cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple Procedure for Identifying Pavement Distresses from Video Images

Pavement distress information is important to highway engineers in managing pavement networks. At the present time, there are several research groups working to develop a more efficient and unbiased method of obtaining pavement distress data. The general approach desired is to capture pavement images using video cameras mounted on a moving vehicle and then use a computer to recognize and quantify the pavement distresses from the video images. An automated pavement distress survey system developed at the University of New Mexico is described in the paper. This prototype system uses an 8-mm camcorder, an inexpensive image-digitizing board, and a 486 personal microcomputer. The algorithm is capable of automatically identifying longitudinal, transverse, diagonal, alligator, and map cracking. The distresses are then reported appropriately as lengths or areas according to the type of distress. The program has an accuracy in prediction of over 85% in asphalt concrete pavements and over 90% in portland cement concrete pavements. The described automated survey system is capable of accurately analyzing images captured at a vehicle speed of 24 km/h (15 mph) and below.
Proton radiotherapy for high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma: early outcomes and dose comparison.

Purpose To report the early outcomes for children with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton radiotherapy (RT) and to compare the dose distributions for intensity-modulated photon RT (IMRT), three-dimensional conformal proton RT (3D-CPT), and intensity-modulated proton RT to the postoperative tumor bed. Methods and Materials All patients with high-risk (International Neuroblastoma Staging System Stage III or IV) neuroblastoma treated between 2005 and 2010 at our institution were included. All patients received induction chemotherapy, surgical resection of residual disease, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, and adjuvant 3D-CPT to the primary tumor sites. The patients were followed with clinical examinations, imaging, and laboratory testing every 6 months to monitor disease control and side effects. IMRT, 3D-CPT, and intensity-modulated proton RT plans were generated and compared for a representative case of adjuvant RT to the primary tumor bed followed by a boost. Results Nine patients were treated with 3D-CPT. The median age at diagnosis was 2 years (range 10 months to 4 years), and all patients had Stage IV disease. All patients had unfavorable histologic characteristics (poorly differentiated histologic features in 8, N-Myc amplification in 6, and 1p/11q chromosomal abnormalities in 4). The median tumor size at diagnosis was 11.4 cm (range 7–16) in maximal dimension. At a median follow-up of 38 months (range 11–70), there were no local failures. Four patients developed distant failure, and, of these, two died of disease. Acute side effects included Grade 1 skin erythema in 5 patients and Grade 2 anorexia in 2 patients. Although comparable target coverage was achieved with all three modalities, proton therapy achieved substantial normal tissue sparing compared with IMRT. Intensity-modulated proton RT allowed additional sparing of the kidneys, lungs, and heart. Conclusions Preliminary outcomes reveal excellent local control with proton therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma, although distant failures continu to occur. Dosimetric comparisons demonstrate the advantage of proton RT compared with IMRT in this setting, allowing more conformal treatment and better normal tissue sparing.
Supersymmetry at finite temperature

Abstract Finite-temperature supersymmetry (SUSY) is characterized by unbroken Ward identifies for SUSY variations of ensemble averages of Klein-operator inserted imaginary time-ordered products of fields. Path-integral representations of these products are defined and the Feynman rules in superspace are given. The finite-temperature no-renormalization theorem is derived. Spontaneously broken SUSY at zero temperature is shown not to be restored at high temperature.
The effect of hypoxia on uptake and degradation of low density lipoproteins by cultured human arterial smooth muscle cells.

Abstract Atheroma have been produced in experimental animals by systemic hypoxia. This study assessed the effects of hypoxia on binding, uptake and degradation of human low density lipoprotein (LDL) by human arterial smooth muscle cells, the cell involved in atherogenesis. The LDL content of the smooth muscle cell grown in the usual conditions (95% air [20% O2], 5% CO2) increased with the incubation time of LDL in the medium (7.5 μg protein/ml of medium); the trypsin releasable LDL “binding” reached a plateau by 24 h (2.2 ± 1.3 [x ± S.D.]) ng/μg LDL protein added per 106 cells whereas the LDL in the cell after trypsinization (“net uptake”) continued to increase up to 48 h (6.5 ± 4.6 ng/μg LDL protein added per 106 cells at 48 h). LDL protein degradation increases rapidly between 7 and 48 h (10.4 ng/μg LDL protein added per 106 cells at 24 h) after an initial delay of approximately 7 h. Smooth muscle cells grown under hypoxic conditions (5% O2) had similar LDL “binding” but showed increased “net uptake” (10.7 ± 4.8 ng/μg LDL protein added per 106 cells) and a 36 ± 13% decrease in degradation (p
Increasing prevalence of resistance mutations in antiretroviral-naïve individuals with established HIV-1 infection from 1996-2002 in St. Louis

