cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RIPARIAN VEGETATION AND SANDBAR MORPHOLOGY ALONG THE LOWER LITTLE COLORADO RIVER, ARIZONA

The distribution of riparian vegetation in relation to channel morphology is poorly understood in canyon rivers, which are characterized by in-channel fluvial sediment deposits rather than flood plains. This study focuses on vegetation and sandbar characteristics in two reaches of the lower Little Colorado River canyon in Arizona–one reach with ephemeral flow from the watershed, and another with perennial baseflow from a spring. Both reaches have been colonized by the exotic Tamarix chinensis, a riparian species known for its geomorphic influence on river channels. On the basis of a sampling of 18 bars, results show that vegetation frequency and density is significantly greater in the perennial study reach. However, sandbar morphology variables do not differ between reaches, despite a significantly narrower and deeper ephemeral channel. Hydraulic calculations of flood depths and Pearson correlations between bar and vegetation variables indicate reach-specific biogeomorphic relationships. In the ephemeral ...
Implementation of a Neural Network Proxy Cache Replacement Strategy in the Squid Proxy Server

As the Internet has become a more central aspect for information technology, so have concerns with supplying enough bandwidth and serving web requests to end users in an appropriate time frame. Web caching was introduced in the 1990s to help decrease network traffic, lessen user perceived lag, and reduce loads on origin servers by storing copies of web objects on servers closer to end users as opposed to forwarding all requests to the origin servers. Since web caches have limited space, web caches must effectively decide which objects are worth caching or replacing for other objects. This problem is known as cache replacement. We used neural networks to solve this problem and proposed the neural network proxy cache replacement (NNPCR) method. The goal of this research is to implement NNPCR in a real environment like Squid proxy server. In order to do so, we propose an improved strategy of NNPCR referred to as NNPCR-2. We show how the improved model can be trained with up to twelve times more data and gain a 5–10 % increase in correct classification ratio (CCR) than in NNPCR. We implemented NNPCR-2 in Squid proxy server and compared it with four other cache replacement strategies. In this chapter, we use 84 times more data than NNPCR was tested against and present exhaustive test results for NNPCR-2 with different trace files and neural network structures. Our results demonstrate that NNPCR-2 made important, balanced decisions in relation to the hit rate and byte-hit rate; the two performance metrics most commonly used to measure the performance of web proxy caches.
The Aesthetic Experience

Beyond doubt there is truth in the saying that analysis can destroy or at least distort that which is analyzed. It courts the danger of committing the fallacy which Dewey called “compartmentalization”. We are to attempt to understand the experience of art by analyzing the experience into subject, object, and a relation between them. To press this attempt further we must concentrate upon one of these elements to the neglect of the other two, and this neglect will inevitably involve an initial distortion. It will be convenient to begin by singling out the relation between subject and object for discussion, the overemphasis thus placed upon this one aspect of the aesthetic experience must, therefore, be corrected as we proceed. With this understanding, we may select the opening question: how can the conformity between subject and object which is peculiar to the aesthetic experience be understood? We may approach an answer to this question by a brief consideration of the play theory of art, for this will lead to reflection upon the imagination through which the appreciator establishes a relationship to the object appreciated.
A pilot study of lactoferrin in patients with self-reported, chemotherapy-induced taste and smell abnormalities.

e21643Background: Taste and smell abnormalities (TSA) are common in patients receiving chemotherapy and may lead to food avoidance, altered nutritional intake, treatment delay or withdrawal, dimini...
Oil production, environmental pressures and other sources of violent conflict in Nigeria

Globally, environmental overexploitation and degradation constitute both threats to human development and sources of tension and conflicts. In Nigeria, the degradation of the Niger Delta environmen...
Sensor Network Localization via Alternating Rank Minimization Algorithms

Sensor network localization (SNL) is to determine physical coordinates of all sensors in a network given global coordinates of anchors and available measurements among sensors and anchors. Two challenges related to SNL are to find conditions leading to a uniquely localizable network and develop effective and efficient methods to solve SNL problems. This work first proves that infinitesimal rigidity, together with some mild conditions, is sufficient for unique localizability of a network considering additional relationships between nonadjacent sensors. On the other hand, solving an SNL problem is generally NP-hard due to its nonconvex constraints. Instead of ignoring the rank constraint used in existing relaxation methods, we convert the rank constraint in the SNL problem into its equivalent constraints and solve it alternatively by proposing the alternating rank minimization algorithm (ARMA). We start with the centralized ARMA to solve the exact SNL problem. Next, to improve the scalability for solving large-scale SNL problems, ARMA is extended in a distributed manner by decomposing the original problem into a group of subproblems, which can be solved independently. Finally, simulation cases are provided for both centralized and distributed ARMA to validate the improved localization accuracy, efficiency, and robustness by being compared to the state-of-the-art localization methods.
Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Demographically Diverse American Pregnant Women.

