cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helping hands: A study of altruistic behavior

The purpose of this paper is to better understand how altruistic behavior varies by gender, race, age, and dress. Eagly & Crowley’s (1986) social role theory maintains that the traditional male sex role promotes heroic and chivalrous helping behavior. Based on this theoretical insight, we hypothesized that men would be more likely to exhibit helping behavior than women (regardless of their race, age, or dress), especially if the person requiring assistance was a woman. We also expected that fewer women than men would offer assistance to another, especially if the person in need of help was a man. To test our hypotheses, we went to the downtown Waterside Festival Marketplace, where male and female actors “dropped” a stack of books. We found no significant differences in helping behavior between male and female subjects, all else being equal.
Effect of athletic training on heart rate variability

The time and frequency domain components of heart rate variability have been used to assess prognosis in patients with different types of heart disease. However, the effect of habitual exercise, which influences baseline parasympathetic tone, on heart rate variability has not been fully evaluated. To determine the effect of chronic exercise on heart rate variability, we studied 12 athletes and 18 control subjects. Time domain and frequency domain analysis was performed on 15-minute resting heart rate acquisitions. Athletes had evidence of increased vagal activity in the time domain compared with control subjects (eg, increased standard deviation of R-R intervals) but showed evidence of decreased power in variables reflecting vagal activity in the frequency domain (eg, total power and high-frequency power). Of note, there was good correlation between time and frequency domain variables, which reflected parasympathetic tone in the control group that was not seen in athletes. These data suggest that frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability may not be an accurate indicator of cardiac vagal tone in chronically trained endurance athletes and activity level may have to be considered when using heart rate variability to carry out prognostic stratification in patients with heart disease.
The construct validity of the career decision-making system cross-culturally

These findings suggest that the cultures studied have present work models where-by crafts, scientific, artistic, social, business enterprise, and business detail interests can develop. If these six interest factors are valid within these cultures, it also suggests that vocational interests can be validly measured through Holland based scales and the Holland theory of vocational development can be a relevant cross-cultural theoretical orientation for career planning. The research supports the construct validity of the Career Decision-Making System.
Prospective evaluation of learning curve for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: Identification of factors improving operative times

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the time required for each component of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) performed by a single surgeon to identify the factors that expedite the learning curve. LRP is a technically demanding procedure with a lengthy learning curve. Methods The LRP procedure was divided into 12 steps, and the time for each step was prospectively recorded during the first 50 consecutive patients undergoing LRP by a single surgeon. The operations were divided into five groups of 10, and the average times for each step were compared and correlated with surgeon observations and changes in surgical technique. Results Statistically significant progressive improvement was seen in the total time of the LRP procedure (269.4 minutes in period 1 versus 205.4 minutes in period 4, P P P P P P Conclusions With experience, the operative times for defined components of LRP improve. Patient selection for a low body mass index and smaller prostate may expedite the procedure. Application of a fixed retractor system, early identification of the vas deferens beneath the peritoneum in a more lateral position, and slow meticulous dissection and ligation of the dorsal vein complex are factors that may expedite the learning curve for LRP.
Filling a Vacuum: Women’s Health InformationinGood Housekeeping’s Articles and Advertisements, 1920–1965

(2005). Filling a Vacuum: Women’s Health InformationinGood Housekeeping’s Articles and Advertisements, 1920–1965. The Historian: Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 454-473.
R-curve behavior in a silicon carbide whisker/alumina matrix composite

R-curve measurements were performed on a SiC whisker/al{sub 2}O{sub 3} matrix composite. A controlled flaw/strength technique was utilized to determine fracture resistance as a function of crack extension. Rising R-curve behavior with increasing crack extension was observed, confirming the operation of wake toughening effects on the crack growth resistance. Observations of crack/microstructure interactions reveal that bridging by intact whiskers in the crack wake was the mechanism responsible for the rising R-curve behavior.
Mdm2 Affects Genome Stability Independent of p53

Mdm2 is a critical negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor and is frequently overexpressed in human cancers. However, reports, including our own studies, suggest that Mdm2 has both p53-dependent and p53-independent functions that contribute to genomic instability and transformation when deregulated. We recently elucidated a p53-independent role for Mdm2 in the regulation of the DNA double-strand break repair response, genomic stability, and transformation through interaction with Nbs1, a member of the Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1 DNA double-strand break repair complex. In light of these findings, targeting Mdm2 in human malignancies may have effects other than activating p53.
Pre-Strike-Slip Positions of Polochic Fault Blocks as Determined from Geomorphic Evidence in Guatemala: ABSTRACT