AbstractBACKGROUND: Transmission of drug-resistant virus in HIV-1 infected individuals is well documented, particularly in patients with primary infection. Prevalence in chronically infected antiretroviral-naive patients is reportedly low. Routine genotyping in this population is not recommended. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate resistance profiles in patients with established HIV infection in St. Louis. METHOD: We selected specimens from drug-naive individuals (CD4 >300 cells/mL and VL >1000 copies/mL) with established HIV infection between 1996-2002. 62 of 75 specimens were available for genotyping. We excluded patients with evidence of acute HIV infection and long-term nonprogressors. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of resistance was 11% (7/62). From 1996 to 1998, a prevalence of 4% was observed (1/27 individuals). During the subsequent period from 1999 to 2002, the frequency increased to 17% (6/35 participants; p = .08; 95% CI 5-29%). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the prevalen...
Human oriented user services: a break with tradition

The purpose of a university computer center user services group is to serve the computing community. Services normally include consulting, education, publications, and documentation. The effectiveness of these services depends on an awareness of the needs of the user community. User Services professionals must be cognizant of the growing complexity of the user community and provide appropriate services. An educational preparation in the "hard" sciences is no longer a prerequisite to access to the computer. The demands of the non-technical user are varied, non-traditional and in many cases considerable. Traditional, technically oriented, documentation and "matter of fact" short term consulting will not meet the needs of these users. The bewildering impact of computing should be minimized by humanization of the interface between the computer and the user.
405 POSTNATAL β-ADRENERGIC THERAPY AUGMENTS SURFACTANT RELEASE IN PREMATURELY DELIVERED RABBITS

405 POSTNATAL β-ADRENERGIC THERAPY AUGMENTS SURFACTANT RELEASE IN PREMATURELY DELIVERED RABBITS
Mobile ad hoc network broadcasting: A multi-criteria approach

Nodes in a computer network often require a copy of a message to be delivered to every node in the network. The network layer can provide such a service, referred to as network-wide broadcast routing or simply ‘broadcasting’. Broadcasting has many applications, including its role as a service to many routing protocols. In a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), simplistic broadcast schemes (such as flooding) inundate the network with redundancy, contention, collision, and unnecessary use of energy resources. This can prevent broadcasts from achieving their primary objective of maximizing delivery ratio, while also considering secondary objectives, such as balancing energy resources or reducing the network's burden on congested or busy nodes. As a solution, we propose multiple-criteria broadcasting (MCB). In MCB, the source of each broadcast specifies the importance assigned to broadcast objectives. Network nodes use these priorities, along with local and neighbor knowledge of distributed factors, to broadcast in accordance with the objective priorities attributed to the message. Using ns2, the performance of MCB is evaluated and compared to that of other broadcast protocols. To present knowledge, MCB constitutes the first reconfigurable, multi-objective approach to broadcasting. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relativistic tidal impulse

Impulsive tidal acceleration of a beam of ultrarelativistic particles is studied in the «weak» gravitational field of a rotating mass. The rotation of the mass can have a significant tidal influence on the deformations of the beam; this effect could be comparable to the tidal effect of the mass of the source if the beam is near the stationary limit of an extreme Kerr black hole. In certain situations, the gravitomagnetic tidal influence can enhance or hinder the usual gravitoelectric effect
Patient satisfaction of female and male users of veterans health administration services

OBJECTIVE: To compare patient satisfaction of male and female users of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services.
Charge-spin separation in 2D Fermi systems: Singular interactions as modified commutators, and solution of the 2D Hubbard model in the bosonized approximation.

The general two-dimensional fermion system with repulsive interactions (typified by the Hubbard model) is bosonized, taking into account the finite on-shell forward-scattering phase shift derived in earlier papers. By taking this phase shift into account in the bosonic commutation relations, a consistent picture emerges showing the charge-spin separation and anomalous exponents of the Luttinger liquid.
An FFT-based approach for dynamic response prediction of non-periodic systems

In this work, a combined experimental and numerical approach, called Extended Load Confluence Algorithm (ELCA), is presented to effectively improve the accuracy of the dynamic modeling of a structural system through an iterative approach. ELCA reconstructs the full-field dynamic response based on a numerical model of the system, its modal expansion and a few experimental measurements. From an initial guess of the applied loads, the algorithm updates it at each iteration to improve the accuracy in the representation of the dynamic response. Numerical validation cases are presented to show the effectiveness of proposed approach. The convenience of the proposed approach can be considerably beneficial when applied to structures with complex loading conditions in aerospace and mechanical applications.
Wess-Zumino Terms for Relativistic Fluids, Superfluids, Solids, and Supersolids

