cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State Requirements for Language Teachers

Author's summary.— A study of certification requirements for language teachers as of 1942 shows only three states have standards as high as Prof. Purin recommended for language teachers in the Modern Foreign Language Study. It is accordingly futile to expect the “Army method” to find anything like universal adoption in our high schools.
How is the Reliability of Automated Aids Determined Using System-Wide Trust?

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine how operators, if using a system-wide trust strategy, combine their experience with the multiple aids in order to determine the single reliability value for the entire system. This study tests two different hypotheses: additive vs. averaging. Background: Keller and Rice (accepted) showed that operators tend to use a system-wide trust strategy when using multiple automation aids instead of evaluating the reliability of each aid separately. Operators using system-wide trust may combine their experience with the aids using either an additive or an averaging method. Method: 48 participants monitored one or two gauges, each with an automated aid at different reliability levels, while engaged in a pursuit tracking task that simulated an unmanned aerial vehicle mission flight. Results: After accounting for increased difficulty of using two gauges vs. one gauge, the results showed that participants still performed worse when using two gauges vs. one gauge even ...
A NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE FURNACE CONTROLLER1

The need for accurate control of an oil-fired furnace operated at a temperature above the range of platinum thermocouples led to the development of a new type controller. Disadvantages of ordinary types of controllers are discussed. The mounting of the radiation pyrometer used is described. Full details of the construction and operating principles of the controller are given. Results obtained are far better than with most careful hand control.
Large scale deep neural network acoustic modeling with semi-supervised training data for YouTube video transcription

YouTube is a highly visited video sharing website where over one billion people watch six billion hours of video every month. Improving accessibility to these videos for the hearing impaired and for search and indexing purposes is an excellent application of automatic speech recognition. However, YouTube videos are extremely challenging for automatic speech recognition systems. Standard adapted Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) based acoustic models can have word error rates above 50%, making this one of the most difficult reported tasks. Since 2009, YouTube has provided automatic generation of closed captions for videos detected to have English speech; the service now supports ten different languages. This paper describes recent improvements to the original system, in particular the use of owner-uploaded video transcripts to generate additional semi-supervised training data and deep neural networks acoustic models with large state inventories. Applying an “island of confidence” filtering heuristic to select useful training segments, and increasing the model size by using 44,526 context dependent states with a low-rank final layer weight matrix approximation, improved performance by about 13% relative compared to previously reported sequence trained DNN results for this task.
Elevated serum sorbitol and not fructose in type 2 diabetic patients.

Reductions in fasting serum fructose or erythrocyte sorbitol have been proposed as markers for early proof of mechanism in clinical development of aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors. However fructose is significantly impacted by meals and evaluation of erythrocyte sorbitol poses technical challenges. To more accurately assess the performance of these markers in biological samples, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry assay was modified and validated. Serum was collected on three consecutive days from 13 healthy volunteers (HV) and 14 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and assayed for sorbitol and fructose using this assay. Serum fructose and sorbitol were relatively constant across the three days. Fasting fructose levels were comparable between the two groups (T2DM: 1.48 ± 0.49 mg/L; HV: 1.39 ± 0.38 mg/L, mean ± standard deviation, P = 0.61), but fasting sorbitol levels were significantly higher in diabetics (T2DM: 0.280 ± 0.163 mg/L; HV: 0.164 ± 0.044 mg/L, P = 0.02). Feeding resulted in a 5–6 fold increase in serum fructose levels, but only a 5%–10% increase in sorbitol. Only sorbitol remained significantly elevated pre- and post feeding in T2DM patients relative to HV. These data suggest that serum sorbitol may be a robust proof of mechanism biomarker and facilitate dose selection for clinical development of AR inhibitors.
1200 HYPERVISCOSITY SYNDROME WITH COR PULMONALE SECONDARY TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS

An 18 year old boy with cystic fibrosis complicated by cor pulmonale was found to have an elevated hemoglobin of 21.9 gms.% and a hematocrit of 72%. The studies of whole blood viscosity by the Wells-Brookfield microviscometer showed elevated viscosity at all shear rates. Because of the increasing plethora, headaches and lethargy unexplained by any other cause, it was elected to treat the hyperviscosity by phlebotomy and plasmanate infusion. Phlebotomies were done on 3 alternate days with withdrawal of 340 cc. blood each time and infusion of an equivalent amount of plasmanate. Bed rest and oxygen were administered after the treatment. The patient improved symptomatically and the plethora was decreased. The initial viscosity of 35.2 centipoise (cp.) at shear rate of 11.5 sec.-1 was reduced to 23 cp. (normal is 12 ± 2 cp.). The hematocrit was reduced from 74% to 65.5%. Although O2 tension did not change but remained at PO2 of 45 mm., there was symptomatic improvement including decreased cyanosis. It is theorized that this was due to improved blood flow after reduction of blood viscosity and subsequent improved tissue perfusion. Hyperviscosity as a late complication of cystic fibrosis is presumed to be due to hypoxic stimulation of erythropoiesis and erythropoietin studies are in progress.
Declining Propensity to Pay? A Re-Examination of the Life Cycle Theory

