cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous identification of time-varying parameters and estimation of system states using iterative learning observers

This article presents the design of an iterative learning observer (ILO) for the purpose of estimating system states while simultaneously identifying time-varying parameters. The proposed ILO uses a novel updating mechanism to identify time-varying parameters instead of using integrators which are commonly used in classical adaptive observers to identify constant parameters while estimating system states. The main idea behind the design of the ILO is the use of learning, i.e. previous information is combined into the ILO for identifying time-varying parameters in real time. Stability and convergence of state and parameter estimation errors are established and proven. An illustrative example exhibits the effectiveness of the proposed ILO.
An analysis model on nonblocking multirate broadcast networks

Designing efficient interconnection networks with powerful connecting capability remains a key issue to parallel and distributed computing systems. Many progresses have been made in nonblocking broadcast networks which can realize all one-to-many connections between any network input port and a set of output ports without any disturbance (that is, rearrangement) of other existing connections. However, all results obtained so far for broadcast networks are for the circuit switching or single rate communication model. Meanwhile, there have been growing interests in large networks operated in a packet switching manner. This type of network can be modeled as a multirate network wherein a single link can be shared by multiple connections with arbitrary data rate. Previous work has been done on the blocking behavior of multirate one-to-one connection or permutation networks. However, yet very little is known about the behavior of multirate one-to-many connection or broadcast networks. In this paper, we will determine nonblocking conditions for v(m,n1,r1,n2,r2) networks under which any multirate broadcast connection request from a network input port to a set of network output ports can be satisfied without any disturbance of the existing connection in the network. Our results show that more general multirate broadcast networks can be constructed in the same order of hardware complexity as the best available single rate nonblocking broadcast networks. Our proofs for the theorems also imply an efficient routing algorithm for such networks. Multirate broadcast networks can provide strong support for parallel and distributed computing systems which require to broadcast multirate data in a random-access environment.
An experimental study of interethnic competition in segregated schools

Abstract Decomposed matrix games were used to study interethnic competition in the triethnic school system of a southwestern city. The sample consisted of sixth-grade males from segragated schools. In addition to the data from the matrix games, brief questionnaire measures of internal vs. external locus of control, self-esteem, and authoritarianism were also obtained. The results on the game matrices indicated that the anglos competed more and were less trusting than the blacks or chicanos. The questionnaire results indicated that the blacks were highest on feelings of external control and on authoritarianism, while the chicanos were lowest in self-esteem. Cooperative interethnic work groups were suggested as a means of coping with the problems that these differences might be expected to cause in integrated schools.
Selective attention, channel capacity, and the Average Evoked Response in human subjects

Abstract Traditional studies of selective attention and the Average Evoked Response (AER) have employed naive subjects who performed non-verbal tasks designed to capture attention. The performance of highly trained subjects on a shadowing task, which is verbal in nature, reveals striking effects on the auditory AER which differ from those findings obtained with naive subjects. AER attenuation was found to be related to the level of the subject's sophistication in the performance of the task. Channel capacity is viewed as dynamic rather than fixed. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Local Canvassing: The Efficacy of Grassroots Voter Mobilization

This article offers empirical evidence supporting a relationship between social influence and voter turnout by comparing the effectiveness of face-to-face get-out-the-vote visits by canvassers living in a voter's local neighborhood against visits by canvassers from other neighborhoods. We analyze data from a randomized campaign conducted by a local community outreach group during the 2006 general election. We utilize natural variations in the assignment of canvassers to determine that the effect of being contacted by the campaign is higher in precincts where some canvassers were working in their own neighborhood. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Political Communication for the following free supplemental resource: alternative specifications of the analysis using fixed effects (Table A1), separating out precincts where there was any local canvassing from where there was none (Table A2), a balance check for the randomization (Table A3), and descr...
Whither Digital Equality?: An Empirical Study of the Democratic Divide

Beyond the access and skills divide, ICT-advanced countries pay attention to the divide in political participation online. Analyzing the Pew Internet & American Life Project's 2008 pre-election survey, this paper empirically examines the existence of the democratic divide in American online politics. The study tests whether demographic characteristics make a divide in online political involvement in campaigns. The pattern of the democratic divide varies with the type of political activities on the Internet. The crossgroup difference tests disclose the participatory divide by education and gender in campaign engagement. Instead of an educational gap, activities on social networking sites reveal a generational gap. Political efficacy of the Internet as an avenue to involvement in and connection to campaigns and a new, reliable source of political information is a strong predictor for the probability of political activities online.
Use of Estradiol Cypionate in a Presynchronized Timed Artificial Insemination Program for Lactating Dairy Cattle

