cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coloring and maximum independent set of rectangles

In this paper, we consider two geometric optimization problems: Rectangle Coloring problem (RCOL) and Maximum Independent Set of Rectangles (MISR). In RCOL, we are given a collection of n rectangles in the plane where overlapping rectangles need to be colored differently, and the goal is to find a coloring using minimum number of colors. Let q be the maximum clique size of the instance, i.e. the maximum number of rectangles containing the same point. We are interested in bounding the ratio σ(q) between the total number of colors used and the clique size. This problem was first raised by graph theory community in 1960 when the ratio of σ(q) = O(q) was proved. Over decades, except for special cases, only the constant in front of q has been improved. In this paper, we present a new bound for σ(q) that significantly improves the known bounds for a broad class of instances. The bound σ(q) has a strong connection with the integrality gap of natural LP relaxation for MISR, in which the input is a collection of rectangles where each rectangle is additionally associated with non-negative weight, and our objective is to find a maximum-weight independent set of rectangles. MISR has been studied extensively and has applications in various areas of computer science. Our new bounds for RCOL imply new approximation algorithms for a broad class of MISR, including (i) O(log log n) approximation algorithm for unweighted MISR, matching the result by Chalermsook and Chuzhoy, and (ii) O(log log n)-approximation algorithm for the MISR instances arising in the Unsplittable Flow Problem on paths. Our technique builds on and generalizes past works.
Toward a Packetized Display Protocol Architecture for IRLED Projector Systems

Traditional display protocols have limitations in terms of fixed frame rates, high bandwidth requirements, and precise control over the display of frames. We propose a novel scalable packetized display protocol architecture incorporating dynamic frame rates, high speed capabilities, and dynamic synchronization to bridge performance gaps.
Go bananas no more socio economic and biosecurity implications of blood disease of banana in sumba island the province of east nusa tenggara Indonesia

Banana is important horticultural crop in Indonesia including in Sumba island geographically located in the drier part of the country Indeed Indonesia is the world rsquo s centre of origin and diversity of banana Unfortunately along with banana domestication there evolve banana diseases among which blood disease of banana caused by Ralstonia complex bacteria recently identified as Ralstonia syzygii subspecies celebecensis is one among the most destructive After almost a century being confined within its place of origin in Selayar Island and the neighboring mainland South Sulawesi the disease finally reached Sumba island in early s The disease is now destroying banana in the island causing significant economic losses to farmers who had just enjoyed go bananas from an increasing demand from the neighbouring island of Bali where the disease has destroyed banana since a decade earlier In addition the spread of the disease in Sumba Island has threaten banana biosecurity in the neighbouring island of Timor and Flores and the surrounding smaller islands
The Effect of Kalman-Weighted Averaging and Artifact Rejection on Residual Noise During Auditory Brainstem Response Testing

Purpose Low residual noise (RN) levels are critically important when obtaining electrophysiological recordings of threshold auditory brainstem responses. In this study, we examine the effectiveness and efficiency of Kalman-weighted averaging (KWA) implemented on the Vivosonic Integrity System and artifact rejection (AR) implemented on the Intelligent Hearing Systems SmartEP system for obtaining low RN levels. Method Sixteen adults participated. Electrophysiological measures were obtained using simultaneous recordings by the Vivosonic and Intelligent Hearing Systems for subjects in 2 relaxed conditions and 4 active motor conditions. Three averaging times were used for the relaxed states (1, 1.5, and 3 min) and for the active states (1.5, 3, and 6 min). Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to examine RN levels as a function of noise reduction strategy (i.e., KWA, AR) and averaging time. Results Lower RN levels were obtained using KWA than AR in both the relaxed and active motor states. Thus, KWA was more effective than was AR under the conditions examined in this study. Using KWA, approximately 3 min of averaging was needed in the relaxed condition to obtain an average RN level of 0.025 μV. In contrast, in the active motor conditions, approximately 6 min of averaging was required using KWA. Mean RN levels of 0.025 μV were not attained using AR. Conclusions When patients are not physiologically quiet, low RN levels are more likely to be obtained and more efficiently obtained using KWA than AR. However, even when using KWA, in active motor states, 6 min of averaging or more may be required to obtain threshold responses. Averaging time needed and whether a low RN level can be attained will depend on the level of motor activity exhibited by the patient.
Process Control Practice and Education: Past, Present and Future

Abstract Process control is a relatively young field, with commercial PID-type controllers developed largely in the 1930’s. Initial publications were applications-focused and authored primarily by instrumentation and control vendors. While some chemical engineering departments had instrumentation and control courses by the 1940’s, process control textbooks with a theoretical basis did not appear until the mid-1950’s, yet by 1950 there was already a concern about a theory vs. practice “gap.” Evolving views on this gap are discussed, and course content, delivery and textbooks used during the past 75 years are reviewed. The focus then turns to a flipped classroom, where students view screencasts, read textbook material and take an on-line quiz before class, which has been implemented in a process dynamics and control course. The class periods involve brief lectures summarizing what they have studied, and include discussions and advanced problem solving using MATLAB and Simulink.
Production and characterization of a bispecific IgG capable of inducing T-cell-mediated lysis of malignant B cells

