cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time Sampling: A Methodological Critique

Numerous developmental studies of social behavior employ an observational technique called time sampling. This technique is used to estimate the frequencies and proportions of time that actual behaviors occur and to measure group or individual differences. By contrasting time sampling to continuous sampling, we demonstrate that (a) time sampling is inaccurate for estimating actual durations or frequencies of behavior, and (b) resulting individual and/or group differences can change depending on whether time sampling or continuous sampling is used. Error rates are particularly high when the total bout lengths of the actual behaviors are short (as in mother-infant interactions) and/or when interval length is long. Because the majority of mother and infant behaviors are short in bout length (less than 60 sec), when percent error is the greatest, we suggest that alternative sampling methods that have proven validity be used in future studies (e.g., scan, point, or continuous sampling).
The eddy diffusivity in the turbulent boundary layer near a wall

An expression for the eddy diffusivity in the turbulent boundary layer near a smooth wall for fluids of high Prandtl number is obtained from emperical considerations: ∈h/v=0⋅00090y+3(1+0⋅0067y+2)1/20<y+<45 In the course of the correlation, judgements are made concerning the accuracy of many of the presently available experimental studies of heat and mass transfer rates to fluids in turbulent flow in pipes for systems of high Prandtl or Schmidt number. This eddy diffusivity expression leads to Nusselt numbers that are in good agreement with the most accurate experimental studies in smooth pipes with no temperature differences effects when the Prandtl number of Schmidt number is of order 1 or greater. WhenPr > 100, fully developed Nusselt numbers calculated with this eddy diffusivity expression are correlated within 4 per cent by the simple equation Nu∞=0⋅0149Re0⋅88Pr1/3
An Architectural Framework for Nation States in Support of Peace-Building Operations

The complex, adaptive environment that government organizations, international partners, and non-government organizations must operate within requires an understanding of the conditions that exist in the partner nation to make smart investments in peace building. The social, governance, and economic implications of these investments in the partner nation and the resulting effects can often lead to unforeseen second- or third-order effects. These complex qualitative assessment schemes and analysis based on a single modeling approach have had limited success. The use of multiple models creates challenges of information management, consistency, and traceability. In addition, there is the challenge of analyzing stakeholder goals and their validity. The authors advocate application of an architecture framework and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and techniques to manage the information and to model the complexities in peace operation capability development decisions. This brings a powerful set of ...
Longitudinal determinants of posttraumatic stress in a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder is a prevalent and disabling psychologic pathology. Longitudinal research on the predictors of posttraumatic stress symptomatology is limited. METHODS: We recruited 2752 participants to a prospective, population-based cohort study by conducting a telephone survey of adult residents of the New York City metropolitan area in 2002; participants completed 3 follow-up interviews over a 30-month period. Censoring weights were estimated to account for potential bias. We used generalized estimating equation logistic regression models with bootstrapped confidence intervals to assess the predictors of posttraumatic stress over time in multivariable models. RESULTS: Predictors of posttraumatic stress over time included ongoing stressors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.91 per 1 unit increase in number of stressors, [95% confidence interval = 1.55-2.36]) and traumatic events (OR = 1.92 per 1 unit increase in number of traumatic events [CI = 1.71-2.22]), social support (compared with high levels, OR = 1.71 for medium [1.09-2.52]; OR = 1.57 for low [1.08-2.35]), low income (OR = 0.87 per $10,000 increase [0.81-0.92]), female sex (1.60 [1.11-2.23]), and Latino ethnicity (compared with white, OR = 1.74 [1.05-2.97]). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ongoing stressors play a central role in explaining the trajectory of posttraumatic stress over time, and that factors beyond the experience of stressors and traumas may account for sex and ethnic differences in posttraumatic stress risk. Interventions that focus on reducing ongoing adversity may help mitigate the consequences of traumatic events. Language: en
Defensive Burying: The Effects Of Single vs Multiple Presentation of the Aversive Stimulus

Summary Two groups of rats received a defensive-burying test under conditions of single- vs multiple-flash presentations. The results indicated that multiple-flash animals displayed significantly higher levels of responding than did single-flash animals.
Efficient implementation of algorithms for approximate exponentiation