Our results indicate that the declining propensity to pay is a function of the changing composition of firms over time and not a declining propensity in individual firms themselves. In particular, the propensity to pay is greater than expected following the 2003 dividend tax cut. The decade a firm went public is also a major determinant of its initial payout policy. Finally, while the strength of the relation between earned/contributed capital and payout propensity declines across IPO decades, there is still a lifecycle effect - within a given IPO cohort, the likelihood of payout increases as firms age.
Subtle white matter volume differences in children treated for medulloblastoma with conventional or reduced dose craniospinal irradiation

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children, and approximately seventy percent of average-risk patients will achieve long-term survival. Craniospinal irradiation (CSI), combined with chemotherapy and surgery, is currently the mainstay of treatment but places children who survive at risk for serious neurocognitive sequelae. These sequelae are intensified with a younger age at treatment, greater elapsed time following treatment, and an increased radiation dose. Many newer treatment approaches have attempted to address this problem by reducing the dose of the CSI component of radiation therapy while maintaining the current survival rates. This study evaluates longitudinal MR imaging during therapy to assess the impact of the two CSI doses (conventional [36 Gy] and reduced [23.4 Gy]) on normal appearing white matter volumes (NAWMV) evaluated in a single index slice. Twenty-six children and young adults at least three years of age enrolled on an institutional protocol for newly diagnosed, previously untreated primary medulloblastoma had at least four MR examinations over a minimum nine month period following CSI. These serial volumes were evaluated as a function of time since CSI in three analyses: 1) all subjects, 2) subjects stratified by age at CSI, and 3) subjects stratified by CSI dose. The first analysis demonstrated that medulloblastoma patients treated with CSI have a significant loss of NAWMV in contradistiction to normally expected maturation. Stratifying the patients by age at CSI found no significant differences in the rate of NAWMV loss. The final analysis stratified the patients by CSI dose and revealed that the rate of NAWMV loss was 23% slower in children receiving reduced-dose. Serial quantitative MR measures of NAWMV may provide a neuroanatomical substrate for assessing functional impact of CSI on normal brain function following treatment for medulloblastoma.
Social anxiety and functional impairment in patients seeking surgical evaluation for hyperhidrosis

Primary hyperhidrosis is characterized by excessive sweating and often accompanied by social avoidance. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by fear and avoidance of social situations, often partly related to fears of showing signs of excessive autonomic nervous system activation, such as sweating. To clarify the relationship of hyperhidrosis and SAD, this study assessed severity of sweating, overall social anxiety and social anxiety due to sweating, and disability in 2 groups: patients seeking surgical treatment for hyperhidrosis (n = 40) and patients seeking treatment for SAD (n = 64). Hyperhidrosis and SAD patients overlapped in severity of overall social anxiety and social anxiety related to sweating. Hyperhidrosis patients reported elevated levels of social anxiety, with mean severity near the threshold for the generalized subtype of SAD, but significantly lower social anxiety than in the SAD patients. Significantly more hyperhidrosis patients than SAD patients attributed most of their social anxiety to sweating (76% vs 20%). Among hyperhidrosis patients, the pattern of correlations of sweating, social anxiety, and disability was consistent with a model of social anxiety as a mediator of sweating-related disability. The overlap of symptoms in patients presenting for treatment of SAD or hyperhidrosis suggests that both social anxiety and sweating should be assessed in these patients and considered as potential targets of treatment.
Spirituality in Management Education: A Guide to Resources:

After presenting what the concept of spirituality in the workplace entails, this article presents a review of a list of books, articles, and other resource materials that offer more in-depth knowledge about spirituality in the workplace. The article concludes with five spiritual principles that may be useful in management education.
Evaluation of axonal specificity of the regenerating rat sciatic nerve using a fluorescent labeling technique

A double-labeling technique using fluorescent compounds, i.e., diamidino yellow and true blue, is described, with the divided rat sciatic nerve model. Tibial and peroneal fascicles were transected, and each freshly cut nerve end was placed in a vial containing either the true blue or the diamidino yellow label. After a 10-15 day survival period, animals were systemically perfused with fixative, and the lumbar enlargement and dorsal root ganglia corresponding to sciatic nerve roots were removed. Serial sectioning and examination with ultraviolet fluorescence microscopy and counts of the labeled cells were performed. Diamidino yellow in labeled cells was found localized to the nucleus, whereas true blue was found localized to the cytoplasm and nucleolus (control group n = 5). Intermixing of these pools was noted, with yellow cells seen among blue labeled cells following nerve autograft repair of a 1 cm segment of the rat sciatic nerve (experimental group n = 5). Double-labeled cells displaying a yellow nucleus and a blue cytoplasmic label were also seen. We believe that the double-labeling technique described, using the fluorescent retrograde tracers diamidino yellow and true blue, is a useful monitoring method for assessing the specificity of regenerating axons in the rat sciatic nerve.
Superhydrophobic surfaces formed using layer-by-layer self-assembly with aminated multiwall carbon nanotubes.

