cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of 3-D Depth from 2-D Views by Graphical Interpretation

A method for obtaining 3-D depth information from 2-D views is presented. The method assumes that a set of corresponding points between two views of a solid object is given. The second view is generated by rotating the object around an arbitrary pivot point and then translating it in 3-D space. This method uses a graphical interpretation to relate the projections of each point in the first and second views. A gradient descent algorithm is used to solve a set of nonlinear equations with five unknowns from five or more corresponding points in each view. The major advantage of the method will be the adaptability to corresponding points between two views which are "noisy" due to digitization error and feature selector inaccuracies. The bounds imposed by the graphical interpretation will reduce the search space which proves to be an important factor in the convergence of the algorithm. This paper does not address the point correspondence problem and assumes that the matching of individual points in two views has been accomplished.
The effect of obstetric practice change to reduce early term delivery on perinatal outcome.

To investigate whether the national emphasis on attaining ⩾39 weeks gestation has altered obstetric practice, and if so whether this has affected perinatal morbidity. We examined trends in gestational age, neonatal morbidity, maternal complications and stillbirth for a retrospective cohort of singleton, live births between 37+0 and 39+6 weeks of gestation over a 5-year period at a single tertiary care center. There were 21 343 eligible deliveries. The proportion of deliveries in the early term (<39 weeks) decreased from 47.8 to 40.2% (P<0.01). The reduction was most pronounced for elective inductions (27.5 to 8.0%; P<0.01) and scheduled cesareans (56.9 to 24.9%; P<0.01), although a similar trend was seen for nonelective inductions (51.2 to 47.9%; P=0.03). In multivariable analysis, there was a 10% decreased odds of early term delivery per year (P<0.01). There were no changes in the rates of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) evaluation (29.8 to 28.1%; P=0.11), pre-eclampsia (7.6 to 8.5%; P=0.06) or stillbirth (11.5 to 14.4 per 10 000; P=0.55). A 10% annual decline in the odds of early term delivery was not accompanied by significant changes in perinatal morbidity.
The Changing Face of the Environmental Coalition: A Research Note

This research examines changes in the environmental coalition over the 1980s. During these years, concern over environmental problems has increased. How has the coalition favoring greater environmental protection changed? We use logistic regression to examine changing determinants of support for increased environmental spending. In brief, ideology, party identification, and age become less important as determinants, and education and urban residence become more important. The implications are discussed.
Doing It Together Changing Pedagogies

Changing pedagogies is an ongoing process consequent upon personal and social change. Those of us who teach in religious studies or theology departments risk failure in changing pedagogies if we attempt such change alone. This essay, cast as a personal journey, reviews the changing student body, the reasons why we must adapt our pedagogies to this change, and the processes and consequences of adapting these new pedagogies. The goal of changing pedagogies is to allow the plurality of voices and pedagogies to speak and be used to sustain a community of love and concern in the midst of diversity.
The materiality of indeterminacy . . . on paper, at least

Response to HAU Book Symposium on Hull, Matthew. 2012. Government of paper: The materiality of bureaucracy in urban Pakistan. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Environmental control of energy metabolism in rats

Food availability was arranged so that episodes of feeding were separated by long periods of deprivation. Distinctly different contexts were associated with each condition. For other animals, relatively short periods of deprivation stood in contrast to relatively long opportunities to free-feed, and were also embedded in widely differing physical contexts. These temporal relationships among the conditions were adjusted to sharpen the saliency of each metabolic condition and thereby enhance its associability with the distinctive environment in which each occurred. To avoid the possibility of circadian entrainment, the feeding or deprivation episodes occurred at unpredictable times according to a variable-time schedule. Following several training cycles and an extended period of free-feeding in a neutral environment, the animals were reexposed to the various contexts and sacrificed for metabolite assays. The environment predictive of feeding elevated adipocyte lipoprotein lipase activity and lowered the levels of serum free fatty acids. The deprivation context boosted serum triglycerides and blood urea nitrogen. The conditioned responses were all of a compensatory nature: Feeding cues resulted in accelerated caloric deposition, deprivation cues elicited conditioned mobilization of stored energy. While protein catabolism and several indices of fat metabolism appear to be conditionable, no evidence of environmental control of glycemic responses was observed.
Comparison of BD GeneOhm Cdiff Real-Time PCR Assay with a Two-Step Algorithm and a Toxin A/B Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Toxigenic Clostridium difficile Infection

The BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay, a real-time PCR assay for the detection of the Clostridium difficile toxin B (tcdB) gene, was compared with the toxin A/B (Tox A/B) II enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a two-step algorithm which includes a C. Diff Chek-60 glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen assay followed by cytotoxin neutralization. Four hundred liquid or semisolid stool samples submitted for diagnostic C. difficile testing, 200 GDH antigen positive and 200 GDH antigen negative, were selected for analysis. All samples were tested by the C. Diff Chek-60 GDH antigen and cytotoxin neutralization assays, the Tox A/B II ELISA, and the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay. Specimens with discrepant results were tested by toxigenic culture as an independent "gold standard." Of 200 GDH-positive samples, 71 were positive by the Tox A/B II ELISA, 88 were positive by the two-step method, 93 were positive by PCR, and 96 were positive by the GDH antigen assay only. Of 200 GDH-negative samples, 3 were positive by PCR only. Toxigenic culture was performed for 41 samples with discrepant results, and 39 were culture positive. Culture resolution of discrepant results showed the Tox A/B II assay to have detected 70 (66.7%), the two-step method to have detected 87 (82.9%), and PCR to have detected 96 (91.4%) of 105 true positives. The BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay was more sensitive in detecting toxigenic C. difficile than the Tox A/B II assay (P < 0.0001); however, the difference between PCR and the two-step method was not significant (P = 0.1237). Enhanced sensitivity and rapid turnaround time make the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay an important advance in the diagnosis of toxigenic C. difficile infection.
Characterization of dynamic optical nonlinearities by continuous time-resolved Z-scan.

Dynamic optical nonlinearities are investigated with a dual-beam (pulsed-pump, cw probe) Z-scan technique. Monitoring of probe transmission after strong pump excitation permits determination of time-varying parameters such as nonlinear refraction n(I, t) and absorption α(I, t). Continuous time resolution provides an efficient means of measuring and distinguishing fast and slow nonlinear mechanisms such as electronic, free-carrier, and thermal effects observed in semiconductors. We demonstrate this technique in CdTe and measure bound-electronic refraction; two-photon absorption; free-carrier refraction, absorption, and diffusion; thermal refraction and temperature changes; and related time constants.
Ophthalmic Findings in Scleromyxedema

Purpose: To catalog ophthalmic findings in a cohort of patients with scleromyxedema. Methods: Thirty-five biopsy-proven patients with scleromyxedema evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1960 to 1991 were identified. Eye examinations were performed on 17 of the patients. Ophthalmic findings not attributable to other systemic or ocular disease were recorded. Results: The following abnormalities were considered secondary to scleromyxedema: corneal opacities (2 patients), thickened eyebrow or eyelid skin (4 patients), lagophthalmos (1 patient), and ectropion (2 patients). One patient who had concurrent polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome also had choroidal folds and papilledema. A corneal biopsy in one patient disclosed deposits of acid mucopolysaccharide, consistent with one of two previously published cases. Conclusion: A series of patients with scleromyxedema was reviewed. This systemic disorder infrequently may cause visually significant ophthalmic manifestations, including eyelid changes and corneal deposits. Further study is needed to characterize better the nature of the corneal opacities.
The retro-mannich cleavage of δ 1 ,δ 1 ′-tryptophan dimers

Abstract Under acidic conditions tryptophan sidechains crosslink to form δ1, δ1′-tryptophan dimers through a Mannich-type mechanism. Tryptophan dimers are readily cleaved at high temperatures under acidic conditions making it impossible to isolate tryptophan dimers under standard conditions of acidic protein hydrolysis. In a prescriptive sense this cleavage can be used to recover peptides that have undergone tryptophan crosslinking, although the yields drop with increasing peptide length due to competitive cleavage of the amide bonds. The best conditions for cleavage involve heating the dimeric peptides in dilute ethanolic HCl at 150 °C in the presence of ten equivalents of ethanedithiol.
Investigation of the effects of deposition parameters on indium-free transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors fabricated at low temperatures for flexible electronic applications

Low temperature gallium tin zinc oxide (GSZO) based thin film transistors fabricated on silicon has been investigated as a potential indium free transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film transistor (TAOS TFT) with potential device applications on plastic substrates. A comprehensive and detailed study on the performance of GSZO TFTs has been carried out by studying the effects of processing parameters such as deposition temperature and annealing temperature/duration, as well as the channel thickness with all temperatures held below 150 °C. Variety of characterization techniques, namely Rutherford backscattering (RBS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray reflectivity (XRR) in addition to I-V and C-V measurements were employed to determine the effects of the above parameters on the composition and quality of the channel. Optimized TFT characteristics of ID=3×10-7 A, ION/OFF =2×106, VON ~ -2 V, SS ~ 1 V/dec and μFE = 0.14 cm2/V· s with a ΔVON of 3.3 V under 3 hours electrical stress were produced.
Parent Involvement and Teacher Decision Making in Urban High Schools of Choice

Parent involvement and teacher decision making are dominant themes in the current debate over school restructuring. The literature suggests that as teachers become empowered, they may tend to view parents more as clients of education rather than as partners, thereby introducing a potential conflict into the interaction of parents and teachers. This study examines the nature of these relationships under different types of school choice options. Findings suggest that Catholic schools exhibit partnerships between parents and teachers. Multifocus magnet schools approximate a parent empowerment mode that embodies elements of consumerism. Single-focus public schools indicate traditional relationships between parents and teachers associated with bureaucratic decision making and teacher autonomy. The authors speculate that shared power between parents and teachers is a little understood concept that needs further exploration if new public school choice options are to be successful.
Predictors, Treatment, and Outcomes of Gastrojejunostomy Stricture after Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity

The aims of this study were to determine the rate of gastrojejunostomy (GJ) stricture following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), the independent predictors of stricture, and clinical outcomes with and without a stricture. Univariate and multivariate analysis of peri-operative and outcomes data were prospectively collected from 379 morbidly obese patients who underwent consecutive open or laparoscopic RYGBP from January 2003 to August 2006. Predictors studied were age, gender, BMI, co-morbidities, surgical technique (hand-sewn vs linear stapler vs 21-mm vs 25-mm circular stapler; open vs laparoscopic; retrocolic retrogastric vs antecolic antegastric Roux limb course, and Roux limb length), and surgeon experience. Outcomes studied consisted of occurrence of GJ strictures, technical details and outcomes after endoscopic therapy, and excess weight loss (EWL) at 12 months. 15 patients (4.1%) developed a GJ stricture. The use of a 21-mm circular stapler was identified as the only independent predictor of a GJ stricture (odds ratio 11.3; 95% CI 2.2-57.4, P = 0.004). Endoscopic dilation relieved stricture symptoms in all patients (60% one dilation only). There was no significant difference in %EWL at 12 months between the patients with a stricture (median EWL 54%, IQR 49 – 63) vs those without a stricture (median EWL 61%, IQR 49-73, P = 0.33). The rate of GJ strictures is 4.1%. The use of a 21-mm circular stapler is the only independent predictor of GJ stricture. Endoscopic dilation relieved symptoms in all patients.Weight loss is independent of the anastomotic technique used and occurrence of a GJ stricture.
Prognostic factors for patients with localized soft-tissue sarcoma treated with conservation surgery and radiation therapy: an analysis of 1225 patients.

BACKGROUND Prognostic factors for patients with soft-tissue sarcoma who are treated with conservative surgery and radiation are documented poorly. METHODS The clinicopathologic features and disease outcome for 1225 patients with localized sarcoma who were treated with conservative surgery and radiation were reviewed retrospectively. Actuarial univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to determine significant prognostic factors for local control, metastatic recurrence, and disease specific survival. RESULTS The median follow-up of surviving patients was 9.5 years. The respective local control rates at 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years were 83%, 80%, and 79%. Factors predictive of local recurrence were positive or uncertain resection margins; tumors located in the head and neck and the deep trunk; presentation with local recurrence; patient age > 64 years; malignant fibrous histiocytoma, neurogenic sarcoma. or epithelioid sarcoma histopathology; tumor measuring > 10 cm in greatest dimension; and high pathologic grade. Freedom from metastasis at 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years was 71%, 68%, and 66%, respectively. Factors that were predictive of metastatic recurrence were high tumor grade; large tumor size (> 5 cm); and leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, or epithelioid sarcoma. The respective disease specific survival rates at 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years were 73%, 68%, and 65%. Adverse factors for disease specific survival were high tumor grade; large tumor size (> 5 cm); tumors located in the head and neck and deep trunk; rhabdomyosarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, or clear cell sarcoma; patient age > 64 years; and positive or uncertain resection margins. CONCLUSIONS Soft-tissue sarcoma comprises a heterogeneous group of diseases. Prognostic factors for local recurrence, metastatic recurrence, lymph node recurrence, disease free survival, and disease specific survival are different, and optimal treatment strategies need to take this complexity into account. Cancer 2003;10:2530–43. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11365
Pharmacokinetics and CYP2D6 genotypes do not predict metoprolol adverse events or efficacy in hypertension

Objective β-Blocker use can be associated with adverse effects that may have an impact on adherence or harm patients. The commonly prescribed β-blocker metoprolol is metabolized by the polymorphic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 enzyme, resulting in widely variable drug exposure. We investigated whether metoprolol plasma concentrations, CYP2D6 polymorphisms, or genotype-derived phenotype was associated with adverse effects or efficacy in patients with hypertension. Methods Fifty hypertensive patients received metoprolol by use of a dose-titration algorithm until target blood pressure was reached, intolerable side effects occurred, or maximal daily dose was achieved. CYP2D6 genotype was determined by methods based on polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism and included 19 allelic variants. Patients were assigned to standard phenotype groups on the basis of genotype. Patients were also assigned activity scores based on functional activity of the alleles. General and dose-limiting adverse events and blood pressure responses were analyzed in relation to metoprolol steady-state pharmacokinetic profile and CYP2D6 genotype–derived phenotype. Results Poor metabolizers had a significantly longer elimination half-life, higher S-metoprolol area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC), and lower oral clearance (P ≤ .007 for all parameters). There was a 29.6-fold variability in AUC among extensive metabolizers, which was largely explained by CYP2D6 activity scores (P = .032 for ordered differences in AUC by activity score among extensive metabolizers). Overall general and dose-limiting adverse event rates were 46% and 14%, respectively. General adverse event rates did not differ by AUC quartile (66.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 35.4%-88.7%] and 41.7% [95% CI, 16.5%-71.4%] in the lowest and highest quartiles, respectively; P = .09 among all quartiles). Dose-limiting adverse event rates were also not different by AUC quartile (16.7% [95% CI, 2.9%-49.1%] and 8.3% [95% CI, 0.4%-40.2%] in the lowest and highest quartiles; P = .35 among all quartiles). Furthermore, adverse event rates did not differ by activity %scores or between extensive, intermediate, or poor metabolizers. Antihypertensive response rate and blood pressure changes also were not influenced by differences in plasma concentrations or CYP2D6 genotypes. Conclusions As expected, CYP2D6 genotype-phenotype correlates with differences in metoprolol pharmacokinetics. However, there was no association between variable pharmacokinetics or CYP2D6 genotype and β-blocker–induced adverse effects or efficacy. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 76, 536–544; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.08.020
The secreted Dictyostelium protein CfaD is a chalone

