cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel segmentation method for breast ultrasound images based on neutrosophic l‐means clustering

Purpose: Fully automatic and accurate breast lesion segmentation is an essential and challenging task. In this paper, the authors develop a novel, effective, and fully automatic method for breast ultrasound (BUS) image segmentation. Methods: The segmentation method utilizes a novel phase feature to improve the image quality, and a novel neutrosophic clustering approach to detect the accurate lesion boundary. First, a region of interest is generated to cut off complex background. After speckle reduction, an enhancement algorithm based on phase in max-energy orientation (PMO) is developed to further improve the image quality. The PMO is a newly proposed 2D phase feature obtained by filtering the image in the frequency domain and calculating the phase accumulation in the orientation with maximum energy. Finally, the authors propose a novel clustering approach called neutrosophic l-means (NLM) to detect the lesion boundary. NLM is a generalized clustering method that can be used to solve other clustering problems as well. In this paper, NLM is used to segment images with vague boundaries, and to deal with uncertainty better. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the authors compare it with the traditional fuzzy c-means clustering, active contour, level set, and watershed-based segmentation methods, using a common database. Radiologist's manual delineations are used as the golden standards. Five assessment metrics are utilized to evaluate the performance from different aspects. Both accuracy and efficiency are analyzed. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to test the robustness of the proposed method. Results: Compared with the other methods, the proposed method generates the most similar boundaries to the radiologist's manual delineations (TP rate is 92.4%, FP rate is 7.2%, and similarity rate is 86.3%; Hausdorff distance is 22.5 pixels and mean absolute distance is 4.8 pixels), with efficient processing speed (averagely 9.8 s per image). Sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of the proposed method as well. Conclusions: The proposed method is a fully automatic segmentation method for BUS images that can generate accurate lesion boundaries even for complicated cases. The fast processing speed, robustness, and accuracy of the proposed method suggest its potential applications in clinics.
Richard Swinburne's argument to the simplicity of God via the infinite

In The Coherence of Theism Richard Swinburne writes that a person cannot be omniscient and perfectly free. In The Existence of God Swinburne writes that God is a person who is omniscient and perfectly free. There is a straightforward reason why the two passages are not in tension, but recognition of this reason raises a problem for Swinburne's argument in The Existence of God (the conclusion of which is that God likely exists). In this paper I present the problem for Swinburne's argument. I then consider two potential responses and suggest that neither succeeds.
Pap smear screening in a health maintenance organization: 1986-1990.

Background.To assess Pap smear utilization and compliance with screening recommendations, a study was conducted in a large midwestern HMO where cost is not a barrier to care. The purpose of the study was to examine rates of screening by age, identify the proportion of abnormal cytologic findings, and determine screening incidence for women with a diagnosis of cervical cancer.Method.Computerized records on screening frequency over a 5-year interval were examined for 23,649 consecutively enrolled women ages 18–70. In addition, medical records were examined for patients with a cervical cancer diagnosis (n= 32).Results.Eighty-five percent of the women had at least one Pap smear within the 5-year duration. Nearly half (47%) obtained four to five tests, 30% obtained two or three tests, and 14% were screened only once during the 5 years. Percentages were similar across all age groups. Cytopathology reports indicated 95% of tests as normal, 4% as low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL), <1% as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and 0.02% as suspected malignancy. Younger women were more likely to evidence SIL; older women were somewhat more likely to have carcinoma. For women with a cancer diagnosis, 63% had not been screened the previous year and 34% had no screening recorded for the prior 3 years. Twenty-two percent had no record of screening within the past 5 years compared with 8.5% of the total group.Conclusions.In HMOs with prepayment, one would hypothesize that patients would obtain more regular preventive screening of all types, yet women at highest risk seemed less likely to obtain Pap smear screening. This group is not fully understood and probably represents the best opportunity to reduce morbidity, mortality, and expense from preventable cervical neoplasias.
An Inhomogeneous Model of Protein Dielectric Properties: Intrinsic Polarizabilities of Amino Acids

A simple inhomogeneous model of protein dielectric properties is discussed. A protein in solution is modeled as a collection of polarizable dipoles in a cavity embedded inside a dielectric medium. The intrinsic polarizabilities of 20 amino acids are assumed to be portable to all proteins in nature. A reasonable set of these polarizability values has been obtained by comparing dielectric fluctuations from molecular dynamics simulations with model calculations. The results are consistent within a data set of three small proteins.
Psychosocial adaptation of children and adolescents with limb deficiencies: A review

Abstract Children and adolescents with congenital or acquired limb loss must contend with a number of medical and psychosocial Stressors that might be expected to increase their risk of maladjustment. Yet several studies suggest remarkably good psychosocial adjustment in this population. This paper reviews the available data on the psychosocial status of the pediatric patient with a limb deficiency. Possible explanations related to disability characteristics, such as degree of disease visibility, are offered for the reported positive outcomes. Psychosocial factors that may influence the adaptation process are also reviewed. Finally, methodological limitations of prior studies are delineated and suggestions for future research are offered. Clearly, prospective longitudinal studies with appropriate control groups are necessary for an understanding of the adaptive process in specific pediatrie groups with limb deficiencies.
Ergebnisse und Probleme der Genetik Nobel‐Vortrag am 29. Mai 1959

