres qui ne sont pas membres de la profession, l'approbation prealable des annonces destinees aux enfants et aux femmes, le traitement des stereotypes sexuels et du multi-culturalisme. Ces nouvelles pratiques ont ete introduites en reponse aux pressions des gouvernements et des consommateurs. Elles ont taxe un systeme dont les dotations en ressources humaines et financieres etaient insuffisantes. En consequence, elles ont demontre la souplesse et la creativite de l'autoreglementation lorsqu'il s'agit de traiter de questions de “gout, d'opinion et de decence.'' Mais elles ont montre egalement ses limites. Le recours a des arbitres externes issus des mouvements feministes et des consommateurs a pleinement reussi et montre que l'on s'eloigne graduellement de l'autoregulation pure, qui ne fait appel qu'aux membres de la profession. Cette innovation canadienne est en voie d'adoption par d'autres pays.
Particle streak velocity field measurements in a two­ dimensional mixing layer

Using digital image processing of particle streak photography, the streamwise and perpendicular components of the velocity field were investigated, in the mid‐span plane of a two‐dimensional mixing layer, with a 6:1 velocity ratio. The Reynolds number of the flow, based on the local vorticity thickness and the velocity difference across the layer, ranged from 1360 to 2520, in the plane of observation. The significant result of this experiment was that the region of vorticity bearing fluid is confined to a small fraction of the flow. A second finding, consistent with the small regions of concentrated vorticity, was the observation of instantaneous streamwise velocity reversal, in the laboratory frame, in small regions of the flow.
Sexualized Avatars Lead to Women’s Self-Objectification and Acceptance of Rape Myths

Research has indicated that many video games and virtual worlds are populated by unrealistic, hypersexualized representations of women, but the effects of using these representations remain underst...
Qualification of a low-cost high-quality reticle process for 90-nm contact layers

Reticle costs are increasing as users tighten specifications to accommodate the shrinking process windows in advanced semiconductor lithography. Tighter specs often drive the use of e-beam based mask processes, which produce better mask pattern acuity than laser-based tools but suffer lower throughput (and thus higher costs). In some cases, such as contacts, the pattern acuity of an e-beam tool does not seem to be required -- but the tight effective CD uniformity typically produced by an e-beam mask writer is still necessary to prevent wafer level defect problems. This presents problems for the maskshop (e.g., low yield and long cycle time) as well as for the fab (more expensive new product introduction, uncertainty in mask delivery). This paper describes the results of qualifying a low cost, high quality mask making process for 90nm wafer production. The process uses a DUV laser-based mask writer to achieve low cost. Wafer photolithography process results using two masks fabricated with different mask making processes are presented, along with comparative electrical performance.
Reactions within Fluorobenzene–Ammonia Heterocluster Ions: Experiment and Theory

Reactions occurring within gas phase fluorobenenze–ammonia heterocluster cations (FC6H5–(NH3)n=1–4) have been studied through the use of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer as well as employing density functional theory (DFT). Collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments were conducted in which mass selected cluster ions are accelerated into a cell containing argon gas and the resulting products then subsequently mass analyzed. Two dominate reaction channels are observed. The first is simple evaporative loss of neutral ammonia from the cluster ion. The second involves a substitution reaction occurring within the cluster ion to form the aniline cation, C6H5NH2+, where the reactivity was found to vary as a function of cluster size. DFT calculations have been performed to both help analyze the structure and the reactivity of these cluster ions. Pronounced differences in activation energies were found that provide an explanation for the observed variation of reactivity as a function of cluster size. An ...
Corporal Burnett "Snake" surgical maneuver for the treatment of ischemic priapism: long-term followup.

Purpose: We provide long-term followup on a modification of the Al-Ghorab distal penile corporoglanular shunt surgery for the treatment of ischemic priapism.Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients surgically treated for ischemic priapism at The Johns Hopkins Hospital from January 2008 to April 2012 with the Burnett “Snake” maneuver of the Al-Ghorab shunt. Electronic medical records were reviewed to collect demographic information and telephone followup was performed to verify treatment outcomes. Patients completed the SHIM (Sexual Health Inventory for Men) to assess current erectile function.Results: A total of 10 patients were analyzed (age range 31 to 59 years). Mean followup was 6.7 months (range 0.5 to 17). Priapism etiologies were idiopathic (3), trazodone (2), trazodone and cocaine (3), intracavernous injection of trimix (1) and spinal cord injury (1). There were 6 patients who had previously undergone unsuccessful surgical attempts at priapism decompression and mean p...
Osteoarthritis. Emerging evidence for cell interactions in the breakdown and remodeling of cartilage

