cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Self-Hypnosis on Quality of Life Following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Preliminary Results of a Prospective, Randomized Trial

The effects of complementary techniques and alternative medicine on allopathic therapies is generating much interest and research. To properly evaluate these techniques, well controlled studies are needed to corroborate the findings espoused by individuals practicing complementary medicine therapies. To this end, we evaluated the role of one of these therapies, self-hypnosis relaxation techniques, in a prospective, randomized trial to study its effects on quality of life after coronary artery bypass surgery. Subjects were randomized to a control group or a study group. Study group patients were taught self-hypnosis relaxation techniques the night prior to surgery. The control group received no such treatment. Patients then underwent routine cardiac management and care. The main endpoint of our study was quality of life, assessed by the Profile of Moods Scale. Results demonstrated that patients undergoing self-hypnosis the night prior to coronary artery bypass surgery were significantly more relaxed than the control group (p = 0.0317). Trends toward improvement were also noted in depression, anger, and fatigue. This study demonstrates the beneficial effects of self-hypnosis relaxation techniques on coronary surgery. This study also identifies endpoints and a study design that can be used to assess complementary medicine therapies. Results of this preliminary investigation are encouraging and demonstrate a need for further well-controlled studies.
Deformable anatomical templates for brachytherapy treatment planning in radiotherapy of cervical cancer

This paper describes a new method to register serial, volumetric x-ray computed tomography (CT) data sets for tracking soft-tissue deformation caused by insertion of intracavity brachytherapy applicators to treat cervical cancer. 3D CT scans collected from the same patient with and without a brachytherapy applicator are registered to aid in computation of the radiation dose to tumor and normal tissue. The 3D CT image volume of pelvic anatomy with the applicator. Initial registration is accomplished by rigid alignment of the pelvic bones and non-rigid alignment of gray scale CT data and hand segmentations of the vagina, cervix, bladder, and rectum. A viscous fluid transformation model is used for non-rigid registration to allow for local, non-linear registration of the vagina, cervix, bladder, and rectum without disturbing the rigid registration of the bony pelvis and adjacent structures. Results are presented in which two 3D CT data sets of the same patient - imaged with and without a brachytherapy applicator - are registered.
Novel and potent oxazolidinone antibacterials featuring 3-indolylglyoxamide substituents.

Abstract Novel oxazolidinone antibacterials bearing a variety of 3-indolylglyoxamide substituents have been explored in an effort to improve the spectrum and potency of this class of agents. A subclass of this series was also made with the diversity at C-5 terminus. These derivatives have been screened against a panel of clinically relevant Gram-positive pathogens and fastidious Gram-negative organisms. Several analogs in this series were identified with in vitro activity superior to linezolid (MIC = 0.25–2 μg/mL). Compounds 10a , 10c , 10e and 10f displayed activity against linezolid resistant Gram-positive organisms (MIC = 2–4 μg/mL). Selected oxazolidinones were evaluated for in vivo efficacy against a mouse systemic infection model.
Decision-making about volitional impairment in sexually violent predators.

TheKansas v. Hendricks (1997) decision, in which the Supreme Court authorized post-sentence civil commitment for certain sex offenders, appeared to be constitutionally legitimized by limiting the class of offenders eligible for this special form of civil commitment to those who are “unable to control” their dangerousness. Nowhere in the available record, however, did the Court elucidate what they meant by this notion of volitional impairment. This study sought to examine factors that legal professionals (n=43), psychologists (n=40), and mock jurors (n=76) deem most relevant to a determination of sex offender volitional impairment. Participants, who were randomly assigned to a sexual predator commitment or an insanity hearing context, read a series of 16 vignettes that described a pedophilic offender and included combinations of variables hypothesized to be related to judgments of volitional impairment. Results suggested that participants, who as a group made remarkably high estimates of likelihood of future sexual violence, considered verbalization of control, history of sexual violence, and the context of the hearing as highly relevant to determinations of volitional impairment. Implications for policy and practice are explored.
Executive compensation and firm performance: adjustment dynamics, non-linearity and asymmetry

The relationship between executive compensation and firm performance is a field of intense theoretical and empirical research. The purpose of this study is to gain additional insights into the nature of this relationship by examining empirically the relatively unexplored areas of its dynamics of adjustment, as well as its non-linearity. The findings of this study show strong evidence in support of the view that (a) executive compensation is characterized by a dynamic process of adjustment, and (b) the relationship between executive compensation and firm performance is non-linear and asymmetric. Additionally, the structure of asymmetry is found to be dependent on the measure of performance. Convexity characterizes the asymmetry of the relationship between executive compensation and market returns, while concavity distinguishes the asymmetry of the relationship between executive compensation and accounting returns. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamical mechanism for coexistence of dispersing species.