A convenient and simple route to functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using the reaction of the amine (NH) groups of polyethyleneimine (PEI) with MWNTs in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) at 50 °C is described. The product functionalized MWNTs (MWNT-NH-PEI) contain 6−8% by weight PEI based on elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, and titration. The products form stable emulsions in water below pH 9 and can be derivatized to form alkylated MWNTs that are dispersible in organic media. Such MWNT-NH-PEI nanoparticles can also be used in covalent or ionic layer-by-layer assembly to form nanocomposite thin films on functionalized polyethylene (PE) films and powders. Such nanocomposite films were analyzed by contact angle analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and confocal Raman microscopy. These analyses show that these superhydrophilic surfaces have micro/nanoroughness with a roughly uniform distribution of MWNT nanoparticles. Superhydrophobic PE films can be formed either from ionic laye...
Action of N, N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine in tocopherol deficiency diseases.

SummaryAdministration of DPPD to growing rabbits and rats fed a Vit. E-low diet does not modify rate of depletion of vitamin from the liver. Tocopherol content of skeletal muscle was essentially unaffected by dietary restriction. DPPD was as effective as α-tocopherol, at level administered, in bringing about a remission of muscular dystrophy and creatinuria in rabbits maintained on diet devoid of tocopherols. Ability of DPPD to partially regenerate sterile female rats maintained on Vit. E-free diet was confirmed. These findings indicate that the effectiveness of DPPD as a substitute for Vit. E is not due to conservation of the vitamin in tissues or to the presence of residual tocopherols in the diet.
Quality of Social Relationships and the Development of Depression in Parentally-Bereaved Youth

Fear of abandonment has been found to be associated with mental health problems for youth who have experienced a parent’s death. This article examines how youth’s fears of abandonment following the death of a parent lead to later depressive symptoms by influencing relationships with caregivers, peers, and romantic partners. Participants were 109 youth ages 7–16 (50% male), assessed 4 times over a 6-year period. The ethnic composition of the sample was non-Hispanic Caucasian (67%), Hispanic (16%), African American (7%), Native American (3%), Asian (1%), and Other (6%). Youth’s fears of abandonment by their surviving caregiver during the first year of data collection were related to their anxiety in romantic relationships 6 years later, which, in turn, was associated with depressive symptoms measured at 6 years. Youth’s caregiver, peer, and romantic relationships at the 6-year follow-up were related to their concurrent depressive symptoms. The relationship between youth’s attachment to their surviving caregiver and their depressive symptoms was stronger for younger participants. Implications of these findings for understanding the development of mental health problems following parental bereavement are discussed.
Improvement of Cortical Morphology in Infantile Hydrocephalic Animals after Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Placement

As a sequel to our previous descriptions of the pathological changes induced by hydrocephalus in the infantile cerebral cortex, the study presented here has evaluated the effects of surgical decompression on cortical cytology and cytoarchitecture. Hydrocephalus was induced in 14 kittens by the intracisternal injection of kaolin at 4 to 11 days of age. Nine of these hydrocephalic animals received low-pressure ventriculoperitoneal shunts at 9 to 15 days after kaolin injection; these animals were monitored preoperatively and postoperatively by ultrasound and were killed at various postshunt intervals up to 30 days. Five normal or saline-injected animals served as age-matched controls. At the time of shunt placement, the ventricular index confirmed that all recipient animals had attained moderate or severe degrees of ventriculomegaly. Within 3 days after shunt placement, the size of the lateral ventricles had decreased to control levels and was accompanied by rapid and dramatic improvements in behavior and skull ossification. When the animals were killed, gross inspection revealed that about half of the animals exhibited mild to moderate ventriculomegaly, with cortical mantles 50 to 80% their normal thickness. Tissue from frontal (primary motor), parietal (association), and occipital (primary visual) cortical areas was processed for light microscopic analysis. Pyknotic or dark shrunken neurons, which are found typically in hydrocephalic brains, were observed only occasionally in the cortex of shunted animals. Gliosis and mild edema were prevalent, however, in the periventricular white matter. The laminae of the cerebral cortex could be identified in all shunted animals. In those animals with mild residual ventriculomegaly, the entire cortical mantle was somewhat compressed, as evidenced by an increased packing density of neurons. Furthermore, the somata of some neurons were disoriented. Overall, these results indicate that most of the morphological characteristics of the cerebral cortex are preserved after surgical decompression and suggest that ventriculoperitoneal shunts may prevent neuronal damage and/or promote neuronal repair.
Wireless client/server computing for personal information services and applications