Previously reported left-lateral slip of 132 ± 5 km across the Polochic fault of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, was based on a match of structures and stratigraphic units. This amount of offset can also be established by a match of present topographies in the region End_Page 426------------------------------ of the Cuchumatanes Mountains of northwestern Guatemala and the once adjacent region in central Guatemala. By moving the blocks back to their pre-slip positions and examining the union of modern topographies, several interesting correlations are noted. In the pre-slip position the present drainage divide of the Cuchumatanes Mountains on the northern block closely matches the present drainage divide between the Polochic and Chixoy Rivers on the southern block. Ridge and drainage trends extend across the fault so that, in the reconstructed position, a missing part is restored to the annular drainage pattern of the Cuchumatanes domal uplift. The Chixoy and Polochic Rivers on the southern block probably flowed into the present Selegua and Cotzal Rivers respectively. Before slip, the regio south of the fault drained northward around the highest elevations of the Cuchumatanes Mountains, but after slip the drainage of rivers on the southern block was shunted into the new, fault-controlled Cuilco and eastern Polochic River channels, vastly reducing the discharge across, and erosion of, the northern block. Significantly lower terrane on the southern block is probably due in large part to this erosional factor. End_of_Article - Last_Page 427------------
Evaluation of GRCop-84 for use as a resistance spot welding electrode material through experimental and analytical techniques

In this program, a NASA-developed Cu alloy, GRCop-84. was examined for application in resistance welding electrodes. The GRCop-84 alloy was developed for a combination of high thermal and electrical conductivity as well as elevated temperature strength. Electrode life testing for resistance spot welding (RSW) galvanized steel was conducted with both this material and a C15000 Cu alloy (Cr-0.1 % Zr) for comparison. To assist in this comparison both materials were evaluated with an EWI-developed model for electrode life. This model allowed the performance of the electrode materials to be more directly compared to the underlying material properties of the respective alloys. Results suggested that for the as formulated GRCop-84 alloy, there was no advantage compared to the C15000 material. In fact, the electrode life results were substantially poorer for the GRCop-84 material. The modelling results suggested that this was largely related to the lower yield strengths of the GRCop-84 compared to the C15000 (about 60 %) throughout the temperature range of interest (room temperature to 1000 °C). This reduced strength resulted in deeper forge depths at the electrade face, causing excessive mushrooming and premature electrode life failure of the GRCop-84.
Can Myocardial Infarct Size Be Reduced by Mechanically Unloading the Left Ventricle

Great strides have been made in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI). Improved outcomes and reduced mortality are largely the result of opening the occluded infarct artery as soon as possible and keeping it open. Early reperfusion consistently reduces myocardial infarct size in both experimental animal models and in patients. Article see p 328 Despite the advances in stenting of the occluded coronary artery and shortening of the door-to-balloon time, 1 month mortality postinfarction still hovers at ≈15%, and post-MI heart failure remains problematic. Therefore, there is still a need to try to further reduce myocardial infarct size in 2013. Initial concepts focused on reducing myocardial infarct size by improving the imbalance between O2/nutrient supply and O2/nutrient demand of the heart (Table). Improving O2 supply by inducing early reperfusion with thrombolytic therapy, then angioplasty, and now stenting has been successful and dual-antiplatelet therapy and possibly the addition of anticoagulant therapy have further improved clinical outcomes, maintained vessel patency, and reduced stent thrombosis. Other techniques to improve O2/nutrient supply such as hyperoxemia and erythropoietin have shown benefit in some but not all studies. Antianginal agents that vasodilate the coronary arteries and may improve coronary flow, such as nitrates and calcium blockers, in general, have failed to reduce myocardial infarct size in clinical trials. View this table: Table. Therapies That May Reduce Infarct Size by Either Improving O2 Supply or Reducing O2 Demand Although restoring O2 supply reduces ischemic cardiac damage resulting from MI, attempts at reducing myocardial infarct size by reducing O2 demand have yielded mixed results. Early clinical studies with β-blockers in the pre-reperfusion era were negative. However, chronic β-blockers post-MI were suggested to reduce fatal ventricular arrhythmias, reduce reinfarction, and limit left ventricle (LV) remodeling and post-MI heart failure and death. …
Structural analysis of the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity of Entamoeba histolytica alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (EhADH2), a member of the ADHE enzyme family

The ADHE family of enzymes are bifunctional acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)/alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes that probably arose from the fusion of genes encoding separate ALDH and ADH enzymes. Here we have used the Entamoeba histolytica alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (EhADH2) enzyme as a prototype to analyze the structure and function of the ALDH domain of ADHE enzymes. We find that the N-terminal domain of EhADH2, encompassing amino acids 1-446, is sufficient for ALDH activity, consistent with the concept that EhADH2, and other members of the ADHE family comprise fusion peptides. In addition, we show, using site directed mutagenesis, that the catalytic mechanism for the ALDH activity appears to be similar to that described for other members of the ALDH extended family.
An infinite number of plane figures with Heesch number two

