cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship between the features of sparse matrix and the matrix solving status

Solving very large sparse linear systems are often encountered in many scientific and engineering applications. Generally there are two classes of methods available to solve the sparse linear systems. The first class is the direct solution methods, represented by the Gauss elimination method. The second class is the iterative solution methods, of which the preconditioned Krylov subspace methods are considered to be the most effective ones currently available in this field. The sparsity structure and the numerical value distribution which are considered as features of the sparse matrices may have important effect on the iterative solution of linear systems. We first extract the matrix features, and then preconditioned iterative methods are used to the linear system. Our experiments show that a few features that may affect, positively or negatively, the solving status of a sparse matrix with the level-based preconditioners.
Tail-biting products trellises, the BCJR-construction and their duals

We consider the constructions of tail-biting trellises for linear codes introduced by Koetter/Vardy [6] and Nori/Shankar [12]. We will show that each one-to-one product trellis can be merged to a BCJR-trellis defined in a slightly stronger sense than in [12] and that each trellis that originates from the characteristic matrix defined in [6] is a BCJR-trellis. Furthermore, BCJR-trellises are always nonmergeable. Finally, we will consider a certain duality conjecture of Koetter/Vardy and show that it holds true for minimal trellises.
Alcohol and anxiety: Ethopharmacological approaches

1. Anxiety reduction may be a mechanism in many of the behavioral problems associated with alcohol intake, including abuse, addiction, aggression, and impulsivity. 2. New "ethoexperimental" models of anxiety measure natural antipredator defensive behaviors. These include flight, freezing, and defensive threat and attack to discrete, present, threat stimuli; a pattern of risk assessment behaviors to potential threat; proximic avoidance and inhibition of nondefensive behaviors to both present and potential threat; and antipredator alarm vocalizations in a social situation when concealment is possible. 3. Alcohol reduces freezing, behavioral inhibition, and proximic avoidance. It increases risk assessment from a freezing baseline and decreases it from a movement (risk assessment) baseline. It has a biphasic effect on defensive attack, increasing it at low doses, but decreasing it at high doses. Alcohol has little or no effect on flight, defensive threat, and antipredator ultrasound. 4. The effects of alcohol on behavioral inhibition, proximic avoidance, and risk assessment from either a freezing or a movement baseline are identical to those of the classic anxiolytic, diazepam. However, alcohol appears to impact several defensive behaviors not influenced by diazepam. 5. These results provide considerable support for an anxiolytic interpretation of alcohol effects, but suggest that alcohol may have additional effects than those on anxiety mechanisms.
The effect of air swirl profile on the instability of a viscous liquid jet

A temporal linear stability analysis has been carried out to predict the instability of a viscous liquid jet surrounded by a swirling air stream with three-dimensional disturbances. The effects of flow conditions and fluid properties on the instability of the liquid jet are investigated via a parametric study by varying axial Weber number axial velocity ratio of the gas to liquid phase, swirl Weber numbers, density ratio and the Ohnesorge number. It is observed that the relative axial velocity between the liquid and gas phases promotes the interfacial instability. As the axial Weber number increases, the growth rates of unstable waves, the most unstable wavenumber and the unstable range of wavenumbers increase. Meanwhile, the increasing importance of helical modes compared to the axisymmetric mode switches the breakup regime from the Rayleigh regime to the first wind-induced regime and on to the second wind-induced regime. The predicted range of wavenumbers in which the first helical mode has higher growth rates than the axisymmetric mode agrees very well with experimental data. Results show that the destabilizing effects of the density ratio and the axial Weber number are nearly the same. Liquid viscosity inhibits the disintegration process of the liquid jet by reducing the growth rate of disturbances and by shifting the most unstable wavenumber to a lower value. Moreover, it damps higher helical modes more significantly than the axisymmetric mode. Air swirl has a stabilizing effect on the liquid jet. As air swirl strength increases, the growth rates of helical modes are reduced more significantly than that of the axisymmetric mode. The air swirl profile is found to have a significant effect on the instability of the liquid jet. The global, as well as local, effects of the swirl profile are examined in detail.
Provider networks and primary-care signups: do they restrict the use of medical services?