Abstract Dispersal of organisms may play an essential role in the coexistence of species. Recent studies of the evolution of dispersal in temporally varying environments suggest that clones differing in dispersal rates can coexist indefinitely. In this work, we explore the mechanism permitting such coexistence for a model of dispersal in a patchy environment, where temporal heterogeneity arises from endogenous chaotic dynamics. We show that coexistence arises from an extreme type of intermittent behavior, namely the phenomenon known as on–off intermittency. In effect, coexistence arises because of an alternation between synchronized and de-synchronized dynamical behaviors. Our analysis of the dynamical mechanism for on–off intermittency lends strong credence to the proposition that chaotic synchronism may be a general feature of species coexistence, where competing species differ only in dispersal rate.
LIGHT GRADIENT PARTITIONING AMONG TROPICAL TREE SPECIES THROUGH DIFFERENTIAL SEEDLING MORTALITY AND GROWTH

To characterize species differences in light-dependent mortality and growth, I transplanted seedlings of four related tree species into a range of light environments (<1% to 85% full sun) on alluvial soils at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. With maximum likelihood techniques, I fit species-specific, nonlinear regression models of seedling probability of mortality and radial growth as functions of light availability for Trophis racemosa, Castilla elastica, Pourouma aspera, and Cecropia obtusifolia (Family Moraceae, latter two also classified as Cecropiaceae). Models characterizing mortality in the first year of seedling life showed significant differences among the species, both in functional forms and in model parameter estimates. All species decreased in mortality with increases in light to 20% full sun. Above 20% full sun, the mortality of T. racemosa and Castilla elastica continued to decrease, while that of Cecropia obtusifolia remained constant and that of P. aspera increased. At <10% full sun, there was a fivefold difference in mortality probability; T. racemosa had the highest survivorship, followed by C. elastica, P. aspera, and C. obtusifolia. Mortality models for the initial 4 mo of the experiment revealed significant size effects for all species except P. aspera and increased mortality under high light for P. aspera and T. racemosa. In contrast, radial growth of all species increased with light availability. The radial growth models, based upon only variation in light availability and tree size, accounted for 60–86% of the variation in growth. Cecropia obtusifolia occupied the lowest rank in radial growth at 75% full sun. When considered together, the mortality and growth models revealed that differences in species performance could lead to light gradient partitioning. At distinct light levels, each species showed the highest growth relative to other surviving species. Neither growth nor mortality considered alone revealed this specialization. Light gradient partitioning provides an explanation for successional dynamics and suggests that tropical tree species coexistence and diversity is at least partly maintained through niche differentiation.
The man who understood the Feynman machine.

Everyone has heard of Feynman, Binnig and Rohrer, and the scanning tunnelling microscope, but where does Conrad Schneiker fit in? Chris Toumey explains.
HSP90/70 chaperones are required for rapid nucleosome removal upon induction of the GAL genes of yeast

Induction of transcription of the GAL genes of yeast by galactose is a multistep process: Galactose frees the activator Gal4 of its inhibitor, Gal80, allowing Gal4 to recruit proteins required to transcribe the GAL genes. Here, we show that deletion of components of either the HSP90 or the HSP70 chaperone machinery delays this induction. This delay remains when the galactose-signaling pathway is bypassed, and it cannot be explained by a chaperone requirement for DNA binding by Gal4. Removal of promoter-bound nucleosomes is delayed in a chaperone mutant, and our findings suggest an involvement of HSP90 and HSP70 in this early step in gene induction.
Status of not-in-kind refrigeration technologies for household space conditioning, water heating and food refrigeration

This paper presents a review of the next generation not-in-kind technologies to replace conventional vapor compression refrigeration technology for household applications. Such technologies are sought to provide energy savings or other environmental benefits for space conditioning, water heating and refrigeration for domestic use. These alternative technologies include: thermoacoustic refrigeration, thermoelectric refrigeration, thermotunneling, magnetic refrigeration, Stirling cycle refrigeration, pulse tube refrigeration, Malone cycle refrigeration, absorption refrigeration, adsorption refrigeration, and compressor driven metal hydride heat pumps. Furthermore, heat pump water heating and integrated heat pump systems are also discussed due to their significant energy saving potential for water heating and space conditioning in households. The paper provides a snapshot of the future R&D needs for each of the technologies along with the associated barriers. Both thermoelectric and magnetic technologies look relatively attractive due to recent developments in the materials and prototypes being manufactured.
Effects of low temperature air oxidation (weathering) reactions on the pyrolysis mass spectra of US coals

