cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depression and Cognitive Dysfunction in Older U.S. Military Veterans: Moderating Effects of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Physical Exercise.

Abstract Objective Depression is associated with increased risk for cognitive dysfunction, yet little is known about genetic and behavioral factors that may moderate this association. Using data from a nationally representative sample of older U.S. military veterans, we examined the direct and interactive effects of depression, brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) Val66Met genotype, and physical exercise on cognitive functioning. Methods One thousand three hundred eighty-six older European-American U.S. military veterans (mean age = 63) completed a web-based survey and cognitive assessment. Analyses of covariance were conducted to evaluate the effects of depression, BDNF Met allele carrier status, and physical exercise on these measures. Results Depressed veterans scored worse than nondepressed veterans on subjective measures of cognitive functioning (Cohen d's = 0.34–0.57) and objective measures of visual learning (d = 0.39) and working memory (d = 0.28). Among depressed veterans, those who were Met allele carriers scored worse than Val/Val homozygotes on subjective cognitive measures (d's = 0.52–0.97) and an objective measure of visual learning (d = 0.36). Engagement in physical exercise moderated the association between depression and cognitive function, with depressed exercisers scoring better than depressed nonexercisers on a subjective measure of reasoning, and objective measures of processing speed, attention, and visual learning (d = 0.58–0.99): further, in depressed Met allele carriers, exercisers scored better than nonexercisers on subjective cognitive (d's = 0.80–1.92), and objective measures of visual learning (d = 0.8–1.31) and working memory (d = 0.67). Conclusion Depression is associated with moderate decrements in cognitive functioning in older U.S. military veterans, and this association is moderated by BDNF Val66Met genotype and physical exercise. Prevention and treatment efforts designed to promote physical exercise may help preserve cognitive functioning in at-risk veterans.
Does coaching experience and coaching efficacy of untrained volunteer youth sport coaches influence children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity?:

This observational study addresses physical activity levels among youth sport participants as influenced by coaching experience and coaching efficacy. It describes the proportion of moderate-to-vig...
Neural Networks and Polynomial Regression. Demystifying the Overparametrization Phenomena.

In the context of neural network models, overparametrization refers to the phenomena whereby these models appear to generalize well on the unseen data, even though the number of parameters significantly exceeds the sample sizes, and the model perfectly fits the in-training data. A conventional explanation of this phenomena is based on self-regularization properties of algorithms used to train the data. In this paper we prove a series of results which provide a somewhat diverging explanation. Adopting a teacher/student model where the teacher network is used to generate the predictions and student network is trained on the observed labeled data, and then tested on out-of-sample data, we show that any student network interpolating the data generated by a teacher network generalizes well, provided that the sample size is at least an explicit quantity controlled by data dimension and approximation guarantee alone, regardless of the number of internal nodes of either teacher or student network. Our claim is based on approximating both teacher and student networks by polynomial (tensor) regression models with degree depending on the desired accuracy and network depth only. Such a parametrization notably does not depend on the number of internal nodes. Thus a message implied by our results is that parametrizing wide neural networks by the number of hidden nodes is misleading, and a more fitting measure of parametrization complexity is the number of regression coefficients associated with tensorized data. In particular, this somewhat reconciles the generalization ability of neural networks with more classical statistical notions of data complexity and generalization bounds. Our empirical results on MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets indeed confirm that tensorized regression achieves a good out-of-sample performance, even when the degree of the tensor is at most two.
Rare association: sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis and Pi-SZ alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency

We present a case of a 32-year-old Caucasian woman with Pi-SZ alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). The patient is a lifelong non-smoker with no exposure history. She has no known history of tuberous sclerosis or cirrhosis, nor a family history of lung disease.
CHAPTER 2 – Declarative Knowledge

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the conceptualization of declarative knowledge. Intelligent behavior depends on the knowledge an entity has about its environment. Much of this knowledge is descriptive and can be expressed in declarative form. The formalization of knowledge in declarative form begins with a conceptualization. This includes the objects presumed or hypothesized to exist in the world and their interrelationships. When concentrating on spatial relationships, one would probably ignore functions that do not have any spatial significance, such as the rotate function that maps blocks into blocks according to the alphabetic order of their labels. A relation is the second kind of interrelationship among objects in a universe of discourse. No matter how one choose to conceptualize the world, it is important to realize that there are other conceptualizations as well. There need not be any correspondence among the objects, functions, and relations in one conceptualization and the objects, functions, and relations in another.
Anatomy of Pelvic Lymph Nodal Stations and Their Role in Staging of Rectal Cancers.

