cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detecting, Tracking and Classifying Animals in Underwater Video

For oceanographic research, remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and underwater observatories routinely record several hours of video material every day. Manual processing of such large amounts of video has become a major bottleneck for scientific research based on this data. We have developed an automated system that detects, tracks, and classifies objects that are of potential interest for human video annotators. By pre-selecting salient targets for track initiation using a selective attention algorithm, we reduce the complexity of multi-target tracking. Then, if an object is tracked for several frames, a visual event is created and passed to a Bayesian classifier utilizing a Gaussian mixture model to determine the object class of the detected event.
Quality-driven evaluation of trigger conditions on streaming time series

For many applications, it is important to evaluate trigger conditions on time series streams. In a resource constrained environment, users' needs should ultimately decide how the evaluation system balances the competing factors such as evaluation speed, result precision, and load shedding level. This paper presents a basic framework for evaluation algorithms that takes user-specified quality requirements into consideration. Three optimization algorithms, each under a different set of quality requirements, are developed in the framework: (1) minimize the response time given accuracy requirements and without load shedding; (2) minimize the load shedding given a response time limit and accuracy requirements; and (3) minimize one type of accuracy errors given a response time limit and without load shedding. Experiments show that these optimization algorithms effectively achieve their optimization goals while satisfying the corresponding user-specified quality requirements.
Neutrino electromagnetic form factors.

It has been suggested that an apparent correlation of the flux of detected solar neutrinos with solar activity is due to a neutrino magnetic moment. Here several terrestrial experiments that might observe the magnetic moment are considered, with emphasis on those employing reactor neutrinos. The neutrino charge radius, and prospects for observing it, are also discussed. An appendix collects all relevant neutrino scattering cross sections.
Accommodating mixed sensory/modal preferences in collaborative writing systems

Writers use the abstractions of words to create meaning. But the activity of writing spans multiple concrete senses and modes. Technology-enhanced collaborative writing systems need to be sensitive to the preferred senses and modes of information in which writing teams want to work. Some preferences seem rooted in the senses (seeing vs. motor coordination); others seem based in the preferred modality of inputting or outputting information (speaking vs. writing; listening vs. reading). Still others seem based in the role of the writer on the team (author or commenter). We offer a framework for understanding some of these preferences and a prototype editor (the Prep Editor) we have been using to study them empirically.
Developmental profiles for multiple object tracking and spatial memory: typically developing preschoolers and people with Williams syndrome.

The ability to track moving objects, a crucial skill for mature performance on everyday spatial tasks, has been hypothesized to require a specialized mechanism that may be available in infancy (i.e., indexes). Consistent with the idea of specialization, our previous work showed that object tracking was more impaired than a matched spatial memory task in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder characterized by severe visual-spatial impairment. We now ask whether this unusual pattern of performance is a reflection of general immaturity or true abnormality, possibly reflecting the atypical brain development in WS. To examine these two possibilities, we tested typically developing 3- and 4-year-olds and people with WS on multiple object tracking (MOT) and memory for static spatial location. The maximum number of objects that could be correctly tracked or remembered (estimated from the k statistic) showed similar developmental profiles in typically developing 3- and 4-year-old children, but the WS profile was not similar to that of either age group. People with WS could track more objects than 3-year-olds, and the same number as 4-year-olds, but they could remember the locations of more static objects than both 3- and 4-year-olds. Combining these data with those from our previous studies, we found that typically developing children show increases in the number of objects they can track or remember between ages 3 and 6, and these increases grow in parallel across the two tasks. In contrast, object tracking in older children and adults with WS remains at the level of 4-year-olds, while the ability to remember multiple locations of static objects develops further. As a whole, the evidence suggests that MOT and memory for static location develop in tandem typically, but not in WS. Atypical development of the parietal lobe in people with WS could play a causal role in establishing the abnormal, uneven pattern of performance in WS. This interpretation is consistent with the idea that multiple object tracking engages different mechanisms from memory for static object location, and that the former can be particularly disrupted by atypical development.
A review of electrical impedance techniques for the measurement of multiphase flows

Various developments in the use of electrical impedance methods in multiphase flow are reviewed. Because the components of a multiphase flow often exhibit different electrical properties, a variety of probes have been developed to study such flows by measuring impedance in the region of interest. Nonintrusive devices are used to measure spatially averaged flow properties, such as void fraction. Local probes have been developed to measure a variety of pointwise flow quantities, including film thickness in annular flow, local void fraction in dispersed flows, bubble and particle sizes, and flow velocities. Such impedance probes are usually easy to build and use, and can have a high frequency response. However, the spatial resolution of the probes may be limited, calibration may be difficult, and the accuracy of some probes may be limited to specific phase distributions. Researchers are now using electric fields to reconstruct the impedance distribution within a measurement volume via Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). EIT systems employ voltage and current measurements on the boundary of a domain to create a representation of the impedance distribution within the domain. EIT inversion algorithms are discussed, and the application of EIT to multiphase flows is reviewed. The benefits and limitations of EITmore » systems are also discussed.« less
Experimental results on adaptive nonlinear control and input preshaping for multi-link flexible manipulators