Experiment 1 evaluated pregnancy rates when estradiol cypionate (ECP) was used to induce ovulation as part of a timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocol in comparison to Ovsynch for lactating dairy cows in Florida (n = 371) and Texas (n = 321). Cows were presynchronized with two injections of PGF2, (25 mg, im) given 14 d apart with TAI protocols beginning 14 d after the second injection of PGF20. The TAI protocols consisted of an injection of GnRH (100 microg, im) followed by PGF2alpha 7 d later. Then, cows either received an injection of GnRH (Treatment I, Ovsynch) at 48 h after PGF2alpha and inseminated 16 to 24 h later or received an injection of ECP (1 mg, i.m.) at 24 h after PGF2alpha, (Treatment II; Heatsynch) and inseminated 48 h later. In Florida, pregnancy rates after TAI were 37.1 +/- 5.8% for Ovsynch compared with 35.1 +/- 5.0% for Heatsynch. In Texas, pregnancy rates were 28.2 +/- 3.6% for Ovsynch and 29.0 +/- 3.5% for Heatsynch. Overall pregnancy rates did not differ between Ovsynch and Heatsynch treatments. In Experiment 2, estrus and ovulation times were determined in lactating dairy cows submitted to the Heatsynch protocol. Frequencies of detected estrus and ovulation after ECP were 75.7% (28/37) and 86.5% (32/37), respectively. Mean intervals to ovulation were 55.4 +/- 2.7 h (n = 32) after ECP and 27.5 +/- 1.1 h (n = 27) after onset of estrus. Estrus occurred at 29.0 +/- 1.8 h (n = 28) after ECP. It is recommended that any cow detected in estrus by 24 h after ECP injection be inseminated at 24 h and all remaining cows be inseminated at 48 h because 75% (n = 24/32) of the ovulations occurred between > or = 48 h to < or = 72 h after ECP. Synchronization of ovulation and subsequent fertility indicated that estradiol cypionate could be used to induce ovulation for successful timed insemination.
Spurious values of serum electrolytes due to admixture of intravenous infusion fluids

Blood samples may be collected subsequent to the establishment of a working i.v. line. When collected incorrectly, such blood samples can yield spurious results of serum electrolyte and chemistry determinations. We present such a case and, further, show that serum chemistry values can be altered by contamination with i.v. fluids in the emergency patient and that such alterations can be of sufficient magnitude to affect treatment. Recommendations are given regarding aspiration of blood samples from working i.v. lines to minimize the risk of spurious measurements.
Increase of production rate of RE-123 film by PLD system with the hot-wall type heating

Abstract We have studied two types of heating systems to produce thick GdBa2Cu3O7−X (Gd123) films with high critical current (Ic) stably at a high speed by the PLD method. Material yields of both PLD systems reached about 50–60% by optimization of evaporation condition. Hot-wall heating type (type 2) could fabricate the thicker Gd123 film with the higher Ic compared to contact heating type (type 1) and maximum Ic reached 1040 A at about 6 μm thick. Furthermore, it was estimated that type 2 could fabricate Gd123 film with an Ic of about 700 A at about twice speed compared to type 1. Finally, it was considered that the hot-wall heating type was very advantageous to prepare thick Gd123 film with high Ic at a high speed from the system structure.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Solvation and Solvent Reorganization Dynamics in CO2-Expanded Methanol and Acetone.

Composition-dependent solvation dynamics around the probe coumarin 153 (C153) have been explored in CO2-expanded methanol and acetone with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Solvent response functions are biexponential with two distinct decay time scales: a rapid initial decay (∼0.1 ps) and a long relaxation process. Solvation times in both expanded solvent classes are nearly constant at partition compositions up to 80% CO2. The extent of solvation beyond this composition has the greatest tunability and sensitivity to bulk solvent composition. Solvent rotational correlation functions (RCFs) have also been used to explore rotational relaxation. Rotations have a larger range of time scales and are dependent on a number of factors including bulk composition, solvent-solvent interactions, particularly hydrogen bonding, and proximity to C153. The establishment of the solvation structure around a solute in a GXL is clearly a complex process. With respect to the local solvent domain around C153, it was seen to...
Technical report: exploring the basis of congenital myasthenic syndromes in an undergraduate course, using the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans

Mutations affecting acetylcholine receptors have been causally linked to the development of congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) in humans resulting from neuromuscular transmission defects. In an undergraduate Molecular Neurobiology course, the molecular basis of CMS was explored through study of a Caenorhabditis elegans model of the disease. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), located on the postsynaptic muscle cell membrane, contains a pentameric ring structure comprised of five homologous subunits. In the nematode C. elegans, unc-63 encodes an α subunit of nAChR. UNC-63 is required for the function of nAChR at the neuromuscular junction. Mutations in unc-63 result in defects in locomotion and egg-laying and may be used as models for CMS. Here, we describe the responses of four unc-63 mutants to the cholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine bromide (range 0.9–15.6 mM in this study), a treatment for CMS that mitigates deficiencies in cholinergic transmission by elevating synaptic ACh levels. Our results show that 15.6 mM pyridostigmine bromide enhanced mobility in two alleles, depressed mobility in one allele and in N2, while having no effect on the fourth allele. This indicates that while pyridostigmine bromide may be effective at ameliorating symptoms of CMS in certain cases, it may not be a suitable treatment for all individuals due to the diverse etiology of this disease. Students in the Molecular Neurobiology course enhanced their experience in scientific research by conducting an experiment designed to increase understanding of genetic defects of neurological function.
Metabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 during photo-induced reproductive development in female Japanese quail.