Abstract Two high volatile bituminous coals (Upper Freeport and Hiawatha seams), a subbituminous coal (Adaville seam) and a lignite (Anderson seam) were used to investigate the effect of low temperature air oxidation (‘weathering’) on the yield and composition of vacuum pyrolysis products. Fresh coal samples were exposed to air at 80 and 100°C for up to 10 days under controlled laboratory conditions. Curie-point pyrolysis mass spectrometry combined with computerized data analysis was applied to study the weathering induced changes in a series of samples weathered for various lengths of time. It was found that the abundance of small oxygen-containing molecules such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and aliphatic carboxylic acids increased in the pyrolysate of all samples, whereas phenols and dihydroxybenzenes showed decreased yields, especially in the two lowest rank coals. Besides phenols, alkylnaphthalenes and alkyltetralins showed decreased abundances in the pyrolysis mass spectra of the two high volatile bituminous coals. An attempt is made to explain the difference in pyrolysis patterns observed before and after weathering experiments in terms of underlying structural changes.
Increasing the value of teaching in the academic marketplace: The creation of a peer-review infrastructure for teaching

Despite moves in the academic marketplace to broaden the definition of scholarship to include teaching and learning along with research, the value of teaching continues to be perceived as relativel...
Abuse and Neglect of Individuals with Disabilities Building Protective Supports Through Public Policy

Whether young or old, individuals with disabilities are at increased risk for abuse and neglect when compared to the rates for individuals without disabilities. Reducing that risk is the responsibi...
Cutaneous and subcutaneous Ewing's sarcoma: an indolent disease.

Abstract Purpose: The occurrence of extraosseous Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) in deep soft tissues has been well described, but cases in which this tumor occurs in a primary cutaneous or subcutaneous site have rarely been reported. The superficial variant may be less aggressive than are the more common bony and deep soft tissue counterparts with an apparently favorable outcome. A retrospective review of patients with cutaneous or subcutaneous ES was conducted to analyze outcome and patterns of failure. Methods and Materials: Between July 1985 and March 1997, 14 patients with cutaneous or subcutaneous ES were treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The median age at presentation was 16 years (range 7–21 years). Anatomic locations included trunk and pelvis (7), upper or lower extremity (4), and head and neck (3). The median size of the lesion was 3 cm (range, 1–12 cm). Thirteen had definitive surgical resections, and one had biopsy of the mass at the time of referral. They were enrolled on institutional (12) or cooperative group (2) protocols. All patients received chemotherapy, composed of vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, etoposide, and dactinomycin. Patients on institutional protocols received radiation (36 Gy) to the operative bed (150–180 cGy/fraction/day). Postoperative radiotherapy was omitted for 2 patients who had complete resection on the cooperative group study. Results: No patients had metastatic disease at presentation. Thirteen patients had wide local excision of the primary tumors prior to enrollment on chemotherapy; surgical margins were negative (10), microscopically positive (2), and indeterminate (1). Eleven patients received radiotherapy to the tumor bed; 2 with clear surgical margins were treated without irradiation. The patient who had biopsy only received induction chemotherapy followed by definitive surgical resection and postoperative radiotherapy. The median follow-up was 77 months (range 17–111 months). None of the patients has developed local recurrence or distant metastasis. Several of the patients developed treatment-related sequelae, including veno-occlusive disease of the lung and hemorrhagic cystitis (1), myelodysplastic syndrome (1), chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure (1), moist desquamation (1), and dermatofibroma within the radiotherapy volumes (1). Conclusions: Cutaneous and subcutaneous ES are associated with an indolent course and a favorable prognosis when treated with combined modality therapy. Elimination of radiation therapy following complete resection has been tested in the POG 9354 trial. The high rate of local control, low rate of metastatic disease, and excellent overall outcome may suggest a role for less intensive chemotherapy, as well as tailoring to diminish or avoid radiation therapy in completely resected cases, with a goal to minimize toxicity while maintaining a high cure rate.
Cytometric data as the basis for rigorous models of cell population dynamics

Population balance equations provide a rigorous framework to describe the dynamics of growing cell populations. Because cells are so small their dynamic properties usually cannot be measured directly. Flow cytometry data can provide access to this information and thus parameters of the population balance equations can be determined which makes application of this theory possible.
Remote Spectroscopy at Kilometer-Scale Distances via Random Raman Lasing

The single-shot remote identification of chemicals at kilometer-scale distances is experimentally demonstrated utilizing random Raman lasing.
Replication Checkpoint Enforced by Kinases Cds1 and Chk1