Pregnancy is a sensitive period of life where mental health is of utmost importance to the mother’s and child’s well-being peripartum and beyond. To better prevent and treat common mental health co...
Composition-Preserving Extraction and Characterization of Biomass Extrinsic and Intrinsic Inorganic Compounds

The inorganic content of biomass impairs size reduction tool life and the conversion process. Conventional ash extraction relies on furnace combustion that inevitably alters the inorganic compounds due to oxidation and decomposition. This study developed composition-preserving methods for extracting and analyzing extrinsic and intrinsic inorganic compounds. Comprehensive characterization was carried out on selected biomass feedstocks, including corn stover, pine residue, and pine anatomical fractions, to reveal their inorganic species and morphology. The extrinsic inorganic compounds were found to be dominated by quartz, along with other minor minerals, such as albite, microcline, and gehlenite, and have particle sizes ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers. Among the pine anatomical fractions, the needles contain the highest intrinsic silicon content while the bark trapped the most extrinsic minerals. By correlation of the total ash and extrinsic inorganic contents to the wear behavior, both the extrinsic and intrinsic inorganic compounds were concluded to have made significant contributions to the wear process. The results here validated a new approach to characterize inorganic compounds in biomass and provided fundamental insights for their potential impact on preprocessing tool wear.
A Comparison of Motor Unit Control Strategies between Two Different Isometric Tasks

Background: This study examined the motor unit (MU) control strategies for non-fatiguing isometric elbow flexion tasks at 40% and 70% maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Methods: Nineteen healthy individuals performed two submaximal tasks with similar torque levels: contracting against an immovable object (force task), and maintaining the elbow joint angle against an external load (position task). Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were collected from the agonist and antagonist muscles. The signals from the agonist were decomposed into individual action potential trains. The linear regression analysis was used to examine the MU recruitment threshold (RT) versus mean firing rates (MFR), and RT versus derecruitment threshold (DT) relationships. Results: Both agonist and antagonist muscles’ EMG amplitudes did not differ between two tasks. The linear slopes of the MU RT versus MFR and RT versus DT relationships during the position task were more negative (p = 0.010) and more positive (p = 0.023), respectively, when compared to the force task. Conclusions: To produce a similar force output, the position task may rely less on the recruitment of relatively high-threshold MUs. Additionally, as the force output decreases, MUs tend to derecruit at a higher force level during the position task.
Abstract P132: MEF2C-MYOCD and Leiomodin1 Suppression by miRNA-214 Promotes Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Switching in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Vascular hyperproliferative disorders are characterized by excessive smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation leading to vessel remodeling and occlusion. In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), SMC phenotype switching from a differentiated contractile to a synthetic state contributes to disease progression. While SMC contractile phenotype is reportedly maintained by a MEF2C-Myocardin (MYOCD) transcription factor interplay, its molecular control is poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRs) have emerged as modulators of many cellular processes and some evidence associates them to MEF2C-MYOCD signaling. It is, therefore, plausible that miRs can regulate the synthetic SMC phenotype. We hypothesized that suppression of SMC contractile phenotype in PAH is mediated by miR-214 via repression of signaling by MEF2C-MYOCD and downstream contractile proteins leiomodin1 and smoothelin. Using qRT-PCR, the levels of miR-214 expression were shown to be upregulated in pulmonary artery SMC (PASMCs) from PAH- vs. control human subjects as well as in commercially obtained human PASMC (hPASMCs) exposed to hypoxia (~1.5 fold, p
Understanding educational, occupational, and creative outcomes requires assessing intraindividual differences in abilities and interests

Stoet and Geary (1) report important cross-cultural findings on how the advantage of females in reading proficiencies relative to males combined with more equitable educational opportunities have contributed to the recent overrepresentation of women in tertiary education. Developed nations vary in the extent to which males are underrepresented as a function of these two determinants, yet that they jointly contribute to a clear cross-cultural trend is undeniable. Hence, it is critical to assess personal proficiencies and the environmental contexts within which they operate to understand individual and gender differences in educational outcomes. Further refinements in how far students progress in educational systems, why group disparities exist, and which specific disciplines students pursue are provided by examining other aspects of their individuality more holistically and simultaneously. This commentary places the assessment of human individuality into a broader (multidimensional) context. Major reviews of psychological research show that individual differences in both level and pattern of cognitive abilities and educational/occupational interests are critical for understanding educational, occupational, and creative outcomes across the lifespan (2⇓–4). Incorporating cognitive abilities and interests into longitudinal research demonstrates how these two categories of psychological attributes give rise to different real-world accomplishments. That information allows us to understand each student’s individuality, their learning needs, and develop policies for best practices. This commentary is to give readers a better understanding of why both inter- and intraindividual differences in abilities and interests must be considered when conceptualizing individual and group differences in real-life learning and work outcomes. To enrich the perspective of Stoet and Geary’s findings (1), two additional cognitive abilities, mathematical/quantitative and spatial/mechanical, are examined in the context of reading/verbal ability. These three constitute the central pillars of the hierarchical organization of cognitive abilities (5). The central dimension of this hierarchy constitutes general intelligence (that is, what … [↵][1]1Email: david.lubinski{at}vanderbilt.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Bleeding Outcomes Following Transesophageal Echocardiography in Patients With Cirrhosis and Esophageal Varices.