Abstract Synchronous development of the reproductive tract in adult female Japanese quail has been achieved by manipulation of photoperiod length. This has made possible determination of changes in vitamin D metabolism associated directly with the onset of reproductive maturity. The distribution of polar metabolites of 25-hydroxy [ 3 H] vitamin D 3 ([ 3 H]-25-OH-D 3 ) was altered shortly before the onset of egg laying, such that the specific activity of the 25-OH-D 3 -1α-hydroxylase increased 390%, while the production of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 [24,25(OH) 2 D 3 ] and an unidentified metabolite (metabolite IV) decreased 37 and 61% respectively. In addition, kidneys of reproductively mature female quail produced a metabolite, tentatively identified as 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D 3 [1,24,25(OH) 3 D 3 ], which was not found in the kidneys of male quail or in those of female quail with immature oviducts. The concentration of oviduct nuclear estrogen receptor-estrogen complex increased to a level comparable to laying female quail very early in reproductive tract development. A 280% increase in kidney size occurred concurrently. In contrast, the altered renal metabolism of [ 3 H]-25-OH-D 3 did not occur until much later in development, suggesting that kidney growth and renal metabolism of vitamin D are independently regulated. It appears that the increased specific activity of the 25-OH-D 3 -1α-hydroxylase immediately prior to egg laying is important in the provision of calcium for shell formation. The close temporal relationship between the altered metabolism of [ 3 H]25-OH-D 3 and the onset of medullary bone formation suggests that a vitamin D metabolite may mediate the formation and utilization of medullary bone.
Job hunting on the Internet

Provides an introduction to the job hunting resources available on the Internet. Gives details of basic Internet navigation from the home page of The New York Public Library Internet site.
Systemic Contact Dermatitis – Kids and Ketchup

Systemic manifestations of allergic contact dermatitis due to consumption of foods containing balsam of Peru (Myroxylon pereirae)-associated chemicals have recently been reported in children. We present seven children with widespread, recalcitrant dermatitis who experienced 60-80% clearance after initiating a diet low in balsam of Peru, specifically the tomato product ketchup. Furthermore, because we have observed a high prevalence of ketchup in our pediatric patients' diets, we recommend consideration of moderate consumption of this product in patients with recalcitrant widespread dermatitis.
Left and Right Intelligence: Case Studies of Raven's Progressive Matrices Following Brain Bisection and Hemidecortication

Abstract Each hemisphere of two commissurotomy and two hemispherectomy patients was tested separately on the book form of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrice test (RSPM) and on the book, board and tactile forms of Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices test (RCPM). The two patients who had undergone complete cerebral commissurotomy were tested unilaterally with the aid of a contact lens technique which permits free unilateral ocular scanning and visual guidance. The two other patients had undergone dominant (right) and non-dominant (left) hemispherectomy for post-infantile lesions and were tested in free vision. IQ estimates for the left hemispheres based on RSPM scores ranged from 74 to 103 (mean 87) and right hemisphere IQ estimates ranged from 74 to 93 (mean 83). Whereas a small and insignificant trend for left hemisphere dominance was observed on the RSPM, an insignificant trend of right hemisphere superiority appeared on the RCPM. The same trend of right hemisphere advantage had been observed on a tactile-visual modification of the RCPM ( D. Zaidel and Sperry, 1973 ). Thus, the suggested laterality pattern seems to be modality nonspecific. In contrast to the small difference in lateral preference for each of the two tests as a whole, the individual problem sets in both tests yielded different laterality indices. Further, bigger laterality effects were observed on more difficult items. The right hemispheres also seemed more labile and less sensitive to item difficulty than either the corresponding left hemispheres or normal subjects with comparable scores. Instructions to use an overt trial-and-error solution method with the board form of the RCPM resulted in a change of strategy in both hemispheres. But only the left hemisphere of patient N.G., who did not have a ceiling effect, seemed to benefit from the opportunity for error correction to become superior on this version of the RCPM. The right hemisphere seems unable to utilize partial information as if its solution strategy is non-constructive. Neither the isolated nor the disconnected hemisphere has the dramatic focal deficits, such as unilateral neglect of space or dramatically reduced RPM scores, which often accompany unilateral cerebral insult. To the extent that RSPM measures general intelligence (“g”), our data suggest that “g” is bilaterally represented though in unequal amounts for different parts of the test. Thus, the data better support the primary abilities model of intelligence with localized and neurologically dissociable cerebral organization, than they support a hierarchical model incorporating a concept of “g” that enters into all intellectual functions and is homogeneously represented in the cerebral cortex. It is suggested that “g” may contain at least two independent factors, 9 L and g R .
Experimental studies of sliding friction and wear via acoustic emission signal analysis