We present efficient implementations of algorithms for the following fundamental problem: Given as input three positive integers x, y and j, compute the leading j digits of x^y. A special case of this problem (k=2 and j=1) was recently studied by Hirvensalo and Karhumaki [M.Hirvensalo, J.Karhumaki, Computing partial information out of uncomputable one-The first digit of 2^n to base 3 as an example, in: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science, in: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer-Verlag, Inc., 2002] for which they presented a polynomial time algorithm. Specifically an algorithm of bit complexity O(n^2log^3nloglogn) where n=|y| is the number of digits in y. But their algorithm is not efficient in practice. For example, finding the leading digit of 2^y where y is a 500 digit positive integer takes several hours. Hirvensalo and Karhumaki's algorithm is based on computing a rational approximation to ln2 (and a few other constants) to a high-degree of precision. Our approach is fundamentally different from theirs: we use a modified addition chain algorithm in which the multiplication is truncated to varying number of digits at various steps, followed by a self-tester that validates the truncation. Our algorithm runs several orders of magnitude faster. For example, on an input in which x and y have a few thousand digits, our program computes the leading 1000 digits in under 3 minutes. Since the approximate exponentiation has many application [B.Ravikumar, A Las Vegas randomized approximation algorithm for approximate exponentiation and its applications, in preparation] we hope that our algorithm will stimulate further research on this problem.
Malignant transformation of guinea pig cells after exposure to ultraviolet-irradiated guinea pig cytomegalovirus

Guinea pig cells were malignantly transformed in vitro by ultraviolet (uv)-irradiated guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV). When guinea pig hepatocyte monolayers were infected with uv-irradiated GPCMV, three continuous epithelioid cell lines which grew in soft agarose were established. Two independently derived GPCMV-transformed liver cells and a cell line derived from a soft agarose clone of one of these lines induced invasive tumors when inoculated subcutaneously or intraperitoneally into nude mice. The tumors were sarcomas possibly derived from hepatic stroma or sinusoid. Transformed cell lines were also established after infection of guinea pig hepatocyte monolayers with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) or simian virus 40 (SV40). These cell lines also formed colonies in soft agarose and induced sarcomas in nude mice. It is concluded that (i) GPCMV can malignantly transform guinea pig cells; (ii) cloning of GPCMV-transformed cells in soft agarose produced cells that induced tumors with a shorter latency period but with no alteration in growth rate or final tumor size; and (iii) the tumors produced by GPCMV-and HCMV-transformed guinea pig cells were more similar to each other in growth rate than to those induced by SV40-transformed guinea pig cells.
Action of micrococcal phosphodiesterase on tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid.

Cunningham, Catlin and de Garilhe1 were the first to report the occurrence of a calcium-activated nuclease in the culture medium of Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus. These authors partially purified the enzyme and studied its action on deoxyribonucleic acid. In the complete digest they reported the presence of mononucleoside 3′-phosphates and also oligonucleotides. The latter were not identified except for one dinucleotide, deoxyadenylyl-(3′-5′)-deoxycytidine 3′-phosphate2. Recently, it was further demonstrated that this enzyme, when activated with calcium, hydrolyses ribonucleic acid3.
The Buckhorn Mountain (Crown Jewel) gold skarn deposit, Okanogan County, Washington

The gold skarn system at Buckhorn Mountain is related to the Cretaceous (?) Buckhorn Mountain pluton (diorite to granodiorite) and its associated dikes and sills. The host rocks are Pennsylvanian to Triassic (?) clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Thompson assemblage and the andesitic flows of the Brooklyn Formation. These have been altered to proximal garnet-magnetite-sulfide, intermediate garnet-pyroxene-epidote-sulfide, and distal pyroxene and hornfels assemblages. Typically, the pyroxene is iron rich (Hd (sub 20-94) ), averaging Hd 51 , and the garnet is intermediate granditc (Ad (sub 36-75) ). Retrograde epidote, calcite, amphibole, and zoisite are common. Skarn associations vary according to original lithologies; the carbonate-rich layers altered to a more garnet-magnetite rich assemblage, whereas the argillaceous and siliceous layers altered to a pyroxene dominant assemblage. Alteration in the intrusion takes many forms, including potassic, propylitic, argillic, albitization, and complete alteration to garnet-epidote-pyroxene skarn.Gold mineralization is spatially associated with a variety of skarn assemblages in locations ranging from proximal to distal. There are positive correlations of gold with epidote, magnetite, bismuthinite, native bismuth, pyrrhotite, and cobaltitc. Structure and original lithologies were important controls for fluid movement, and therefore, gold mineralization. The gold probably was carried in reduced fluids by bisulfide complexes and probably was deposited at temperatures less than 400 degrees C.Average pressure-corrected temperatures for skarn-forming fluids are 465 degrees C for prograde (garnet-pyroxene) skarn and 360 degrees C for retrograde (epidote) skarn. Fluids in skarn minerals, as measured from last ice-melting phenomena in fluid inclusions, are undersaturated, and fall within the 18 to 22 wt percent NaCl equiv range. No daughter minerals were found in any skarn mineral fluid inclusions. Liquid to vapor ratios are relatively constant, implying that there was no boiling. A comparison of prograde skarn and quartz vein fluid inclusion characteristics indicates that the two may have formed at roughly the same time from similar fluids. The skarn formed from pervasive fluid infiltration under dominantly lithostatic conditions, whereas quartz veins formed from fluids channeled along fault structures, largely under hydrostatic conditions.
Effects of therapeutic hypothermia on multiorgan dysfunction in asphyxiated newborns: whole-body cooling versus selective head cooling.

