cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel evolution of larval morphology and habitat in the snail-killing fly genus Tetanocera.

In this study, we sequenced one nuclear and three mitochondrial DNA loci to construct a robust estimate of phylogeny for all available species of Tetanocera. Character optimizations suggested that aquatic habitat was the ancestral condition for Tetanocera larvae, and that there were at least three parallel transitions to terrestrial habitat, with one reversal. Maximum likelihood analyses of character state transformations showed significant correlations between habitat transitions and changes in four larval morphological characteristics (cuticular pigmentation and three characters associated with the posterior spiracular disc). We provide evidence that phylogenetic niche conservatism has been responsible for the maintenance of aquatic-associated larval morphological character states, and that concerted convergence and/or gene linkage was responsible for parallel morphological changes that were derived in conjunction with habitat transitions. These habitat–morphology associations were consistent with the action of natural selection in facilitating the morphological changes that occurred during parallel aquatic to terrestrial habitat transitions in Tetanocera.
Effect of socioeconomic status on early growth as measured by three different indicators

As shown in 16,850 White children and 17,405 Black boys and girls, differences in socioeconomic status (SES) are reflected by dimensional differences of increasing magnitude from birth through seven years of age. Of three different socioeconomic indicators compared, the composite Socioeconomic Index as used by the United States Bureau of Census is slightly more effective in demonstrating socioeconomically‐related size differences than are the component variables of maternal education and family income. It is suggested that such a composite index, numerically scored, has maximum relevance to nutritional surveys and surveillance.
Phosphoprotein-phosphatase activity associated with human placental alkaline phosphatase

Abstract Human placental alkaline phosphatase, a marker protein for some nontrophoblastic neoplasms, was found to have phosphoprotein phosphatase activity. This was demonstrated by the dephosphorylation of 32P-labeled histones, protamine, glycogen synthetase, casein, and phosvitin at various pH values. Unlike the general phosphoprotein phosphatase, the placental alkaline phosphatase does not have phosphorylase a phosphatase activity.
The earlier detection of colorectal cancers. A preliminary report of the results of the occult blood study

A long-term clinical study is underway to evaluate the merit of occult stool blood testing in the earlier detection of colorectal cancers; 48,000 participants have been enrolled. Thus far, 873 patients with occult stool blood have been examined, and 77 gastrointestinal cancers have been found in 74 patients. Although data from the control group are not yet available for comparison, most of the cancers found appear to be relatively early in their development. Conventional barium-enema examinations were noted to have "missed" one third of the colon cancers and two-thirds of the colon polyps which were found on colonoscopy. Preliminary results of the study appear encouraging. Definitive analysis will await the availability of additional pertinent data.
Real-time STM/AFM study of electron transfer reactions of an organic molecule: xanthine at the graphite-water interface

Abstract The oxidation of xanthine adsorbed at the water-graphite interface has been studied in real-time with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The reaction was found to start preferentially from defect sites. The molecular packing structures of both the reactant and the product molecules were determined from the molecular resolution AFM images. Superperiodic structures of both the reactant and the product were observed in the STM images which were attributed to the electronic modulations of the underlying lattice on the molecular monolayers.
Chiral generations, Poincaré polynomials and coset models with N = 2 supersymmetry☆

A method is developed for calculating the number of chiral generations for string compactifications on a class of N = 2 superconformal theories. It is shown that this number is determined by specific values of the Poincare polynomial of the underlying untwisted N = 2 superconformal theory. This result is applied to compactifications on tensor products of coset models with N = 2 supersymmetry and a recursion formula is derived which provides the needed values of the Poincare polynomials. In overlapping cases the results are in agreement with those obtained using the Landau-Ginzburg description.
Symplectic integrators from composite operator factorizations

Abstract I derive fourth order symplectic integrators by factorizing the exponential of two operators in terms of an additional higher order composite operator with positive coefficients. One algorithm requires only one evaluation of the force and one evaluation of the force and its gradient. When applied to Kepler's problem, the energy error function associated with these algorithms are approximately 10 to 80 times smaller than the fourth order Forest-Ruth, Candy-Rozmus integrator.
Proteolytic patterns of Caciotta and Monterey Jack hard goat milk cheeses as evaluated by SDS–PAGE and densitometric analyses

