cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scheduling optical packets in wavelength, time, and space domains for all-optical packet switching routers

This paper describes a novel sequential wavelength-time-space (sWTS) scheduling algorithm to solve the arbitration problem in an all-optical packet switch router and shows the simulation as well as the hardware implementation results. The simulation results with self-similar traffic input demonstrate that the sWTS arbitration algorithm effectively improves the packet blocking rate, forwarding latency and jitter as the number of wavelength channels per port and the number of recirculation buffer ports in the switch fabric increase. The proposed algorithm further facilitates a very fast and hardware-efficient mixed-tree output port arbiter design. The hardware implementation is evaluated in terms of area and delay for various switch sizes with both the Xilinx XCV1000E FPGA and a 0.25-micron commercial ASIC library.
Direct application of constraints to symmetric algebraic systems

Constraints arise naturally in the context of rigid inclusions, incompressibility, inextensible fibres and deformed finite elements. Typical methods for handling constraints in the governing matrix equation include Lagrange multipliers, penalty weights and elimination of variables. Each procedure has a particular undesirable feature. Proposed here is an approach in which each constraint is handled directly and sequentially through a modification of the rows and columns of the governing matrix and force vector. Positive definiteness, symmetry and the dimensions of the matrix remain unchanged. Elementary examples involving both the static and dynamic response of a bar are given to illustrate the procedure.
Model based design needs high level synthesis: a collection of high level synthesis techniques to improve productivity and quality of results for model based electronic design

Model Based Design tools based around Simulink from The MathWorks are a popular technology for the creation of streaming DSP designs for FPGAs, since they offer the promise of rapid design exploration through immediate quantitative feedback of algorithm performance. Current tools typically use a library of components that reflect an explicit representation of the underlying FPGA device features. This is undesirable since the designer is forced to mix implementation and architecture, and leads to long design cycles and non-portable results. This paper shows that introducing techniques of high level synthesis allows a more elegant design at a higher level of abstraction. This results in fewer components needed for a design which translates into a faster design cycle, more portable designs and fewer defects. Pushbutton clock frequencies of up to 500 MHz are achieved without detailed knowledge of FPGA architectures. Although the capabilities described are embodied in the DSP Builder tool from Altera, this paper describes the technology involved rather than the details of the tools. Four major technologies are described: a latency-insensitive system representation, the module level internal representation with associated transformations, hardware retiming, and lastly a FIR filter design tool layered on top.
Postscript: looking back, looking forward

fertility and mortality to others who increasingly identify themselves as ‘epidemiologists’ or ‘medical geographers’. Another area of tension is the place of social theory in population geography. According to Rachel Silvey, population geographers have shied away from engaging in developments in social theory that have transformed human geography in recent decades. Whereas Silvey would like to see a more critical population geography emerge, David Plane prefers population geographers to continue to maintain a distance from the ‘recent bloody battlegrounds of epistemological debate’ in other areas of geography. The divergent opinions on the place of social theory closely connect with issues of methodology. Rachel Silvey notes that population geography to date is a positivist, secondary data-driven enterprise. Both she and Dennis Conway would like to see population geographers embrace a wider range of methodologies – qualitative, ethnographic and others – that allow the articulation of different sorts of questions. At the same time, it is clear from David Plane’s commentary that we are now seeing groundbreaking changes in the manner in which population data is being generated and reported by the US Census Bureau. The explosion in population data, accompanied by advances in GIS technologies, provides enormous opportunities for population geographers to have a voice in public policy. Ultimately, these commentaries make it clear that that contemporary population geography is not immune from the forces that are transforming geography at large. These forces are increasingly challenging us to rethink the content and boundaries of population geography. Yet it is precisely these tensions that contain the seeds of growth and vibrancy of population geography in the next 50 years. Nurturing this diversity while keeping sight of Trewartha’s vision for population geography may represent the challenge ahead for population geography. POPULATION, SPACE AND PLACE Popul. Space Place 10, 309 (2004) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/psp.335
Disruption of the Actin Cytoskeleton Results in the Promotion of Gravitropism in Inflorescence Stems and Hypocotyls of Arabidopsis

The actin cytoskeleton is hypothesized to play a major role in gravity perception and transduction mechanisms in roots of plants. To determine whether actin microfilaments (MFs) are involved in these processes in stem-like organs, we studied gravitropism in Arabidopsis inflorescence stems and hypocotyls. Localization studies using Alexa Fluor-phalloidin in conjugation with confocal microscopy demonstrated a longitudinally and transversely oriented actin MF network in endodermal cells of stems and hypocotyls. Latrunculin B (Lat-B) treatment of hypocotyls caused depolymerization of actin MFs in endodermal cells and a significant reduction of hypocotyl growth rates. Actin MFs in Lat-B-treated inflorescence stems also were disrupted, but growth rates were not affected. Despite disruption of the actin cytoskeleton in these two organs, Lat-B-treated stems and hypocotyls exhibited a promotion of gravitropic curvature in response to reorientation. In contrast, Lat-B reduced gravitropic curvature in roots but also reduced the growth rate. Thus, in contrast to prevailing hypotheses, our results suggest that actin MFs are not a necessary component of gravitropism in inflorescence stems and hypocotyls. Furthermore, this is the first study to demonstrate a prominent actin MF network in endodermal cells in the putative gravity-perceiving cells in stems.
Prizes and heroes: lagging and leading indicators

