cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term follow-up of 3-month neoadjuvant hormone therapy before radical prostatectomy in a randomized trial

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b OBJECTIVE To report our long-term follow-up of an institutional randomized prospective trial of radical prostatectomy (RP) with or without a 3-month course of neoadjuvant hormone therapy (NHT), which results in pathological downstaging, but generally no reduction in biochemical recurrence (BCR) on early follow-up (at 3 years). PATIENTS AND METHODS From December 1992 to June 1996, 148 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were randomized to RP only or 3 months of goserelin acetate and flutamide before RP. BCR was defined as a detectable serum prostate specific antigen level (>0.1 ng/mL) at least 6 weeks after surgery, with a confirmatory increase. RESULTS The median follow-up for BCR-free patients was 8 years. There was no significant difference in BCR-free probabilities between groups (P = 0.7). The BCR-free probability at 7 years was 78% for patients undergoing RP only and 80% for patients undergoing NHT and RP (difference of 2%; 95% confidence interval, CI, 12–16%). A Cox regression showed no significant relationship between NHT and BCR (hazard ratio 1.16; 95% CI, 0.56–2.39, P = 0.7). Overall, two patients had local recurrence and six developed metastases, and were evenly distributed among the RP only and NHT groups. CONCLUSION Although our study was not originally powered to detect differences in BCR, there was no overall benefit in BCR-free probability, local recurrence or metastasis with 3 months of NHT at 8 years of follow-up. Pending evidence of improvement in patient outcomes, NHT before RP appears to be unjustified outside of clinical trials.
The intensity and magnitude of Holocene plinian eruptions from Mount St. Helens volcano

Dispersal characteristics of the T, We, Wn, Pu, Ps, Ye, Yn and Yb plinian fall deposits of Mount St. Helens have been measured at 80 sites downwind of the volcano in order to model eruption dynamics and atmospheric transport. Isopleth contours for the sizes of maximum pumice and lithic clasts are used to calculate peak eruption column heights and intensities (magma discharge) based on a theoretical model of tephra dispersal. New proximal thickness measurements are combined with an empirical distal extrapolation, based on studies of 53 plinian deposits, to calculate the magnitude (erupted mass) of each eruption. Layer Yn (3510 y r B.P.) represents the highest intensity and largest magnitude eruption at Mount St. Helens in post-glacial times. Modeling suggests column height grew to about 31 km before gradually declining at the end of the plinian phase (~ 26 hours). Several intraplinian surge deposits are present in the upper part of the fall layer close to the volcano and up to 15 km to the northeast of Mount St. Helens. Peak intensity of the plinian phase was 108 kg/s and the total erupted volume was 4 km3 (DRE of magma). Small plinian-style eruptions are represented by layers such as Ps and Pu of the Pine Creek eruptive period (3000-2500 yr B.P.) and have intensities of only ~ 106 kg/s. When compared with plinian eruptions from other volcanoes, the Holocene eruptions of Mount St. Helens span from the lower to the middle part of the known range in intensity and magnitude and are typical of events derived from intermediate-sized stratovolcanoes. There is also a general correlation between the intensity of plinian eruptions within eruptive cycles and the repose period prior to each cycle. This relationship may be related to a time-dependent process for the accumulation of differentiated and volatile-rich magma within the chamber beneath Mount St. Helens.
Disulphide-bonded intermediate on the folding and assembly pathway of a non-disulphide bonded protein

The trimeric parallel beta-coil P22 tailspike contains eight cysteines per chain, but lacks disulphide bonds in the native state, in both the crystalline and solution forms. However, cysteines in a folding intermediate are reactive with thiol blocking reagents, which prevent further productive folding both in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo refolding yield was independent of the availability of metal ions, but was sensitive to redox potential. Isolation by nondenaturing gel electrophoresis of the protrimer intermediate, a trimeric folding intermediate that precedes the fully folded trimer in the in vivo and in vitro pathways, revealed the presence of interchain disulphide bonds. Incubation of the isolated protrimer with reducing agents generated the native trimer. The formation of beta-sheets with interdigitated strands from different subunits in the native trimer may require the transient disulphide bonds for proper alignment. To our knowledge this is the first report of a disulphide bond present in a folding intermediate of a non-disulphide bonded protein.
Expectations, observations, and violations: Comparing their effects on course ratings

Knowledgeable observers generally agree that students can give reasonably unbiased assessments of their classes, as long as proper instruments and procedures are used. These same observers agree, however, that more research is needed to understand the subtle dynamics which affect evaluations. Students' expectations (obtained on the first day) and the violation of these expectations are two possible factors. Their effects on students' final interest and future intentions are compared with students' actual reports of the class given at the end of the semester (n=196). Regression analysis using a simultaneous entry of expectations, expectancy violations, and final reports shows that students' reports at the end of the course account for almost all of the explained variance in the course rating items.
The Munch-Peterson Formula for the so-called “Coastal transportation force”