Abstract Protein degradation characteristics of Caciotta and Monterey Jack hard goat milk cheeses aged for different storage time and under different temperature conditions were evaluated with SDS–PAGE and an advanced Bio-Image Whole Band Densitometric analysis. Two replicates of three varieties of cheeses (Caciotta, Monterey Jack, and a cow milk Cheddar as a reference control) were assigned to three temperatures (4, 13 and 22°C) and four storage times (0, 8, 16 and 24 weeks) in order to study the effects of different time–temperature treatments on PAGE patterns of cheese proteins and water soluble nitrogen (WSN) contents of cheeses. Initial fresh Caciotta and Monterey Jack goat cheeses had distinctive αs2-casein PAGE bands, whereas cow milk Cheddar cheese displayed an almost absence of the αs2-CN but clear and intensive αs1-CN bands. Caciotta and Monterey Jack goat cheeses showed some peculiar proteolytic patterns of αs1- and αs2-caseins at 8 weeks aging compared to cow milk Cheddar cheeses, which might be attributable to the specific physicochemical characteristics of the two hard goat cheese varieties. Densitometric integrated intensity showed that the initial (0 week) goat cheeses had the greatest β-casein values, and then continuously declined as the storage time progressed. The extent of protein degradation in all 3 varieties of cheeses was also shown by the increase in WSN and the concomitant reduction in β-casein as aging advanced. The elevations of WSN in the two goat cheeses were significantly greater (P
Recognizing a Collective Inheritance through the History of Women in Computing

In her article "Recognizing a Collective Inheritance through the History of Women in Computing" Erika E. Smith engages with the following question: how might we create the space for women in the history of computing that is deserved? Even with the proliferation of social, political, and historical engagement with feminist theory and computing technology, there remains a lack of scholarship on the topic of women in the history of computing. Given the dearth of historical accounts on the role of women in computing, the task of delving into such history becomes necessary, although difficult. Smith's objective is to examine a spectrum of contemporary feminist theory as it relates to our inherited (hi)stories of women in computing. In charting these (hi)stories, Smith compares diverging feminist theories helpful in shedding further light on historical accounts of women in computing largely forgotten. Erika E. Smith, "Recognizing a Collective Inheritance through the History of Women in Computing" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 15.1 (2013):
A note on parallel processing

Abstract Some timing results on the performance of a new decomposition method for solving symmetric system equations are reported. A scheme to achieve balance in the distributing of operations with arithmetical complexities onto employed processors is also included.
The Optical Constants of Silver, Gold, Copper, and Aluminum. I. The Absorption Coefficient k

A description is given of a comparison method for determining the values of the absorption coefficient k of a metal relative to previously determined values for Ag. In this method transmission interference filters are constructed which have mica as the dielectric and have reflecting layers of Ag and of the metal x being studied. On adjacent areas of a single sheet of mica, pairs of filters are formed, one with a Ag-mica-Ag combination and the other with a Ag-mica-x combination. Components of a filter pair will have identical mica thicknesses. For a given filter pair the wavelengths transmitted by one combination are compared with those transmitted by the other. Values of k are then calculated from the change in phase accompanying the reflection of light at normal incidence at mica-metal interfaces. The method was found to have special advantages in the wavelength region of 0.65μ to 0.95μ for metals with high reflectivities. Results are given for Au, Cu, and Al in the range of 0.45μ to 0.95μ. The new values of k tend to be higher than older values obtained by other methods. A discussion is included concerning the validity of surface measurements for determining the bulk properties of metals.
Experimental determination of the topological properties of three‐dimensional microstructures

SUMMARY Procedures have been developed whereby the topological properties of single-phase cell structures, and two-phase structures, may be estimated from a series of closely spaced microsections. In both cases, the analysis is straightforward but tedious. However, because the topological properties abstract a description of the basic skeleton or framework of the structure from details of shape and size, their quantitative knowledge provides insights into microstructural behaviour that may be obtained in no other way. These combined factors make it likely that the application of these procedures will be limited to very select problems, but that where they are applied the results will significantly affect the thinking in the field.
Solution of the time-dependent, three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic equations

Abstract Resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is described by a set of eight coupled, nonlinear, three-dimensional, time-dependent, partial differential equations. A computer code, IMP (Implicit MHD Program), has been developed to solve these equations numerically by the method of finite differences on an Eulerian mesh. In this model, the equations are expressed in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates, making the code applicable to a variety of coordinate systems. The Douglas-Gunn algorithm for Alternating-Direction Implicit (ADI) temporal advancement is used to avoid the limitations in timestep size imposed by explicit methods. The equations are solved simultaneously to avoid synchronization errors. While the continuity and magnetic field equations are expressed as conservation laws, the momentum and energy equations are nonconservative. This is to: (1) provide enhanced numerical stability by eliminating errors introduced by the nonvanishing of τ · B on the finite difference mesh; and, (2) allow the simulation of low β plasmas. The resulting finite difference equations are a coupled system of nonlinear algebraic equations which are solved by the Newton-Raphson iteration technique. We apply our model to a number of problems of importance in magnetic fusion research. Ideal and resistive internal kink instabilities are simulated in a Cartesian geometry. Growth rates and nonlinear saturation amplitudes are found to be in agreement with previous analytic and numerical predictions. We also simulate these instabilities in a torus, which demonstrates the versatility of the orthogonal curvilinear coordinate representation.
Critical analysis of the 2010 TNM classification in patients with lymph node–positive bladder cancer: Influence of lymph node disease burden