Dictyostelium discoideum cells secrete CfaD, a protein that is similar to cathepsin proteases. Cells that lack cfaD proliferate faster and reach a higher stationary-phase density than wild-type cells, whereas cells that overexpress CfaD proliferate slowly and reach the stationary phase when at a low density. On a per-nucleus basis, CfaD affects proliferation but not growth. The drawback of not having CfaD is a reduced spore viability. Recombinant CfaD has no detectable protease activity but, when added to cells, inhibits the proliferation of wild-type and cfaD(-) cells. The secreted protein AprA also inhibits proliferation. AprA is necessary for the effect of CfaD on proliferation. Molecular-sieve chromatography indicates that in conditioned growth medium, the 60 kDa CfaD is part of a approximately 150 kDa complex, and both chromatography and pull-down assays suggest that CfaD interacts with AprA. These results suggest that two interacting proteins may function together as a chalone signal in a negative feedback loop that slows Dictyostelium cell proliferation.
Reorganization of the retinotectal pathway in rats after neonatal retinal lesions

Abstract The normal retinotectal pathway of albino rats has very few uncrossed axons, limited in area of termination to a small region of the stratum opticum. If a small retinal lesion is made at birth, when not all optic axons have left the retina, there is in the adult a region in the stratum griseum superficiale of the contralateral superior colliculus which receives few or no axons from the operated eye. Peripheral to this, the colliculus receives a markedly reduced crossed optic projection. A dense aberrant ipsilateral projection is found from the intact eye to the region corresponding to the projection zone of the lesion and a lighter projection between this and the edge of the colliculus. The results are interpreted as indicating modified growth patterns of late growing optic axons which result in the aberrant uncrossed optic projection. As such, they suggest that there is a positive interaction between axons from corresponding retinal regions during their growth through the optic chiasm.
Current experiences with robotic surgery at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University in Korea

We started performing laparoscopic cholecystectomies in 1991. Since that time, many surgeons have been trained in laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, and laparoscopic surgery has been used in numerous procedures, with patients benefitting as a result. We performed the first automated surgery in Korea using Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning in June 1996. Inspired by Inbae Yoon and assisted by his generous donation, our hospital started the IB Yoon Multi-Specialty Endoscopic Research & Training Center in 1998. Subsequently in March 2005, we started the Severance Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center. The establishment of these centers has enabled us to widen the use of laparoscopic surgery and to teach many surgeons the principles of and the techniques involved in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. We performed our first robotic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System in July 2005. In the 4 years since introducing the da Vinci Surgical System, we have successfully performed more than 2600 robotic surgical procedures. As the collaboration between medicine and robotic engineering produces more technically advanced results, we hopefully can develop our own version of the robotic system in the near future.
A deterministic algorithm that achieves the PMEPR of c log n for multicarrier signals

Multicarrier signals often exhibit large peak to mean envelope power ratios (PMEPR) which can be problematic in practice. In this paper, we study adjusting the sign of each subcarrier in order to reduce the PMEPR of a multicarrier signal with n subcarriers. Considering that any randomly chosen codeword has PMEPR of log n with probability one and for large values of n, randomly choosing signs should lead to the PMEPR of log n in the probability sense. Based on the derandomization algorithm suggested in Spencer (1994), we propose a deterministic and efficient algorithm to design signs such that the PMEPR of the resulting codeword is less than c log n for any n where c is a constant independent of n. By using a symmetric q-ary constellation, this algorithm in fact constructs a code with rate 1 - log/sub q/ 2, PMEPR of c log n, and with simple encoding and decoding. We then present simulation results for our algorithm.
Precision multi-sensor optical navigation test-bed utilizing ground-truthed data set