We use the coset construction of low-energy effective actions to systematically derive Wess-Zumino (WZ) terms for fluid and isotropic solid systems in two, three, and four spacetime dimensions. We recover the known WZ term for fluids in two dimensions as well as the very recently found WZ term for fluids in three dimensions. We find two new WZ terms for supersolids that have not previously appeared in the literature. In addition, by relaxing certain assumptions about the symmetry group of fluids we find a number of new WZ terms for fluids with and without charge, in all dimensions. We find no WZ terms for solids and superfluids.
Inference on Risk Rates Based on Mortality Data Under Censoring and Competing Risks Using Parametric Models

In this paper we consider the competing risks model where the risks may not be independent. We assume both fixed and random censoring. The random censoring mechanism could have either a parametric or a non-parametric form. The life distributions and the parametric censoring distribution considered are exponential or Weibull. The expressions for the asymptotic confidence intervals for various parameters of interest under different models, using the estimated Fisher information matrix and parametric bootstrap techniques have been derived. Monte Carlo simulation studies for some of these cases have been carried out.
Counterexamples and prophylactics

L'A. apporte une legere rectification au contre-exemple fourni par Bruce Russell au coherentisme de K. Lehrer et ce, pour demontrer que l'acceptation justifiee et invaincue d'une verite, consideree comme un prophylactique interne ou un expedient theorique d'autodefense, n'est pas suffisante du point de vue de la connaissance stricto sensu
Propagation sampled acoustic line array

An acoustic line array which includes a co-axial cable having a center conductor surrounded by a flexible material of low-electrical conductivity. The flexible material is surrounded by a conducting material protected by an external shield. The cable has characteristic impedance which is sensitive to pressure variations in the medium due to a traveling acoustic pressure wave from an acoustic source. Variations in the impedance of the array are used to detect the acoustic source. Alternatively, the line array makes use of discrete sensors placed at suitable intervals along the array. This type of acoustic array eliminates the use of a plurality of wires carrying the electrical signals from the transducer to the storage equipment and elaborate multiplexing techniques.
An inquiry into the structure of the Si60 cluster: Analysis of fragmentation data

A model is proposed to describe the structure of large silicon clusters. The model is illustrated for the 60-atom cluster. A structure consisting of stacked, naphthalene-like planes is investigated. Computational evidence is given in support of this hypothesis, and it is shown to be consistent with experimental photofragmentation results.
Advanced Computational Modeling of Steady and Unsteady Cavitating Flows

The numerical simulation of steady and unsteady cavitating flows presents unique challenges in the development of robust numerical methodologies. The major difficulties are associated with the large density variations due to the phase change processes, and the modeling of liquid-vapor mass transfer (along with potentially strong interfacial heat transfer). The multiphase cavitation modeling approach described in this paper has been found to be capable of addressing these issues in an accurate and robust fashion, and is therefore suitable for inclusion in an advanced general purpose CFD solver. In the present approach, cavitation can be modeled within the framework of either the multiphase mixture model or the Eulerian multifluid model. The governing equations are the mixture (mixture model) or phase (Eulerian multifluid model) momentum, energy, turbulence, and phase volume fraction equations. The liquid-vapor mass transfer (evaporation and condensation) is modeled using two baseline cavitation models: Schnerr-Sauer model, and Zwart-Gerber-Belamri model. An advanced numerical scheme has been developed for solving the model equations which can handle large liquid-vapor density ratios, provide for mass transfer source terms in phase volume equations, and address the coupling between the phase change rates and the pressure correction equation. In addition, the cavitation models have been extended to compressible multiphase liquid and vapor flow regimes, and to problems involving convective heat transfer. The numerical algorithm has been implemented in an advanced, general-purpose CFD code, FLUENT, and validations have been carried out for a range of steady-state and unsteady flows, including a 2D axisymmetric orifice, a 3D fuel injector, a radial liquid pump, and a vane pump. The results demonstrate that the cavitation models are able to correctly predict the location and size of vapor bubbles, pressure distributions, and bulk flow parameters. Tests also indicate that the present implementation is both fast and robust, as compared to previous approaches. For unsteady simulations, the method can employ large time steps (limited only by physical or mesh motion considerations), making it efficient for unsteady flows driven by either boundary conditions or mesh motion.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The Cosmological Constant Problem

The cosmological constant is a macroscopic parameter which controls the large-scale structure of the Universe. All observations to date have shown that it is very small. However, our modern microscopic theory of particle physics and gravity suggests that the cosmological constant should be very large. This discrepancy between theoretical expectation and empirical observation constitutes the cosmological constant problem. After a review of the problem, some approaches to its solution are briefly discussed, and then a possible solution is proposed. In this approach, the cosmological constant appears as a constant of integration, unrelated to any parameters in the Lagrangian. The solution makes crucial use of quantum mechanics.
Automatic Construction of 3-D Building Model From Airborne LIDAR Data Through 2-D Snake Algorithm