Abstract Interactions among the cells of joint components appear to contribute to the dynamic events associated with breakdown of the cartilage matrix and remodeling of the articular surface in osteoarthritis. The mediator interleukin-1 may be one of the stimuli that Induce release of hydrolytic factors from synovial membrane cells and chondrocytes, which contribute to the degradation of collagen and proteoglycans in the cartilage matrix. The remodeling process is associated with chondrocyte proliferation and vascular and cellular Ingrowth from subchondral bone with osteophyte formation. It is postulated that growth factors Isolated from cartilage and bone may contribute to repair and remodeling of the articular end of the joint.
Violence exposure, psychological trauma, and suicide risk in a community sample of dangerously violent adolescents

Objective: To examine violence exposure, violent behaviors, psychological trauma, and suicide risk in a community sample of dangerously violent adolescents by comparison with a matched community sample of nonviolent adolescents. Method: Anonymous self-report questionnaires were administered in the 1992–1993 school year to students in grades 9 through 12, in six public high schools located in Ohio and Colorado (N = 3,735). From this sample, 484 adolescents (349 males, 135 females) who reported attacking someone with a knife or shooting at someone within the past year (i.e., dangerously violent adolescents) were drawn. Four hundred eighty-four controls were also selected and matched on gender, age in years, ethnicity, area of residence, and family structure. Results: Dangerously violent adolescents reported higher levels of exposure to violence and victimization than did matched controls. Dangerously violent females were more likely to score in the clinical range of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, anger, and dissociation than were control females and violent males; they also had significantly higher levels of suicide potential. Conclusions: Students who have been known to commit violent acts should be adequately assessed for violence exposure and symptoms of psychological trauma, with special attention given to the suicide potential of violent females.
Earth science: Warning signs of the Iquique earthquake

An earthquake off Chile in 2014 occurred in a region where a great seismic event was expected. Two studies reveal that months of foreshocks and slow slip on the associated plate-boundary fault preceded the event. See Letters p.295 & p.299 Two groups publishing in this issue of Nature analyse the seismic context of the Iquique earthquake that occurred off the coast of northern Chile on 1 April 2014 in a seismic zone that had been quiescent since a significant event in 1877. Gavin Hayes et al. identify areas of remaining or elevated earthquake hazard along the megathrust fault in the region, and conclude that the 2014 Iquique event was not the earthquake that had been anticipated. Given that significant sections of the northern Chile subduction zone have not ruptured in almost 150 years, they suggest that it is likely that future megathrust earthquakes will occur south and potentially north of the 2014 Iquique sequence. Bernd Schurr et al. show that the April 2014 earthquake broke a central fraction of the 'northern Chile seismic gap', the last major segment of the South American plate boundary that had yet to rupture in the past century. From July 2013 up to the April earthquake they identify three seismic clusters along this part of the plate boundary, each lasting a few weeks, with earthquakes of increasing peak magnitudes. They conclude that these seismic clusters and their slip transients reflect a gradual weakening of the central part of the seismic gap that was instrumental in initiating the final failure.
Maternal speech to infants in a tonal language: Support for universal prosodic features in motherese.

Etude quantitative des caracteristiques prosodiques du langage de meres parlant en chinois mandarin a un adulte ou a leur enfant de 2 mois, comparees ensuite aux caracteristiques traditionnellement constatees en anglais et en allemand
Investigation of nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit: Absence of clonal spread

BACKGROUND: In September 2004, five patients were identified with nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus (SA) sepsis in our 40-bed level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), compared to one in the prior 3 years. The initial patient expired before we had a positive blood culture. It has been estimated that each case of nosocomial sepsis imposes an additional cost of $25,000. OBJECTIVES: Identify, prevent and control nosocomial transmission of SA. METHODS: Within 1 week, three patients were septic with SA. Two weeks later, two additional patients had SA sepsis. Control measures included cohorting and re-emphasis of hand hygiene and barrier techniques. A questionnaire describing skin infections was distributed to nursing, physicians, respiratory, phlebotomy, and radiology staff, and to volunteer cuddlers and rehabilitation therapy personnel. Of 194 questionnaires returned, four personnel who described skin infections were cultured. At the request of the department of health, point prevalence cultures of the nares of all other neonates were collected. Of 25 screened, 4 (16%) were SA positive and were moved to the cohort. RESULTS: The outbreak of SA sepsis was limited to five patients; one was secondary to pneumonia, one secondary to omphalitis, and the remaining three were catheter-related bloodstream infections. These five neonates had been transferred from two unrelated facilities. Among the 25 neonates screened, four were colonized with SA. Four neonatal nurses with a history of skin infections were cultured and one grew SA. The five cases, four colonized infants and the single nurse isolate, were shown to be unrelated as analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The outbreak was controlled by enhanced infection control measures before the root cause analysis process was completed 5 weeks after the index case. Four patients did well and were discharged home. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak did not reflect clonal spread or the effects of point source transmission. In the screening and cultures collected, healthcare workers were not linked to transmission of cases. Prompt recognition and heightened awareness of the risks of spread within the NICU led to prevention of continued cases. SA colonization is not unusual and maybe increasing in frequency. The implementation of enhanced infection control measures can be effective.
Stability of the Asymmetric Escherichia coli Chaperonin Complex GUANIDINE CHLORIDE CAUSES RAPID DISSOCIATION