Cdc2, the kinase that induces mitosis, is regulated by checkpoints that couple mitosis to the completion of DNA replication and repair. The repair checkpoint kinase Chk1 regulates Cdc25, a phosphatase that activates Cdc2. Effectors of the replication checkpoint evoked by hydroxyurea (HU) are unknown. Treatment of fission yeast with HU stimulated the kinase Cds1, which appears to phosphorylate the kinase Wee1, an inhibitor of Cdc2. The protein kinase Cds1 was also required for a large HU-induced increase in the amount of Mik1, a second inhibitor of Cdc2. HU-induced arrest of cell division was abolished in cds1 chk1 cells. Thus, Cds1 and Chk1 appear to jointly enforce the replication checkpoint.
Rheology of End-Tethered Polymer Layered Silicate Nanocomposites

The rheology of end-tethered polymer layered silicate nanocomposites is investigated using linear viscoelastic measurements in oscillatory shear with small strain amplitudes. Two systems consisting of poly(e-caprolactone) and nylon-6 with varying amounts of layered silicate (montmorillonite) are examined. The storage (G‘) and loss (G‘‘) moduli increase at all frequencies with increasing silicate loading, consistent with previous findings with conventionally filled polymer systems. However, the power-law dependence of G‘ and G‘‘ in the terminal zone is different from that observed in homopolymers and decreases with increasing silicate loading. At low frequencies the rheological response becomes almost invariant with frequency, suggestive of a solid-like response. Comparisons are drawn with rheology of other intrinsically anisotropic materials, and an attempt is made to explain phenomenologically their rich-rheological behavior.
Mechanical response and texture evolution of AZ31 alloy at large strains for different strain rates and temperatures

Abstract In order to study the behavior of material under finite deformation at various strain rates, the responses of AZ31 Mg sheet are measured under uniaxial (tension and compression) and multiaxial (simple shear) loadings along rolling direction (RD), 45° to rolling direction (DD), 90° to rolling direction (TD), and normal to the sheet (ND) to large strains. The material exhibits positive strain rate sensitivity (SRS) at room and elevated temperatures; the SRS is more pronounced at high temperatures and lower strain rates. The r -value of the material under tensile loading at room temperatures is higher in TD at lower strain rate. Texture measurements on several failed specimens are reported under tension and simple shear after finite plastic deformation of about 20% equivalent strain. The as-received material exhibits a strong fiber with equal fractions of grains having the c -axis slightly tilted away from the sheet normal towards both +RD and −RD. Pole figures obtained after tensile loading along the rolling direction (RD) show that the texture of the material strengthens even at low strains, with c -axis perpendicular to the sheet plane and prism planes lining up in a majority of grains. However, the tensile loading axis along TD does not lead to similar texture strengthening; the c -axis distribution appears to be virtually unchanged from the virgin state. The pole figures obtained after in-plane compression along RD brings the c -axes of the grains parallel to the loading direction. The pole figures after simple shear loading show that the c -axis rotates to lie on the sheet plane consistent with a compression axis 45° away on the sheet plane.
Calcium dysregulation via L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels and ryanodine receptors underlies memory deficits and synaptic dysfunction during chronic neuroinflammation

Background Chronic neuroinflammation and calcium (Ca+2) dysregulation are both components of Alzheimer’s disease. Prolonged neuroinflammation produces elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species which can alter neuronal Ca+2 homeostasis via L-type voltage-dependent Ca+2 channels (L-VDCCs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Chronic neuroinflammation also leads to deficits in spatial memory, which may be related to Ca+2 dysregulation.
Sorting, Selection, and Industry Shakeouts

This paper presents a model of industry dynamics in which worker abilities are complements in production, but frictions permit only gradual sorting among firms. As an industry matures, segregation by skill becomes more marked, the wage distribution widens, and so does the distribution of firm size. Eventually, firms that have ended up with predominantly low-quality workers will exit. The model generates shakeouts with characteristics similar to empirical observation only for intermediate values of entry costs.
Evolving a Multiagent Controller for Micro Aerial Vehicles

Micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) are notoriously difficult to control as they are light, susceptible to minor fluctuations in the environment, and obey highly nonlinear dynamics. Indeed, traditional control methods, particularly those relying on difficult to obtain models of the interaction between an MAV and its environment, have been unable to provide adequate control beyond simple maneuvers. In this paper, we address the problem of controlling an MAV (which has segmented control surfaces) by evolving a neurocontroller and fine tuning it using multiagent coordination techniques. This approach is based on a control strategy that learns to map MAV states (position and velocity) to MAV actions (e.g., actuator position) to achieve good performance (e.g., flight time) by maximizing an objective function. The main difficulty with this approach is defining the objective functions at the MAV level that allow good performance. In addition, to provide added robustness, we investigate a multiagent approach to control where each control surface aims to optimize a local objective. Our results show that this approach not only provides good MAV control, but provides robustness to: 1) wind gusts by a factor of 6; 2) turbulence by a factor of 4; and 3) hardware failures by a factor of 8 over a traditional control method.
A symbiotic brain-machine interface through value-based decision making.

