cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Edge detection in textures—maxima selection

Abstract This paper continues the analysis contained in [L. Davis and A. Mitiche, Computer Graphics and Image Processing12, 1980, 25–39] concerning the design of edge detection procedures for textures. Edges are detected in textures by a combination of thresholding edge operator responses and then choosing local maxima of the surviving points. The thresholding step was analyzed in the paper mentioned above. Here, we analyze the effects of neighborhood size on the computation of local maxima. The analysis indicates that only small neighborhoods are required to attain reliable local maxima selection. This result is consistent with experience with real images.
Light element opacities from ATOMIC

Abstract We present new calculations of local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (LTE) light element opacities from the Los Alamos ATOMIC code. ATOMIC is a multi-purpose code that can generate LTE or non-LTE quantities of interest at various levels of approximation. A program of work is currently underway to compute new LTE opacity data for all elements H through Zn. New opacity tables for H through Ne are complete, and a new Fe opacity table will be available soon. Our calculations, which include fine-structure detail, represent a systematic improvement over previous Los Alamos opacity calculations using the LEDCOP legacy code. Our opacity calculations incorporate atomic structure data computed from the CATS code, which is based on Cowan's atomic structure codes, and photoionization cross section data computed from the Los Alamos ionization code GIPPER. We make use of a new equation-of-state (EOS) model based on the chemical picture. ATOMIC incorporates some physics packages from LEDCOP and also includes additional physical processes, such as improved free–free cross sections and additional scattering mechanisms. In this report, we briefly discuss the physics improvements included in our new opacity calculations and present comparisons of our new opacities with other work for C, O, and Fe at selected conditions.
Quantization and other nonlinear distortions of the hologram transmittance

Abstract A quantization process is a special nonlinear process, whereby the input signal I at point x is converted into an associated output signal I at the same point x . The output signal can assume only a few discrete values. We develop a suitable theory and apply it to the quantization of the hologram transmittance. Such a process might be employed in remoted holography or in mass production copying of holograms. The theory applies also to other nonlinearities. The nonlinear hologram can always be interpreted as the superposition of bleached holograms.
Post-1-Newtonian tidal effects in the gravitational waveform from binary inspirals

The gravitational wave signal from an inspiralling binary neutron star system will contain detailed information about tidal coupling in the system, and thus, about the internal physics of the neutron stars. To extract this information will require highly accurate models for the gravitational waveform. We present here a calculation of the gravitational wave signal from a binary with quadrupolar tidal interactions which includes all post-1-Newtonian–order effects in both the conservative dynamics and wave generation. We consider stars with adiabatically induced quadrupoles moving in circular orbits, and work to linear order in the stars’ quadrupole moments. We find that post-1-Newtonian corrections increase the tidal signal by approximately 20% at gravitational wave frequencies of 400 Hz.
Reinforcement from pharmacological effects of ethanol in newborn rats.

Background: The preweanling period in the rat is characterized by acceptance of substantial amounts of ethanol and susceptibility to its reinforcing effects. It has been unclear, however, whether the neurobiological basis of ethanol reinforcement properties at this age is in ethanol's olfactory, gustatory, or pharmacological effects. Methods: The effectiveness of intraperitoneal (ip) ethanol as a reinforcer for newborn (3-hr-old) rats was tested toward separation of the orosensory and pharmacological sources of ethanol reinforcement. Responsiveness to a test nipple by pups given such pairings was compared with that of pups given unpaired presentations of the nipple and ethanol. Results: Reinforcement was assessed in terms of response to a surrogate nipple 1 hr after a single pairing of a similar nipple providing water (conditioned stimulus) and ip injection of ethanol (0.125, 0.25, 0.50, or 0.75 g/kg; unconditioned stimulus). Significant effects of ethanol reinforcement occurred with the lower doses (0.125 and 0.25 g/kg); higher doses of ethanol (0.50 and 0.75 g/kg) had no significant reinforcement effect. A second experiment determined that for conditioning with ip ethanol as the unconditioned stimulus, a conditioned stimulus consisting of only ingesting water or only suckling on an empty nipple also yielded significant reinforcing effects of ethanol, although with less strength than their combination. Both reinforcing doses of ethanol, 0.125 and 0.25 g/kg, yielded detectable concentrations of ethanol in the blood 5 min after injection, which were sustained at a significantly lower level 60 min after administration. Conclusions: These data indicate that aside from possible, and likely weak, hematogenic sources of gustatory and olfactory attributes of ethanol, the basis of ethanol's reinforcement effect in neonatal rats is primarily pharmacological. For the pharmacological effects of ethanol to be reinforcing for the neonatal rat, concurrent appetitive activity on a nipple providing a fluid may be necessary for a substantial effect with this paradigm.
Elders' Decisions To Enter Assisted Living Facilities: A Grounded Theory Study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a substantive theory of elders' decision-making process to relocate to an assisted living facility. The researchers interviewed a purposive sample of 28 elders who resided in assisted living facilities. The theory of elders' decisions to relocate to an assisted living facility is a story about elders weighing and balancing gains and losses to go to where the help is. Decision makers weigh and balance gains and losses before, during, and after relocating to an assisted living facility. Elders stay at their current residence if gains outweigh losses and they relocate if losses outweigh gains. Understanding the process of decision-making in this segment of the population may lead to the development of interventions that can promote positive relocation experiences among elders and increase the effectiveness of their decision-making behaviors.
Photoresponse of p-type zinc-doped iron(III) oxide thin films.

