cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depth determination from defocused images using neural networks

Determination of the depth of objects in a scene is based on interpretation of the visual cues that tell us how near or far away the objects are. Such cues can be binocular or monocular. Most existing algorithms are based on binocular cues and use a pair of stereo images of the scene to compute a depth map from the disparity between corresponding points in the two images, the geometry of the imaging system, and camera parameters. To solve the correspondence problem, certain simplifying assumptions are usually made. Here we propose a method based on the fact that the brain computes the approximate distance of an object from the viewer from the amount of defocus of its image on the retina. Given two images of a scene taken with different focal settings, we model one of the images as the convolution of a blur function with the other image and use the DFT of the two images to obtain an estimate of the blur at each pixel. A multilayer perceptron using backpropagation learning is used to infer the complex relationship between blur and depth, which also involves the imaging system parameters. Blur functions obtained from a set of images with objects at known depths are used to train the neural network. This approach avoids both the correspondence and camera calibration problems.
Bridging the gap in colonoscopy with optical and engineering solutions

Colonoscopy is the preferred procedure for the detection, biopsy and removal of neoplastic lesions of the colon. It is estimated that about 14 million colonoscopies will have been performed in the US in 2014. The number of patients undergoing colonoscopy worldwide is also increasing, however, the procedure is far from perfect and recent studies have questioned its impact on colon cancer prevention, particularly in the proximal colon. Whereas standard endoscopes are designed to provide a view of a cylindrical lumen, the colon is not a simple hollow tube, but a tortuous organ with many folds that can prevent polyps from being seen. Poor color contrast of some flat lesions also make detection more difficult. A number of techniques have been developed to increase the surface area of the colon viewed, from accessories that can be used with existing colonoscopes to new endoscopy systems. Methods to improve lesion contrast are also being developed. The ideal device should not only maximize the surface of the colon viewed and improve lesion contrast to aid detection, but should do so inexpensively and without increasing the complexity and duration of the procedure. Healthcare reform will soon require endoscopists to report the quality of their procedures, as measured by individual rates of adenoma detection. Therefor the need to develop new devices that improve lesion detection is profound, but for any product to be clinically assimilated, it needs to be easy to use and affordable.
Demographic viability of populations of Silene regia in midwestern prairies: relationships with fire management, genetic variation, geographic location, population size and isolation

1 We studied the demographic viability of populations of a long-lived iteroparous prairie perennial, Silene regia, in relation to management regimes, population sizes, geographical region (Ohio and Indiana vs. Missouri and Arkansas), degree of isolation and amount of genetic variation. Demographic data were collected from 16 populations for up to 7 years. 2 This species has high survivorship, slow growth, frequent flowering and episodic seedling recruitment. Matrix projection methods were used to summarize population performance with and without recruitment. Median finite rates of increase by population varied from 0.57 to 1.82 and from 0.44 to 0.99, respectively. 3 Populations with the highest rates of increase had been burned. Six of eight populations, for which stochastic modelling predicted persistence for 1000 years, included fire in their management. None of the five populations with predicted 100-year extinction probabilities of 100% was managed for conservation or burned. An intermediate group of three populations with at least 10% probability of extinction between 100 and 1000 years was not managed, but was none the less kept open by mowing and herbicide application. 4 Analysis of composite elasticities showed that growth and fecundity terms were higher for growing (vs. declining) populations and that growth elasticity was higher in burned than unburned populations. Lack of burning shifts the elasticity spectrum from that typical of open habitat herbs (higher growth and fecundity elasticities) to values usually found for closed habitat herbs (higher survival elasticities). 5 In multivariate analyses predicting finite rates of increase (with and without recruitment), fire management and region were the strongest predictors, followed by genetic variation, population size, isolation and interactions of population size and fire, and region and fire. Populations with the highest rates of increase were burned, eastern, more genetically diverse, larger and less isolated. Discrimination of populations with different extinction risks (three classes) was related mainly to fire, genetic variation and region. 6 Most of these conclusions support conservation biology predictions that population viability will be highest in larger, less-isolated, more genetically diverse populations. However, management and geographic trends have overriding roles affecting demographic viability. Habitat fragmentation and genetic depletion have the potential to threaten residual prairie populations of S. regia, but lack of fire management appears to be the primary short-term threat.
Uranium induces oxidative stress in lung epithelial cells