Abstract Objectives In 2010, a new TNM staging system was published by American Joint Committee on Cancer, changing the nodal classification to include the presence of common iliac lymph node (LN) involvement as N3 category. The objective of this study was to define the capability of the current TNM nodal classification to separate patients with different prognostic stages and to evaluate the effect of LN disease burden. Methods and materials A total of 93 patients with metastatic LNs after radical cystectomy and extended LN dissection for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder between 1999 and 2012 were included. The median follow-up was 21.5 months. The correlation between N3 and indicators of LN disease burden was analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. Results The presence of N3 disease was associated with higher number of metastatic LNs (7 vs. 2, P Conclusions The N3 category in the current TNM classification defines a group of patients with high but heterogeneous disease burden. This may be the explanation for its lack of prognostic stratification when compared with N2 category bladder cancer.
Dipolar spin fluctuations in the rotating frame: A relaxation mechanism.

Abstract Under rf irradiation a system of spins linked by dipolar couplings can order along the external rf field or along the internal local fields. The decay of rotating frame magnetization proceeds either directly by thermalization with the lattice (molecular motion) or by a spin-spin coupling to the dipolar reservoir, independent of molecular motions. The dynamics of this cross coupling and implications for the usual relaxation measurement are examined. For adamantane at room temperature a Lorentzian correlation function describes the proton dipolar fluctuation spectrum under irradiation.
Analysis of sequential failures for assessment of reliability and safety of manufacturing systems

Abstract Assessment of reliability and safety of a manufacturing system with sequential failures is an important issue in industry, since the reliability and safety of the system depend not only on all failed states of system components, but also on the sequence of occurrences of those failures. Methods that are currently available in sequential failure analysis always start with given sequences of the failures in the system, which is not the case in real life situations; therefore, the sequences of the failures should be identified and the probability of their occurrence should be determined. In this paper, we represent a methodology that can be used for identifying the failure sequences and assessing the probability of their occurrence in a manufacturing system. The method employs Petri net modeling and reachability trees constructed based on the Petri nets. The methodology is demonstrated on an example of an automated machining and assembly system.
In Situ X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure Spectroscopy of ZnO Nanowire Growth During Chemical Bath Deposition

Chemical bath deposition (CBD) offers a simple and inexpensive route to deposit semiconductor nanostructures, but lack of fundamental understanding and control of the underlying chemistry has limited its versatility. Here we report the first use of in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy during CBD, enabling detailed investigation of both reaction mechanisms and kinetics of ZnO nanowire growth from zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) precursors. Time-resolved X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra were used to quantify Zn(II) speciation in both solution and solid phases. ZnO crystallizes directly from [Zn(H2O)6]2+ without long-lived intermediates. Using ZnO nanowire deposition as an example, this study establishes in situ XANES spectroscopy as an excellent quantitative tool to understand CBD of nanomaterials.
Generalized Empirical Likelihood Inference for Nonlinear and Time Series Models under Weak Identification

This paper studies robust inference methods for nonlinear moment restriction models with weakly identified parameters in time series contexts. Our methods are based on generalized empirical likelihood with kernel smoothing. The proposed test statistics, which follow the standard χ2 limiting distributions, are robust to weak identification and dependent data.The author is deeply grateful to Bruce Hansen, John Kennan, and Gautam Tripathi for their guidance and time. Comments from a coeditor and two anonymous referees substantially helped this revision. The author also thanks Allan Gregory, Patrik Guggenberger, Philip Haile, Hiroyuki Kasahara, Matthew Kim, Yuichi Kitamura, and seminar participants at Queen's University, University of Wisconsin, and the 2003 North America Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society for helpful discussions and suggestions. Financial support from the Alice Gengler Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Dissertation Fellowship is gratefully acknowledged.
Is handedness just response bias