Despite scant evidence, current guidelines indicate that esophageal varices are a relative contraindication to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The aim of this study is to compare the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding following TEE among cirrhotic patients with and without endoscopically-documented esophageal varices. This is a retrospective analysis of patients with cirrhosis who underwent upper endoscopy within 4 years of TEE at five institutions between January 2000 and March 2020. Primary outcome was overt gastrointestinal bleeding. Secondary outcomes were hemoglobin decline by at least 2 g/dL or blood transfusion within 48 hours following TEE. Of the 191 patients, 79 (41.4%) had esophageal varices (30.4% large). No patient experienced a primary outcome. Secondary outcomes occurred in 52 (27.2%): 28 (35.4%) with esophageal varices and 24 (21.4%) without varices. After propensity-score covariate adjustment, the odds ratio for a secondary outcome in patients with esophageal varices was 1.49 (95% confidence interval 0.74-2.99). Restricting analysis to those who underwent endoscopy within 1 year of TEE did not significantly alter results. The risk of a secondary outcome was identical between patients who had upper endoscopy prior (27.5%) versus subsequent (26.7%; P = 1.00) to TEE. Conclusions: Among patients with cirrhosis, there was no overt gastrointestinal bleeding after TEE. The likelihood of a 2 g/dL decline in hemoglobin or blood transfusion within 48 hours following TEE was not significantly higher in patients with esophageal varices after controlling for confounders. Patients who underwent upper endoscopy before TEE did not manifest a lower risk of secondary outcomes versus those who had endoscopy after TEE, suggesting that routine preprocedural endoscopy is of marginal utility.
Point-of-care characterization and risk-based management of oral lesions in primary dental clinics: A simulation model.

Objectives Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) encompass histologically benign, dysplastic, and cancerous lesions that are often indistinguishable by appearance and inconsistently managed. We assessed the potential impact of test-and-treat pathways enabled by a point-of-care test for OPMD characterization. Materials and methods We constructed a decision-analytic model to compare life expectancy of test-treat strategies for 60-year-old patients with OPMDs in the primary dental setting, based on a trial for a point-of-care cytopathology tool (POCOCT). Eight strategies of OPMD detection and evaluation were compared, involving deferred evaluation (no further characterization), prompt OPMD characterization using POCOCT measurements, or the commonly recommended usual care strategy of routine referral for scalpel biopsy. POCOCT pathways differed in threshold for additional intervention, including surgery for any dysplasia or malignancy, or for only moderate or severe dysplasia or cancer. Strategies with initial referral for biopsy also reflected varied treatment thresholds in current practice between surgery and surveillance of mild dysplasia. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of variation in parameter values on model results. Results Requisite referral for scalpel biopsy offered the highest life expectancy of 20.92 life-years compared with deferred evaluation (+0.30 life-years), though this outcome was driven by baseline assumptions of limited patient adherence to surveillance using POCOCT. POCOCT characterization and surveillance offered only 0.02 life-years less than the most biopsy-intensive strategy, while resulting in 27% fewer biopsies. When the probability of adherence to surveillance and confirmatory biopsy was ≥ 0.88, or when metastasis rates were lower than reported, POCOCT characterization extended life-years (+0.04 life-years) than prompt specialist referral. Conclusion Risk-based OPMD management through point-of-care cytology may offer a reasonable alternative to routine referral for specialist evaluation and scalpel biopsy, with far fewer biopsies. In patients who adhere to surveillance protocols, POCOCT surveillance may extend life expectancy beyond biopsy and follow up visual-tactile inspection.
On Bankruptcy’s Promethean Gap: Building Enslaving Capacity into the Antebellum Administrative State

As the United States contends with the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, federal bankruptcy law is one tool that can be used to resolve the financial distress suffered by individuals and businesses. When implementing this remedy, the question arises whether the law’s application should be viewed as limited to addressing private debt matters, without regard for the public interest. This Article answers the question by looking to modern U.S. bankruptcy law’s first forebear, the 1841 Bankruptcy Act, which Congress enacted in response to the depressed economic conditions following the Panic of 1837. That legislation created a judicially administered system that nationalized bankrupts’ assets, some of which featured prominently in the business of slavery. This Article focuses on a specific episode from New Orleans, which at the time was the nation’s third-most-populous city, had the nation’s largest slave market, and had one of the nation’s largest money markets. One of the bankruptcy cases commenced in that city involved the administration and sale of Banks Arcade, which was a premier commercial exchange for auctioning enslaved Black Americans. This history about how the federal administrative state restructured one component of the U.S. slavery complex should prompt critical reflection on how present-day bankruptcy law manages the fallout from a financial crisis. This Article concludes that courts have the authority to permit the public to advocate for its interests in distressed assets redeployed through the federal bankruptcy system.
Improved forest management as a natural climate solution: A review