Uranium compounds are widely used in the nuclear fuel cycle, antitank weapons, tank armor, and also as a pigment to color ceramics and glass. Effective management of waste uranium compounds is necessary to prevent exposure to avoid adverse health effects on the population. Health risks associated with uranium exposure includes kidney disease and respiratory disorders. In addition, several published results have shown uranium or depleted uranium causes DNA damage, mutagenicity, cancer and neurological defects. In the current study, uranium toxicity was evaluated in rat lung epithelial cells. The study shows uranium induces significant oxidative stress in rat lung epithelial cells followed by concomitant decrease in the antioxidant potential of the cells. Treatment with uranium to rat lung epithelial cells also decreased cell proliferation after 72 h in culture. The decrease in cell proliferation was attributed to loss of total glutathione and superoxide dismutase in the presence of uranium. Thus the results indicate the ineffectiveness of antioxidant system’s response to the oxidative stress induced by uranium in the cells.
Script Independent Word Spotting in Offline Handwritten Documents Based on Hidden Markov Models

Keyword spotting aims to retrieve all instances of a given keyword from a document in any language. In this paper, we propose a novel script independent line based word spotting framework for offline handwritten documents based on Hidden Markov Models. The methodology simulates the keywords in model space as a sequence of character models and uses the filler models for better representation of background or non-keyword text. We propose a two stage spotting framework where the candidate keywords are further pruned using the character based background and lexicon based background model. The system deals with large vocabulary without the need for word or character segmentation. The system has been evaluated on many public dataset from several languages such as IAM for English, AMA for Arabic and LAW for Devanagari. The system outperforms the modern line based approach on the English, Arabic and Devanagari Datasets.
Sex Differences in Mathematics Components of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills

The Mathematics Problem Solving (MRS) and Mathematics Concepts (MC) subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were investigated for content and psychometric item bias at grades 3, 6, and 8. A small proportion of items were identified in each subtest which significantly favored either males or females. No skill classification, item content or location trends could be found for the mathematics subtests at each grade level. Across the grade levels, items in the MC subtest favored males for grades 3 and 6, but females were favored at grade 8. The procedure used in the study is generalizable to other groups (minority or grade levels). Test consumers have the right to know whether the test they use is fair for selected groups of students. Results from empirical investigations should appear in the Test Manual that accompanies the test battery.
A simplified optimal algorithm for constructing the convex hull of a simple polygon

Given a simple polygon P (a polygon without self-intersections) in the plane represented by a list of vertices in the order that they appear on P, finding the convex hull of P requires Ω(N) time, where N is the number of vertices in P. This problem will be referred to as the CHSP (convex hull of a simple polygon) problem. Several O(N)-time algorithms for the CHSP problem have been proposed [1-5]. The algorithm by Sklansky [1] was shown by Bykat [6] that it does not always work, and the algorithm proposed by Shamos in [2] also fails in some special cases. The algorithm given by McCallum and Avis in [3] uses two stacks and is quite complicated. Graham & Yao [4], and Lee [5] independently developed simpler algorithms using one stack. Their algorithms are almost the same. In this paper, we present an algorithm based on the ones given in [4] and [5]. We show that our algorithm is not only conceptually much simpler than any of previously known algorithms, but also more efficient compared with the algorithms given in [4] and [5].
Porous materials for optical detection of chemicals, biological molecules, and high-energy radiation

Porous materials offer several advantages for chemical and biomolecular sensing applications. In particular, nanoscale porous materials possess a very large reactive surface area to facilitate the capture of small molecules, and they have the capability to selectively filter out contaminant molecules by size. This paper will provide an overview of the fabrication, functionalization, and application of porous silicon thin films and waveguides, as well as porous gold templates, for the detection of small chemical and biological molecules. Issues of efficient molecule infiltration and capture inside porous materials, binding kinetics in nanoscale pores, the influence of pore size on small molecule detection sensitivity, and the new nanoscale patterning technique of Direct Imprinting of Porous Substrates (DIPS) will be addressed. Additionally, a novel application of porous silicon for detection of x-ray radiation will be introduced.
Physically-Based Model of Demand with Applications to Load Management Assessment and Load Forecasting

In the analysis of various load management scenarios, it is important to recognize the effects of the particular loads being controlled on the power system. This paper presents a physically-motivated model of the demand of a group of air conditioners as a function of the outside temperature, the average building and air conditioning system parameters, and the average thermostat setting. The model shows the payback efect and the results of changing thermostat settings and building insulation levels.
Gettin’ together a posse: The primacy of predication in ASL possessives

This article addresses the derivational relationship between attributive (nominal) and predicative (verbal) possessives marked by the poss sign in American Sign Language. Though traditionally classified as a possessive pronoun, a collection of morphological, syntactic, and semantic patterns is presented here as evidence that poss instead displays the distributional characteristics of a verbal predicate in the language. Classifying poss as a verbal predicate of possession explains its presence in predicative possessives and allows its attributive use to be derived from this underlying verbal structure as an instance of a prenominal reduced relative clause modifier. These base structures and their interaction with other components of the predicative and attributive domains explain the documented properties of attributive and predicative poss possessives, including, crucially, the sometimes divergent behaviors of these two possessive constructions.
Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