What are the purposes of prizes and recognitions? Are they lagging indicators of past achievements or leading indicators of things to come?
Axial stability of Taylor bubbles

Long gas bubbles rising in a vertical tube are observed to lose axial symmetry and become unstable in a downward liquid flow. In this paper an approximate linear stability analysis of this phenomenon is presented. It is found that, under the combined effect of gravity and the pressure gradient which drives the liquid flow, the relative velocity between the bubble and the liquid decreases with increasing downflow, which diminishes the stabilizing effect of convection. The decrease of the relative velocity is accompanied by a flattening of the bubble nose, which also has a destabilizing effect by strengthening the Rayleigh–Taylor instability at the bubble nose.
Dermatotoxicologic clinical solutions: clinical management of fragrance mix #1 #2 patients?

Today’s fragrances are present in more than just perfumes, having become ubiquitous in skin care products such as creams, shampoos, sun tan lotion and deodorants. While aromatics can arouse the senses, aromatic compounds applied to skin can also cause allergic contact dermatitis. This article describes diagnosis, limitations of patch testing for fragrance mix 1 and fragrance mix 2, the relevance of fragrance concentration in products, use testing of common consumer products and our current recommendations in regards to the management of fragrance contact allergy.
Equilibrium current and orbital magnetization in the quantum Hall fluid

We present a general theory for the equilibrium current distribution in a two-dimensional interacting electron gas, subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field, and confined by a potential that varies slowly on the scale of the magnetic length. The distribution is found to generally consist of strips or channels of current, which alternate in direction, and which have universal integrated strengths.
Thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped half-Heusler alloys

Based on our preliminary promising results for Sb-doped ZrNiSn-type half-Heusler intermetallics, we made a new series of Bi-doped samples Zr/sub 0.5/Hf/sub 0.5/NiSn/sub 1-x/Bi/sub x/ with concentrations x in the range 0/spl les/x/spl les/0.02. While the isoelectronic alloying of Zr and Hf reduces the lattice thermal conductivity, doping on the Sn site with Hf controls the carrier density and thus the nature of transport. This confirms the trend we reported previously for Sb, namely, that a small amount of the group V semimetal substituted on the Sn-site has a spectacular effect on all transport properties. Specifically, the electrical resistivity is much reduced due to an order of magnitude higher carrier density, and the thermopower is exceptionally large (/spl sim/-250 /spl mu/V/K for x=0.01), comparable to the thermopower of the parent (undoped) compound. Doping on the Sn site with Sb or Hi is thus an effective way to achieve high power factors in these half-Heusler intermetallics. The optimal operational range of the intermetallics is above room temperature.
All-trans-retinoic acid aggravates cryoglobulin-associated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in mice

Background. Transgenic (tg) mice overexpressing thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) develop mixed cryoglobulinaemia with renal disease closely resembling human cryoglobulinaemic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), as well as systemic inflammation involving lung, liver and skin as a result of cryoglobulin deposits. We assessed the effect of alltrans-retinoic acid (ATRA), a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, on this model of cryoglobulinaemic MPGN. Methods. Groups of male TSLP tg mice and wild-type controls were treated with either ATRA (20 mg/kg) or vehicle 3 times weekly by intraperitoneal injection for 4 or 8 weeks, when mice were then sacrificed. Routine histology and immunohistochemistry for collagen IV, a-smooth muscle actin, Mac-2 and Ki67 were performed. Immunoglobulin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. ATRA unexpectedly exacerbated renal injury in TSLP tg mice with increased glomerular extracellular matrix, mesangial cell activation, glomerular cell proliferation, glomerular macrophage influx and immune complex deposition. Systemic injuries involving liver and lung, and the amount of circulating cryoglobulins were all worsened by ATRA treatment. Furthermore, ATRA resulted in increased IgG1 and IgM levels, the main components of the cryoglobulins in TSLP tg mice, and a manifestation of an enhanced Th2 immune response. Conclusions. ATRA is not protective but instead aggravates cryoglobulinaemic MPGN and its systemic manifestations in TSLP tg mice. We speculate these findings may be due to augmented production of pathogenic immunoglobulins and/or an enhanced systemic Th2 response. Although disappointing, our results also suggest caution in the application of retinoid therapy to human disease based on the largely positive animal data reported to date.
Regulation of the glucose transporter in developing rat brain