Natural climate solutions (NCS), a set of land management, conservation and restoration practices aimed at mitigating climate change, have been introduced as cost-effective strategies to increase carbon (C) sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Improved forest management (IFM) has been identified as one NCS for working forests with substantial climate change mitigation potential. However, there is a disconnect between the policy and carbon markets context and the scientific evidence for verifiable C benefits. Further, forest soil C—the largest forest C pool—has largely been excluded from current forest management guidelines and has not been included in the IFM discourse. Herein, we assess the evidence for the potential of specific IFM practices to sequester C in live forest vegetation and store it in both live and dead organic matter, and forest soil.We review IFM approaches that can enhance forest C storage, and links to best management practices and silvicultural systems to offer guidance for practitioners and researchers in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and opportunities in including soil C in forest Cmanagement guidelines and frameworks.
H3K9 methyltransferase EHMT2/G9a controls ERVK-driven noncanonical imprinted genes.

Aim: Paternal allele-specific expression of noncanonical imprinted genes in the extraembryonic lineages depends on an H3K27me3-based imprint in the oocyte, which is not a lasting mark. We hypothesized that EHMT2, the main euchromatic H3K9 dimethyltransferase, also has a role in controlling noncanonical imprinting. Methods: We carried out allele-specific total RNA-seq analysis in the ectoplacental cone of somite-matched 8.5 days post coitum embryos using reciprocal mouse crosses. Results: We found that the maternal allele of noncanonical imprinted genes was derepressed from its ERVK promoter in the Ehmt2-/- ectoplacental cone. In Ehmt2-/- embryos, loss of DNA methylation accompanied biallelic derepression of the ERVK promoters. Canonical imprinting and imprinted X chromosome inactivation were generally undisturbed. Conclusion: EHMT2 is essential for repressing the maternal allele in noncanonical imprinting.
Multi-Connectivity using NR-DC for High Throughput and Ultra-reliable Low Latency Communication in 5G Networks

The next generation of cellular networks needs paradigm shifts to realize the exponentially increasing demands for high throughputs, low latencies, and reliable communication. These networks will be required to address the requirements of a number of applications and services as well as industry verticals such as intelligent transportation, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), e-Health, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), and other future networks-based services. Millimeter wave (mmWave) communication is a promising technology for 5G systems due to its potential for multi-gigabit throughput. However, mmWave links suffer from high path loss and blockage. We propose an approach using New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) to maximize the throughput while ensuring ultra-reliable low latency communication. The performance evaluation conducted using Simu5G, which is an OMNeT++ based network simulator, demonstrates that this multi-connectivity technique can improve the performance of next generation 5G networks. Simulation results show that NR-DC improves the performance significantly in terms of throughput, latency, and reliability by up to 14%, 33%, and 11%, respectively, compared to a single connectivity system.
When Prejudice Is Popular: Implications for Discriminatory Behavior

Prejudice and popularity represent two major areas of research. Yet studies have not considered whether prejudiced adolescents actually can be popular. Among 572 high school students (Mage = 15.80 years), the current study tested the association between popularity (based on sociometric peer nominations) and sexual prejudice against gay and lesbian individuals, moderated by gender and perspective taking. As hypothesized, the association was significant for males but not females, and it was significant for adolescents lower on perspective taking but not those higher on perspective taking. Moreover, adolescents who were popular and expressed strong sexual prejudice were more likely to engage in homophobic behavior than prejudiced adolescents who were less popular. Popular adolescents with strong sexual prejudice beliefs may be more prone to use homophobic behavior as a way to maintain their dominant position. Similarly, prejudiced adolescents who are popular may face less pushback for their engagement in homophobic behavior. Continued attention to the connection between sexual prejudice and popularity is important because of the high status, influence, and visibility of popular adolescents.
Do Minimum Wage Increases Lower the Probability that Low-Skilled Workers Will Receive Fringe Benefits?