Abstract It has been a long standing problem to find a plane figure that does not tile, yet can be completely surrounded twice by congruent copies of itself. An infinite family of plane figures with this property is given.
Chromatron TV Color Processing Using Semiconductor Circuits

This paper presents a simple analysis of the chrominance and luminance signals required to drive the chromatron, single-gun, color television picture tube. Conversion from the NTSC signal to the required chromatron drive is explained mathematically and graphically. Two common methods of color decoding, the 1, 2, 4 and the chroma-gate systems are described and compared. Semiconductor circuits, developed for the decoder and associated signal processing, are described.
Dissociation behavior of tryptic and intramolecular disulfide-linked peptide ions modified in the gas phase via ion/ion reactions

Abstract Protonated tryptic peptides, somatostatin-14, and oxytocin have been subjected to reactions with doubly deprotonated 4-formyl-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid (FBDSA) in the gas phase. The major product is a negatively charged complex comprised of the peptide and the reagent. Upon dehydration of the complex, all peptides show evidence for Schiff base formation involving a primary amine of the peptide. Some peptides also show evidence for the formation of a relatively strong electrostatic interaction without Schiff base formation (i.e., a mixture of isomeric precursor ions is generated upon dehydration of the complex). Ion trap collision-induced dissociation of the dehydration products from all peptides examined gave distinct product ion spectra relative to the deprotonated and protonated forms of the peptides. The distinct behavior of the modified ions is attributed to the highly stable charge carrying sulfonate group, which tends to inhibit intramolecular proton transfer in negatively charged species. Modified anions of the peptides with an intramolecular disulfide linkage show evidence for cleavage of both the disulfide linkage and an amide bond in the loop defined by the disulfide bond. Modification of protonated peptides via charge inversion with FBDSA is a useful means for generating novel and distinct ion-types that can provide complementary structural information upon subsequent activation to that obtained from dissociation of protonated or deprotonated forms of the peptide.
Economies of stage construction for transport facilities

Abstract In view of omnipresent high cost of capital and growth rates of traffic, considerations of stage construction are important. Stage construction is defined as a process of progressive improvements in the capacity and/or quality of a transport facility over time, beginning with a relatively low standard. This paper discusses an analytical process for the selection of the optimal sequence of staging and the establishment of the optimal times for implementing each stage. The process weighs various upgrading costs against the reduced costs of operation and maintenance associated with each upgraded stage, and applies to transport facilities pertaining to all modes of transportation used in either urban or inter-city traffic. Models for the determination of the above economical sequence and optimal times are established for various functions of traffic growth and costs of operation and maintenance. An example pertaining to inter-city road traffic in Iran elucidates the application of these models.
Process variation aware transcoding for low power H.264 decoding

Transcoding is commonly used in media servers to adapt video bitstreams to capabilities and specifications of the receiving playback devices or the transmission network channel in between. Primary adjustments are done on the video format, the resolution and the bitrate. In this paper we propose utilizing transcoding as a means of converting a regular standard video bitstream to a standard video bitstream that is also aware of power-reliability characteristics of the target decoder device with main focus on process variabilites within the on-chip decoder reference buffer memory. More specifically we introduce an H.264 video transcoding scheme in which the bitstream generated by transcoder is tolerant to defective SRAM cells that reside in the decoder reference buffer. Such error aware scheme allows for voltage scaling on decoder reference buffer in the presence of process variation and can result in significant power reduction considering the increasing power share of memories on SoCs. Our estimate shows this scheme can manage to realize about 40% power saving on decoder devices (in 32 nm) while preserving the decoded video quality and the bitrate of the bitstream.
Adenovirus type 2 early proteins: Assignment of the early region 1A proteins synthesized in vivo and in vitro to specific mRNAs

Abstract We have investigated the relationships among the major proteins encoded by early region 1A of Ad2 by comparative analysis of their [ 35 S]methionine-labeled tryptic peptides using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In some instances the purified peptides were subjected to automatic sequential Edmund degradation in order to determine the position at which the methionine residues occur within the peptides. These peptides have then been located in the amino acid sequence predicted from the DNA sequence of the leftmost 4.5% of the viral genome. The data show that the 50,000, 46,000, and 42,000 molecular weight E1A proteins (all of which focus at ca. pH 6.0) obtained from Ad2-infected HeLa cells are derived from the 1.1 kb region 1A mRNA. Similarly, it is shown that two polypeptides, 58,000 (58K) and 48,000 (48K), result from cell-free translation of the 1.1 kb mRNA. The data are also consistent with the hypothesis that the in vivo 46,000, 42,000, and 38,000 molecular weight E1A proteins (all of which focus at ca pH 5.9) are derived from the 0.9 kb region 1A mRNA. Cell-free translation of this mRNA yields two polypeptides, 54,000 (54K) and 42,000 (42K).
Characterization of the Medical Symptom Validity Test in evaluation of clinically referred memory disorders clinic patients