Despite recent advances, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable, and most patients eventually develop progressive disease. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) offers a potentially curative option in 10%-20% of patients with relapsed or refractory disease. We evaluated the outcome of patients undergoing allo-HSCT with reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) for relapsed and/or refractory MM at our institution. The study cohort included 51 patients with heavily pretreated, relapsed MM who underwent RIC allo-HSCT between 1996 and 2006. The median time from diagnosis to allo-HSCT was 34 months, and median follow-up in surviving patients was 27 months (range, 3-98 months). Cumulative transplantation-related mortality at 1 year was 25%. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 2 years were 19% and 32%, respectively. The incidences of grade II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease were 27% and 47%, respectively. At the time of this analysis, 12 patients (24%) were alive, 7 of whom (14%) were in remission for up to 6 years after allo-HSCT. A lower β2 microglobulin level (
Fundamental Studies of Transition Metal Sulfide Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

Abstract Hydroprocessing catalysts based upon the transition metal sulfides have been widely used for over 60 years and catalysts such as Co/Mo/Al2O3 remain the industry “workhorses” in hydroprocessing of petroleum-based feedstocks [1]. Such applications include sulfur removal (hydrodesulfurization), nitrogen removal (hydrogenitrogenation), and product quality improvement (hydrotreating, hydroconversion). Original interest (prior to World War II) in these catalysts centered on their activityin the hydrogenation of coal liquids which contain considerable amounts of sulfur, thus maintaining the transition metal in the sulfided state. It was quickly discovered that Co, Ni, Mo, and W sulfides and their mixtures were the most active and least expensive of the transition metal sulfides [2]. Later (post-World War II) their major uses shifted to hydroprocessing of sulfur- and nitrogen-containing petroleum-based feedstocks with Co- and Ni-promoted Mo and W catalysts usually supported on Al2O3. However, as petroleu...
The search for help of parents of autistic children or beware of professional “groupthink”

Abstract This is a study of ten parents of autistic children in their search for help for their children. The study points out how professionals become victims of “mind‐set and groupthink.”
Are we seeing magnetic monopole cosmic rays at E >~ 10 20 eV?

We suggest that the highest energy 10 20 eV cosmic ray primaries may be relativistic magnetic monopoles. Motivations for this hypothesis are twofold: (i) conventional primaries are problematic, while monopoles are naturally accelerated to E ~ 10 20 eV by galactic magnetic fields; (ii) the observed highest energy cosmic ray flux is just below the Parker limit for monopoles. By matching the cosmic monopole production mechanism to the observed highest energy cosmic ray flux we estimate the monopole mass to be 10 20 GeV.
A Common Situation Conducive to Bizarre Distribution Shapes

Abstract Conditions conducive to bizarre-shaped distributions are fairly common in certain areas of research where, for perfectly valid reasons, an important causal variable is left uncontrolled. Theoretical rationale and actual examples are given to show how such distributions are generated, to exemplify their shapes, and to indicate their prevalence in practice. An L-shaped type tends to occur when time scores are recorded for a task subject to infrequent but time-consuming errors; other types occur when measuring behavior influenced by social conformity, or under other circumstances. The L shape appears to be far more conducive to nonrobustness than are previously investigated shapes.
Genetic profile of cumulative mutational damage associated with early pulmonary adenocarcinoma: bronchioloalveolar carcinoma vs. stage I invasive adenocarcinoma.

To detect the possible genetic alterations characteristic of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) and to study molecular genetic factors responsible for determining the biologic aggressiveness of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, comparative analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on 9 chromosomal regions was performed in 14 BACs and in 20 stage I adenocarcinomas (AD). The most frequently affected chromosome regions in BAC were 8q and 17p. In stage I AD, more than 60% of the cases showed LOH of 1p, 3p, 5q, 7q, 17p, and 18q loci, and LOH of 1p, 3p, 7q, and 18q was observed with greater frequency than in BAC (P < 0.05). Fractional allele loss (FAL) was significantly greater in stage I AD than in BAC (P < 0.001). In cases with microdissection of multiple sites, intratumoral heterogeneity of LOH status was observed in 73% of BAC and 94% of stage I AD, and homogeneous distribution of LOH of 9p was unique to BAC. The high FAL value was associated with a poor prognosis on BAC, but this trend did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.098). In stage I AD, no correlation was found between LOH of particular chromosomal region or FAL and clinical outcome. LOH of 1 p, 3p, 7q, and 18q was associated with invasive properties of pulmonary AD and may be useful in identifying invasive adenocarcinoma when conventional histomorphological tools are not helpful.
Hedonia, eudaimonia, and well-being: an introduction

Research on well-being can be thought of as falling into two traditions. In one—the hedonistic tradition—the focus is on happiness, generally defined as the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect. In the other—the eudaimonic tradition—the focus is on living life in a full and deeply satisfying way. Recognizing that much recent research on well-being has been more closely aligned with the hedonistic tradition, this special issue presents discussions and research reviews from the eudaimonic tradition, making clear how the concept of eudaimonia adds an important perspective to our understanding of well-being.
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene mineralization and bacterial production rates of natural microbial assemblages from coastal sediments.