Of the many factors transforming the beaches under the conditions prevailing on all Danish coasts, the most important are erosion by waves and transportation of eroded material by coastal wave-currents. In technical literature, waves and wave-currents have usually been treated separately. About 35 years ago three Danish engineers, Paul-Vedel, Palle Bruun, and John Munch-Petersen, working on difficult harbor- and beach-protection works, came to the conclusion that these two phenomena—being only two different effects of a common cause, the ocean-waves impinging obliquely upon the coast—can be best treated when combined. They argued that neither the erosion by waves with a crest parallel to the shore-line nor a coastal current in itself could cause considerable changes, and that their combined work, like “a combination of an excavator and a conveyor,” leads to the depletion of one coastal section and the building up of another.
Preparation Of Compounds With The Tetrahedral Structure Which Transmit In The Far Infrared

Abstract : A number of chalcogenides and phosphides crystallize with the tetrahedral structure in which the cations and anions are in tetrahedral positions. The II-VI compounds such as ZnS, ZnSe, Cds and CdSe are known to transmit in the far infrared. However, they are soft and decompose in air at relatively low temperatures. Efforts have been made at Brown University to improve the properties of these compounds, either by alloying them with III-V semiconductors, or by substituting transition metals such as nickel for the divalent specie.
Erdős-Zaks all divisor sets

Let ℤn be the finite cyclic group of order n and S ⊆ ℤn. We examine the factorization properties of the Block Monoid B(ℤn, S) when S is constructed using a method inspired by a 1990 paper of Erdős and Zaks. For such a set S, we develop an algorithm in Section 2 to produce and order a set {Mi}i=1n−1 which contains all the non-primary irreducible Blocks (or atoms) of B(ℤn, S). This construction yields a weakly half-factorial Block Monoid (see [9]). After developing some basic properties of the set {Mi}i=1n−1, we examine in Section 3 the connection between these irreducible blocks and the Erdős-Zaks notion of “splittable sets.” In particular, the Erdős-Zaks notion of “irreducible” does not match the classic notion of “irreducible” for the commutative cancellative monoids B(ℤn, S). We close in Sections 4 and 5 with a detailed discussion of the special properties of the blocks M1 with an emphasis on the case where the exponents of M1 take on extreme values. The work of Section 5 allows us to offer alternate arguments for two of the main results of the original paper by Erdős and Zaks.
Satellite-Derived Sea Surface Temperatures: Evaluation of GOES-8 and GOES-9 Multispectral Imager Retrieval Accuracy

Abstract Sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval accuracy from the multispectral imager on the new generation of GOES satellites is analyzed. Equations for two and three infrared channels are empirically derived using cloud-free satellite radiances matched to buoy SST measurements obtained in 1995 and 1996. Both GOES-8 and GOES-9 demonstrate the capability to retrieve sea surface temperature at better than 1-K root-mean-square difference (rmsd) with negligible bias relative to buoy SST measurements. GOES-8 rmsd errors are found to be 0.79 K (day) and 0.81 K (night). GOES-9 rmsd errors are 0.65 K (day) and 0.59 K (night). The GOES-9 results are relatively comparable to those currently achieved operationally from the NOAA polar-orbiting satellite Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer sensor. Investigation revealed that GOES imager multiple detector scan striping impacted SST accuracy, requiring sample array averaging for best results.
A decision-level fusion scheme using the support vector data description for target detection in hyperspectral imagery

Spectral variability remains a challenging problem for target detection in hyperspectral (HS) imagery. In previous work, we developed a target detection scheme using the kernel-based support vector data description (SVDD). We constructed a first-order Markov-based Gaussian model to generate samples to describe the spectral variability of the target class. However, the Gaussian-generated samples also require selection of the variance parameter σ 2 that dictates the level of variability in the generated target class signatures. In this work, we have investigated the use of decision-level fusion techniques for alleviating the problem of choosing a proper value of σ 2 . We have trained a collection of SVDDs with unique variance parameters σ 2 for each of the target training sets and have investigated their combination using the traditional AND, OR, and majority vote (MV) decision-level rules. We have inserted target signatures into an urban HS scene with differing levels of spectral variability to explore the performance of the proposed scheme in these scenarios. Experiments show that the MV fusion rule is the best choice, providing relatively low false positive rates (FPR) while yielding high true positive rates (TPR). Detection results show that the proposed SVDD-based decision-level scheme using the MV fusion rule is highly accurate and yields higher true positive rates (TPR) and lower false positive rates (FPR) than the adaptive matched filter (AMF).
Two-point binding in podand acetals favors enantioselective complexation.