Although most people prefer to use the right hand for unimanual tasks, it is unknown whether handedness arises from response bias. Whether it does is a question inspired by signal detection theory. We drew on the framework of signal detection theory to assess bias and sensitivity in hand choice by asking right-handers to choose between two tasks—one performed with the left hand, and one performed with the right. For some participants, the left-hand task stayed constant while the right-hand task was varied. For other participants, the right-hand stayed constant while the left-hand task was varied. We reasoned that if hand preference only reflected bias, participants would choose the generally preferred hand to the same degree, regardless of whether its task was constant or varied. Our participants followed this strategy only to some extent, suggesting that bias and sensitivity both contribute to hand preference.
Interpregnancy intervals: impact of postpartum contraceptive effectiveness and coverage

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the use of contraceptive methods, which was defined by effectiveness, length of coverage, and their association with short interpregnancy intervals, when controlling for provider type and client demographics. Study Design We identified a cohort of 117,644 women from the 2008 California Birth Statistical Master file with second or higher order birth and at least 1 Medicaid (Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment [Family PACT] program or Medi-Cal) claim within 18 months after index birth. We explored the effect of contraceptive method provision on the odds of having an optimal interpregnancy interval and controlled for covariates. Results The average length of contraceptive coverage was 3.81 months (SD = 4.84). Most women received user-dependent hormonal contraceptives as their most effective contraceptive method (55%; n = 65,103 women) and one-third (33%; n = 39,090 women) had no contraceptive claim. Women who used long-acting reversible contraceptive methods had 3.89 times the odds and women who used user-dependent hormonal methods had 1.89 times the odds of achieving an optimal birth interval compared with women who used barrier methods only; women with no method had 0.66 times the odds. When user-dependent methods are considered, the odds of having an optimal birth interval increased for each additional month of contraceptive coverage by 8% (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.09). Women who were seen by Family PACT or by both Family PACT and Medi-Cal providers had significantly higher odds of optimal birth intervals compared with women who were served by Medi-Cal only. Conclusion To achieve optimal birth spacing and ultimately to improve birth outcomes, attention should be given to contraceptive counseling and access to contraceptive methods in the postpartum period.
Divine Energies or Divine Personhood: Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas on conceiving the transcendent and immanent God

This essay explores a debate between two contemporary Orthodox theolo-gians, Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas, over how to adequately conceive the doctrine of the Trinity as an expression of the realism of divine-human communion, and hence, of the God who is transcendent and immanent. The essay critically analyzes the implications of Zizioulas’s reworking of the patristic category of hypostasis. Zizioulas's theology is suggesting a paradigm shift in contemporary Eastern Orthodox theology insofar as it prioritizes hypostasis over energies for expressing the realism of divine-human communion. The implications of this study also extend to debates within contemporary trinitarian theologies over the adequacy of the concept of "person" for conceptualizing the Trinity.
Dietary Selenium Modulates Activation and Differentiation of CD4+ T Cells in Mice through a Mechanism Involving Cellular Free Thiols

The immune-enhancing effects of selenium (Se) supplementation make it a promising complementary and alternative medicine modality for boosting immunity, although mechanisms by which Se influences immunity are unclear. Mice fed low (0.08 mg/kg), medium (0.25 mg/kg), or high (1.0 mg/kg) Se diets for 8 wk were challenged with peptide/adjuvant. Antigen-specific CD4(+) T cell responses were increased in the high Se group compared with the low and medium Se groups. T cell receptor signaling in ex vivo CD4(+) T cells increased with increasing dietary Se, with all 3 groups differing from one another in terms of calcium mobilization, oxidative burst, translocation of nuclear factor of activated T cells, and proliferation. The high Se diet increased expression of interleukin (IL)-2 and the high affinity chain of the IL-2 receptor compared with the low and medium Se diets. The high Se diet skewed the T helper (Th)1/Th2 balance toward a Th1 phenotype, leading to higher interferon-gamma and CD40 ligand levels compared with the low and medium Se diets. Prior to CD4(+) T cell activation, levels of reactive oxygen species did not differ among the groups, but the low Se diet decreased free thiols compared with the medium and high Se diets. Addition of exogenous free thiols eliminated differences in CD4(+) T cell activation among the dietary groups. Overall, these data suggest that dietary Se levels modulate free thiol levels and specific signaling events during CD4(+) T cell activation, which influence their proliferation and differentiation.
Mechanical testing: in situ fracture device for Auger electron spectroscopy

An in situ fracture device for Auger spectroscopy is described. The device is designed to handle small tensile specimens or small double-cantilever beam specimens and is fully instrumented with load and displacement transducers so that quantitative stress-strain measurements can be made directly. Some initial test results for specimens made from 4130 and 1020 steel are presented. Results indicate that impurity segregation at interfaces other than grain boundary may play a significant role in the mechanism of ductile fracture.
The Progressive Era in Perspective