Bispecific monoclonal antibodies (bsabs) recognizing both CD3 and a tumor antigen can redirect T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity toward cells bearing that antigen. Such bsabs have been shown to be more effective than monospecific monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) at preventing tumor growth in animal models of B-cell malignancy. The current studies describe the production and preliminary evaluation of a bsab designed to induce the lysis of malignant human B cells by human T cells. The bsab was obtained from a hybrid-hybridoma cell line produced by fusing OKT3-secreting hybridoma cells with hybridoma cells that secrete 1D10. 1D10 is an MoAb that recognizes an antigen found on a majority of malignant human B cells that has not been detected to a significant degree on normal resting or activated lymphocytes. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to separate bsab from monospecific antibodies that were also present in the hybrid-hybridoma antibody product. The bsab was then evaluated in vitro for its ability to induce lysis of malignant B cells by activated T cells. The bsab consistently induced extensive lysis in vitro of 1D10 (+) cells, including both cell lines and cells obtained from patients with a variety of B-cell malignancies. No such effect was seen with activated T cells alone or activated T cells with monospecific antibody. No increased lysis was seen with 1D10 (-) cell lines. The bsab also mediated lysis of malignant B cells by autologous T cells. We conclude bsab containing an OKT3 arm and a 1D10 arm can induce T-cell-mediated lysis in a manner that is both potent and specific. This supports further evaluation of this bsab as a potential immunotherapy of B-cell malignancy.
Outcome and Prognostic Factors for Patients Who Relapse After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract 3069 [][1] Disease relapse remains a major obstacle to the success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with hematologic malignancies (HM), and the principal cause of failure after reduced intensity conditioning HSCT. Much work has focused on identifying the risk factors for relapse and devising strategies for its prevention, but comparatively little is known about the outcome of patients who relapse and the relevant prognostic factors in this setting. We conducted a retrospective study of 1080 consecutive adult patients with HM transplanted at our institution between 2004 and 2008. 351 (33%) relapsed at a median of 4.5 months after HSCT. The 4-year post-relapse overall survival (pr-OS) was 15%, with a median post-relapse follow-up of 39 months. Significant risk factors for post-relapse mortality included shorter time to relapse, higher disease risk index[1][2] at HSCT, myeloablative conditioning, and high HCT-CI[2][3] at HSCT. While being on immunosuppression at the time of relapse did not significantly affect outcome in multivariable models, a history of acute or chronic graft-versus host disease (GVHD) prior to relapse conferred a higher risk for death after relapse. Based on those 5 factors and their hazard ratio for mortality in the Cox models, we constructed a simple risk score that stratified patients into 4 groups, with 4-year pr-OS ranging from 64% in patients with fewer than 3 points (13% of the cohort, among whom over one third had myeloid diseases) to 0% in those with greater than 6 points ( p <0.0001) (Figure). This score performed similarly in a historical validation cohort of 276 relapsed patients who were transplanted between 1998 and 2003. An analysis of the impact of post-relapse treatment on outcome showed that immune manipulation, through either donor lymphocyte infusion or repeat HSCT, was associated with significantly better pr-OS (4-year pr-OS 28% versus 9%, p <0.0001). Even though this likely reflects in part selection bias, the difference remained significant in models that accounted for other post-relapse prognostic factors, in landmark analyses of patients who survived at least 2 months from relapse, and in patients with active GVHD at the time of relapse. The results of this study may aid with prognostication and management of patients who relapse after HSCT, as well as motivate the design of clinical trials aimed at relapse prevention or treatment in the higher-risk groups. ![Figure.][4] Figure. Post-Relapse Overall Survival by risk score. Risk factors are: Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. [1]: #fn-2 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: pending:yes
Analysis of Legionella Infection Using RNAi in Drosophila Cells

RNA interference (RNAi) is the process of specific gene silencing by the use of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In cultured Drosophila cells, RNAi methodologies are well established and easily executed: dsRNA, when added to the cell culture medium, is efficiently internalized by the cells and, through the activity of endogenous processing machinery, targets the specified mRNA for degradation resulting in reduced levels of its encoded protein. This technique has proven very useful in studying the role of host genes during Legionella pneumophila infections, as it allows the effect of host factor depletion on intracellular growth of the bacterium to be examined. In this chapter we present the methods commonly used in our laboratory to study intracellular growth of L. pneumophila using dsRNA in Drosophila cells.
Review: Does Gabapentin Relieve Opioids, Cannabis and Methamphetamines Addictions?