We are witnessing a profound change in the global information infrastructure that has the potential to fundamentally impact many facets of our life. An important aspect of the evolving infrastructure is the seamless, ubiquitous wireless connectivity which engenders continuous interactions between people and interconnected computers. A challenging area of future ubiquitous wireless computing is the area of providing mobile users with integrated Personal Information Services and Applications (PISA). In this paper, a wireless client/server computing architecture will be discussed for the delivery of PISA. Data management issues such as transactional services and cache consistency will be examined under this architecture.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy for ectopic kidneys: over, around, or through.

Abstract Objectives The treatment of patients with complex urolithiasis in ectopic kidneys can be challenging. Because the location of an ectopic kidney can vary, each case requires a unique and, at times, unconventional approach. We reviewed the techniques we have developed to treat such patients, including laparoscopic-assisted tubeless, transhepatic, and transiliac percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with congenital pelvic kidneys who underwent PNL at our institution. Six patients underwent laparoscopic-assisted PNL, one underwent transiliac PNL, and one underwent transhepatic PNL. All laparoscopic-assisted procedures were performed tubeless, with an internalized ureteral stent placed at the conclusion of the procedure. Results All patients underwent successful PNL. On computed tomography, performed on the morning of postoperative day 1, all patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted PNL were stone free. The patients who underwent transiliac PNL and transhepatic PNL required secondary procedures to attain a stone-free status. The mean length of hospitalization was 3 days for the laparoscopic-assisted cohort, 1 day for the transhepatic patient, and 3 days for the transiliac patient. Conclusions For the patient with a large or complex stone burden in an ectopic kidney, laparoscopic-assisted PNL is the optimal treatment. Performing such a procedure tubeless may be associated with a reduced hospital stay. For those patients with a hostile peritoneal cavity owing to prior surgical exploration, consideration should be given to a more individualized approach.
C-AFM analysis of advanced IC on SRAM high resistance failure

This paper demonstrates the utilization of the C-AFM to study and identify the electrical characteristic of SRAM high resistance failure in CMOS process. After taking electrical measurement, cross-section TEM together with CD measurement to reveal and understand the physical root cause of the electrical failure is reported.
Clinical experience with the prevention of Rh-isoimmunization: a historical comparative analysis.

: Clinical experience with prevention of Rh-immunization is reviewed. The pathogenesis of hemolytic disease and the chemistry of prophylaxis is explained. The factors which effect antigenic expression are delineated. The clinical indications for prevention of AMIS are reviewed. International data pertaining to Rhesonativ are presented from postpartum trials and antepartum trials. A protocol for antepartum administration of anti-Rh immunoglobulin is given.
Uniformly frustrated xy models: Ground state configurations

Abstract The ground state vortex configuration of the uniformly frustrated xy model in two dimensions is studied with Monte Carlo simulations. A considerably more complicated structure is reported than found previously.
Dense film polyimide membranes for aggressive sour gas feed separations

The authors would like to gratefully thank the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for generously funding this work.
Phosphate dynamics in an acidic mountain stream: Interactions involving algal uptake, sorption by iron oxide, and photoreduction

Acid mine drainage streams in the Rocky Mountains typically have few algal species and abundant iron oxide deposits which can sorb phosphate. An instream injection of radiolabeled phosphate (32P0,) into St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream, was used to test the ability of a dominant algal species, Ulothrix sp., to rapidly assimilate phosphate. Approximately 90% of the injected phosphate was removed from the water column in the 175-m stream reach. When shaded stream reaches were exposed to full sunlight after the injection ended, photoreductive dissolution of iron oxide released sorbed 32P, which was then also removed downstream. The removal from the stream was modeled as a first-order process by using a reactive solute transport transient storage model. Concentrations of 32P mass-’ of algae were typically lo-fold greater than concentrations in hydrous iron oxides. During the injection, concentrations of 32P increased in the cellular P pool containing soluble, low-molecular-weight compounds and confirmed direct algal uptake of 32P0, from water. Mass balance calculations indicated that algal uptake and sorption on iron oxides were significant in removing phosphate. We conclude that in stream ecosystems, PO, sorbed by iron oxides can act as a dynamic nutrient reservoir regulated by photoreduction.
Using computer graphics as a vehicle for teaching software engineering concepts

The trend over the past decade in computer science and computer engineering curricula has been to use computer graphics as a junior- or senior-level elective course focusing on 3-D graphics and data visualization. Alternatively, it is possible to develop a computer graphics course that can address core curricular needs beyond its obvious topical and algorithmic scope. The development of an interactive graphics application in a modern windowing architecture provides an excellent opportunity to reinforce object-oriented and other important programming ideas. Among these topics are the use of software engineering concepts of Polymorphism and Model-View-Separation and the software patterns of Factory and Command, the development of true event-driven systems, as well as the practical application of appropriate data structure choice and algorithm implementation. This paper will focus on the introductory computer graphics course (CS321) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering as a core curriculum course and how it is being used to teach some of these programming concepts.
Individualized Education with Adults; Some Principles and Practical Advice.