Abstract The chaperonin proteins, GroEL14 and GroES7, inhibit protein aggregation and assist in protein folding in a potassium/ATP-dependent manner. In vitro, assays for chaperonin activity typically involve adding a denatured substrate protein to the chaperonins and measuring the appearance of correctly folded substrate protein. The influence of denaturant is generally ignored. Low concentrations of guanidinium chloride (<100 mM) had a profound effect on the activity/structure of the chaperonins. Guanidinium decreased the ATPase activity of GroEL and attenuated the inhibition of GroEL ATP hydrolysis by GroES. The stable, asymmetric chaperonin complex which forms in the presence of GroES and ADP (GroES7 • ADP7 • GroEL7-GroEL7) rapidly dissociated upon addition of 80 mM guanidinium chloride. Dissociation was enhanced at high ionic strength, but rapid dissociation was guanidinium-specific. Accelerated release of the GroES from the complex was also demonstrated. Unfolded proteins alone had no effect on complex stability. Residual guanidinium depressed the rate of Rhodospirillum rubrum ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) folding; an increased aggregation rate also decreased the yield of folded Rubisco. Chaperonin-assisted folding is therefore best studied using proteins denatured by means other than guanidinium chloride.
3-D Navier-Stokes Simulation of Large-Scale Regions of the Bronchopulmonary Tree

A new methodology for CFD simulation of airflow in the human bronchopulmonary tree is presented. The new approach provides a means for detailed resolution of the flow features via three-dimensional Navier-Stokes CFD simulation without the need for direct simulation of the entire flow geometry, which is well beyond the reach of available computing power now and in the foreseeable future. The method is based on a finite number of flow paths, each of which is fully resolved, to provide a detailed description of the entire complex small-scale flowfield. A stochastic coupling approach is used for the unresolved flow path boundary conditions, yielding a virtual flow geometry allowing accurate statistical resolution of the flow at all scales for any set of flow conditions. Results are presented for multi-generational lung models based on the Weibel morphology and the anatomical data of Hammersley and Olson. Validation simulations are performed for a portion of the bronchiole region (generations 4–12) using the flow path ensemble method, and compared to simulations that are geometrically fully resolved. Results are obtained for three inspiratory flowrates and compared in terms of pressure drop, flow distribution characteristics, and flow structure. Results show excellent agreement with the fully resolved geometry, while reducing the mesh size and computational cost by as much as 94%.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Efficiency of salivary gland invasion by malaria sporozoites is controlled by rapid sporozoite destruction in the mosquito haemocoel.

Abstract For successful transmission to the vertebrate host, malaria sporozoites must migrate from the mosquito midgut to the salivary glands. Here, using purified sporozoites inoculated into the mosquito haemocoel, we show that salivary gland invasion is inefficient and that sporozoites have a narrow window of opportunity for salivary gland invasion. Only 19% of sporozoites invade the salivary glands, all invasion occurs within 8 h at a rate of approximately 200 sporozoites per hour, and sporozoites that fail to invade within this time rapidly die and are degraded. Then, using natural release of sporozoites from oocysts, we show that haemolymph flow through the dorsal vessel facilitates proper invasion. Most mosquitoes had low steady-state numbers of circulating sporozoites, which is remarkable given the thousands of sporozoites released per oocyst, and suggests that sporozoite degradation is a rapid immune process most efficient in regions of high haemolymph flow. Only 2% of Anopheles gambiae haemocytes phagocytized Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, a rate insufficient to explain the extent of sporozoite clearance. Greater than 95% of haemocytes phagocytized Escherichia coli or latex particles, indicating that their failure to sequester large numbers of sporozoites is not due to an inability to engage in phagocytosis. These results reveal the operation of an efficient sporozoite-killing and degradation machinery within the mosquito haemocoel, which drastically limits the numbers of infective sporozoites in the mosquito salivary glands.
Nutritional characteristics of palm oil