Abstract Adaptive input precompensators in conjunction with nonlinear controllers for multi-link flexible manipulators are considered in this paper. In an earlier paper, we had shown that application of a nonlinear inner-loop control reduces the variations in frequencies due to the geometrical configuration for multi-link flexible manipulators. This results in a better performance when input preshaping or any other controller based on a linear model is designed. To improve the performance of the system to parameter variations (e.g. changes in payload), an adaptive version of the advocated controller is utilized. This is achieved by estimating the time of application of the impulses for on-line preshaping and in the case of payload uncertainty, estimation of the payload and real-time adjustment of the nonlinear inner-loop based controller. Frequency domain Time-Varying Transfer Function Estimate (TTFE) and Empirical Transfer Function Estimate (ETFE) system identification algorithms are proposed for estimation of vibrational modes and unknown payload. Experimental results on a two-link flexible manipulator with adaptive nonlinear control and preshaping are provided to show the effectiveness of the advocated controllers. Overall, the present paper completely generalizes the adaptive input preshaping technique for multi-link flexible manipulators.
Comparative effects of four mycorrhizal fungi on loblolly pine seedlings growing in a greenhouse in a Piedmont soil

A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ectomycorrhizae on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) growing in a Piedmont soil. Pine seedlings were inoculated with one of four species of fungi (Scleroderma aurantium, Pisolithus tinctorius, Thelophora terrestris, andRhizopogon roseolus). The seedlings were grown in pots containing a Cecil sandy clay loam amended to create a gradient of extractable P ranging from 5.9 to 52.5 μg/g. After ten months, all colonized seedlings were significantly larger than control seedlings. However, of the four fungi,Scleroderma aurantium mediated a far superior shoot growth response to increasing levels of soil P; the seedlings were significantly larger than those colonized by any other fungus and also had the largest root systems and greatest degree of mycorrhizal colonization.
Erratum: Diel integration of food quality by Daphnia: Luxury consumption by a freshwater planktonic herbivore

The chemical content of living algal food is an important determinant of zooplankton herbivore fitness. Previous studies have restricted diets to a single food type presented over multiple body mass turnover times; these have established that phosphorus content is one factor closely associated with growth of some, zooplankton. In nature, however, algal P content and other potentially important dimensions to food quality vary in space and time. It would be unlikely for a grazing animal to experience a single constant food type over a major portion of its life. Many grazers likely experience diel variation in food quality associated with their vertical migration through nutritional gradients. It is not known how long-term growth under fluctuating food relates to growth rates expected for single, constant food types. We tested whether grazers could integrate over daily variation in their food and thus realize body growth rates higher than would be expected from growth determined on single constant food types alone. We found that Daphnia magna grow near maximal rates when exposed to high-quality food for half or less of the day. These results suggest that nutritional gradients associated with vertical migration bear close examination. They also strongly suggest that some form of diel P storage in zooplankton, a form of luxury consumption, occurs, and allows for integration over temporal variation in supply of tins essential dietary ingredient.
DIETARY VITAMIN A AND RISK OF CANCER IN THE WESTERN ELECTRIC STUDY

Intake of dietary provitamin A (carotene) was inversely related to the 19-year incidence of lung cancer in a prospective epidemiological study of 1954 middle-aged men. The relative risks of lung cancer in the first (lowest) to fourth quartiles of the distribution of carotene intake were respectively, 7.0, 5.5, 3.0, and 1.0 for all men in the study, and 8.1, 5.6, 3.9, and 1.0 for men who had smoked cigarettes for 30 or more years. Intake of preformed vitamin A (retinol) and intake of other nutrients were not significantly related to the risk of lung cancer. Neither carotene nor retinol intake was significantly related to the risk of other carcinomas grouped together, although for men in whom epidermoid carcinomas of the head and neck subsequently developed, carotene intake tended to be below average. These results support the hypothesis that dietary beta-carotene decreased the risk of lung cancer. However, cigarette smoking also increases the risk of serious diseases other than lung cancer, and there is no evidence that dietary carotenoids affect these other risks in any way.
Bridging the gap: A GFP‐based strategy for overexpression and purification of membrane proteins with intra and extracellular C‐termini