Stable zinc-doped iron(III) oxide thin films that exhibit p-type behavior were synthesized by spray pyrolytic deposition (SPD) on conducting indium-doped tin oxide-coated glass substrate. The highe...
Microangiopathic Disorders in Pregnancy

Microangiopathic disorders present with thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and multiorgan damage. In pregnancy, these disorders present a challenge both diagnostically and therapeutically, with widely overlapping clinical scenarios and disparate treatments. Although rare, a clear understanding of these diseases is important because devastating maternal and fetal outcomes may ensue if there is misdiagnosis and improper treatment. Microangiopathic disorders presenting in pregnancy are thus best assessed and treated by both obstetric and hematology teams. As a better understanding of the pathophysiology underlying each of the disease processes is gained, new diagnostic testing and therapies will be available, which will lead to improved outcomes.
Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients Over 60 Years: Hematologic Malignancy Outcomes Are Not Impaired in Advanced Age

Reduced-intensity-conditioning (RIC) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is markedly underutilized in the elderly, in part because the impact of advanced age on outcomes is poorly understood. We retrospectively analyzed outcomes in 158 consecutive hematologic malignancy patients aged ≥60 years (median, 63 years; range: 60-71 years) undergoing fludarabine/busulfan-based RIC, with a median-follow-up of 34 months (range: 12.0-85.7). Multivariate analysis was undertaken for factors having an impact on outcome. For the patients aged ≥60 years, 2-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) and relapse was 10% and 54.6%, respectively. Two-year overall and progression-free survival (OS, PFS) was 46% and 35%, respectively. Grade II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD, cGVHD) incidence was 19.6% and 45.9%, respectively. Comparing 110 patients aged 60-64 years versus 48 patients aged ≥65 years, 2-year NRM and relapse was 10.5% versus 8.3% (P = .84) and 53.5% versus 56.3% (P = .31), respectively. Grade II-IV aGVHD and cGVHD incidence was 19.1% versus 22.9% (P = .52) and 51.8% versus 32.5% (P = .01), respectively. Two-year OS and PFS was 49% versus 41% (P = .11) and 36% versus 35% (P = .24), respectively. In a multivariate Cox-model, high-risk disease associated with poorer PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.1, P = .01) and OS (HR = 1.84, P = .03); acute myelogenous leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome diagnosis (HR = 1.66, P = .03) and matched-related donor (HR = 1.62, P = .03) associated with poorer PFS. RIC HSCT is well tolerated, with reasonable survival in elderly patients. Age is not associated with impaired outcomes. HSCT should not be excluded solely based on advanced patient age.
ATTENUATION PROPERTIES OF DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY SHIELDING MATERIALS

Single- and three-phase broad-beam x-ray attenuation data have been obtained using lead, steel, plate glass, gypsum wallboard, lead acrylic, and wood. Tube voltages of 50, 70, 100, 125, and 150 kVp were employed and the resulting curves were compared to transmission data found in the literature. To simplify computation of barrier requirements, all data sets were parametrized by nonlinear least-squares fit to a previously described mathematical model. High attenuation half value layers and the lead equivalence of the alternate materials were also determined.
The contribution of medical co-morbidity to the risk of low birth weight and prematurity in blacks