The study reviews the suitability of using Gabapentin for treating opioid, cannabis and methamphetamine use disorders. This revision consists of 61 biographical references based on a PubMed database search (January of 1983-May of 2018). Gabapentin displayed respectively 50% and 66.7% of success for treating methamphetamine dependence and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, a few research studies have reported Gabapentin´s efficacy for alleviating cannabis dependence (two studies), and cannabis withdrawal symptoms (one study). Similarly, a single study reported Gabapentin reduction of opioid consumption during the detoxification process. Based on the revision, we can conclude that: (a) Gabapentin is useful for treating opioid withdrawal symptoms, (b) additional studies are necessary for elucidating the effectiveness of Gabapentin for treating methamphetamine dependence, cannabis dependence and its withdrawal symptoms, and (c) more studies are necessary to confirm the efficacy of Gabapentin in reducing opioid consumption during detoxification.
The Relationship Between Intraocular Pressure and Rates of Central Versus Peripheral Visual Field Progression.

PRECIS In this longitudinal prospective cohort study of open-angle glaucoma patients, intraocular pressure (IOP) parameters (mean, fluctuation, and maximum) had a similar effect on glaucomatous progression in the central and peripheral visual field (VF) regions. PURPOSE To study the effects of IOP on rates of glaucomatous central versus peripheral VF progression. METHODS The African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES) is a longitudinal prospective cohort study that recruited patients from 3 centers. A sample of those with established glaucoma were included in this study. The mean peripheral sensitivity (MPS) and the mean central sensitivity (MCS) were defined based upon the average total deviation of the peripheral and central (10 degrees) points of the 24-2 VF, respectively. Progression was based upon central and peripheral change from linear mixed-effects models. The relationships between VF progression and IOP mean, maximum, and fluctuation as continuous variables were also investigated. Main outcome measures were MPS and MCS progression rates. RESULTS A total of 452 eyes of 344 patients were studied. The mean number of VFs (SD) for each eye was 13.3 (6.4) over 9.1 (3.7) years. The mean baseline MD was -5.1 (3.9) dB and the mean rate of MD change was -0.26 dB/y [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.33 to -0.20, P<0.001]. Mean rates of MPS (-0.27 dB/y, 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.22, P<0.001) and MCS change (-0.26 dB/y, 95% CI: -0.31 to -0.21, P<0.001) were similar (P=0.351). Mean, fluctuation, and maximum IOP were significantly associated with MPS and MCS (all P<0.025). CONCLUSIONS The effect of IOP parameters on VF progression was statistically similar between central and peripheral VF regions.
IT Risk and Security Management

Risks in Information systems and technologies come from different dimensions in addition to security such as financial risks, managerial risks, people risks, etc. The cycle of risk and security management include 4 main stages: (1) Risks identifications, (2) Risk assessment and prioritizations, (3) Risk mitigations (e.g., prevention, tolerance, etc.), and finally (4) Risk monitoring to track all previous activities in future.
Application of Principal Component Analysis to Newborn Screening for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

Purpose: Newborn screening laboratories are challenged to develop reporting algorithms that accurately identify babies at increased risk for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). Screening algorithms typically use cutoff values for a key steroid(s) and include considerations for covariates, such as gestational age or birth weight, but false positive and false negative results are still too frequent, preventing accurate assessments. Principal component analysis (PCA) is a statistical method that reduces high-dimensional data to a small number of components, capturing patterns of association that may be relevant to the outcome of interest. To our knowledge, PCA has not been evaluated in the newborn screening setting to determine whether it can improve the positive predictive value of 21OHD screening. Methods: PCA was applied to a data set of 920 newborns with measured concentrations of five key steroids that are known to be perturbed in patients with 21OHD. A decision tree for the known outcomes (confirmed 21OHD cases and unaffected individuals) was created with two principal components as predictors. The effectiveness of the PCA-derived decision tree was compared to the current algorithm. Results: PCA improved the positive predictive value (PPV) of 21OHD screening from 20.0% to 66.7% in a retrospective study comparing the current algorithm to a tree-based algorithm using PCA-derived variables. The streamlined PCA-derived decision tree, comprising only three assessment points, greatly simplified the 21OHD reporting algorithm. Conclusions: This first report of PCA applied to newborn screening for 21OHD demonstrates enhanced detection of affected individuals within the unaffected population.
A Public Health Frame for Fracking? Predicting Public Support for Hydraulic Fracturing

The American public is split on support for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). This study seeks to better understand fracking attitudes by predicting support via economic, environmental, and public...
Sexual enhancement expectancy, non-medical use of prescription drugs, and sexual risk behaviors in college students.