The snake algorithm has been proposed to solve many remote sensing and computer vision problems such as object segmentation, surface reconstruction, and object tracking. This paper introduces a framework for 3-D building model construction from LIDAR data based on the snake algorithm. It consists of nonterrain object identification, building and tree separation, building topology extraction, and adjustment by the snake algorithm. The challenging task in applying the snake algorithm to building topology adjustment is to find the global minima of energy functions derived for 2-D building topology. The traditional snake algorithm uses dynamic programming for computing the global minima of energy functions which is limited to snake problems with 1-D topology (i.e., a contour) and cannot handle problems with 2-D topology. In this paper, we have extended the dynamic programming method to address the snake problems with a 2-D planar topology using a novel graph reduction technique. Given a planar snake, a set of reduction operations is defined and used to simplify the graph of the planar snake into a set of isolated vertices while retaining the minimal energy of the graph. Another challenging task for 3-D building model reconstruction is how to enforce different kinds of geometric constraints during building topology refinement. This framework proposed two energy functions, deviation and direction energy functions, to enforce multiple geometric constraints on 2-D topology refinement naturally and efficiently. To examine the effectiveness of the framework, the framework has been applied on different data sets to construct 3-D building models from airborne LIDAR data. The results demonstrate that the proposed snake algorithm successfully found the global optima in polynomial time for all of the building topologies and generated satisfactory 3-D models for most of the buildings in the study areas.
Multimode fiber interferometry with and without phase conjugation

It is generally assumed that fiber interferometers must be constructed from single-mode fibers. An alternative is to employ phase conjugation mirrors on the arms of a multimode fiber interferometer so that the spatial scrambling of modes is reversed, and good fringe contrast is maintained. When several interferometers all share the same self-conjugating BaTiO3 crystal, however, the results show crosstalk between the separate fibers ranging from negligible to prohibitively large depending on the precise spatial configuration within the conjugator. A model accounting for these results is proposed. In addition it was observed in control experiments with conventional Mach-Zehnder configurations that good data could be obtained despite reduced contrast with both graded and step index multimode fibers.
Studies on drug transport by normal human leukocytes

Abstract Transport of the drugs amethopterin, 5-fluorouracil, and 6-mercaptopurine was studied in normal human leukocytes. The data were compared with studies on model compounds (cycloleucine, D -ribose, thiourea) known to be taken up via active transport, facilitated diffusion, or simple diffusion. We found that uptake of 5-fluorouracil and 6-mercaptopurine resembled simple diffusion; these two drugs were also slowly metabolized by cellular enzymes to form nondiffusible nucleotides. Amethopterin was taken up by a process of facilitated diffusion which was saturable, markedly temperature-sensitive, and distinctly nonconcentrative. These data have implications in the design of therapeutic programs.
Perinatal Risk Factors As Predictors of Developmental Functioning

This study examined the relationship between perinatal risk factors and developmental functioning for a referred population of 216 children. A canonical correlation analysis indicated that 31% of the variability in developmental information could be predicted from perinatal events. The results were interpreted as lending support to a multivariate link between perinatal complications and developmental functioning for referred children.
The Postmodernist as Academic Leftist; or, How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Being Politically Correct

The Postmodernist as Academic Leftist; or, How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Being Politically Correct This review essay is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol17/iss1/11
Line tension at the wetting transition

Abstract We ask whether the tension of the line in which three phases meet vanishes at the wetting transition. We answer affirmatively for a simple phenomenological model in which we find that the line tension vanishes proportionally to the contact angle that closes down to 0 at the transition. We show the connection between such line tension and two-dimensional boundary tension at a pre-wetting transition. It is plausible that if the former vanishes at wetting, then so does the latter in the limit where pre-wetting becomes bulk wetting.
IceCube: From Oscillations to PeV Neutrino Events

Abstract With IceCube and its low-energy extension DeepCore, an instrument with a combined energy range from tens of GeV to EeV has been commissioned. It measures the atmospheric neutrino spectrum from the lower energies where neutrinos oscillate to energies as large as 100 TeV with a statistic of more than 100,000 events per year. The initial results suggest that IceCube can measure the oscillation parameters in an energy range that exceeds existing observations by one order of magnitude, thus opening a new window on neutrino physics. We also discuss the observation of PeV-energy events that cannot be accommodated by the flux anticipated by extrapolation of present atmospheric neutrino measurements.
Evaluation and comparison of several graph robustness metrics to improve network resilience

Computer networks serve as critical infrastructure to services in business, health care, and education. Targeted attacks and random failures may cause link or node removals, which in turn can cause significant disruption to the availability of network services. Designing a network topology to provide acceptable levels of service in the face of these challenges can save both lives and money. A number of graph robustness metrics have been introduced to measure network resilience against such attacks. One way to improve resilience against such challenges is to add a set of links to improve these graph robustness metrics. In this paper, we add links to a given graph to improve given robustness functions. Then, we evaluate non- and improved graphs by applying centrality-based attacks to examine their resilience. Our results show that adding links to balance link-betweenness yields the best network resilience against such attacks among the studied robustness metrics.
Assistive educational technology