WEIGHT AND PREMATURITY IN BLACKS DEBORAH EHRENTHAL, CLAUDINE JURKOVITZ, MATTHEW HOFFMAN, JAMES BOWEN, BARBARA TEMPLE, MILTON GOTTSCHALL, WILLIAM WEINTRAUB, Christiana Care Health System, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Newark, Delaware, Christiana Care Health System, Center for Outcomes Research, Newark, Delaware, Christiana Care Health System, Information Technology, Newark, Delaware OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the higher prevalence of medical comorbidities among black women accounts for the increased risk of low birth weight and prematurity in that racial group. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical data from a population-based regional cohort of women receiving obstetrical care at a community hospital between 2003 and 2006 were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 18,850 singleton pregnancies: 62% of the mothers were white, 22% black, 10% Hispanic and 4.6% Asian. Low birth weight (LBW, !2500g) was identified in 7.9% of all births: 13% for black, 6.5% for white, 6.3% for Hispanic and 6.0% for Asian populations. The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for LBW among blacks was 2.2 (1.9-2.4). Prevalence of BMI!18.5, obesity, chronic hypertension (HTN), pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), diabetes (DM), gestational diabetes (GDM), asthma (AST) and smoking (SMK) was determined and stratified by race (Table). PIH (OR= 3.7 (3.2-4.2)), CHTN (OR= 2.4 (1.9-3.1)), black race (OR=2.2 (1.9-2.5)), DM (OR=2.1 (1.3-3.4)), smoking (OR=1.8 (1.6-2.0)), age !20 (OR=1.3 (1.1-1.5)) and BMI !18.5 (OR=1.6 (1.3-2.1)) were identified as independent risk factors for LBW in a logistic regression model. No statistically significant increase in risk was associated with asthma, obesity, or GDM. Controlling for the presence of these medical co-morbidities did not attenuate the elevated risk associated with black race. This held true for other adverse outcomes including the risk of very low birthweight (!1500g) and prematurity. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that though chronic medical problems are more common among blacks, they do not explain the increased risk of low birth weight and prematurity seen in this group.
Gain Margins of Adaptive Control Systems

This paper presents a systematic study of the gain margins (GM) of adaptive control systems: the specification of the parameter range of a control gain matrix in a designed adaptive control system for maintaining the desired closed-loop signal boundedness and asymptotic tracking performance. It is proved that the GM is infinity for continuous-time direct model reference adaptive control (MRAC) schemes applied to multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) linear time-invariant (LTI) systems, while it is finite with an upper bound for the discrete-time case. The derived GM results are applicable to systems with adaptive nonlinear or pole placement control designs. Analytical GM result is also obtained for some indirect multivariable MRAC systems; in particular, the GM is infinity but with a lower bound for such systems. Methods for enlarging the GM by proper choices of design parameters are presented. Moreover, the effect of sample time on the GM of sampled-data adaptive control systems is studied, which establishes the relationship between the continuous-time and discrete-time GM results. A simulation example is provided to illustrate some of the theoretical results.
Subunit composition and novel localization of K+ channels in spinal cord

Axonal K+ channels involved in normal spinal cord function are candidate targets for therapeutics, which improve sensorimotor function in spinal cord injury. To this end, we have investigated the expression, localization, and coassociation of Kv1 α and β subunits in human, rat, and bovine spinal cord. We find that Kv1.1, Kv1.2, and Kvβ2 form heteromultimeric complexes at juxtaparanodal zones in myelinated fibers. However, these same complexes are also present in paranodal regions of some spinal cord axons, and staining with antibodies against Caspr, a component of the paranodal axoglial junction, overlaps with these paranodal K+ channels. This latter observation suggests a unique role for these channels in normal spinal cord function and may provide an explanation for the sensitivity of spinal cord to K+ channel blockers. Moreover, the conservation of these characteristics between human, rat, and bovine nodes of Ranvier suggests an essential role for this defined channel complex in spinal cord function. J. Comp. Neurol. 429:166–176, 2001. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Thermal annealing of fission tracks in fluorapatite, chlorapatite, manganoanapatite, and Durango apatite: experimental results

It is well known that the optically measured lengths of fission tracks in apatite crystals are a function of etching conditions, crystallographic orientation of the track, composition of the crystal, and the state of thermal annealing. In this study we standardize etching conditions and optimize track length measurability by etching until etch pits formed at the surface of each apatite crystal reached widths of about 0.74 μm. Etching times using 5M HNO3 at 21°C were 31 s for Otter Lake, Quebec, fluorapatite; 47 s for Durango, Mexico, apatite; 33 s for Portland, Connecticut, manganoanapatite; and 11 s for Bamle, Norway, chlorapatite. An etching experiment using two etchant strengths (5M and 1.6M HNO3) revealed that, despite significant differences in etch pit shape, fission-track length anisotropy with respect to crystallographic orientation of the tracks is not a chemical etching effect. A series of 227 constant-temperature annealing experiments were carried out on nuclear reactor induced tracks in orient...
So you want to know if your message has an IRES

Transcriptional regulation of gene expression has been widely studied. More recently, there has been increasing appreciation of the role that translational regulation plays in gene expression, resulting in a number of new fields engaging in translational studies. Regulation of protein synthesis is critical for cell growth, development, and survival, and is primarily controlled at the initiation step. Eukaryotic cells utilize multiple mechanisms to initiate translation, depending on cell stress, growth conditions, viral infection, or the sequences present in the mRNA. While the vast majority of mRNAs are translated in a cap-dependent manner, an important subset of mRNAs uses an alternative mechanism, whereby ribosomes are recruited internally to the message to initiate cap-independent translation. Some of these mRNAs contain an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) located in the 5' untranslated region (UTR). However, establishing that an RNA element is a functional IRES requires a number of carefully executed experiments with specific controls. This review will clearly explain the required experiments, and the pros and cons of various assays, used to determine whether (or not) an RNA element functions as an IRES to promote initiation of translation. We hope that demystifying the accepted methods for assaying IRES activity will open the study of this important mechanism to the broader community.
A Methodology for Comprehensive Characterization of Errors in Wind Power Forecasting