Abstract Lymph node involvement is common in rectal cancer and is an important factor in cancer staging, prognosis, and treatment planning. Understanding pelvic lymph node anatomy is crucial for diagnostic radiologists in order to provide accurate information on nodal involvement for surgical teams. This paper reviews pelvic lymph node anatomy as it relates to locoregional versus non-locoregional nodal disease, surgical approaches to rectal cancer with nodal involvement, and the importance of standardized rectal cancer imaging reports.
Safety critical event prediction through unified analysis of driver and vehicle volatilities: application of deep learning methods

Abstract Transportation safety is highly correlated with driving behavior, especially human error playing a key role in a large portion of crashes. Modern instrumentation and computational resources allow for the monitorization of driver, vehicle, and roadway/environment to extract leading indicators of crashes from multi-dimensional data streams. To quantify variations that are beyond normal in driver behavior and vehicle kinematics, the concept of volatility is applied. The study measures driver-vehicle volatilities using the naturalistic driving data. By integrating and fusing multiple real-time streams of data, i.e., driver distraction, vehicular movements and kinematics, and instability in driving, this study aims to predict occurrence of safety critical events and generate appropriate feedback to drivers and surrounding vehicles. The naturalistic driving data is used which contains 7566 normal driving events, and 1315 severe events (i.e., crash and near-crash), vehicle kinematics, and driver behavior collected from more than 3500 drivers. In order to capture the local dependency and volatility in time-series data 1D-Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and 1DCNN-LSTM are applied. Vehicle kinematics, driving volatility, and impaired driving (in terms of distraction) are used as the input parameters. The results reveal that the 1DCNN-LSTM model provides the best performance, with 95.45% accuracy and prediction of 73.4% of crashes with a precision of 95.67%. Additional features are extracted with the CNN layers and temporal dependency between observations is addressed, which helps the network learn driving patterns and volatile behavior. The model can be used to monitor driving behavior in real-time and provide warnings and alerts to drivers in low-level automated vehicles, reducing their crash risk.
Nuclear Superiority and the Balance of Resolve: Explaining Nuclear Crisis Outcomes

Scholars have long debated whether nuclear superiority or the balance of resolve shapes the probability of victory in nuclear crises, but they have not clearly articulated a mechanism linking superiority to victory, nor have they systematically analyzed the entire universe of empirical cases. Beginning from a nuclear brinkmanship theory framework, I develop a new theory of nuclear crisis outcomes, which links nuclear superiority to victory in nuclear crises precisely through its effect on the balance of resolve. Using a new data set on fifty-two nuclear crisis dyads, I show that states that enjoy nuclear superiority over their opponents are more likely to win nuclear crises. I also find some support for the idea that political stakes shape crisis outcomes. These findings hold even after controlling for conventional military capabilities and for selection into nuclear crises. This article presents a new theoretical explanation, and the first comprehensive empirical examination, of nuclear crisis outcomes.
Comparative Analysis for Diagnosing Double Outlet Right Ventricle Between Echocardiography and Operation in 368 Patients

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of echocardiography in patients with double outlet right ventricle(DORV).Methods: We retrospectively studied 368 patients with corrective surgery confirmed DORV,and compared the findings between preoperative echocardiography and surgery.Results: Based on the result of operation,the diagnostic accuracy of echocardiography for DORV was 88.9%(327/368),the misdiagnosis was 5.4%(20/368) and the missed diagnosis was 5.7%(21/368).The coincidence rate of echocardiography for the relationship between ventricular septal defect and great artery was 70.2%,the coincidence for the position of great artery was 76.2%,and for the overriding of great artery was 72.5% respectively.Conclusion: The Echocardiography could correctly diagnose DORV,while the diagnostic classification should be improved for the patients with complicated lesions and rare pathological changes.
Chassis repositioning at marine container terminals: The case of complete demand information

Abstract The marine container chassis continues to plague the maritime industry in the U.S., with chassis dislocation being a major recurring problem. To prevent chassis dislocation and maintain fluidity of supply chains, chassis pool operators at container ports face the challenging and recurring task of repositioning chassis between the various chassis storage sites within the port complex. To complement prior work, in this paper, a model to support chassis repositioning is presented for the case when the probability distribution of chassis demand is known. A case study using empirical chassis usage data illustrates the model in a practical setting.
Deep Learning Improves the Temporal Reproducibility of Aortic Measurement

Imaging-based measurements form the basis of surgical decision making in patients with aortic aneurysm. Unfortunately, manual measurement suffer from suboptimal temporal reproducibility, which can lead to delayed or unnecessary intervention. We tested the hypothesis that deep learning could improve upon the temporal reproducibility of CT angiography-derived thoracic aortic measurements in the setting of imperfect ground-truth training data. To this end, we trained a standard deep learning segmentation model from which measurements of aortic volume and diameter could be extracted. First, three blinded cardiothoracic radiologists visually confirmed non-inferiority of deep learning segmentation maps with respect to manual segmentation on a 50-patient hold-out test cohort, demonstrating a slight preference for the deep learning method (p < 1e-5). Next, reproducibility was assessed by evaluating measured change (coefficient of reproducibility and standard deviation) in volume and diameter values extracted from segmentation maps in patients for whom multiple scans were available and whose aortas had been deemed stable over time by visual assessment (n = 57 patients, 206 scans). Deep learning temporal reproducibility was superior for measures of both volume (p < 0.008) and diameter (p < 1e-5) and reproducibility metrics compared favorably with previously reported values of manual inter-rater variability. Our work motivates future efforts to apply deep learning to aortic evaluation.
Quantifying the Gap: A Case Study of Wikidata Gender Disparities