Low expression and instability during isolation are major obstacles preventing adequate structure-function characterization of membrane proteins (MPs). To increase the likelihood of generating large quantities of protein, C-terminally fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) is commonly used as a reporter for monitoring expression and evaluating purification. This technique has mainly been restricted to MPs with intracellular C-termini (Cin) due to GFP's inability to fluoresce in the Escherichia coli periplasm. With the aid of Glycophorin A, a single transmembrane spanning protein, we developed a method to convert MPs with extracellular C-termini (Cout) to Cin ones providing a conduit for implementing GFP reporting. We tested this method on eleven MPs with predicted Cout topology resulting in high level expression. For nine of the eleven MPs, a stable, monodisperse protein-detergent complex was identified using an extended fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography procedure that monitors protein stability over time, a critical parameter affecting the success of structure-function studies. Five MPs were successfully cleaved from the GFP tag by site-specific proteolysis and purified to homogeneity. To address the challenge of inefficient proteolysis, we explored expression and purification conditions in the absence of the fusion tag. Contrary to previous studies, optimal expression conditions established with the fusion were not directly transferable for overexpression in the absence of the GFP tag. These studies establish a broadly applicable method for GFP screening of MPs with Cout topology, yielding sufficient protein suitable for structure-function studies and are superior to expression and purification in the absence GFP fusion tagging.
Email reminders as a self-management tool in depression: a needs assessment to determine patients’ interests and preferences:

Summary We conducted a needs assessment to ascertain patients' interests and preferences for using email reminders ('E-minders') to assist in the self-management of their depression. The E-minders would help patients achieve remission by reminding them of their personal strategies for self-management and their personalized sources of support. Once patients had achieved remission, E-minders would be used to remind them of their original symptoms of depression so that they could monitor for recurrence. Results from a focus group with eight patients suggested that patients would be interested in using E-minders. However, they should not be used to replace aspects of treatment but rather to supplement existing depression treatment regimens.
Physiological responses of Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle) to ash yellows phytoplasmal infection

ummary • Photosynthetic responses of periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) were compared during disease development after infection by two strains of ash yellows (AshY) phytoplasmas that differed in aggressiveness. • Healthy plants were inoculated by grafting with diseased scions. Mature leaves formed before grafting of diseased scion, and leaves formed during disease development were monitored for physiological changes. • Leaves formed before inoculation remained visually and physiologically asymptomatic until normal senescence. However, leaves formed after inoculation had reduced photosynthesis, due to reductions in both the maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and noncyclic electron transport (Jmax). In these leaves, photoinhibition resulted from photoprotective processes rather than photooxidative damage to PSII reaction centres. Stomatal conductance (Gs) was reduced, but this did not increase the stomatal limitation to photosynthesis. Changes in Gs were not correlated with changes in leaf ABA concentration. • Known differences in phytoplasmal aggressiveness were correlated with degrees of inhibition of photosynthesis and occurence of photoinhibition. AshY phytoplasmas appear to cause metabolic perturbations associated with localized accumulation or multiplication of the pathogen in symptomatic leaves. Abbreviations A, net photosynthesis rate; Aa, net photosynthesis rate at ambient [CO2]; Amax, net photosynthesis rate at saturated [CO2]; AshY, ash yellows; Ci, intercellular [CO2]; Fo, Fm, Fv, minimal, maximum and variable fluorescence, respectively; F′m, Fs, maximal and steady state fluorescence in light-adapted state; Fv/Fm, intrinsic efficiency of PSII; Gs, stomatal conductance; Jmax, maximum noncyclic electron transport; Ls, stomatal limitation; ΦPSII, quantum yield of PSII; qNP, nonphotochemical quenching coefficient; RuBP, ribulose-1,5-biophosphate; Vcmax, maximum rate of carboxylation of Rubisco; vpd, leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit; WAG, week after grafting.
WHY ARE SOME FRUITS TOXIC? GLYCOALKALOIDS IN SOLANUMAND FRUIT CHOICE BY VERTEBRATES

We examined the influence of secondary metabolites (glycoalkaloids) of Solanum fruits on fruit consumption by seed dispersers and seed predators. Our goal was to determine the degree to which secondary metabolites might explain fruit–frugivore interactions that heretofore have not been explained by other fruit-related variables (e.g., color, nutrient content, seediness, etc.). Using feeding trails with real fruits and artificial fruit pulp media, we tested two sets of hypotheses, one relating to the specificity of secondary metabolites and the other to intra- and interspecific variation in secondary metabolite content. First, the Directed Toxicity Hypothesis was tested against its alternative, the General Toxicity Hypothesis. The Directed Toxicity Hypothesis posits that fruit pulp secondary metabolites are directed primarily toward organisms that destroy seeds following fruit consumption, remaining nontoxic to organisms that disperse seeds. The General Toxicity Hypothesis states that these secondary metab...
Band search: an efficient alternative to guided depth-first search

A novel search algorithm called band search that generalizes guided depth-first and best-first searches is proposed. The performance of band search is studied, and it is evaluated using six benchmarks. The band-search algorithm and its properties are presented, the conditions when band search behaves like best first search are identified, and possible anomalous behavior when the bandwidth of the search is increased is discussed. The classes of search problems for which band search is applicable are given, and the performance of band search on these problems is evaluated. >
Genetic Analysis of Factors Affecting Susceptibility of Bacillus subtilis to Daptomycin