In this article, a practicing adult educator offers a rationale for learner-centered education and offers practical suggestions for the development of learning contracts based on individual objectives and attained skills.
Emergence of the P2 Phenotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Strains Involves Various Mutations in mexT or mexF

We recently demonstrated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 undergoes a pronounced phenotypic change when introduced into the intestines of rats during surgical injury. Recovered strains displayed a specific phenotype (termed the P2 phenotype) characterized by altered pyocyanin production, high collagenase activity, high swarming motility, low resistance to chloramphenicol, and increased killing of Caenorhabditis elegans compared to the inoculating strain (termed the P1 phenotype). The aims of this study were to characterize the differences between the P. aeruginosa P1 and P2 phenotypes in quorum sensing and competitiveness. We then determined the presence of the P2 phenotype among PAO1 strains from various laboratories. Results demonstrated that P2 cells display accelerated growth during early exponential phase and early activation of quorum-sensing systems and overcome the growth of P1 cells in a mixed population. Among eight PAO1 strains obtained from different laboratories, four exhibited the P2 phenotype. Of 27 mutants analyzed from the P. aeruginosa MPAO1 transposon library, 25 displayed P2 phenotypes. The P2 phenotype in both cases correlated with a lack of expression of mexE or mexF due to mutations in mexT and mexF genes. In summary, strains possessing the P2 phenotype are distributed among PAO1 strains commonly used across a variety of research laboratories. Genetically, they are characterized by various mutations in mexT or mexF.
The range test: a dependence test for symbolic, non-linear expressions

Most current data dependence tests cannot handle loop bounds or array subscripts that are symbolic, nonlinear expressions (e.g. A (n*i+j), where 0 ≤ j ≤ n). In this paper, we describe a dependence test, called the range test, that can handle such expressions. Briefly, the range test proves independence by determining whether certain symbolic inequalities hold for a permutation of the loop nest. Powerful symbolic analyses and constraint propagation techniques were developed to prove such inequalities. The range test has been implemented in Polaris, a parallelizing compiler being developed at the University of Illinois.
Effects of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent on Survival, Growth, and Vitellogenin Concentrations of Fathead Minnows (Pimephales promelas)

Concern over pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface waters has increased as scientists have detected these contaminants in streams and rivers nationwide. One source of PPCPs is wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where some PPCPs are being deliveredand then discharged to receiving waters in effluent. Estrogens, the primary female sex hormones, have been found in natural and synthetic forms in effluent and in receiving waters. Field and laboratory studies were carried out to determine if a local WWTP’s effluent affects survival, egg production, and vitellogenin (an egg precursor protein) concentrations in fathead minnows. Results from a 24-day field study showed no significant difference in survival or egg production between fish caged at sites located upstream and downstream of the WWTP effluent pipe. Vitellogenin was detected in some male fish at both sites. A comparison of male fish that produced vitellogenin showed higher concentrations in those located downstream. Because there may be other sources of estrogens or estrogen mimics to the stream, acute and chronic whole effluent toxicity (WET) tests were conducted with larval fathead minnows, and a reproduction assay was conducted with adult fathead minnows in the laboratory. Results of the WET tests showed no significant difference in survival among fish exposed to different dilutions of whole effluent. The laboratory reproduction assay showed no significant differences in survival or egg production between fish in 100% effluent and control treatments. Vitellogenin was detected in all male fish analyzed, including controls. This indicates there may be other sources of estrogenic compounds in the laboratory as well. While biomarkers such as vitellogenin may be more sensitive than other endpoints, it is important to have a good understanding of their selectivity. Combining field and laboratory studies can provide a better understanding of the potential effects of WWTP effluent on aquatic organisms.
The Dynamics of Gas-Vapour Bubbles in Binary Systems

Bubble dynamics controlled by mass and heat transport in binary systems is investigated by approximate analytical means for the case in which the liquid constitutes a single component and the gas is isothermal. It is found that the transient bubble size can be described by four parameters, and that mass diffusion within the gas significantly limits the rate of the process. The results are in agreement with the growth of stationary nitrogen and helium bubbles in water, experimentally recorded by high-speed photography. Translatory bubble motion is shown to cause a significant increase in the growth rate when the rising bubble has been accelerated and a flow transition has occurred.
PILOT-SCALE TREATMENT OF TNT-SPIKED GROUNDWATER BY HYBRID POPLAR TREES