Abstract Friction- and wear-related problems have been at the root of many of the limitations to productivity improvements in the manufacturing processes. Research studying acoustic emission (AE) generated by metal cutting and forming processes has shown that the potential of using AE in the investigation of friction and wear phenomena is very promising. The AE generated from the sliding contact of metal-metal pairs using pin-on-disk tests were investigated in this study. The usefulness of AE as an experimental tool for tribological studies related to friction and wear phenomena is evaluated. It is shown that AE is quite sensitive to the change in friction and wear mechanisms active in the sliding processes. The influence of process variables such as loading condition, sliding speed and distances on the AE generated from sliding contact is also studied.
Alkali-metal-fulleride phase equilibria.

The binary phase diagrams of the alkali-metal fullerides, ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, are discussed in light of recent experimental results concerning the ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phases and their transformations. The ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{1}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{1}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phases undergo diffusionless structural transformations upon cooling and their phase diagrams require solutions that differ from the eutectoid transformation of ${\mathrm{K}}_{1}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to characterize these transformations. Phase diagrams incorporating two invariant reactions are proposed. The equilibrium vapor pressure of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ has been determined at lower temperatures than prevously examined and the pure ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phase diagram has been assembled for a large range of temperature and pressure. The predicted effects of solid-solution formation on the fcc to simple cubic transition of \ensuremath{\alpha}-${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ are discussed in terms of eutectoid and peritectoid phase-diagram topologies. High-temperature decomposition with fractional sublimation has been used to gain insight into the relative thermal stabilities of the various compounds. Using this information and data from the literature, a ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phase diagram extending to vaporization temperatures is proposed.
Enhanced Schottky barriers produced by recoil implantation of Mg into n-GaAs

Enhancement of Schottky barrier height of Ti‐Pt‐Au on n‐type GaAs was obtained by heavily (2×1018 cm−3) counter doping the near‐surface region of the substrate. The p‐type region was produced by recoil implantation of Mg from a Mg thin film (300 A) irradiated by a 60 keV As+ beam. The film was subsequently chemically etched. The recoil‐implanted samples showed an enhancement of 140 meV in the Schottky barrier height following rapid thermal annealing in an AsH3 furnace at 850 °C for nominal zero second.
School Outcomes of Children With Special Health Care Needs

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between having a special health care need and school outcomes measured as attendance, student engagement, behavioral threats to achievement, and academic achievement. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 1457 children in the fourth through sixth grades from 34 schools in 3 school districts and their parents provided survey data; parents completed the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener. School records were abstracted for attendance, grades, and standardized achievement test scores. RESULTS: Across 34 schools, 33% of children screened positive for special health care needs. After adjusting for sociodemographic and school effects, children with special health care needs had lower motivation to do well in school, more disruptive behaviors, and more frequent experiences as a bully victim. They experienced significantly lower academic achievement, as measured by grades, standardized testing, and parental-assessed academic performance. These findings were observed for children who qualified as having a special health care need because they had functional limitations attributed to a chronic illness or a behavioral health problem but not for those who qualified only because they took prescription medications. CONCLUSIONS: Specific subgroups of children with special health care needs are at increased risk for poor school outcomes. Health and school professionals will need to collaborate to identify these children early, intervene with appropriate medical and educational services, and monitor long-term outcomes.
FORMULATION OF BEVERAGES CONTAINING BYPRODUCTS OF OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION OF LOWBUSH BLUEBERRIES

The manufacture of osmotically dehydrated lowbush blueberries, Vaccinium angustifolium, produces a liquid byproduct, blueberry extract (BE), containing sugar and blueberry juice. The unique blueberry color and flavor in BE were utilized in a simple beverage containing spring water, 30% or 50% BE (w/v), and 0.1% or 0.2% citric acid. The beverages with 50% BE had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) brix and were significantly (p ≤ 0.001) darker, less red, and more blue. Fifty consumers rated the beverages containing 50% BE as significantly more acceptable in color (p ≤ 0.001) and fruit flavor (p ≤ 0.05), but least acceptable (p ≤ 0.001) for sweetness. Samples with 0.2% citric acid were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) in overall acceptability. BE can be used to provide flavor and color in fruit beverages while reducing a waste disposal problem for blueberry processors.
Imitation and supranational politics: Some lessons from the European Ombudsman and the European Court of Auditors