Daptomycin is the first of a new class of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics used against multidrug-resistant, gram-positive pathogens. The proposed mechanism of action involves disruption of the functional integrity of the bacterial membrane in a Ca 2+ -dependent manner. We have used transcriptional profiling to demonstrate that treatment of Bacillus subtilis with daptomycin strongly induces the lia operon including the autoregulatory LiaRS two-component system (homologous to Staphylococcus aureus VraSR). The lia operon protects against daptomycin, and deletion of liaH , encoding a phage-shock protein A (PspA)-like protein, leads to threefold increased susceptibility. Since daptomycin interacts with the membrane, we tested mutants with altered membrane composition for effects on susceptibility. Deletion mutations of mprF (lacking lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol) or des (lipid desaturase) increased daptomycin susceptibility, whereas overexpression of MprF decreased susceptibility. Conversely, depletion of the cell for the anionic lipid phosphatidylglycerol led to increased resistance. Fluorescently labeled daptomycin localized to the septa and in a helical pattern around the cell envelope and was delocalized upon the depletion of phosphatidylglycerol. Together, these results indicate that the daptomycin-Ca 2+ complex interacts preferentially with regions enriched in anionic phospholipids and leads to membrane stresses that can be ameliorated by PspA family proteins.
Functional links between canine height and jaw gape in catarrhines with special reference to early hominins.

This study tests the hypothesis that decreased canine crown height in catarrhines is linked to (and arguably caused by) decreased jaw gape. Associations are characterized within and between variables such as upper and lower canine height beyond the occlusal plane (canine overlap), maximum jaw gape, and jaw length for 27 adult catarrhine species, including 539 living subjects and 316 museum specimens. The data demonstrate that most adult male catarrhines have relatively larger canine overlap dimensions and gapes than do conspecific females. For example, whereas male baboons open their jaws maximally more than 110% of jaw length, females open about 90%. Humans and hylobatids are the exceptions in that canine overlap is nearly the same in both the sexes and so is rela- tive gape (ca. 65% for humans and 110% for hylobatids). A correlation analysis demonstrates that a large portion of rel- ative gape (maximum gape/projected jaw length) is pre- dicted by relative canine overlap (canine overlap/jaw length). Relative gape is mainly a function of jaw muscle position and/or jaw muscle-fiber length. All things equal, more ros- trally positioned jaw muscles and/or shorter muscle fibers decrease gape and increase bite force during the power stroke of mastication, and the net benefit is to increase the mechanical efficiency during chewing. Similarly, more cau- dally positioned muscles and/or longer muscle fibers increase the amount of gape and decrease bite force. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that canine reduction in early hominins is functionally linked to decreased gape and increased mechanical efficiency of the jaws. Am J Phys Anthropol 150:247-259, 2013. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Japan and the development of Shanghai's Pudong area

(1992). Japan and the development of Shanghai's Pudong area. The Pacific Review: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 241-249.
From physician-centered to community-oriented perspectives on health care: assessing the efficacy of community-based training.

residents were interviewed. In 2003, the first cohort of nine third-year residents was reinterviewed to assess long-term impact. Interviews were conducted before and after residents’ experiences with community collaboratives. Transcripts of interviews were reviewed using an iterative process, and a coding system was applied using a qualitative software program. Results Comparison of pre- and postrotation interview data showed that residents’ conceptions of advocacy shifted from ideas about being a pediatrician for the community to being a pediatrician in the community. This change in definition reflected a view of the pediatrician as facilitator, a community asset, rather than as a central administrator of child health affairs. This shift persisted through the completion of residency. Conclusions
Clinical use of a match-line wedge for adjacent megavoltage radiation field matching

Abstract The divergence and sharp penumbra of linear accelerator beams pose notorious problems when joining such beams side by side. One way of reducing the dose distribution nonuniformity in the matching region is to create a wide pseudo-penumbra with the use of a “match-line wedge.” A single match-line wedge shape has been developed for 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams. The wide pseudo-penumbra created by the wedge drastically reduces the effect of random set-up errors. Special attention has been paid to ensure simple and reliable clinical use of the wedge. Details of the design, construction, dosimetry, and rules of practical application are presented. Comparisons of several matching methods are made.
An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Navigational Aids in a Virtual Environment

