cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing a ROCm-Aware MPI Library for AMD GPUs: Early Experiences.

Due to the emergence of AMD GPUs and their adoption in upcoming exascale systems (e.g. Frontier), it is pertinent to have scientific applications and communication middlewares ported and optimized for these systems. Radeon Open Compute (ROCm) platform is an open-source suite of libraries tailored towards writing high-performance software for AMD GPUs. GPU-aware MPI, has been the de-facto standard for accelerating HPC applications on GPU clusters. The state-of-the-art GPU-aware MPI libraries have evolved over the years to support NVIDIA CUDA platforms. Due to the recent emergence of AMD GPUs, it is equally important to add support for AMD ROCm platforms. Existing MPI libraries do not have native support for ROCm-aware communication. In this paper, we take up the challenge of designing a ROCm-aware MPI runtime within the MVAPICH2-GDR library. We design an abstract communication layer to interface with CUDA and ROCm runtimes. We exploit hardware features such as PeerDirect, ROCm IPC, and large-BAR mapped memory to orchestrate efficient GPU-based communication. We further augment these mechanisms by designing software-based schemes yielding optimized communication performance. We evaluate the performance of MPI-level point-to-point and collective operations with our proposed ROCm-aware MPI Library and Open MPI with UCX on a cluster of AMD GPUs. We demonstrate 3–6\(\times \) and 2\(\times \) higher bandwidth for intra- and inter-node communication, respectively. With the rocHPCG application, we demonstrate approximately 2.2\(\times \) higher GFLOPs/s. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research work that studies the tradeoffs involved in designing a ROCm-aware MPI library for AMD GPUs.
ATRAS: Adversarially Trained Robust Architecture Search.

In this paper, we explore the effect of architecture completeness on adversarial robustness. We train models with different architectures on CIFAR-10 and MNIST dataset. For each model, we vary different number of layers and different number of nodes in the layer. For every architecture candidate, we use Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) to generate untargeted adversarial attacks and use adversarial training to defend against those attacks. For each architecture candidate, we report pre-attack, post-attack and post-defense accuracy for the model as well as the architecture parameters and the impact of completeness to the model accuracies.
Micro computed tomography analysis of abrasivity of toothpaste tablets compared to conventional toothpaste.

PURPOSE To evaluate with microCT dentin and enamel abrasion depth caused by toothpaste tablets when compared to conventional toothpastes. METHODS Dentin (N= 64) and enamel blocks (N=64) were randomized into four experimental groups of 16 specimens each for dentin and enamel. CP: Colgate Cavity Protection, served as the low abrasive toothpaste; AW: Colgate Total Advanced Whitening was used to represent a highly abrasive toothpaste. Two different types of toothpaste tablets were used. DT: Denttabs and BT: Bite tabs. To prepare the slurries, 40 mL of water was added to 25 g of each toothpaste and 4.4 g of each toothpaste tab. Blocks were brushed for a total of 10,000 and 40,000 strokes for dentin and enamel, respectively following ISO standard 11609. On completion of brushing, specimens were scanned with a microCT system. Tomographic 3D reconstruction followed by abrasion depths measurements were performed. Kruskal-Wallis procedure tested abrasion depths among the different groups. Tests of hypotheses were two-sided with an alpha level at 0.05. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in dentin abrasion depth among the groups (P< 0.001). The mean dentin/enamel abrasion depths in microns were 25.3/4.4, 36.8/4.4, 66.8/3.0, and 230.3/15.5 for DT, BT, CP, and AW respectively. Dentin and enamel abrasion depth of AW was the highest and was different from all other groups after multiple comparisons (P< 0.05). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Dentin abrasivity of toothpaste tabs is negligible as determined with microCT.
Chapter 22 – Transplantation in zebrafish

Tissue or cell transplantation is an invaluable technique with a multitude of applications including studying the developmental potential of certain cell populations, dissecting cell-environment interactions, and identifying stem cells. One key technical requirement for performing transplantation assays is the capability of distinguishing the transplanted donor cells from the endogenous host cells and tracing the donor cells over time. The zebrafish has emerged as an excellent model organism for performing transplantation assays, thanks in part to the transparency of embryos and even adults when pigment mutants are employed. Using transgenic techniques and fast-evolving imaging technology, fluorescence-labeled donor cells can be readily identified and studied during development in vivo. In this chapter, we will discuss the rationale of different types of zebrafish transplantation in both embryos and adults and then focus on four detailed methods of transplantation: blastula/gastrula transplantation for mosaic analysis, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, chemical screening using a transplantation model, and tumor transplantation.
Comparative formation of lithocholic acid from chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids in the colon.