Wind power forecasting will play a more important role in electrical system planning with the greater wind penetrations of the coming decades. Wind will comprise a larger percentage of the generation mix, and as a result forecasting errors may have more significant effects on balancing operations. The natural uncertainties associated with wind along with limitations in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models lead to these forecasting errors, which play a considerable role in the impacts and costs of utilityscale wind integration. The premise of this project was to examine errors between the actual and commercially forecasted power production data from a typical wind power plant in the Northwestern United States. An exhaustive statistical characterization of the forecast behavior and error trends was undertaken, which allowed the most important metrics for describing wind power forecast errors to be identified. This paper presents only the metrics chosen as most significant. While basic information about wind forecast accuracy such as the mean absolute error (MAE) is valuable, a more detailed description is useful for system operators or in wind integration studies. System planners have expressed major concern in the area of forecast performance during large wind ramping events. For
Analytical interference model for two-dimensional (time-wavelength) asynchronous O-CDMA systems using various receiver structures

This paper gives a probabilistic model for the interference in optical code-division multiple access (O-CDMA) systems using a conventional and hard-limiting receiver that relates the code parameters to the system performance. It is shown that for a specified number of wavelengths and chip times, the code weight and maximum collision parameter (MCP) of the code can be optimized in order to maximize the numbers of active and/or potential users. Design rules to maximize the number of active users under certain system constraint are also provided. In this study, the spectral efficiency limits in the O-CDMA system using conventional and hard-limiting receivers are studied. It is worth mentioning that the models offered in this paper do not require the knowledge of the specific codes in the code set and provide the full statistics of the interference under the random code assumption.
Phylogeny of the Dictyoptera

Relationships among six key dictyopteran taxa (Mantodea; Blat- todea (excluding Cryptocercidae); Cryptocercidae; Mastotermes darwiniensis, Termopsidae and Kalotermitidae (Isoptera)) are analysed based on seventy morphological, developmental and behavioural characters. The fossil record and the 'living fossil' genera Cryptocercus, Mastotermes and Archotermopsisare discussed in detail. Exact analysis of the character state matrix by implicit enu- meration (Hennig86) resulted in one cladogram, strongly supporting Blattodea + Cryptocercidae as a sister group to Mantodea, with the Isoptera as a sister group to that complex. Arrangements within the termites are equivocal, with Termopsidae and Mastotermes darwiniensis possible as the relatively most pri- mitive element of Isoptera.
Effects of 3′ Untranslated Region Mutations on Plus-Strand Priming during Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Replication

A conserved purine-rich motif located near the 3′ end of retroviral genomes is involved in the initiation of plus-strand DNA synthesis. We mutated sequences both within and flanking the Moloney murine leukemia virus polypurine tract (PPT) and determined the effects of these alterations on viral DNA synthesis and replication. Our results demonstrated that both changes in highly conserved PPT positions and a mutation that left only the cleavage-proximal half of the PPT intact led to delayed replication and reduced the colony-forming titer of replication defective retroviral vectors. A mutation that altered the cleavage proximal half of the PPT and certain 3′ untranslated region mutations upstream of the PPT were incompatible with or severely impaired viral replication. To distinguish defects in plus-strand priming from other replication defects and to assess the relative use of mutant and wild-type PPTs, we examined plus-strand priming from an ectopic, secondary PPT inserted in U3. The results demonstrated that the analyzed mutations within the PPT primarily affected plus-strand priming whereas mutations upstream of the PPT appeared to affect both plus-strand priming and other stages of viral replication.
State Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy for U.S. adults from 1993 to 2008

Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) is a summary measure of mortality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) across different stages of life. This study developed a method to calculate state-level QALE for U.S. adults. Population HRQOL data came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Using age-specific deaths from the Mortality Summary File, this study constructed life tables to estimate life expectancy and QALE for all 50 States and the District of Columbia by sex and race from 1993 through 2008. From 1993 to 2008, the QALE of an U.S. adult at 18 years old had increased from 51.2 to 52.3 years. In 2006, states with the highest QALE were Hawaii (56.2), Minnesota (55.2), North Dakota (54.9), Iowa (54.7), and Nebraska (54.4), while the states with the lowest QALE were West Virginia (47.1), Mississippi (48.2), Alabama (48.5), Kentucky (48.5), and Oklahoma (49.0). Because population HRQOL values and mortality statistics are available from existing and publicly accessible data and because formulas for the calculation of QALE and its standard error are easy to incorporate in a spreadsheet, State and local Health Departments can calculate QALE as a routine surveillance measurement for tracking their population’s health over time.
Dietary Cholesterol Promotes Adipocyte Hypertrophy and Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Visceral, but Not in Subcutaneous, Fat in Monkeys