Multiorgan dysfunction in asphyxiated newborns receiving therapeutic hypothermia achieved by either selective head cooling (SHC) or whole-body cooling (WBC) has not been well characterized. The beneficial effect of SHC in organs other than the brain may potentially be limited because unlike WBC, SHC aims to achieve effective brain cooling with less-systemic hypothermia. However, the relative effects of SHC and WBC with currently available cooling protocols on multiorgan dysfunction are unknown.The aim of this study was to compare the multiorgan dysfunction in infants receiving therapeutic hypothermia induced by either SHC or WBC. In 59 asphyxiated newborns who received therapeutic hypothermia by either SHC (n=31) or WBC (n=28), the severity of pulmonary, hepatic and renal dysfunction and coagulopathy and electrolyte disturbances were assessed before the start of cooling (baseline), and at specific time intervals (24, 48 and 72 h) throughout cooling. Enrollment criteria, clinical monitoring and treatment during cooling, whether SHC or WBC, were similar, as reported earlier. The presence of clinical respiratory distress, along with the need for ventilatory support for varying duration during cooling, was similar in both the WBC and SHC groups (100 vs 94%, P=0.49, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5–2.5). The use of fresh frozen plasma and platelet transfusion to treat coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia was similar (WBC 48% vs SHC 58%, P=0.59, OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.2–1.9, and WBC 41% vs SHC 32%, P=0.58, OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.5–4.2, respectively), and equivalent numbers of infants from both groups were treated with vasopressors for >24 h (WBC 59% vs SHC 55%, P=0.79, OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4–3.4). The incidence of oliguria (urine output 24 h after birth) and rising serum creatinine (with maximum serum creatinine >0.9 mg dl–1) was also similar (WBC 18% vs SHC 39%, P=0.15, OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.1–1.3, and WBC 48% vs SHC 58%, P=0.59, OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.2–1.9, respectively). Laboratory parameters to assess the differential effect of WBC versus SHC on multiorgan dysfunction during 72 h of cooling, which include serum transaminases (serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, INR, platelet counts, serum creatinine, serum sodium, serum potassium and serum calcium, were similar between the groups at the initiation of cooling and did not differ with the method of cooling. Multiorgan system dysfunction in asphyxiated newborns during cooling remains similar for both cooling methods. Concerns regarding a differential effect of WBC versus SHC on multiorgan dysfunction, other than of the brain, should not be a consideration in selecting a method to produce therapeutic hypothermia.
Catch-up growth, muscle and fat accretion, and body proportionality of infants one year after newborn intensive care.

We studied catch-up growth, muscle and fat accretion, and body proportionality at 4 and 12 months of age corrected for prematurity in 30 very low birth weight (VLBW) ( p
The role of powers of matrices in determining the distribution of quadratic forms involving the complex normal distribution

Abstract By investigating the powers of matrices used in quadratic forms and by replacing the standard trace function with the generalized trace (defined as the sum of the principal minors of a certain order of a matrix), generalizations of necessary and sufficient conditions for a quadratic form to be chi-square are established. Khatri [5] has established several matrix results which can be considered generalizations of Cochran's theorem. These matrix results are further extended here, and their role in determining the statistical distribution of quadratic forms is shown when the quadratic forms involve the complex multivariate normal distribution.
Achalasia or carcinoma? The significance of the mecholyl test

Two cases of fundal gastric carcinoma producing a typical picture of achalasia, including a positive Mecholyl test, are described. The differential diagnosis of both conditions is discussed. Hypersensitivity to cholinergic agents should be interpreted only as representing anatomic and/or physiologic derangement of the myenteric plexus of the esophagus and should not be considered as pathognomonic of achalasia. Fundal carcinoma producing infiltrating lesions at the level of the myenteric plexus of the esophagus may closely simulate primary achalasia. The evaluation of achalasia in a given patient is not complete without careful radiologic and endoscopic studies with biopsy and cytologic sampling of any suspicious area.
Post-mastectomy radiation therapy: Translating local benefits into improved survival

Abstract Several randomized trials and the most recent meta-analysis from the Oxford Overview have confirmed the efficacy of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in improving local control and long-term survival. The survival advantage of PMRT has been established in patients with a ⩾10% risk of local regional recurrence. Patients with four or more positive lymph nodes fall in this category, even with effective systemic therapy. However, it remains difficult to identify the subset of patients with 1–3 positive lymph nodes at highest risk of local recurrence, who would most likely demonstrate a survival benefit with PMRT. When PMRT is used, careful treatment planning, particularly with regard to cardiac dose, is critical to minimizing serious late effects of treatment. Further developments in pathologic stratification of these patients, guided by expression profiles or novel biologic markers, are required to enable individualized assessment of long-term therapeutic risks and benefits.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman And the Liberal Imperialists

When Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was elected leader of the Liberal party in the House of Commons in January 1899, the party already was divided over the issue of imperialism.1 By the end of the year, the Boer War had accentuated that division. During the next six years, this disagreement over imperial policy was converted into a struggle between CB (as he was known to his contemporaries) and the Liberal Imperialists for control of the Liberal party. In the course of that struggle, Lord Rosebery, the leader of the Liberal Imperialists, repudiated CB's leadership; the Liberal Imperialists established their own organization, the Liberal League; and finally, the three most prominent Liberal Imperialists in the House of Commons-H.H. Asquith, Sir Edward Grey, and R.B. Haldanetried to force CB to become a prime minister in the House of Lords before they would serve under him. Despite the obvious talents of the men involved, the Liberal Imperialists failed in their efforts either to capture the Liberal party or to dislodge CB from his position as leader. Because CB's leadership in opposition has seemed weak, there has been a tendency, even on the part of his sympathetic biographers, to attribute his success in beating back the Liberal Imperialist challenge to pluck and luck rather than to political skill.2 CB was plucky in his willingness to stick with the thankless task of leading a divided party whose most prominent members-Rosebery, Sir William Harcourt, and John Morley-insisted on acting as alternatives to CB both as definers of policy and as focuses for the loyalty of Liberal M.P.s. CB was lucky in that the actions of the Unionist government of 1902-1905 reunited the fractured Liberals. In particular, the Education Act, the Chinese Labor Ordinance, and the Licensing Act roused the Nonconformist conscience, while Joseph Chamberlain's challenge to free trade raised the one political issue on which all Liberals could agree. There is no question that the Liberal party verged on the unmanageable during the crisis over imperialism and the Boer War. It is also true that, given the natural fractiousness of Liberals, the policies of the Unionist government were crucial to the Liberal revival of 1902-1905. None-
Technological Developments in Harmful Algal Bloom Detection Using Aircraft Ocean Color Remote Sensing

We describe details of an airborne UV sensitive spectrometer to acquire hyperspectral information with promise toward improved phytoplankton taxonomic information and potential detection of harmful algal blooms. Results from initial tests are described.
Over expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase in patients with interstitial cystitis and bladder carcinoma.

Purpose: We examined whether the expression of angiogenic factors, such as platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase (PDEGF/TP) and transforming growth factor-β, in bladder tissue correlates with the severity of symptoms, such as urinary urgency and bladder pain, in patients with bladder carcinoma and interstitial cystitis.Materials and Methods: Bladder biopsy was performed in 32 patients with bladder carcinoma, including 19 with interstitial cystitis and 3 controls. Immunohistological staining for PDEGF/TP, transforming growth factor-β and CD44 was performed in bladder specimens. PDEGF/TP in bladder tissues was also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to examine the correlation of the expression of this factor with painful symptoms in patients with bladder carcinoma or interstitial cystitis.Results: Immunohistochemical staining showed that PDEGF/TP stained in the submucosal layer beneath the basement membrane in bladder tissues of patients with interstitial cystiti...
Transtensional arm of the early Mesozoic Fundy rift basin: Penecontemporaneous faulting and sedimentation

Formed as a major right-lateral fault zone during Paleozoic collisional orogenies and reactivated as a left-oblique system during the early Mesozoic, the east-striking Minas fault zone of Atlantic Canada controlled adjacent sedimentation in the Fundy rift basin, producing a series of synsedimentary microbasins. Northeast-striking boundary faults of the Fundy basin underwent mostly early Mesozoic normal slip and are reactivated Paleozoic thrusts. The adjacent basin has a much thicker section, transverse folds, and synthetic rider blocks. Contrasts in structural and stratigraphic styles are a response to local deformation controlled by reactivated fault zones of differing orientation under consistent northwest-southeast early Mesozoic extension rather than responses to a sequence of changing stress patterns.
Acute effects of angiotensin-II-amide on aldosterone and corticosterone secretion by morphine-pentobarbital treated rats.