Abstract Despite the importance of literacy to employment and social well-being, the literacy rate of the visually impaired and deaf population is estimated to be quite low. Braille, the primary method of reading and writing for the blind, is a tactile system in which embossed dots representing letters and numbers can be read with the fingers. Similarly, the primary method of communication for the deaf is sign language. Sign language simultaneously combines hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express fluidly a deaf speaker's thoughts. As is the case in spoken language, Braille and sign language can differ from one region to another, but the basic elements of both Braille and sign language remain consistent across cultures. A significant problem in education for both the deaf and visually impaired populations is that they are minority populations and hence often have less guided practice in communication. They also participate in fewer interactions with the larger community that reinforce their literacy and communication skills. Finally, the focus of technological enhancements to education has primarily focused on the majority populations, and hence very few automated tutors and educational computing games have been created for visually impaired and deaf children. Our work aims to remedy this situation by developing assistive technology to enhance education for the visually impaired and deaf populations throughout the world. We have developed several tools including a Braille writing tutor (BWT) and the DeSIGN software application, which provides guided practice for communication using sign language. The BWT is a device that connects to a computer through a USB cable. As the student writes each Braille letter or number, the tutor provides immediate audio feedback by repeating the written characters and guiding writing through audio cues, and a variety of curricular and game modes. The DeSIGN tool aims to increase the reading level of the students who are taught to communicate using sign language by reinforcing the mapping between vocabulary and signs through lessons, tests, and games. It also has an interactive game, which provides teachers with a customizable tool for motivating students.
A demonstration of phototacs: a simple image-based phone dialing interface for people with cognitive or visual impairments

Modern cell phones are becoming increasingly complex, as more and more features are added to every new generation. These complex user interfaces can make even placing a call difficult for those with disabilities. This presentation demonstrates a fully-functional version of PhotoTacs, an easy-to-use image-based phone book, designed specifically for those with cognitive disabilities and visual impairments.
Neutral Metallocene Ester Enolate and Non-Metallocene Alkoxy Complexes of Zirconium for Catalytic Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters

Four neutral zirconocene bis(ester enolate) and non-zirconocene bis(alkoxy) complexes have been employed for ring-opening polymerizations and chain transfer polymerizations of l-lactide (l-LA) and ϵ-caprolactone (ϵ-CL). All C2v-, C2-, and Cs-ligated neutral zirconocene bis(ester enolate) complexes effectively polymerize ϵ-CL at 80 °C with high (>90%) initiator efficiencies. The Cs-ligated complex Ph2C(Cp)(Flu)Zr[OC(OiPr)═CMe2]2 (1) also promotes highly efficient polymerization of l-LA and is at least 100 times more reactive than the C2v- and C2-ligated analogues. The l-LA polymerization by 1 exhibits living characteristics, producing PLA with quantitative isotacticity (no sign of monomer epimerization) and controlled molecular weight. This polymerization follows first-order kinetics with respect to both [l-LA] and [1], consistent with a monometallic, coordination–anionic propagation mechanism. The structurally characterized non-zirconocene bis(alkoxy) complex [(2,6-iPr2C6H4)N(CH2)3N(2,6-iPr2C6H4)]Zr(OiPr)...
Laços que prendem: interpretações culturais sobre a maturidade tardia na Europa ocidental e no Japão

In the societies where "delayed departure" is common, the structural pressures leading in this direction are similar. Yet the cultural response varies considerably from one society to the next. Comparative analysis across a range of countries suggests that very similar demographic facts come to assume a different degree of significance and distinctive patterns of meaning. Indeed, the main commonality across the delayed departure countries emerges in the policy responses of their governments, which are uniformly worried about the declining birth rate. As for the ordinary citizen, the "failure to launch" varies from a social catastrophe (Japan), to a somewhat milder structural frustration (Spain), to a non-problem (Italy), while for their Nordic counterparts, the ability to launch early is taken in stride, but is accompanied by the nagging sensation that the generations don't need each other as much as perhaps they should.
Prenatal stress and postnatal androgen: effects on reproduction in female rats

Heat-restraint stress applied to pregnant rats during the last trimester disrupts oestrus cycles in female offspring and alters adrenal, ovarian and uterine weights at autopsy. Sexual receptivity is left intact. Prenatal stress may operate by increasing exposure of fetal females to androgens in utero.
A variational formulation of the Nagumo reaction–diffusion equation and the Nagumo telegraph equation