This paper investigates the effect of minimum wages on the probability that low-skilled workers in the U.S. receive employer health insurance, retirement benefits, and sick leave. Using cross-state variation in state minimum wages to identify minimum wage effects, the paper finds that increases in minimum wages are associated with decreases in the probability that low-skilled workers are eligible for pensions and health insurance, at least at higher levels of the minimum wage. For example, a $0.50 increase in the minimum wage from its 1999 level is estimated to decrease pension eligibility of less educated workers by 6.8 points and their health insurance eligibility by 3.9 points. No effect or small increases in pension and health insurance eligibility are found when the real minimum wage is very low. The reductions in total compensation that occur with large increases in the minimum wage, or even with smaller increases at higher levels of the minimum wage, lower the size of the employment response that would be expected in response to a given increase in the minimum wage. Such reductions clearly also have an impact on worker well-being that offsets, at least to some extent, the gains that individual workers may realize as a result of an increase in the minimum wage.
Monetary history and monetary policy: A review essay

Thomas Sargent’s analyses of historical policy regime changes impacted strongly on the direction of monetary and fiscal policy debates in the first half of the 1980’s. Certainly, all current research into strategies for terminating rapid inflation accepts Sargent’s ‘The Ends of Four Big Inflations’ as a point of departure. As a repackaging and integration of these influential papers, together with their simple theoretical underpinning written with Neil Wallace, Sargent’s Rational Expectations and Inflation (Harper & Row, New York, 1986) provides an opportunity to compare this historical dimension with Sargent’s previous work and to assess its quality as research in economic history, as opposed to policy polemics. Readers will be familiar with the central papers, ‘The Ends of Four Big Inflations’, ‘Stopping Moderate Inflations: The Methods of Poincare and Thatcher’, and ‘Some Unpleasant Monetarist Arithmetic’. Sargent adds three new chapters: the first two present arguments for the relevance of studying historical regime changes, while the third concerns the devaluation of the Hong Kong dollar. Sargent’s constellation of papers provides an outline and several examples of an important research methodology. Sargent emphasizes the importance of macroeconomic history in providing extensive data sets useful for influencing current policy debates. I will argue, however, that because of a lack of effort in developing his examples from the 1920’s, we have not yet realized the potential of this innovation.
Chapter Two A genomics approach to plant one-carbon metabolism

Publisher Summary The network of C 1 reactions is essential to both primary and secondary metabolism in plants, but the area of C1 metabolism in plants is underdeveloped because it is hard to study with the tools of classical biochemistry and genetics. The availability of data from public sequencing projects has opened up new perspectives for investigation of C 1 metabolism. The nucleotide sequence information from genomes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) has made it possible to catalog the C 1 enzymes that appear to be present or absent in plants to deduce their probable subcellular localization and assemble a new map of C 1 metabolism. Good homologs of several C 1 enzymes that were not previously known to exist in plants were discovered during the cataloging.
Adenosine inhibition of beta-adrenergic induced responses in aged hearts

Because adenosine has an antiadrenergic action in the heart, young (3-4 mo) and aged (18-20 mo) adult Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rat hearts were perfused to determine whether interstitial adenosine plays a role in the reduced metabolic and mechanical responsiveness of the aged heart to beta-adrenergic stimulation. Interstitial adenosine was approximately twofold greater in aged hearts compared with young adult hearts, and 10(-8) M isoproterenol (ISO) further increased these levels. ISO increased myocardial adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate content, glycogen phosphorylase activity, and cardiac contractility by 83, 150, and 130%, respectively, in young hearts but only increased these variables by 45, 74, and 61%, respectively, in aged hearts. Sulfophenyl-theophylline prevented the reduced ISO-induced responsiveness of the above variables in aged hearts. Exogenously administered adenosine deaminase eliminated the reduced ISO-induced contractile responsiveness in aged hearts. The apparent activities of...
Application of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to vibrational finishing

Abstract Vibrational finishing processes are finding increased application in the finishing of high end components. Despite the growing popularity of vibrational finishing, and due to limited suitable process instrumentation, understanding of underlying physical processes remains largely anecdotal and empirical, and system-independent process control remains unrealized. In this paper, particle image velocimetry (PIV) is proposed as a versatile, non-intrusive, readily available diagnostic for both studying fundamental features associated with vibrational finishing, as well as for developing system-independent control strategies. With regard to fundamental processes, PIV is used to measure surface media velocity fields and find that in our experimental system, the media flow field consists of: (i) a weak, random component having repeatable statistical properties which are sensitive to, and indicative of, changing process parameters and media selection, superposed on, (ii) a dominant, non-random component which is insensitive to changes in process parameters. Importantly, from a potential process control standpoint, it is shown that a filtered version of the random velocity component offers a system-independent, parameter-sensitive indicator of process conditions.
Certificate chain discovery in SPKI?SDSI

SPKI/SDSI is a novel public-key infrastructure emphasizing naming, groups, ease-of-use, and flexible authorization. To access a protected resource, a client must present to the server a proof that the client is authorized; this proof takes the form of a certificate chain proving that the client's public key is in one of the groups on the resource's ACL, or that the client's public key has been delegated authority (in one or more stages) from a key in one of the groups on the resource's ACL. While finding such a chain can be nontrivial, due to the flexible naming and delegation capabilities of SPKI/SDSI certificates, we present a practical and efficient algorithm for this problem of certificate chain discovery. We also present a tight worst-case bound on its running time, which is polynomial in the length of its input. We also present an extension of our algorithm that is capable of handling threshold subjects, where several principals are required to co-sign a request to access a protected resource.
Conditionally dependent classifier fusion using AND rule for improved biometric verification