We have found a complex alteration in the expression of the glucose transporter protein and mRNA in developing rat brain tissue. Before birth (gestational days 19- 20), the rat brain glucose transporter was comprised of a diffuse protein doublet of approximately 43,000 and 50,000 mol wt (Mr) by Western blot analysis. Immediately after birth (1-2 days), the total amount of immunoreactive glucose transporter decreased approximately 5-fold, primarily due to a loss of the higher (50,000) Mr component with a relatively smaller decrease in the 43,000 Mr band. Subsequently, the amount of the 43,000 Mr band progressively increased from days 5 to 60 and the 50,000 Mr band increased from days 15 to 60. By 60 days postdelivery, the relative amounts of the glucose transporter protein were similar to those on the 19th gestational day. N-Glycanase treatment of the developing rat brain membranes demonstrated that the regulation of the two different Mr weight glucose transporter species occurred as a result of differenti...
Assessing the impacts of crop-rotation and tillage on crop yields and sediment yield using a modeling approach

a b s t r a c t This study was conducted in the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW), north-west, Mississippi. The watershed has been identified as "impaired waters" under Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act due to high levels of sediment and total phosphorus. This excess is then transported to the Gulf of Mexico via the Yazoo River, further damaging the nation's water resources. The specific objectives of this study were to assess the impact of corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr., and rice (Oryza sativa, L.) crop-rotations (corn after soybean, soybean after rice, continuous soybean) and tillage practices (conventional, conservation, no-till) on crop yields and sediment yield using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model.
Intramyocellular lipid content is lower with a low-fat diet than with high-fat diets, but that may not be relevant for health

Background: Fat deposition in muscle has been found to be related to metabolic risk. Objective: This study compared soleus intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) concentrations after consumption of weight-maintaining, controlled diets differing in total fat and fat type. Design: This study consisted of 3 phases of 25 d each in a crossover, controlled feeding design. The low-fat (LF) diet provided 30.8% and 5.2% of energy from fat and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), respectively. Two higher-fat diets were tested: the high-fat (HF) diet provided 37.9% and 5.8% of energy from fat and PUFA, respectively, and the high-PUFA (HPUFA) diet provided 36.3% and 9.7% of energy from fat and PUFA, respectively. Twenty-four men and women [age range: 19-65 y; body mass index (in kg/m 2 ): 20-35] whose LDL and glucose concentrations were between 130 and 180 mg/dL and <126 mg/dL, respectively, completed all study phases. Results: IMCL content was 1.88 times as high after the HF diet (P = 0.005) and 1.71 times as high after the HPUFA diet (P = 0.002) as after the LF diet. There was no significant correlation between percentage fat mass or waist circumference and IMCL content. With pooled data from all diets, there was no significant correlation between IMCL content and insulin or glucose concentration. There was no significant difference in IMCL content in subjects with or without the metabolic syndrome or in subjects with LDL particle pattern A or B. Conclusions: Our results suggest that IMCL content is not modulated by dietary fat type but by total fat intake and that reducing fat intake effectively lowers IMCL. However, the metabolic implications of having lower IMCL concentrations are not clear.
Computers and the education of health personnel

Computer scientists and health personnel must both learn some things about each other's disciplines if they are to develop effective computer-based systems for patient care. Formal efforts by the Laboratory of Computer Science at the Massachusetts General Hospital to teach large groups of health personnel about computer technology have failed for several reasons, and a new course and format which are better suited to needs of health personnel has been planned. A successful series of computer-based simulations have also been developed to teach and test clinical problem-solving, and these programs are available nationwide in the United States through the Health Education Network.Informaticiens et medecins doivent apprendre les rudiments de la discipline des autres, s'ils ont a collaborer pour developper un systeme informatique. Les efforts faits par le Laboratoire d'Informatique du Massachussetts General Hospital pour enseigner la technologie des ordinateurs a des groupes importants du personnel medical ont...
From query analysis to user information needs: a study of campus map searches

Purpose – Search engines and web applications have evolved to be more tailored toward individual user’s needs, including the individual’s personal preferences and geographic location. By integrating the free Google Maps Application Program Interface with locally stored metadata, the author created an interactive map search for users to locate, and navigate to, destinations on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus. The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of UNM map search queries, the options and prioritization of the metadata augmentation, and the usefulness and possible improvement of the interface. Design/methodology/approach – Queries, search date/time, and the number of results found were logged and examined. Queries’ search frequency and characteristics were analyzed and categorized. Findings – From November 1, 2012 to September 15, 2013, the author had a total 14,097 visits to the SearchUNM Maps page (http://search.unm.edu/maps/). There were total 5,868 searches (41 percent ...
A statistical model in palynology