Abstract Judicious substitution of methylene by oxygen or sulfur in podand 1 gives new ionophores 4 and 5 which selectively bind α-amino acid esters of the L configuration and amides of the D configuration.
Does Relative Deprivation Matter in Developing Countries: Evidence from Six Transition Economies

Existing evidence on whether relative status is an important determinant of well-being has two key features: it is mainly derived from high income countries, and it relies on relative deprivation measures constructed by the researchers, rather than being reported by the respondents. The need to construct relative deprivation measures imposes strong assumptions with respect to obvervability of relative deprivation. This paper adds evidence on the importance of social comparisons based on self-reported relative status assessments, which obviates the need to impose observability assumptions. The underlying survey data has the added benefit of coming from six transition economies at different levels of economic development, making it possible to explore the role of social comparisons at low income levels. Interviewer’s observations of the household’s relative deprivation are also employed to address the endogeneity concerns associated with using self-reported relative status measures. The results suggest that relative deprivation is indeed a welfare-relevant concern, even in the poorest countries in Eastern Europe. Among multiple reference groups available in the data, local social comparisons appear to be most salient.
The cortical granule serine protease CGSP1 of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, is autocatalytic and contains a low-density lipoprotein receptor-like domain.

Trypsin-like activity is secreted from eggs of many species at fertilization, and this activity is believed to be critical for the block to polyspermy. Here we show that a cortical granule serine protease of sea urchins is the major and perhaps only protease family member important for fertilization. Zymography assays suggest that the cortical granules contain a single serine protease that can undergo autocatalysis and is secreted upon egg activation. We used this finding to identify a cDNA clone from a Strongylocentrotus purpuratus ovary cDNA library that encodes a 581-amino-acid-residue protein that we refer to as cortical granule serine protease 1 (CGSP1). The catalytic domain of the protein contains the essential residues of the catalytic triad characteristic of a member of the trypsin-like family of serine proteases and the N-terminus of CGSP1 resembles the ligand-binding domain of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. Antibodies raised separately to both the protease and LDL receptor-like domains each localize to the cortical granules of unfertilized eggs. Furthermore, the full-length form of CGSP1, as well as intermediate and active forms of the protease, is detected in cortical granules by immunoblot analysis. Our evidence suggests that CGSP1 is activated at fertilization and is responsible for the protease-mediated reactions that follow cortical granule exocytosis and contribute to the block to polyspermy.
ArCo: An architecture for children to control a set of robots

This article presents ArCo which is an architecture for managing a digital environment in a context of ambient intelligence. ArCo can integrate all kinds of objects and is totally configurable. Moreover it proposes a visual programming interface, AmbiProg, which allows controlling each digital object which composes an environment. The objective of this paper is to appraise AmbiProg. An experiment was realized with 16 children around 10 years old. They were asked to realize exercises in a limited period of time. The objective was to determine if programming was easy and how many times they needed to learn scenarios creation. It appeared that they succeed tasks and were able to use AmbiProg. Programming an environment was easy as pie.
Laser stimulated desorption from noble metal surfaces reacted with chlorine

Abstract The reaction behavior of Cu, Ag and Au exposed to Cl 2 and the laser stimulated desorption (chemical etching) of the chlorinated surfaces have been studied. The desorption yields and the mass and velocity distributions of desorbed particles due to irradiation by visible and ultraviolet laser pulses are determined by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The study reveals desorption mass distributions very different from the thermal process and the desorbed atomic and molecular species possessing very high kinetic energies. The possible electronic excitation mechanisms are discussed.
Law School Accreditation Standards and the Structure of American Legal Education

In the past 50 years, eligibility for admission to the bar has come to depend increasingly on the accreditation status of the law school attended. The author traces the history of the American Bar Association's law school accrediting standards and their impact on part-time and proprietary law schools, presents the results of a study of the ABA standard prohibiting the accreditation of proprietary law schools, and discusses ramifications for legal education and the legal profession.
THE DUAL COALGEBRA OF CERTAIN INFINITE-DIMENSIONAL LIE ALGEBRAS

ABSTRACT Using translates, a characterization for the dual coalgebra of any Lie algebra is given. This characterization is analogous to the well known characterization for the dual coalgebra of any associative algebra. For any commutative, associative algebra and finite set of commuting derivations of satisfying a certain additional hypothesis, the structure of the dual coalgebra of the Lie subalgebra of is determined. This generalizes a result Nichols[1] proved for the case . As an application, the family of dual coalgebras which corresponds to the family of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras of derivations of polynomials in several indeterminates is then given.
Readsorption Processes in a Sorption Bed Heat Exchanger During Pressurization and Depressurization

Readsorption occurs inside a sorbent-bed heat exchanger during the pressurization and depressurization processes, causing the adsorbate to be relocated from one end of the sorption bed heat exchanger to the other. In this paper, the readsorption processes are quantitatively determined for both the pressurization and depressurization processes in a sorbent-bed heat exchanger with a uniform initial temperature, loading, and pressure. Also, the readsorption that occurs during a typical operation of a two-bed sorption heat pump is quantified. The results show that the readsorption can cause as much as 30 percent of the ammonia in a sorbent-bed heat exchanger to be reallocated.
Neuroprotective effects of nicotinamide after experimental spinal cord injury.