We prospectively evaluated performance of 63 referrals to a memory disorders clinic who received the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) as part of their standard neuropsychological evaluation. The patients were grouped based on independent medical diagnoses and presence or absence of a potential financial incentive to under-perform. Twenty-seven patients (42.9%) scored below cutoffs on the MSVT symptom validity indices. Two individuals in the potential financial incentive group showed clear signs of invalid responding (18.2%). Twenty-two of the remaining 25 patients who failed the symptom validity indices corresponded to the dementia profile. Three individuals did not correspond to the dementia profile but are thought to have performed validly representing a 4.8% false positive rate. When considering all MSVT indices, the base rate of invalid responding in the potential financial incentive to under-perform group increased to 27.3%. Combining all groups our base rate of invalid responding was 4.8%. Specific performances are presented.
Mass spectrometric characterization and activity of zinc-activated proinsulin C-peptide and C-peptide mutants

Numerous reports have demonstrated an active role for proinsulin C-peptide in ameliorating chronic complications associated with diabetes mellitus. It has been recently reported that some of these activities are dependent upon activation of C-peptide with certain metal ions, such as Fe(II), Cr(III) or Zn(II). In an effort to gain a greater understanding of the structure/function dependence of the peptide-metal interactions responsible for this activity, a series of experiments involving the use of electrospray ionization (ESI), matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and collision-induced dissociation-tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) of C-peptide in the presence or absence of Zn(II) have been carried out. Additionally, various C-peptide mutants with alanine substitution at individual aspartic acid or glutamic acid residues throughout the C-peptide sequence were analyzed. CID-MS/MS of wild type C-peptide in the presence of Zn(II) indicated multiple sites for metal binding, localized at acidic residues within the peptide sequence. Mutations of individual acidic residues did not significantly affect this fragmentation behavior, suggesting that no single acidic residue is critical for binding. However, ESI-MS analysis revealed an approximately 50% decrease in relative Zn(II) binding for each of the mutants compared to the wild type sequence. Furthermore, a significant decrease in activity was observed for each of the Zn(II)-activated mutant peptides compared to the wild type C-peptide, indicated by measurement of ATP released from erythrocytes, with a 75% decrease observed for the Glu27 mutant. Additional studies on the C-terminal pentapeptide of C-peptide EGSLQ, as well as a mutant C-terminal pentapeptide sequence AGSLQ, revealed that substitution of the glutamic acid residue resulted in a complete loss of activity, implicating a central role for Glu27 in Zn(II)-mediated C-peptide activity.
3D-NoC: Reconfigurable 3D photonic on-chip interconnect for multicores

The power dissipation of metallic interconnects in future multicore architectures is projected to be a major bottleneck as we scale to sub-nanometer regime. This has motivated researchers to develop alternate power-efficient technology solutions to the performance limitations of future multicores. Nanophotonic interconnects (NIs) is a disruptive technology solution that is capable of delivering the communication bandwidth at low power dissipation when the number of cores is scaled to large numbers. Similarly, 3D stacking is another interconnect technology solution that can lead to low energy/bit for communication. In this paper, we propose to combine NIs with with 3D stacking to develop a scalable, reconfigurable, power-efficient and high-performance interconnect for future many-core systems called 3D-NoC. We propose to develop a multi-layer NIs that can dynamically reconfigure without system intervention and allocate channel bandwidth from less utilized links to more utilized communication links. Our simulation results indicate that the performance can be further improved by 10%–25% for Splash-2, PARSEC and SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks.
Unnormalized Floating Point Arithmetic

Algorithms for floating point computer arithmetic are described, in which fractional parts are not subject to the usual normalization convention. These algorithms give results in a form which furnishes some indication of their degree of precision. An analysis of one-stage error propagation is developed for each operation; a suggested statistical model for long-run error propagation is also set forth.
Education Activities Of SPIE

Promotion of education in the Photo-optics field has been one of the activities of SPIE for the past several years. Areas of optics that demand specialized training are listed. The requirements that must be met for establishing a Photooptics course or curriculum are given.
Explaining Context Effects on Choice Using a Model of Comparative Judgment

Context effects refer to the shifts in shares when another alternative is introduced in the choice set. The alternative can be asymmetrically dominated, asymmetrically dominating, totally dominated, or totally dominating. We developed a theoretically derived model based on the shifts in attribute valuation as a potential explanation for all context effects. First, the model is tested using data from previously published studies. As predicted, the results showed a high correlation between shifts in valuation and changes in the choice shares. The model is also tested using 2 studies that extend the design of the choice sets to include better alternatives in a search context and the removal of an alternative. The strong relation justifies the case for comparative valuation as an underlying mechanism for context effects. Assuming this valuation, the article illustrates how the framework can be used to develop new product strategies taking into account the values of the unchosen alternatives.
Movement and habitat selection patterns of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in an Ozark river