Abstract The causes of areal and temporal variation in palynofloras extracted from sedimentary rocks are divided into major sources of variation and extraneous sources of variation. Major sources include: (1) Time; (2) Climate; (3) Plant succession; (4) Variations in local weather conditions; (5) Area dominated by species; (6) Distance transported; (7) Mode of transportation; (8) Intensity of transporting medium; (9) Characteristics of depositional basin; (10) Rate of deposition; (11) Differential flotation of miospore species; (12) Bacterial and fungal corrosion; (13) Action of bottom burrowing organisms; (14) Turbulance of depositional basin; (15) Presence of teratological forms; and (16) Recycling, stratigraphic leakage and reworking. Extraneous sources include: (1) Sample preparation; (2) Slide preparation; and (3) Operator error. These sources of variation can be measured indirectly by defining their operating level in the geological maze, and sampling accordingly. A least‐squares covariate analysis ...
Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Chinese American Adults: The Chinese American Eye Study

Importance Population-based prevalence estimates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) need to be determined to assess its burden among Chinese Americans, the fastest growing racial group in the United States. Objective To determine the age- and sex- specific prevalence of AMD among Chinese Americans. Design The Chinese American Eye Study (CHES) was conducted in a general urban community of 10 census tracts in Monterey Park, California. A total of 4582 Chinese American adults aged 50 years or older participated in this population-based, cross-sectional study from February 16, 2010, through October 9, 2013, and underwent an interview as well as comprehensive clinical and eye examinations, including detailed retinal photography of both eyes. Fundus photographs were graded for drusen and retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities and were evaluated for AMD. Main Outcomes and Measures The prevalence of early and advanced AMD, drusen, geographic atrophy, and neovascular AMD were determined by using a modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading Scale (a 6-level scale: 10, no AMD; 60, advanced AMD). Results Of the 4582 participants completing both the home survey and clinical examination, 4172 individuals (91.1%) had at least 1 gradable photograph. A total of 1526 (36.6%) participants were men, and the mean (SD) age was 61.2 (8.8) years. When examined by 10-year age groups, the prevalence of early AMD ranged from 5.8% (n = 119) in participants aged 50 to 59 years to 17.6% (n = 37) in those 80 years or older, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities from 4.1% (n = 85) to 7.2% (n = 16), large drusen (≥125 µm) from 9.8% to 32.4%, soft drusen from 27.6% (n = 567) to 58.6% (n = 123), and soft indistinct drusen from 3.7% (n = 76) to 15.2% (n = 32). The prevalence of advanced AMD ranged from 0.2% (n = 3) in participants aged 50 to 59 years to 1.0% (n = 2) in those 80 years or older. Of the 14 cases of advanced AMD, 85.7% (95% CI, 57.2%-98.2%; n = 12) were neovascular AMD and 14.3% (95% CI, 2.0%-42.8%; n = 2) were geographic atrophy. Acute macular degeneration was more common in men (10.9% [9.3%-12.5%]; n = 166) than women (5.8% [4.9%-6.7%]; n = 154) in this cohort. Conclusions and Relevance Data from CHES suggest that Chinese Americans have a lower prevalence of early and advanced AMD compared with non-Hispanic white individuals. The prevalence of early AMD, advanced AMD, and large drusen was higher among Chinese Americans in CHES than among the Chinese population living in urban/rural China but lower than that in urban-dwelling Taiwanese.
Pharmacist-led medication management program within a patient-centered medical home

Purpose The impact of a clinical pharmacist-led medication management program (MMP) within a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) was evaluated. Methods This retrospective analysis included patients in Sutter Health’s electronic health records who (1) were seen by the MMP clinical pharmacist within the PCMH (MMP cohort), (2) were within the PCMH but were not referred to the MMP pharmacist (PCMH cohort), or (3) received usual care at two non-PCMH primary care clinics (usual care cohort). Patients were matched on their propensity for receiving medication management. The primary outcome measure was healthcare resource use (i.e., ambulatory care visits, emergency department [ED] visits, and hospitalizations). Results MMP patients had a higher percentage of ambulatory care visits relative to PCMH patients ( p = 0.004) but a lower rate of hospitalizations ( p = 0.003). The MMP group had a lower frequency of hospitalizations ( p < 0.001) and ED visits ( p = 0.014) relative to patients in the usual care group. No differences in healthcare resource use were observed between the PCMH and usual care cohorts. Glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, or low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol at goal did not significantly differ among the three cohorts. Conclusion Patients in a pharmacist-led MMP had a significantly higher estimated rate of ambulatory care visits but a lower rate of hospitalizations than did patients who attended the same clinic but were not in the MMP. MMP patients had a similar rate of ambulatory care visits but significantly lower rates of hospitalizations and ED visits than patients receiving usual care.
The Influences of Heating Conditions on the Deterioration of Frying Oils