This article analyzes the effect of gatekeeper and network restrictions on use of health-care services using simulation-based estimation methods. Data from the Community Tracking Survey (1996-1997) show significant evidence of selection into plans with gatekeeper and/or network restrictions. Enrollees in plans with networks of physicians have fewer office-based visits to non-physician medical professionals, but more emergency room visits and hospital stays. Individuals in plans that require signups with a primary-care provider have more visits to nonphysician providers of care, more surgeries and hospital stays but substantially fewer emergency room visits. Enrollees of plans that do not pay for out-of-network services have more office-based and emergency room visits, but less surgeries and hospitalizations. Copyright
Co-existence of aluminosilicate and calcium silicate gel characterized through selective dissolution and FTIR spectral subtraction

Alkali activation of a fly ash and slag mixture supposedly forms a combination of aluminosilicate and calcium silicate hydrate gel as reaction products. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is often used to characterize the complex nature of the reaction products. However, interpretation of FTIR results is difficult as the Si–O–T (T = Al, Si) vibrations from the initial ash, geopolymer product, unreacted slag, and calcium silicate hydrate yield an overlapping spectrum. This paper reports how the issue can be resolved by selectively dissolving calcium silicate hydrate and geopolymer product, and subtracting FTIR spectra of the insoluble residue from the original material to determine IR spectrum of the material dissolved.
Uniform random number generator by shift register method

The quixotic quest for the perfect random number generator has been an overriding factor for a group of simulation purists. Although we have developed a series of tests for the evaluation of random number generators, only a few of us engaged in modeling and simulation have actually taken the time to analyze the generators we use; most are willing to accept the random number generators available on the system -- just because it is there!
Rational surfaces in algebraic models of smooth manifolds

Every compact smooth manifold M is diffeomorphic to a nonsingular real algebraic set, called an algebraic model of M. We study modulo 2 homology classes represented by rational algebraic surfaces in X, as X runs through the class of all algebraic models of M.
Organization and expression of endogenous murine mammary tumor virus genes in mice congenic at the H-2 complex.

Abstract The organization and expression of endogenous murine mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) genetic information was examined in a number of mouse strains Congenic at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Analysis of restriction endonuclease-generated fragments of cellular DNA revealed no differences in the integration sites ( Eco RI)or internal cleavage sites ( Pst I) of MuMTV proviruses in any of the (C7BL/10 (B10) Congenic strains tested. Similar studies indicated that the proviruses of BALB/c and BALB.B mice are indistinguishable, and that the restriction endonuclease-generated fragments of BALB/c mice are similar to those of the B10 strain. These proviruses behave as stable genetic elements which have been well conserved during the derivation of the Congenic strains. Also, since none of the characteristic MuMTV proviruses of the donor strains could be identified in the Congenic mice, they do not seem to be closely linked to the H-2 complex. When concentrations of viral RNA in lactating mammary glands (LMGs) were measured by molecular hybridization kinetics, comparable levels of MuMTV RNA were found in all the B10 Congenic mice; considerably less viral RNA was detected in mice with a BALB/c background. This viral RNA in mammary gland cells was not translated into detectable gp49, the major MuMTV glycoprotein. These results indicate that the differences observed in susceptibility to mammary tumorigenesis induced in H-2 Congenic mice by exogenous MuMTV are not influenced by the organization or expression of endogenous MuMTV proviral genes.
Structure and properties of gels