Background In the development of Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs), there is a great need to enable users to interact with changing environments during the activities of daily life. It is expected that the number and scope of the learning tasks encountered during interaction with the environment as well as the pattern of brain activity will vary over time. These conditions, in addition to neural reorganization, pose a challenge to decoding neural commands for BMIs. We have developed a new BMI framework in which a computational agent symbiotically decoded users' intended actions by utilizing both motor commands and goal information directly from the brain through a continuous Perception-Action-Reward Cycle (PARC). Methodology The control architecture designed was based on Actor-Critic learning, which is a PARC-based reinforcement learning method. Our neurophysiology studies in rat models suggested that Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) contained a rich representation of goal information in terms of predicting the probability of earning reward and it could be translated into an evaluative feedback for adaptation of the decoder with high precision. Simulated neural control experiments showed that the system was able to maintain high performance in decoding neural motor commands during novel tasks or in the presence of reorganization in the neural input. We then implanted a dual micro-wire array in the primary motor cortex (M1) and the NAcc of rat brain and implemented a full closed-loop system in which robot actions were decoded from the single unit activity in M1 based on an evaluative feedback that was estimated from NAcc. Conclusions Our results suggest that adapting the BMI decoder with an evaluative feedback that is directly extracted from the brain is a possible solution to the problem of operating BMIs in changing environments with dynamic neural signals. During closed-loop control, the agent was able to solve a reaching task by capturing the action and reward interdependency in the brain.
Attentional characteristics and teachers ratings in hyperactive, reading disabled, and normal boys

Boys classified as hyperactive, reading disabled, and normal in behavior and achievement were contrasted on measures of attention and teacher ratings to ascertain differences in attention and impulse control and thereby provide greater diagnostic precision in identifying the two clinical groups. Multivariate analyses followed by univariate tests indicated that both the clinical groups performed more poorly than normal controls on each of the measures administered except on one visual search task related to selective attention. Further, hyperactive children experienced significantly greater difficulty on tasks requiring sustained attention and impulse control. The finding that reading disabled (nonhyperactive) children were rated by their teachers as less impulsive than normal controls was interpreted as lending support to the hypothesis that children with specific learning disabilities are “passive learners”; who fail to initiate meaningful task strategies, thereby additionally impairing academic functioning.
Approximation orders of shift-invariant subspaces of W 2 s (R d )

We extend the existing theory of approximation orders provided by shift-invariant subspaces of L"2 to the setting of Sobolev spaces, provide treatment of L"2 cases that have not been covered before, and apply our results to determine approximation order of solutions to a refinement equation with a higher-dimensional solution space.
Palliative Care and Pain Management

Palliative care aims to improve quality of life and relieve suffering for patients with advanced illness and those close to them by specifically addressing communication, symptom management, coordination of care, psychosocial and spiritual realms, grief and bereavement support, and legal and ethical concerns. It has an interdisciplinary focus and may co-exist with curative and life-prolonging treatment. Palliative care is a key component of appropriate, routine medical care, especially for clinicians caring for older adults. In revisiting Mrs. B, the many needs of a typical elderly patient are apparent, as are the gaps in the current level of care. A discussion of prognosis and goals of care is a potential starting point. This includes obtaining input from an oncologist with regard to treatment options for Mrs. B's metastatic breast cancer and her pathologic hip fracture. Soliciting her treatment goals in the context of her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and significant recent decline is the next challenge. Pain, dyspnea, constipation, anorexia, and anxiety could then be addressed with pointed assessment and symptom-specific management. Code status discussion, communication with her support network, and care coordination for her increased care needs would follow. Hospice should be introduced as a potential option. Advance care planning might also be initiated. Psychological and spiritual support needs could also be explored in time. Clearly, there is much to be done for Mrs. B and her loved ones in clarifying and coordinating whatever path comes to be. Older patients and their families face prolonged courses of chronic disease and gradual decline. Physicians caring for these patients need to be expert in the domains of palliative care so these patients and their families can receive the best quality of care while they are still living full lives and later as they approach the end of life.
Novel DUV photoresist modeling by optical thin film decomposition from spectral ellipsometry/reflectometry data

New metrology for characterizing the chemically amplified resist is required to meet the stringent demands of DUV lithography. In this paper, we present a systematic methodology to characterize DUV photoresist by decomposing the resist thin-film into different empirical components according to their optical properties. The innovation of this metrology includes three parts: ellipsometry and reflectometry measurement data de-noising; sophisticated dispersion models derived from the Kramers-Kronig relations for optical thin-film component description; and an intelligent simulated annealing algorithm for the optimization computational engine.
Asymmetric synthesis of α-alkylated α-amino acids via Schmidt rearrangement of α,α-bisalkylated β-keto esters

Abstract α-Alkylated α-amino acids are obtained in high yield and optical purity through Schmidt rearrangement of optically active α,α-bisalkylated β-keto esters.
FLUOROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF CORTICOSTEROIDS IN HUMAN BLOOD: COMPARISON OF RESULTS WITH THE SILBER-PORTER METHOD.