Much prior research has found gender bias in peer production systems like Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. This bias affects both women’s participation in these platforms and content about women on these platforms. We investigated the gender content gap in Wikidata, where less than 22% of items that represent people are about women. We asked: what is the source of this bias? Specifically, does it originate from the actions of Wikidata editors or from external factors; that is, does it simply reflect existing real world gender bias? We conducted a quantitative case study that found: (i) the most popular categories of people included in Wikidata represent male-dominant professions, such as American football; (ii) within a selected set of professions where we could obtain gender distribution data, Wikidata is no more biased than the real world: men and women are included at similar percentages, and the quality of items representing men and women also is similar. We provide possible explanations for our findings and implications for addressing the Wikidata content gap.
Global Capitalism and the Crisis of Humanity

This exciting new study provides an original and provocative expose of the crisis of global capitalism in its multiple dimensions - economic, political, social, ecological, military, and cultural. Building on his earlier works on globalization, William I. Robinson discusses the nature of the new global capitalism, the rise of a globalized production and financial system, a transnational capitalist class, and a transnational state and warns of the rise of a global police state to contain the explosive contradictions of a global capitalist system that is crisis-ridden and out of control. Robinson concludes with an exploration of how diverse social and political forces are responding to the crisis and alternative scenarios for the future.
A study of mass burning rate of a small industrial spark ignition engine

The mass burning rate of a small industrial spark-ignition engine is derived and analyzed using Wiebe's function and a proposed simpler approach. Effects of engine chamber geometry on the combustion rate and duration are compared using four engine chamber profile. The interrelationship of chamber geometry with respect to the mass burning fraction of an L-head SI engine is analytically presented.
lth-Step Lyapunov Min-Max Controllers: Stabilizing Discrete-Time Systems under Real Parameter Variations

In this paper we are concerned with the stability robustness of discrete-time systems which experience real, structured, parameter variations. The work is motivated by the notion of a "Lyapunov min-max controller" introduced by Corless [13]. We generalize this concept and introduce lth-step Lyapunov min-max controllers. With the help of these controllers we are able to identify a class of structured uncertainties, appropriately called "lth-step matched uncertainties" for which we can guarantee asymptotic stability. These structures include the so-called "matched uncertainties" as a special case.
Longitudinal Design Case of a University Preservice Technology Integration Curriculum Shaped By Its Sociopolitical Context

This design case describes the work of two designers related to a longitudinal university preservice technology integration course series. We anchored the discussion of our case with various design values that we shared and took a critical role in our design activities. We broke our stories into three chapters in order to discuss our case in a narrative format. In each of these chapters we discuss our design problem, design values, design solutions, and design tensions. Within the chapters our discussions zoom in and out of detailed design issues related to our individual design experiences. Our case demonstrates how our design efforts and our designed products were intertwined with the sociopolitical context in which our case was situated. We end the discussion of this case by sharing what we learned.
Law and Modernization (Derecho y modernización)

El proposito de este articulo es esbozar los requisitos basicos para tener un sistema judicial efectivo en un pais en desarrollo.
Thermal performance of underfilled BGAs

To achieve adequate solder joint reliability when using small Ball Grid Array (BGA) components, it is often necessary to use underfill encapsulants. Underfills also have an important role in heat transfer from die to board. In this study, the impact of underfill materials on the thermal performance of BGA's was investigated and quantified. A fixture and a fully automated data acquisition system were developed to measure the junction to case thermal resistance in underfilled BGAs assembled to laminate substrates. In the developed apparatus, the back of the FR-4 printed circuit boards (PCBs) were instrumented with thermocouples, and then maintained at a constant temperature using a water bath. Special thermal test chips with onboard heaters and diode temperature sensors were encapsulated in the BGAs so that the power dissipation could be controlled and the die surface temperature measured. Using the described system, several studies were completed including the rating of the thermal performance of several underfill materials and the examination of various thermal via designs in the PCBs. A 10-30% reduction in the thermal resistance was observed for underfilled components. After initial testing, the samples were subjected to thermal cycling (-40 to 125/spl deg/C), to evaluate thermal performance degradation (due to cracking of the thermal solder balls, underfill delaminations, and underfill material property changes). Steady state and transient finite element models of the thermal BGA geometries have been correlated to the thermal resistance measurements.
Internal Temperature Extraction in Phase-Change Memory Cells During the Reset Operation