American young adults have a high risk of sexually transmitted infections. Sexual risk behaviors may be influenced by psycho-behavioral factors, including substance use and sexual enhancement expec...
Comparison of Outcomes After Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Versus Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Catheter ablation improves outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of catheter ablation of AF in HF patients with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We performed a retrospective study of all patients who underwent de novo radiofrequency catheter ablation enrolled in the UC San Diego AF Ablation Registry. The primary outcome was recurrence of all atrial arrhythmias on or off antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD). Of 547 total patients, 51 (9.3%) had HFpEF, 40 (7.3%) had HFrEF, and 456 (83.4%) were without HF. There was no difference in recurrence of atrial arrhythmias on or off AAD (Adjusted Hazard Ratio [AHR] 1.92 [95% CI 0.97 to 3.83] for HFpEF vs HFrEF and AHR 0.90 [95% CI 0.59 to 1.39] for HFpEF vs no HF) or off AAD (AHR 1.96 [95% CI 0.99 to 3.90] for HFpEF vs HFrEF and AHR 1.14 [95% CI 0.74 to 1.77] for HFpEF vs no HF). There was also no difference in rates of all-cause hospitalizations (AHR 1.80 [95% CI 0.97 to 3.33] for HFpEF vs HFrEF and AHR 2.05 [95% CI 1.30 to 3.23] for HFpEF vs no HF) or rates of all-cause mortality (AHR 0.53 [95% CI 0.05 to 6.11] for HFpEF vs HFrEF and AHR 2.46 [95% CI 0.34 to 17.92] for HFpEF vs no HF). There were no significant differences in AAD use (p = 0.176) or procedural complications between groups (p = 0.980). In conclusion, there were no significant differences in arrhythmia-free survival between patients with HFpEF and HFrEF that underwent catheter ablation of AF.
Maize molecular maps: Markers, bins, and database

Following several years of vigorous communication with co-workers in maize, Emerson et al. (1935) presented the first comprehensive maps, linkage data, and genetic descriptions for maize. Sharing of data and stocks, i.e., maize genetics cooperation, enabled M.M. Rhoades to construct the first linkage maps (Emerson et al., p. 71). These maps included phenotypic variants and a few reciprocal translocations. One pest resistance gene (rpl, resistance to Puccinia sorghi) had been placed to chromosome arm by deletion analysis, but no biochemically defined loci were yet identified. Accretion of sixty years of data on the 1935 foundation is reflected in the genetic linkage maps in Mutants of Maize (Neuffer et al. 1997).
Phospho-regulation of mitotic spindle assembly

The assembly of the bipolar mitotic spindle requires the careful orchestration of a myriad of enzyme activities like protein posttranslational modifications. Among these, phosphorylation has arisen as the principle mode for spatially and temporally activating the proteins involved in early mitotic spindle assembly processes. Here, we review key kinases, phosphatases, and phosphorylation events that regulate critical aspects of these processes. We highlight key phosphorylation substrates that are important for ensuring the fidelity of centriole duplication, centrosome maturation, and the establishment of the bipolar spindle. We also highlight techniques used to understand kinase-substrate relationships and to study phosphorylation events. We conclude with perspectives on the field of posttranslational modifications in early mitotic spindle assembly.
Assessing Countries' Financial Inclusion Standing - A New Composite Index

This paper leverages the IMF’s Financial Access Survey (FAS) database to construct a new composite index of financial inclusion. The topic of financial inclusion has gathered significant attention in recent years. Various initiatives have been undertaken by central banks both in advanced and developing countries to promote financial inclusion. The issue has also attracted increasing interest from the international community with the G-20, IMF, and World Bank Group assuming an active role in developing and collecting financial inclusion data and promoting best practices to improve financial inclusion. There is general recognition among policy makers that financial inclusion plays a significant role in sustaining employment, economic growth, and financial stability. Nonetheless, the issue of its robust measurement is still outstanding. The new composite index uses factor analysis to derive a weighting methodology whose absence has been the most persistent of the criticisms of previous indices. Countries are then ranked based on the new composite index, providing an additional analytical tool which could be used for surveillance and policy purposes on a regular basis.
A Passive-Mixer-First Acoustic-Filtering Superheterodyne RF Front-End

This article presents an agile passive-mixer-first superheterodyne RF front-end that utilizes a gigahertz acoustic filter as its intermediate-frequency (IF) load—essentially a mixer-first acoustic-filtering RF front-end . The passive mixer frequency-translates a sharp but fixed-frequency acoustic-filtering response to a much higher and mixer-clock-defined tunable frequency while preserves input matching, high linearity, and introduces minimal loss. In contrast to low- or zero-IF passive-mixer-first receivers which often use active filters at baseband, using an acoustic filter as the IF load is fraught with fundamental challenges. We introduce ON-chip LC tanks, as an impedance shaper , to suppress the acoustic filter impedance components at harmonic frequencies and an all-passive recombination network at IF to share one acoustic filter among multiple paths. Also, we extend the existing analysis of mixer-first front-ends from assuming a load impedance with a low-pass frequency response to having a generic load impedance. Our analysis unveils impedance aliasing in a generic mixer-first front-end, motivating the need for an ON-chip impedance shaper. A front-end prototype using a 65-nm CMOS switched- LC passive mixer followed by an off-the-shelf 1.6-GHz surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) filter is designed. In measurement, the RF front-end operates across 2.5-to-4.5 GHz achieving 5.5-dB noise figure and +29.4-dBm IIP3 at 1 $\times $ bandwidth offset.
Reconstructive teat surgery for complete teat canal obstruction