Abstract: Palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) is the leading edible oil in terms of global production and export, with Indonesia and Malaysia being the leading producers. Palm oil’s very high yield per hectare necessitates the use of substantially less arable land than any other edible oil. A balanced fatty acid composition (~ 50% saturated and 50% unsaturated fatty acids) makes it a versatile oil for numerous food applications. Various minor components (pro vitamin A and vitamin E) provide additional avenues for its use in human nutrition. This chapter reviews the nutritional attributes of palm oil, primarily from the standpoint of its fatty acid composition.
Incidence of Invasive Community-Onset Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Children in Central New York

We determined the incidence of invasive community-onset Staphylococcus aureus infections, clinical characteristics, and antibiotic susceptibilities in 128 hospitalized children in central New York. The prevalence of invasive S aureus infections in our institution remained S aureus infections significantly increased.
The Extent of Uncollected Eggs Due to Inadequate Shell

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the extent of uncollectable egg production in a commercial-type egg operation. The influence of bird age, strain of bird and environmental conditions on the production of eggs were also determined. Sheets of metal were hung 30 cm. beneath the cages of 6,652 birds from a population of three quarter million hens 8,11, 14 and 17 months of age during the summer or winter. To obtain a 24-hour sample, eggs were collected between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and at 2-hour intervals between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. All birds were caged 4 birds per cage in an open-type house and fed a commercial corn-soy diet. The results indicate that uncollectable eggs (shell-less, ultra-thin and thin-shell) are laid by pullets first coming into lay and the incidence increases as the age of the bird increases. The temperature or season of the year had little effect on the extent of uncollectable egg production. During a 24-hour period, production of uncollectable eggs peaked when hard-shell egg production peaked. Approximately one-half of the uncollected eggs were shell-less and one-half had some shell. Uncollectable eggs were not peculiar to one strain. It was concluded that the decline in production as the hen ages is not as great as indicated by production records but that the shell quality problem is much more severe with 4.77% of all eggs laid being uncollected .
The occupy assembly: discursive experiments in direct democracy

A key feature of the Occupy movement has been the General Assembly (GA), in which participants, gathered in outdoor public space, engaged in emergent forms of direct deliberative democratic practice. GAs created opportunities for renewed, co-constructed discourses about human rights, collectivity and autonomy, and the nature of fairness. The physical, durative occupation of public space and establishment of encampments enabled participants to converse and collaborate meaningfully about these matters and their implications for action. An attested ideology of horizontalism was produced and reflected in practices of decision-making within a direct participatory democratic framework. The generation of local intersubjectivity and global solidarity as well as the embodied augmentation of personal and group agency were lodged within face-to-face interactions at Occupy GAs. Participants developed and adapted specific embodied tools for assembly use, including hand signals and the human mic, to facilitate a discursive praxis of egalitarianism within the context of a speech exchange system suited to a large outdoor deliberative body. These practices are central to the Occupy movement, as they constitute the discursive experiments in direct democracy set in motion by a shared recognition of social crisis and systemic injustice felt increasingly around the world. This paper examines how several embodied practices at Occupy Los Angeles attend to participants’ attested ideologies and the practical problems of open, large-group direct democracy. Keywords: Occupy; people’s mic; human mic; hand signals; assembly; interaction; horizontalism; stance; direct democracy; deliberative democracy; public space; embodiment; discourse analysis; participation
Pre-Synthesis Area Estimation of Reconfigurable Streaming Accelerators

One of the major challenges in automated synthesis of reconfigurable accelerators is to create efficient designs that conform to the resource capacity of the target device. This work concerns estimation of the hardware cost before actually attempting the synthesis of streaming accelerators on reconfigurable platforms. Specifically, our proposed framework tackles the problem of pre-synthesis estimation of data queuing cost, while incorporating the potential impact of resource constraints on the final implementation. We present a probabilistic push-and-pull approach for register queue size estimation of a streaming data flow graph. We evaluated our techniques using an industrial toolflow. For the register queue sizes our estimations are within the range of -14.4% to 12.4% on an average, for various resource constraints on a set of multimedia applications.
Light, Time, and the Physiology of Biotic Response to Rapid Climate Change in Animals