Limited information exists on 24-hr movement and habitat selection patterns of stream dwelling smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu. We monitored the 24-hr movement patterns of smallmouth bass in an Ozark river during three seasons: summer, autumn, and winter. During each season, fish were located every two hours throughout a 24-hr period; habitat data and water depth were collected at each fish location. Four random points representing available locations around each fish location were generated in ArcGIS. Habitat and depth data were collected at each of these points, and discrete choice models were fit to the data to predict habitat and depth selection by smallmouth bass. No significant differences in movement across seasons or time of day were evident, although the greatest observed displacement within a 2-hr tracking period occurred during the winter, with one bass moving over 630 m. Across all three seasons, water depth and habitat type were strong predictors of bass locations. Throughout our study,...
Neutron irradiation damage of APD's using 252Cf

Abstract We report the results of exposing eight different avalanche photodiodes from two manufacturers to a fast neutron field produced by 252 Cf at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The effects of this type of radiation on the intrinsic dark currents of the devices for fluences up to 10 13 neutrons/cm 2 are shown and discussed.
Indirect modulation of nonmagnetic probes for force modulation atomic force microscopy.

Frequency-dependent changes for phase and amplitude images are demonstrated with test platforms of organosilane ring patterns, using force modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) with an alternate instrument configuration. The imaging setup using indirect magnetic modulation (IMM) is based on indirect oscillation of soft, nonmagnetic cantilevers, with spring constants <1 N m−1. The tip is driven to vibrate by the motion of a tip holder assembly which contains ferromagnetic materials. The entire tip assembly is induced to vibrate with the flux of an external ac electromagnetic field, supplied by a wire coil solenoid placed underneath the sample plate. With the use of IMM, dynamic parameters of the driving frequencies and amplitude of the tip motion can be optimized to sensitively map the elastic response of samples. An advantage of this instrument setup is that a magnetic coating is not required to drive the periodic oscillation of the tip. The instrument configuration for IMM may not be practical for ...
Monte Carlo simulation of zinc protoporphyrin fluorescence in the retina

We have used Monte Carlo simulation of autofluorescence in the retina to determine that noninvasive detection of nutritional iron deficiency is possible. Nutritional iron deficiency (which leads to iron deficiency anemia) affects more than 2 billion people worldwide, and there is an urgent need for a simple, noninvasive diagnostic test. Zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) is a fluorescent compound that accumulates in red blood cells and is used as a biomarker for nutritional iron deficiency. We developed a computational model of the eye, using parameters that were identified either by literature search, or by direct experimental measurement to test the possibility of detecting ZPP non-invasively in retina. By incorporating fluorescence into Steven Jacques' original code for multi-layered tissue, we performed Monte Carlo simulation of fluorescence in the retina and determined that if the beam is not focused on a blood vessel in a neural retina layer or if part of light is hitting the vessel, ZPP fluorescence will be 10-200 times higher than background lipofuscin fluorescence coming from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer directly below. In addition we found that if the light can be focused entirely onto a blood vessel in the neural retina layer, the fluorescence signal comes only from ZPP. The fluorescence from layers below in this second situation does not contribute to the signal. Therefore, the possibility that a device could potentially be built and detect ZPP fluorescence in retina looks very promising.
Conduction System Disease

Scenario:A 59-year-old woman had brief episodes of rapid atrial fibrillation and bradycardia several months ago. It was not recurrent or sustained, so she was not treated with invasive or pharmacological interventions but followed up with occasional clinic visits. She was instructed to continue taking her beta blocker, which she had done for 10 years without side effects. She has a history of hypertension and a significant family history; her mother and grandmother had hypertension and heart failure, and both died of cerebral vascular accidents. The patient is now in the emergency department with complaints of chest “discomfort” and shortness of breath. She had the rhythm below (lead II), which was only captured because the patient’s daughter, a nurse, pushed the record button on the bedside monitor. A regular feature of the American Journal of Critical Care, the ECG Puzzler addresses electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation for clinical practice. To send an eLetter or to contribute to an online discussion about this article, visit www.ajcconline.org and click “Respond to This Article” on either the full-text or PDF view of the article. We welcome letters regarding this feature.
Tri-view morphing