Der Fortschritt der Genetik bemist sich daran, wie weit es moglich ist, den Genotyp einer Zelle, d. h. die Reihenfolge der Nucleotide in der Desoxyribo-nucleinsaure (DNS) ihres Kernes, experimentell zu bestimmen. - Die spezifische Veranderung von Genen wird nur mit Stoffen gelingen, die selektiv mit jeweils nur einem Abschnitt der DNS-Kette reagieren. Voraussetzung dafur ist, das ein solches Reagens durch eine periodische Struktur der Gensubstanz gleicht. Die besten Aussichten fur die kunstliche Erzeugung spezifischer Mutationen bieten sich beim Arbeiten mit Nucleinsauren. Methoden fur deren schrittweisen Auf- und Abbau sind daher ebenso notwendig wie die Isolierung homogener Nucleinsaure-Praparate aus biologischem Material. - Ein reizvolles Ziel fur die praparative Chemie ware die Darstellung eines Polymeren, mit dem sich die wesentlichen Funktionen genetischer Systeme imitieren lassen.
Conditioned place preference and locomotor activation produced by injection of psychostimulants into ventral pallidum

Abstract The ventral pallidum (VP) is often viewed as an output structure of the nucleus accumbens septi (NAS). However, VP, like NAS, receives a dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area. These experiments investigated some behavioral effects of microinjection into VP of drugs which enhance dopaminergic transmission. Injection of 25 μg dopamine or 5–10 μg amphetamine into VP produced hypermotility. In contrast, injection of 12.5–50 μg cocaine initially suppressed, then increased, activity. Injection of 100 μg cocaine only produced hypomotility in the 1-h period examined. The hypomotility following cocaine seemed to be a local anesthetic effect, because it was mimicked by 50–200 μg procaine. Procaine did not, however, produce subsequent hypermotility. Conditioned place preference (CPP) was produced by 10 μg amphetamine and 50 μg cocaine but not 100 μg procaine. We conclude that injection of cocaine into VP, unlike similar injections into NAS, produces CPP. These results support the idea of an involvement of dopamine in VP in reward and locomotor activation, independent of dopamine in NAS. The use of intracerebral injections of cocaine is complicated, however, by an apparent local anesthetic effect of the drug.
Anthropology's disenchantment with the cognitive revolution(1).

Beller, Bender, and Medin should be congratulated for their generous attempt at expressive academic therapy for troubled interdisciplinary relationships. In this essay, I suggest that a negative answer to the central question (‘‘Should anthropology be part of cognitive science?’’) is not necessarily distressing, that in retrospect the breakup seems fairly predictable, and that disenchantment with the cognitive revolution is nothing new.
Formation of Jets through Mixing and Forcing of Potential Vorticity: Analysis and Parameterization of Beta-Plane Turbulence

Abstract Formation of multiple jets in forced beta-plane turbulence is studied from the perspective of nonuniform nonconservative arrangement of potential vorticity (PV). Numerical simulations are analyzed to show that mixing and forcing reinforce jets by concentrating PV gradients at the axes of prograde jets. Based on the formalism developed in the companion paper, the nonconservative driving of jets is diagnosed and parameterized through the diffusive flux of PV and the source of wave activity. It is found that the two terms nearly balance on a long time scale, and they are both strongly anticorrelated with the PV gradient, which suggests that PV controls the nonconservative processes and that these processes could be parameterized as functions of the PV gradient. The flux is modeled using the effective diffusivity formula recently obtained by Ferrari and Nikurashin. Consistent with the PV barrier concept, the nonlinear diffusivity is a decreasing function of the squared PV gradient and agrees well wit...
Correlates of Adult Attachment Avoidance: Men's Avoidance of Intimacy in Romantic Relationships

The authors examined associations among 266 undergraduate men’s perceptions of parental bonding, gender role conflict, affect regulation capacity, and adult attachment avoidance. Partial support for the hypothesized mediation effects was found, with results suggesting that emotion regulation suppression and reappraisal helped explain the association between men’s memories of maternal bonding care and adult attachment avoidance. Furthermore, results identified potential mechanisms of influence underlying the development of men’s avoidance of intimacy. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are provided.
Simulating Nitrate Drainage Losses from a Walnut Creek Watershed Field