Examination of temperate and polar regions of Earth shows that the nonbiological world is exquisitely sensitive to the direct effects of temperature, whereas the biological world is largely organized by light. Herein, we discuss the use of day length by animals at physiological and genetic levels, beginning with a comparative experimental study that shows the preeminent role of light in determining fitness in seasonal environments. Typically, at seasonally appropriate times, light initiates a cascade of physiological events mediating the input and interpretation of day length to the output of specific hormones that ultimately determine whether animals prepare to develop, reproduce, hibernate, enter dormancy, or migrate. The mechanisms that form the basis of seasonal time keeping and their adjustment during climate change are reviewed at the physiological and genetic levels. Future avenues for research are proposed that span basic questions from how animals transition from dependency on tropical cues to temperate cues during range expansions, to more applied questions of species survival and conservation biology during periods of climatic stress.
Protective salivary immunoglobulin A responses against Streptococcus mutans infection after intranasal immunization with S. mutans antigen I/II coupled to the B subunit of cholera toxin.

Abstract The B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB) has been shown to augment mucosal responses to microbial virulence antigens, including those of Streptococcus mutans, which is the principal etiologic agent of dental caries. In the present study, the surface fibrillar protein antigen of S. mutans, antigen I/II (Ag I/II), was chemically coupled to CTB (Ag I/II-CTB), and the conjugate was examined for its effectiveness in inducing salivary immune responses protective against S. mutans infection. Weanling Fischer rats were given Ag I/II-CTB (50 micrograms) by the intranasal route and then orally infected with a virulent strain of S. mutans. Gnotobiotic or conventional rats were given two or three additional immunizations, respectively, at about 2-week intervals. One week after each immunization, individual serum, saliva, and fecal samples were collected and stored frozen until assayed for antibody activity to Ag I/II and cholera toxin (CT) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The rats were sacrificed 1 week after the last immunization, when mandibles were also collected from individual rats for assessment of S. mutans levels in plaque and caries activity. Rats immunized only or both immunized and infected showed a salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) anti-Ag I/II response which reached significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels than those seen in nonimmunized, infected controls. A salivary IgA anti-Ag I/II response was also seen in rats infected only with S. mutans. Essentially no salivary antibody activity to CT was detected. Some serum anti-Ag I/II and anti-CT responses were seen in immunized animals. Serum IgG anti-Ag I/II responses were seen in immunized, infected rats and also in infected-only rats, suggesting that the responses were a result of infection with S. mutans. The immunized and infected rats had significantly (P < 0.05) lower levels of S. mutans in plaque and lower caries activity than nonimmunized, infected rats. These results indicated that intranasal immunization of rats with Ag I/II-CTB induced a protective salivary immune response which was associated with a reduction in S. mutans colonization and S. mutans-induced dental caries.
The Internet as an Information Conduit A Transaction Cost Analysis Model of US SME Internet Use

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can use the internet to establish direct customer contact, thereby reducing reliance on channel intermediaries for customer support. Based on transaction ...
A new numerical approach to the calculation of electromagnetic scattering properties of two-dimensional bodies of arbitrary cross section

A new method is introduced for formulating the scattering problem in which the scattered fields (and the interior fields in the case of a dielectric scatterer) are represented in an expansion in terms of free-space modal wave functions in cylindrical coordinates, the coefficients of which are the unknowns. The boundary conditions are satisfied using either an analytic continuation procedure, in which the far-field pattern (in Fourier series form) is continued into the near field and the boundary conditions are applied at the surface of the scatterer; or the completeness of the modal wave functions, to approximately represent the fields in the interior and exterior regions of the scatterer directly. The methods were applied to the scattering of two-dimensional cylindrical scatterers of arbitrary cross section and only the TM polarization of the excitation is considered. The solution for the coefficients of the modal wave functions are obtained by inversion of a matrix which depends only on the shape and material of the scatterer. The methods are illustrated using perfectly conducting square and elliptic cylinders and elliptic dielectric cylinders. A solution to the problem of multiple scattering by two conducting scatterers is also obtained using only the matrices characterizing each of the single scatterers. As an example, the method is illustrated by application to a two-body configuration.
Antibody responses and protection from pyelonephritis following vaccination with purified Escherichia coli PapDG protein.