Objective: To investigate the ability of nicotinamide to protect against secondary damage in spinal cord tissue after an experimental injury. Trauma to the spinal cord induces a cascade of cellular events that lead to progressive tissue injury over time. Nicotinamide has been shown to affect many elements of this cascade, including excitatory amino acid release, inflammation, apoptosis, and cellular energy balance. Methods: Male Long‐Evans (n = 12) rats received an excitotoxic spinal cord injury by intraspinal injection of quisqualic acid (QUIS), a glutamate receptor agonist. A second set of rats (n = 4) received intraspinal saline as a sham injury. Thirty minutes after injury, animals that had QUIS injections received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline (control, n = 4) or nicotinamide (500 mg/kg, n = 8). Seven days postinjury, the spinal cords were removed, and serial sections were cut, mounted on slides, and stained. By using light microscopy, the extent of tissue damage was assessed at the epicenter of injury as well as sections up to 450-mm rostral and 450-mm caudal to the epicenter. Results: Only those animals receiving QUIS injections showed damaged tissue. There was no significant difference in the amount of damage at the epicenter of injury between the saline- and nicotinamide-treated animals. However, when comparing the total amounts of damage over the 975-mm length of cord examined, the rostro-caudal extent of injury was significantly reduced in the nicotinamide-treated animals compared with the saline-treated animals. Conclusions: Systemic nicotinamide serves to limit the rostro-caudal extent of cell death after experimental spinal cord injury. Key words: neurotrauma; neuroprotection; excitotoxicity; vitamin B3. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2004; 11:125‐130.
Analytical and preparative isotachophoresis of histoplasmin purified derivative components.

Abstract Skin test-active components of histoplasmin have been difficult to purify in quantity in the past. Analytical isotachophoresis in polyacrylamide gels was used to develop a high resolution system to separate the components of histo-plasmin. The analytical system was then expanded to preparative-scale isolation of the skin test-active components of histoplasmin.
A formulation and a numerical scheme for fractional optimal control problems

Abstract This paper presents a general formulation and a general numerical scheme for a class of Fractional Optimal Control Problems (FOCPs). The fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense. The performance index of a FOCP is considered as a function of both the state and the control variables, and the dynamic constraints are expressed by a set of Fractional Differential Equations (FDEs). The Calculus of Variations, the Lagrange multiplier, and the formula for fractional integration by parts are used to obtain Euler-Lagrange equations for the FOCP. The formulation presented and the resulting equations are very similar to those that appear in the classical optimal control theory. Thus, the present formulation essentially extends the classical control theory to fractional dynamic systems. The formulation is used to derive the control equations for a quadratic linear fractional control problem. An iterative numerical scheme is presented to find the approximate numerical solution of the resulting equations. For a linear system, this method results into a set of linear simultaneous equations, which can be solved directly. Numerical results for a FOCP are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. It is shown that the solutions converge as the number of grid points increases, and the solutions approach to classical solutions as the order of the fractional derivatives approach to 1. The formulation presented is simple and can be extended to other FOCPs.
Space group theory and Fourier space analysis of two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides

The symmetry, Fourier space and space group properties of two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides are discussed. The modes of the standard single missing line defect waveguide can be classified as even or odd along the transverse direction. This is contrasted with the modes of line defect waveguides with a glide plane along the propagation direction. In this case the spatial Fourier series components of a single mode alternate between even and odd. The theory of symmorphic and nonsymmorphic space groups is used to classify the modes of these two waveguides, and the pairwise degeneracy at the Brillouin zone boundary is predicted for the waveguide with a glide-plane. Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain numerical calculations are used to illustrate the investigated symmetry properties.
An architecture for developing attentive information systems

Attentive systems attend to what users do so that they can attend to what users need. Such systems track user behavior, model user interests, and anticipate user desires and actions. Because the general class of attentive systems is broad — ranging from human butlers to web sites that profile users — we have focused specifically on attentive information systems, which observe user actions with information resources, model user information states, and suggest information that might be helpful to users. In particular, we describe Simple User Interest Tracker (Suitor), an architecture for developing attentive information systems that track computer users through multiple channels — eye gaze, web browsing, application use, to determine interests and to try to satisfy information needs. By observing behavior and modeling users, Suitor can be used to find and display potentially relevant information that is both timely and non-disruptive to the user's ongoing activities.
Cardiovascular and respiratory responses associated with limb autotomy in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