This study was designed to evaluate the improved version of the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) using 6 yr (1992-1997) of field-measured data from a field within Walnut Creek watershed located in central Iowa. Measured data included subsurface drainage flows, NO 3 -N concentrations and loads in subsurface drainage water, and corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yields. The dominant soil within this field was Webster (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls) and cropping system was corn-soybean rotation. The model was calibrated with 1992 data and was validated with 1993 to 1997 data. Simulations of subsurface drainage flow closely matched observed data showing model efficiency of 99% (EF = 0.99), and difference (D) of 1% between measured and predicted data. The model simulated NO 3 -N losses with subsurface drainage water reasonably well with EF = 0.8 and D = 13%. The simulated corn grain yields were in close agreement with measured data with D < 10%. Nitrogen-scenario simulations demonstrated that corn yield response function reached a plateau when N-application rate exceeded 90 kg ha -1 . Fraction of applied N lost with subsurface drainage water varied from 7 to 16% when N-application rate varied from 30 to 180 kg ha -1 after accounting for the nitrate loss with no-fertilizer application. These results indicate that the RZWQM has the potential to simulate the impact of N application rates on corn yields and NO 3 -N losses with subsurface drainage flows for agricultural fields in central Iowa.
Observer-Controller Digital PLL

A digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) has been recently developed to exploit the increasing transistor speed of modern process technology. By employing a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) and a time-to-digital converter (TDC), the loop filter of a DPLL becomes all-digital. Instead of designing the loop filter by digitizing a continuous-time loop response as has been commonly done, more sophisticated control schemes can be employed. In this paper, we propose to design the feedback loop in the time-domain by first modeling the DCO and TDC as a noisy ?plant? in state-space form. Based on a Kalman observer of the ?plant,? the proposed approach then generates optimal control signals that accurately account for the additive noise as well as the transport delay in the digital feedback system. The proposed observer-controller loop filter achieves rapid transient response time and significantly reduces the steady-state phase noise jitter compared to the conventional DPLL. Furthermore, the proposed approach enables modeling of other noise sources such as due to oscillator pulling, which is a common problem in many modern transceivers. By employing the observer-controller loop filter, the effect of oscillator pulling can be effectively removed without degrading the overall phase noise performance.
Estimating business value of IT services through process complexity analysis

In this paper we propose a methodology to estimate business value of IT services. We investigate how to apply quantitative studies for IT service management processes that allows us to link measurable performance improvements with concrete business value. Specifically, we follow an Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) defined strategy combined with process complexity analysis techniques. This helps to reason about inefficiencies in IT service processes due to problems with coordination of different roles, lack of support for task execution, and complexities for getting the source of information. Our approach consists in (1) identifying the process context using ITIL as a reference framework, (2) quantifying process baseline with typical task execution time and underlying complexity, (3) estimating performance improvement achieved by tooling deployment or process transformation, and (4) estimating business value derived for various business cases. We illustrate our methodology using the change management process as defined in IBM Tivoli Unified Process (ITUP) and estimating the business value of implementing an application discovery tool and a change management tool.
MPI and embedded TCP/IP Gigabit Ethernet cluster computing

A group of lower cost PC connected via Gigabit Ethernet and using MPI for communications between multiple parallel processes running simultaneously on all hosts provides a cost effective and powerful computing solution. The processing load for interprocess communications via TCP is significant when the parallel processes must exchange a large amount of data. When using a standard gigabit network interface card (NIC), TCP communications at near wire speed (above 800 Mbit/sec) use almost the entire processing capacity of a 1 GHz Pentium 3 processor or around 30% of a 2.4 GHz Pentium IV. This communications overhead significantly reduces the computational power of economical two processor systems. NIC that perform the protocol processing on the card offer the possibility of reducing this significantly. This study evaluates the performance and cost effectiveness of using a NIC with embedded TCP/IP processing to offload the network processing and allow more MPI processes per host.
Dendritic Plasticity in the Adult Neocortex

Dendrites are a major determinant of how neurons integrate and process incoming information, and thus, they play a vital role in the functional properties of neural circuits. During the past 30 years, it has become clear that the functional organization of the adult neocortex (and other parts of the brain) is dynamic and can change in response to experimental manipulations that affect cortical activity patterns. A variety of changes in the cortical microcircuit, including changes in synaptic function, neuronal membrane properties, and axonal trajectories, are associated with these functional changes. In this review, the authors discuss changes in the structure of dendrites in the adult neocortex, the sorts of experimental manipulations that induce these changes, and some possible molecular mechanisms that may underlie the changes.
Integrating Patterning Signals: Wnt/GSK3 Regulates the Duration of the BMP/Smad1 Signal.