ABSTRACTPurpose: A critical early step in the establishment of Escherichia coli pyelonephritis is bacterial attachment via the tip protein of P fimbriae. This adhesin, PapG, binds to glycolipid receptors present on vaginal and kidney epithelial surfaces. In this study we investigated the efficacy of vaccination with purified PapDG protein complex in preventing pyelonephritis caused by E. coli.Materials and Methods: Mature cynomolgus monkeys were intraperitoneally vaccinated with 100 μg purified PapDG protein. Following 3 identical boosters serum antibody titers to PapDG were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Vaccinated and unvaccinated animals were urethrally inoculated with 1 × 108 cfu of E. coli strain DS17, which was isolated from a child with acute pyelonephritis. The infection course was monitored by catheterized urine cultures, and by histological examination of the kidneys, bladder and kidney tissue culture 28 days after infection.Results: Intraperitoneal administration of purified Pap...
Distributed Differential Schemes for Cooperative Wireless Networks

In cooperative wireless networks, virtual antenna arrays formed by distributed network nodes can provide cooperative diversity. Obviating channel estimation, differential schemes have long been appreciated in conventional multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communications. However, distributed differential schemes for general cooperative network setups have not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we develop and analyze two distributed differential schemes using both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying protocols. For each scheme and relaying protocol combination, we derive the optimum maximum likelihood (ML) decision rule and its low-complexity suboptimum alternative. Simulations confirm that both schemes provide full diversity gain with either DF or AF relaying protocols. In addition, we carry out performance and rate comparisons between the two distributed differential schemes and preliminary investigations on the optimal relay positioning for the DF and AF relaying protocols.
Efficient XPath query processing

We propose improved XPath query processing algorithms on XML documents by extending the MTree navigational XML database index. Our algorithms efficiently resolve element name specific XPath navigational queries, in many cases without a need for sorting or for qualified name filtering on intermediate sequences. The optimization methods are applicable for all axes but are presented for the four major XPath axes: descendant, ancestor, following and preceding. Experimental results are included that show substantial performance improvements over other well known methods.
Facilitation of mating behavior in male hamsters by LHRH and AcLHRH5−10: Interaction with the vomeronasal system

Abstract An intact vomeronasal organ is important for the reproductive physiology and behavior of many species. Vomeronasal sensory input is known to influence hormone levels especially LH, presumably by prior modulation of LHRH. LHRH has been shown independently to facilitate mating behavior in rodents of both sexes. In this study intracerebroventricular LHRH at a dose of 50 ng substantially relieved mating behavior deficits caused by prepubertal removal of vomeronasal organs from inexperienced male hamsters. Intranasal LHRH at a higher dose did not have this effect. Behavioral responses were recorded 30 mins after peptide or saline injection. The LHRH analog, AcLHRH 5−10 which we demonstrate does not induce LH release, did facilitate mating behavior in these tests, suggesting that LHRH peptides may facilitate male mating behavior via an extra-pituitary mode of action.
Updating beliefs in light of uncertain evidence: Descriptive assessment of Jeffrey's rule

Jeffrey (1983) proposed a generalisation of conditioning as a means of updating probability distributions when new evidence drives no event to certainty. His rule requires the stability of certain conditional probabilities through time. We tested this assumption (“invariance”) from the psychological point of view. In Experiment 1 participants offered probability estimates for events in Jeffrey's candlelight example. Two further scenarios were investigated in Experiment 2, one in which invariance seems justified, the other in which it does not. Results were in rough conformity to Jeffrey's (1983) principle.
Rational ABCD Modeling of High-Speed Interconnects

This paper introduces a new numerical approximation tech-nique, called the Differential Quadrature Method (DQM), in order to derive the rational ABCD matrix representing the high-speed interconnect. DQM is an efficient differential equation solver that can quickly compute the derivative of a smooth function by estimating a weighted linear sum of the function values at few mesh points in the domain of the function. Using DQM, the s-domain Telegrapher's equations of interconnect are discretized as a set of easily solvable algebraic equations, which lead to the rational ABCD matrix. The entries of ABCD matrix take the form of rational approximations with respect to s, rather than the conventional ABCD matrix whose entries are complex transcendental functions in s. Although the rationalization result is comparable with Fade approximation of AWE, DQM does not require moment-generating or moment-matching. For both uniform and nonuniform interconnects, DQM-based rational ABCD matrices lead to high accuracy as well as high efficiency for transient analysis of high-speed interconnects.
Interval Type-2 Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems with linear rule consequent are universal approximators