Cardiovascular and respiratory variables were recorded in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, during injury and subsequent autotomy of a chela. Cardiac function and haemolymph flow rates were measured using a pulsed-Doppler flowmeter. Oxygen uptake was recorded using an intermittent flow respirometry system. Crabs reacted to the loss of a chela with a rapid increase in heart rate, which was sustained for 2 h. Stroke volume of the heart also increased after the chela was autotomized. A combined increase in heart rate and stroke volume led to an increase in cardiac output, which was maintained for an hour after the loss of a chela. There was also differential haemolymph perfusion of various structures. There was no change in perfusion of the anterolateral arteries or posterior and anterior aortae, during injury of the chela or subsequent autotomy. Haemolymph flow rates did increase significantly through the sternal artery during injury and immediately following autotomy of the chela. This was at the expense...
Cardiac nociceptive reflexes after transmyocardial laser revascularization: Implications for the neural hypothesis of angina relief

Objective: The mechanism by which transmyocardial laser revascularization relieves angina is not understood. One theory is that laser-induced thermal damage to cardiac nerves results in cardiac denervation. This study examined the acute effects of transmyocardial laser revascularization on reflex responses mediated by cardiac nociceptors, the left ventricular receptors with sympathetic afferent fibers that are thought to mediate anginal chest pain. Methods: Experiments were performed in 13 chloralose-anesthetized dogs with sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy. Left ventricular receptors with sympathetic afferent fibers were activated by epicardial and intracoronary bradykinin before and 45 minutes after transmyocardial laser revascularization. Reflex responses elicited by bradykinin were quantitated by direct recording of efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity. Transmyocardial laser revascularization was performed in the open-chest model with a hand-held holmium:YAG laser (2.1-μm wavelength). Results: An average of 44.5 ± 1.0 channels were created. Before transmyocardial laser revascularization, reflex increases in renal sympathetic nerve activity were elicited by both epicardial and intracoronary bradykinin. After transmyocardial laser revascularization, there was no significant attenuation in the reflex responses to either epicardial (before, 66% ± 8%; after, 100% ± 24%; P =.19) or intracoronary (before, 124% ± 37%; after, 108% ± 25%; P =.44) bradykinin. Conclusions: Transmyocardial laser revascularization has no significant short-term effect on reflexes mediated by left ventricular receptors with sympathetic afferent fibers in anesthetized dogs. These results indicate that transmyocardial laser revascularization does not acutely interrupt the afferent nerves, which are believed to transmit the perception of anginal pain.
A mechanism and its metaphysics: An evolutionary account of the social and conceptual development of science

The claim that conceptual systems change is a platitude. That our conceptual systems are theory-laden is no less platitudinous. Given evolutionary theory, biologists are led to divide up the living world into genes, organisms, species, etc. in a particular way. No theory-neutral individuation of individuals or partitioning of these individuals into natural kinds is possible. Parallel observations should hold for philosophical theories about scientific theories. In this paper I summarize a theory of scientific change which I set out in considerable detail in a book that I shall publish in the near future. Just as few scientists were willing to entertain the view that species evolve in the absence of a mechanism capable of explaining this change, so philosophers should be just as reticent about accepting a parallel view of conceptual systems in science “evolving” in the absence of a mechanism to explain this evolution. In this paper I set out such a mechanism. One reason that this task has seemed so formidable in the past is that we have all construed conceptual systems inappropriately. If we are to understand the evolution of conceptual systems in science, we must interpret them as forming lineages related by descent. In my theory, the notion of a “family resemblance” is taken literally, not metaphorically. In my book, I set out data to show that the mechanism which I propose is actually operative. In this paper, such data is assumed.
The correlation between packing efficiency and tensile properties for polymer composites in SMC formulation

For polymer composites that find application as sheet-molding compounds (SMCs), the fiber aspect ratio l/d and the size ratio R (the ratio of the diameter of the spherical filler and the diameter of the fiber) are important parameters. A study of various composite formulations of different combinations of l/d and R has been made to examine the correlation between the packing efficiency of these fibers and fillers in air, and the properties of resulting composites. Samples containing a total of 32 wt% fibers and spherical fillers (in 1:3 proportion) were tested. The tensile modulus was seen to represent behavior similar to packing efficiency. Sources of experimental errors are discussed.
Explanations of mixed-sex partnered homicide: A review of sociological and psychological theory

Offending by mixed-sex partnered offenders (i.e., at least one man and one woman), no less than offending solely by men, requires explanation. This article begins with an overview of homicide committed by mixed-sex partnered offenders, followed by a brief discussion of sociological theories and then focuses primarily on psychological theories (including transient criminality and stimulation-seeking behavior, hybristophilia and opponent process, folie a deux, obedience and authority) in order to address gaps in our understanding of mixed-sex partnered homicide offending. These theories may help us better comprehend the dynamics between mixed-sex partnered homicide offenders at a sociological and psychological level.
Building Multidisciplinary Business Teams