Aldosterone and corticosterone were assayed by double isotope derivative dilution in serial samples of adrenal vein blood and i n the entire gland after collection, in morphine-pentobarbital treated male rats. Each animal served as its own control, and the secretion rate was compared to the adrenal pool of each steroid to obtain the adrenal turnover rate. Continuous angiotensin infusion (3.6 μg/min) caused highly significant increases in the secretion of aldosterone, but no significant changes in corticosterone secretion. The fractional adrenal turnover rate of the glands showed a decreased turnover for aldosterone and no change for corticosterone. Angiotensin in pharmacologic dosage can selectively stimulate aldosterone secretion in the rat. (Endocrinology 83: 180, 1968)
Stochastic analysis of advanced photovoltaic devices

First generation photovoltaics have made significant progress and are nearing their maximum potential. This has largely been accomplished because the materials are well understood, allowing present simulation tools, such as AMPS, wxAMPS, SCAPS, AFORS-HET, and ADEPT to describe their behaviors well. In more complicated materials, the device may physically change during use, as debated concerning CIGS metastabilities, making it difficult to model and design. Even more troublesome are organic photovoltaics that exhibit highly dispersive transport and critical sensitivity to interface recombination and charge transport. The fixed nature of the present photovoltaic simulation tools provides limited insight into experimental results. This paper describes a new software tool based on a stochastic approach to improve modeling of these complex devices.
Steps toward a multifactorial satisfaction scale for primary care and mental health services

Abstract Development of a self-report Service Satisfaction Scale designed to measure consumer response to both health and mental health services is described. Fifteen items assessing perceptions of outcome and practitioner performance were developed for an evaluation of a student health service based on 539 consecutive primary care patients. These items were augmented by 15 more access and procedural items in an evaluation of a student mental health service (N = 146). Finally, eight further items were added in a study of four primary health care clinics serving a general population (N = 280). Factor analyses investigated dimensionality of service satisfaction separately in each sample. Two interpretable satisfaction factors were consistently found across services. Based on item content, the first was called Practitioner Manner and Skill, while the second assessed Perceived Outcome satisfaction. In analyses using 30 items common to the mental health and health clinics samples, additional but weaker factors related to access and office procedures were found. Implications are discussed in light of the ultimate goal of the program of research: to develop a practical, direct, multidimensional measure of service satisfaction capable of providing planners in many settings with discriminating consumer feedback .
Recurrent pregnancy loss: an update.

Abstract This review highlights recent studies that investigate causes and treatments for recurrent pregnancy loss. Generally the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss are classified as genetic, endocrinologic, anatomic, immunologic, microbiologic, and environmental. The majority of recent work has focused on potential autoimmune and alloimmune causes; however, controversy still exists over appropriate testing and treatment. Reports have investigated the potential associations between autoimmune factors (antithyroid antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies) and alloimmune factors (natural killer cells, cytotoxic T cells, and embryotoxic factors) and recurrent pregnancy loss. Increasingly, clinical reports are suggesting intravenous immunoglobulin as a potential treatment for these immunologic problems. Several lines of investigation have suggested certain hypercoagulable states as causative of recurrent pregnancy loss. New studies relating recurrent pregnancy loss to endocrinologic aberrations (hyperprolactinemia and hyperandrogenism) as well as social/environmental factors (stress, caffeine use, tobacco use, human immunodeficiency virus, and history of induced abortion) have been made. A summary of proposed evaluation and treatment options is presented.
Two-Dimensional Traceability Link Rule Mining for Detection of Insider Attacks

Organizations face a growing threat of insider attacks. This paper presents a model for detecting insider malicious activities targeted at tampering the contents of files for various purposes. It employs two-dimensional traceability link rule mining to identify intrinsic file dependencies. Traceability links are traditionally used by software practitioners and researchers to uncover the relationships between programs and documents in a software system. In this research, we borrow the concept of traceability link from software engineering realm and use traceability links to model file access patterns. Activities that modify data without complying with various file traceability link rules will be identified as suspicious activities. Because file traceability links are less prone to change than individual user's file access patterns, the insider attack detection model built on traceability links is more effective than many existing systems based on usage patterns.
Piecewise-linear restoring force surfaces for semi-nonparametric identification of nonlinear systems

A method for identifying a piecewise-linear approximation to the nonlinear forces acting on a system is presented and demonstrated using response data from a micro-cantilever beam. It is based on the Restoring Force Surface (RFS) method by Masri and Caughey, which is very attractive when initially testing a nonlinear system because it does not require the user to postulate a form for the nonlinearity a priori. The piecewise-linear fitting method presented here assures that a continuous piecewise-linear surface is identified, is effective even when the data does not cover the phase plane uniformly, and is more computationally efficient than classical polynomial based methods. A strategy for applying the method in polar form to sinusoidally excited response data is also presented. The method is demonstrated on simulated response data from a cantilever beam with a nonlinear electrostatic force, which highlights some of the differences between the local, piecewise-linear model presented here and polynomial-based models. The proposed methods are then applied to identify the force-state relationship for a micro-cantilever beam, whose response to single frequency excitation, measured with a Laser Doppler Vibrometer, contains a multitude of harmonics. The measurements suggest that an oscillatory nonlinear force acts on the cantilever when its tip velocity is near maximum during each cycle.
On Covering Problems of Rado