Abstract The nitrogenous energetic constituent, 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT), is widely reported to be resistant to bacterial mineralization (conversion to CO 2 ); however, these studies primarily involve bacterial isolates from freshwater where bacterial production is typically limited by phosphorus. This study involved six surveys of coastal waters adjacent to three biome types: temperate broadleaf, northern coniferous, and tropical. Capacity to catabolize and mineralize TNT ring carbon to CO 2 was a common feature of natural sediment assemblages from these coastal environments (ranging to 270+/−38 μg C kg −1 d −1 ). More importantly, these mineralization rates comprised a significant proportion of total heterotrophic production. The finding that most natural assemblages surveyed from these ecosystems can mineralize TNT ring carbon to CO 2 is consistent with recent reports that assemblage components can incorporate TNT ring carbon into bacterial biomass. These data counter the widely held contention that TNT is recalcitrant to bacterial catabolism of the ring carbon in natural environments.
Determination of Quercetins in Onion (Allium cepa) Using Infrared Spectroscopy

The rapid quantification of flavonoid compounds in onions by attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis was evaluated as a possible alternative to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Quercetin content in onion varieties (yellow, red, and sweet) was quantified using ATR FT-IR (4000 to 400 cm–1) spectroscopy and HPLC methods. Quercetin-3,4′-O-diglucoside (3,4′-Qdg) and quercetin-4′-O-glucoside (4′-Qmg) comprised >80% of the total flavonol content detected in the studied varieties. The quercetin compounds (3,4′-Qdg and 4′-Qmg) and total flavonol conjugates were quantified by HPLC, and results correlated closely with ATR-IR values (R > 0.95). Cross-validated (leave-one-out) partial least-squares regression (PLSR) models successfully predicted concentrations of these quercetins. The standard errors of cross-validation (SECV) of 3,4′-Qdg and 4′-Qmg, total quercetin, and total flavonol contents of onions were 20.43, 2...
MapMyTrip app for Android smart phone

The purpose of MapMyTrip Android app is to provide fun and convenient tools for travelers to create their trip journal while on-the-go. This app will save the travelers a tremendous amount of time by utilizing the all-in-one capability of smart phone technology to instantly track their trips' destinations and link the destination to photo/video clips taken in real-time. The application offers a user-friendly interface, on-line/off-line mode, local storage, cloud storage, and it can be shared on social networks.
An unusual intradural involvement secondary to Burkitt's lymphoma.

A 6-year-old boy started feeling oral pain during daily hygienic procedures and pain localised on the neck, with consequent right deviation of the head. Six months later, an ultrasound examianation of the neck was performed, leading to the misdiagnosis of retro-mandibular abscess, treated with antibiotic therapy with temporary improvement. After a week, he deteriorated developing a typical cauda equina syndrome,1 characterised …
Lipopolysaccharide evokes microaggregation reactions in hemocytes isolated from tobacco hornworms, Manduca sexta.

Abstract Insect cellular immune reactions to bacterial infection include nodule formation. Eicosanoids mediate several cellular actions in the nodulation process, including formation of hemocyte microaggregates, an early step. In previous work, we reported that isolated hemocytes produce and secrete eicosanoids that influence hemocyte behavior in response to bacterial challenge. We also reported that microaggregate formation in response to challenge was mediated by prostaglandins (PGs), but not by products of the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways. In this paper we describe experiments designed to test the idea that exposing isolated hemocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) evokes formation of hemocyte microaggregates and this cellular action is mediated by PGs. Results show that isolated hemocyte preparations challenged with LPS formed more hemocyte microaggregates than unchallenged preparations (6.9×10 3 microaggregates/ml hemolymph vs. 2.5×10 3 microaggregates/ml hemolymph). LPS challenge stimulated formation of hemocyte microaggregates in a dose dependent manner. Experimental groups pretreated with cyclooxygenase inhibitors produced fewer hemocyte microaggregates in response to LPS challenge than untreated control groups. The formation of hemocyte microaggregates was not influenced by LOX inhibitors. Furthermore, the influence of dexamethasone was reversed by supplementing the experimental groups with the eicosanoid precursor fatty acid molecule, arachidonic acid and PGH 2 . Palmitic acid, which is not substrate for eicosanoid biosynthesis, did not reverse the effects of dexamethasone on the formation of microaggregates. The LOX product 5( S )hydroperoxyeicosa-6 E ,8 Z ,11 Z ,14 Z -tetraenoic acid also did not reverse the effects of dexamethasone. These results are consistent with similar investigations performed with bacterial suspensions. We infer that isolated hemocyte preparations recognize and react to LPS by forming microaggregates and this reaction is mediated by PGs, but not products of the LOX pathway.
High Accuracy Isentropic Compression Studies with High Explosive Pulsed Power