A method for determining corticosteroid concentrations in 1 ml samples of serum is described. The initial purification depends upon successive extractions with 2,2,4-trimethylpentane and chloroform. The chloroform extract is subjected to a single alkaline wash and the steroid is extracted directly into the final fluorescence reagent (75% ethanolic H2SO4) v/v). The influence of varying concentrations of sulfuric acid and ethanolic sulfuric acid upon the development of fluorescence has been explored in order to ascertain an optimum reaction with cortisol. Recoveries of cortisol from plasma are virtually complete (95.5–105.4%). The proportionate standard deviation of duplicate analyses varied from 0.163 at concentrations in the range of 9.7 μg/100 ml to 0.018 at a mean concentration of 76.3 μg/100 ml. The activation and fluorescence spectra of normal plasma extracts consistently paralleled those observed with crystalline cortisol and corticosterone. The nonsteroid background fluorescence extracted from plasm...
Spectral mixture analysis for subpixel vegetation fractions in the urban environment: How to incorporate endmember variability?

In the urban environment both quality of life and surface biophysical processes are closely related to the presence of vegetation. Spectral mixture analysis (SMA) has been frequently used to derive subpixel vegetation information from remotely sensed imagery in urban areas, where the underlying landscapes are assumed to be composed of a few fundamental components, called endmembers. A critical step in SMA is to identify the endmembers and their corresponding spectral signatures. A common practice in SMA assumes a constant spectral signature for each endmember. In fact, the spectral signatures of endmembers may vary from pixel to pixel due to changes in biophysical (e.g. leaves, stems and bark) and biochemical (e.g. chlorophyll content) composition. This study developed a Bayesian Spectral Mixture Analysis (BSMA) model to understand the impact of endmember variability on the derivation of subpixel vegetation fractions in an urban environment. BSMA incorporates endmember spectral variability in the unmixing process based on Bayes Theorem. In traditional SMA, each endmember is represented by a constant signature, while BSMA uses the endmember signature probability distribution in the analysis. BSMA has the advantage of maximally capturing the spectral variability of an image with the least number of endmembers. In this study, the BSMA model is first applied to simulated images, and then to Ikonos and Landsat ETM+ images. BSMA leads to an improved estimate of subpixel vegetation fractions, and provides uncertainty information for the estimates. The study also found that the traditional SMA using the statistical means of the signature distributions as endmember signatures produces subpixel endmember fractions with almost the same and sometimes even better accuracy than those from BSMA except without uncertainty information for the estimates. However, using the modes of signature distributions as endmembers may result in serious bias in subpixel endmember fractions derived from traditional SMA.
A direct, stimulating effect of cyclic GMP on purified phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase and its antagonism by cyclic AMP.

Abstract The activity of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase, purified from a line of rat hepatoma cells in continuous culture, is maximally stimulated (2–4 fold) by less than 10 −7 M cyclic GMP. Half maximal stimulation occurs at 2 × 10 −9 M. Cyclic GMP stimulates phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase by decreasing the Km of the enzyme for ATP from 50 μM to 10 μM without affecting the Vmax; it has no effect on the Km for ribose 5-phosphate, the other substrate. Cyclic AMP alone has no effect on the enzyme activity, but at micromolar concentrations it antagonizes the stimulation by cyclic GMP. GMP, GDP, and GTP do not stimulate enzyme activity; and AMP and ADP at micromolar concentrations do not antagonize the effect of cyclic GMP. There is no detectable cyclic nucleotide-activated protein kinase in the enzyme preparation. Cyclic GMP significantly stabilizes the enzyme to heat inactivation. We conclude that cyclic GMP binds directly to the enzyme in an allosteric fashion, causing it to have an increased affinity for one of its substrates, and that cyclic AMP directly antagonizes this effect.
Testing the conventional wisdom about land use and traffic congestion: the more we sprawl, the less we move?