Groundwater contaminated with TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) is common at ammunition waste sites around the world. Phytoremediation or the use of plants to remediate environmental contamination is a promising means of addressing this problem. This paper describes a pilot-scale, greenhouse experiment that examined the irrigation of hybrid poplar trees (Populus deltoids x itnigra, DN34) with TNT-spiked groundwater. TNT removal and metabolite production were monitored and showed that up to 90% of the TNT could be removed with only minor production of metabolites. Biomass production, water use and TNT toxicity were also evaluated under these more natural (non-laboratory) conditions. The results indicated that a poplar tree remediation system may be a feasible solution for low-levels of groundwater contamination.
Error correction via a post-processor for continuous speech recognition

This paper presents a new technique for overcoming several types of speech recognition errors by post-processing the output of a continuous speech recognizer. The post-processor output contains fewer errors, thereby making interpretation by higher-level modules, such as a parser, in a speech understanding system more reliable. The primary advantage to the post-processing approach over existing approaches for overcoming SR errors lies in its ability to introduce options that are not available in the SR module's output. This work provides evidence for the claim that a modern continuous speech recognizer can be used successfully in "black-box" fashion for robustly interpreting spontaneous utterances in a dialogue with a human.
Modeling of protective relay systems for power system dynamic simulations

To solve the problem of lacking of accurate protection relay models in power system dynamic simulation, a general modeling method of protection relay based on “virtual relay” is proposed. A “virtual relay” is a kind of simulation for real relay and defined with rules of logic operation. With hierarchical structure and object-oriented modeling strategy, this method has the advantages of clean logic and convenient modeling, and it's easy for the users to correct models and expand functions. An open and transparent protective relay model library is developed and dynamic simulation calculation including protection relay models is realized. The simulation results revealed that the dynamic simulation program including protection relay models can represent the dynamic performance of electric power system after disturbance more actually. It can be used to analyze cascading failures caused by incorrect operation of protective relays, replay the accident in a long time after a disturbance in power system, study the essence cause of accident and find the correct fault prevention measures.
Primary carcinoid tumors of the lung: a role for radiotherapy.

Primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent a clinical spectrum of tumors ranging from the relatively benign and slow-growing typical carcinoid to the highly aggressive small-cell lung carcinoma. The rarity of carcinoids has made the role of radiation therapy in their management controversial. This review considers the results of published studies to generate treatment recommendations and identify areas for future research. Surgery remains the standard of care for medically operable disease. Histology plays the most important role in determining the role of adjuvant radiation. Resected typical carcinoids likely do not require adjuvant therapy irrespective of nodal status. Resected atypical carcinoids and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas have a significant risk of local failure, for which adjuvant radiation likely improves local control. Definitive radiation is warranted in unresectable disease. Palliative radiation for symptomatic lesions has demonstrated efficacy for all histologies. Collaborative group trials are warranted.
Statics and dynamics of malaria infection in Anopheles mosquitoes

The classic formulae in malaria epidemiology are reviewed that relate entomological parameters to malaria transmission, including mosquito survivorship and age-at-infection, the stability index (S), the human blood index (HBI), proportion of infected mosquitoes, the sporozoite rate, the entomological inoculation rate (EIR), vectorial capacity (C) and the basic reproductive number (R0). The synthesis emphasizes the relationships among classic formulae and reformulates a simple dynamic model for the proportion of infected humans. The classic formulae are related to formulae from cyclical feeding models, and some inconsistencies are noted. The classic formulae are used to to illustrate how malaria control reduces malaria transmission and show that increased mosquito mortality has an effect even larger than was proposed by Macdonald in the 1950's.
Cluster sizing and head selection for efficient data aggregation and routing in sensor networks

Efficient sensor data fusion is one of the more critical and challenging tasks in building practical sensor networks. It is widely understood that transmitting raw sensor data to a central location for processing is severely hampered by scaling, in terms of energy consumption and latency costs, in large scale wireless networks. However, many detection, classification, estimation, and phenomena modeling algorithms rely heavily on the individual data from each sensor and thus require raw data collection, if not from the entire network, then at least among localized node clusters of varying sizes. In order to make the data collection as efficient as possible, various compression and fusion techniques have been proposed and are currently being investigated. In addition to the compression and fusion algorithms, the topology of the aggregation, e.g. the clusters and routes used, can play a significant role in the achievable compression rates. In this paper, we investigate the problem of cluster formation for data fusion by focusing on two aspects of the problem: (i) how does one estimate the number of clusters needed to efficiently utilize data correlation of sensors for a general sensor network, and (ii), given the number of clusters, how does one pick the cluster-heads (sinks of information) to cover the sensor network more efficiently. We start by first analytically deriving and analyzing the number of required cluster heads. We then propose an algorithm for the head selection. Simulation results are used to investigate the performance of the algorithm compared to exhaustively found optimal solutions which show that significant improvements in energy efficiency of the fusion algorithms can be obtained through minimal efforts spent on optimizing the cluster head-selection process
An application of syntactic pattern recognition in sports

An application of syntactic pattern recognition, using an attributed grammar, is presented. This application recognized a runner's leg, and located dots, or key points, on a leg. This information was used to measured the motion in the rear foot (pronation) of a number of running subjects. The edge-detection and shape-recognition methods used as described. >
Periorbital zygomycosis (mucormycosis) treated with posaconazole.