T. Rado conjectured in 1928 that if ${\mathcal S}$ is a finite set of axis-parallel squares in the plane, then there exists an independent subset ${\mathcal I}\subseteq$ ${\mathcal S}$ of pairwise disjoint squares, such that ${\mathcal I}$ covers at least 1/4 of the area covered by ${\mathcal S}$. He also showed that the greedy algorithm (repeatedly choose the largest square disjoint from those previously selected) finds an independent set of area at least 1/9 of the area covered by ${\mathcal S}$. The analogous question for other shapes and many similar problems have been considered by R. Rado in his three papers (1949, 1951 and 1968) on this subject. After 45 years (in 1973), Ajtai came up with a surprising example disproving T. Rado's conjecture. We revisit Rado's problem and present improved upper and lower bounds for squares, disks, convex sets, centrally symmetric convex sets, and others, as well as algorithmic solutions to these variants of the problem.
Using an internal internship to enhance computer science education in a two-year college

A student internship in a suitable business or organization can augment, reinforce, and embellish material learned in the classroom. Computer Science student interns can experience such things as real-world development environments, projects which greatly exceed the scale of typical programming assignments, the utter importance of (possibly lacking) documentation, as well as diverse languages, operating systems, and hardware. Opportunities for such internships occur rarely, however, for many rural two-year colleges, especially those geographically isolated from companies which could provide this experience.Despite such a situation at our college, we still provide students with an internship experience by creating an internal organization: the Software Development Internship (SDI) with the mission to develop custom software for other departments on campus. In this paper we describe the formation of the SDI, its activities, and some of the benefits and lessons learned to date.
The phylogeny of persistence in DNA

Abstract We continue our study, Poland [Biophysical Chemistry 110 (2004) 59–2], of the distribution of C or G (C–G for short) in the DNA of select organisms, in particular, the tendency for C–G to cluster on all scales with respect to the number of bases considered. We previously found that if we counted the number of C–G bases in consecutive, nonoverlapping boxes containing a total of m bases, then the width of the distribution function describing how many C–G bases are in a box increases with respect to m dramatically relative to the width expected for a random distribution. The relative width of the C–G composition distribution function was found to vary accurately as a power law with respect to m , the size of the box, over a very wide range of m values. We express the power law in terms of a characteristic exponent γ , that is, the relative widths of the distributions vary as m γ . The enhanced relative width of the distribution functions is a direct consequence of the tendency for boxes of similar composition to follow one another. This tendency represents persistence in composition from box to box and hence we refer to γ as the persistence exponent. The occurrence of a power law means that the tendency for C–G to cluster is present on all scales of sequence length (box size) up to the total length of the chromosome which for bacteria is the entire genome. The persistence exponent γ that characterizes the power law is thus an important parameter describing the distribution of C–G on all scales from individual base pairs up to the total length of the DNA sample considered. In the present paper, we determine the characteristic exponent γ and the associated fractal dimension of DNA samples for a selection of species representing all of the major types of organism, that is, we explore the phylogeny of the exponent γ . Here we treat six prokaryotes and six eukaryotes which, together with the species we have previously treated, brings the total number of species we have examined to 15. We find the power law form for the C–G distribution for all of the species treated and hence this behavior seems to be ubiquitous. The values of the characteristic exponent γ that we find tend to cluster around the value γ =0.20 with no obvious pattern with respect to phylogeny. The extreme values that we obtain are γ =0.057 (yeast) and γ =0.386 (human). We conclude by showing that the persistence of C–G clustering on the scale of the length of a chromosome is dramatically illustrated by interpreting the C–G distribution as a random walk.
Differentially Coherent Detection of QASK for Frequency-Hopping Systems--Part I: Performance in the Presence of a Gaussian Noise Environment

Bandwidth-conserving modulation techniques, which trade average power for bandwidth in a favorable exchange, have recently found widespread application in digital radio and satellite communication systems. Multiple-amplitude- and phase-shift-keying (MAPSK) techniques have been known for some time to be very efficient in bandwidth. One attractive type of MAPSK, from a practical point of view, is quadrature-amplitude-shift-keying (QASK). In conventional commanication systems, QASK is used with a coherent (or partially coherent) receiver. One way to protect a conventional communication system from interference or jamming is by frequency hopping the carrier over a large bandwidth. However, for widespread frequency hopping, the carrier phase is noncontinuous from hop to hop. In this case, a differentially coherent receiver provides a practical solution to the effect of phase discontinuities introduced by frequency hopping. The differentially coherent detection of QASK has not been discussed in the literature. Therefore, in this Part I, the concept of differentially coherent detection of differentially phase-encoded QASK signals (DQASK) is described, and a receiver structure proposed. The remainder of Part I analyzes the performance of DQASK in the presence of a Gaussian noise environment with comparisons made to coherent detection of QASK.
The processes responsible for the extreme rates of precipitation

In the absence of the author in Mexico City, an abstract was presented by J. B. Paulson, Jr. [It is understood that Dr. Bjerknes intends to publish the complete manuscript later in bulletin form.]
A neuromorphic model of spatial lookahead planning