This paper describes an approach to managing oil and gas industry E and P assets through the operation of multidisciplinary business teams (MBT's). This approach can result in improved asset performance in terms of efficiency, motivation, and business results compared with more traditional matrix-style hierarchies. This paper also outlines certain critical success factors for the long-term success of MBT's and discusses some of the risks of MBT operation.
Raman Scattering From Collective And Localized Excitations In Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors

Raman spectroscopy provides powerful insights into the novel physical properties of the tetrahedrally coordinated diluted magnetic semiconductors, the II-VI semiconductors with group II ions randomly replaced with transition metal ions like Mn2+, Co2+ or Fe2+. The technique is equally fruitful in the context of the special issues which arise in epilayers and superlattices of these semiconductors.
Acceleration of spiking neural networks in emerging multi-core and GPU architectures

Recently, there has been strong interest in large-scale simulations of biological spiking neural networks (SNN) to model the human brain mechanisms and capture its inference capabilities. Among various spiking neuron models, the Hodgkin-Huxley model is the oldest and most compute intensive, whereas the more recent Izhikevich model is very compute efficient. Some of the recent multi-core processors and accelerators including Graphical Processing Units, IBM's Cell Broadband Engine, AMD Opteron, and Intel Xeon can take advantage of task and thread level parallelism, making them good candidates for large-scale SNN simulations. In this paper we implement and analyze two character recognition networks based on these spiking neuron models. We investigate the performance improvement and optimization techniques for SNNs on these accelerators over an equivalent software implementation on a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad. We report significant speedups of the two SNNs on these architectures. It has been observed that given proper application of optimization techniques, the commodity X86 processors are viable options for those applications that require a nominal amount of flops/byte. But for applications with a significant number of flops/byte, specialized architectures such as GPUs and cell processors can provide better performance. Our results show that a proper match of architecture with algorithm complexity provides the best performance.
Switching adaptive filter structures for improved performance

By switching between adaptive filter algorithms/structures one can have an adaptive filter system that produces fast convergence and low mean square error (MSE). An adaptive filter algorithm/structure for which convergence is not affected by the eigenvalue ratio of the input is used to produce fast convergence, while an adaptive filter that yields low MSE, low computational load, and good numerical stability is used otherwise. Switching is done when the fast convergence structure has converged, as defined by the average squared error being small and approximately constant for several iterations. By applying a computationally reduced order technique, one can also reduce the computational load and force the switching structure to reach the steady state faster. >
Thermodynamics from the Sun

Although the gas in the solar interior is only weakly coupled and weakly degenerate, the great observational accuracy of the helioseismic measurements puts strong constraints on the nonideal part of the equation of state.
Estimation algorithm for stochastic linear hybrid systems with quadratic guard conditions

The hybrid estimation problem involves computation of both the continuous state and the discrete state estimates of a hybrid system from the measurements. In our earlier work, we have developed an algorithm, called the State-Dependent-Transition Hybrid Estimation (STDHE) algorithm which treats the discrete-state transitions to be dependent on the continuous state and governed by guard conditions in the linear form. This paper presents a hybrid estimation algorithm for the hybrid system whose guard conditions are in the quadratic form. The algorithm finds its applications in many areas such as Air Traffic Control (ATC), unmanned aerial vehicles coordination and control, and robot control. Simulation results show that our algorithm gives high estimation accuracy similar to that given by the Monte Carlo integration-based estimation algorithm while it is much more computationally efficient than the sample-based algorithms.
Narrowband interference mitigation in BICM OFDM systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is noted for its resistance to narrowband interference when equipped with forward error correction. This technique along with erasure insertion is adequate when the the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) is moderate, around 0 dB, however, when the interference is severe, i.e. SIR = −20 dB, a non-orthogonal interference corrupts a large number of the data subcarriers due to spectral leakage. This situation requires a large number of erasures that compromise the code's error correction capability. The prediction-error filter (PEF) is proposed as an erasure insertion mechanism that localizes the erasures to the tones surrounding the interference, while not affecting the remaining tones. The simulation results indicate excellent performance, for the bit-interleaved coded modulated (BICM) OFDM system using the PEF and BPSK modulation when the SIR = −20 dB in a frequency-selective fading channel.
Steady simple shear flow past a circular cylinder at moderate Reynolds numbers: a numerical solution