BMP receptors determine the intensity of BMP signals via Smad1 C-terminal phosphorylations. Here we show that a finely controlled cell biological pathway terminates this activity. The duration of the activated pSmad1Cter signal was regulated by sequential Smad1 linker region phosphorylations at conserved MAPK and GSK3 sites required for its polyubiquitinylation and transport to the centrosome. Proteasomal degradation of activated Smad1 and total polyubiquitinated proteins took place in the centrosome. Inhibitors of the Erk, p38, and JNK MAPKs, as well as GSK3 inhibitors, prolonged the duration of a pulse of BMP7. Wnt signaling decreased pSmad1GSK3 antigen levels and redistributed it from the centrosome to cytoplasmic LRP6 signalosomes. In Xenopus embryos, it was found that Wnts induce epidermis and that this required an active BMP-Smad pathway. Epistatic experiments suggested that the dorsoventral (BMP) and anteroposterior (Wnt/GSK3) patterning gradients are integrated at the level of Smad1 phosphorylations during embryonic pattern formation.
Mapping the Sound Field of a 400 Seat Theater

To what extent does a receiver's location in a room impact what is heard and can that impact be modeled? For this line of study, acoustic parameters of a 400 seat theater were mapped as a function of position at every-seat resolution to quantify the spatial disparity of a sound field. A 1:20 scale model and a ray-tracing software model were then constructed. This study seeks to (1) relate the sound decay rate and pressure level measured at one theater seat to that measured at others, (2) compare the inter-seat sound field maps measured across the frequency spectrum with an eye toward the Schroeder cut-off frequency, and (3) determine the models' reliability in replicating the measured inter-seat variation.
Fluid and chemical cycling at Bush Hill: Implications for gas‐ and hydrate‐rich environments

[1] The results of a deployment of aqueous flux meters at the Bush Hill hydrate mound show that persistent hydrologic instability is a primary feature of the globally abundant gas- and hydrate-rich cold seep environment. Seven flux meters were deployed for 14 weeks in the area of the Bush Hill hydrate mound. Instruments were deployed on microbial mats, bivalves, adjacent to the surface hydrate mound, and a site without visible fauna. Flow rates were observed to range from downflow of 0.01 mm/day to upflow of >15 mm/day. Temporal variability and a major hydrological event were observed to occur on all instruments. There is evidence that this event was related to a gas expulsion episode. The two instruments which exhibited downflow during the event were near surface hydrates and bubbling vents. Nearby instruments recorded a rapid increase in flow rates at the time of the event with a subsequent decrease in rates to the previous background values. Two instruments showed significant output of seawater-like fluids, while the others output typical methane seep-type pore fluids. These results at a passive margin site, along with our previously published convergent margin results at gas-rich northeast Pacific cold seeps (Hydrate Ridge, Eel River margin), illustrate the hydrologic complexity of these environments. We now propose that these and our earlier results are characteristic of seafloor environments which have abundant free gas and hydrates. These mechanisms have major consequences for the near-surface geochemical and microbial environment and for the way we interpret measurements made in these areas.
Aversive Racism and Selection Decisions: 1989 and 1999:

The present study investigated differences over a 10-year period in whites' self-reported racial prejudice and their bias in se- lection decisions involving black and white candidates for employ- ment. We examined the hypothesis, derived from the aversive-racism framework, that although overt expressions of prejudice may decline significantly across time, subtle manifestations of bias may persist. Consistent with this hypothesis, self-reported prejudice was lower in 1998-1999 than it was in 1988-1989, and at both time periods, white participants did not discriminate against black relative to white can- didates when the candidates' qualifications were clearly strong or weak, but they did discriminate when the appropriate decision was more ambiguous. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.
Stat3 Downstream Genes Serve as Biomarkers in Human Lung Carcinomas and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Smoking causes lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that impose severe health problem to humans. Both diseases are related to each other and can be induced by chronic inflammation in the lung. To identify the molecular mechanism for lung cancer formation, a CCSP-rtTA/(teto)(7)Stat3C bitransgenic model was generated recently. In this model, persistent activation of the Stat3 signaling pathway induced pulmonary inflammation and adenocarcinoma formation in the lung. A group of Stat3 downstream genes were identified by Affymetrix GeneChip microarray analysis that can be used as biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. To determine which human lung cancers are related to the Stat3 pathway, multiple Stat3 downstream genes were screened in human lung cancers (adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas) and lung tissue with COPD. In both cancer and COPD, the Stat3 gene was up-regulated. A panel of Stat3-up-regulated downstream genes in mice was up-regulated in human adenocarcinomas, but not in human squamous cell carcinomas. This panel of genes was also modestly up-regulated in lung tissue with COPD from patients with a history of smoking and not up-regulated in those without histories of smoking. Several Stat3-down-regulated downstream genes also showed differential expression patterns in carcinoma and COPD. These studies support a concept that Stat3 is a potent oncogenic molecule that plays a role in formation of lung adenocarcinomas in both mice and humans. The carcinogenesis of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma is mediated by different molecular mechanisms and pathways in vivo. Stat3 and its downstream genes can serve as biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma and COPD diagnosis and prognosis in mice and humans.
Women and CKD-Mineral and Bone Disorder