The phase-change memory technology is based on a chalcogenide compound able to reversibly switch between two stable states, namely, an amorphous high-resistive state and a crystalline low-resistive one, enabling the storage of the logical bit. Such phase transition is made by electrical pulses delivered to the memory cell, able to force a temperature raise within the material and to allow the temperature conditions required for the phase change. The cell internal temperature needs accurate control, and the evaluation of the thermal resistance of the memory cell represents a milestone to develop thermally efficient cell architectures and to gain insights into the thermal properties of the phase-change material. An experimental method for cell internal temperature evaluation has been developed and then supported by the electrothermal simulation of the cell behavior during the program operation, allowing for scaling predictions.
Aerosol mixing in an animal exposure chamber having three levels of caging with excreta pans

To achieve uniform movement of air within an animal aerosol exposure chamber, and to meet animal husbandry requirements, we modified existing chambers in three ways: 1) air was introduced along the walls of the chamber; 2) catch pans were suspended away from chamber walls (except for the lowest level, which extended to the walls); 3) space between pans was allowed for exhaust flow. Each tier in the chamber acted like a perfectly-mixing box, resulting in clearance half-times of 3 to 6 minutes at a flow of 10 chamber equivalent volumes/hour. Concentration uniformity and aerosol buildup were measured in a full-scale chamber. We also demonstrated that measurements of flow visualization made in a reduced-scale, dynamically similar model were applicable to a full-scale chamber.
The promotion of mining and the advancement of science: the chemical revolution of mineralogy

Summary This paper explores the origins of the analytical definition of simple substance, a concept whose central importance in the new chemistry of Lavoisier and his colleagues is now widely recognized. I argue that this notion derived from the practical activities of metallurgists and mineral assayers, and that the theoretical elaboration necessary for the analytical concept to be understood as relevant to chemistry was inspired by the efforts of enlightened rulers in Sweden and Germany to turn chemical science to the benefit of mining—and thus of the various state treasuries. The involvement of chemically-literate mineralogists in the mining industry led them to adopt the principle that analytically-determined composition was a far more essential aspect of minerals than any mere congeries of properties. The same men who pioneered the analytical notion of simple substance also inaugurated the attempt to define a nomenclature for chemistry based exclusively on composition, as determined in the laboratory.
A fuzzy scheme for failure mode screening

A fuzzy reasoning algorithm was developed and implemented via an expert system to evaluate and assess the likelihood of equipment failure mode precipitation and aggravation. The scheme is based upon the fuzzification of the effects of precipitating factors provoking the failure. It consists of a fuzzy mathematical formulation which linearly relates the presence of factors catalogued as critical, important or related to the incidence of machine failure modes. This fuzzy algorithm was created to enable the inference mechanism of a constructed knowledge-based system to screen industrial equipment failures according to their likelihood of occurrence.
Intracoronary beta brachytherapy as a treatment option for high-risk refractory in-stent restenosis: Compassionate use

Abstract Background Vascular (VBT) has clearly been shown in multiple clinical trials to decrease restenosis rates for in-stent restenosis (ISR). However, patients enrolled in these randomized clinical trials represent a select group, and the efficacy of VBT in patients with ISR who were excluded from these controlled trials due to more complex coronary anatomy requires further investigation. This study sought to define the angiographic and clinical profile and outcomes of these high-risk patients with ISR who were excluded from the randomized clinical trials and who received VBTusing Strontium-90 (Sr-90) using the Novoste Beta-Cathk System through a Compassionate Use Protocol (CUP). Methods The study was designed as a single center, prospective, open label registry trial evaluating the use of VBT on complex instent restenotic lesions in patients who were excluded from the START and START 40 trials. In general, these patients included those with saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions, long lesions (>35 mm), and patients with a history of more than three prior interventions. VBT using Sr-90 was delivered using the Novoste Beta-Cathk System after successful angioplasty. The predetermined primary endpoint was freedom from target vessel revascularization (TVR) at 8 months, one and two years. The secondary endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI) and TVR at 8 months, one year, and two years. Results Between September 4, 1998 and December 6, 2000, 32 patients were treated with VBT under the UCP protocol. The mean duration of follow up was 15.3F8.3 months. There were 9 major cardiac events at eight months including one death, one acute myocardial infarction and 7 TVR. Excluding the one patient who died, 33 lesions were available for follow-up. The rate of TVR in this high-risk patient population was 21.1% (n = 7/33 lesions). The method of revascularization included one bypass surgery and 6 repeat percutaneous coronary interventions. Conclusions This trial demonstrates that utilization of the Beta-Cathk System using Sr-90 for the treatment of ISR in a patient population excluded from the randomized clinical trials due to unfavorable lesions characteristics is feasible appears to be associated TVR rates that compare favorably with the event rates of patients enrolled in other trials enrolling lower-risk groups.
Dry extrusion as an aid to mechanical expelling of oil from soybeans