The two-dimensional steady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid past a circular cylinder, placed symmetrically in a simple shear field, has been studied for both the stationary and the freely rotating case by solving numerically the Navier-Stokes equations for values of the Reynolds number R in the range from 0.047 to 70. At R = 0.047, the results obtained are in substantial agreement with the analytic small-R perturbation solution given by Robertson and Acrivos (1970). Inertia effects were found, however, to play a significant role even at R = 1, and hence the calculated flow pattern for R greater than or equal to 1 differs significantly from that of the creeping-flow solution. Specifically, for the freely rotating case, the region of closed streamlines decreases rapidly in extent with increasing R, two symmetrically placed wakes are formed on either side of the cylinder, and the dimensionless rotational speed of the freely suspended cylinder decreases as the reciprocal of the square root of R.
A combination of bortezomib and rituximab yields a dramatic response in a woman with highly refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura: a case report

Chronic refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura can be a challenging condition to treat. By definition, the standard first and second line treatments have failed in these patients and modalities such as thrombopoiesis-stimulating agents and more intensive immunosuppressive drugs are therefore used. However, there still remains a subset of patients who continue to be refractory to treatment. We present the case of a 30-year-old Hispanic woman with recurrent intracranial bleeds, in whom multiple lines of treatment had failed. She was treated with a combination of bortezomib and rituximab based on previously published data that suggested this therapy effectively blocks all antibody-producing cells. Our patient’s platelet counts rapidly improved and subsequently normalized following this treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this case represents the first report of the effective use of bortezomib and rituximab in highly refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura. We believe further study of this therapy is warranted in this setting.
An antenna array for the detection of objects buried in various soil media

In this paper the ground penetrating radar is modified such that the effect of the ground bounce and the antenna coupling is minimized. This is done through the use of two transmitter antennas instead of one. The will totally reduce the antenna coupling effects, but the ground bounce is to some extent dependant of the surface roughness of the ground. In this research the ground has been assumed to have a planar surface. The effect of the dielectric constant of the ground on the system is also studied.
A Meta-Analysis of the Relation of Parental Involvement to Urban Elementary School Student Academic Achievement

This meta-analysis of 41 studies examines the relationship between parental involvement and the academic achievement of urban elementary school children. Analyses determined the effect sizes for parental involvement overall and subcategories of involvement. Results indicate a significant relationship between parental involvement overall and academic achievement. Parental involvement, as a whole, was associated with all the academic variables by about 0.7 to 0.75 of a standard deviation unit. This relationship held for White and minority children and also for boys and girls. The significance of these results is discussed.
Institutional Characteristics Associated with Receipt of Emergency Care for Obstructive Pyelonephritis at Community Hospitals

Purpose: Delivering the recommended care is an important quality measure that has been insufficiently studied in urology. Obstructive pyelonephritis is a suitable case study for this focus because many patients do not receive such care, although guidelines advocate decompression. We determined the influence of hospital factors, particularly familiarity with urolithiasis, on the likelihood of decompression in such patients.Materials and Methods: We used the NIS from 2002 to 2011 to retrospectively identify patients admitted to community hospitals with severe infection and ureteral calculi. Hospital familiarity with nephrolithiasis was estimated by calculating hospital stone volume (divided into quartiles) and hospital treatment intensity (the decompression rate in patients with ureteral calculi and no infection). After calculating national estimates we performed logistic regression to determine the association between the receipt of decompression and hospital stone volume, controlling for treatment intensi...
Molecular aspects of early stages of breast cancer progression

It is clear that breast cancer progression is associated with inactivation of a number of different recessive oncogenes. The most widely evaluated tumor suppressor gene, p53, is mutated in approximately 30-50% of sporadic breast cancers. Mutations usually occur early in malignant progression. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) studies have identified numerous chromosomal regions where other recessive oncogenes relevant to breast cancer may be located. Each LOH is seen in a varying proportion of breast cancers and may appear either early or late in progression. High-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive carcinoma have similar genetic lesions, showing that aberrations can occur before invasive disease. Direct evidence that the same aberrations can be acquired later in progression comes from a study of multiple metastases from the same patient; other studies found that primary invasive cancers are characterized by marked intratumor heterogeneity for each lesion examined. The model we propose to account for these results hypothesizes that multiple genetic lesions can accomplish each phenotype required for malignancy (i.e., dysregulated proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, etc.) and that, for a given tumor, at least one aberrant gene for each phenotypic change is stochastically selected. Biological heterogeneity of breast cancer results from the stochastic acquisition of various genetic aberrations. We further propose that the lymphocytic reaction in high-grade DCIS may select for aggressive tumor subpopulations capable of escaping immune surveillance. Another aspect of tumor heterogeneity may be the multiple mechanisms employed by various tumors to escape immune surveillance.
Isolated right hepatic vein obstruction after piggyback liver transplantation