Statistical dependence of classifiers has recently been shown to improve accuracy over statistically independent classifiers. In this paper, we focus on the verification application and theoretically analyze the AND fusion rule to find the favorable conditional dependence that improves the fusion accuracy over conditionally independent classifiers. Based on this analysis, we come with a method to design such classifiers by training the classifiers on different partitions of the training data. The AR face database is used for performance evaluation and the proposed method has a false rejection rate (FRR) of 2.4% and a false acceptance rate of 3.3% on AND fusion, which is better than an FRR of 3.8% and FAR of 4.3% when classifiers are designed without taking account the AND fusion rule.
Africans and the Industrial Revolution in England: A Study in International Trade and Economic Development

Drawing on classical development theory and recent theoretical advances on the connection between expanding markets and technological developments, this book shows the critical role of expanding Atlantic commerce in the successful completion of England's industrialization process over the period 1650–1850. The contribution of Africans, the central focus of the book, is measured in terms of the role of diasporic Africans in large-scale commodity production in the Americas - of which expanding Atlantic commerce was a function - at a time when demographic and other socioeconomic conditions in the Atlantic basin encouraged small-scale production by independent populations, largely for subsistence. This is the first detailed study of the role of overseas trade in the Industrial Revolution. It revises inward-looking explanations that have dominated the field in recent decades, and shifts the assessment of African contribution away from the debate on profits.
Diagenetic changes in macro- to nano-scale porosity in the St. Peter Sandstone: An (ultra) small angle neutron scattering and backscattered electron imaging analysis

Abstract Small- and ultra-small angle neutron scattering (SANS and USANS) provide powerful tools for quantitative analysis of porous rocks, yielding bulk statistical information over a wide range of length scales. This study utilized (U)SANS to characterize shallowly buried quartz arenites from the St. Peter Sandstone. Backscattered electron imaging was also used to extend the data to larger scales. These samples contain significant volumes of large-scale porosity, modified by quartz overgrowths, and neutron scattering results show significant sub-micron porosity. While previous scattering data from sandstones suggest scattering is dominated by surface fractal behavior over many orders of magnitude, careful analysis of our data shows both fractal and pseudo-fractal behavior. The scattering curves are composed of subtle steps, modeled as polydispersed assemblages of pores with log-normal distributions. However, in some samples an additional surface-fractal overprint is present, while in others there is no such structure, and scattering can be explained by summation of non-fractal structures. Combined with our work on other rock-types, these data suggest that nanoporosity is more prevalent, and may play a much more important role than previously thought in fluid/rock interactions.
SECRETION OF TESTOSTERONE-ESTRADIOL-BINDING GLOBULIN BY A HUMAN HEPATOMA-DERIVED CELL LINE

Using a sensitive radioimmunoassay for testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin (TeBG) we demonstrate that a human hepatoma-derived cell line secretes a protein which: (a) is immunologically indistinguishable from TeBG; (b) has the same Stokes radius as TeBG; (c) is absorbed by concanavilin A in the same way as TeBG in normal plasma.
Application of FRET biosensors and computational analysis for live cell imaging

Biosensors designed on the principle of fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been widely applied to visualize signaling cascades in live cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this paper, we review the work in our lab related to the application of FRET biosensors in studying molecular events in live cells, and our work using computational analysis methods to explore complex biological information implicated in FRET images. Membrane-tethered Src biosensors were used to visualize the dynamics of Src activity in subcellular microdomains. We have developed a finite element (FE) method to analyze the movement of biosensors. Based on fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments, the estimation and subtraction of biosensor diffusion revealed a high Src activity at cell periphery upon growth factor stimulation. In addition to Src, a RhoA biosensor was used to study the subcellular feature of RhoA activity in migrating HeLa cells. We have developed an image registration method to automatically track and quantify the FRET signals within user-defined subcellular regions, and classify the dynamics of subcellular pixels according FRET signals. The results revealed that the RhoA activity is polarized in the migratory cells, with the gradient of polarity oriented toward the opposite direction of cell migration. Therefore, FRET biosensors integrated with computational analysis provide powerful tools to precisely decode the complex dynamics of signaling transduction regulated in subcellular locations of live cells.
Derivation and characterization of a monoclonal hybridoma antibody specific for human alpha-fetoprotein.