Development of CKD-mineral and bone disorder (MBD) increases morbidity and mortality in men and women with CKD. The corresponding link among bone disease, fracture, and extraskeletal calcifications has been the subject of much focus. In the general population, the incidence of cardiovascular disease is higher in men than women, and this gender differences in degree of calcification and morbidity is maintained in kidney disease. Gender differences in phosphorus and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) have been described. Increases in both have been linked with increasing likelihood of death in the CKD population as a whole; however, this link is not as well described when looking at women alone. The clinical significance of these differences, and the potential associated outcomes, are poorly understood. Traditional understanding of bone disease in women without kidney disease may not be fully applicable in women with CKD. Use of bone densitometry is limited in this population, and the traditional preventative interventions may not be fully transferrable to women with CKD.
Gene profiling of the red light signalling pathways in roots

Red light, acting through the phytochromes, controls numerous aspects of plant development. Many of the signal transduction elements downstream of the phytochromes have been identified in the aerial portions of the plant; however, very few elements in red-light signalling have been identified specifically for roots. Gene profiling studies using microarrays and quantitative Real-Time PCR were performed to characterize gene expression changes in roots of Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to 1 h of red light. Several factors acting downstream of phytochromes in red-light signalling in roots were identified. Some of the genes found to be differentially expressed in this study have already been characterized in the red-light-signalling pathway for whole plants. For example, PHYTOCHROME KINASE 1 (PKS1), LONG HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), EARLY FLOWERING 4 (ELF4), and GIGANTEA (GI) were all significantly up-regulated in roots of seedlings exposed to 1 h of red light. The up-regulation of SUPPRESSOR OF PHYTOCHROME A RESPONSES 1 (SPA1) and CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1-like (COP1-like) genes suggests that the PHYA-mediated pathway was attenuated by red light. In addition, genes involved in lateral root and root hair formation, root plastid development, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and hormone signalling were also regulated by exposure to red light. Interestingly, members of the RPT2/NPH3 (ROOT PHOTOTROPIC 2/NON PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL 3) family, which have been shown to mediate blue-light-induced phototropism, were also differentially regulated in roots in red light. Therefore, these results suggest that red and blue light pathways interact in roots of seedlings and that many elements involved in red-light-signalling found in the aerial portions of the plant are differentially expressed in roots within 1 h of red light exposure.
Software system engineering: a tutorial

Applying system engineering principles specifically to the development of large, complex software systems provides a powerful tool for process and product management. The application of system engineering principles to the development of a computer software system produces activities, tasks, and procedures called software system engineering, or SwSE. Many practitioners consider SwSE to be a special case of system engineering, and others consider it to be part of software engineering. However, we can argue that SwSE is a distinct and powerful tool for managing the technical development of large software projects. The article integrates the definitions and processes from the IEEE software engineering standards into the SwSE process.
An exact rectilinear Steiner tree algorithm

Given a set of terminals in the plane, a rectilinear Steiner minimal tree is a shortest interconnection among these terminals using only horizontal and vertical edges. We present an algorithm that constructs a rectilinear Steiner minimal tree for an input terminal set. On a workstation, problems involving 20 input terminals can be solved in a few seconds, and problems involving 30 input terminals can be solved, on average, in 30 minutes. Previous algorithms could only solve 16 or 17-point problems within the 30-minute time bound. >
Autocrine and Exocrine Regulation of Interleukin-10 Production in THP-1 Cells Stimulated with Borrelia burgdorferi Lipoproteins

We have recently demonstrated that interleukin-10 (IL-10), produced by THP-1 monocytes in response to Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins, dampens the production of concomitantly elicited inflammatory cytokines. Thus, IL-10 could potentially down-regulate inflammatory and microbicidal effector mechanisms of the innate immune response to a B. burgdorferi infection, facilitating the establishment of the spirochete. To understand the mechanism(s) implicated in the regulation of the synthesis and release of IL-10 during early infection, we investigated the autocrine effects of IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-10 itself, as well as the exocrine effect of IFN-γ on the production of macrophage-derived IL-10 with lipoprotein as a stimulant. In addition, in view of the differences in the receptor and signal transduction pathways of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and bacterial lipoproteins, we also investigated the effects described above with LPS as a stimulant. The THP-1 human monocytic cell line and purified recombinant lipidated OspA (L-OspA) were used as the model target cell and stimulant, respectively. TNF-α increased the production of IL-10, as elicited by lipoproteins. The production of IL-10 by THP-1 cells stimulated with L-OspA was autoregulated by a negative feedback mechanism involving the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R). Exogenous IFN-γ significantly inhibited the production of IL-10. Both autocrine (IL-10) and exocrine (IFN-γ) inhibition of IL-10 production resulted in an increase in the production of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-12. The same results were obtained when the stimulant was LPS. The results further illustrate that IL-10 may play a pivotal role in Lyme disease pathogenesis. Moreover, the regulation of its production with lipoprotein as a stimulant is indistinguishable from that observed when LPS acts as a stimulant.
Accumulation point model for barrier coverage

The reliability and fault tolerance problems are very important for long strip barrier coverage sensor networks. We propose an economical, robust and reliable deployment model, called Accumulation Point Model (APM). A localized algorithm is presented to build the accumulation point k-barrier coverage. In our network simulation, the network lifetime of APM is much higher than random point barrier coverage model. Compared with independent belt barrier coverage model, APM exhibits good failure tolerance.
Potential benefits and costs of concurrent task engagement to maintain vigilance: a driving simulator investigation