A new surgical technique to reestablish teat canal patency in obstructed teats is described. The technique entails opening the teat canal and inserting a prosthetic tube to reestablish milk flow.
New Ocean Subsurface Optical Properties From Space Lidars: CALIOP/CALIPSO and ATLAS/ICESat-2

Remote sensing from Earth-observing satellites is now providing valuable information about the ocean phytoplankton distributions. This paper presents the new ocean subsurface optical properties obt...
Dynamic Scheduling for Heterogeneous Multicores

Heterogeneous multicore systems can help adherence to design goals by providing a diverse set of hardware components to meet application requirements. Each core may also have tunable hardware that can reconfigured for different applications. However, scheduling becomes difficult in the presence of tunable hardware due to the additional constraint that an application must be scheduled to a core that offers the best configuration, based on the application’s requirements, to maximize the benefit of the tunable hardware. The scheduling decision can be made by exploring and evaluating each hardware configuration in the design space exhaustively or through the use of a heuristic to evaluate a subset of the design space. However, exhaustive and heuristic approaches do not scale well with the number of available hardware configurations. To improve upon exhaustive and heuristic approaches, in this paper, we present a dynamic scheduling methodology that uses machine learning to schedule applications to the application’s respective best core for reduced energy consumption for a system with configurable caches. We use an artificial neural network (ANN) to train our predictive model, using hardware counters, to predict the best core and a tuning heuristic to determine best configuration on non-best cores. If the best core is busy, our scheduler considers alternative idle cores, or the application is stalled depending on which decision is energy advantageous. Our experiments show that our proposed system can achieve a total energy savings of approximately 33% and 2.5% compared to a fixed-cache, base system when using a configurable instruction and data cache, respectively, while remaining competitive and exhibiting better scaling properties compared to systems adopting a heuristic approach.
Invariance, Symmetry and Meaning

The role of the concept of invariance in physics and geometry is analyzed, with attention to the closely connected concepts of symmetry and objective meaning. The question of why the fundamental equations of physical theories are not invariant, but only covariant, is examined in some detail. The last part of the paper focuses on the surprising example of entropy as a complete invariant in ergodic theory for any two ergodic processes that are isomorphic in the measure-theoretic sense.
The Writers of the Twentieth Century

This chapter, without making any attempt to exhaust the literature, is based on a study of certain selected texts and treatises among which are the works of the more widely known writers. In addition, selected examples of the new international law are reviewed.
Analog Computation to Model Responses Based on Linear Integration, Modifiable Synapses, and Nonlinear Trigger Zones

Up to this time my approach had been to identify an experimental domain of linear dynamics by means of paired-shock stimulation in order to show that proportionality and additivity held for the superimposed responses in certain ranges of the stimulus pulse interval and intensity (Biedenbach and Freeman 1965). Using measurements of cortical impulse responses by curve fitting, I constructed a series of linear dynamic models and evaluated the coefficients, extending their ranges by varying the coefficients in piecewise linear approximations. In the 1960s the use of analog hardware to model nonlinear systems had become widespread, so it seemed worthwhile to construct a network model, using operational amplifiers to simulate the linear integration performed by the dendrites of cortical populations, and diodes to simulate the static nonlinearity at the trigger zones (Figure 7 in Chapter 7), treating pulse densities as continuous variables in time and amplitude. The circuit connections were the specified by the KII model. My aim was to simulate the changes in the waveforms of evoked potentials and the root loci with increasing stimulus intensity in Mode 1, and then to simulate the patterns of change and root loci in Mode 2 (Chapter 6).
Abstract 19742: Effects of a "Health Partner" Intervention on the Metabolic Syndrome

Introduction: The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent, afflicting a third of U.S. adults, and confers higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Features of MetS include abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, dysglycemia and atherogenic dyslipidemia. While lifestyle modifications are the first-line of MetS treatment, sustained adherence is achieved by a minority of patients. We investigated the effects of a Health Partner (HP) intervention on MetS. Methods and Results: A total of 119 university employees with MetS (51±9 years, 59% women, 26% African Americans) were enrolled in an academic program that promotes clinical self-knowledge and healthier lifestyles at the Center for Health Discovery and Well Being at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Baseline anthropometric, laboratory and vascular function measurements were used by the HP to generate an action plan with detailed strategies to improve dietary and exercise habits, and subjects returned for follow up at 6 months and annually ther...
Relative Building-Block Fitness and the Building-Block Hypothesis