Abstract We consider the Nagumo reaction–diffusion equation u t = u x x + f ( u ) and the Nagumo telegraph equation τ u t t + ( 1 − τ f ′ ( u ) ) u t = u x x + f ( u ) , where f ( u ) = u ( a − u ) ( 1 − u ) as boundary value problems over the finite spatial interval x ∈ [ 0 , L ] and finite time t ∈ [ 0 , t ∗ ] . We are able to obtain approximate solutions for the boundary value problems via a variational technique. Also, we obtain numerical solutions for some special cases, in order to demonstrate the validity of the variational technique. Also, these numerical solutions are used to discuss the qualitative characteristics of the solutions for the specific initial data considered.
Nonperiodic sampling and the local three squares theorem

This paper presents an elementary proof of the following theorem: Given {r j } =1 with m=d+1, fix $$fix R \geqslant \sum\nolimits_{j = 1}^m {r_j } $$ and let Q=[−R, R]d. Then any f∈ L2(Q) is completely determined by its averages over cubes of side rj that are completely contained in Q and have edges parallel to the coordinate axes if and only if rj/rk is irrational for j≠k. Whend=2 this theorem is known as the local three squares theorem and is an example of a Pompeiu-type theorem. The proof of the theorem combines ideas in multisensor deconvolution and the theory of sampling on unions of rectangular lattices having incommensurate densities with a theorem of Young on sequences biorthogonal to exact sequences of exponentials.
Profiling of fatty acids released during calcium-induced mitochondrial permeability transition in isolated rabbit kidney cortex mitochondria

Increases in intracellular Ca(2+) during cellular stress often lead to the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). We examined changes in fatty acids (FAs) released from isolated renal cortical mitochondria subjected to Ca(2+)-induced MPT. Exposing mitochondria to Ca(2+) stimulated mitochondrial swelling and release of FAs such as arachidonic (20:4) and docosahexenoic acids which increased 71% and 32%, respectively, and linoleic (18:2) which decreased 23% compared to controls. Stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), and linoleic (18:3) acids were unchanged. To elucidate a mechanism for FA release, mitochondria were pre-treated with bromoenolactone (BEL) to inhibit Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2) gamma activity (iPLA(2)γ). BEL blocked Ca(2+)-induced release of arachidonic and behenic (22:0) acids. Finally, four FAs were released in the absence of Ca(2+) in a BEL-sensitive manner, including arachidonic and docosatrienoic acids. Thus, extensive FA release occurs during Ca(2+)-induced MPT, and that mitochondrial iPLA(2)γ maintains mitochondrial arachidonic acid homeostasis under both basal and Ca(2+)-induced stress conditions.
Nutrient dynamics and turnover rates of phosphate and sulfate in Lake Victoria, East Africa

The dominant process removing sulfate from the water of Lake Victoria is biological uptake by plankton >1 µm in size. Uptake of sulfate in the water column is substantially greater than uptake at the sediment surface. Despite low ambient concentrations (3–4 µM), rates of uptake of sulfate by phytoplankton do not increase when additional sulfate is added to the water, and ambient concentrations are adequate to support maximum uptake rates. Uptake rates for phosphate are similarly near-maximal in offshore waters. Furthermore, experimental addition of sulfate or phosphate fails to increase biomass production over control levels, but addition of N alone or in combination with P and S does increase algal biomass. Although sulfate concentrations in Lake Victoria are lower than values reported for any large lake worldwide, our results indicate that sulfate behaves as a nonlimiting nutrient in Lake Victoria and that it does not limit the primary productivity of the lake.
A Graph Lattice Approach to Maintaining Dense Collections of Subgraphs as Image Features

Document classification and indexing methods depend on having informative image features. This paper shows how large families of complex features can be built out of simpler ones through construction of a graph lattice -- a hierarchy of related sub graphs linked in a lattice. A graph lattice enables efficiency gains that make it possible to effectively employ bag-of-words methods for document classification using high-dimensional feature vectors. Each feature is itself a subgraph, and a feature vector is a count of occurrences of sub graphs in the image. The graph lattice enables methods for adaptively growing a feature space of sub graphs tailored to observed document genres. We demonstrate the approach through classification of forms containing rectilinear line art.
Points-to analysis for Java using annotated constraints

The goal of point-to analysis for Java is to determine the set of objects pointed by a reference variable or a reference object field. This information has a wide variety of client applications in optimizing compilers and software engineering tools. In this paper we present a point-to analysis for Java based on Andersen's point-to analysis for C [5]. We implement the analysis by using a constraint-based approach which employs annotated inclusion constraints. Constraint annotations allow us model precisely and efficiently the semantics of virtual calls and the flow of values through object fields. By solving systems of annotated inclusion constraints, we have been albe to perform practical and precies points-to analysis for Java
Numerical modeling of CW-pumped repetitively passively Q-switched Yb:YAG lasers with Cr:YAG as saturable absorber