This work describes a rich set of navigation data that has been collected by AFRL and an object-oriented framework that makes both the data and relevant processing algorithms available to the research community. Both aerial and ground vehicle platforms were employed, exposing a single sensor suite to a variety of conditions relevant to civil and military applications, including urban and rural terrain and varied time-of-day. The sensor package includes four visible cameras, two LWIR cameras, inertial measurement units ranging from navigation grade, tactical grade and industrial grade. A GINS is utilized to establish platform attitude and position truth. The raw GPS signals are also collected. All this data is synchronously time-stamped with reference to a unified reference time. Of particular interest to the research community is the use of visual sensors to navigate in GNSS-limited environments, especially in cases where the navigation solution must exhibit dynamic continuity. Our data delivery framework goes beyond standardizing data formats by providing a means to standardize the application of relevant processing algorithms. This plays a critical role in integrating data from multiple sensors without violating dynamic constraints. In addition, the framework can be viewed as a testbed for user contributed algorithms, which will help system integrators to explore the trade space of both sensors and algorithms.
Comparison between continuous and discrete subwavelength grating structures for antireflection surfaces

Both continuously tapered and discrete multilevel subwavelength grating structures are examined to determine the optimum method of designing antireflection surfaces. Continuously tapered gratings are designed with use of the optimal Klopfenstein graded index technique, while discrete multilevel stair-step gratings are designed with use of the Tschebyscheff quarter-wave synthesis technique. It is shown that a continuous design is always deeper than a discrete design. It is determined that since a subwavelength grating structure produces a bandpass surface, the high-pass (short-wave) performance of the continuous taper design cannot be realized. Therefore the discrete method of designing antireflection subwavelength gratings will always produce a shallower spatial profile or a smaller aspect ratio for any specified maximum reflection threshold level over a given passband.
Applying mixed methods under the framework of theory-driven evaluations

The application of mixed methods under the framework of theory-driven evaluations can minimize the potential tension and conflict of mixing qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as compensate for each method's weaknesses. Mixed methods should not be applied indiscriminantly, however, but rather contingently under particular conditions as described in this chapter.
Selenium disrupts estrogen receptor α signaling and potentiates tamoxifen antagonism in endometrial cancer cells and tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator, is the most widely prescribed hormonal therapy treatment for breast cancer. Despite the benefits of tamoxifen therapy, almost all tamoxifen-responsive breast cancer patients develop resistance to therapy. In addition, tamoxifen displays estrogen-like effects in the endometrium increasing the incidence of endometrial cancer. New therapeutic strategies are needed to circumvent tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer as well as tamoxifen toxicity in endometrium. Organic selenium compounds are highly effective chemopreventive agents with well-documented benefits in reducing total cancer incidence and mortality rates for a number of cancers. The present study shows that the organic selenium compound methylseleninic acid (MSA, 2.5 micromol/L) can potentiate growth inhibition of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (10(-7) mol/L) in tamoxifen-sensitive MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cell lines. Remarkably, in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7-LCC2 and MCF7-H2Delta16 breast cancer cell lines and endometrial-derived HEC1A and Ishikawa cells, coincubation of 4-hydroxytamoxifen with MSA resulted in a marked growth inhibition that was substantially greater than MSA alone. Growth inhibition by MSA and MSA + 4-hydroxytamoxifen in all cell lines was preceded by a specific decrease in ER(alpha) mRNA and protein without an effect on ER(beta) levels. Estradiol and 4-hydroxytamoxifen induction of endogenous ER-dependent gene expression (pS2 and c-myc) as well as ER-dependent reporter gene expression (ERE(2)e1b-luciferase) was also attenuated by MSA in all cell lines before effect on growth inhibition. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that specific decrease in ER(alpha) levels by MSA is required for both MSA potentiation of the growth inhibitory effects of 4-hydroxytamoxifen and resensitization of tamoxifen-resistant cell lines.
Fast decoupled power flow for unbalanced radial distribution systems

This paper presents a novel power flow formulation and an effective solution method for general unbalanced radial distribution systems. Comprehensive models are considered including lines, switches, transformers, shunt capacitors, cogenerators, and several types of loads. A new problem formulation of three-phase distribution power flow equations taking into account the radial structure of the distribution network is presented. A distinguishing feature of the new problem formulation is that it significantly reduces the number of power flow equations, as compared with the conventional formulation. The numerical properties as well as the structural properties of distribution systems are exploited resulting in a fast decoupled solution algorithm. The proposed solution algorithm is evaluated on three-phase unbalanced 292-bus and 394-bus test systems with very promising results.
Some new forms of Huygens' principle