The comparative rate of formation of lithocholic acid from chenodeoxycholic acid and its 7β epimer, ursodeoxycholic acid, was studied in human subjects and in a rhesus monkey. [24-14C]Chenodeoxycholic acid and [24-14C]ursodeoxycholic acid were incubated in vitro, under anaerobic conditions, in fecal samples from 7 control and 7 asymptomatic gallstone subjects. The incubations were carried out for 0, 0.5, 1, 4, and 12 h. In addition, the labeled precursors were instilled into the colon of 4 asymptomatic gallstone patients and a rhesus monkey in which a bile duct fistula had been created. Radioactive metabolites were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography in the in vitro fecal incubates and in the in vivo colonic aspirates, stool, and bile. The biotrans formation of the unlabeled material was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography in the in vitro incubates and in the in vivo fecal samples of the rhesus monkey. There was no statistical difference between chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids in their rate of biotrans formation to lithocholic acid, when the total group of 14 subjects was compared. However, among these 14, a subgroup of 4 subjects (2 controls and 2 with gallstones) was identified in whom the rate of degradation to lithocholic acid was significantly faster for chenodeoxycholic than for ursodeoxycholic acid. Increases in the concentrations of the precursors led to a decrease in the rate; but not a change in the comparative pattern of lithocholic acid formation. At the lower concentrations, the conversion of both bile acids to lithocholic acid was almost complete after 12 h. In the in vivo studies, the formation of lithocholic acid from chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids was comparable both in the 4 human subjects and in the rhesus monkey. The results of this study indicate that, in most cases, the risk of liver damage from lithocholic acid formation should be similar for both epimers. However, there appears to be a small population in which this risk could be higher during chenodeoxycholic acid than during ursodeoxycholic acid treatment due to a more rapid formation of lithocholic acid.
Imputed Liability for Supervising Prosecutors: Applying the Military Doctrine of Command Responsibility to Reduce Prosecutorial Misconduct

Lawyers often refer to criminal litigation as a war between competing adversaries. Yet, one of the central tenets of the law of war – the doctrine of command responsibility – has not been applied to criminal litigation. Under the doctrine of command responsibility, military commanders are held responsible for the misconduct of their subordinates that they knew or should have known would occur. The purpose of the command responsibility doctrine is to ensure that supervisors develop an atmosphere of compliance by training subordinates to avoid misconduct. This article applies the doctrine of command responsibility to civilian prosecutors holding supervisory positions. We argue that instances of prosecutorial misconduct can be reduced by imputing liability to supervising prosecutors who fail to create a culture of ethical compliance and therefore should have known that misconduct could occur.
Improving Middle School Students' Subjective Well-Being: Efficacy of a Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention Targeting Small Groups of Youth

Abstract Most interventions intended to improve subjective well-being, termed positive psychology interventions (PPIs), have neglected to include relevant stakeholders in youth's lives and have not included booster sessions intended to maintain gains in subjective well-being. The current study investigated the impact of a multitarget, multicomponent (i.e., students plus parents), small group PPI on students' mental health (subjective well-being as well as symptoms of internalizing and externalizing forms of psychopathology) at postintervention and approximately two months follow-up. Forty-two seventh-grade students were randomly assigned either to immediately receive the PPI or to a wait-list control group. At postintervention, students who participated in the PPI evidenced significant gains in all indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect), and there was a trend for practically meaningful reductions in internalizing and externalizing problems relative to...
Non-Candida Fungal Infections in the Intensive Care Unit

Infections caused byCandidaspecies are the most common mycotic diseases encountered in the intensive care unit (ICU), accounting for almost 80% of the fungal infections among patients requiring critical care. However, an increasing number of other opportunistic fungal pathogens are encountered in these patients, includingAspergillusspeciesCryptococcus neoformans FusariumspeciesPneumocystis carinii Scedosporiumspecies, and the Zygomycetes. In addition, in many parts of the Americas, endemic fungal pathogens, such asHistoplasma capsulatum Coccidioides immitisandBlastomyces dermatitidisthat cause community-acquired infections, may be encountered among patients in intensive care.
Potentiating Effect of Freund's Adjuvant on Interferon Production by Endotoxin or Poly rI•Poly rC

Intraperitoneal injection of mice with mineral oil, incomplete (IFA) or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) increased the interferon response to endotoxin or (poly rI)*(poly rC) administered intravenously 2 days later. After endotoxin administration, circulating interferon titers were increased at several different times of sampling and with a variety of endotoxin dosages. When injection of endotoxin was delayed until 6 to 8 days after the administration of IFA or CFA, interferon production was markedly decreased. Mice treated with CFA and injected with endotoxin 2 days later became more resistant to intranasal vesicular stomatitis virus challenge than mice injected with endotoxin alone. Hyporeactivity to the interferon-inducing capacity of a second injection of endotoxin 2 days after the first injection could not be overcome by administering CFA simultaneously with the first dose. CFA treatment not only raised the serum interferon titers produced by endotoxin, but also increased the number of interferon-forming cells in the spleen after administration of endotoxin in vivo. In addition, CFA enhanced the intravascular clearance of (poly rI)*(poly rC). The possibility that Freund's adjuvant increased the interferon response to endotoxin and (poly rI)*(poly rC) by stimulating the uptake and processing of the interferon inducer by lymphoreticular cells is discussed.
A suboptimum linear receiver derived from SVD based channel estimates