A new concept is described for mechanical extraction of oil from soybeans, using dry extrusion as a pretreatment. It was found that coarsely ground whole soybeans at 10 to 14% moisture could be extrusion cooked so that the extrudate emerges from the die in a semi-fluid state. The dwell time within the extruder was less than 30 seconds, and the temperature was raised to about 135 C. The semi-fluid extrudate was immediately pressed in a continuous screw press to obtain high quality oil and press cake. Extrusion prior to expelling greatly increased the throughput of the expeller over the rated capacity. An oil recovery of 70% was obtained in single pass expelling using pilot model expellers. Higher recovery rates can be expected with commercial scale expellers. The high temperature-short time extrusion cooking process eliminates the prolonged heating and holding of raw material in conventional expelling. Under the experimental conditions, press cake with 50% protein, 6% residual oil and 90% inactivation of trypsin inhibitors was obtained. The low fat cake was easily ground in a hammer mill without the usual problems associated with milling of whole beans. The expelled oil was remarkably stable with an AOM stability of 15 hr, which is comparable to refined deodorized oil according to NSPA specifications. The new procedure offers potential for producing natural soybean oil and food grade low fat soy flour by a relatively low cost operation. It may be adopted as an improvement to existing conventional expelling operations in less developed countries or as a commercial or on-farm operation for producing value added products from soybeans within the U.S.
Evaluation of Fox-chasing Enclosures as Sites of Potential Introduction and Establishment of Echinococcus multilocularis

Following detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) illegally imported into South Carolina (USA) for release in fox-chasing enclosures, a survey for E. multilocularis was conducted in four enclosures in Georgia (USA) and six enclosures in South Carolina. Survey methods included examination of potential small mammal intermediate hosts (n =390) for E. multilocularis larvae, examination of fox and coyote (Canis latrans) scats (n =59) for taeniid eggs, and examination of one possible canine definitive hosts for adult E. multilocularis. All intermediate and definitive hosts examined were negative for E. multilocularis and taeniid eggs were not recovered from fox and coyote fecal samples. Thus, E. multilocularis may not yet be established in fox-chasing enclosures in Georgia and South Carolina. Despite the failure to demonstrate E. multilocularis in the fox-chasing enclosures surveyed, translocation of wild canids from known enzootic regions should be discouraged because E. multilocu...
Atomic coordinates for the chlorophyll core of a bacteriochlorophyll a-protein from green photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract Preliminary atomic coordinates are presented for the seven bacteriochlorophylls constituting the core of one subunit of the trimeric water soluble bacteriochlorophyll a -protein from the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii , strain 2K, formerly identified as Chlorobium limicola , strain 2K. The coordinates were derived from a 2.8 A resolution electron density map based on four isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives, and adjusted to have stereochemically acceptable bond lengths and angles.
Internal Temperature Distributions in an Operational Heat Pipe

In recent years there has been a great deal of research conducted on various aspects of heat pipe design and operation. However, experimental evaluations have been limited by a lack of sufficient data, most notably the absence of temperature measurements internal to the heat pipe container. In this paper results of internal temperature measurements in an operational heat pipe are reported utilizing both water and methanol as working fluids. Although Winter and Barsch * have reviewed most of the significant heat pipe research, the work of Phillips is more pertinent to our results since he also dealt with water and methanol as working fluids. He found that "burnout" heat fluxes were over twice as large for water than for methanol although it must be pointed out that his experiments were not conducted in an operational heat pipe. At this point it is also important to note that in all the heat pipe literature to date, burnout is defined as that point at which the external heater temperature no longer increases in a linear fashion with power. As we shall show this is not necessarily indicative of heat pipe failure as implied in previous works." The only investigator to report the actual measurement of an internal temperature in an operational heat pipe was McS weeney. Using a single thermocouple which could be traversed along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, McS weeney claimed that burnout could be detected by a large temperature decrease in the vapor section of the pipe. As Winter and Barsch point out, this puzzling result might be due to the presence of noncondensables in the condenser portion of his pipe. Convinced that only through internal measurements could we achieve the required degree of insight into heat pipe operation, we instrumented a 1.5 in. heat pipe with twenty-six internal thermocouples at the locations shown in Fig. 1. In addition we also measured the temperature of the outer heat pipe wall at each of the ten axial stations. Since the thermocouple bundle occupied a maximum of 7.5% of the vapor cross section in the condenser section and only 2% in the heater section, no obvious interference of the thermocouples with the heat pipe performance was noted
Leaf xanthophylls: The action of acids on violaxanthin, violeoxanthin, taraxanthin and tareoxanthin