In order to create spatial plans in a complex and changing world, organisms need to rapidly adapt to novel configurations of obstacles that impede simple routes to goal acquisition. Some animals can mentally create successful multistep spatial plans in new visuo-spatial layouts that preclude direct, one-segment routes to goal acquisition. Lookahead multistep plans can, moreover, be fully developed before an animal executes any step in the plan. What neural computations suffice to yield preparatory multistep lookahead plans during spatial cognition of an obstructed two-dimensional scene? To address this question, we introduce a novel neuromorphic system for spatial lookahead planning in which a feasible sequence of actions is prepared before movement begins. The proposed system combines neurobiologically plausible mechanisms of recurrent shunting competitive networks, visuo-spatial diffusion, and inhibition-of-return. These processes iteratively prepare a multistep trajectory to the desired goal state in the presence of obstacles. The planned trajectory can be stored using a primacy gradient in a sequential working memory and enacted by a competitive queuing process. The proposed planning system is compared with prior planning models. Simulation results demonstrate system robustness to environmental variations. Notably, the model copes with many configurations of obstacles that lead other visuo-spatial planning models into selecting undesirable or infeasible routes. Our proposal is inspired by mechanisms of spatial attention and planning in primates. Accordingly, our simulation results are compared with neurophysiological and behavioral findings from relevant studies of spatial lookahead behavior.
Interactive Coding for Multiparty Protocols

The problem of constructing error-resilient interactive protocols was introduced in the seminal works of Schulman (FOCS 1992, STOC 1993). These works show how to convert any two-party interactive protocol into one that is resilient to constant-fraction of adversarial error, while blowing up the communication by only a constant factor.In this work we extend the work of Schulman to the multi-party setting. We show how to convert any (non-adaptive) $n$-party protocol into one that is resilient to Θ(1/n)-fraction of adversarial error, while blowing up the communication by only a constant factor.One might hope to get resilience to constant-fraction of errors, by restricting the adversary's error distribution, and allowing him to make at most a constant-fraction of errors per party. We present a black-box lower bound, showing that we cannot be resilient to such adversarial errors, even if we increase the communication by an arbitrary polynomial factor, assuming the error-resilient protocol has a fixed (non-adaptive) speaking order.
Restoration of compressed images

Post-processing can alleviate or remove artifacts introduced by compression. However without a priori information, image enhancement schemes may fail. What is noise in one image may be important data in another. Fortunately, in image compression, we have an advantage. Before an image is stored or transmitted, we have access to the original and the distorted versions. The enhanced codec is compared to the original block by block to determine which blocks have been improved by the enhancement. These blocks are then flagged for post- processing in a way that is compliant with the JPEG standard and adds nothing to the compressed images` bandwidth. A single JPEG coefficient is adjusted so that the sum of the coefficients contains the flag for post-processing as the parity of the block. Half of the blocks already have the correct parity. In the other blocks, a coefficient that is close to being half way between two values will be chosen and rounded in the other direction. This distorts the image by a very tiny amount. The end result is a compressed image that can be decompressed on any standard JPEG decompressor, but that can be enhanced by a sophisticated decompressor.
Test Generation for Weak Resistive Bridges

An approach for testing weak resistive bridge targets is developed. The approach is based on defining and generating tests for a set of surrogates associated with each target. Either no or limited timing information is used during test generation. Experimental results show much higher coverage of targets and much lower complexity compared to those for crosstalk targets.
Adding graphics to a high-level programming language

SUMMARY When graphics inputloutput capabilities are added to a programming language originally designed with a text stream input/output model, various design decisions affect the ease with which the graphics facilities are learned and used by applications programmers. In adding window system facilities to the Icon programming language, some design decisions were made very differently from the conventional wisdom, resulting in substantial benefits for programmers. In addition, some pre-existing Icon language features have proved to be useful in graphics programming. BACKGROUND Input/output activity is a fundamental aspect of computing, especially with the trend toward interactive computing. It has increased in importance as successive generations of computers have become more interactive and as computer use has spread to non-technical persons. Early programming languages had input/output models based upon the crude batch processing available at the time. When those languages began to be used for programs with interactive inputloutput, adjustments to the languages were made, but it is very difficult to change an established language, and extending a language with entirely new programming models does not help the plight of those maintaining existing programs. Newer languages support interaction more naturally, since they were designed with that function in mind. A similar process is now taking place for graphics, as interactive text-based models of input and output are being replaced by models that accommodate graphics and graphical user interfaces. Languages such as Smalltalk,' which were developed on systems where every user was equipped with a bitmapped-graphics display, provide a consistent programming model for graphics. Most popular languages, however, were not developed with an assumption that graphics input and output facilities are available. Because extending these languages is difficult, most languages have incorporated graphics capabilities by means of function libraries, rather than embed
Classification of cultivation locations of Panax quinquefolius L samples using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and chemometric analysis.