The reduced-rank least-squares (RRLS) method, which is based on fractional T-spaced sampling of the channel output and singular value decomposition (SVD) of a data matrix is shown to have certain advantages over conventional least-squares (LS) methods for data-adaptive equalization. The performance of a suboptimum, linear, minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) data communication receiver is investigated when the channel estimates from the RRLS and LS channel identification algorithms are used in the design. When the channel estimates are obtained in severe noise environments, the receiver that is conditioned on the RRLS channel estimates shows significant improvements in error performance when compared to the design based on the LS channel estimates. >
Secretin activates Cl- channels in bile duct epithelial cells through a cAMP-dependent mechanism

Using patch-clamp recording techniques, we assessed the effects of secretin on membrane ion channel activity in isolated rat bile duct epithelial cells. In the whole cell configuration, secretin activated an inward membrane current at -40 mV in 6 of 13 cells, and increased current density from 17 +/- 8 to 98 +/- 33 pA/pF. Secretin-stimulated currents reversed near the equilibrium potential for Cl- and exhibited a linear current-voltage relationship. In the cell-attached configuration, secretin activated low-conductance channels in 73% (11 of 15) of patches. Similar channels were activated by forskolin, suggesting that adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) is involved as a second messenger. At the resting membrane potential, channels carried inward membrane current and had a slope conductance of 10 +/- 1 pS. In excised patches, addition of purified catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A) to the cytoplasmic surface activated channels in four of six attempts. With equal Cl...
SU‐GG‐T‐377: Evaluation of Cone Beam CT in Prostate IMRT

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the volume changes of target and critical organs using cone‐beam CT (CB‐CT) and to investigate their effects on the organ doses for prostate IMRT cases. Previously the feasibility of CB‐CT based treatment planning was demonstrated by researchers (L. Lee et al., 2006; S. Yoo et al., 2008, Int. J. Rad. Onc. Biol. Phys.) Method and Materials: Ten prostate IMRT patients had daily onboard imaging and weekly kV CB‐CT using a Trilogy system for treatment position verification. The latest CB‐CT data were imported into Eclipse treatment planning system and used for drawing CB‐CT based contours for prostate, rectum, and bladder. The volume of the organs in CB‐CT were measured and compared to the organ volumes from the initial CTimages.Organ contours were exported to the primary IMRT plan and the plan was rerun using CB‐CT based volumes with the same field parameters. The volume and mean dose changes were measured. Results: The average interval between the first CT and latest CB‐CT was 29 days. The mean volume changes of the prostate, rectum and bladder were −8.3%, 10.8%, and −5.6%, respectively between the first CT and latest CB‐CT for 10 prostate IMRT cases. The dose coverage ratios of CB‐CT based volumes to primary volumes were 99.9%, 111.7% and 100.6% for prostate, rectum and bladder, respectively. Conclusion: The prostate volume got decreased about 8% (n=10) after a month based on kV CB‐CT and the dose coverage remained the same. However, in the average approximately 10% increase in rectal volume and dose were observed. The greater mean volume was measured for bladder with CB‐CT, however, the mean dose was almost equal to the primary plan. Therefore, based on the observation, updated volumes with CB‐CT can be used for improving the rectal dose as needed.
Recognition of propagating vibrations and invariant features for classification

The vibrations produced by objects, for example by a plate or cylinder insonified by a sonar wave, exhibit characteristics unique to the particular structure, which can be used to distinguish among different objects. The situation is complicated, however, by many factors, a particularly important one being propagation through media. As a vibration propagates, its characteristics can change simply due to the propagation channel; for example, in a dispersive channel, the duration of the vibration will increase with propagation distance. These channel effects are clearly detrimental to automatic recognition because they do not represent the object of interest and they increase the variability of the measured responses, especially if measurements are obtained from targets at different locations. Our principal aim is to identify characteristics of propagating vibrations and waves that may be used as features for classification. We discuss various moment-like features of a propagating vibration. In the first set of moments, namely temporal moments such as mean and duration at a given location, we give explicit formulations that quantify the effects of dispersion. Accordingly, one can then compensate for the effects of dispersion on these moments. We then consider another new class of moments, which are invariant to dispersion and hence may be useful as features for dispersive propagation. We present classification results comparing these invariant features to related non-invariant features, for classification of simulated backscatter from different steel shells in a dispersive environment.
Electronic structure of chromium and manganese impurities in copper.