Objective—Excessive caloric intake is associated with obesity and adipose tissue dysfunction. However, the role of dietary cholesterol in this process is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether increasing dietary cholesterol intake alters adipose tissue cholesterol content, adipocyte size, and endocrine function in nonhuman primates. Approach and Results—Age-matched, male African Green monkeys (n=5 per group) were assigned to 1 of 3 diets containing 0.002 (low [Lo]), 0.2 (medium [Med]), or 0.4 (high [Hi]) mg cholesterol/kcal. After 10 weeks of diet feeding, animals were euthanized for adipose tissue, liver, and plasma collection. With increasing dietary cholesterol, free cholesterol (FC) content and adipocyte size increased in a stepwise manner in visceral, but not in subcutaneous fat, with a significant association between visceral adipocyte size and FC content (r2=0.298; n=15; P=0.035). In visceral fat, dietary cholesterol intake was associated with (1) increased proinflammatory gene exp...
Green Algae and the Origins of Multicellularity in the Plant Kingdom

The green lineage of chlorophyte algae and streptophytes form a large and diverse clade with multiple independent transitions to produce multicellular and/or macroscopically complex organization. In this review, I focus on two of the best-studied multicellular groups of green algae: charophytes and volvocines. Charophyte algae are the closest relatives of land plants and encompass the transition from unicellularity to simple multicellularity. Many of the innovations present in land plants have their roots in the cell and developmental biology of charophyte algae. Volvocine algae evolved an independent route to multicellularity that is captured by a graded series of increasing cell-type specialization and developmental complexity. The study of volvocine algae has provided unprecedented insights into the innovations required to achieve multicellularity.
Genomic patterns associated with hypoplastic compared to hyperplastic myelodysplastic syndromes

While the bone marrow in most patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has normal or increased cellularity (hyper-MDS), approximately 10%–15% of MDS patients will present with a hypocellular bone marrow (hypo-MDS).1 Since the diagnosis of MDS relies mainly on the presence of dyplastic morphology of myeloid precursors and/or the presence of recurrent chromosomal abnormalities, low cellularity aspirates in patients with hypo-MDS may compromise morphologic evaluation and karyotypic analyses, and ultimately contribute to difficulties in distinguishing hypo-MDS from other bone marrow failure syndromes. Further, approximately 50% of MDS patients, including those with hypo-MDS, have normal karyotype by metaphase cytogenetics (MC), which makes the distinction even more difficult.2 We previously reported that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array karyotyping can improve the detection of chromosomal lesions that can distinguish hypo-MDS patients from those with aplastic anemia (AA).3 This finding suggests that clonal abnormalities can be detected in hypo-MDS and AA by using higher sensitivity methods other than MC.
Duplication cyst of the pylorus: a case report

Pyloric duplication is an extremely rare gastrointestinal tract malformation in neonates. This is the first case report of pyloric duplication in our country (Lithuania). We report the case of a 2-day-old Lithuanian girl who suffered from pyloric duplication mimicking an alternative common bile duct cyst or other intra-abdominal organs cysts. A laparotomy was performed and the cystic formation of the pyloric area was successfully resected. The postoperative course was uneventful. There are only a few reports describing abdominal masses caused by pyloric duplication mimicking common bile duct cyst or other intra-abdominal organs cysts. Therefore thorough clinical and instrumental examination is needed to determine the most accurate diagnosis that allows one to choose the right treatment.
Hypothyroidism and Spontaneous Abortions among Hanford, Washington, Downwinders

Spontaneous abortions occurred more than twice as frequently in hypothyroid women, compared with nonhypothyroid women. Both groups of women had lived in the same environment during the same period of time. The high incidence of hypothyroidism in a cohort of several hundred women who lived downwind of the Hanford, Washington, nuclear installation was likely associated with environmental contamination from deliberate releases of radioactive iodine from the facility.
A hybrid finite element analysis of interface cracks

A versatile hybrid finite element scheme consisting of special crack-tip elements and crack face contact elements is developed to analyse a partially closed interface crack between two dissimilar anisotropic elastic materials. The crack-tip element incorporates higher-order asymptotic solutions for an interfacial crack tip. These solutions are obtained from complex variable methods in Stroh formalism. For a closed interfacial crack tip, a generalized contact model in which the crack-tip oscillation is eliminated is adopted in the calculation. The hybrid finite element modelling allows the stress singularity at an open and closed crack tip to be accurately treated. The accuracy and convergence of the developed scheme are tested with respect to the known interface crack solutions. Utilizing this numerical scheme, the stress intensity factors and contact zone are calculated for a finite interface crack between a laminated composite material.
Online Bayesian dictionary learning for large datasets