The length of time by which any frying oil may become to show the strong foaming during the deep fat frying is presumed to depend on several factors, principally temperature of frying, surface area of oil exposed to air and degree of contamination of oil by the fried foods. This paper deals factors that affect the rate of oil deterioration during the deep fat frying, such as degree of heating, amount of steam blown into oils, kind of gases passed in oils, kind of metals used as frying pans and so on. To compare the effects of defference in amount of steams blown into oils, 700 gr or 1, 000 gr of soybean oil placed in iron frying pan was heated for 2.5 hrs at 240°C, blowing the steam through a glass plate filter, then the chemical and physical properties of oils thus obtained were measured. The more the steam blown, the more the oil deteriorates. Blowing of air and oxygen into oil affected much the rate of deterioration of oil, while blowing of steam or heating in absence of air seemed to prevent oil deterioration. With regard to the factors resulting from contamination of the oil by the fried soybean curd, “Tofu” didnot affect on the deterioration except the colour. The kind of metals used for vessels such as iron, stainless steel, coppor and aluminium didnot show any significant difference of effect on oil deterioration except the changes in colour and flavor in the case of copper.
Delayed débridement and external drainage of massive pancreatic or peripancreatic necrosis.

Thirty-six consecutive patients with massive tissue necrosis resulting from acute pancreatitis were initially managed nonoperatively. In each instance, a mass of necrotic tissue, bathed in fluid, became evident. Laparotomy was delayed unless a life-threatening complication developed. In no instance did the "cavitary necrosis" disappear prior to laparotomy. In five patients, laparotomy was avoided and a chronic pseudocyst evolved. Thirty-one patients required laparotomy, usually after a lapse of one to two months. The necrotic tissue was always retroperitoneal and was clearly demarcated from viable tissue. In most instances, the necrotic tissue was predominantly retroperitoneal adipose tissue. Under such conditions, the anatomic definition of the pancreas, per se, was not practical. The preoperative and operative diagnosis of secondary infection of the necrotic tissue was often difficult. The operation consisted of necrosectomy (debridement) and external drainage. The amount of necrotic tissue was often in excess of 1 kilogram. When necrosectomy was incomplete, secondary explorations and debridement were sometimes necessary. In retrospect, in only a few instances did necrosis and necrosectomy appear to have resulted in the loss of an appreciable amount of pancreatic tissue. One of the 36 patients died, giving a mortality rate that compares favorably with reports of earlier operative intervention.
Life History Evolution in Guppies, Experimental Studies of

Natural populations of guppies from Trinidad provide an ideal substrate for understanding how and why life histories evolve. They occupy streams that have complex fish communities with many predators downstream, then progressively simpler communities with few predators upstream. Differences in predation are correlated with differences in guppy mortality risk. Theory predicts how life histories will evolve in response to such differences. We have tested these predictions with comparative studies of natural populations from alternative environments and with experiments in which we transplanted guppies from high predation environments over barrier waterfalls into previously guppy-free, low predation environments.
An Electrophysiological Analysis of Behavioural Integration in Colonial Anthozoans

Coloniality has apparently arisen independently on several occasions in the Cnidaria (Hyman, 1940). In anthozoans alone there is evidence of four distinct colonial groups. The polyps that comprise anthozoan colonies, while having morphological variations consistent with the groupings of Octocorallia and Hexacorallia, all closely follow the anthozoan body plan. This structural uniformity is reflected in the constancy of certain behaviours. Thus, retraction, expansion and feeding are carried out in basically the same way by octocorallian, hexacorallian and solitary polyps (Horridge, 1957). Indeed, Buisson (1973) suggests that pennatulid polyps are even capable of the slow rhythmical contractions of column musculature typical of actinians (Batham and Pantin, 1950).
Reducing radiation dose in grating based x-ray phase contrast CT with twin-peaks in its phase stepping curves

Purpose Differential phase contrast CT has been recognized as an x-ray imaging method with the potential to greatly improve the differentiation of soft tissues. Talbot interferometry has been one of the promising solutions allowing implementation with commercially available x-ray tubes with a polychromatic spectrum. Mainly due to imperfections in grating fabrication and the polychromatic spectrum of x-ray beam, a twin-peaks phenomenon may exist in phase stepping curves (PSCs) and degrade the performance of phase retrieval. The authors have previously proposed a Fourier analysis based method for phase retrieval in the scenario wherein the twin-peaks phenomenon occurs in PSCs. In this work, the authors propose a 5-step algebraic method for phase retrieval and investigate the potential of reducing radiation dose while both the Fourier and algebraic methods are being utilized for phase retrieval. Methods The algebraic method to deal with the twin-peaks phenomenon, in which a set of linear equations with five unknown variables is needed for phase retrieval, is an extension of the so-called 3-step method that has been used in the scenario wherein only single-peak exists in the PSCs. In addition to a numerical phantom, two sets of experimental data (a phantom made of organic materials and a small animal) acquired by a prototype differential phase contrast CT system are employed to evaluate the performance of the Fourier and algebraic phase retrieval methods and their potential in radiation dose reduction. Results The evaluation by both numerical phantom and experimental data shows that the algebraic method works as well as the Fourier method in phase retrieval if the twin-peaks phenomenon in the PSCs is appropriately dealt with. In addition, while the radiation dose associated with data acquisition is being reduced via fewer phase shifting steps, the algebraic method can maintain a better performance compared to the Fourier method. Conclusions Along with the Fourier method, the proposed 5-step algebraic method can cope with the twin-peaks phenomenon in phase retrieval. With decreased phase shifting steps and thus radiation dose, the proposed algebraic method performs better than the Fourier method, providing a practical solution for implementation of grating based differential phase contrast CT.
Fuzzy Inference Systems for Invariant Pattern Recognition in MFL NDE