Abstract The building-block hypothesis states that the GA works well when short, low-order, highly-fit schemas recombine to form even more highly fit higher-order schemas. The ability to produce fitter and fitter partial solutions by combining building blocks is believed to be a primary source of the GA's search power, but the GA research community currently lacks precise and quantitative descriptions of how schema processing actually takes place during the typical evolution of a GA search. Another open problem is to characterize in detail the types of fitness landscapes for which crossover will be an effective operator. In this paper we first describe a class of fitness landscapes (the “Royal Road” functions) that we have designed to investigate these questions. We then present some unexpected experimental results concerning the GA's performance on simple instances of these landscapes, in which we vary the strength of reinforcement from “stepping stones”—fit intermediate-order schemas obtained by recombining fit low-order schemas. Finally, we compare the performance of the GA on these functions with that of three commonly used hill-climbing schemes, and find that one of them, “random-mutation hill-climbing”, significantly outperforms the GA on these functions.
Dynamic Change of Mitral Annular Geometry and Motion in Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Assessed by a Computerized 3D Echo Method

Objective: In patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), we assessed dynamic changes in mitral annular geometry and motion during the cardiac cycle, and examined their association with the severity of IMR, using our computerized three-dimensional (3D) echo method. Methods: Real-time 3D echo was performed in 12 normal controls and 25 patients with IMR. The saddle-shaped annulus was reconstructed in every 3D volume/frame during a cardiac cycle. For each 3D volume/frame, we assessed the mitral annular area (MAA) and the annular contraction that was expressed as the percentage of the largest MAA accounted for by the change in MAA from largest to smallest calculated value. Results: In IMR patients, the minimum MAA occurred in late-systole, while it occurred in early-systole in the controls. IMR patients had a larger minimum MAA (6.7 ± 1.3 vs. 3.6 ± 0.8 cm2, P < 0.001) and reduced annular contraction (23.0 ± 6.5 vs. 42.6 ± 7.0%, P < 0.001) when compared to controls. Both minimum MAA and annular contraction had significant correlations with IMR severity (r = 0.67 and r = 0.78, P < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: The contraction of the dilated mitral annulus occurred in late-systole in patients with IMR. The alterations of annular geometry and motion may be associated with the development of IMR. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1069-1077)
Experimental constraints on the electrical anisotropy of the lithosphere–asthenosphere system

Electrical anisotropy measurements at high temperatures and quasi-hydrostatic pressures on previously deformed olivine plus melt samples show that electrical conductivity is much higher in the direction of deformation; this is confirmed with a layered electrical model of the asthenosphere and lithosphere that reproduces existing field data. Anne Pommier and co-authors present laboratory measurements of the electrical anisotropy of deformed olivine aggregates and sheared partially molten rocks at high temperatures and pressures. At temperatures of less than 900°C, they find that sheared samples containing both olivine and mid-ocean ridge basalt have up to 100 times greater conductivity in the shear direction than normal to shear. To obtain such high electrical anisotropy, the authors propose a model whereby layers of sheared olivine are alternated with layers of a combined sheared olivine and mid-ocean ridge basalt or pure melt. They find that their experimental results and model can reproduce observed mantle conductivity-depth profiles. The relative motion of lithospheric plates and underlying mantle produces localized deformation near the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary1. The transition from rheologically stronger lithosphere to weaker asthenosphere may result from a small amount of melt or water in the asthenosphere, reducing viscosity1,2,3. Either possibility may explain the seismic and electrical anomalies that extend to a depth of about 200 kilometres4,5. However, the effect of melt on the physical properties of deformed materials at upper-mantle conditions remains poorly constrained6. Here we present electrical anisotropy measurements at high temperatures and quasi-hydrostatic pressures of about three gigapascals on previously deformed olivine aggregates and sheared partially molten rocks. For all samples, electrical conductivity is highest when parallel to the direction of prior deformation. The conductivity of highly sheared olivine samples is ten times greater in the shear direction than for undeformed samples. At temperatures above 900 degrees Celsius, a deformed solid matrix with nearly isotropic melt distribution has an electrical anisotropy factor less than five. To obtain higher electrical anisotropy (up to a factor of 100), we propose an experimentally based model in which layers of sheared olivine are alternated with layers of sheared olivine plus MORB or of pure melt. Conductivities are up to 100 times greater in the shear direction than when perpendicular to the shear direction and reproduce stress-driven alignment of the melt. Our experimental results and the model reproduce mantle conductivity–depth profiles for melt-bearing geological contexts. The field data are best fitted by an electrically anisotropic asthenosphere overlain by an isotropic, high-conductivity lowermost lithosphere. The high conductivity could arise from partial melting associated with localized deformation resulting from differential plate velocities relative to the mantle, with subsequent upward melt percolation from the asthenosphere.
The Heraclitean Universe: New Tools and Exotica from Transient Surveys of the Galaxy and Beyond

The radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum holds great promise for major new discoveries of time-variable sources using new arrays being constructed and planned. This paper summarizes our knowledge of the variable radio sky and discusses likely yields and speculative possibilities for synoptic surveys. The role of plasma propagation effects in the interstellar and intergalactic media are discussed, including a definition of the pulse-broadening horizon for Galactic and cosmological sources of fast transients. Sources in the Galactic center and at cosmological distances — including pulsars orbiting Sgr A* and prompt counterparts to gamma-ray bursts — are particular examples of high-payoff targets of transient survey campaigns that require special attention to propagation effects in surveys. Once found, transient sources provide unique information about densities, turbulence and magnetic fields of the intervening media. Probing the ionized cosmic web is a particularly good example of where the medium may be the message and not the sources themselves. Synergies between radio and optical synoptic surveys are likely to be very fruitful because cross-statistical studies will provide strong filters for identifying exotic sources.
Effects of 8-mer acidic peptide concentration on the morphology and photoluminescence of synthesized ZnO nanomaterials

An 8-mer ZnO-binding peptide, VPGAAEHT, was identified using a M13 pVIII phage display library and employed as an additive during aqueous-based ZnO synthesis at 65 °C. Unlike most other well-studied ZnO-binding sequences which are strongly basic (pI > pH 7), the 8-mer peptide was overall acidic (pI < pH 7) in character, including only a single basic residue. The selected peptide strongly influenced ZnO nanostructure formation. Morphology and optical emission properties were found to be dependent on the concentration of peptide additive. Using lower peptide concentrations (<0.1 mM), single crystal hexagonal rods and platelets were produced, and using higher peptide concentrations (≥0.1 mM), polycrystalline layered platelets, yarn-like structures, and microspheres were assembled. Photoluminescence analysis revealed a characteristic ZnO band-edge peak, as well as sub-bandgap emission peaks. Defect-related green emission, typically associated with surface-related oxygen and zinc vacancies, was significantly reduced by the peptide additive, while blue emission, attributable to oxygen and zinc interstitials, emerged with increased peptide concentrations. Peptide-directed synthesis of ZnO materials may be useful for gas sensing and photocatalytic applications in which properly engineered morphology and defect levels have demonstrated enhanced performance.
PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS' AWARENESS AND EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH PROPOSED STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM

This research examined whether prospective teachers’ emotion regulation styles, dispositional empathy, and conceptions of competent student emotion and behavior were predictive of their attitudes about bullying and proposed responses to peer conflict. Overall, participants perceived physical bullying as more serious than verbal and relational bullying. Prospective teachers also expressed higher levels of sympathy for victims and a greater likelihood of intervention in response to physical bullying. Regression analyses demonstrated that valuing emotional competence and the role of teachers in supporting its development were meaningfully associated with expressed support for victims and with proposed responses to the perpetrators of this type of classroom aggression. Interestingly, those respondents who reported higher levels of situationally specific sympathy for victims (and not dispositional empathy) also reported that they would be more likely than their counterparts to intervene on their behalf. The emotional reactivity component of dispositional empathy was, however, positively associated with regulated responses to peer conflict involving a difficult child. The emotion regulation variables, although associated with the outcome measures in correlational analyses, were not unique predictors of prospective teachers’ bullying attitudes.
Fluid-Structure Simulations of Composite Material Response for Fire Environments

The focus of this effort is to develop models and numerical methods for coupled simulations of composite material response in fire environments. This research has comprised of two main activities. The first is the development of a thermo-mechanical damage model for composite materials subject to high temperature environments. The damaged composite is expressed as two regions of non-charred and charred materials. Homogenization methods are used to formulate the damaged material in terms of volume fractions of the composite fiber, resin, char and gas. Results are presented for a clamped beam case with comparison to experimental data for a glass-phenolic composite. Overall good agreement is observed between model predictions and measurements of temperature and pressure. The clamped beam is observed to undergo an interesting bifurcation for which the beam bows away from the applied heating load due to thermal expansion, but then later in time, bows towards the applied heat load after sufficient char is formed. The second research activity is on the development of fluid-structure coupling algorithms for simulating the coupled response of 2D composite structures and the local flow environment. Results show that the spatial distribution of material decomposition is sensitive to the local flow environment from the fire that, in turn, is defined by the structure geometry. Near the material surface enhanced heat transfer to the material surface is observed from the near-wall flame that is established by the resin off-gases. These observations highlight the importance in considering the coupled response of both the material response and the flow field for assessing the performance of composite structures for fire environments.
Evaluation practices of model early childhood programs