The problem of learning a data-adaptive dictionary for a very large collection of signals is addressed. This paper proposes a statistical model and associated variational Bayesian (VB) inference for simultaneously learning the dictionary and performing sparse coding of the signals. The model builds upon beta process factor analysis (BPFA), with the number of factors automatically inferred, and posterior distributions are estimated for both the dictionary and the signals. Crucially, an online learning procedure is employed, allowing scalability to very large datasets which would be beyond the capabilities of existing batch methods. State-of-the-art performance is demonstrated by experiments with large natural images containing tens of millions of pixels.
Atomic Displacement Parameters of Carbonate Apatites from Powder Neutron Diffraction Data

We present a comparison between detailed structural parameters of a low temperature synthetic carbonate hydroxyapatite, a hydroxyapatite, and a natural carbonate fluorapatite from Rietveld refinements of neutron powder diffraction data. The observed modifications in the crystallographic parameters of the synthetic carbonate apatite are consistent with the carbonate substitution on the mirror plane of the tetrahedral site as in the case of the natural carbonate apatite.
Prototyping a Domain-Specific Language for Monitor and Control Systems

This paper describes a domain-specific language prototype developed for the NASA Constellationlaunchcontrolsystemproject.Akeyelementofthelaunchcontrolsystemarchitecture,thedomain-specificlanguageprototypeisaspecializedmonitorandcontrollanguage composed of constructs for specifying and programming test, checkout, and launch processing applications for flight and ground systems. The principal objectives of the prototyping activity were to perform a proof-of-concept of an approach to ultimately lower the lifecycle costs of application software for the launch control system, and to explore mitigations for a number of development risks perceived by the project. The language has been implemented as a library that extends the dynamically-typed Python scripting language, and validated in a demonstration of capability required for Constellation.A study of the statically typed Scala programminglanguageasanalternativedomain-specificlanguageimplementationlanguage is also presented.
Multiarm Collision Avoidance Using The Potential-Field Approach

A general conceptualization of Khatib's potential-field approach to manipulator collision avoidance is presented. The potential-field approach is shown to consist of four algorithms: a. repulsion away from obstacles, an attraction towards a goal, a method of combining these, and a resulting method of incrementing the arm. Alternatives for these algorithms are discussed. A multiple-robot system demonstrating the concepts is presented. The system uses a detailed rigid model of the entire arms and surrounding objects to avoid collisions. The system operates in close to real time, and is demonstrated with two PUMA robots moving concurrently. Results are applicable to any type of anthropomorphic arm, including the Remote Manipulator System.
Superconductivity at 10 K in (Ge, Ba)-based compounds

This study focused on (Ge, Ba)-based compounds with Co-doping, and found superconductivity at 10 K for these (Ge, Ba)-based compounds. Materials with compositions Ba/sub 8/-Ge/sub 46-x/-Co/sub x/ (x = 0, 4 and 6) were prepared by directly melting at 950/spl deg/C and then by solid-state reaction at 700 /spl deg/C. X-ray diffraction shows that these materials are mixtures of several phases. The magnetic susceptibility of the x = 0 sample shows that there are two superconducting transitions, at about 10 K and 4 K. Electrical transport measurement also confirmed the existence of two superconducting transitions. The M-H curves show that the first critical field H/sub C1/ is about 170 Oe for the T/sub C/ = 4 K superconducting phase, and 500 Oe for the T/sub C/ = 10 K phase. In these compounds, Co-doping results in the suppression of T/sub C/, from 10 K to 7 K. The superconducting volume fraction also decreases with increasing Co-doping. For Co-doped samples, there is no 4 K superconducting transition.
Cost Pass Through in aC ompetitive Model of Pricing-to-Market

This paper builds up an extension to the Mussa and Rosen (1978) model of quality pricing under perfect competition. Our model incorporates decreasing returns to scale. First, we predict that exchange rate shocks are imperfectly passed through into prices. Second, prices of low quality goods are more sensitive to exchange rate shocks than prices of high quality goods. Third, in response to an exchange rate appreciation, the composition of exports shifts towards higher quality and more expensive goods. We test those predictions using highly disaggregated
Tax, credit and trade policies to promote the production and export of manufactures of developing countries

(1965). Tax, credit and trade policies to promote the production and export of manufactures of developing countries. The Journal of Development Studies: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 295-315.
Understanding the U.S. domestic computer science Ph.D. pipeline

Two studies provide insights into how to increase the number of domestic doctoral students in U.S. computer science programs.
Keeper of the Flame: Antifascist Feature Films and the Hollywood Popular Front, 1934-1941

iv Acknowledgements v Introduction 1 Chapter One: Antifascist Histories 26 Chapter Two: Modern Times 59 Legacies 101 Works Cited 125
Conclusions and Findings