We have performed self-consistent calculations of the electronic structures of chromium and manganese impurities in an fcc copper matrix. The calculations employed a linear combination of Gaussian orbitals procedure applied to the 19-atom clusters ${\mathrm{CrCu}}_{12}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{6}$ and ${\mathrm{MnCu}}_{12}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{6}$. No shape approximation was made to the potential which was chosen according to the local-spin-density functional approximation. We discuss the electronic levels and the related cluster density of states and the charge and spin densities. The Fermi level lies on a partially occupied ${t}_{2g}$ up-spin state in the case of the Cr impurity. A total cluster moment of 4.00${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ with 3.53${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ localized at the chromium site was obtained. In the case of the manganese impurity the Fermi level coincides with a down-spin ${a}_{1g}$ state with up-spin ${a}_{1g}$ and ${t}_{2g}$ states, quasidegenerate, just below it. The total and local moments are, respectively, 5.00${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ and 4.04${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$. The spin density is negative at the nuclear sites for both impurities and the first-shell copper atoms. We provide some details of the good agreement with experiment. The comparison with previous calculations yields mixed results.
L1 $_{0}$ FePt: Ordering, Anisotropy Constant and Their Relation to Film Composition

The L10 phase in FePt films with compositions in the range of 47-50 at.%Pt is found to form more readily (lower kinetic ordering temperatures), to have a higher degree of tetragonality (lower c/a), to be more perfectly ordered (higher values of the order parameter) and to have higher values of magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant compared to compositions outside of this range. It is argued that the ease of L10 formation, as measured by the kinetic ordering temperature, and the more perfect ordering of the L10 phase, as measured by the order parameter, are related to the higher atomic mobilities in films with compositions in this optimal range. Comparison of experimental results from isothermal kinetic experiments with predicted results using kinetic data from nonisothermal experiments and different assumptions regarding the nucleation of the L10 phase shows that the L10 formation kinetics is best described by growth from a fixed density of preexisting nuclei (athermal nucleation).
Teacher Induction: Research Issues

In this article, Griffin defines the concept of induction and summarizes research findings available for use in planning teacher induction programs. As part of the summary, preliminary hunches glea...
The reciprocity law concerning light dose relationships applied to BisGMA/TEGDMA photopolymers: Theoretical analysis and experimental characterization

Objectives A model BisGMA/TEGDMA unfilled resin was utilized to investigate the effect of varied irradiation intensity on the photopolymerization kinetics and shrinkage stress evolution, as a means for evaluation of the reciprocity relationship.
Prevalence of Mupirocin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Among Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background: For the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and decolonization of MRSA carriers, the use of mupirocin a topical antibiotic is increasing day by day. Aim: The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence rate of high-level and low-level mupirocin resistant MRSA isolates among patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study carried out on MRSA isolated from the various clinical specimens from outpatient and inpatient departments during period of one year. A total of 82 MRSA isolates were recovered from 6468 different clinical specimens. Mupirocin resistant MRSA was detected by two different methods: Epsilometer test (E-test) and agar dilution method. D-shaped zone test (D-zone test) was also performed for determination of inducible clindamycin resistance in MRSA isolates. Results: Out of 82 non-duplicate MRSA isolates mupirocin resistance were found in 15 (18.3%) isolates by both E-test and agar dilution method. Of these 15 mupirocin resistant, 8 (53.3%) isolates were high-level resistant (MuH) and 7 (46.7%) isolates were low-level resistant (MuL). Four isolates were D-zone test positive showing simultaneous inducible clindamycin resistance among mupirocin resistant MRSA isolates. Conclusion: Higher prevalence of both high-level and low-level of mupirocin resistant MRSA was observed in patient from the population. It is advisable to perform routine test to detect MRSA colonization among health care workers and nasal decolonization to prevent spread of MRSA infections among hospitalized patients.
Salmonella enterica Suppresses Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum Population and Soft Rot Progression by Acidifying the Microaerophilic Environment

Although enteric human pathogens are usually studied in the context of their animal hosts, a significant portion of their life cycle occurs on plants. Plant disease alters the phyllosphere, leading to enhanced growth of human pathogens; however, the impact of human pathogens on phytopathogen biology and plant health is largely unknown. To characterize the interaction between human pathogens and phytobacterial pathogens in the phyllosphere, we examined the interactions between Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and Salmonella enterica or Escherichia coli O157:H7 with regard to bacterial populations, soft rot progression, and changes in local pH. The presence of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum enhanced the growth of both S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 on leaves. However, in a microaerophilic environment, S. enterica reduced P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum populations and soft rot progression by moderating local environmental pH. Reduced soft rot was not due to S. enterica proteolytic activity. Limitations on P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum growth, disease progression, and pH elevation were not observed on leaves coinoculated with E. coli O157:H7 or when leaves were coinoculated with S. enterica in an aerobic environment. S. enterica also severely undermined the relationship between the phytobacterial population and disease progression of a P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum budB mutant defective in the 2,3-butanediol pathway for acid neutralization. Our results show that S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 interact differently with the enteric phytobacterial pathogen P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. S. enterica inhibition of soft rot progression may conceal a rapidly growing human pathogen population. Whereas soft rotted produce can alert consumers to the possibility of food-borne pathogens, healthy-looking produce may entice consumption of contaminated vegetables. Importance Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 may use plants to move between animal and human hosts. Their populations are higher on plants cocolonized with the common bacterial soft rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, turning edible plants into a risk factor for human disease. We inoculated leaves with P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and S. enterica or E. coli O157:H7 to study the interactions between these bacteria. While P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum enhanced the growth of both S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7, these human pathogens affected P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum fundamentally differently. S. enterica reduced P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum growth and acidified the environment, leading to less soft rot on leaves; E. coli O157:H7 had no such effects. As soft rot signals a food safety risk, the reduction of soft rot symptoms in the presence of S. enterica may lead consumers to eat healthy-looking but S. enterica-contaminated produce.
Further contributions to the nature of the monoethenoic fatty acids of butterfat.