Past research emphasizes the potential of using Virtual Reality (VR) in education because of its ability to provide the user with a sense of immersion that promotes learning and growth. However, navigation in this environment has been found to be challenging. To address this issue, this pilot study developed a virtual reality based application to reinforce the knowledge of safety protocols in a manufacturing setting. This environment included a simulated assembly line, and participants were asked to identify and tag hazards including virtual workers committing safety violations. This research then investigated the effectiveness of four navigational aids using a between-subjects experimental design. Twenty participants underwent videobased training focused on potential safety violations in a manufacturing environment. They were subsequently exposed to the virtual environment and provided with training in identifying and classifying violations. The participants were then asked to identify safety hazards that were placed throughout the virtual manufacturing facility. The dependent variables included the time spent in the virtual environment, the number of violations identified, eye gaze measures, the NASA-TLX workload, and computer systems usability measures. Statistically significant differences were found for the dependent measures of number of violations identified, workload and usability. The results suggest that both maps and arrows embedded on the floor have the potential to enhance usability with reduced workload.
Comparison of Atlantic and Pacific paleochemical records for the last 215,000 years : changes in deep ocean circulation and chemical inventories

Abstract Detailed Cd/Ca and δ 13 C data have been obtained for benthic foraminifera from western North Atlantic and Equatorial Pacific sediment cores. In the modern ocean, both tracers are closely linked to nutrient distributions. The sedimentary records for both tracers indicate that bottom waters overlying the Atlantic site have been nutrient-depleted relative to those at the Pacific site over the last 215,000 years. From this evidence it is reasonable to infer that there has been a continuous net flux of nutrient-depleted water from the western North Atlantic into the Pacific. This exchange has undergone significant fluctuations, with the export of nutrient-depleted Atlantic water diminishing by about a factor of two relative to the inflow from Southern Ocean sources. Over the last 215,000 years, carbon isotope fluctuations in both regions are dominated by variable storage of isotopically light carbon on continents with a lesser contribution from these deep ocean circulation changes. The cadmium signal in the North Atlantic is dominated by changes in deep ocean circulation patterns; cadmium shows less variability in the Pacific which may reflect changes in the global average cadmium content or minor changes in deep Pacific circulation patterns. Using these records to estimate global averages, it appears that glacial ocean water had 22% more Cd and 0.46‰ less 13 C than the modern ocean. These numbers are estimates which may be revised as more data become available, although they are not likely to be as much as 20% in error for Cd or 0.2‰ for 13 C. Relative North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation rates are modulated with a significant 41 kyr periodicity linked to obliquity-induced variations in high latitude insolation; NADW lags 8 ± 2 kyr behind insolation, however.
The Sputum Microbiome in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are thought to be associated with--and perhaps to mediate--accelerated loss of lung function in COPD. Although the application of culture-independent methods for detection of bacteria have shown COPD to be associated with marked differences in the burden, diversity, and composition of the bronchial bacterial microbiome, few studies have examined the changes associated with community-acquired exacerbations of the disease. In a longitudinal cohort study of COPD, the availability of sputum samples from subjects obtained at the onset of an exacerbation and during periods of clinical stability before and after the event enabled us to recently address this gap in knowledge, using culture-independent, 16S rRNA-based analysis methods combined with in silico inference of metagenomic functions. We observed sputum bacterial composition to be generally stable over the preexacerbation period of clinical stability, but to change at the time of exacerbation, with specific enrichment in not only typical COPD-associated bacterial species (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae) but also other phylogenetically related species with pathogenic potential. Concurrently, we observed depleted abundance of other bacteria whose predicted metagenomes suggest functional capacities to produce a variety of antiinflammatory compounds. Most strikingly, we found that resolution of these exacerbation-related changes in sputum microbiota composition differed significantly, depending on the exacerbation treatments prescribed. Treatment with corticosteroids resulted in microbiome enrichment for a number of bacterial communities, mostly members of the Proteobacteria phylum, whereas prolonged suppression of microbiota was seen in those treated with antibiotics alone. Taken together, our findings suggest that exacerbations of COPD are associated with heterogeneous changes in the bronchial microbiome, with increases in the abundance of species related to typical COPD pathogens and decreases in microbiota members that contribute to compositional and functional homeostasis. The findings further suggest that exacerbation treatments may have very different impacts on the bronchial microbiome's rate of return toward baseline composition.
What is A "Good" Outcome? and Who Decides?