T HE LAST DECADE HAS WITNESSED the completion of a great deal of useful research on the Progressive Era. Much of this recent scholarship, however, has exhibited a curious lack of feeling for what was certainly one of the most exciting periods in our national history. This failure to sense the mood of the time is one of the reasons for the prevalent misunderstanding of the significance of Progressivism and its place in American history. An interpretation of Progressivism which will make it easier to see the period as a whole and to fit it into its historical context is long overdue. Richard Hofstadter assayed this important task several years ago in The Age of Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R.,1 an intriguing and well-written volume that won its author a Pulitzer Prize. Despite many virtues, The Age of Reform seems to this writer to have a serious shortcoming-it, too, misunderstands the Progressive Era. For reasons that will become clear, this defect led Professor Hofstadter to a rather serious misinterpretation of the New Deal as well. This article will offer a critique of Hofstadter's approach and will go on to suggest an alternative interpretation of the Progressive Era and the relation of the New Deal to this earlier period. Hofstadter presents the Progressive Era as fundamentally "genteel, proper, and safe."2 It was "a rather conservative sort of thing"3 and, especially in the Eastern states, was a "mild and judicious movement.'"4 This view is by no means shared by the present writer and it is interesting to try to discern the factors that influenced Hofstadter's judgment. He places a good deal of emphasis upon the middle-class origins of many of the leading Progressives and from this seems to conclude that the movement could not, as a consequence, have been genuinely radical.5
Quaternary-to-analog conversion with resistive ladders

Resistive ladder networks for converting weighted quaternary threshold logic output currents to an analog voltage are presented
AN UNUSUAL PROTEIN COMPONENT OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT IN THE SERUM OF CERTAIN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

In the sera of a number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis an unusual, high molecular weight protein component could be detected by direct ultracentrifuge analysis of whole serum. This material sedimented more rapidly than the normal 19 S component and reached concentrations up to 340 mg. per cent. Similar components were not observed in a limited control series. The high molecular weight material was present in the γ-globulin fraction of serum and joint fluid. It had an S 20,w of approximately 22 S and could be dissociated into 2 fractions, one of which had a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 19 S. Evidence for a direct relationship between the 22 S component and the γ-globulin precipitation test was obtained. The latter reaction was found to occur in the presence of altered, aggregated γ globulin. Absorption of serum with altered γ globulin removed the 22 S component. There also appeared to be a connection with the sheep cell agglutination reaction and the latex fixation test. The 22 S fraction was always observed in sera giving the most positive tests. Procedures of density gradient and repeated preparative ultracentrifugation demonstrated that each of these reactions was caused by a high molecular weight fraction. The relationship between the unusual protein complex and various 19 S γ-globulins and 19 S antibodies is discussed.
Simple motion planning strategies for spherobot: a spherical mobile robot

Mobile robots have been traditionally designed with wheels and few have explored designs with spherical exo-skeletons. A spherical mobile robot that offers to have a number of advantages, is proposed in the paper. The success of our design is contingent upon development of control strategies for reconfiguration of the sphere. We address the open-loop control problem and present two strategies for reconfiguration. The first strategy uses spherical triangles to bring the sphere to a desired position with a desired orientation. The second strategy uses a specific kinematic model and generates a trajectory comprising straight lines and circular arc segments. As compared to existing motion planners, our strategies require less computation and provide scope for easy implementation.
Cross-modal clustering

This paper presents a self-supervised algorithm for learning perceptual structures based upon correlations in different sensory modalities. The brain and cognitive sciences have gathered an enormous body of neurological and phenomenological evidence in the past half century that demonstrates the extraordinary degree of interaction between sensory modalities during the course of ordinary perception. This paper presents a new framework for creating artificial perceptual systems inspired by these findings, where the primary architectural motif is the cross-modal transmission of perceptual information to enhance each sensory channel individually. The basic hypothesis underlying this approach is that the world has regularities - natural laws tend to correlate physical properties - and biological perceptory systems have evolved to take advantage of this. They share information continually and opportunistically across seemingly disparate perceptual channels, not epiphenomenologically, but rather as a fundamental component of normal perception. It is therefore essential that their artificial counterparts be able to share information synergistically within their perceptual channels, if they are to approach degrees of biological sophistication. This paper is a preliminary step in that direction.
A fine-grain hypergraph model for 2D decomposition of sparse matrices