Summary form only given. An extensive study of the one-dimensional isentropic compression experiment (ICE), performed with High Explosive Pulsed Power (HEPP), has been completed. The study has demonstrated that accurate, high pressure, isentropic equations of state (EOS) data may be obtained with this technique. The physics of electromagnetic loading in the ICE technique is presented. It is shown that the HEPP-ICE load configuration is capable of producing magnetic pressures that are uniform to 1 part in 1000 over the central 87% of the sample faces, and that HEPP-ICE provides exact matching of the pressures between opposing samples. This magnetic uniformity and matching are necessary for the highest accuracy isentropic EOS data. Isentropic EOS data have been obtained with a prototype HEPP-ICE system, and the results for tungsten and copper demonstrate the inaccuracy of the technique, which may be as low as 0.2% in pressure. Moreover, some interesting structure was observed in the elastic to plastic failure of tungsten, and this differs from published shock data. It is shown that a large-scale HEPP-ICE system (now being designed) is capable of producing shock-free loading up to 2.2 TPa in 10-mm thick tungsten samples. The study also shows that HEPP-ICE is well suited to the production of high accuracy, high-pressure, shock-free EOS data because of the long risetime currents that can be attained with it; risetimes in excess of 2 mus are possible in comparison to 500 ns on other machines.
60-GHz switched-beam end-fire antenna module integrated with novel microstrip-to-slot transition

Summary form only given, as follows. A low profile, switched-beam, end-fire antenna integrated with a novel microstrip-to-slot transition is presented. The antenna module consists of wire-bonded switch and PA integrated in liquid crystal polymer substrate package. The proposed transition exploits slow-wave techniques to transform a 50O microstrip into a 110O slot mode over 55 to 67+ GHz. The 10mm × 10mm active antenna 3dB beamwidth is 55°/68° (E/H plane) in each switched state with an average 19 dBi peak gain over 55 to 67 GHz.
Soil moisture as an indicator of weather extremes

[1] In this paper, we investigate floods and droughts in the Upper Mississippi basin over a 50-year period (1950–1999) using a hydrological model (Variable Infiltration Capacity Model – 3 Layer). Simulations have been carried out between January 1950 and December 1999 at daily time-step and 1/8° spatial resolution for the water budget and at hourly time-step and 1° spatial resolution for the energy balance. This paper will provide valuable insights to the slow response components of the hydrological cycle and its diagnostic/predictive value in the case of floods and droughts. The paper compares the use of the Palmer Drought Severity Index against the anomalies of the third layer soil moisture for characterizing droughts and floods. Wavelet and coherency analysis is performed on the soil moisture, river discharge, precipitation and PDSI time series confirm our hypothesis of a strong relationship between droughts and the third layer soil moisture.
Effectiveness of Portable Indoor Air Cleaners: Sensory Testing Results

The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of individual commercially available portable indoor air cleaning units in removing dust particulates, tobacco smoke particulate and vapor phase constituents (nicotine and vinyl pyridine), viable and total fungal spores, pollen, and gaseous contaminants (carbon monoxide[CO], nitrogen dioxide[NO2], and formaldehyde[HCHO]), in a clean air test chamber. The air cleaner chamber results presented here represent initial-use results. In general, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) and electrostatic precipitator systems demonstrated the highest efficiencies with respect to particulate, contaminants, followed closely by electret filter systems. Ionizers and ozone generators were least effective in particulate removal. Systems which included sufficient sorbent material (i.e. activated carbon or potassium permanganate) were marginally effective at gaseous contaminant removal. None of the systems tested were effective at carbon monoxide removal. Sensory testing was conducted to discern potential correlation between human perceptive response and measured air cleaner performance (with respect to tobacco smoke removal). An electret filter (EF) loaded with carbon sorbent received the best ratings with respect to odor strength, nasal irritation, eye irritation, and overall air acceptability.
PC program extending the two-stage polynomial growth curve model to allow missing data.