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the nature of concurrent task interference during a vigilance task and to determine whether a concurrent task improves performance with decreased vigilance. Background: Research has repeatedly shown that engaging in a cell phone conversation while driving increases the risk of getting into crashes. At the same time, it has also been found that task monotony could lead to an increase in crash risk. There is evidence that suggests that engaging in a concurrent task reduces the effects of monotony, leading to an improvement in vigilance task performance. Method: A monotonous drive in a driving simulator was used to investigate the effects of a concurrent verbal task. Three task conditions were used: no verbal task, continuous verbal task, and late verbal task. Results: When engaged in a secondary verbal task, drivers showed improved lane-keeping performance and steering control when vigilance was lowest. Conclusion: A strategically placed concurrent task can improve performance when vigilance is at its lowest. Application: There is potential for the design of a countermeasure system that can be strategically activated by an automated system monitoring driver performance.
Maximizing quadratic programs: extending Grothendieck's inequality

This paper considers the following type of quadratic programming problem. Given an arbitrary matrix A, whose diagonal elements are zero, find x /spl isin/ {-1, 1}/sup n/ such that x/sup T/Ax is maximized. Our approximation algorithm for this problem uses the canonical semidefinite relaxation and returns a solution whose ratio to the optimum is in /spl Omega/(1/ logn). This quadratic programming problem can be seen as an extension to that of maximizing x/sup T/Ay (where y's components are also /spl plusmn/1). Grothendieck's inequality states that the ratio of the optimum value of the latter problem to the optimum of its canonical semidefinite relaxation is bounded below by a constant. The study of this type of quadratic program arose from a desire to approximate the maximum correlation in correlation clustering. Nothing substantive was known about this problem; we present an /spl Omega/ (1/logn) approximation, based on our quadratic programming algorithm. We can also guarantee that our quadratic programming algorithm returns a solution to the MAXCUT problem that has a significant advantage over a random assignment.
An Extra-Adrenal Factor Essential for Chronic Renal Sodium Retention in Presence of Increased Sodium-Retaining Hormone

Evidence is presented for an extra-adrenal factor which is necessary for aldosterone or DCA to produce chronic renal Na retention. To study this factor, the left kidney was transplanted to the neck, both adrenal glands and the right kidney were removed and the thoracic inferior vena cava was constricted in six dogs. For a period of two to three weeks, injection of 25 mg/day of DCA resulted in marked Na retention by the transplanted kidney and ascites formed. Neither renal venous hypertension nor the renal nerves were essential for renal Na retention under these circumstances since the transplanted kidney was denervated and its venous drainage was into the external jugular vein with a normal venous pressure. Removal of the caval ligature in four of the dogs was followed by a diuresis and loss of ascites in spite of continued injection of 25 mg/day of DCA. Similar changes occurred during the injection of aldosterone instead of DCA. Measurements of renal hemodynamic function, first, during Na retention and a...
Management of Major Traumatic Upper Extremity Amputations

Traumatic upper extremity amputation is a life-altering event, and recovery of function depends on proper surgical management and postoperative rehabilitation. Many injuries require revision amputation and postoperative prosthesis fitting. Care should be taken to preserve maximal length of the limb and motion of the remaining joints. Skin grafting or free tissue transfer may be necessary for coverage to allow preservation of length. Early prosthetic fitting within 30 days of surgery should be performed so the amputee can start rehabilitation while the wound is healing and the stump is maturing. Multidisciplinary care is essential for the overall care of the patient following a traumatic amputation of the upper limb.
Teaching Central Eurasia in Undergraduate Survey Courses: Problems and Strategies

Recent scholarship has challenged narratives of Central Eurasia’s relationships with its neighbors in East Asia, South Asia, and Southwest Asia. This scholarship explains the trade networks that are commonly called the “Silk Routes” as the foreign trade component of a complex and dynamic Central Eurasian economy. Scholarship of Central Eurasia also challenges long-standing narratives of “needy” or “predatory” nomads that militarily overwhelm sedentary empires. This article discusses the importance of incorporating such ideas into world history and Asian history survey courses, which are often taught by non-specialists who have only encountered Central Eurasia in their respective fields as a periphery. Correcting misconceptions about Central Eurasia’s relationship with its neighbors also provides opportunities for students to think critically about historical sources and move past stereotypes of “barbarian” and “civilization.”
Book Review: Blindness and the Multi-Sensorial City

Editors: Patrick Devlieger, Frank Renders, Hubert Froyen, and Kristel Wildiers Reviewer: Michael L. Dorn Publisher: Antwerp: Garant, 2006. ISBN: 90-441-1739-4, 372 pages Cost: $97.50 USD order@coronetbooks.com
Mathematical models of the crayfish swimmeret system