We propose a new hypergraph model for the decompo- sition of irregular computational domains. This work fo- cuses on the decomposition of sparse matrices for parallel matrix-vector multiplication. However, the proposed model can also be used to decompose computational domains of other parallel reduction problems. We propose a "`ne- grain" hypergraph model for two-dimensional decomposi- tion of sparse matrices. In the proposedne-grain hyper- graph model, vertices represent nonzeros and hyperedges represent sparsity patterns of rows and columns of the ma- trix. By partitioning thene-grain hypergraph into equally weighted vertex parts (processors) so that hyperedges are split among as few processors as possible, the model cor- rectly minimizes communication volume while maintaining computationalload balance. Experimental results on a wide range of realistic sparse matrices conrm the validity of the proposed model, by achieving up to 50 percent better de- compositions than the existing models, in terms of total com- munication volume.
An Explicit Family of Probability Measures for Passive Scalar Diffusion in a Random Flow

We explore the evolution of the probability density function (PDF) for an initially deterministic passive scalar diffusing in the presence of a uni-directional, white-noise Gaussian velocity field. For a spatially Gaussian initial profile we derive an exact spatio-temporal PDF for the scalar field renormalized by its spatial maximum. We use this problem as a test-bed for validating a numerical reconstruction procedure for the PDF via an inverse Laplace transform and orthogonal polynomial expansion. With the full PDF for a single Gaussian initial profile available, the orthogonal polynomial reconstruction procedure is carefully benchmarked, with special attentions to the singularities and the convergence criteria developed from the asymptotic study of the expansion coefficients, to motivate the use of different expansion schemes. Lastly, Monte-Carlo simulations stringently tested by the exact formulas for PDF’s and moments offer complete pictures of the spatio-temporal evolution of the scalar PDF’s for different initial data. Through these analyses, we identify how the random advection smooths the scalar PDF from an initial Dirac mass, to a measure with algebraic singularities at the extrema. Furthermore, the Peclet number is shown to be decisive in establishing the transition in the singularity structure of the PDF, from only one algebraic singularity at unit scalar values (small Peclet), to two algebraic singularities at both unit and zero scalar values (large Peclet).
Estimating distance in real and virtual environments: Does order make a difference?

In this investigation, we examined how the order in which people experience real and virtual environments influences their distance estimates. Participants made two sets of distance estimates in one of the following conditions: (1) real environment first, virtual environment second; (2) virtual environment first, real environment second; (3) real environment first, real environment second; or (4) virtual environment first, virtual environment second. In Experiment 1, the participants imagined how long it would take to walk to targets in real and virtual environments. The participants’ first estimates were significantly more accurate in the real than in the virtual environment. When the second environment was the same as the first environment (real-real and virtual-virtual), the participants’ second estimates were also more accurate in the real than in the virtual environment. When the second environment differed from the first environment (real-virtual and virtual-real), however, the participants’ second estimates did not differ significantly across the two environments. A second experiment, in which the participants walked blindfolded to targets in the real environment and imagined how long it would take to walk to targets in the virtual environment, replicated these results. These subtle yet persistent order effects suggest that memory can play an important role in distance perception.
Variation in pelvic size between males and females in nonhuman anthropoids.

Whether there is a sexual difference in phenotypic variance has been the subject of theoretical and empirical studies. The presence of such a difference is integral to some models on the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Several studies report that males are more variable than females for nonpelvic measures. This study tests for a sexual difference in variability of the pelvis. Phenotypic variance is a correlate of both the intensity and mode of selection. In both sexes, the pelvis is subject primarily to stabilizing selection. However, selection intensity is greater among females than among males because only among females does the pelvis function as a birth canal and, thereby, serve as a proximate cause of death. As selection intensity and phenotypic variability are inversely related under stabilizing selection, the implication is that females should be less variable than males in pelvic size and shape. However, the results of previous studies on this issue are equivocal or contradictory. This study compares the sexes for differences in pelvic variability by analyzing nine species (and ten samples) of nonhuman anthropoids. Data were collected on 16 measures of the pelvis; only adults were used. Levene's univariate and multivariate tests for relative variation were used in the analysis. The results show that the sexes do not differ significantly in pelvic variability either within or among the nine samples of noncaptive anthropoids. Only in the one sample of captive specimens (Saimiri sciureus) do the sexes differ significantly in pelvic variability, with males being more variable than females. Two interpretations are derived from these results. First, the sexual difference in variability in captive Saimiri may be due either to a bias in the selection of Saimiri specimens by the captors/experimentors or to a sexual difference in growth associated with the stress of captivity. Second, the sexes do not differ in pelvic variability among noncaptive anthropoids because the anlage of the pelvis is bipotential in development. The intrinsic (i.e., agonadal) pattern of growth and development is that characteristic of a female. Testicular androgens are requisite to redirect the pattern of growth and development to that characteristic of a male. However, the redirected pattern of growth in males simply shifts en masse the intrinsic (i.e., female) distribution curve. The consequence among adults is sexual dimorphism in pelvic size, but sexual equivalency in relative pelvic variability. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
No more energy-performance trade-off: a new data placement strategy for raid-structured storage systems