Why do certain European Union (EU) institutions look so much like institutions in its member states? The article asserts the reason for this similarity is that these structures have been ‘copied’ from the member states to the EU and provides a historical institutionalist explanation for this process of institutional transfer. The theory of isomorphism provides the analytical foundation for understanding institutional imitation in the EU, while the European ombudsman (EO) and the European Court of Auditors (ECAs) serve as the empirical case studies on which the theory is tested. The article finds that previously existing institutional arrangements matter not only by molding actor preferences in relation to an upcoming institutional transfer, but also by restricting their options and behavior. Specifically, the founding of the EO and the ECAs was the result of pressures exercised by the European Parliament, a supranational body, and the governments of the EU member states. In order to achieve the transfer, those actors had to navigate established institutional practices, primarily the ones associated with the negotiation of new treaties, which are necessary for the addition of new institutions to the EU institutional edifice.
Mass-independent isotopic signatures of volcanic sulfate from three supereruption ash deposits in Lake Tecopa, California

Abstract Hundreds to thousands of megatons of sulfur dioxide released by supereruptions can change chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere and thus induce climate perturbations. We present oxygen and sulfur isotope analyses of sulfate in 48 volcanic ash samples, and 26 sediment samples from dry lake beds in the Tecopa basin, California, USA. These ash layers represent three supereruptions, including the 0.64 Ma Lava Creek Tuff, 2.04 Ma Huckleberry Ridge Tuff and 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff. Mass-independent oxygen signatures (Δ17O up to 2.26‰) that are present in these ash units, and not in associated sediments, indicate oxidation of volcanic SO2 by mass-independent ozone and its products. In this study, we consider the formation, deposition, preservation and dilution of mass-independent volcanic sulfate (MIVS). Using the isotopic compositions of the sulfates, we construct a mixing model that demonstrates that the main source of sulfate in Lake Tecopa is mass-dependent sediment-derived sulfate (MDSDS, > 77%). However, ash beds still preserve up to 23% of MIVS that initially had undiluted Δ17O value around 8‰, and Δ33S as low as − 0.35‰, and Δ36S up to 1.08‰. Therefore, despite potential dilution by MDSDS, the MIVS signatures can be preserved in the geologic record for few million years, if deposited as gypsum in arid environments, alkaline or saline lake. The oxygen and sulfur mass-independent signatures of the volcanic sulfates indicate that photolysis and oxidation of volcanic SO2 has been achieved in the upper atmosphere. Since only supervolcanic eruptions were shown to generate massive amount of mass-independent sulfate, it requires that up to 20–60% of the global ozone layer is consumed as a result of supervolcanic SO2 released. This may occur as a result of a strong physical and chemical degradation of the tropopause; we speculate that the distinction between the high-troposphere and the low-stratosphere, at least locally, could be erased by supereruptions, and recorded by MIVS.
Blowing-up the four-dimensional Z 3 orientifold

We study the blowing-up of the four-dimensional Z3 orientifold of Angelantonj, Bianchi, Pradisi, Sagnotti and Stanev (ABPSS) by giving nonzero vacuum expectation values (VEV's) to the twisted sector moduli blowing-up modes. The blowing-up procedure induces a Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) term for the ``anomalous'' U(1), whose magnitude depends linearly on the VEV's of the blowing-up modes. To preserve the N = 1 supersymmetry, non-Abelian matter fields are forced to acquire nonzero VEV's, thus breaking (some of) the non-Abelian gauge structure and decoupling some of the matter fields. We determine the form of the FI term, construct explicit examples of (non-Abelian) D and F flat directions, and determine the surviving gauge groups of the restabilized vacua. We also determine the mass spectra, for which the restabilization reduces the number of families.
Child Mortality Estimation: Methods Used to Adjust for Bias due to AIDS in Estimating Trends in Under-Five Mortality

In most low- and middle-income countries, child mortality is estimated from data provided by mothers concerning the survival of their children using methods that assume no correlation between the mortality risks of the mothers and those of their children. This assumption is not valid for populations with generalized HIV epidemics, however, and in this review, we show how the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) uses a cohort component projection model to correct for AIDS-related biases in the data used to estimate trends in under-five mortality. In this model, births in a given year are identified as occurring to HIV-positive or HIV-negative mothers, the lives of the infants and mothers are projected forward using survivorship probabilities to estimate survivors at the time of a given survey, and the extent to which excess mortality of children goes unreported because of the deaths of HIV-infected mothers prior to the survey is calculated. Estimates from the survey for past periods can then be adjusted for the estimated bias. The extent of the AIDS-related bias depends crucially on the dynamics of the HIV epidemic, on the length of time before the survey that the estimates are made for, and on the underlying non-AIDS child mortality. This simple methodology (which does not take into account the use of effective antiretroviral interventions) gives results qualitatively similar to those of other studies.
Long-term outcome of patients with schizophrenia: a review.