Abstract A monoclonal antibody specific for human alpha-fetoprotein (HAFP) was derived by the hybridoma technique. Spleen cells from mice immunized with pure HAFP were fused with a mouse myeloma cell line (P3×63-Ag-8) and an anti-HAFP secreting hybridoma cell line was cloned in soft agarose. The HAFP specific antibody was shown to be a monoclonal IgG 1 subclass with extremely high avidity for HAFP.
Hydrology of a forested hillslope during storm events

Abstract Subsurface flow from a 0.47 ha hillslope subcatchment at the upper most reach of the West Fork (38 ha) of Walker Branch Watershed was monitored throughout 1988. Stormflow in the first-order stream draining the West Fork responded simultaneously with the initiation of subsurface flow through 0 to 2.5 m depth from the hillslope. Subsurface flow from the upper hillslope was only 1.3% of total precipitation for 1988, however, individual storms yielded as much as 12.5% of precipitation as subsurface flow. The West Fork had 10.4% of precipitation observed as storm flow with an additional 29% as baseflow. Individual storms exhibited up to 71% of precipitation as storm flow in the West Fork, illustrating the significant increase in percent rain converted to subsurface flow in lower landscape positions as compared to upper hillslopes. Peak subsurface flow preceded peak streamflow and occurred primarily through the 1.0–2.5 m depth (Bt2 horizons) due to perched water tables. Preferential flow from hillslopes through macro- and mesopores was concluded to be the predominant stormflow mechanism. The contributions of the various size pores was reasoned to be dependent upon the position within the soil profile and the stage of the hydrograph. Preferential flow occurred at extreme soil water conditions with the response due to perched water tables under wet conditions and believed to be due to hydrophobic conditions under extremely dry conditions. Intermediate soil water conditions resulted in infiltration into soil matrix pores precluding subsurface stormflow.
Treatment of Preschoolers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This article reviews the current treatment literature for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers. Parent training studies show consistent behavioral improvements reported by teachers and observers as well as parents, with evidence of clinically significant improvement in ADHD symptoms for up to 2 years. Few other behavioral interventions have been evaluated, although data from a large psychosocial, multimodal intervention are forthcoming. There is evidence to support the benefit of immediate-release stimulant medication for up to 1 year; however, effects do not seem to be as large, and some of the side effects may be greater than for school-age children. With regard to nonstimulants such as atomoxetine, there are literally no controlled outcome data for children with ADHD who are younger than 5 years of age. Overall, a great deal remains to be learned about the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in this age group. Fortunately, results of several large intervention studies will be available soon to better inform clinical practice.
BMP signaling in vascular development and disease

Genetic and functional studies indicate that common components of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway play critical roles in regulating vascular development in the embryo and in promoting vascular homeostasis and disease in the adult. However, discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo findings and distinct functional properties of the BMP signaling pathway in different vascular beds, have led to controversies in the field that have been difficult to reconcile. This review attempts to clarify some of these issues by providing an up to date overview of the biology and genetics of BMP signaling relevant to the intact vasculature.
Reactions of systemic lupus erythematosus sera with histone fractions and histone-DNA complexes.

Twenty-five of 85 SLE sera reacted by complement-fixation with free histones or histone-DNA complexes in the absence of, or after absorption of, antibodies to native DNA. Of 10 sera reacting with free histones, eight showed marked selectivity for the lysine-rich F1 histone. Fifteen sera reacted with histone-DNA complexes but not with free histone or DNA; six of these showed marked selectivity for the F1 histone. Reactions with chromatin were varied. Of 38 random sera from a clinical laboratory, one reacted specifically with F1 histone-DNA complexes. Poly-L-lysine inhibited the reactions of two SLE sera with F1 histone.
Multispacecraft analysis of energetic ion flux dropouts

We present an analysis of dispersionless flux dropouts in solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with impulsive solar flares observed by ACE/ULEIS and Wind/STEP. These flux dropouts are thought to be caused by an observer encountering magnetic field lines that are populated with particles or unpopulated, depending on their connection to the source. Since ACE and Wind typically have spatial separations less than or of order a correlation scale of the turbulent component of the interplanetary magnetic field (Lc ~ 106 km), they are ideal for studying the effects of the turbulent magnetic field on impulsive SEP events, especially those that exhibit intensity dropouts. By examining the timing of the dropout events seen by each spacecraft and accounting for the convection of frozen-in magnetic fields by the solar wind, we have found that both spacecraft generally see the same event features when they are separated by less than Lc and different features when they are separated by more than Lc. This is consistent with the propagation of impulsive SEPs along random walking magnetic lines of force. We find that dropouts occur in approximately half of the impulsive SEP events in our sample, indicating that this is a fairly common phenomenon. Moreover, we find that there is not a clear correspondence between the timing of these events and changes in the local interplanetary magnetic field more often than random coincidence. This supports the idea that intensity dropouts are mostly caused by field line mixing rather than by localized magnetic structures.
Patulin mycotoxicosis in the rat: toxicology, pathology and clinical pathology