This paper explores relationships between seven dimensions of land use in 1990 and subsequent levels of three traffic congestion outcomes in 2000 for a sample of 50 large US urban areas. Multiple regression models are developed to address several methodological concerns, including reverse causation and time-lags. Controlling for prior levels of congestion and changes in an urban area's transport network and relevant demographics, it is found that: density/continuity is positively related to subsequent roadway ADT/lane and delay per capita; housing centrality is positively related to subsequent delay per capita; and housing-job proximity is inversely related to subsequent commute time. Only the last result corresponds to the conventional wisdom that more compact metropolitan land use patterns reduce traffic congestion. These results prove two points: that the choice of congestion measure may substantively affect the results; and that multivariate statistical analyses are necessary to control for potentially confounding influences, such as population growth and investment in the transport network.
Simulation software makes metalcasting course more interesting and challenging

Metalcasting is undergoing significant changes like other manufacturing processes. Developments in the science, engineering and technology are reflected in this, one of the oldest and most significant manufacturing processes. The changes can bee seen in a number of different aspects of metalcasting, including new materials, melting methods, molding techniques, cleaning equipment, heat treatment. One of the more significant scientific and technological developments that has found application in metalcasting are computers and numerical methods for solving fluid mechanics and thermodynamics problems during filling and solidification process in the mold. This particular development has allowed designers to design castings and verify their manufacturability before actually making the pattern and pouring the molten metal into the mold. This allows designer to modify his/her design before investing significant resources into the process, and simultaneously shortens the development time. As a result the end product becomes less expensive and is quickly delivered to the customer.
A new approach in simulating RF linacs using a general, linear real-time signal processor

The authors describe the implementation of a general, linear model of an RF cavity which was used to develop a real-time signal processor. This device fully emulates the response of an RF cavity upon receiving characteristic parameters (Q/sub 0/, omega /sub 0/, Delta omega , R/sub S/, Z/sub 0/). This processor has the ability to simulate the effect of cavity detuning, beam loading, and finite Q. A brief overview of the relevant theory is presented. The authors focus on the model implementation and conclude with a direct comparison of the results from the mathematical simulations and the hardware simulations. The development of the signal processor to simulate a resonant cavity system which included the effects of beam coupling and input coupling was successful. The results clearly illustrate that there are direct similarities between computer generated responses and hardware generated responses. >
A Probabilistic Model for Recovering Camera Translation

This paper describes the mathematical basis and application of a probabilistic model for recovering the direction of camera translation (heading) from optical flow. According to the theorem that heading cannot lie between two converging points in a stationary environment, one can compute the posterior probability distribution of heading across the image and choose the heading with maximum a posteriori (MAP). The model requires very simple computation, provides confidence level of the judgments, applies to both linear and curved trajectories, functions in the presence of camera rotations, and exhibited high accuracy up to 0.1°?0.2° in random dot simulations.
Generalized shape autocorrelation

This paper presents an efficient and homogeneous paradigm for automatic acquisition and recognition of nonparametric shapes. Acquisition time varies from linear to cubic in the number of object features. Recognition time is linear to cubic in the number of features in the image and grows slowly with the number of stored models. Nonparametric shape representation is achieved by spatial autocorrelation transforms. Both acquisition and recognition are two-step processes. In the first phase, spatialautocorrelationoperators are applied to the image data to perform local shape analysis. Then, spatial autocorrelation operators are applied to the local shape descriptors to either create entries (acquisition) or index (recognition) into a table containing the distributed shape information. The output of the table is used to generate a density function on the space of possible shapes with peaks corresponding to high confidence in the presence of a particular shape instance. The behavior of the system on a set of complex shapes is shown with respect to occlusion, geometric transformation, and cluttered scenes.
A Framework for Service Provision in Intermittently Connected Mobile Ad hoc Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks have been recently receiving much attention due to the important prospects they offer in service terms. Indeed, beyond the application services envisioned so far in emergency and military scenarios, civilian mobile ad hoc services usable in everyday life are considered from now. Service provision is a critical issue to the success of this new computing paradigm. In this paper, we present a novel approach for service provision in intermittently connected mobile ad hoc networks, as well as a framework implementing this approach.
Influence of Landscape Composition on Northern Bobwhite Population Response to Field Border Establishment

Since the 1960s, habitat loss resulting from cleaner farming, increased urbanization, and maturation of early successional cover has caused range-wide decline of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Although field borders increase bobwhite habitat and increase local populations, understanding how the surrounding landscape influences bobwhite response to this management practice is critical to efficient implementation. We determined the relative influence of landscape composition and field border implementation on bobwhite densities and occupancy dynamics around crop fields in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. We used 10-minute distance point counts to estimate density, occupancy, colonization, and extinction rates of male bobwhite around 154 agriculture fields, half of which had a fallow field border. We estimated percent of cropland, forest, pasture, early successional, and urban cover within 1- km radius buffers (314ha) surrounding all point count locations. We examined the influence of 6 predictor variables (landscape composition metrics and field border presence) on bobwhite density and occupancy dynamics. Bobwhite density increased with the presence of field borders. Conversely, bobwhite density decreased as the percentage of urban, pasture, and forest lands increased. The presence of a field border did not influence occupancy, colonization, or extinction rates. However, as the percentage of cropland increased within the landscape, bobwhite occupancy increased and as the percentage of pasture increased, bobwhite colonization decreased. As the percentage of forest and urban increased and cropland decreased, bobwhite extinction rate increased. Our results indicated that local establishment of field borders does not increase bobwhite occupancy rates, but field borders can increase densities in suitable landscapes where bobwhite are present. Habitat restoration for bobwhite will most effectively increase population densities if focused in landscapes dominated by suitable cover types, where bobwhite occurrence is high. 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Creating a large-scale content-based airphoto image digital library