A stand-alone, menu-driven PC program, written in GAUSS386i. extending the analysis of one-sample longitudinal data sets satisfying the two-stage polynomial growth curve model (Ten Have et al., Am J Hum Biol, 3 (1991) 269-279) to allow missing data is described, illustrated and made available to interested readers. The method and the program are illustrated using data previously analyzed by the authors (Schneiderman and Kowalski, Am J Phys Anthropol, 67 (1985) 323-333) but with several randomly chosen data points discarded and treated as missing.
Online modeling of wireless channels with hidden Markov models and channel impulse responses for cognitive radios

A cognitive radio must be able to observe and model the channel in which it operates. As a first step to creating a truly cognitive radio, we have developed a novel technique to model wireless channels by combining a broadband channel sounder with a wireless channel genetic algorithm (WCGA). The WCGA receives a sequence of error symbols simulated from the impulse response to train a hidden Markov model (HMM) with a genetic algorithm. The HMM is a compact representation of the channel that a radio can create online and then use as the input to a cognitive process for intelligent adaptation of the radio.
Analytical and Numerical Modeling Assessment of Capillary Barrier Performance Degradation due to Contaminant-Induced Surface Tension Reduction

Analytical and numerical models of capillary barrier performance commonly use hydraulic characteristics measured using pure water. However, the potential exists for an infiltrating solution to have a surface tension lower than that of pure water due to the presence of surface-active contaminants (surfactants). A lower surface tension solution may impact capillary barrier performance due to the dependence of capillarity on surface tension. An existing analytical solution for capillary diversion length (L) was modified to include the effect of surface tension reduction on steady-state capillary barrier performance during uniform and constant infiltration. The L for a surfactant-contaminated system was found to be less than for a pure water system and equal to L for a pure water system multiplied by the relative surface tension. Numerical modeling using HYDRUS-2D also showed that diversion was less in the surfactant-contaminated system and that the difference in the performance of the two systems was due to ...
Laurentian origin for the North Slope of Alaska: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Arctic

The composite Arctic Alaska-Chukotka terrane plays a central role in tectonic reconstructions of the Arctic. An exotic, non-Laurentian origin of Arctic Alaska-Chukotka has been proposed based on paleobiogeographic faunal affi nities and various geochronological constraints from the southwestern portions of the terrane. Here, we report early Paleozoic trilobite and conodont taxa that support a Laurentian origin for the North Slope subterrane of Arctic Alaska, as well as new Neoproterozoic-Cambrian detrital zircon geochronological data, which are both consistent with a Laurentian origin and profoundly different from those derived from similar-aged strata in the southwestern subterranes of Arctic Alaska-Chukotka. The North Slope subterrane is accordingly interpreted as allochthonous with respect to northwestern Laurentia, but it most likely originated farther east along the Canadian Arctic or Atlantic margins. These data demonstrate that construction of the com- posite Arctic Alaska-Chukotka terrane resulted from juxtaposition of the exotic southwestern fragments of the terrane against the northern margin of Laurentia during protracted Devonian(?)-Carboniferous tectonism.
The air–liquid interface of benzene, toluene, m-xylene, and mesitylene: a sum frequency, Raman, and infrared spectroscopic study

The air–liquid interface and the liquid-phase of benzene, toluene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene are studied using broad bandwidth sum frequency generation spectroscopy, Raman and infrared spectroscopy. A vibrationally resonant sum frequency response is observed from these surfaces in spite of the small hyperpolarizabilities, in particular, the zero and near-zero hyperpolarizabilities of benzene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. The orientation of the aromatic rings of these compounds at their air–liquid interfaces is tilted relative to the surface plane. Thus, on average, the plane of the aromatic ring does not lie in the interfacial plane. Comparison of the square root of the sum frequency intensity to that of the Raman multiplied by the infrared intensity provides additional information about the molecular environment at their respective air–liquid interface.
A Poetics of Teaching

In this article, I elucidate the idea of a poetics of teaching and outline its value to scholars and teachers who seek a deeper understanding of the practice. A poetics of teaching draws together aesthetic, intellectual, and moral dimensions of the work that are often treated separately, if treated at all, in both research and in the classroom. In so doing, a poetics clarifies our picture of what the work offers to the men and women who take up the role. A poetics of teaching calls attention to how teaching can enrich the life of the teacher, even as he or she seeks to deepen and to broaden students' knowledge, understandings, and outlooks. I draw upon aspects of art, of inquiry, and of metaphor to help illuminate these educational values.
Reply To Mr. Danière and Some Reflections on the Significance of the Debate

We have reason to be grateful to Mr. Daniere for bringing the thesis of Professor Labrousse to our attention once again. For this is not just an ordinary thesis. Since its statement in the thirties, it has become a staple of French historiography, shaping and informing the work of a whole generation of scholars. Such terms as “crise d'ancien type,” “crise de sous-production agricole,” and “economie des bles et des textiles” have become stock phrases, and few French historians would think of discussing any trade crisis before the middle of the nineteenth century without laying special stress on the causative role of inadequate harvests. Indeed, the fame of this thesis has so flourished with time and Professor Labrousse had become so closely identified with the problem of agriculture and the cycle, that any kind of link between harvests and farm income on the one hand and business conditions on the other– even where the relationship observed is the opposite of what the Labroussian model would lead one to expect –has been enough to make scholars cite his name in evidence.
Dexamethasone may be a viable alternative to prednisone/prednisolone for the treatment of acute asthma exacerbation in the paediatric emergency department