investigate the late, self-reported quality of life (QOL) for Fontan patients, with comparison against both a small group (n ¼ 13) of adults who underwent pediatric heart transplantation and the general population. To very briefly summarize a lot of data, the Fontan patients’(median age ¼ 25 years, range: 19-55) QOL measures were very similar to the general population. There were no differences with regard to mental, social, and overall energy scores, but they did report lower scores in the physical function, bodily pain, and general health domains. Of note, the Fontan patients were not significantly different from the heart transplant patients in any domains. These findings are consistent with several previous studies. d’Udekem et al 2 also reported on Fontan survivors in their 20s with similar QOL self-reported measures falling essentially within the normal range. Unlike the current study, however, d’Udekem et al also performed exercise stress tests, which demonstrated relatively preserved exercise capacity in Fontan patients, as long as they remained arrhythmia-free. It is interesting to note that the current study included only extracardiac conduit Fontan patients, while the older study compared classic atrio-pulmonary Fontans against lateral tunnel Fontan patients, thus all 3 of the most commonly performed Fontan procedures were represented in these 2 studies, with comparable QOL outcomes in early adulthood. As the authors of the current study note, there have been many reports documenting a disconnect between self-reported QOL and other markers of functional status such as exercise testing, family or teacher evaluations, educational achievement, employment status, and many others. A surprisingly consistent finding across many different chronic diseases has been that objective measures of patients’ functional state, whether physical, mental, or socio-economic, often demonstrate variable degrees of dysfunction, while the patients’ selfreported QOL measures are often near or above normal. So in essence, many of these patients have problems, but they feel that they are pretty similar to the general population.
New High-Resolution Central-Upwind Schemes for Nonlinear Hyperbolic Conservation Laws

The main feature of central schemes is that they are Riemann-solver free. The original high-order central scheme by Nessyahu and Tadmor [NeTa] assumes a global speed of wave propagation which introduces a large amount of numerical viscosity and lowers the resolution of discontinuities. Later, Kurganov and Tadmor [KurTa] proposed a new version of central schemes. In their construction, the whole space is divided into smooth and singular rectangular controlled volumes according to local speed of wave propagation. The updated values at each gridpoints are obtained from more precise computation on each region resulting in sharper resolution and less numericiil viscosity. In this paper, we shall construct new fully-discrete central-upwind scheme by replacing the rectangular singular regions with smaller triangular regions. Numerical simulation will be present to show lower numerical viscosity and hence sharper results, as expected.
Reconstructing three-dimensional reentrant cardiac electrical wave dynamics using data assimilation

For many years, reentrant scroll waves have been predicted and studied as an underlying mechanism for cardiac arrhythmias using numerical techniques, and high-resolution mapping studies using fluorescence recordings from the surfaces of cardiac tissue preparations have confirmed the presence of visible spiral waves. However, assessing the three-dimensional dynamics of these reentrant waves using experimental techniques has been limited to verifying stable scroll-wave dynamics in relatively thin preparations. We propose a different approach to recovering the three-dimensional dynamics of reentrant waves in the heart. By applying techniques commonly used in weather forecasting, we combine dual-surface observations from a particular experiment with predictions from a numerical model to reconstruct the full three-dimensional time series of the experiment. Here, we use model-generated surrogate observations from a numerical experiment to evaluate the performance of the ensemble Kalman filter in reconstructing such time series for a discordant alternans state in one spatial dimension and for scroll waves in three dimensions. We show that our approach is able to recover time series of both observed and unobserved variables matching the truth. Where nearby observations are available, the error is reduced below the synthetic observation error, with a smaller reduction with increased distance from observations. Our findings demonstrate that state reconstruction for spatiotemporally complex cardiac electrical dynamics is possible and will lead naturally to applications using real experimental data.
An Evaluation of Universal Grammar and the Phonological Mind.

This paper argues against the hypothesis of a "phonological mind" advanced by Berent. It establishes that there is no evidence that phonology is innate and that, in fact, the simplest hypothesis seems to be that phonology is learned like other human abilities. Moreover, the paper fleshes out the original claim of Philip Lieberman that Universal Grammar predicts that not everyone should be able to learn every language, i.e., the opposite of what UG is normally thought to predict. The paper also underscores the problem that the absence of recursion in Piraha represents for Universal Grammar proposals.
Two Authors and Their Two Books Writ Twice: James Tunstead Burtchaell and Rosemary Haughton, Twenty-Five and Thirty Years on

James Tunstead Burtchaell had been teaching Rosemary Haughton's 1967 book The Transformation of Man for a number of years when he published Philemon's Problem in 1973. Now, with both authors having reworked their books in the last two years, we are given an opportunity to compare and contrast the development of Burtchaell's and Haughton's thinking on how grace transforms human beings. The present essay sees an intellectual convergence between Haughton and Burtchaell; it sees much to be grateful for in both books by both authors; and it claims that Haughton's new book has developed her thinking on grace's communal character further than Burtchaell's new book has developed his thinking on the same topic.
Unraveling the hidden function of a stabilizer in a precursor in improving hybrid perovskite film morphology for high efficiency solar cells