We describe a content-based image retrieval digital library that supports geographical image retrieval over a testbed of 800 aerial photographs, each 25 megabytes in size. In addition, this paper also introduces a methodology to evaluate the performance of the algorithms in the prototype system. There are two major contributions: we suggest an approach that incorporates various image processing techniques including Gabor filters, image enhancement and image compression, as well as information analysis techniques such as the self-organizing map (SOM) into an effective large-scale geographical image retrieval system. We present two experiments that evaluate the performance of the Gabor-filter-extracted features along with the corresponding similarity measure against that of human perception, addressing the lack of studies in assessing the consistency between an image representation algorithm or an image categorization method and human mental model.
China's Economic Prospects and Sino–US Economic Relations

A better comprehension of the mixed sentiment in the rest of world towards the rapid rise of the Chinese economy will depend on the understanding of some key features of the Chinese economy, such as those associated with its size, structure and institution. To further sustain its high growth, China is facing more challenges than it has encountered in the past 2 decades, including a gamut of material constraints. Although polices and technological progress might alleviate many of these constraints, the ultimate solution will still lie in continued institutional reform. China’s recent move towards a more flexible exchange rate regime is in line with its broad reform and in accordance with the progress of its development. However, such a move will have limited immediate effects on the prodigious US trade deficit, which itself is a problem rooted in the flawed international reserve system, far beyond a Sino–US trade issue.
Illness Meanings of AIDS Among Women With HIV: Merging Immunology and Life Experience

Little attention has been paid to illness meanings held by those with HIV in the presence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This article illustrates how elucidating illness meanings might aid our understanding of HAART adherence and other important health behaviors. Using multiple qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, free lists, and drawings, I explore meanings surrounding the concept of AIDS among women with HIV in New Orleans, Louisiana. Illness meanings of AIDS reflect the women's negotiation of physical, social, and emotional threats posed by HIV. HIV-positive women displace death and stigma away from an HIV diagnosis to an AIDS diagnosis, creating a sense of safety and normalcy for themselves. Women with AIDS diagnoses, however, struggle to construct illness meanings of AIDS that resist its association with ostracism and death. Drawings produced by the women provide rich insights and illustrate the value of drawings as a visual method in exploring illness meanings.
Physico‐chemical environment of pedogenic carbonate formation in Devonian vertic palaeosols, central Appalachians, USA

The morphology and geochemistry of pedogenic carbonate found in vertic claystone palaeosols in the Devonian Catskill Formation in central Pennsylvania preserve a record of the physical and chemical environment of carbonate precipitation. The carbonate is characterized by three distinct petrographic generations. Pedogenic rhizoliths and nodules are the earliest precipitated generation, and typically consist of dull red-brown luminescent micrite. Clear, equant calcite spar cement fills voids in the centres of rhizoliths, as well as circumgranular cracks and septarian voids in nodules. Early spar cements are nonluminescent to dull luminescent, whereas later spar cements exhibit bright yellow-orange luminescence. Late stage pedogenic fractures are always occluded with very bright yellow-orange luminescent spar cements. The incorporation of progressively higher concentrations of Mn (up to 34 000 ppm) into successively younger calcite spar cements, without concomitant increases in Fe, suggests carbonate precipitation from an evolving meteoric water in which Mn2+ became increasingly mobile over time. The increased mobility is possibly due to decreasing Eh, resulting from oxidation of organic matter after rapid soil burial on the floodplain. The amount of Fe2+ available for incorporation into calcite was limited because most iron was immobile, having been earlier oxidized and bound to the palaeosol clay matrix as a poorly crystallized ferric oxide or oxyhydroxide mineral. Carbon isotope compositions of pedogenic carbonate correlate with the inferred depth of carbonate precipitation. Rhizoliths preserved below the lowest stratigraphic occurrences of pedogenic slickensides are consistently depleted in 3C relative to nodules, which formed stratigraphically higher, within the zone of active soil shrink and swell processes. Nodular carbonate, precipitated in proximity to deep cracks in the soil, is enriched due to increased gas exchange with isotopically heavy atmospheric C02. Accordingly, rhizolith compositions will most accurately estimate palaeoatmospheric levels of C02 ; the use of nodule compositions may result in overestimation of Pco, by as much as 30%.