Abstract 1. 1. A method of cleavage analysis has been developed which enables the determination of the mole per cent composition of a mixture of positionally isomeric octadecenoic acids or esters with a maximum error of ±4%. 2. 2. Used in conjunction with established optical methods of analysis, this method has been applied to an investigation of the composition of the C 16 and C 18 fatty esters from butterfat. 3. 3. The occurrence of a previously unreported acid ( trans -16-octadecenoic) has been established, and this acid is believed to be present to the extent of 1–2% of the total butterfat fatty acids. 4. 4. An 11-octadecenoic acid has been found to be present to the extent of 3–4% of the total butterfat acids. This acid was mostly trans (vaccenic), but inconclusive evidence has been offered for the presence of cis -11-octadecenoic acid as well. 5. 5. No conclusive evidence was found for the occurrence of elaidic acid in butterfat. 6. 6. The C 18 acids were found to possess appreciable unsaturation in the 8-position. Unsaturation in this position is believed to be found mostly, if not exclusively, in polyunsaturated acids. 7. 7. Over 20% of the hexadecenoic acids of butterfat has been found to have the trans configuration. These previously unreported trans -acids would account for ca . 0.4% of the total fatty acids in butterfat. 8. 8. No positional isomers of 9-hexadecenoic acid were found to be present.
Communities under fire: Empowering families and children in the aftermath of homicide

This article presents an empowerment approach to clinical services for families and children surviving homicides. Narrative theory is used to integrate child, family and community interventions. The article presents a framework for the examination of narratives and guidelines for co-constructing narratives that empower children, families and communities.
Computer simulation study of the displacement threshold-energy surface in Cu

Computer simulations were performed using the molecular-dynamics technique to determine the directional dependence of the threshold energy for production of stable Frenkel pairs in copper. Sharp peaks were observed in the simulated threshold energy surface in between the low-index directions. Threshold energies ranged from \ensuremath{\sim}25 eV for directions near $〈100〉$ or $〈110〉$ to 180 eV at the position of the peak between $〈110〉$ and $〈111〉$. The general topographical features of the simulated threshold-energy surface are in good agreement with those determined from an analysis of recent experiments by King et al. on the basis of a Frenkel-pair resistivity ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{F}=2.85\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ \ensuremath{\Omega} cm. Evidence is presented in favor of this number as opposed to the usually assumed value, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{F}=2.00\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ \ensuremath{\Omega} cm. The energy dependence of defect production in a number of directions was investigated to determine the importance of nonproductive events above threshold.
An evolving 'nuclear winter' — Guest editorial

Editorial. «L'hiver nucleaire», une expression de Richard Turco, est souvent utilisee pour decrire les effets climatiques hypothetiques provoques par une guerre nucleaire a grande echelle. Discussion des simulations pratiquees actuellement
3D parameter reconstruction in hyperspectral diffuse optical tomography

The imaging of shape perturbation and chromophore concentration using Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) data can be mathematically described as an ill-posed and non-linear inverse problem. The reconstruction algorithm for hyperspectral data using a linearized Born model is prohibitively expensive, both in terms of computation and memory. We model the shape of the perturbation using parametric level-set approach (PaLS). We discuss novel computational strategies for reducing the computational cost based on a Krylov subspace approach for parameteric linear systems and a compression strategy for the parameter-to-observation map. We will demonstrate the validity of our approach by comparison with experiments.
Avian multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase is an active phytase that can be engineered to help ameliorate the planet's "phosphate crisis".

Contemporary phytase research is primarily concerned with ameliorating the problem of inadequate digestion of inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate; InsP6) in monogastric farm animal feed, so as to reduce the pollution that results from the high phosphate content of the manure. In the current study we pursue a new, safe and cost-effective solution. We demonstrate that the rate of hydrolysis of InsP6 by recombinant avian MINPP (0.7 μmol/mg protein/min) defines it as by far the most active phytase found to date in any animal cell (the corresponding activity of recombinant mammalian MINPP is only 0.006 μmol/mg protein/min). Although avian MINPP has less than 20% sequence identity with microbial phytases, we create a homology model of MINPP in which it is predicted that the structure of the phytase active site is well-conserved. This model is validated by site-directed mutagenesis and by use of a substrate analogue, scyllo-InsP6, which we demonstrate is only a weak MINPP substrate. In a model chicken cell line, we overexpressed a mutant form of MINPP that is secretion-competent. This version of the enzyme was actively secreted without affecting either cell viability or the cellular levels of any inositol phosphates. Our studies offer a genetic strategy for greatly improving dietary InsP6 digestion in poultry.
Quantitative analysis of polyols in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.