This book is devoted to documenting, analyzing and contributing new findings to the literature on industry evolution. Specifically, the research poses two questions: (i) Does the well known cross-sectional “snapshot” of the firm-size wage differential between large-incumbent firms and the new and small firm persist in a dynamic context? (ii) Is the existence of this wage differential between large and new-small firms robust across the distinctive sectoral classification of knowledge and non-knowledge industries? While outlines the background and subsequent agenda for the research, the following chapters each aim to provide elements to the overall answer.
Biochemical Genetics of Fundulus heteroclitus (L.): V. Inheritance of 10 Biochemical Loci

Starch gel electrophoresis has shown that natural populations of Fundulus heteroclitus have electrophoretic variants for at least 21 loci. We provide inheritance data for 10 polymorphic systems: esterases (Est-B, EST-C, and Est-D); aspartate amlnotransferases (Aat-A, and Aat-B); mannosephosphate isomerase (Mpl-A); acid phosphatase (Ap-A); phosphoglucomutase (Pgm-B); hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6pdh-A); and fumarase (Fum-A). Variants for nine of these loci segregate as autosomally inherited codominant alleles. The other system, EST-C, does not reflect such inheritance. We have identified two possible linkage groups: H6pdh-A may be loosely linked to Pgm-B, and Fum-A appears to be linked to Pgm-A. Tissue specificity and intracellular localization for all these loci are also presented.
Atomicity violation checker for task parallel programs

Task based programming models (e.g., Cilk, Intel TBB, X10, Java Fork-Join tasks) simplify multicore programming in contrast to programming with threads. In a task based model, the programmer specifies parallel tasks and the runtime maps these tasks to hardware threads. The runtime automatically balances the load using work-stealing and provides performance portability. However, interference between parallel tasks can result in concurrency errors. This paper proposes a dynamic analysis technique to detect atomicity violations in task parallel programs, which could occur in different schedules for a given input without performing interleaving exploration. Our technique leverages the series-parallel dynamic execution structure of a task parallel program to identify parallel accesses. It also maintains access history metadata with each shared memory location to identify parallel accesses that can cause atomicity violations in different schedules. To streamline metadata management, the access history metadata is split into global metadata that is shared by all tasks and local metadata that is specific to each task. The global metadata tracks a fixed number of access histories for each shared memory location that capture all possible access patterns necessary for an atomicity violation. Our prototype tool for Intel Threading Building Blocks (TBB) detects atomicity violations that can potentially occur in different interleavings for a given input with performance overheads similar to Velodrome atomicity checker for thread based programs.
Gravity Fields

Doppler radio tracking of deep space probes near extra-terrestrial bodies has provided information on the internal mass distribution for Jupiter, Mars, the Moon, Venus, and Mercury. The more detailed results have been obtained for Mars and the Moon where orbiting spacecraft (Mariner 9 and Apollo) have returned a vast amount of gravity data The instrumentation to acquire the data consists of a spacecraft transponder and an Earth-based ultrastable frequency oscillator, along with appropriate transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The necessary data reduction to extract the gravity parameters from the Doppler signal variations requires a very complex computer program. The major achievements have been the detailed results for Mars and the Moon where global gravity fields reveal high correlation with topography. Present investigations on isostatic conditions are constraining viscosity estimates, and it appears that viscosity at various eras may be determined. Apollo data at very low altitudes (15-20 km) have provided gravity profiles for frontside mascons, craters, and mountain chains. The determinations of the first three even zonal spherical harmonic coefficients for Jupiter places constraints on the interior as well as the outer envelope. A proposed cross section of Jupiter is shown, composed primarily of hydrogen and helium in different states. Some comments are made on Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter's Galilean satellites.
Social media utilization among pharmacy preceptors

Abstract Objectives To evaluate pharmacy preceptor׳s current use of social media and the interest of using social media as a communication tool. Methods The Office of Experiential Education (OEE) dispersed an anonymous 28-question electronic survey to all affiliated preceptors ( N = 1032). The survey was designed to evaluate the frequency and extent to which the College׳s preceptors utilize social media for personal and professional purposes, as well as their interest in using social media as a communication platform with the OEE. Results The overall response rate for the survey was 21% ( N = 217). Overall, 77% of preceptors use at least one form of social media with the majority stating they use it for personal purposes (76.3%). Professional usage was reported at 32.3% and only 28.9% of preceptors reported at least some interest in receiving OEE updates through social media. Conclusions The use of social media is continually expanding both in its number of users and types of social media accounts offered. Social media can be used as a tool to facilitate communication and networking, both on a personal and professional level. Although new technologies are available and communication via social media can be instantaneous and readily accessible, the majority of the preceptors affiliated with the College of Pharmacy were not interested in receiving important updates such as announcements and scheduling reminders from the OEE through social media platforms. Experiential programs should not consider social media utilization a priority for communication to preceptors.
Gyroless - Extending the TIMED Mission

The TIMED spacecraft is now it its eighth year of a two-year mission, amassing an unprecedented, uninterrupted collection of upper atmospheric data. Over the course of this time, degradation of the gyros has forced the need to allow operation without them. As a result, the attitude estimation algorithms have been enhanced to allow continued operation under gyroless conditions. This paper describes the algorithms implemented to perform attitude estimation with a tracker-only solution, as well as operational issues encountered with a gyroless spacecraft. On-orbit performance is presented, demonstrating the ability to maintain pointing performance requirements with these new algorithms.
Analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement in myoepithelial sialadenitis by polymerase chain reaction.