Commentary on: Keeney GE, Gray MP, Morrison AK, et al. Dexamethasone for acute asthma exacerbations in children: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2014;133:493–9[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Standard of care for emergency department (ED) treatment of children with acute asthma exacerbation includes systemic steroids.1 Traditionally, the systemic steroid course of choice has been a 5-day burst of oral prednisone or prednisolone. Recent studies have begun to show that a shorter course of dexamethasone may have comparable efficacy.2–4 Dexamethasone is an attractive alternative to prednisone and prednisolone because of its longer duration of metabolic effect and subsequent shorter treatment duration. Others have touted the palatability of dexamethasone over that of prednisone and prednisolone, as well as potentially improved clinical outcomes and cost savings due to superior compliance with the shorter treatment course dexamethasone requires.5 This was a … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1542%252Fpeds.2013-2273%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24515516%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=pediatrics&resid=133/3/493&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F5%2F175.atom
Stress intensity factor variation along a semicircular surface flaw in a finite-thickness plate

Abstract The stress intensity factor variation along a semicircular surface law in a three dimensional solid (plate) of finite thickness is derived. This is done using a nested alternating procedure which employs the complete analytical solution for an arbitrarily loaded circular flaw embedded in an infinite solid. The method accounts for both the front-surface/backsurface as well as the boundary-crack interactions, as opposed to the method of Thresher and Smith (J. Appl. Mech. 39, 195–200, 1972) which considered only the boundary-crack interactions. In the present method, the residual tractions on the front and back surfaces, during the alternating procedure, are erased using Love's half-space solutions. Various numerical examples of tension and flexure loads are given. Results obtained by this method are compared with available experimental and computational data.
Cognitive Remediation in Pediatric Head Injury: A Case Study

Little work has been done in delineating cognitive remediation approaches for pediatric survivors of head injury. The use of a cognitive remediation approach is described in a case study of a 16-year-old male, who was 1 1/2 years post severe traumatic brain injury. Specific techniques and treatment course are outlined to demonstrate the model offered as one meeting the unique needs of the pediatric survivor. This model emphasizes a behavioral, individually tailored approach with clear delineation of a functional academic skill goal of competence in mathematical computation. Results indicate accomplishment of goals and some generalization of skills obtained to a math domain that was not the major focus of the remediation attempts.
Clinical importance of insulin secretion and its interaction with insulin resistance in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications.

Type 2 diabetes primarily develops from pathogenic defects in the mechanisms of insulin secretion and hepatic and peripheral insulin action. The consequent disruption of normal glucose metabolism involves a number of organ systems and is ultimately manifested in fasting and daytime hyperglycemia. Chronically elevated blood glucose concentrations determine the progression of the disease by further exacerbating insulin resistance and causing β-cell exhaustion in addition to decreasing their responsiveness to glucose. The β-cell secretory dysfunction is characterized by the lack of the early phase of glucose-induced insulin secretion and the insufficient and delayed late phase of secretion. Glycemic levels in patients with type 2 diabetes are directly related to the risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular complications, the main cause of the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. The goal of treatment is to decrease the risk and delay the progression of these complications by improving glycemic control. Current oral antidiabetic agents, used as monotherapy or in combination, include traditional insulin secretagogues, insulin sensitizers and inhibitors of carbohydrate absorption. A greater understanding of the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and recent findings on the significance of meal-related glycemia to overall glycemic control are expanding the therapeutic options for treating this disease. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lagrangian Available Energetics and Parcel Instabilities

Abstract A new derivation of local available energy for a compressible, multicomponent fluid whose base state need not be one of rest that allows for frictional and diabatic processes is presented. The available energy is the sum of the kinetic energy and the available potential and available elastic energies. These energy contributions are defined relative to an arbitrary reference state that can be in motion. Invoking a Lagrangian perspective, it is natural to choose the reference state as the initial state of the parcel. Then the resulting energies are consistent with published formulas for single and binary compressible fluids under inviscid, adiabatic conditions. When the parcel-theory assumption (that the pressure of the parcel is always that of the environment) is invoked, the available elastic energy is identically zero and a fluid parcel will conserve the sum of its kinetic and available potential energies for inviscid, adiabatic flow. In this case, the parcel's available potential energy is the ...
Knowledge-based prediction of three-dimensional dose distributions for external beam radiotherapy