The neural basis of intersegmental coordination in animals that have been studied lies in the oscillatory output of neural networks or central pattern generators (Delcomyn, 1980). Mathematical models which describe such circuits have the potential to provide insight into neural mechanisms and design principles that operate in them. In this paper we look at intersegmental coordination in the crayfish swimmeret system, and consider two different mathematical models. In the first model, the system is represented by phase-coupled oscillators and no cellular details are present. In the second model, a simple cellular framework is formulated and preliminary results are presented.
Long-wavelength, free–free spectral energy distributions from porous stellar winds

The influence of macroclumps for free-free spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of ionized winds is considered. The goal is to emphasize distinctions between microclumping and macroclumping effects. Microclumping can alter SED slopes and flux levels if the volume filling factor of the clumps varies with radius; however, the modifications are independent of the clump geometry. To what extent does macroclumping alter SED slopes and flux levels? In addressing the question, two specific types of macroclump geometries are explored: shell fragments ("pancake"-shaped) and spherical clumps. Analytic and semi-analytic results are derived in the limiting case that clumps never obscure one another. Numerical calculations based on a porosity formalism is used when clumps do overlap. Under the assumptions of a constant expansion, isothermal, and fixed ionization wind, the fragment model leads to results that are essentially identical to the microclumping result. Mass-loss rate determinations are not affected by porosity effects for shell fragments. By contrast, spherical clumps can lead to a reduction in long-wavelength fluxes, but the reductions are only significant for extreme volume filling factors.
Uneven Development and the Tragedy of the Commons: Competing Images for Nature-Society Analysis

The tragedy of the commons has become a core theoretical model for the analysis of natural resource problems, including those of depletion in the Southern Ogallala Aquifer underlying the Texas and ...
Towards Magnetic Liquid Crystals

A series of new sulfur-nitrogen ring systems with a neutral radical center were designed for incorporation into liquid crystal molecules and formation of discotic and calamitic phases. It is expected that these materials will display unusual magnetic properties associated with partially oriented bulk liquid crystal structures. Synthetic progress toward new radicals and the first discogen with nr-delocalized neutral radical is described.
Electroreflectance Measurements on Mg 2 Si, Mg 2 Ge, and Mg 2 Sn

The room-temperature electroreflectance spectra of the II-VI compounds ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Si, ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Ge, and ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Sn are reported in the energy region 1.5-4.5 eV. All measurements were performed using the electrolyte technique with a nonaqueous electrolyte. These materials crystallize with the antifluorite crystal structure and are small-band-gap semiconductors. In all of the materials, a large number of sharp peaks were observed; the spectra are interpreted in terms of the reflectivity spectra and existing energy-band calculations. Special mention should be made of a doublet observed (1.64-1.84 eV) in the spectrum of ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}$Ge. This doublet appears to be due to the spin-orbit splitting of the ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{15}$ valence band.
NIMG-33CORRELATING A PATIENT-SPECIFIC MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF GLIOBLASTOMA PROLIFERATION-INVASION WITH IMAGE-GUIDED BIOPSIES

Glioblastoma is an invasive disease with cancerous cells extending well beyond the margin of the imaging abnormalities. The degree of invasiveness, however, is heterogeneous amongst the patient population. Previous work with a patient-specific mathematical model has shown that a mathematically intuitive understanding of individual invasiveness based on matching patients' T1Gd and T2 abnormalities with 80% and 16% tumor cell density respectively is predictive of IDH1 mutation status, degree of hypoxia, and overall survival benefit due to resection. Direct validation of the tumor cell density prediction has not been possible due to insufficient data availability. Over the last few years, a cohort of patients at Columbia University have been recruited to have MRI guided biopsies just prior to their tumor resections allowing for a known correspondence between tissue and MRI characteristics. Seven of these patients have been analyzed in both contexts of the mathematical model and biopsy cell counts. Their images were analyzed with the model to create individualized predictions of the patients' tumor cell density. In parallel, biopsy specimens were prepared with H&E stains and total cell counts were obtained from representative portions of the prepared slide when viewed at 400x magnification. Cell counts were compared to density predictions corresponding to the biopsy location's distance from the edge of the measured T1Gd abnormality. The median number of biopsies used for comparison from each patient was 2 (range 1-4). In total, cell counts from 16 biopsies were obtained. Allowing for sources of error in both the model prediction and the biopsy acquisition location, all 16 cell counts were consistent with the model's prediction of tumor cell density. While this is certainly not enough evidence to conclusively determine the validity of the model, these results support a direct interpretation of individualized cell density model predictions beyond the T1Gd imaging abnormality.
A Fast analysis of melamine in milk and its products with high performance liquid chromatography