Patulin, a secondary metabolite produced by species of the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, was administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 50-60 g, by the oral, sc and ip routes. The 72-hr LD50 values (in mg/kg weight) were: oral, 55.0; sc, 11.0; ip, 10.0. Mortality was greatest 0-24 hr after administration by the oral and sc routes and 49-72 hr after ip dosing. Gross alterations consisted of gastric and intestinal hyperaemia and distention. Histopathological alterations consisted principally of ulceration and inflammation of the stomach. Patulin was administered orally to rats daily or every other day for 2 wk at doses of 50 or 75% of the oral LD50. Mortality in the treated groups was greater than in controls but was similar for all treated groups. No evidence of cumulative toxicity was found and the gross and histopathological alterations were similar to those found in the LD50 studies. Clinicopathological alterations included metabolic alkalosis with respiratory compensation, oliguria, decreased serum sodium, elevated blood glucose, reduced plasma protein and an elevated total leucocyte count which differential leucocyte counts indicated to be due to neutrophilia. The inflammatory alterations observed in the gastro-intestinal tract may be due to the irritant properties of patulin or to an alteration in the gastro-intestinal flora by the antibiotic activity of patulin.
The fractionation of milk fat from a solvent at low temperatures

A procedure for fractionating milk fat from a solvent at low temperatures has been developed. This procedure consists of freezing out fractions of the fat from solvent (Skelly Solve A) at progressively lower temperatures —7°, —13°, —23°, —53°C., with the remaining filtrate taken as a final fraction. In physical appearance these fractions vary from a dry white powder to a reddish-yellow oil; in melting point from 53°C. to —10.6°C.; in iodine number from 8.29 to 58.37; and in saponification equivalent from 262.8 to 235.2. The saponification equivalents do not change in the same order as the other properties mentioned. This fat fractionation effects a simplification of milk fat and makes available less complex portions of the natural glyceride mixtures for detailed study of the composition, configuration, and other properties. Some of these studies are now being carried out and will be reported later.
Quality Characteristics of Freeze-Dried Salmon Baby Food Purees During Storage

Five combinations of baby food (puree; puree + pink salmon roe; puree + bone; puree + salmon oil; puree + oil + bone) were formulated from retort-processed sockeye (red) salmon puree base, freeze-dried; then evaluated for color, odor, ability to rehydrate, and storage stability. Baby food was retort-processed, freeze-dried, vacuum-packaged, then stored at 22°C for 4 months. Rehydration was best for the puree only (71.7%), about 53% for puree + roe and puree + oil, and about 48.5% for that containing puree + oil + bone. Adding roe to freeze-dried salmon baby food puree increased fishy, rancid, metallic, and sweaty odor; and lightened and decreased redness, yellowness, and visual color intensity. Adding salmon oil increased salmon odor slightly, yellowness, and visual color intensity and decreased color saturation during storage. Adding salmon bone decreased salmon odor and true red color and increased rancid and buttery odor intensities, yellowness, and visual color intensity. Increasing hue angle indicate...
Toddler peer behavior in two types of day care

Peer social behaviors and interaction were observed in day care centers and family day care homes. The naturally occurring behaviors of forty toddlers and their peers were time sampled in day care settings. Day care facilities were community based and varied in group size, age composition, and the number and type of play objects. Toddler-peer social interaction was similar in the two environments.
Estimation of gas holdup in a slurry bubble column with internals: nitrogen-Therminol-magnetite system

Abstract Nitrogen gas holdup is measured in a bubble column, 0.305 m in internal diameter, as a function of temperature(296–473 K), gas velocity (1.5 to 111 mm s −1 ), and solids concentration (0 to 40 wt.%) for nitrogen-Therminol-magnetite system. The column is equipped with a thirty-seven 19 mm outer diameter stainless steel tube bundle, tubes being arranged in an equilateral configuration with a pitch of 36.5 mm. The qualitative variations of gas holdup with operating parameters are discussed in the light of bubble dynamics and foaming characteristics. Several commonly employed correlations are found inadequate to reproduce the gas holdup data quantitatively. A simpler approach based on the drift-flux theory could correlate the data with one adjustable parameter which is physically identified as the rise velocity of a single bubble in an infinite medium.
PANS Turbulence Model for Seamless Transition Between RANS and LES: Fixed-Point Analysis and Preliminary Results

Partially-averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) approach has been recently developed as a possible bridging model between Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method and large-eddy simulations (LES). The resolution control parameters in PANS are the fractions of unresolved kinetic energy (fk ) and unresolved dissipation (fe ). We investigate the fixed-point behavior of PANS and present some preliminary results obtained using this model. By comparing the fixed-point behavior of PANS and URANS (unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) methods, the possible advantage of the former over the latter is explained. Initial results from two-dimensional simulations of flow past square results are also presented.Copyright © 2003 by ASME