We used gas chromatography in conjunction with flame ionization detection to quantitate nine polyols and aldo and keto sugars (as silyl derivatives) in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Rhamnose, not found in CSF or plasma, was used as an internal standard with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.4 mg/l. CSF polyol and sugar concentrations (mean +/- S.D.) in fourteen healthy subjects (age range 27.1-85.9 years) were: anhydroglucitol, 19.9 +/- 5.3 mg/l; arabitol, 4.8 +/- 0.9 mg/l; erythritol, 2.4 +/- 0.5 mg/l; myoinositol, 28.6 +/- 8.3 mg/l; ribitol, 1.6 +/- 0.1 mg/l; fructose, 25.5 +/- 11.1 mg/l; glucose, 587 +/- 70 mg/l; glucitol, 7.7 +/- 1.5 mg/l; and mannose, 10.6 +/- 2.4 mg/l. The respective plasma concentrations were 30.6 +/- 11.5, less than 0.4, 0.4 +/- 0.2, 6.3 +/- 2.6, less than 0.4, 23.4 +/- 21.4, 897 +/- 214, less than 0.4 and 13.7 +/- 6.3 mg/l. Polyol CSF-to-plasma concentration ratios greater than 2 were observed for myoinositol, erythritol, arabitol, glucitol and ribitol, indicative of active accumulation or synthesis of these polyols within the central nervous system.
A Free Boundary Problem for an Elliptic-Hyperbolic System: An Application to Tumor Growth

We consider a system of two hyperbolic equations for p,q and two elliptic equations for $c,\sigma$, where p,q are the densities of cells within the tumor $\Omega_t$ in proliferating and quiescent states, respectively, c is the concentration of nutrients, and $\sigma$ is the pressure. The pressure is a result of the transport of cells which proliferate or die. The motion of the free boundary $\partial \Omega_t$ is given by the continuity condition, and $\sigma$ at the free boundary is proportional to the surface tension. We prove the existence, uniqueness, and regularity of the solution for a small time interval $0\leq t\leq T$.
Growth of nomadic and settled Turkana infants of northwest Kenya

Turkana tribespeople reside in a semi-arid savanna ecosystem in northwest Kenya. For over a decade, Ngisonyoka Turkana nomads have been studied within a multidisciplinary framework that embraces ecology, anthropology, and human population biology. Original research objectives of the South Turkana Ecosystem Project were to study nomads longitudinally and within the context of the dry savanna ecosystem. These objectives have been expanded to incorporate settled Turkana who were nomads in the recent past, but who, for a variety of reasons, have taken up a life of sedentary cultivation. The research described here focused on comparisons of growth patterns of nomadic and settled infants from birth to 24 months of age. Infants were measured (recumbent length, weight, head circumference, arm and calf circumference, and selected skinfolds) in 1989 and 1990. Settled infants were slightly longer, but nomadic infants were heavier and fatter. Head circumferences were the same. Some variation was observed by season and year of measurement (from comparative surveys). Both groups showed pronounced weight faltering after 6 months of age when compared with U.S. NCHS reference values. Head circumference faltering was moderate and recumbent length faltering was only slight after 12 months of age. Comparisons of Turkana infant growth in the two populations can contribute indirectly to a better understanding of infant nutritional status, probable morbidity, and other factors, some of which may be linked to female reproduction.
The Wechsler Preschool And Primary Scale Of Intelligence: Difficulty Order Of Subtest Questions.

Theoretically and pragmatically the subtest questions of the Wechsler Pre-school and Primary Scale of Intelligence are assumed to be ordered from least to most difficult. The purpose of this study was to test whether or not the order was appropriate for a sample other than that used for standardization. Data consisted of test records of 89 females and 62 males tested at a private school over four years. Mean Full Scale IQ of the sample was 118. Calculation of proportion of the sample passing each item and Guttman Reproducibility Coefficients for each subtest suggested changes in the order of questions of the Vocabulary, Picture Completion, Similarities, and Comprehension Subtests. However, though questions were misordered for the present sample as a result of presenting them in the order prescribed in the test manual, the misordering was not great enough to seriously affect subtest scores or the interpretation of intratest scatter.
Problem-Based Learning: An Exercise on Vermont's Legalization of Civil Unions