Several theorems are derived by using the reaction concept. They apply to single frequency sources of finite extent, and to fields which are finite and continuous on a hypothetical closed surface S whose inside or outside is source-free. 1) The field on the source-free side of S is uniquely determined by the normal components E_{n} and H_{n} on S . 2) For measurements on the source-free side of S , the primary source can be replaced by any of the following secondary sources on S : (a) Normal electric and magnetic dipoles in free space. (b) Normal electric and magnetic quadrupoles backed by a medium which makes E_{n} = 0 and H_{n} = 0 . (c) A certain combination of electric and magnetic normal dipoles and quadrupoles which gives zero field on the source side of S . The prescription for (a) requires the solution for the field of the primary source when it is inside a cavity on whose walls E_{n} = 0 and H_{n} = 0 . The surface densities of the various components of secondary sources (b) and (c) are given in terms of the free-space primary field. The formulas are comparatively simple when S is plane. Many applications are cited including a combination of multipoles, consisting of vertical electric and magnetic dipoles, which is equivalent to a horizontal electric dipole.
Swinburne on Atonement

L'A. critique la position de Richard Swinburne au sujet du besoin et des moyens de la reconciliation dans son ouvrage, Responsabilite et reconciliation. Il suggere plusieurs objections quant a sa comprehension et utilisation de la notion de don de la vie lorsqu'il presente le besoin de reconciliation. De maniere tres liee, l'A. montre que ses conclusions sur les devoirs de Dieu en tant que bienfaiteur ne sont pas evidentes. Lorsqu'on les examine, ces conclusions apparaissent fausses. L'A. critique le mecanisme fourni par Swinburne afin d'expliquer comment les actions du Christ beneficient aux pecheurs
Examining Patient Risk Factors, Comorbid Conditions, Participation, and Physician Referrals to a Rural Diabetes Self-management Education Program

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine patients’ diabetes risk factors, comorbid conditions, and patient participation in and primary care practitioner (PCP) referrals to a rural diabetes self-management education (DSME) program.MethodsA total of 295 patients in a rural community were identified by their PCP as having type 2 diabetes (T2D). Using patient information that was collected and entered into a diabetes data management system, patients’ risk factors, comorbid conditions, and patient participation in and PCP referral patterns to a DSME program were examined.ResultsOf the 295 patients with T2D, 162 (65%) reported that they had never received any DSME services. Despite educator efforts to improve patient participation and PCP awareness of local DSME services, 123 (76%) of the 162 patients never received a subsequent referral for DSME. Those patients who did receive a referral had a higher number of risk factors and comorbid conditions than those who did not receive a referral. Eighty-three ...
A σD-dependent antisense transcript modulates expression of the cyclic-di-AMP hydrolase GdpP in Bacillus subtilis.

Cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is an essential second messenger in Bacillus subtilis, and depletion leads to defects in the integrity of the cell wall. Levels of c-di-AMP are regulated by both the rates of synthesis (by diadenylate cyclases) and the rates of degradation (by the GdpP phosphodiesterase, formerly YybT). Little is known about the regulation of gdpP expression or GdpP activity, but mutations that inactivate GdpP lead to high-level resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Here we demonstrate that expression of gdpP is regulated by a cis-acting antisense RNA (gdpPas) in vivo. Transcription of this antisense RNA is initiated in the middle of the gdp gene and is dependent on an alternative sigma factor, σD, previously associated with the expression of late flagellar genes, chemotaxis proteins and cell wall autolytic enzymes. Changes in σD activity can modulate GdpP protein levels by ~2.5-fold, which may provide a mechanism for the cell to upregulate c-di-AMP levels in coordination with the activation of autolytic enzymes.
Factors Affecting Piping Plover Hatching Success on Long Island, New York

ABSTRACT Low hatching success may limit progress towards reaching productivity goals for Atlantic Coast piping plover (Charadrios melodus) recovery, despite management strategies to protect eggs from predators and decrease human disturbance of birds on nests. We measured piping plover hatching success on Eastern Long Island beaches and identified the major causes of egg failure to better understand why eggs that were otherwise intact (not depredated or destroyed by tidal flooding) failed to hatch. We documented egg and nest fates, dissected contents of unhatched eggs to determine viability, and recorded human and predator activity near a subset of plover nests on Suffolk County Parks properties. The low hatching success we recorded (0.60) in 2006 and 2007 would require higher chick survival rates than are typically observed for piping plovers to meet recovery targets for productivity. Few eggs showed signs of poor viability and overall egg hatchability was comparable to other ground nesting birds. Most eg...
Survival, Fidelity, and Recovery Rates of White-Winged Doves in Texas