Purpose To report on the successful treatment of periorbital zygomycosis (mucormycosis) with posaconazole, a broad-spectrum oral antifungal available for compassionate use. Design Interventional case report. Methods Review of a medical record. Results A 22-year-old male undergoing induction chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented with periorbital cellulitis attributable to Rhizopus. The patient was initially treated with liposomal amphotericin B, surgical debridement, and reversal of immune compromise. The patient was switched to posaconazole because of amphotericin side effects and lack of improvement. He took posaconazole for five months while undergoing additional cycles of chemotherapy. Despite recurrent profound neutropenia, the periorbital infection resolved, he tolerated reconstructive procedures, and he did not develop orbital invasion. His Rhizopus isolate was highly susceptible to posaconazole in vitro. Conclusions Drug toxicities can limit the use of amphotericin in some patients with zygomycosis. Posaconazole shows promise as an alternative antifungal agent in the treatment of periorbital zygomycosis.
Is the surface oxygen exchange rate linked to bulk ion diffusivity in mixed conducting Ruddlesden–Popper phases?

The possible link between oxygen surface exchange rate and bulk oxygen anion diffusivity in mixed ionic and electronic conducting oxides is a topic of great interest and debate. While a large body of experimental evidence and theoretical analyses support a link, observed differences between bulk and surface composition of these materials are hard to reconcile with this observation. This is further compounded by potential problems with simultaneous measurement of both parameters. Here we utilize separate techniques, in situ neutron diffraction and pulsed isotopic surface exchange, to examine bulk ion mobility and surface oxygen exchange rates of three Ruddlesden–Popper phases, general form An−1A′2BnO3n+1, An−1A′2BnX3n+1; LaSrCo0.5Fe0.5O4−δ (n = 1), La0.3Sr2.7CoFeO7−δ (n = 2) and LaSr3Co1.5Fe1.5O10−δ (n = 3). These measurements are complemented by surface composition determination via high sensitivity-low energy ion scattering. We observe a correlation between bulk ion mobility and surface exchange rate between materials. The surface exchange rates vary by more than one order of magnitude with high anion mobility in the bulk of an oxygen vacancy-rich n = 2 Ruddlesden–Popper material correlating with rapid oxygen exchange. This is in contrast with the similar surface exchange rates which we may expect due to similar surface compositions across all three samples. We conclude that experimental limitations lead to inherent convolution of surface and bulk rates, and that surface exchange steps are not likely to be rate limiting in oxygen incorporation.
Biostromes, brine flies, birds and the bioaccumulation of selenium in Great Salt Lake, ,Utah

Benthic organisms and substrates in Great Salt Lake, Utah, were sampled to measure selenium concentrations of prey organisms of the birds that utilize the lake for nesting and during migrations. The sampling was focused on stromatolite biostromes, as these solid reef-like structures cover approximately 23% of the oxic benthic area of the lake and are the principal habitat for brine fly (Ephydra cinerea) larvae and pupae. Samples were taken at depths of 1-5 m along two transects in Gilbert Bay where salinities ranged from 116–126 g l. Periphyton on the biostromes had chlorophyll levels of 700 mg m, and contained approximately 68% of the chlorophyll in the lake’s phytoplankton. Consequently, the biostromes represent a significant component of the lake’s primary production. A pumped-bucket sampler effectively sampled brine flies on horizontal surfaces of the biostromes, but not on the sides of the mounded ones encountered in the southern part of the bay. Brine fly larvae and pupae were far more abundant on the biostromes than on the soft substrates, with respective mean densities of 9100 m, 530 m and 240 m, on biostromes, sand and mud. Total brine fly biomass on biostromes averaged 5.9 g m, which is about 30% of the biomass present in brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) in the water column. The mean selenium concentration in the combined organic matter-inorganic substrates of biostromes sampled in 2007 was 0.3 ± 0.1 g g dry weight. However, when the inorganic carbonates were removed with acid, the remaining organic matter had selenium concentrations of 1.0 ± 0.1 g g dry weight. Mean Se concentrations in larvae, pupae and adult brine flies were 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8 g g dry weight, respectively, but the differences were not significant. Although there was a 2500X bioconcentration factor between total dissolved Se (mean = 0.40 g l) in the overlying water and in the periphyton of the biostromes, the limited data suggested that there was little biomagnification between the periphyton and the brine flies. A review of the diets of birds utilizing Great Salt Lake and other saline lakes suggests that brine fly produced on biostromes are an important diet component for goldeneye ducks (Bucephala clangula), American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) and California gulls (Larus californicus) and perhaps other birds utilizing the lake. Consequently the benthic food web may be important route for uptake of metal contaminants in these birds in Great Salt Lake. The high selenium concentrations in goldeneye ducks that feed on brine flies suggests that proposed increases in the loading of this contaminant should be reviewed carefully by managers. High mercury levels in goldeneyes suggest that the food web on the lake’s biostromes may be an important pathway for other metals into birds.
Predictive Accuracy of a Ground–Water Model — Lessons from a Postaudit