This paper presents an efficient image-based approach to navigate a scene based on only three wide-baseline uncalibrated images without the explicit use of a 3D model. After automatically recovering corresponding points between each pair of images, an accurate trifocal plane is extracted from the trifocal tensor of these three images. Next, based on a small number of feature marks using a friendly GUI, the correct dense disparity maps are obtained by using our trinocular-stereo algorithm. Employing the barycentric warping scheme with the computed disparity, we can generate an arbitrary novel view within a triangle spanned by three camera centers. Furthermore, after self-calibration of the cameras, 3D objects can be correctly augmented into the virtual environment synthesized by the tri-view morphing algorithm. Three applications of the tri-view morphing algorithm are demonstrated. The first one is 4D video synthesis, which can be used to fill in the gap between a few sparsely located video cameras to synthetically generate a video from a virtual moving camera. This synthetic camera can be used to view the dynamic scene from a novel view instead of the original static camera views. The second application is multiple view morphing, where we can seamlessly fly through the scene over a 2D space constructed by more than three cameras. The last one is dynamic scene synthesis using three still images, where several rigid objects may move in any orientation or direction. After segmenting three reference frames into several layers, the novel views in the dynamic scene can be generated by applying our algorithm. Finally, the experiments are presented to illustrate that a series of photo-realistic virtual views can be generated to fly through a virtual environment covered by several static cameras.
Structural and Genetic Analysis of X-Ray Scattering by Spores of Bacillus subtilis

Dormant spores of Bacillus subtilis exhibit two prominent X-ray scattering peaks. These peaks persisted in spores lacking most α/β-type small, acid-soluble protein or the CotE protein responsible for assembly of much spore coat protein, but they were absent from spores of strains lacking the late sporulation-specific transcription factor GerE.
On Writing with Adverbs

The standard rules for good writing dictate that adverbs should be avoided. They undermine the effectiveness of the text and detract from the author’s point. Students and teachers of legal writing have incorporated this general rule, leading them not only to avoid adverbs in their own writings, but also to overlook them in the writings of others, including statutes and cases. However, as Michael Oakeshott has argued, law happens not in the rules but in the adverbs. To become desensitized to the power of adverbs, or to presume that they are weak and unnecessary, leads the reader not only to misconstrue the operation of the rule, but also to overlook the moral aspect that separates a legal order from a power-based regime of command.
The economics of urologic practice in the twenty-first century.

Other articles in this issue contain distinguished scientific presentations supported by extensive references from the medical literature. This article, I fear, contains mostly speculation and conjecture regarding the economic future of urologic practice into the 21st century. There are few literature-based references. There exist little enough data dealing with current urologic economic issues. There are none pertaining to the future. If the reader seeks reference-based science in this article, he or she will, unfortunately, not find it here. After 35 years as a practicing urologist, after 25 years of involvement with the American Urological Association (AUA) and its activities, after 11 years of dealings in urologic governmental relations and representing urologists before the US Congress and its various agencies, after 3 years as Chairman of the AUA Health Policy Council, after a decade of dealing with various managed care organizations, and after 4 years as a Trustee of the American Board of Urology involved with its certification process, I suppose I am as qualified as anyone within our ranks to speculate about the economics of urology in the next century. The past decade has witnessed a dramatic revolution in our nation's health care delivery system. Urologic health care has not escaped this revolution. The predictions that I put forward here are based upon projections and continuations of existing trends already taking place as well as the consideration of other social and economic factors. How, then, will urology, constituting 1.4% of America's physician workforce, 2 fare in the 21st century?
Sea State Determination from Ship-Based Geodetic GPS

AbstractOcean waves have a profound impact on navigation, offshore operations, recreation, safety, and the economic vitality of a nation’s maritime and coastal communities. This study demonstrates that ships equipped with geodetic GPS and a radar gauge can provide accurate estimates of sea state. The Research Vessel (R/V) Kilo Moana recorded 1-Hz data for the entire period of a 10-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. Solving for precise kinematic positions for the ship and combining these solutions with the ranges from the ship to the sea surface provided by the radar gauge, it was possible to retrieve 1-Hz estimates of the sea surface elevation along the cruise track. Converting these into estimates of significant wave height, strong agreement was found with wave buoy measurements and hindcast wave data. Comparison with buoy data indicates the estimates have errors on the order of 0.22 m, or less than 11% of the wave height. Using wave model predictions of the dominant directions, the data were proces...
Soil processes and global change

Contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) generally agree that increases in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse trace gases (i.e., CO2, CH4, N2O, O3) since preindustrial times, about the year 1750, have led to changes in the earth's climate. During the past 250 years the atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O have increased by 30, 145, and 15%, respectively. A doubling of preindustrial CO2 concentrations by the end of the twenty-first century is expected to raise global mean surface temperature by about 2 °C and increase the frequency of severe weather events. These increases are attributed mainly to fossil fuel use, land-use change, and agriculture. Soils and climate changes are related by bidirectional interactions. Soil processes directly affect climatic changes through the production and consumption of CO2, CH4, and N2O and, indirectly, through the production and consumption of NH3, NOx, and CO. Although CO2 is primarily produced through fossil fuel combustion, land-use changes, conversion of forest and grasslands to agriculture, have contributed significantly to atmospheric increase of CO2. Changes in land use and management can also result in the net uptake, sequestration, of atmospheric CO2. CH4 and N2O are produced (30% and 70%, respectively) in the soil, and soil processes will likely regulate future changes in the atmospheric concentration of these gases. The soil-atmosphere exchange of CO2, CH4, and N2O are interrelated, and changes in one cycle can impart changes in the N cycle and resulting soil-atmosphere exchange of N2O. Conversely, N addition increases C sequestration. On the other hand, soil processes are influenced by climatic change through imposed changes in soil temperature, soil water, and nutrient competition. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 alters plant response to environmental parameters and frequently results in increased efficiency in use of N and water. In annual crops increased CO2 generally leads to increased crop productivity. In natural systems, the long-term impact of increased CO2 on ecosystem sustainability is not known. These changes may also result in altered CO2, CH4, and N2O exchange with the soil. Because of large temporal and spatial variability in the soil-atmosphere exchange of trace gases, the measurement of the absolute amount and prediction of the changes of these fluxes, as they are impacted by global change on regional and global scales, is still difficult. In recent years, however, much progress has been made in decreasing the uncertainty of field scale flux measurements, and efforts are being directed to large scale field and modeling programs. This paper briefly relates soil process and issues akin to the soil-atmosphere exchange of CO2, CH4, and N2O. The impact of climate change, particularly increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, on soil processes is also briefly discussed.
An empirical investigation of the effect of corporate charter antitakeover amendments on stockholder wealth

This paper tests competing theoretical explanations for the passage of corporate charter antitakeover amendments. The managerial entrenchment hypothesis suggests that antitakeover amendments are adopted by incumbent management to obtain job security at stockholders' expense. An alternative hypothesis is that antitakeover amendments are proposed in order to enable the management of the target firm to extract a higher price from the bidding firm and thereby benefit stockholders. Our event study from a sample of 409 firms that adopted antitakeover amendments in the 1974–88 period indicates a strongly negative effect on stockholder wealth, in support of the managerial entrenchment hypothesis that antitakeover amendments are adopted by managers at the expense of stockholders.
Fast approximated sub-space algorithms

In this paper, fast techniques for invariant subspace separation with applications to the direction of arrival (DOA) and the harmonic retrieval problems are presented. The main feature of these techniques is that they are computationally efficient as they can be implemented in parallel and can be transformed into matrix inverse-free algorithms. The basic operations used are the QR factorization and matrix multiplication. Specifically, two types of methods are developed. The first method uses Newton-like iteration, and is quadratically convergent. The second method can be developed to have convergence of any prescribed order. Applying these approximations to the DOA and the harmonic retrieval problems, the minimum norm solution for the projection of least squares weight on to the signal subspace of the data is obtained simply, without performing any singular value decomposition (SVD). Some of the developed methods are also examined on several test problems.
The Genetic and Economic Impact of the University of Arkansas's Rice Breeding Program: 1983-2007

This study estimates the proportion of rice yield increase in University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s (UofA) released rice cultivars that are attributable to genetic improvements through the University’s breeding program. Test plot data from eight UofA experiment stations were used to quantify the yield increases and potential yield growth decreases over time. In addition to quantifying the yield and yield variance evolution at the UofA, this study also calculates the economic benefits of the UofA rice breeding program. Results indicated that by releasing modern rice cultivars, the UofA rice breeding program increased average producer yield by 0.68 bu/ac annually. During the last decade, 1997–2007, the average annual economic benefits were 34.3 million (2007) dollars. When accounting for the spillover of UofA rice varieties to neighboring states the average annual economic benefit of the breeding program increases to 46.7 million (2007) dollars.
Pressure tuning of whispering gallery mode resonators

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on solid and hollow microsphere optical resonators was investigated. The primary goal was to explore the feasibility of a micro-optical pressure sensor based on whispering gallery modes (WGMs) and to quantify the deleterious effect of environmental pressure changes on other WGM-based sensors. Expressions were developed for WGM shifts due to changes in hydrostatic pressure of the environment surrounding the spherical resonators. These expressions were validated through experiments in which the pressure-induced WGM shifts of hollow polymethyl methacrylate microspheres were monitored. The effect of atmospheric pressure variations on silica resonators is negligible, but hydrostatic pressure may be effective in the optical tuning of hollow polymer spheres.
A pilot and feasibility study of the plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics of cefazolin in an immature porcine model of pediatric cardiac surgery