Management of migratory birds at the national level has historically relied on regulatory boundaries for definition of harvest restrictions and estimation of demographic parameters. Most species of migratory game birds are not expanding their ranges, so migratory corridors are approximately fixed. White- winged doves (Zenaida asiatica), however, have undergone significant variation in population structure with marked range expansion occurring in Texas, and range contraction in Arizona, during the last 30 years. Because >85% of white-winged dove harvest in the United States (approx. 1.3 million annually) now occurs in Texas, information on vital rates of expanding white-winged dove populations is necessary for informed management. We used band recovery and mark-recapture data to investigate variation in survival and harvest across 3 geographic strata for white-winged doves banded in the pre-hunting season in Texas during 2007- 2010. We banded 60,742 white-winged doves, recovered 2,458 bands via harvest reporting, and recaptured 455 known-age birds between 2007 and 2010. The best supporting model found some evidence for geographic differences in survival rates among strata (A-C) in both hatch-year (juvenile; A ¼ 0.205 (SE ¼ 0.0476), B ¼ 0.213 (SE ¼ 0.0278), C ¼ 0.364 (SE ¼ 0.0254)) and after-hatch year (adult; A ¼ 0.483 (SE ¼ 0.0775), B ¼ 0.465 (SE ¼ 0.0366), C ¼ 0.538 (SE ¼ 0.251)) birds. White-winged doves had a low probability of moving among strata (0.009) or being recaptured (0.002) across all strata. Harvest recovery rates were concordant with estimates for other dove species, but were variable across geographic strata. Based on our results, harvest management strategies for white-winged doves in Texas and elsewhere should consider differences in population vital rates among geographic strata. 2012 The Wildlife Society.
A Perturbation Method for Hurricane Ensemble Predictions

Abstract This study illustrates the capability of the ensemble technique to improve hurricane forecasts in the Florida State University Global Spectral Model. A perturbation method for hurricane ensemble prediction is proposed. The perturbation method consists of perturbing hurricane initial position and the large-scale environment in which the storm is embedded. The position perturbation is done by displacing the observed hurricane toward different directions by a small distance. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is used to find fast-growing modes in the initial state. It is shown that the model forecasts, in terms of both hurricane track and other physical variables, are very sensitive to the hurricane initial position, intensity, and its large-scale environment. The results also show the EOF-based perturbations are the fast-growing modes and can be used to reduce the initial uncertainty in the analysis. The hurricane forecast obtained from ensemble statistics lead to a large improvement ...
Disability but not social support predicts cognitive deterioration in late-life depression.

Background Depression in late life is a risk factor for cognitive decline. Depression is also associated with increased disability and social support deficits; these may precede conversion to dementia and inform risk. In this study, we examined if baseline or one-year change in disability and social support predicted later cognitive deterioration. Methods 299 cognitively intact depressed older adults were followed for an average of approximately seven years. Participants received antidepressant treatment according to a standardized algorithm. Neuropsychological testing and assessment of disability and social support were assessed annually. Cognitive diagnosis was reviewed annually at a consensus conference to determine if participants remained cognitively normal, or if they progressed to either dementia or cognitively impaired, no dementia (CIND). Results During study participation, 167 individuals remained cognitively normal (56%), 83 progressed to CIND (28%), and 49 progressed to dementia (16%). Greater baseline instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) deficits predicted subsequent conversion to a cognitive diagnosis (CIND or dementia). However, neither baseline measures nor one-year change in basic ADLs (BADLs) and social support predicted cognitive conversion. In post hoc analyses, two IADL measures (managing finances, preparing meals) significantly increased the odds of cognitive conversion. Conclusions Greater IADL deficits predicted increased risk of cognitive conversion. Assessment of IADL deficits may provide clues about risk of later cognitive decline.
Basing decisions on sentences in decision diagrams

The Sentential Decision Diagram (SDD) is a recently proposed representation of Boolean functions, containing Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (OBDDs) as a distinguished subclass. While OBDDs are characterized by total variable orders, SDDs are characterized by dissections of variable orders, known as vtrees. Despite this generality, SDDs retain a number of properties, such as canonicity and a polytime Apply operator, that have been critical to the practical success of OBDDs. Moreover, upper bounds on the size of SDDs were also given, which are tighter than comparable upper bounds on the size of OBDDs. In this paper, we analyze more closely some of the theoretical properties of SDDs and their size. In particular, we consider the impact of basing decisions on sentences (using dissections as in SDDs), in comparison to basing decisions on variables (using total variable orders as in OBDDs). Here, we identify a class of Boolean functions where basing decisions on sentences using dissections of a variable order can lead to exponentially more compact SDDs, compared to OBDDs based on the same variable order. Moreover, we identify a fundamental property of the decompositions that underlie SDDs and use it to show how certain changes to a vtree can also lead to exponential differences in the size of an SDD.
How to Teach: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane

Working from the idea that librarians and library staff are being asked to teach without receiving formal training on educational best practices, long-time Dialog trainer Beverly Crane has created ...
Prediction of Solubility Behavior of Globular Plant Proteins with Hansen Solubility Parameters: A Conformational Study

In this study Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) theory was utilized to discover proper solvent systems that can replace solid denaturants, such as urea or guanidinium chloride, in order to prepare processable plant protein solutions as potential sources of new industrial macromolecules. Soybean proteins, glycinin, and β-conglycinin were selected, and their structural effects on solubility in different solvent systems and unfolding status were investigated. The results revealed that certain organic solvent systems with HSPs similar to 6 M urea aqueous solution tend to dissolve both proteins, and a high correlation was observed between their solubility and Ra values. Dynamic light scattering and nanodifferential scanning calorimetry of the proteins in selected solvent systems were measured in order to understand denatured status of the proteins in the solvent systems. It was observed that hydrodynamic radii of the both proteins were increased by decreasing the Ra values, and significant denaturation was det...
Thalamic Circuit Diversity: Modulation of the Driver/Modulator Framework