Whether a rule-based fuzzy system has the ability to approximate any multivariate continuous function arbitrarily well is an important issue, especially for fuzzy control and fuzzy modeling. The answer to this issue concerning various Mamdani and Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy systems employing type-1 fuzzy sets is affirmative and well documented in the literature. As for type-2 (T2) fuzzy systems, the only result currently available is ours showing a general class of interval T2 Mamdani fuzzy systems to be universal approximators. In the present paper, we extend our investigation to cover a general class of interval T2 TS fuzzy systems with linear rule consequent. We prove constructively that this class is universal approximator by first proving that the fuzzy systems can uniformly approximate any polynomials arbitrarily accurately and then utilizing the Weierstrass approximation theorem to complete the proof.
Contemporary Considerations for Cochlear Implantation for Children With Multiple Disabilities

Abstract Due to advances in cochlear implant technology and the remarkable outcomes often achieved by persons with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implant candidacy criteria has expanded ...
Protective role for interleukin-5 during chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection

To investigate the role of interleukin-5 (IL-5) during Toxoplasma gondii infection, IL-5 knockout (KO) mice and C57BL/6 control mice were infected intraperitoneally with ME49 cysts and the course of infection was monitored. The mortality rate during chronic infection was significantly greater in IL-5-deficient animals, and consistent with this finding, the KO mice harbored a greater number of brain cysts and tachyzoites than did their wild-type counterparts. Although the IL-5 KO animals did not succumb until late during infection, increased susceptibility, as measured by accelerated weight loss, was detectable during the acute stages of infection. The amounts of total immunoglobulin (Ig), IgM, and IgG2b were comparable in both strains, while the amount of IgG1 was much smaller in IL-5 KO mice. Spleen cell production of IL-12 in response to T. gondii antigen was approximately threefold lower in the KO strain, and this decrease correlated with a selective loss of B lymphocytes during culture. A link between the presence of B cells and augmented IL-12 production was established by the finding that after removal of B cells with monoclonal antibody and complement, wild-type- and KO-derived cells produced equivalent levels of IL-12 in response to T. gondii antigen. These results demonstrate a protective role of IL-5 against T. gondii infection and suggest that IL-5 may play a role in the production of IL-12.
Mapping the Space of API Design Decisions

When creating new application programming interfaces (APIs), designers must make many decisions. These decisions affect the quality of the resulting APIs in terms of performance (such as speed and memory usage), power (expressiveness, extensibility and evolvability) and usability (leamability, productivity and error prevention). Experienced API designers have written recommendations on how to design APIs, offering their opinions on various API design decisions. Additionally, empirical research has begun to measure the usability tradeoffs of specific design decisions. While previous work has offered specific suggestions, there has not been a clear description of the design space of all possible API design decisions, or the quality attributes that these decisions affect. This paper puts existing API design recommendations into context by mapping out the space of API design decisions and API quality attributes.
Intrarenal vasoconstriction during hyperchloremia: role of thromboxane.

The role of thromboxane (Tx) in chloride-induced renal vasoconstriction was studied in Munich-Wistar rats. Hyperchloremia (induced by changing an intra-aortic, super-renal infusion of 1.2 M Na acet...
Renal tubular function in horses during submaximal exercise

Exercise-induced changes in renal function were examined during steady-state submaximal treadmill exercise in six unfit mares. Horses were randomly assigned to either an exercise or parallel control (no exercise) trial on day 1 and the alternate trial 1 wk later. The mares ran on a treadmill, set at a 6 degrees incline, for 1 h at 55-60% of maximal heart rate. Exercise significantly (P less than 0.05) increased plasma osmolality, plasma [K+], urine flow (+ 45%), Na+ excretion (+ 371%), K+ excretion (+ 57%), osmotic clearance (+ 32%), Na+ clearance (+ 391%), K+ clearance (+ 33%), and fractional Na+ excretion (+ 320%) and significantly decreased plasma [Cl-], Cl- excretion (-46%), Cl- clearance (-41%), and fractional Cl- excretion (-47%). Glomerular filtration rate, fractional K+ excretion, and free water clearance did not change during exercise. Atrial natriuretic peptide increased during exercise from 11 +/- 1 pg/ml at rest to a peak of 40 +/- 9 pg/ml (264%, P less than 0.05) at 40 min. Increases in plasma renin activity (66%, P less than 0.05) were accompanied by increases in plasma aldosterone concentration (760%, P less than 0.05). Vasopressin concentration increased (P less than 0.05) steadily over the 60-min period of exercise. It was concluded that, in horses, submaximal exercise-induced increases in urine flow and sodium excretion are associated with a concurrent increase in the plasma concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide.
Understanding collaborative activity systems: the relation of tools and discourse in mediating learning

The goal of the current research was to establish a methodology for examining students' learning processes in online collaborative environments. In particular, we examine the relation between tools, discourse, and learning from the perspective of activity theory. We apply this methodology to examine the interaction and tool use of two groups of pre-service teachers who participated in an online video case analysis activity using STEP system - a collaborative environment designed to guide students through online problem-based learning tasks. The goal of the activity for both groups was to collaboratively analyze the video case and then individually apply learning sciences concepts to a lesson design. To examine how tools shape the activity, while the activity shapes collaboration and discourse during the task, we employed chronological representations of discourse and tool-related activity (CORDTRA) to compare learning processes in two groups.
Increasing maternal obesity is associated with alterations in both maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone levels.