Many real-world applications like Video-On-Demand (VOD) and Web servers require prompt responses to access requests. However, with an explosive increase of data volume and the emerging of faster disks with higher power requirements, energy consumption of disk based storage systems has become a salient issue. To achieve energy-conservation and prompt responses simultaneously, in this paper we propose a novel energy-saving data placement strategy, called Striping-based Energy-Aware (SEA), which can be applied to RAID-structured storage systems to noticeably save energy while providing quick responses. Further, we implement two SEA-powered RAID-based data placement algorithms, SEA0 and SEA5, by incorporating the SEA strategy into RAID-0 and RAID-5, respectively. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that compared with three well-known data placement algorithms Greedy, SP, and HP, SEA0 and SEA5 reduce mean response time on average at least 52.15% and 48.04% while saving energy on average no less than 10.12% and 9.35%, respectively.
An Edge-Weighted Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation Model for Image Segmentation

Centroidal Voronoi tessellations (CVTs) are special Voronoi tessellations whose generators are also the centers of mass (centroids) of the Voronoi regions with respect to a given density function and CVT-based methodologies have been proven to be very useful in many diverse applications in science and engineering. In the context of image processing and its simplest form, CVT-based algorithms reduce to the well-known k -means clustering and are easy to implement. In this paper, we develop an edge-weighted centroidal Voronoi tessellation (EWCVT) model for image segmentation and propose some efficient algorithms for its construction. Our EWCVT model can overcome some deficiencies possessed by the basic CVT model; in particular, the new model appropriately combines the image intensity information together with the length of cluster boundaries, and can handle very sophisticated situations. We demonstrate through extensive examples the efficiency, effectiveness, robustness, and flexibility of the proposed method.
The Impact of Age on Employment Tenure: Results from an Employment Discrimination Case

In a recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission class action suit, a company was charged with discriminating against applicants age 40 and over. During the first phase of the trial the company was found guilty of age discrimination. The second phase of the trial involved determining damages to be awarded to a class of approximately 152 members age 40 or over. Part of the damage calculation required estimating the amount of time members of the class would have been employed, absent the discrimination. The employer in this case argued that there was a link between age and job tenure, and that if older workers had been hired, the company’s experience suggests that they would not have been employed as long as the pool of current younger workers. Therefore, in calculating damages, it is important to examine the tenure/age relationship. Information about current and previous employees is used to predict the relationship between age and tenure. For previous employees, company records indicate the date of hire and the date of termination. For those employees tenure is calculated as the number of weeks from hire to termination. For current employees, however, the calculation is not as straightforward. The date of hire is known. But, since each is employed at the time of sampling, termination has to occur at some unknown time in the future. Therefore, each current employee's true job tenure is underestimated, starting at the date of hire and ending at the date of sampling. This is a classic censoring problem. One way to address the censoring problem may be to remove the censored observations from the sample. This would leave a subsample of just uncensored observations, each with known job tenure. However, if the censored observations come from a different population than the uncensored observations, using only the uncensored observations for statistical analysis will lead to biased predictions. This means that a statistical procedure will have to account for censoring. Fortunately, a procedure exists to estimate job tenures when censoring is an issue. This procedure is called duration modeling. A duration model is developed that accounts for censored data. The model allows for specifying tenure as a function of age. The model is estimated for a sample of 170 current and previous employees. The results indicate that tenure is decreasing in age. Someone starting employment at age 24, for example,
All-Pass Filters

The sections in this article are 1 Properties of All-Pass Filters 2 Phase Distortion 3 Phase Equalizaton 4 An Application of Delay 5 A Synthesis Application 6 All-Pass Circuit Realizations 7 Minimum Phase and All-Pass Filters 8 Digital All-Pass Filters
Nonconvex compressive sensing and reconstruction of gradient-sparse images: Random vs. tomographic Fourier sampling

Previous compressive sensing papers have considered the example of recovering an image with sparse gradient from a surprisingly small number of samples of its Fourier transform. The samples were taken along radial lines, this being equivalent to a tomographic reconstruction problem. The theory of compressive sensing, however, considers random sampling instead. We perform numerical experiments to compare the two approaches, in terms of the number of samples necessary for exact recovery, algorithmic performance, and robustness to noise. We use a nonconvex approach, this having previously been shown to allow reconstruction with fewer measurements and greater robustness to noise, as confirmed by our results here.
RNA editing and mitochondrial activity in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania donovani.