Hydrogeologic studies commonly include the development, calibration, and application of a deterministic simulation model. To help assess the value of using such models to make predictions, a postaudit was conducted on a previously studied area in the Salt River and lower Santa Cruz River basins in central Arizona. A deterministic, distributed-parameter model of the ground-water system in these alluvial basins was calibrated by Anderson (1968) using about 40 years of data (1923–64). The calibrated model was then used to predict future water-level changes during the next 10 years (1965–74). Examination of actual water-level changes in 77 wells from 1965–74 indicates a poor correlation between observed and predicted water-level changes. The differences have a mean of 73 ft that is, predicted declines consistently exceeded those observed and a standard deviation of 47 ft. The bias in the predicted water-level change can be accounted for by the large error in the assumed total pumpage during the prediction period. However, the spatial distribution of errors in predicted water-level change does not correlate with the spatial distribution of errors in pumpage. Consequently, the lack of precision probably is not related only to errors in assumed pumpage, but may indicate the presence of other sources of error in the model, such as the two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional problem or the lack of consideration of land-subsidence processes. This type of postaudit is a valuable method of verifying a model, and an evaluation of predictive errors can provide an increased understanding of the system and aid in assessing the value of undertaking development of a revised model.
Normal and abnormal face selectivity of the M170 response in developmental prosopagnosics

Developmental prosopagnosia is a lifelong impairment in face recognition despite normal low-level visual processing. Here we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the M170 response, a component occurring approximately 170 ms after stimulus onset, in a group of five developmental prosopagnosics. In normal subjects, the M170 is “face-selective”, with a consistently higher amplitude to faces than to a wide variety of other visual stimulus categories; the N170, a component recorded using event-related potentials (ERP) and thought to be analogous to the M170, also shows this “face selectivity”. Two previous ERP studies with developmental prosopagnosics have found attenuation or absence of face selectivity in the N170 response of these subjects [Bentin, S., Deouell, L. Y., & Soroker, N. (1999). Selective visual streaming in face recognition: Evidence from developmental prosopagnosia. Neuroreport, 10, 823–827; Kress, T., & Daum, I. (2003). Event-related potentials reflect impaired face recognition in patients with congenital prosopagnosia. Neuroscience Letters, 352, 133–136]. Three of our developmental prosopagnosic group showed this non-selective pattern at the M170 while the remaining two prosopagnosics were indistinguishable from normal controls. Thus, impaired face recognition is not necessarily correlated with an absence of the “face-selective” M170. Furthermore, ERP recordings collected simultaneously in the two developmental prosopagnosics with seemingly selective M170s also showed N170s within the same normal selective range, demonstrating that the face-selective signals found with MEG are not due to differences between MEG and ERP. While the presence of face selectivity at these neurophysiological markers is insufficient for predicting normal behavioral performance with faces, it could help to distinguish different classes of face recognition deficits.
Structural Insights into Central Hypertension Regulation by Human Aminopeptidase A

Hypertension is regulated through both the central and systemic renin-angiotensin systems. In the central renin-angiotensin system, zinc-dependent aminopeptidase A (APA) up-regulates blood pressure by specifically cleaving the N-terminal aspartate, but not the adjacent arginine, from angiotensin II, a process facilitated by calcium. Here, we determined the crystal structures of human APA and its complexes with different ligands and identified a calcium-binding site in the S1 pocket of APA. Without calcium, the S1 pocket can bind both acidic and basic residues through formation of salt bridges with the charged side chains. In the presence of calcium, the binding of acidic residues is enhanced as they ligate the cation, whereas the binding of basic residues is no longer favorable due to charge repulsion. Of the peptidomimetic inhibitors of APA, amastatin has higher potency than bestatin by fitting better in the S1 pocket and interacting additionally with the S3′ subsite. These results explain the calcium-modulated substrate specificity of APA in central hypertension regulation and can guide the design and development of brain-targeting antihypertensive APA inhibitors.