(Originally Published in Teaching Sociology, 32: 79-93.) The majority of literature regarding problem-based learning demonstrates its usefulness as a teaching technique in the natural sciences curriculum. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the broad purpose is to illustrate the application of problembased learning for instructing students about controversial issues in sociology. Within the second, more narrowed focus, we describe a class exercise involving the recent Vermont Supreme Court decision to legalize civil unions as an approach to addressing contemporary debates in sociology pertaining to the decline versus transition of the American family social institution. This project is developed using a three-pronged pedagogical approach involving critical theory, problem-based learning, and information literacy. While the technique described in this article is taken from a course on the Social History of American Families, the method can be modified for a variety of courses including sociology of the family, sociology of gender, introduction to sociology, and social problems.
On the anomalous luminescence of Michler's ketone: The importance of the local environment

Abstract The UV-visible absorption and emission spectra of Michler's ketone in glassy solutions at 77°K exhibit a novel and dramatic sensitivity to the ratio of Lewis base to hydroxyl component present. In most commonly employed glasses the molecules are distributed between two of three types of environments, producing an apparent anomalous luminescence.
Analytic modeling of gain-switched lasers. I. Laser oscillators

Detailed mathematical models are derived for the evolution of light pulses in gain‐switched laser oscillators. Unlike previous instantaneous‐switching models, arbitrary pump and spontaneous relaxation rates are considered. Explicit expressions are obtained for the gain and pulse characteristics in several practical situations, and both homogeneous and inhomogeneous limits are considered. By proper adjustment of the laser pump any output‐pulse shape can be obtained. The results are especially relevant for recent short‐pulse ultraviolet lasers and also for more conventional devices such as TEA CO2 lasers.
Noise reduction in MR angiography with nonlinear anisotropic filtering.

Purpose To evaluate three-dimensional nonlinear anisotropic filtering in suppressing image noise in high spatial resolution magnetic resonance angiograms (MRA) acquired with hybrid undersampled projection reconstruction and phase contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction (PC-VIPR). Materials and Methods Three-dimensional nonlinear anisotropic filtering was quantitatively analyzed and evaluated through the measurement of contrast to noise ratio (CNR) in PC-VIPR images and contrast enhanced peripheral MRA images. To filter MRA images with ultra-high spatial resolution and poor CNR, a spatial frequency dependent nonlinear anisotropic filtering algorithm was proposed that uses two-step processing to filter the whole spatial frequency data. Results Three-dimensional nonlinear anisotropic filtering was shown to be effective in suppressing noise and improving CNR in MRA with isotropic spatial resolution. Higher CNR was achieved using spatial frequency dependent nonlinear anisotropic filtering. A typical CNR gain of between 50–100% was shown in our studies. Conclusion Three-dimensional nonlinear anisotropic filtering significantly improved CNR in MRA images with isotropic spatial resolution. Spatial frequency dependent nonlinear anisotropic filtering further improved CNR for MRA images with ultra-high spatial resolution and low CNR. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2004;19:632–639. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Guiding locomotion in complex, dynamic environments

Locomotion in complex dynamic environments is an integral part of many daily activities, including walking in crowded spaces, driving on busy roadways, and playing sports. Many of the tasks that humans perform in such environments involve interactions with moving objects -- that is, they require people to coordinate their own movement with the movements of other objects. A widely adopted framework for research on the detection, avoidance, and interception of moving objects is the bearing angle model, according to which observers move so as to keep the bearing angle of the object constant for interception and varying for obstacle avoidance. The bearing angle model offers a simple, parsimonious account of visual control but has several significant limitations and does not easily scale up to more complex tasks. In this paper, I introduce an alternative account of how humans choose actions and guide locomotion in the presence of moving objects. I show how the new approach addresses the limitations of the bearing angle model and accounts for a variety of behaviors involving moving objects, including (1) choosing whether to pass in front of or behind a moving obstacle, (2) perceiving whether a gap between a pair of moving obstacles is passable, (3) avoiding a collision while passing through single or multiple lanes of traffic, (4) coordinating speed and direction of locomotion during interception, (5) simultaneously intercepting a moving target while avoiding a stationary or moving obstacle, and (6) knowing whether to abandon the chase of a moving target. I also summarize data from recent studies that support the new approach.
Stabilization of (trialkylphosphine)ruthenium alkylidene metathesis catalysts using phosphine exchange

The second-generation Grubbs analogues (H2IMes)RuCl2(CHPh)(PR3) (R = Me, Bu) were essentially metathesis-inactive and air-stable at room temperature but exhibited first-order metathesis with ethyl vinyl ether at elevated temperature. The PMe3 complex underwent second-order ligand exchange with PBu3, indicating different coordination mechanisms (dissociative vs associative) in the two reactions.
An approximation method for bound states in quantum chromodynamics

A method for extracting hadron states in confining field theories (QCD) from the asymptotic behavior of two-point functions and the imposition of confinement through the removal of cuts is reviewed and generalized to take explicit account of the spin-12 nature of the constituents. The role of perturbative corrections is discussed and explored numerically with anomalous dimension for arbitrary spin J and to sixth order for the specific example of spin-1 hadronic states. We conclude that the effects of these are significant though incapable of leading to linear Regge trajectories, and that the main features of the hadron spectrum must come from the non-perturbative inverse power corrections.
Strain estimator based on analytical phase tracking