OBJECTIVE Obesity is associated with alterations in thyroid hormone (TH) levels in obese, pregnant individuals. The maintenance of TH levels throughout gestation is important for proper foetal development. The aim of this study was to measure levels of fT3, fT4 and TSH in maternal and matched cord blood serum from normal weight, overweight and obese gravidae to determine alterations in maternal and neonatal TH levels by virtue of maternal obesity. DESIGN, SETTING, SUBJECTS, OUTCOME MEASURES ELISA was utilized to measure fT3, fT4 and TSH levels from banked, matched maternal and neonatal (cord blood) serum (N = 205 matched pairs). Data were stratified according to prepregnancy or first trimester BMI. RESULTS Both maternal and neonatal fT3 levels consistently increased with increasing maternal obesity, and maternal and neonatal fT3 were significantly correlated (r = 0·422, P < 0·001). Maternal and neonatal fT3 were also significantly associated with birthweight (β = 0·155, P = 0·027 and β = 0·171, P = 0·018, respectively). Both the maternal and neonatal fT3 to fT4 ratio significantly increased with increasing maternal obesity. We further found that excess gestational weight gain was associated with a decrease in maternal fT4 compared with gravidae who had insufficient gestational weight gain (0·86 ± 0·17 vs 0·95 ± 0·22, P < 0·01). CONCLUSION Maternal obesity is not only associated with maternal alterations in TH, but with accompanying neonatal changes. Because both maternal obesity and alterations in TH levels are associated with childhood obesity, based on these findings and our prior analyses in a nonhuman primate model, we propose that changes in fT3 levels in the offspring of obese mothers may be a potential molecular mediator of foetal overgrowth and childhood obesity.
How Litigants Evaluate the Characteristics of Legal Procedures: A Multi-Court Empirical Study

This Article presents findings from the first multi-court field study examining how civil litigants evaluate the characteristics of legal procedures shortly after their cases are filed in state court. Analyses revealed that litigants evaluated the characteristics in terms of control — i.e., whether the characteristics granted relative control to the litigants themselves or to third parties (e.g., mediators, judges). Although the litigants indicated a desire to be present for the resolution process, they preferred third-party control to litigant control. They also wanted third parties to control the process more than the outcome. Gender, age group, and case-type significantly predicted attraction to third-party control, whereas attraction to litigant control was predicted by whether litigants had a pre-existing relationship with each other, how much they valued a future relationship with the opposing party, party type, the type of opposing party, and court location. Implications for legal policy and lawyering are discussed.
Abstract 170: ApoE e4 Status and Incident Cognitive Decline among U.S. adults from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study

Introduction: ApoE genotype affects cholesterol metabolism, and carriers of the e4 allele have increased risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Mild Cognitive Impair...
Young Adult Suicide and Sexual Orientation: What Should Counselors Know?

The current project focused on the suicidal ideation and risk potential of young adults (N = 312) and explored scores on self-report measures of suicidal ideation inclusive of various sexual orientations. Results suggest that the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) youth surveyed (N = 73) differ in their display of suicide risk with significantly higher Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) scores. Social support served as a mitigating factor relating significantly to lower levels of hopelessness and suicidal ideation, especially among those LGB participants. The SPS held a significant relationship to suicide attempt in the past year, while the BHS held a significant relationship to suicide attempt in the past six months. Implications for counselors serving young adults are addressed, including specific suggestions to enhance counselor education and supervision related to suicide assessment and LGB counselor competency.
Characterization of Agents Isolated from Market Chickens in a Quest for Enteric Viruses

The difficulties of studying human enteroviruses in other than primate hosts instigated a search for similar agents in common laboratory animals. It was hoped that an easily manipulated virushost system might be found which would provide a model of behavior analogous to that of the enteroviruses in humans. The search was initiated in chickens since these animals were readily available under conditions which might be expected to favor the wide dissemination of multiple strains. In addition, they could be reared for experimental purposes in complete isolation from others of their kind.