Abstract Chromatographic comparisons, spectral properties, and reactions with acid indicate that the violaxanthin of leaves is identical with the violaxanthin of pansies. These results support the view that violaxanthin is the second most abundant xanthophyll of leaves. When treated with acid, violaxanthin yields two similar pigments that resemble the two flavoxanthin-like xanthophylls found in leaves. Violeoxanthin also yields two of these flavoxanthin-like pigments. All four of these flavoxanthin-like pigments are converted into auroxanthin-like pigments by further action of the acid. Taraxanthin yields two pigments that resemble chrysanthemaxanthin, and tareoxanthin also yields two of these pigments. In all, eight pigments with spectral properties similar to those of flavoxanthin have been isolated from the products formed by the action of acids on violaxanthin, violeoxanthin, taraxanthin, and tareoxanthin. These eight xanthophylls and certain spectroscopically similar carotenoids found in plants are presumed to have similar chromophoric systems, although they may differ in chemical composition, molecular structure, and spatial arrangement of structural groups.
Protego: In-Memory Version Control System in the Cloud

Version control systems are an indispensable part of the software engineering process. Without them, large software development projects would soon incur in loss of productivity and severe maintenance issues. The revision history is invaluable during reviewing process as well as bug hunting. With the advent of Web 2.0, many tasks have been migrated to a cloud environment, and among them is software development. This spikes the need for a fast, always-on version control system residing in the cloud. Moreover, the cloud computational power can be leveraged to provide a higher degree of automation. In this paper, we describe Protego, a cloud-based version control system targeting flexibility and automation. Flexibility in the way projects and histories are recorded and updated, automation in the way users interact with the system, with a reduced need for everyday tedious operations.
Complex admittance study of the cells M|PbX2|M (M=Pt, C and X=Cl, Br)

Abstract The a.c. response of the cells M|PbX2|M (M=Pt, C and X=Cl, Br) has been studied in the frequency range 0.1 Hz to 50 kHz. Extrinsic as well as intrinsic conducting materials were used. The measurements were performed in the temperature range 300 K to the respective melting points of the lead halides. The equivalent circuit is basically the same as was obtained for the cells Pb|PbX2|M. The interface can be described by a parallel combination of a diffusional impedance and a capacitance. The latter is ascribed to an inner-layer capacitance, while the diffusion process is correlated with the diffusion of the cation vacancies in the lead halide.
Defects of the Classic Formulation of a Nonsteady EHL Problem for a Journal Bearing. New Problem Formulation

A nonsteady problem for an elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) journal bearing is considered. It is shown that under certain circumstances contact pressure and shaft normal velocity are discontinuous functions of time. The initial normal velocity of the shaft has a certain value which is predetermined by the shaft initial position and applied load. Therefore, the EHL solution cannot accommodate any different initial normal velocity of the shaft. These defects pertain to any nonsteady EHL problem in the “classic” formulation. The main goal of this paper is to propose a modified formulation of the EHL problem free from the above defects. For purely squeezed lubrication film an analytical and numerical analysis of a dynamic bearing response to abrupt changes in external load is performed based on the classic and “modified” problem formulations leading to discontinuous and smooth solutions, respectively.
An optimization model for volunteer assignments in humanitarian organizations

Abstract One of the challenges facing humanitarian organizations is that there exist limited decision technologies that are tailored specifically to their needs. While employee workforce management models have been the topic of extensive research over the past decades, very little work has yet concentrated on the problem of managing volunteers for humanitarian organizations. This paper develops a multi-criteria optimization model to assist in the assignment of volunteers to tasks, based upon a series of principles from the field of volunteer management. In particular, it offers a new volunteer management approach for incorporating the decision maker's preferences and knowledge into the volunteer assignment process, thus allowing him or her to closely examine the tradeoffs between potentially conflicting objectives. Test results illustrate the model's ability to capture these tradeoffs and represent the imprecision inherent in the work of humanitarian organizations, and thus demonstrate its ability to support efficient and effective volunteer management.
Effects of Replacing Fish Meal in Diets on Growth and Body Composition of Palmetto Bass (Morone saxatilis × M. chrysops) Raised in Cages

ABSTRACT Juvenile palmetto bass (Morone saxatilis X M. chrysops) with an average weight of 20 g were stocked into 12 floating cages (1.2 × 1.2 × 2.4 m) and fed one of four practical diets formulated to contain various percentages (0,15, 30, or 45%) offish meal (FM). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (43% protein) and isocaloric (3.9 kcal available energy/g). Fish were fed twice daily, all they would consume in 40 minutes (0900 and 1730), for 125 days. Final individual weight and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed diets containing 15, 30, or 45% fish meal were not significantly different (P > 0.05) and averaged 342 g and 2.3%/day, while growth of palmetto bass fed a diet containing soybean meal (SBM), and meat-and-bone meal, without FM, was significantly (P 0.05) in percentage moisture, protein, and lipid in fillet from palmetto bass in the four treatments, of which these values averaged 75.1%, 80.7%, and 14.5%, respe...
An Artificial Intelligence theory of computer competency

This article reports the development of an Intelligent Tutorial System (ITS) that represents procedural knowledge using a "mental context" that permits generalization. The system behaves much like an advisor, competent in the use of personal computers, who is helping another person perform a word processing task. The nature of the system is discussed and illustrated. Implications are drawn for the definition and measurement of what the authors term "computer competence."
Outcomes after 151 extended transcervical thymectomies for myasthenia gravis.