Objective:To review empirical studies that assess outcome of patients with schizophrenia and evaluate the degree to which reported outcome is affected by research methodology, treatment variables, prognostic factors, epidemiologic factors, and patient resilience.Method:We reviewed studies that used control subjects and lasted for a decade or more, comparing them with respect to research methodology and choice of outcome variables.Results:Like other mental illnesses and medical illness in general, the natural course of schizophrenia showed itself to have a threefold division of mild, moderate, and severe. Although a great deal of variance in outcome occurred across the studies reviewed, schizophrenia is nevertheless a disorder with relatively poor outcome. Patients with schizophrenia consistently showed poorer courses and outcomes than patients with other psychotic and nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders. On the positive side, subgroups of schizophrenia patients had extended periods of recovery—some without...
A low emittance lattice for the NSLS X-ray Ring

A new high-brightness lattice for the NSLS X-Ray Ring is presented. The horizontal emittance of the X-Ray Ring can be reduced by a factor of two to three by allowing nonzero dispersion in the insertion device straight sections and by better controlling the periodicity of the dispersion. Beam was stored in a low emittance lattice during machine studies. The dispersion in the operations lattice lacks the 8-fold periodicity of the magnet structure, because the orbit is offset in the sextupoles. During machine studies the focusing effect of the sextupoles was compensated using trim supplies on the quadrupoles in the dispersive straight sections. Measured results will be presented. A discussion of the hardware upgrade requirements that would be necessary to run the low emittance lattice in operations is also included.
Weaving ontologies to support digital forensic analysis

Numerous challenges currently face digital forensic analysis. Although a variety of techniques and tools exist to assist with the analysis of digital evidence, they inadequately address key problems. We consider the applicability and usefulness of weaving ontologies to address some of these problems. We introduce an ontological approach leading to future development of an automated digital forensic analysis tool.
Temporal changes in species composition in permanent plots across the Shawnee National Forest, Illinois, USA1

Abstract Species composition in three strata of 63 permanent plots across two physiographic divisions (Ozark Hills and Shawnee Hills) of the Shawnee National Forest (SNF) in southern Illinois was resampled 3–6 years after initial establishment with the objective to assess short-term changes in species composition. Environmental data collected at each plot included overhead canopy cover, elevation, solar radiation, slope, and a suite of nine soil properties. Basal area of the trees in the Ozark Hills Division did not change, but total basal area and basal area of Carya ovata, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Ulmus alata increased in the Shawnee Hills Division. In the woody understory, there was an increase in the density of Acer saccharum, C. florida, F. americana, and U. alata in the Shawnee Hills Division, and a decrease in density of C. florida and Fagus grandifolia in the Ozark Hills Division. The decrease in C. florida in the Ozark Hills Division is likely due to an infestation of Discula destru...
Was Weber Right? The Role of Urban Autonomy in Europe's Rise

Do strong property rights institutions always help, or might they sometimes actually hinder development? Since Max Weber and before, scholars have claimed that the presence of politically autonomous cities, controlled by merchant oligarchies guaranteeing property rights, helped lead to Europe's rise. Yet others suggest that autonomous cities were a hindrance to growth because rule by merchant guilds resulted in restrictions that stifled innovation and trade. I present new evidence and a new interpretation that reconcile the two views of city autonomy. I show that politically autonomous cities initially had higher population growth rates than nonautonomous cities, but over time this situation reversed itself. My evidence also suggests why autonomous cities eventually disappeared as a form of political organization. Instead of military weakness, it may have been their political institutions that condemned them to become obsolete.
Quarantining Untrusted Entities: Dynamic Sandboxing Using LEAP

Jails, Sandboxes and other isolation mechanisms limit the damage from untrusted programs by reducing a process's privileges to the minimum. Sandboxing is designed to thwart such threats as (1) a program created by an attacker or (2) an input crafted to exploit a security vulnerability in a program. Examples of the later include input containing interpreted code or machine language to be injected via a buffer overflow. Traditionally, sandboxes are created by an invoking process. This is effective for (1) but only partially so for (2). For example, when a file is downloaded by a browser or processed as a mail attachment, the invoking process can sandbox it. However, sandboxing protections can be circumvented when the file is copied outside the sandbox. The problem is that traditional sandboxes do not provide complete mediation. We introduce dynamic sandboxes, and show how even when data is saved and/or copied, sandboxing protections are not lost. In addition, and in contrast to traditional sandbox implementations, dynamic sandboxes are implemented using general purpose access controls. Not only does this provide a more flexible sandbox mechanism, and enable complete mediation, but these same primitives can be used to build other (non-sandbox) authorization policies.
Linguistics in the Classroom