The idea that dorsal thalamic inputs can be divided into “drivers”, which provide the primary excitatory drive for the relay of information to cortex, and “modulators”, which alter the gain of signal transmission, has provided a valuable organizing principle for the study of thalamic function. This view further promoted the identification of “first order” and “higher order” thalamic nuclei, based on the origin of their driving inputs. Since the introduction of this influential terminology, a number of studies have revealed the existence of a wide variety of thalamic organizational schemes. For example, some thalamic nuclei are not innervated by typical driver inputs, but instead receive input from terminals which exhibit features distinct from those of either classic drivers or modulators. In addition, many thalamic nuclei contain unique combinations of convergent first order, higher order, and/or other “driver-like” inputs that do not conform with the driver/modulator framework. The assortment of synaptic arrangements identified in the thalamus are reviewed and discussed from the perspective that this organizational diversity can dramatically increase the computational capabilities of the thalamus, reflecting its essential roles in sensory, motor, and sensory-motor circuits.
Notes on Biology of Clerid Beetles that Attack Ips spp. in Upper South Carolina

Various species of clerid beetles are recognized as significant predators of insects attacking the bark and phloem of trees. Information about clerid species that occur in the pine forests of South Carolina is apparently nonexistent. This study attempted to alleviate this condition but was limited to clerid species which were found to attack Ips species in northwestern South Carolina.
US Media Coverage of the Cancún Climate Change Conference

Much was at stake at the 2010 United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was being challenged by the world's two largest greenhouse gas emitters, China and the United States, after these countries reached a tenuous backroom deal one year earlier in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, scientific studies were warning of serious and severe climate change. This article analyzes newspaper articles and television segments from the US media that appeared during the timeframe of the Cancun conference, focusing on two key facets of coverage that continue to be important as negotiations proceed: the economic impacts and opportunities that climate change creates and the role that China plays in negotiations. I also examine which sources were allowed through the news gates and which ones were marginalized. I find that the US media discussed economic opportunities more frequently than economic impacts and that the media treated China in an even-handed way. Established political actors dominated coverage, followed by representatives of nongovernmental organizations and the business community. Meanwhile, grassroots activists and indigenous voices were marginalized.
The Rhythms of Three Clock Mutants of Ascobolus Immersus

The recent descriptions of Neurospora (8) and Ascobolus (9) mutants with periodic growth patterns has led us to study them intensively as models of biological rhythms (1, 2, 7) and to elucidate the controlling mechanisms of this phenomenon. Since we found that Neurospora clocks, although they may have periods of about 24 hr (1) do not meet the criteria of "circadian" rhythms (4) as described for higher plants and animals, we have checked the properties of Ascobolus immersus clocks by the same testing procedures. The basic pattern of temperature dependence, light independence and chemical control of the period is similar, although sometimes there are considerable quantita? tive differences between Ascobolus mutant isolates. Clock mutants of Ascobolus immersus on certain media exhibit their
Operational Influences in the Evolution of Insecticide Resistance

The influence of operational factors on the frequency of alleles which confer resistance has been calculated with the aid of a computer. Lower insecticide dose levels, higher selection thresholds, alternating selection schedules, and observance of refugia are potential deterrents of rapid selection. The influence of these factors is enhanced in the presence of reproductive disadvantage in resistant genotypes.
Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery. Ligation versus establishment of a two coronary artery system.

Between 1959 and 1985, 24 patients (mean age 38 months, range 15 days to 13 years) with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery as an isolated lesion were treated surgically at Children’s Hospital, Boston. In 11 cases a left coronary–to–aortic tunnel was created with a pulmonary artery baffle (Takeuchi) with no deaths either early or late over a mean follow-up period of 18½ months. Late complications of this procedure include moderate aortic regurgitation (one), supravalvular pulmonary stenosis (two—one required a second operation), obstructed baffle (one—asymptomatic). In 11 cases of coronary ligation or ostial closure there was a 27% early mortality and a 25% late mortality over a mean follow-up period of 10½ years. Late complications include residual shunt (three—two required a second operation), severe mitral regurgitation (one), and recurrence of angina (one). Two patients had other procedures. Both early and late deaths occurred in the group who had congestive heart failure and who had simple ligation. Five infants who had profoundly depressed ventricular function and moderate to severe mitral regurgitation, together with widespread Q waves on electrocardiogram, showed a dramatic improvement in ventricular function after the Takeuchi procedure. The Takeuchi procedure is a simple and effective means of establishing a two coronary artery system in the child with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. This procedure is particularly recommended over coronary ligation in patients in congestive heart failure.