Background The ideal operative technique for thymectomy in myasthenia gravis (MG) remains controversial. We present the largest series of extended transcervical thymectomy to provide outcomes data to compare with transsternal procedures. Methods A retrospective chart review/interview was made of 164 patients operated upon from 1992 to 2004. Complete remission (CR) was defined as asymptomatic off medication for 6 months or asymptomatic on low-dose single-drug therapy (≤ 10 mg/d prednisone or ≤ 150 mg/d azathioprine). A modified Osserman classification based upon the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America quantitative disease severity score was employed. Results The overall complication rate was 7.3%, and nearly all procedures were outpatient. Mean age at surgery was 43 years, and mean preoperative Osserman class was 2.3 (21% class 1; 39% class 2; 28% class 3; 12% class 4). Mean length of follow-up was 53 months. Mean postoperative Osserman class was 1.0. Nineteen percent of patients failed to improve. The crude cumulative CR rate was 37% (n = 58). Kaplan-Meier estimates of CR were 43% and 45% at 3 and 6 years, respectively. On multivariate analysis, only preoperative disease severity was significantly (inversely) associated with Kaplan-Meier CR rates. Longer-term follow-up (83 months) of only the earlier patients shows preserved CR rates (46%). Conclusions This largest series of extended transcervical thymectomy for MG confirms that the 5-year Kaplan-Meier CR rate is comparable with that obtained after transsternal procedures. Patients with less severe disease have higher CR rates. Complete responses are durable, as the CR rate remains stable with extended follow-up.
Amino acid sequence of the human myeloma lambda chain Win.

Abstract The complete amino acid sequence of the variable region of a human myeloma immunoglobulin light chain (Win) has been determined. The sequence of the constant region has been verified by compositional analysis of its tryptic peptides. The amino acid sequence of the light chain Win corresponds to sub-group II and shows no unusual amino acid replacements in its constant or variable regions when compared to other human λ chains.
Congress, the FDA, and the fair development of new medications for children.

The engine driving the amazing progress in new therapeutic agents in the late 20th century has been the major pharmaceutical companies, which in turn are fueled by the desire to make profits for their stockholders. With a few exceptions, like oral antibiotics and antihistamines, children and new drugs for pediatric indications are too small a market to draw the attention of the major pharmaceutical houses, and the profit motive fails to provide the necessary impetus to perform the studies needed to understand how to use new drugs in children. To rectify this imbalance, Congress and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have tried a variety of tacks. In 1979, the FDA began to require pediatric information in the product label and package insert, but this did little to motivate pediatric studies. In 1994, the FDA allowed companies to obtain pediatric labeling if they established a dosing regimen for children and the disease process was biologically comparable to the same process in adults. Although it looked like an inexpensive way to expand a company’s market, the actual effect was minimal, and few companies pursued pediatric trials. The result of this nonresponsiveness was the inclusion of pediatric regulations in another law, the 1997 Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act (FDAMA). The FDAMA offered a 6-month extension to a company’s exclusive ability to market a drug if they performed studies in children that enabled a change in the drug’s labeling (ie, indications and dosing). This law was often referred to as “the carrot” in pediatric drug development, … Address correspondence to Ross E. McKinney, Jr, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3461, DUMC, Rm 117A, Dean’s Suite, Davison Bldg, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: ross.mckinney{at}duke.edu
Dynamical spin structure factor of one-dimensional interacting fermions

We revisit the dynamic spin susceptibility, $\chi(q,\omega)$, of one-dimensional interacting fermions. To second order in the interaction, backscattering results in a logarithmic correction to $\chi(q,\omega)$ at $q\ll k_F$, even if the single-particle spectrum is linearized near the Fermi points. Consequently, the dynamic spin structure factor, $\mathrm{Im}\chi(q,\omega)$, is non-zero at frequencies above the single-particle continuum. In the boson language, this effect results from the marginally irrelevant backscattering operator of the sine-Gordon model. Away from the threshold, the high-frequency tail of $\mathrm{Im}\chi(q,\omega)$ due to backscattering is larger than that due to finite mass by a factor of $k_F/q$. We derive the renormalization group equations for the coupling constants of the $g$-ology model at finite $\omega$ and $q$ and find the corresponding expression for $\chi(q,\omega)$, valid to all orders in the interaction but not in the immediate vicinity of the continuum boundary, where the finite-mass effects become dominant.
Next best view planning for active model improvement