Panax quinquefolius L (P. quinquefolius L) samples grown in the United States and China were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). Prior to classification, the two-way data sets were subjected to pretreatment including baseline correction and retention time (RT) alignment. Principal component analysis (PCA) and projected difference resolution (PDR) metrics were used to evaluate the data quality and the pretreatment effects. A fuzzy rule-building expert system (FuRES) classifier was used to classify the P. quinquefolius L samples grown in the United States and China with the optimized partial least-squares (o-PLS) classifier as the positively biased control method. A classification rate as high as 98 ± 3% with FuRES was obtained after baseline correction and RT alignment, which is equivalent to the result obtained by using the positively biased o-PLS control method (98 ± 3%). RT alignment improved the classification rates for both FuRES and o-PLS classifiers (18% improvement for the FuRES classification rate and 10% improvement for the o-PLS classification rate with baseline correction). From the rule obtained to classify the P. quinquefolius L samples grown in the United States and China, peaks were identified that can be prospective biomarkers for differentiating samples from different growth regions. HPLC–MS with chemometric analysis has the potential to be used as an authentication method for P. quinquefolius L grown in China and the United States.
Addressing the Divine: Rethinking God qua Love

This paper counters the Derridean argument that the divine cannot be experienced within the confines of earthly economics and, as a result, cannot be encountered in attributes like love. This paper first addresses the problem that Derrida defines through his explanation of negative theology. The paper then moves through the argument presented by Derrida by presenting Caputo’s argument concerning the kingdom of the impossible, and the idea that the divine operates outside of earthly economics. Love is necessarily an economical relationship, according to Caputo. However, this paper argues, with the help of Jean-Luc Marion’s The Erotic Phenomenon , that a rethinking of God qua love provides a way in which God can be experienced in love. Rather than being the object or subject of a love relationship, this project argues that the divine is experienced when one loves, in passivity, the beloved in the love relation.
Sulfa Drugs Inhibit Sepiapterin Reduction and Chemical Redox Cycling by Sepiapterin Reductase

Sepiapterin reductase (SPR) catalyzes the reduction of sepiapterin to dihydrobiopterin (BH2), the precursor for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a cofactor critical for nitric oxide biosynthesis and alkylglycerol and aromatic amino acid metabolism. SPR also mediates chemical redox cycling, catalyzing one-electron reduction of redox-active chemicals, including quinones and bipyridinium herbicides (e.g., menadione, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, and diquat); rapid reaction of the reduced radicals with molecular oxygen generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using recombinant human SPR, sulfonamide- and sulfonylurea-based sulfa drugs were found to be potent noncompetitive inhibitors of both sepiapterin reduction and redox cycling. The most potent inhibitors of sepiapterin reduction (IC50s = 31–180 nM) were sulfasalazine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, and chlorpropamide. Higher concentrations of the sulfa drugs (IC50s = 0.37–19.4 μM) were required to inhibit redox cycling, presumably because of distinct mechanisms of sepiapterin reduction and redox cycling. In PC12 cells, which generate catecholamine and monoamine neurotransmitters via BH4-dependent amino acid hydroxylases, sulfa drugs inhibited both BH2/BH4 biosynthesis and redox cycling mediated by SPR. Inhibition of BH2/BH4 resulted in decreased production of dopamine and dopamine metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. Sulfathiazole (200 μM) markedly suppressed neurotransmitter production, an effect reversed by BH4. These data suggest that SPR and BH4-dependent enzymes, are “off-targets” of sulfa drugs, which may underlie their untoward effects. The ability of the sulfa drugs to inhibit redox cycling may ameliorate ROS-mediated toxicity generated by redox active drugs and chemicals, contributing to their anti-inflammatory activity.
Magnetometer and Gradiometer Surveys for Detection of Underground Storage Tanks

In recent years there has been a surge of interest in methods for rapid and reliable detection and location of underground storage tanks and other cultural features related to hazardous substances in the subsurface. In the United States much of the motivation comes from recent environmental protection legislation that regulates underground storage tanks, including both existing and new installations. U.S. regulatory matters aside, ground-water contamination is a problem that knows no national borders; remediation of sites where hazardous substances can invade or have invaded ground-water supplies is a global concern. Detection and location of underground steel storage tanks can be readily accomplished using magnetometer and magnetic gradiometer surveys, which are a passive variety of remote sensing. This paper presents investigations at two sites at Hill Air Force Base, northern Utah. In each case, magnetometer and gradiometer data have proven to be valuable for assessing the possibilities of existence and location of buried underground storage tanks. Relevant magnetic-field principles are reviewed and methods of data acquisition, reduction, analysis and interpretation are described.