TEACHERS, facing the prevailing tendency that students of today have to skim through their curricula, combine their efforts to find new and more efficacious ways to comply with the demands of the timeto render French, Spanish, or German grammar more palatable and more digestible to the student suffering from mental dyspepsia. I am reminded of the remark made by Ernest Dimnet in his Art of Thinking. A schoolbook, written by Dimnet, and published in New York under the title French Grammar Made Clear, has been often misquoted as French Grammar Made Easy: "French grammar," Dimnet goes on to say, "cannot be made easy. Nor can Latin grammar. It can be made, and ought to be made, clear and interesting." Glancing over American textbooks of French and Spanish I have been much impressed by the ingenuity displayed in the arrangement of text, comments, and vocabulary. Yet no textbook, however complete with the usual paraphernalia, is all we need to take into the classroom. We have to look around for every means to make our teaching interesting, inspiring and efficient. That's where linguistics comes in. What is linguistics? The science of language, by etymology. Now if we agree with Thomas Huxley, the famed English biologist, that "science is nothing but trained and organized common sense," possible misgivings about linguistic approach to language teaching will be abated. In teaching languages we cling, as our norm or authority, to the traditional grammar which states what should be, while science puts the question: What is? The former prescribes, the latter describes, while probing into the causes and origins of phenomena. Now one might ask: Does the practical teaching of grammar involve recourse to linguistic theories or history?-Allow me to quote from one of the best authorities on French grammar, Albert Dauzat: "Une bonne grammaire, meme sans pr6tentions scientifiques, ne doit pas ftre un catalogue de regles imperatives, placees toutes sur le meme plan. Cette d6plorable presentation, trop longtemps en faveur, n'a pas peu contribu6 ' rendre la grammaire rebarbative, aux yeux des petits comme des grands. Meme l'enfant veut comprendre et a le droit de comprendre: a l'6ducateur de proportionner les explications A ses facult6s." Further in the same introduction to his Grammaire raisonnte de la languefranqaise Dauzat sums up: "Rep6tons-le: une bonne grammaire doit s'inspirer de la linguistique; son r61le normatif y gagnera." I think we are perfectly justified in understanding Dauzat's reference to grammar-as
An MBO Scheme on Graphs for Classification and Image Processing

In this paper we present a computationally efficient algorithm utilizing a fully or seminonlocal graph Laplacian for solving a wide range of learning problems in binary data classification and image processing. In their recent work [Multiscale Model. Simul., 10 (2012), pp. 1090--1118], Bertozzi and Flenner introduced a graph-based diffuse interface model utilizing the Ginzburg--Landau functional for solving problems in data classification. Here, we propose an adaptation of the classic numerical Merriman--Bence--Osher (MBO) scheme for minimizing graph-based diffuse interface functionals, like those originally proposed by Bertozzi and Flenner. We also make use of fast numerical solvers for finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the graph Laplacian. Various computational examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of our algorithm, which is successful on images with texture and repetitive structure due to its nonlocal nature. The results show that our method is multiple times more efficient than o...
Parallel algorithms for planar and spherical Delaunay construction with an application to centroidal Voronoi tessellations

Abstract. A new algorithm, featuring overlapping domain decompositions, for the parallel construction of Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations is developed. Overlapping allows for the seamless stitching of the partial pieces of the global Delaunay tessellations constructed by individual processors. The algorithm is then modified, by the addition of stereographic projections, to handle the parallel construction of spherical Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations. The algorithms are then embedded into algorithms for the parallel construction of planar and spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations that require multiple constructions of Delaunay tessellations. This combination of overlapping domain decompositions with stereographic projections provides a unique algorithm for the construction of spherical meshes that can be used in climate simulations. Computational tests are used to demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the algorithms for spherical Delaunay and centroidal Voronoi tessellations. Compared to serial versions of the algorithm and to STRIPACK-based approaches, the new parallel algorithm results in speedups for the construction of spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations and spherical Delaunay triangulations.
Dynamic Bone Imaging with 99mTc-Labeled Diphosphonates and 18F-NaF: Mechanisms and Applications

Dynamic bone scanning with 99mTc-labeled diphosphonates and 18F-labeled sodium fluoride provides functional information sensitive for subtle changes in bone turnover and perfusion, which assists the clinical management of numerous osseous pathologies. This article reviews the mechanisms of uptake of 99mTc-labeled diphosphonates and 18F-sodium fluoride and discusses and compares the performance of these bone-seeking radiotracers for clinical and research applications, using dynamic and multiple-time-point imaging protocols and quantitative techniques.
Implementation of shear wave elastography on pediatric cardiac transducers with pulse-inversion harmonic imaging and time-aligned sequential tracking