Abstract Kinetoplast maxicircle DNA sequence organisation was investigated in Leishmania donovani, strain 1S LdBob. Gene arrangement in the coding (conserved) region of the maxicircle is collinear with that of most trypanosomatids, with individual genes showing 80–90% nucleotide identity to Leishmania tarentolae, strain UC. The notable exception was an integration of a full-size minicircle sequence in the ND1 gene coding region found in L. donovani. Editing patterns of the mitochondrial mRNAs investigated also followed L. tarentolae UC patterns, including productive editing of the components of respiratory complexes III–V, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), as well as the lack of productive editing in five out of six pan-edited cryptogenes (ND3, ND8, ND9, G3, G4) found in these species. Several guide RNAs for the editing events were localised in minicircles and maxicircles in the locations that are conserved between the species. Mitochondrial activity, including rates of oxygen consumption, the presence and the levels of respiratory complexes and their individual subunits and the steady-state levels of several mitochondrial-encoded mRNAs were essentially the same in axenically grown amastigotes and in promastigotes of L. donovani. However, some modulation of mitochondrial activity between these developmental stages was suggested by the finding of an amastigote-specific component in complex IV, a down-regulation of mitochondrial RNA-binding proteins (MRP) and MRP-associated protein (MRP-AP) in amastigotes, and by variations in the levels of RPS12, ND3, ND9, G3 and G4 pre-edited transcripts.
Testing During Refactoring: Adding Aspects to Legacy Systems

Moving program code that implements cross-cutting concerns into aspects can improve the maintainability of legacy systems. This kind of refactoring, called aspectualization, can also introduce faults into a system. A test driven approach can identify these faults during the refactoring process so that they can be removed. We perform systematic testing as we aspectualize commercial VLSI CAD applications. The process of refactoring these applications revealed the kinds of faults that can arise during aspectualization, and helped us to develop techniques to reduce their occurrences.
Internet privacy concerns and their antecedents: measurement validity and a regression model

This research focuses on the development and validation of an instrument to measure the privacy concerns of individuals who use the Internet and two antecedents, perceived vulnerability and perceived ability to control information. The results of exploratory factor analysis support the validity of the measures developed. In addition, the regression analysis results of a model including the three constructs provide strong support for the relationship between perceived vulnerability and privacy concerns, but only moderate support for the relationship between perceived ability to control information and privacy concerns. The latter unexpected results suggest that the relationship among the hypothesized antecedents and privacy concerns may be one that is more complex than is captured in the hypothesized model, in light of the strong theoretical justification for the role of information control in the extant literature on information privacy.
Fiddlehead: an Arabidopsis mutant constitutively expressing an organ fusion program that involves interactions between epidermal cells

Abstract In most circumstances plant epidermal cells do not respond to surface contact with adjacent plant parts. We have identified and characterized a mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana , designated fiddlehead , where lateral appendages of the shoot fuse with one another. While fusion between floral organs is most frequent, leaf fusions also occur. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we show that adhesion takes place between epidermal cells and does not involve cytoplasmic union. We also show that the frequency of organ fusion is dictated by organ proximity. In wildtype Arabidopsis , postgential fusion takes place exclusively in the gynoecium, whereas in the fiddlehead mutant, this program becomes expressed constitutively. The existence of such a mutant demonstrates that postgenital fusion is a genetically distinct program superimposed upon other aspects of gynoecial development in Arabidopsis .
A Posteriori Method for Estimating and Correcting Grid-Induced Errors in CFD Solutions Part 1: Theory and Method

This paper describes a method for estimating and correcting for errors that are induced by the grid. Since grid-induced errors can be generated at one location and then transported elsewhere, the method is based on the discrete-error-transport equation (DETE), which can track the generation and the evolution of grid-induced errors. This paper also presents two models for estimating where grid-induced errors are generated. One model generates the residual entirely from the CFD solution for which an error estimation and correction are sought. The other model generates the residual from several CFD solutions of the same problem generated on several different grids.
Imminent Suicide: The Illusion of Short-Term Prediction

The concept of imminent suicide is examined. A search of National Electronic Library for Mental Health, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, OVID and MD Consult databases was conducted using the terms "suicide, imminent." The term imminent frequently appears in the mental health literature, finding common usage among clinicians. It is also a legal term of art embedded in civil commitment statutes; duty to warn and protect statutes and case law, usually under the rubric of dangerousness; and in seclusion and restraint policies. Managed care admission protocols may contain imminence criteria for patients at risk for suicide before approving insurance benefits, yet no suicide risk factors exist for the short-term prediction of suicide.