Abstract Passively Q-switched Yb:YAG lasers with Cr 4+ :YAG as saturable absorber is numerically studied by solving the coupled rate equations. The stimulation results indicate that the results obtained numerically are in good agreement with those obtained experimentally. From the stimulation results, the parameters (reflectivity of the output coupler, the concentration of the saturable absorber, etc.) for the best Q-switched operation can be obtained. And the effect of pump power on the laser performance of passively Q-switched Yb:YAG lasers were studied systematically and results show that the good laser performance can be achieved by higher pump power. A typical passively Q-switched laser pulse of 0.49 mJ with 32 ns in width at the repetition rate of 17 kHz can be obtained with a typical laser configuration, which results in 15.3 kW peak power.
PRODUCTION INTENSIFICATION AND REGIONAL SPECIALIZATION

Although textiles were important commodities in the Aztec political economy, it is widely held that textile production did not involve organized workshops. In the late 1960s, Charlton (1971, 1981) found a concentration of large spindle whorls at the Aztec city-state capital of Otumba that he interpreted as remains of a maguey-fiber workshop. A subsequent survey and surface collections made by the Otumba Project discovered additional concentrations of spindle whorls associated with fiber-processing tools and manufacturing debris that provide substantial evidence for organized maguey-fiber workshops at Otumba. An unusually large sample of more than 1,600 spindle whorls was recovered in surface collections from sites in the Aztec city-state of Otumba where both small cotton whorls and large maguey whorls occurred in low densities associated with concentrations of domestic pottery (and in some cases house-mound remnants). In the Aztec capital town of Otumba, maguey spindle whorls were also present in localized dense concentrations within a restricted area of the site. These concentrations also included molds for making spindle whorls, “wasters,” a high density of heavily worn obsidian blades and basalt scrapers used in fiber production, and obsidian scrapers. Based on the quantities and types of associated artifacts we argue that these concentrations represent remains of Late Aztec maguey-fiber workshops that were household based. The workshops processed maguey fibers and made maguey spindle whorls in a range of sizes for spinning thin and thick threads and cordage. Secondary craft activities in one workshop included making cotton spindle whorls and some lapidary and figurine manufacturing. Maguey-fiber processing, spinning, and, presumably, weaving also took place in rural villages, but evidence of organized workshops has only been found at the urban center. The growth of the maguey-fiber industry at Otumba during the Late Postclassic period was part of a broader economic trend of production intensification in the northeastern Basin of Mexico that included xerophytic plant cultivation and craft specialization.
Exploring the Relationship between Media Institutions and Political Participation

The structure of media institutions varies widely across countries. Here, I analyze the effects of two features of media systems on voter turnout: public broadcasting and partisanship. Using Eurobarometer survey data from 14 countries, I find that watching public broadcasting has a modest effect on increasing turnout because it increases citizens’ knowledge levels; but this effect only holds in countries that subsidize their public broadcaster. In contrast, broadcasting systems associated with more open partisanship have large positive effects on turnout.
Application of a hybrid generation/utility assessment heuristic to a class of scheduling problems

A two-stage heuristic solution approach for a class of multiobjective, n-job, one-machine scheduling problems is described. Minimization of job-to-job interference for n jobs is sought. The first stage generates alternative schedule sequences by interchanging pairs of schedule elements. The set of alternative sequences can represent nodes of a decision tree; each node is reached via decision to interchange job elements. The second stage selects the parent node for the next generation of alternative sequences through automated paired comparison of objective performance for all current nodes. >
Adjuvant therapy of resectable rectal cancer

The two conventional treatments for clinically resectable rectal cancer are surgery followed by postoperative combined modality therapy and preoperative combined modality therapy followed by surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. Preoperative therapy (most commonly combined modality therapy) has gained acceptance as a standard adjuvant therapy. The potential advantages of the preoperative approach include decreased tumor seeding, less acute toxicity, increased radiosensitivity due to more oxygenated cells, and enhanced sphincter preservation. There are a number of new chemotherapeutic agents that have been developed for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer. Phase I/II trials examining the use of new chemotherapeutic agents in combination with pelvic radiation therapy are in progress.
Minocycline reduces renal microvascular leakage in a rat model of ischemic renal injury

Tetracyclines exhibit significant anti-inflammatory properties, inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and are protective in models of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Both inflammatory cascades and MMP activation have been demonstrated to modulate microvascular permeability. Because increased microvascular permeability occurs during IRI in a variety of organ systems including the kidney, we hypothesized that minocycline, a semisynthetic tetracycline, would diminish microvascular leakage during renal IRI. To test this hypothesis, we used intravital 2-photon microscopy to examine leakage of fluorescent dextrans from the vasculature in a rodent model of IRI. Minocycline significantly reduced the extent of dextran (500 kDa) leakage from the renal microvasculature 24 h after ischemia. Although minocycline diminished leukocyte accumulation in the kidney following ischemia, areas of leukocyte accumulation did not correlate with areas of microvascular permeability in either the saline- or minocycline-pretreated animals. Minocycline diminished the perivascular increase in MMP-2 and MMP-9, as well as the increase in MMP-2 activity 24 h after ischemia. ABT-518, a specific inhibitor of MMP-2 and MMP-9, also significantly reduced the extent of dextran (500 kDa) leakage from the renal microvasculature 24 h after ischemia. Our results indicate that minocycline mitigates the renal microvascular permeability defect following IRI. This effect is spatially distinct from the effect of minocycline on leukocyte accumulation and may be related to diminished activity of MMPs on the integrity of the perivascular matrix.
Interpreting Quantitative Cytomegalovirus DNA Testing: Understanding the Laboratory Perspective