Monitoring myocardial stiffness changes with shear wave elastography (SWE) has promising potential for assessing chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity for pediatric cancer patients. While ultrasound B-scan with adult cardiac probes on children is commonly acceptable, SWE can be challenging due to the narrow intercostal spaces of children, which hinders the effective transmission of the push beam and detection beam for shear wave generation and shear wave detection. This study aimed at addressing this challenge by implementing cardiac SWE on a pediatric cardiac probe (P7-4) with pulse-inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) and time-aligned sequential tracking (TAST). The performance of the proposed pediatric cardiac SWE sequence (P7-4 PIHI-TAST) was systematically compared with an adult cardiac transducer equipped with the same PIHI and TAST cardiac SWE sequence (P4-2 PIHI-TAST), and a pediatric cardiac SWE sequence with fundamental imaging TAST shear wave detection (P7-4 Fundamental-TAST). In vivo transthoracic scans in healthy pediatric volunteers demonstrated substantial improvement of shear wave signal quality using the P7-4 PIHI-TAST sequence, as compared to the adult P4-2 PIHI-TAST sequence and the pediatric P7-4 Fundamental-TAST sequence. The results showed higher increase in SWE success rate among younger children when using the pediatric transducer. Also agreeing with previous studies, this study demonstrated that PIHI shear wave detection could substantially improve the shear wave signal quality as compared to fundamental imaging shear wave detection.
Helping Children Gain Asthma Control: Bundled School-Based Interventions

Following the success of a community asthma quality improvement initiative to improve outcomes for children with asthma attending Cincinnati Public Schools with school-based health centers (SBHC), several members of the original initiative formed a new asthma improvement collaborative to spread the initiative's improvement work to inner-city children with asthma attending other schools with and without SBHCs. This article describes the collaborative's plan, which features a nurse practitioner using bundled, evidence-based, school-based interventions to improve asthma control for inner-city children in high poverty schools.
Drip application of methyl bromide alternative chemicals for control of soilborne pathogens and weeds

BACKGROUND: Producers of several high-value crops in California have traditionally used preplant soil fumigation with methyl bromide/chloropicrin combinations. Although methyl bromide has been phased out since 2005, several crop industries, including cut flower producers, have continued methyl bromide use under Critical Use Exemptions, a provision of the Montreal Protocol. This research was conducted to evaluate newer, emerging methyl bromide alternative chemicals. RESULTS: Two field trials were conducted to test several emerging chemicals in combination with metam sodium as replacements for methyl bromide. Emerging chemicals included 2-bromoethanol, dimethyl disulfide, furfural, propylene oxide and sodium azide. Weed and pathogen populations were measured after chemical application, and seed viability was assessed from weed seed previously buried in the plots. In the first trial, the emerging chemicals did not improve pest control compared with metam sodium alone. However, in the second trial, several of these chemicals did improve the pest control performance of metam sodium. CONCLUSIONS: The emerging alternative chemicals have the potential to provide better control of soilborne pathogens and weeds when used with metam sodium than metam sodium alone. Registration of these materials could provide California growers with a broader choice of tools compared with the limited methyl bromide alternatives now available. Published 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Closeness: A New Privacy Measure for Data Publishing

The k-anonymity privacy requirement for publishing microdata requires that each equivalence class (i.e., a set of records that are indistinguishable from each other with respect to certain “identifying” attributes) contains at least k records. Recently, several authors have recognized that k-anonymity cannot prevent attribute disclosure. The notion of l-diversity has been proposed to address this; l-diversity requires that each equivalence class has at least l well-represented (in Section 2) values for each sensitive attribute. In this paper, we show that l-diversity has a number of limitations. In particular, it is neither necessary nor sufficient to prevent attribute disclosure. Motivated by these limitations, we propose a new notion of privacy called “closeness.” We first present the base model t-closeness, which requires that the distribution of a sensitive attribute in any equivalence class is close to the distribution of the attribute in the overall table (i.e., the distance between the two distributions should be no more than a threshold t). We then propose a more flexible privacy model called (n,t)-closeness that offers higher utility. We describe our desiderata for designing a distance measure between two probability distributions and present two distance measures. We discuss the rationale for using closeness as a privacy measure and illustrate its advantages through examples and experiments.
Novel detection schemes of nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging: applications from analytical chemistry to molecular sensors

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a well-established analytical technique in chemistry. The ability to precisely control the nuclear spin interactions that give rise to the NMR phenomenon has led to revolutionary advances in fields as diverse as protein structure determination and medical diagnosis. Here, we discuss methods for increasing the sensitivity of magnetic resonance experiments, moving away from the paradigm of traditional NMR by separating the encoding and detection steps of the experiment. This added flexibility allows for diverse applications ranging from lab-on-a-chip flow imaging and biological sensors to optical detection of magnetic resonance imaging at low magnetic fields. We aim to compare and discuss various approaches for a host of problems in material science, biology, and physics that differ from the high-field methods routinely used in analytical chemistry and medical imaging.
Medicare Reimbursement Attributable to Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Primary Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract This study estimated Medicare reimbursement attributable to periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) across the continuum of covered services four years following hip or knee arthroplasty. Using 2001–2008 Medicare claims data, total and annual attributable reimbursements were assessed using generalized linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Within one year following arthroplasty, 109 (1.04%) of 10,418 beneficiaries were diagnosed with PJI. Cumulative Medicare reimbursement in the PJI arm was 2.2-fold (1.9–2.6, P