Defect related information present in NDE signals is frequently obscured by the presence of operational variables inherent in the system. A typical NDE system comprises of an energy source, a test specimen and a sensor array. Operational variables include uncontrollable changes in source signal strength and/or frequency, variations in the sensitivity of the sensor and alterations in the material properties of the test specimen. These operational variables can confuse subsequent signal interpretation schemes, such as those relying on artificial neural networks. Invariant pattern recognition methods are required to ensure accurate signal characterization in terms of the underlying defect geometry. This paper describes a generalized invariance transformation technique to compensate for operational variables in NDE systems. An application to magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inspection of gas transmission pipelines is presented. The technique is employed to compensate for variations in magnetization characteristics in the pipe wall.
Radioactive decay of U 232 by Ne 24 emission

Using polyethylene terephthalate track-recording films, which are sensitive only to particles with Zg6, we have detected for the first time the exotic radioactive decay mode in which an energetic $^{24}\mathrm{Ne}$ nucleus is emitted. For $^{232}\mathrm{U}$ the branching ratio for $^{24}\mathrm{Ne}$ relative to alpha decay is (1.00\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.25)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}12}$. We point out that the spontaneous fission rates reported for $^{232}\mathrm{U}$ and several other nuclides based on early measurments of energetic pulses in ionization chambers may actually have been rates for emission of $^{24}\mathrm{Ne}$ or other heavy clusters.
Classic Hodgkin lymphoma involving the endometrium: an extremely rare finding associated with refractory/widespread disease

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) involving the endometrium is extremely rare as lymphoma involving the female genital tract is uncommon in general and those that do are most commonly non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Here, we present a patient with refractory classic HL where PET scan imaging results led to an endometrial biopsy that confirmed uterine involvement of her disease.
An Activity-Based Undergraduate Software Engineering Course to Engage Students and Encourage Learning

The objective of this paper is to summarize our experience in teaching a software engineering course that emphasizes student learning through activities. It provides an outline and a template for educators interested in combining traditional topics with formal contract specification and verification topics, and engaging students in the classroom with a variety of activities that span the entire software lifecycle. Some of the activities are paper-based and are concerned with topics such as processes, requirements analysis and design, whereas others are tool-based and focus on specification and reasoning. Some activities involve pairs of students and others involve larger groups. The paper contains several illustrative examples. Student responses indicate that they find the activities engaging and conducive to learning.
Are Virtual and Democratic Communities Feasible

This paper asks whether communities and democracy can thrive in the new world, in cyberspace? This requires a two step examination. First, can there be virtual communities? Second, can these--and other (including offline) communities--govern themselves in a democratic way by drawing on new developments in cyberspace?
Nodulation Genes and Their Regulation in Rhizobium Meliloti

Our long term goals are to study the interaction of Rhizobium and plants at the molecular and cellular levels. Our system of study is Rhizobium meliloti and its host plants such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The approaches we use are primarily to combine genetic analysis of nodulation with microscopic observation of normal and mutant bacteria during interaction with plants. Our recent work includes the definition of two new nodulation genes, and the further characterization of the network for regulation of nodulation genes in Rhizobium meliloti. One theme found in both these studies is the complexity arising from multiple gene copies in R. meliloti.
The Changing Composition of Schools

Classrooms across the United States looked quite different in the 1980s from what had prevailed earlier, for they contained more black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian-American students than ever before. We can anticipate still further change, for children of minority group background already comprise a significant fraction of the school-age population, and the growth rates for minority groups exceed those for the general population. In 1960 nonwhite students represented around 13% of the population aged 5 to 17 years. That number had risen to above 20% by the mid-1980s (see Table 1). These numbers understate the changes, for they exclude Hispanics—the fastest growing minority population. Birth rates among Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans surpasses those of the wider population. Consequently, more Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans are under 14 years of age than is the case for the total population of the nation.1
Hobbes on Resistance: Is Leviathan a “rebel's catechism”?