The morphology of the organometal trihalide perovskite (OTP) plays a critical role in the performance of solar cell devices. Nevertheless it has been frequently reported that the morphology of OTP films tends to be different in different laboratories even with the same film preparation procedure, which makes it very difficult to compare and understand the material and device physics. Here, we unravel a critical role of the H3PO2 stabilizer in HI, which has been largely ignored, in controlling the morphology of the perovskite films. The H3PO2 stabilizer in HI solution introduces MAH2PO2 impurities into the synthesized MAI (non-purified MAI) by reacting with methylamine (MA) aqueous solution. MAH2PO2 impurities can slow down the overall crystallization process of perovskite by forming an intermediate phase of Pb(H2PO2)2. Both MAH2PO2 and Pb(H2PO2)2 impede the fast reaction of PbI2 and MAI, resulting in highly uniform and smooth perovskite films with larger grain sizes. The recrystallization of non-purified MAI can remove the MAH2PO2 impurity and form purified MAI, which however results in rough and non-uniform perovskite films. Uniform and smooth perovskite films can also be obtained by directly adding artificially synthesized MAH2PO2 into the purified MAI precursor. This study also suggests Pb(H2PO2)2 to be a new precursor to form high quality perovskite films.
Effect of Low Protein Corn-Soybean Oil Meal Diets and Amino Acid Supplementation on Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract WHILE there has been a good deal of disagreement as to the protein requirement of hens, it has been apparent that certain investigators (Thornton et al., 1957; Miller et al., 1957; Johnson and Fisher, 1959; and Frank and Waibel, 1960) have achieved good levels of egg production at around 12% dietary protein. The protein assay data of the latter workers, using a high energy corn-soybean oil meal diet containing 10% animal fat, indicated that hens fed 8, 10.2, 12.4 and 14.9% dietary protein produced approximately 30, 39, 54, and 67% egg production, respectively. It was apparent that in work attempting to determine the limiting amino acids in corn-soybean type diets it would be necessary to reduce the protein level to approximately 10% to provide a measurable response range. The objectives in this work were to determine laying hen production characteristics induced by corn-soybean oil meal diets containing 9, 10, 12, …
Aggression in White-Crowned Sparrows: Effects of Distance from Cover and Group Size

I assessed whether White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) engage in aggressive interactions more frequently when feeding closer to cover, while food availabilty was held constant. For a given group size, interaction rate was higher closer to cover, suggesting that sparrows perceived such locations to be more valuable (i.e., more safe). The rate of aggression was also strongly positively correlated both with the number of birds in the immediate vicinity (within 0.5) and with the total number of birds foraging (within 2 m x 1 m area). The effect of immediate group size on rate of aggression was weaker farther from cover.
Анализ Уровня Развития Финансовой Системы в Российской Федерации (Analysis of the Level of Development of the Financial System in the Russian Federation)

Russian Abstract: После подробного анализа эмпирических и теоретических работ, направленных на изучение взаимовлияния финансового и экономического развития, а также выявления релевантных показателей финансового развития, с помощью которых исследователи изучают влияние финансового сектора на другие показатели, в работе проводится тщательный анализ развития банковской системы в Российской Федерации. На основе данных «Российского мониторинга экономического положения и здоровья населения» поводится анализ осведомленности, вовлеченности в доверия населения РФ к банковской системе в период 2006-2012. С помощью данных «Бюллетеня банковской статистики», дополненных данными Росстата о деятельности предприятий и численности населения, проводится подробное изучение банковской деятельности в регионах РФ в период 2001-2013. Оно сосредоточено на анализе количества банков и отделений, представленных в различных регионах, динамике депозитов и задолженности, включая просроченную задолженность. После проведенного анализа строится интегральный показатель финансового развития регионов, на основе которого осуществляется сравнение регионов и изучается динамика финансового развития в них.English Abstract: After a detailed analysis of the empirical and theoretical studies aimed at understanding the mutual financial and economic development, and to identify relevant indicators of financial development, by which researchers are studying the impact of the financial sector to other indicators in the work carried out a thorough analysis of the banking system in the Russian Federation. On the basis of the "Russian monitoring the economic situation and public health" excuse analysis awareness, involvement in public confidence in the banking system of the Russian Federation for the period 2006-2012. With these "Bulletin of Banking Statistics", supplemented by the data of the Federal State Statistics Service of enterprises and population, conducted a detailed study of the banking activity in regions of the Russian Federation for the period 2001-2013. It focuses on the analysis of the number of banks and branches represented in different regions, the dynamics of deposits and debt, including arrears. After the analysis is constructed integral indicator of financial development of the regions, on the basis of which the comparison is made between the regions and study the dynamics of financial development in them.
β-Oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with conjugated double bonds: mitochondrial metabolism of octa-2,4,6-trienoic acid