The "piggyback" technique for liver transplantation has gained worldwide acceptance. Still, complications such as outflow obstruction have been observed, usually attributable to technical errors such as small-caliber anastomosis of the suprahepatic vena cava, twisting, or kinking. Iatrogenic Budd-Chiari syndrome after piggyback liver transplantation has been reported as a consequence of obstruction involving the entire anastomosis (usually the 3 hepatic veins). Here we describe technical issues, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of 3 cases in which outflow obstruction affected only the right hepatic vein. In conclusion, all 3 patients developed recurrent ascites requiring angioplasty and/or stent placement across the right hepatic vein to alleviate the symptoms.
Towards a Weberian management theory: lessons from Lowell Bennion’s neglected masterwork

Reviews the roots of management theory, and discusses how, in the early part of this century, an overlooked, different interpretation of Max Weber’s work could have affected those roots. Examines Lowell L. Bennion’s dissertation, Max Weber’s Methodology, published in 1933, which is the first book‐length interpretation in the English language of Weber’s sociological thought. Maintains that this interpretation of Weber is central to the argument that the greater contribution of Weber to management theory lies in the central role of power and conflict in relationships, and the important question of “Why do people obey?”. Concludes that this view of Weber prompts a rich array of research questions confirming the importance of Weber’s thinking for management scholars today, and demonstrates the relevance of Weber far beyond his contribution of bureaucracy as an efficient organizational form.
Performance Analysis of Generalized Zero-Padded Blind Channel Estimation Algorithms

In this letter, we analyze the performance of a recently reported generalized blind channel estimation algorithm. The algorithm has a parameter called repetition index, and it reduces to two previously reported special cases when the repetition index is chosen as unity and as the size of received blocks, respectively. The theoretical performance of the generalized algorithm is derived in high-SNR region for any given repetition index. A recently derived Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) is reviewed and used as a benchmark for the performance of the generalized algorithm. Both theory and simulation results suggest that the performance of the generalized algorithm is usually closer to the CRB when the repetition index is larger, but the performance does not achieve the CRB for any repetition index.
Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) modulates the toxicity of mixed organophosphorus compounds.

A transgenic mouse model of the human hPON1Q192R polymorphism was used to address the role of paraoxonase (PON1) in modulating toxicity associated with exposure to mixtures of organophosphorus (OP) compounds. Chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO), diazoxon (DZO), and paraoxon (PO) are potent inhibitors of carboxylesterases (CaE). We hypothesized that a prior exposure to these OPs would increase sensitivity to malaoxon (MO), a CaE substrate, and the degree of the effect would vary among PON1 genotypes if the OP was a physiologically significant PON1 substrate in vivo. CPO and DZO are detoxified by PON1. For CPO hydrolysis, hPON1R192 has a higher catalytic efficiency than hPON1Q192. For DZO hydrolysis, the two alloforms have nearly equal catalytic efficiencies. For PO hydrolysis, the catalytic efficiency of PON1 is too low to be physiologically relevant. When wild-type mice were exposed dermally to CPO, DZO, or PO followed 4-h later by increasing doses of MO, toxicity was increased compared to mice receiving MO alone, presumably due to CaE inhibition. Potentiation of MO toxicity by CPO and DZO was greater in PON1−/− mice, which have greatly reduced capacity to detoxify CPO or DZO. Potentiation by CPO was more pronounced in hPON1Q192 mice than in hPON1R192 mice due to the decreased efficiency of hPON1Q192 for detoxifying CPO. Potentiation by DZO was similar in hPON1Q192 and hPON1R192 mice, which are equally efficient at hydrolyzing DZO. Potentiation by PO was equivalent among all four genotypes. These results indicate that PON1 status can have a major influence on CaE-mediated detoxication of OP compounds.
The absolute beginner's guide to JUnit in the classroom (abstract only)

Software testing has become popular in introductory courses, but many educators are unfamiliar with how to write software tests or how they might be used in the classroom. This workshop provides a practical introduction to JUnit for educators. JUnit is the Java testing framework that is most commonly used in the classroom. Participants will learn how to write and run JUnit test cases; how-to's for common classroom uses (as a behavioral addition to an assignment specification, as part of manual grading, as part of automated grading, as a student-written activity, etc.); and common solutions to tricky classroom problems (testing standard input/output, randomness, main programs, assignments with lots of design freedom, assertions, and code that calls exit()). Laptop recommended.
An efficient index structure for shift and scale invariant search of mufti-attribute time sequences

We consider the problem of shift and scale invariant search for multi-attribute time sequences. Our work fills a void in the existing literature for time sequence similarity since the existing techniques do not consider the general symmetric formulation of the problem. We define a new distance function for mufti-attribute time sequences that is symmetric: the distance between two time sequences is defined to be the smallest Euclidean distance after scaling and shifting either one of the sequences to be as close to the other. We define two models for comparing mufti-attribute time sequences: in the first model, the scaling and shifting of the component sequences are dependent, and in the second model they are independent. We propose a novel index structure called CS-Index (cone slice) for shift and scale invariant comparison of time sequences.