On a natural reading of his philosophy, Hobbes is a man of extremes. His positions on various questions often come in the form of absolutes. He defends absolute materialism and absolute moral subjectivism, and he maintains that the condition of man outside civil society – the “state of nature” – is absolutely terrible. The political authority of the sovereign is also absolute, and rebellion by subjects against their political order is absolutely prohibited. Hobbes makes it easy to take his positions in this way, and the interpretation of Hobbes as advancing an absolute prohibition on rebellion finds a great deal of explicit textual support. For example, he argues against rebellion saying that it is “but war renewed.” Indeed, at times Hobbes writes as though his entire project, at least in De Cive and Leviathan , is to demonstrate the illegitimacy and imprudence of rebelling against an established and stable political order. But this view strikes our modern eyes as implausible. We take it for granted that rebellion is sometimes justified, even though there is much disagreement about the specific circumstances that justify it. Read as an absolute prohibition, Hobbes's position on rebellion is, thus, easily dismissed; though this dismissal is usually accompanied by a sympathetic nod, acknowledging that this unreasonable view is understandable given the political climate in which Hobbes wrote. After all, he lived through the rebellion against King Charles I and the English Civil War, and was, therefore, acutely aware of the potentially disastrous consequences of rebellion.
FORMAL LANGUAGES AND THEIR RELATION TO AUTOMATA: WHAT HOPCROFT & ULLMAN DIDN'T TELL US

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the relationship between formal languages and automata. The relationship is a weak one and proceeds in only one direction. Automata are used as acceptors to define languages; therefore, the languages can be considered the external behavior of their acceptors and that end the relationship. There is no application of results from language theory to the study of automata. The chapter explains that there are deficiencies in the theory of automata and the deficiencies are reparable. The automata may be more intuitive than that of grammars; however, automata are so much more complicated that they would be used in formal proofs only with great awkwardness and when a proof by means of grammars is for some reason not feasible. A finite-state automaton is not always the best way to describe a regular set. There is no single method of representing regular sets that is always the most convenient to use.
Low Concentrated Photovoltaics for III-V Solar Cells

Concentrating PV offers a route to continued reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of photovoltaics while simultaneously offering increases in efficiency. In addition to the conventional routes to cost reductions for high concentration PV of increasing efficiency and re-using substrates, we show (1) increased growth rates, which have shown comparable material quality to conventional growth rages enable reduction of growth costs; (2) there is substantial room for cost reductions in the Ge wafers as production volume increases; (3) reductions in wafer and growth costs provide an additional path to lower LCOE through low concentration.
The Dynamic Association of Interest and Confusion: The Potential for Moderation by Utility Value and Gender

To better understand students’ experiences while learning in an online computer-science course, we adopted a dynamical systems analytic framework in which we tested linked patterns of confusion and...
The Hebrew Bible and Environmental Ethics: Humans, NonHumans, and the Living Landscape

The environmental crisis has prompted religious leaders and lay people to look to their traditions for resources to respond to environmental degradation. In this book, Mari Joerstad contributes to this effort by examining an ignored feature of the Hebrew Bible: its attribution of activity and affect to trees, fields, soil, and mountains. The Bible presents a social cosmos, in which humans are one kind of person among many. Using a combination of the tools of biblical studies and anthropological writings on animism, Joerstad traces the activity of non-animal nature through the canon. She shows how biblical writers go beyond sustainable development, asking us to be good neighbors to mountains and trees, and to be generous to our fields and vineyards. They envision human communities that are sources of joy to plants and animals. The Biblical writers' attention to inhabited spaces is particularly salient for contemporary environmental ethics in their insistence that our cities, suburbs, and villages contribute to flourishing landscapes.
The Joint Impacts of need for Status and Mobile Apps’ Social Visibility on Hotel Customers’ Behavioral Intentions

Drawing on the innovation diffusion theory and conspicuous consumption theory, this study examines the post-usage responses from customers with varying levels of need for status after using mobile ...
Maltreatment Profiles of Child Welfare-Involved Children in Special Education: Classification and Behavioral Consequences.

In this study, I investigated the maltreatment profiles of child welfare–involved children in special education and examined how those profiles influenced their internalizing and externalizing beha...
Anastomotic Ulcers After Ileocolic Resection for Crohn’s Disease Are Common and Predict Recurrence

Background Crohn's disease recurrence after ileocolic resection is common and graded with the Rutgeerts score. There is controversy whether anastomotic ulcers represent disease recurrence and should be included in the grading system. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of anastomotic ulcers on Crohn's disease recurrence in patients with prior ileocolic resections. Secondary aims included defining the prevalence of anastomotic ulcers, risk factors for development, and their natural history. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing an ileocolic resection between 2008 and 2017 at a large academic center, with a postoperative colonoscopy assessing the neoterminal ileum and ileocolic anastomosis. The primary outcome was disease recurrence defined as endoscopic recurrence (>5 ulcers in the neoterminal ileum) or need for another ileocolic resection among patients with or without an anastomotic ulcer in endoscopic remission. Results One hundred eighty-two subjects with Crohn's disease and an ileocolic resection were included. Anastomotic ulcers were present in 95 (52.2%) subjects. No factors were associated with anastomotic ulcer development. One hundred eleven patients were in endoscopic remission on the first postoperative colonoscopy. On multivariable analysis, anastomotic ulcers were associated with disease recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 3.64; 95% CI, 1.21-10.95; P = 0.02). Sixty-six subjects with anastomotic ulcers underwent a second colonoscopy, with 31 patients (79.5%) having persistent ulcers independent of medication escalation. Conclusion Anastomotic ulcers occur in over half of Crohn's disease patients after ileocolic resection. No factors are associated with their development. They are associated with Crohn's disease recurrence and are persistent.
The Importance of App Store Optimization (ASO) for Hospitality Applications