Objective To establish a fast high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) method for determination of melamine in milk and dairy products.Methods Melamine in milk and dairy products was extracted by acetonitrile,then separated used ZORBAX Eclipse XDB—C8 column(250×4.6mm,5μm) and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-sodium heptanesulfonate,finally analyzed by HPLC with photodiode array detector(PAD).Results The linear range of calibration curves were in rang of 1~50μg/mL,the correlation coefficient r0.9999,the recovery of standard addition were in rang of 93%~105%,the relative standard deviation(RSD) was 0.66% and the limits of detection were 1mg/kg for milk powder and 0.5 mg/kg for liquid milk products,respectively.Conclusion The results showed this method was simpl and rapid and it is adaptable to detect melamine in these products for factory inspection.
Effect of CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio on the properties of glass ceramics containing 10% Al_2O_3 from blast furnace slag,tailing and coal fly ash

Blast furnace slag,tailing and coal fly ash were used as starting materials for preparing glass-ceramics by the sintering method based on their characteristics and without adding any other nucleating and chemical agents. The effects of Ca O / Si O2 mass ratio and crystallization temperature on the crystaltransition,crystallization behavior and main mechanical properties of slag glass-ceramics with 10% Al2O3 were systematically investigated by differential thermal analysis,X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.When the Ca O / Si O2 mass ratio increases,the crystallization activation energy decreases,the Si—O tetrahedral bonding strength decreases,the particle movement strengthens,and the crystallization onset temperature and the crystallization temperature decrease. The glass samples with a Ca O / Si O2 mass ratio of 0. 4,sintered at 886 ℃ for 1 h as a nucleation process and at 982 ℃ for 1 h as a crystallization process,possess the best performance with the bending strength of 103. 59 MPa,the microhardness of 5. 3 GPa and the acid and alkali resistances of 0. 25% and 0. 1%( mass loss rate) respectively. Moreover,the major phase of the glass ceramics is diopside.
Study on Species Composition and Application of Landscape Plants of Xixia Garden in Yinchuan City,Ningxia province

The species composition and application of landscape plants of Xixia Garden in Yinchuan City,Ningxia province were investigated.The results showed that 87 species employed in Xixia Garden,belonging to 35 families and 62 genera,consisted of 55 species of arbor,25 species of shrub and 7 species of herb respectively and the ratio of arbor to shrub(including herb) was 1:0.6,and that 12 evergreen species and 75 deciduous species accounted for 13.8% and 86.2% of total species respectively and 38 endemic species and 49 alien species did 43.7% and 56.3% of total species respectively.The problems of landscape planting in Xixia Garden were analyzed and relevant improvement measures on these problems were suggested.
Antigens common to human and bacterial cells: urinary tract pathogens.

Abstract Thirty-four heat-killed, urinary-tract pathogenic bacteria grown on blood-group-free media were tested for agglutination by autologous sera and homologous sera from other similarly infected patients or normal persons. In addition, all bacteria were examined for possible blood group A- or B-active antigens by observing their ability to inhibit isoantibodies of the above sera, and for (H) O activity by inhibition of a single Bombay anti-(H) O serum. Isoagglutinin titers against A, B, or (H) O, and bacterial agglutinin titers were determined on each serum whenever possible. Blood group A and B activity was detected in 16 (47 per cent) bacteria; (H) O activity was present in only 1 strain. Blood group A and B activities usually existed on the same bacterium. Host antibody titer to agglutinogens, or to blood group antigens, seemed to be reciprocal. Patients responded to B-like bacterial antigens with significant elevation of isoagglutinin B, but patients did not differ from controls in isoagglutinin A titers. Patients and controls detected B activity on a given bacterium in equal proportions, but patients less often detected an A-like bacterial antigen than did controls. Dominance in bacteria of a single, cross-reacting host antigen, prohibiting appropriate response, was not observed. The involvement of blood group A and B cross-reacting antigens in the interplay between host and bacterial invader was confirmed; evidence of patient deficiency in recognition of an A-like bacterial antigen implies that some genetic or acquired aspect of host tolerance to this antigen may be important in allowing infection.
CHAPTER 9 – Scenario Graphs Applied to Network Security

Traditional model checking produces one counterexample to illustrate a violation of a property by a model of the system. Some applications benefit from having all counterexamples, not just one. We call this set of counterexamples a scenario graph. In this chapter we present two different algorithms for producing scenario graphs and explain how scenario graphs are a natural representation for attack graphs used in the security community. Through a detailed concrete example, we show how we can model a computer network and generate and analyze attack graphs automatically. The attack graph we produce for a network model shows all ways in which an intruder can violate a given desired security property.
Series-resonant micromechanical resonator oscillator

A 10-MHz series resonant micromechanical resonator oscillator has been demonstrated using a custom-designed, single-stage, zero-phase-shift sustaining amplifier together with a clamped-clamped beam micromechanical resonator, designed with a relatively large width of 40 /spl mu/m to achieve substantially lower series motional resistance R/sub x/ and higher power handling than previous such devices. Using automatic level control (ALC) circuitry to remove an unexpected 1/f/sup 3/ close-to-carrier phase noise component, this oscillator achieves a phase noise density of -95 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset from the carrier, while consuming only 820 /spl mu/W of power.