The mitochondrial beta-oxidation of octa-2,4,6-trienoic acid was studied with the aim of elucidating the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids with conjugated double bonds. Octa-2,4,6-trienoic acid was found to be a respiratory substrate of coupled rat liver mitochondria, but not of rat heart mitochondria. Octa-2,4,6-trienoyl-CoA, the product of the inner-mitochondrial activation of the acid, was chemically synthesized and its degradation by purified enzymes of beta-oxidation was studied spectrophotometrically and by use of h.p.l.c. This compound is a substrate of NADPH-dependent 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase or 4-enoyl-CoA reductase (EC 1.3.1.34), which facilitates its further beta-oxidation. The product obtained after the NADPH-dependent reduction of octa-2,4,6-trienoyl-CoA and one round of beta-oxidation was hex-4-enoyl-CoA, which can be completely degraded via beta-oxidation. It is concluded that polyunsaturated fatty acids with two conjugated double bonds extending from even-numbered carbon atoms can be completely degraded via beta-oxidation because their presumed 2,4,6-trienoyl-CoA intermediates are substrates of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase.
Binding of Tissue-Plasminogen Activator to Fibrin: Effect of Ultrasound

Ultrasound reversibly alters the structure of polymerized fibrin, an effect that could influence tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) binding. We have, therefore, characterized the effects of ultrasound on binding of t-PA to fibrin using a novel system in which radiolabeled, active-site blocked, single chain tissue-plasminogen activator flowed through a fibrin gel at constant rate, and specific binding was determined by monitoring incorporation of radiolabel. Results using polymerized fibrin were compared with those using a surface of fibrin immobilized on Sepharose beads in a similar system. Interaction of t-PA with surface-immobilized fibrin involved two classes of binding sites (Kd = 31 nmol/L and 244 nmol/L) and a maximum binding ratio of 3.8 mol t-PA/mol fibrin. Ultrasound increased Kd for the high affinity site to 46 nmol/L (P < .0001), but it had no significant effects on the Kd 244 nmol/L site nor on Bmax. Tissue-plasminogen activator binding to noncrosslinked fibrin involved two sites with Kds of 267 nmol/L and 952 nmol/L, while a single Kd 405 nmol/L site was identified for crosslinked fibrin. Ultrasound had no significant effect on the binding affinity for noncrosslinked fibrin, but Bmax was increased in the presence of ultrasound, from 31 mumol/L to 43 mumol/L (P < .0001). Ultrasound decreased the Kd for crosslinked fibrin to 343 nmol/L (P = .026) and also increased Bmax from 22 mumol/L to 25 mumol/L (P = .015). Ultrasound also affected the kinetics of t-PA binding to fibrin, significantly accelerating the rate of dissociation by 77% +/- 5% for noncrosslinked fibrin and by 69% +/- 3% for crosslinked fibrin (P < .001 for each). These results indicate that ultrasound exposure accelerates t-PA binding, alters binding affinity, and increases maximum binding to polymerized fibrin, effects that may result from ultrasound-induced changes in fibrin structure.
Lamotrigine-Induced Aggressive Behavior

The response and behavioral profiles of 19 intellectually impaired adults, aged 17-54 years, following treatment with lamotrigine (LTG) as adjunctive therapy for uncontrolled epilepsy are reported from the Epilepsy Research & Services, Chatswood, Australia.
Deposition of Colloidal Drops Containing Ellipsoidal Particles: Competition between Capillary and Hydrodynamic Forces

Ellipsoidal particles have previously been shown to suppress the coffee-ring effect in millimeter-sized colloidal droplets. Compared to their spherical counterparts, ellipsoidal particles experience stronger adsorption energy to the drop surface where the anisotropy-induced deformation of the liquid–air interface leads to much greater capillary attractions between particles. Using inkjet-printed colloidal drops of varying drop size, particle concentration, and particle aspect ratio, the present work demonstrates how the suppression of the coffee ring is not only a function of particle anisotropy but rather a competition between the propensity for particles to assemble at the drop surface via capillary interactions and the evaporation-driven particle motion to the contact line. For ellipsoidal particles on the drop surface, the capillary force (Fγ) increases with the particle concentration and aspect ratio, and the hydrodynamic force (Fμ) increases with the particle aspect ratio but decreases with drop siz...
INDUCTWISE: inductance-wise interconnect simulator and extractor

We develop a robust, efficient, and accurate tool, which integrates inductance extraction and simulation, called INDUCTWISE. This paper advances the state-of-the-art inductance extraction and simulation techniques and contains two major parts. In the first part, INDUCTWISE extractor, we discover the recently proposed inductance matrix sparsification algorithm, the K-method[1], albeit its great benefits of efficiency, has a major flaw on the stability. We provide both a counter example and a remedy for it. A window section algorithm is also presented to preserve the accuracy of the sparsification method. The second part, INDUCTWISE simulator, demonstrates great efficiency of integrating the nodal analysis formulation with the improved K-method. Experimental results show that INDUCTWISE has over 250x speedup compared to SPICE3. The proposed sparsification algorithm accelerates the simulator another 175x and speeds up the extractor 23.4x within 0.1% of error. INDUCTWISE can extract and simulate an 118K-conductor RKC circuit within 18 minutes. It has been well tested and released on the web for public usage. (http://vlsi.ece.wisc.edu/Inductwise.htm)