We have recently witnessed a digital revolution, which, due to the advent of the Internet and the development of mobile devices, has changed the way the hotel product is promoted, sold and distributed. Mobile applications enable a greater proximity between the users and the hotel chains, since you can only access them if you have previously been a guest at the hotel. Efficient app management can improve user loyalty to the brand. Therefore, any digital strategy that is carried out should consider what factors to implement to optimize the positioning of apps in a highly competitive universe.
Choices and Chances in the 80s

Wider opportunities have been opened for blind women by the various civil rights movements of the past two decades. By acceding to the limited roles traditionally imposed on them by parents, teache...
Partnership and participation in a community health improvement initiative

This paper examines partnerships and participation in a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) in a Mid-Western Region of the United States. Process and survey results reveal significant conformi...
Oral Hypersensitivity Reactions

Allergic contact hypersensitivity reactions of the oral mucosa pose a significant medical concern for some patients. Oral hypersensitivity reactions can result from a vast number of allergenic chemicals, but occur commonly from dental materials, flavorings, and preservatives. Clinical presentation is varied and often overlaps with other oral conditions, complicating their diagnosis and management. The most common clinical entities associated with oral hypersensitivity reactions are oral lichenoid reactions and allergic contact cheilitis. In addition to reviewing these conditions and their most common corresponding allergens, this article summarizes the pathogenesis of oral hypersensitivity reactions and addresses patch testing pearls.
Detection of coronary calcifications with dual energy chest X-rays: clinical evaluation

Our goal is to assess the ability of physicians to detect coronary calcifications in dual energy chest X-rays processed by a previously developed advanced algorithm. Because the chest X-ray is the most common imaging procedure, because the presence of coronary calcium provides proof of coronary artery disease, and because adherence to therapy can improve health, successful detection could positively impact healthcare for a large number of patients. Both dual energy chest and corroborative CT calcium score images were acquired. Dual energy images were processed with the advanced techniques, including sliding organ registration, so as to enhance coronary calcifications in two-shot dual energy acquisitions. We performed ROC to determine physicians’ ability to detect coronary calcifications. Since detection might be easier with heavier calcifications, we used various Agatston score cut-points for determining cases actually positive with calcification in the ROC analysis. In many cases, coronary calcifications were made more visible with the advanced processing as compared to conventional processing. At an Agatston cut-point of 300, coronary calcifications were detected with AUC = 0.85. There were marginal effects on detection performance found with increased X-ray exposure, nearby Agatston cut-point values, and coronary artery territory. Coronary calcifications can be detected in dual energy chest X-rays. The ability to detect disease compares very favorably to other accepted screening methods (e.g., X-ray mammography). As the chest X-ray is an already ordered procedure, there is an opportunity to detect a very large number of persons with coronary artery disease at zero or low cost.
Transjugular liver biopsy for Fontan associated liver disease surveillance: Technique, outcomes and hemodynamic correlation.

Abstract Background Fontan associated liver disease (FALD) is attributed to the limitations of the Fontan circulation, resulting in congestive hepatopathy. The technique and outcomes of transjugular liver biopsies (TJLB) in Fontan patients warrant definition as part of a rigorous FALD surveillance program. Method Four year review of patients with Fontan physiology who underwent a TJLB during surveillance catheterizations. Biopsy site, technique, histology, angiography, hemodynamics, and complications were reviewed to assess correlation of biopsy scores with simultaneously obtained catheterization hemodynamics. Results 125 patients with a TJLB from 10/1/14 to 5/1/18. Median age 17 years (2–50.5). Technical success 100% (125/125), all samples diagnostic. 17% (21) accessed via the left internal jugular vein, secondary to right IJ occlusion or Heterotaxy syndrome. No patients had superior compartment obstruction preventing transjugular approach. 3.2% complication rate (4/125). Complications were early in the experience, including capsular perforation (2), renal hematoma (1) and hemobilia (1), all without long-term effect and all avoidable. After standardized entry/exit angiography was adopted, no further complications noted. There is a significant correlation between the newly described modified Ishak congestive hepatic fibrosis (ICHF) score with mean Fontan pressure, time from Fontan and cardiac index. Conclusions TJLB is an alternate method for obtaining critical FALD surveillance data, with lower complication rates that traditional techniques. Vascular anomalies in Fontan physiology appear common and warrant pre-biopsy assessment. There is a significant correlation between biopsy score, time from Fontan, mean Fontan pressure and cardiac index.