During the last half of the twentieth century, increasing numbers of young children have been placed in out‐of‐home care. The need to assure quality experiences for young children in such settings is a pressing social and parental need. One important method of insuring program quality lies in the program evaluation process. This article summarizes literature on early childhood program evaluation, presents an overview of the national standards addressing quality in early childhood programs and presents the results of a study of evaluation practices of model early childhood programs. A questionnaire was devised based on the program evaluation literature. The questionnaire asked programs to identify the methods and staff used to evaluate nine program components. Programs were identified in the literature which were cited for exemplary practices. The questionnaire was sent to these programs. The study and analyzes the results of the information returned by the model programs.
Modernity In Asian Art

This book deals collectively with the history of modern art in Asia, based on papers from a conference on Modernism and Post-Modernism in Asian Art held at the Australian National University. The preface by Virginia Spate and the introduction by John Clark are original analyses on cross-disciplinary issues, and are followed by essays on China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and the Philippines. The contributors are drawn from these parts of Asia as well as Australia, Europe and North America.
Agricultural water pollution control: An interdisciplinary approach

Regulation and control of agricultural water pollution is unique and difficult to accomplish. Water quality standards are often proposed without adequate consideration of the overall economic impact on agricultural production. This article illustrates how economists and physical scientists can cooperate to develop appropriate control strategies for agricultural water pollution. Data provided by physical scientists and economists are used in a linear programming model to describe salt discharge as a function of water management, production levels, and an associated effluent charge. Four water management activities were chosen on the basis of different costs of production (including a parametrically varied effluent charge), water requirements, alfalfa yields, and levels of salt discharge. Results indicate that when the effluent charge is low ( $0.40/metric ton salt discharged, alfalfa production is no longer economically feasible. An important aspect of this approach is that it permits policy makers to identify explicitly the relationship between the environmental standard and the effect on agricultural production.
The 'Hill Refuges' of the Jos Plateau: A Historiographical Examination

The Jos Plateau comprises an area of approximately 2500 square miles in the north-central part of Nigeria. It includes a high plain, interspersed with granite hills and is bounded by a broken scarp some 1500 to 3000 feet in height. Historically as well as geographically, the Plateau has stood apart from the neighboring lower plains region. In the nineteenth century, the Muslim emirate of Bauchi controlled nearly all the territory surrounding the Plateau, but inhabitants of the Plateau successfully repelled intermittent Bauchi Incursions and maintained their independence until the arrival of the British at the beginning of the twentieth century.Most of the literature dealing with the Plateau has focused on this theme of resistance and a number of interrelated topics. As it happens, such studies nearly always emphasize the isolated nature of the region, whether cultural or economic. As a result, a stereotyped view of the Plateau has emerged, a view which characterizes the area as a “hill refuge,” settled by small groups who lived in the most inaccessible reaches, were economically self-sufficient, and who at best maintained minimal links with each other. The isolated nature of these groups is seen as a major cause of their intrinsically conservative nature and predisposition to resist change. According to the stereotype, the people of the Plateau remain a useful subject of research since they continue to exhibit many of the “archaic” forms of social, political and economic organization that may have been prevalent throughout Africa thousands of years ago.
Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: The Role of Context Dependence in Creating Phenotypic Diversity following Targeted Therapy

Using a newly developed computational platform, COSPER, Litvin et al. (2015) identify context-dependent interactions between MEK and interferon signaling that underlie sensitivity and resistance to MEK inhibition in melanoma.
Reflections Essay: What's Untransportable About the Transport of Photographic Images?

In this essay I address how photographs function across different realms of popular experience. Tracking assumptions about the use of photographs in religion, art, advertising, law, politics, and journalism, I argue that the easy transportability of the photograph and claims to its indexical force hide its role in blurring the realms that constitute popular experience. Such blurring takes place even when the experience involved might have real consequences for the body politic, creating a need to better consider how photographs function differently in the various contexts that put them to use.
Rural Hispanic Populations at Risk in Developing Diabetes: Sociocultural and Familial Challenges in Promoting a Healthy Diet

Type II diabetes affects Hispanic populations disproportionately and is the fifth leading cause of death for Hispanic people in the United States ( Smith & Barnett, 2005 ). Risk of diabetes is of great concern throughout the United States and is clearly of epidemic proportions for regions such as the Southwest and Texas where the primary minority populations are Mexican American. We conducted four focus groups with a total of 49 Hispanic participants (23 adults and 26 adolescents) from rural West Texas communities to gain insights about participants' eating habits, knowledge of diabetes, and potential barriers to preventive care. From the data, we identified a three-tiered predisposition or vulnerability to diabetes-heredity; preferences for unhealthy, culturally based food; and temptations from U.S. mainstream fast food culture. These vulnerabilities added to the sociocultural concerns that participants identified-importance of parental and familial modeling; challenges to healthy eating based on a culturally based diet and mainstream fast food culture; and a lack of support from the larger sociocultural networks such as teachers, community leaders, and the media. From these data, we have a better understanding of familial and sociocultural factors that need to be addressed in the development of preventive public awareness and educational plans. We outline implications for practitioners and educators from an integrated cultural biomedical approach.