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients, and is typically monitored using laboratory-developed quantitative molecular assays. Clinicians who use quantitative CMV DNA testing should be aware of a number of aspects of testing that will aid in decision making while managing CMV disease in their patients. These include (1) the specimen type used (whole blood or plasma), (2) the limit of detection and limit of quantification chosen by the clinical laboratory, (3) the linear range of the assay, (4) the reproducibility of the assay within the institution, and (5) the wide variability of viral load values among different assays. The biologic properties of CMV, including its variability within the host and of its half-life, are also important factors in the clinical testing for this virus.
Displaced People, Replaced Narratives: Forest Conflicts and Historical Perspectives in the Tsolo District, Transkei*

This article examines the long-term development of state forestry's dominance in the Tsolo district of the former Transkeian region of South Africa. From 1885 to 1915, as part of colonialism's entrenchment in local African communities, the successive Cape Colony and South African governments first instituted the structures of state control over indigenous forests, absorbing demarcated areas into a government reserve system and regulating and policing popular access to forest resources. Building upon this formative period, apartheid planners embarked on an aggressive afforestation programme in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the district, culminating in the complete removal of the communities of one ward, the Gqogqora location, and their replacement with exotic tree plantations. Despite the significant and often drastic changes colonial and apartheid schemes brought to local residents, these experiences have been largely silenced by inherited state narratives of the Transkei's 'conservation' and 'develop...
Narrowband Oscillations in the Upper Equatorial Ocean. Part I: Interpretation as Shear Instabilities

Abstract Extended measurements of temperature fluctuations that include the turbulence wavenumber band have now been made using rapidly sampled fast thermistors at multiple depths above the core of the Equatorial Undercurrent on the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) mooring at 0°, 140°W. These measurements include the signature of narrowband oscillations as well as turbulence, from which the temperature variance dissipation rate χT and the turbulence energy dissipation rate ϵχ are estimated. The narrowband oscillations are characterized by the following: groupiness—packets consist of O(10) oscillations; spectral peaks of up to two orders of magnitude above background; a clear day–night cycle with more intensive activity at night; enhanced mixing rates; frequencies of 1–2 × 10−3 Hz, close to both the local buoyancy and shear frequencies, N/2π and S/2π, which vary slowly in time; high vertical coherence over at least 30-m scales; and abrupt vertical phase change (π/2 over <20 m). The abrupt vertical phase cha...
Visual observation under uncertainty as a discrete event process

The problem of development and implementation of a discrete event dynamic system observer for a moving agent is considered. The authors present a modeling approach for the visual system and its observer, where the 'events' are defined as ranges on parameter subsets. In particular, the proposed system is used for observing a manipulation process, where a robot hand manipulates an object. the hand/object interaction is recognised over time and a stabilizing observer is constructed. The resulting robot arm behavior is constructed as a hybrid intelligent mechanism. The work examines closely the possibilities for errors, mistakes and uncertainties in the manipulation system, observer construction process and event identification mechanisms. Some results from a sequence of a peg-in-hole operation are documented. >
Testing a molasses-based bait for oral vaccination of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) against Mycobacterium bovis

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Michigan, USA, are wildlife reservoirs of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) with documented spread to cattle. In vaccine efficacy trials, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) administered orally reduces colonization and bTB-associated lesions in white-tailed deer after experimental challenge with virulent M. bovis. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the palatability of a molasses-based bait for oral delivery of BCG to white-tailed deer. Relevant practical properties of the bait such as physical stability under various environmental conditions were evaluated, as well as palatability. Captive deer consumed baits within 3 h of introduction during 48 of 50 trials. Digital game cameras revealed consumption of all placed baits by one deer over 62 % of the time. Addition of BCG vaccine did not negatively impact palatability. Physical stability analysis demonstrated that ice and water significantly reduced bait stability as measured with a compression assay. Storage of BCG-containing baits at 4 °C showed a slight decrease in colony-forming units (CFUs) by day 31. In contrast, storage at −20 or −80 °C over the same 31-day period showed no significant decrease in BCG viability. The results of this study suggest that molasses-based baits, as prepared here, represent a plausible means of oral delivery of BCG to white-tailed deer under most environmental conditions.