Purpose: To demonstrate knowledge-based 3D dose prediction for external beam radiotherapy. Methods: Using previously treated plans as training data, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to predict a dose matrix based on patient-specific geometric and planning parameters, such as the closest distance (r) to planning target volume (PTV) and organ-at-risks (OARs). Twenty-three prostate and 43 stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT) cases with at least one nearby OAR were studied. All were planned with volumetric-modulated arc therapy to prescription doses of 81 Gy for prostate and 12–30 Gy for SRS. Using these clinically approved plans, ANNs were trained to predict dose matrix and the predictive accuracy was evaluated using the dose difference between the clinical plan and prediction, δD = Dclin − Dpred. The mean (〈δDr〉), standard deviation (σδDr), and their interquartile range (IQR) for the training plans were evaluated at a 2–3 mm interval from the PTV boundary (rPTV) to assess prediction bias and precision. Initially, unfiltered models which were trained using all plans in the cohorts were created for each treatment site. The models predict approximately the average quality of OAR sparing. Emphasizing a subset of plans that exhibited superior to the average OAR sparing during training, refined models were created to predict high-quality rectum sparing for prostate and brainstem sparing for SRS. Using the refined model, potentially suboptimal plans were identified where the model predicted further sparing of the OARs was achievable. Replans were performed to test if the OAR sparing could be improved as predicted by the model. Results: The refined models demonstrated highly accurate dose distribution prediction. For prostate cases, the average prediction bias for all voxels irrespective of organ delineation ranged from −1% to 0% with maximum IQR of 3% over rPTV ∈ [− 6, 30] mm. The average prediction error was less than 10% for the same rPTV range. For SRS cases, the average prediction bias ranged from −0.7% to 1.5% with maximum IQR of 5% over rPTV ∈ [− 4, 32] mm. The average prediction error was less than 8%. Four potentially suboptimal plans were identified for each site and subsequent replanning demonstrated improved sparing of rectum and brainstem. Conclusions: The study demonstrates highly accurate knowledge-based 3D dose predictions for radiotherapy plans.
Reforming Proposition 13 to Tax Land More and Buildings Less

Advocates for reforming Proposition 13, California’s historic property tax limitation initiative, typically emphasize the measure’s implicit preference for owners of commercial and industrial property. Unlike most property tax regimes, Prop 13 assesses property at the owner’s purchase price rather than the property’s market value. In a rising real estate market, this “acquisition value” rule favors longtime owners relative to more recent purchasers. Reform advocates claim that, because commercial and industrial property changes ownership less frequently than residential property, Prop 13 has shifted tax burdens from commercial and industrial property owners to homeowners. To counter this trend, reformers advocate a “split roll” property tax in which commercial and industrial property would be regularly reassessed to market value.This article draws attention to a different and additional argument in favor of reforming Prop 13 to adopt a split roll regime. While most arguments for a split roll are rooted in fairness claims relating to the distribution of the property tax burden, this article highlights the efficiency gains from taxing commercial and industrial property at market value. These gains derive from the fact that the benefits of Prop 13’s acquisition value rule accrue disproportionately to land rather than structures. Standard planning techniques utilized in the commercial-industrial setting (e.g., ownership of real estate by legal entities, long-term leases) operate to preserve low base year values for both land and structures. Over the long term, however, the physical and design limitations of aging structures will lead to new construction, which under Prop 13’s rules will enter property tax rolls at market value. The result is a concentration of Prop 13’s benefits in underassessed land. This observation leads to the important insight that any reform assessing non-residential property at market value would be, in large measure, a tax on post-1975 appreciation in land values. Current estimates suggest that two-thirds of the revenue gain from adopting a split roll would come from taxing land, arguably the most efficient source of tax revenue available. Coupling such a reform with a reduction in property tax burdens on new construction (for example, by exempting from tax for a period of years some percentage of the owner’s investment in new construction) would further enhance the efficiency gains from adopting a split roll regime.
A Look into the Future

The quest for extraterrestrial life and for other stellar civilizations has finally become an international scientific endeavor. As our technology advances and major astronomical observatories are established in space, we will be able to gain a better understanding of ourselves and the Cosmos.
Narrative truth and theoretical truth.

(1982). Narrative Truth and Theoretical Truth. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly: Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 43-69.
A technique for continuous intercostal nerve block analgesia following thoracotomy.

Early after thoracotomy, incisional chest pain may lead to a sequence of undesirable effects on respiratory function, in addition to causing patient discomfort. Pharmacologic blockade of the intercostal nerves innervating the incisional area can improve respiratory function as well as patient comfort. The postoperative production of continuous intercostal nerve blockade can be accomplished by the insertion of indwelling analgesic catheters at the time of thoracotomy closure.