Myoepithelial sialadenitis (MESA) can often be difficult to distinguish from low grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The authors have previously studied a series of 25 patients with MESA and identified histologic and immunologic features predictive of cxtrasalivary lymphoma (ESL). The authors have now analyzed formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded salivary gland tissue from 21 of these patients (and 1 new patient) for immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement by a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to compare monoclonality by IgH PCR with clinical outcome (median follow-up 6.7 years, range 3 months–19.4 years) and the paraffin section immunophenotype. The PCR technique employed consensus primers from variable (FR3A) and joining regions (L.IH, VLJH) of the IgH gene. A monoclonal PCR product was detected in 16 of 28 specimens from 13 of 22 patients. By Fisher’s exact test, a monoclonal PCR pattern did not correlate ( P <.05) with development of ESL, broad strands of monocytoid B-cells, plasma cell light chain restriction by immunoperoxidase, or CD43 coexpression on monocytoid B cells by immunoperoxidase. This study suggests that the majority of MESA lesions harbor monoclonal B-cell populations and that clonality does not predict progression to clinically overt lymphoma. Acquired salivary gland MALT, in the form of MESA, may progress to a process that is clonal but not necessarily malignant. Extranodal lymphoma develops in a minority of patients with this lesion.
A Study of the Olfactory Sense of Termites.

The main object of this study has been to investigate the olfactory sense of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), with the purpose of subjecting to analysis McIndoo*s assertion that the olfactory sense in insects is not located on the antenna; but on the legs and wings. While McIndoo and others have published a great deal on the olfactory sense of various insects, nothing has been done on the “white ants.” The only work on termites which is at all related to this subject, is that by Stokes, dealing only with the morphological aspect and that only superficially. His observations regarding the distribution and external structure of the pores upon the legs agree in general with those in this paper though here a greater variation was found in the number of the pores. His paper is concerned in large measure with the morphology of the hairs and bristles, while this paper touches chiefly upon the morphology of the pores and short hairs (pegs) which might possibly be concerned with the sense of smell. He makes one extremely interesting observation which seems worthy of attention even though he does not lay much stress upon it. To quote, “with these organs, the termite is right well prepared for whatever may happen, even for the forceps of the predatory microscopist. The forceps conquers in the end, but the insects seem to feel its presence before it touches them, retreating and sometimes backing away from it as from some obnoxious object.”
Studies on Gonococcus Infection. XI. Comparison of in Vivo and in Vitro Association of Neisseria gonorrhoeae with Human Neutrophils

The levels of association between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and neutrophils as determined by microscopic study of smears of urethral exudate from men with acute gonorrhea and by in vitro assay of N. gonorrhoeae cultivated from those same individuals showed statistically significant correlation. The percentage of N. gonorrhoeae attached to or ingested by neutrophils varied from 30% to 90% in the clinical smears. Neither the apparent in vivo nor the in vitro association with neutrophils could be correlated with piliation of the N. gonorrhoeae studied. Factors that influence the virulence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae or are critical determinants in the pathogenesis of gonorrheal infections are incompletely understood. Virulence of N. gonorrhoeae has been associated with particular colony forms of the organism when grown on solid medium [1, 2] . Those colony types (Ti and T2) that can regularly cause disease in humans consist of pilus-bearing organisms, whereas relatively avirulent colony forms (T3 and T4) are composed of gonococci devoid of pili [3, 4]. Pili have been found to promote attachment of gonococci to several kinds of eucaryotic cells [3, 5-7], and these organelles are thought to influence virulence by anchoring gonococci to mucosal sites. Both the role of pili as determiners of phagocytosis of gonococci by polymorphonuclear neu
Whole‐Genome Sequencing Analysis Using Next‐Generation Sequencing Data

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized the biosciences and become invaluable to the discovery of gene function and its involvement in disease conditions. The fast pace of innovation in NGS technologies has enabled the production of huge volumes of sequence data at progressively lower cost. However, the increasing throughput combined with the growing accessibility of these technologies poses significant challenges for downstream data analysis. Here, we provide an overview of NGS methods and key secondary analysis pipelines with a focus on technology provided by Illumina. As a case study, we highlight potential applications in cancer research. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: cloud computing; Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS); tumor normal analysis; Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS); BaseSpace