We propose a novel approach to determining the Next Best View (NBV) for the task of efficiently building highly accurate 3D models from images. Our proposed method deploys a hierarchical uncertainty driven model refinement process designed to select vantage viewpoints based on the model’s covariance structure and appearance, as well as the camera characteristics. The developed NBV planning system incrementally builds a sensing strategy by sequentially finding the single camera placement, which best reduces an existing model’s 3D uncertainty. The generic nature of our system’s design and internal data representation makes it well suited to be applied to a wide variety of 3D modeling algorithms. It can be used within active computer vision systems as well as for optimized view selection from the set of available views. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and versatility of our approach.
The potential for clinical applications using a new ionization method combined with ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry

Recently discovered ionization methods for use in mass spectrometry (MS), are widely applicable to biological materials, robust, and easy to automate. Among these, matrix assisted ionization vacuum (MAIV) is astonishing in that ionization of low and high-mass compounds are converted to gas-phase ions with charge states similar to electrospray ionization simply by exposing a matrix:analyte mixture to the vacuum of a mass spectrometer. Using the matrix compound, 3-nitrobenzonitrile, abundant ions are produced at room temperature without the need of high voltage or a laser. Here we discuss chemical analyses advances using MAIV combined with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) real time separation, high resolution MS, and mass selected and non-mass selected MS/MS providing rapid analyte characterization. Drugs, their metabolites, lipids, peptides, and proteins can be ionized simultaneously from a variety of different biological matrixes such as urine, plasma, whole blood, and tissue. These complex mixtures are best characterized using a separation step, which is obtained nearly instantaneously with IMS, and together with direct ionization and MS or MS/MS provides a fast analysis method that has considerable potential for non-targeted clinical analyses.
Magnetization‐prepared cardiac imaging using gradient echo acquisition

Magnetization-prepared 2DFT and 3DFT gradient echo techniques are presented for acquisition of black blood cardiac images. Both methods incorporate RF pulses for blood saturation, centric or centric-like view ordering, data acquisition during late diastole, and breath-holding. In a series of 13 volunteer studies, these methods have consistently provided good visualization of intraventricular structures.
Medicinas y Culturas en la Araucanía

Medicinas y Culturas en la Araucania. Luca Citarella (editor). Santiago, Chile: Editorial Sudamericana, 1995. 617 pp., illustrations, tables, bibliography. $30.00 (paper). ISBN 956–262–031-X.
An efferent inhibition of auditory afferents mediated by the goldfish Mauthner cell.

Intracellular recordings from goldfish auditory afferents revealed a hyperpolarization triggered by a single impulse in the Mauthner cell. The firing of either one of the two Mauthner cells alone was sufficient to evoke this potential change. The all or none hyperpolarization, which could only be recorded in some auditory fibers, presumably was an inhibitory postsynaptic potential. The inhibitory postsynaptic potential typically had a latency of 6 ms, an amplitude of 1 mV and a half-decay time of 6.8 ms; it could block or delay impulses evoked by direct current injection and could attenuate the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked by sound pulses. However, this inhibitory postsynaptic potential did not reduce the amplitudes of electrotonic coupling potentials produced by antidromic impulses in the Mauthner cell. We propose that the inhibitory postsynaptic potential is generated at the dendrites of the auditory fibers, i.e. in the ear, rather than at the central terminals of the afferent, where the antidromic coupling potentials originate. The possibility that the inhibitory postsynaptic potential actually represented dis-facilitation due to an efferent inhibition of the hair cells, which tonically depolarize the saccular fibers, was ruled out because depolarization of these fibers increased the inhibitory postsynaptic potential amplitude. Possible morphological substrates for the efferent inhibition and the behavioral significance of this inhibition are discussed.
Evaluating the impact of soil moisture, nonlinear deformation, and resonance on near-surface seismic reflection data quality

Detailed characterization of the shallow subsurface is important not only in environmental, groundwater, and geotechnical engineering applications, but in neotectonics, mining geology, and the analysis of petroleum reservoirs (and analogs) as well. Extensive drilling or trenching to assist in characterization or monitoring, however, is at times imprudent or prohibitively expensive. In such cases, characterizing the upper layers of the Earth cost-effectively and noninvasively becomes important. Seismology in its various forms has been used to gather subsurface information for almost a century. There are numerous examples of using seismic reflection techniques to examine the upper 100 m of the Earth's subsurface. However, ultrashallow (less than 3 m) reflection seismology has only become possible over the last 20 years due to improvements in equipment, survey design, and processing procedures. This has allowed coincident seismic and GPR surveys (Figure 1) with vertical resolution ∼20 cm and detection of ref...