Summary Background Surgical site infection (SSI) prevention for children with congenital heart disease is imperative and methods to assess and evaluate the tissue concentrations of prophylactic antibiotics are important to help maximize these efforts. Aim The purposes of this study were to determine the plasma and tissue concentrations with standard of care, perioperative cefazolin dosing in an immature porcine model of pediatric cardiac surgery, and to determine the feasibility of this model. Methods Piglets (3–5 days old) underwent either median sternotomy (MS) or cardiopulmonary bypass with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (CPB + DHCA) and received standard of care prophylactic cefazolin for the procedures. Serial plasma and microdialysis sampling of the skeletal muscle and subcutaneous tissue adjacent to the surgical site was performed. Cefazolin concentrations were measured, noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analyses were performed, and tissue penetration of cefazolin was assessed. Results Following the first intravenous dose, maximal cefazolin concentrations in the subcutaneous tissue and skeletal muscle were similar between groups with peak tissue concentrations 15–30 min after administration. After the second cefazolin dose given with the initiation of CPB, total plasma cefazolin concentrations remained relatively constant until the end of DHCA and then decreased while muscle- and subcutaneous-unbound cefazolin concentrations showed a second peak during or after rewarming. For the MS group, 60–67% of the intraoperative time showed subcutaneous and skeletal muscle concentrations of cefazolin >16 μg·ml−1 while this percentage was 78–79% for the CPB + DHCA group. There was less tissue penetration of cefazolin in the group that underwent CBP + DHCA (P = 0.03). Conclusions The cefazolin dosing used in this study achieves plasma and tissue concentrations that should be effective against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus but may not be effective against some gram-negative pathogens. The timing of the cefazolin administration prior to incision and a second dose given during cardiopulmonary bypass may be important factors for achieving goal tissue concentrations.
Functional Characterization of Aspergillus nidulans Homologues of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spa2 and Bud6

The importance of polarized growth for fungi has elicited significant effort directed at better understanding underlying mechanisms of polarization, with a focus on yeast systems. At sites of tip growth, multiple protein complexes assemble and coordinate to ensure that incoming building material reaches the appropriate destination sites, and polarized growth is maintained. One of these complexes is the polarisome that consists of Spa2, Bud6, Pea2, and Bni1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Filamentous hyphae differ in their development and life style from yeasts and likely regulate polarized growth in a different way. This is expected to reflect on the composition and presence of protein complexes that assemble at the hyphal tip. In this study we searched for polarisome homologues in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and characterized the S. cerevisiae Spa2 and Bud6 homologues, SpaA and BudA. Compared to the S. cerevisiae Spa2, SpaA lacks domain II but has three additional domains that are conserved within filamentous fungi. Gene replacement strains and localization studies show that SpaA functions exclusively at the hyphal tip, while BudA functions at sites of septum formation and possibly at hyphal tips. We show that SpaA is not required for the assembly or maintenance of the Spitzenkorper. We propose that the core function of the polarisome in polarized growth is maintained but with different contributions of polarisome components to the process.
Assessment of Tesla Turbine Performance for Small Scale Rankine Combined Heat and Power Systems

For solar Rankine cycle combined heat and power systems for residential buildings and other small-scale applications (producing 1-10 kWe), a low manufacturing cost, robust, and durable expander is especially attractive. The Tesla-type turbine design has these desired features. This paper summarizes a theoretical exploration of the performance of a Tesla turbine as the expander in a small-scale Rankine cycle combined heat and power system. A one-dimensional idealized model of momentum transfer in the turbine rotor is presented, which can be used to predict the efficiency of the turbine for typical conditions in these systems. The model adopts a nondimensional formulation that identifies the dimensionless parameters that dictate performance features of the turbine. The model is shown to agree well with experimental performance data obtained in earlier tests of prototype Tesla turbine units. The model is used to explore the performance of this type of turbine for Rankine cycle applications using water as a working fluid. The model indicates that isentropic efficiencies above 0.75 can be achieved if the operating conditions are tailored in an optimal way. The scalability of the turbine design, and the impact of the theoretical model predictions on the development of solar combined heat and power systems are also discussed.
Further studies on chemical closure of the Fallopian tubes in the monkey

Abstract Studies were performed in pigtail monkeys to expand information about the specificity and effectiveness of mixtures of silver nitrate in hydrophilic ointment in producing closure of the primate interstitial Fallopian tube. These experiments determined that: (1) concentrations of silver nitrate-hydrophilic ointment were effective if 2.5 per cent or greater, (2) tubal closure with 10 per cent silver nitrate-hydrophilic ointment persisted for at least six months, (3) phenol-hydrophilic ointment was not effective in producing tubal closure, (4) silver nitrate-hydrophilic petrolatum was not effective in producing tubal closure, and (5) preliminary application of iodinated hysterographic dyes to the Fallopian tubes reduced the effectiveness of silver nitrate-hydrophilic ointment except in higher concentrations. The problems of delivery of the silver nitrate-hydrophilic ointment in clinical circumstances are discussed.