This paper presents a new analytical phase tracking (APT) based strain estimator, suitable for imaging elastic properties of biological tissues under quasi-static external compression. This method utilizes the Hilbert transform to obtain a sequence of 2D analytical RF signals versus compression time and extracts the phase in discrete form to produce a wrapped phase matrix. It subsequently creates zero phase bands using Connected Component Labeling (CCL). Displacement versus range is then estimated based on the difference between the initial and end axial indexes of zero phase bands and converted to strain value. Simulations and experiments with an inhomogeneous phantom demonstrate that APT is capable of reliably estimating tissue displacement and strain over a larger range of deformation than the standard time domain cross correlation (SCC). Statistical simulation assessments at compression level 3% and 6% with SNR 20 dB yield an average strain error of 10% for APT and 15% for SCC. Computation efficiency analysis also shows that APT is roughly 20 times faster than the SCC with comparable or even better accuracy.
The Effects of Pentoxifylline on Oxygenation, Diffusion of Carbon Monoxide, and Exercise Tolerance in Patients With COPD

Pentoxifylline has been reported previously in an unblinded study to improve oxygen saturation, treadmill walk time, and resting diffusion of carbon monoxide (Dco) in patients with COPD. We recruited 12 patients with moderate to severe COPD whose exercise capacity was limited by ventilation or who developed hypoxemia with exercise. Patients were randomized to receive pentoxifylline or placebo, each for a 12-week period in a prospective, double-blind, crossover design study, to assess the effects of pentoxifylline on oxygenation, resting Dco, and exercise tolerance using arterial blood gas analysis. Eleven patients with a mean FEV 1 of 0.94 L and a mean Dco of 9.85 mL/min/mm Hg completed the study. One patient withdrew from the study after developing pneumonia. There were no significant differences in resting oxygenation, resting Dco, or spirometry after 12 weeks of pentoxifylline relative to placebo. The 12-min walk test and dyspnea index for activities of daily living were also not significantly different while taking pentoxifylline. Finally, at maximal exercise, there were no differences in workload attained, exercise duration, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, minute ventilation, oxygen saturation, Po 2 , alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference, or Borg score while taking pentoxifylline relative to placebo. We conclude that pentoxifylline does not improve oxygenation, resting Dco, exercise tolerance, or dyspnea in patients with moderate to severe COPD.
Automobility and Citizenship in Interwar Lebanon

Based on newspaper resources from Lebanon’s French mandate period (1920–46), Monroe’s essay offers a new perspective to a developing global historiography of automobility by considering, in a provisional way and primarily as a basis for further research, how the driving of cars shaped everyday and national life in Lebanon in the interwar era. First, Monroe explores how the driving of cars, as a demonstration of state power, served as a tool and representation of government. Second, she looks at how vehicular excursions by urban elite from the city to the mountain and rural areas created new patterns of leisure and recreation that put into practice the bourgeois habitus. Finally, she examines the gendered dimensions of automobility as women who took the wheel traversed boundaries both social and geographical. The essay explores how automobilities in mandate- era Lebanon participate in, and depart from, automobility paradigms that take the global North as the primary site of historical research and interest by providing insights into the ways in which the motor vehicle not only served a utilitarian function, but also contributed to particular constructions of class, gender, and nation.
Disrupted coal and carbonate facies within two Pennsylvanian cyclothems, southern Illinois basin, United States

Two cyclothems contain an unusual suite of disrupted fabrics. This study9s interdisciplinary integration of coal maceral and sedimentological information offers significant new interpretations of coal-limestone interchange, both depositionally and diagenetically. Disrupted fabrics within the Herrin Coal and Providence Limestone are interpreted as representing previously undocumented interactive processes between coals and limestones. The Herrin Coal contains brecciated beds that are the result of marine transgression over a coastal-plain mire, representing high-energy conditions at the swamp-beach interface. This interface has rarely been documented in detail. Peat is inherently unstable prior to its conversion to coal, and we document this by interpreting conglomeratic beds in overlying strata. Differential compaction of Herrin peats generated subaqueous debris flows in the overlying Providence Limestone. This mechanism for syndiagenetic and early diagenetic sediment deformation has not been previously recognized. In addition, near-surface and surface processes produced other disrupted fabrics in the Providence Limestone, such as in situ mosaic breccias, nodular fabrics, and calcrete horizons. This study also documents that stratigraphically adjacent, alkaline carbonate sediments were further altered by undersaturated acidic pore waters, derived from compacting peats during early diagenesis. Our interdisciplinary approach to distinguishing and interpreting all of these disrupted fabrics led to a new appraisal of the importance of depositional and postdepositional interactions between coal and limestone. The presence of mire deposits can have a significant influence on the thickness, distribution, and fabrics in overlying strata. In cyclothems, climatic and eustatic changes may control overall depositional patterns, but peat compaction may determine certain facies.