A brief review is presented of the structure and properties of inorganic gels. The mechanism of formation of gels and precipitates involves the aggregation of polymers or particles. If bonds form irreversibly, fractal aggregates grow and eventually fill space, resulting in a continuous elastic gel network; if the bonding is reversible, then the aggregates reorganize and become more compact, leading to precipitates. The existence of capillary pores in cement paste indicates that C-S-H is a precipitate, rather than a gel. Chemical reactions continue after gelation, leading to increasing rigidity and, in some cases, to spontaneous shrinkage (called syneresis). During drying, capillary pressure on the order of 10 to 100 MPa develops and produces huge shrinkage of compliant gels. As the gel shrinks, its modulus increases by several orders of magnitude; shrinkage stops when the network is stiff enough to resist the capillary forces. For gels, the modulus increases in proportion to the volume fraction of solids to a power between ∼3 and 4; consequently, the evolution of the modulus during drying and the final shrinkage can be estimated. Warping and cracking do not depend on the magnitude of the capillary pressure, but only on the gradient in pressure within the body. Slow drying reduces the gradients and prevents damage. The stresses and strains during drying can be calculated in terms of the permeability, physical dimensions, and viscoelastic properties of the gel. A variety of techniques have been developed to measure the latter properties, the simplest of which is a beam-bending measurement. When this method is applied to a rod of cement paste, the permeability and modulus are obtained in a matter of minutes.
Metalloregulation of FRE1 and FRE2 homologs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The high affinity uptake systems for iron and copper ions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involve metal-specific permeases and two known cell surface Cu(II) and Fe(III) metalloreductases, Fre1 and Fre2. Five novel genes found in theS. cerevisiae genome exhibit marked sequence similarity to Fre1 and Fre2, suggesting that the homologs are part of a family of proteins related to Fre1 and Fre2. The homologs are expressed genes in S. cerevisiae, and their expression is metalloregulated as is true with FRE1 and FRE2. Four of the homologs (FRE3-FRE6) are specifically iron-regulated through the Aft1 transcription factor. These genes are expressed either in cells limited for iron ion uptake by treatment with a chelator or in cells lacking the high affinity iron uptake system. Expression of FRE3-FRE6 is elevated in AFT1–1 cells and attenuated in aft1null cells, showing that iron modulation occurs through the Aft1 transcriptional activator. The fifth homolog FRE7 is specifically copper-metalloregulated. FRE7 is expressed in cells limited in copper ion uptake by a Cu(I)-specific chelator or in cells lacking the high affinity Cu(I) permeases. The constitutive expression of FRE7 in MAC1 cells and the lack of expression in mac1–1 cells are consistent with Mac1 being the critical transcriptional activator of FRE7 expression. The 5′ promoter sequence of FRE7 contains three copper-responsive promoter elements. Two elements are critical for Mac1-dependent FRE7 expression. Combinations of either the distal and central elements or the central and proximal elements result in copper-regulated FRE7 expression. Spacing between Mac1-responsive sites is important as shown by the attenuated expression of FRE7 and CTR1 when two elements are separated by over 100 base pairs. From the three Mac1-responsive elements in FRE7, a new consensus sequence for Mac1 binding can be established as TTTGC(T/G)C(A/G).
Spectroscopic evidence for bonding coordination defects in amorphous as

Abstract Spectroscopic evidence for four-fold and possibly, two-fold coordinated defects in amorphous As is presented. Structure in Raman scattering and infrared absorption measurements is interpreted using force-constant models and the cluster-Bethe-lattice method. The positions and intensities of certain peaks suggest that these defects may be the analogues of valence alternation pairs in amorphous chalcogenide glasses.
Effects of inbreeding on mental-ability factors

The differential effects of inbreeding on 11 subtests of the WISC, in a Japanese (Hiroshima) population, are related to the factor structure of the tests. The degree of inbreeding depression on mental abilities is most strongly correlated with the subtests' loadings on the General factor, g, which is common to all of the subtests. Loadings on the Verbal factor are also positively correlated with inbreeding depression. The (non-verbal) Performance factor, however, is slightly enhanced by inbreeding. One possible inference from these findings is that at least the General factor shows genetic dominance, which is theoretically consistent with natural selection for g in the course of human evolution. It is also noted that the factor structure of the WISC in the Japanese population is highly similar to that of the U.S. standardization sample.
The risk of liver neoplasia in relation to combined oral contraceptive use

Benign liver tumors occurring in young women were rarely reported in the medical literature before the introduction of oral contraceptives in the early 1960s. Subsequently, there were numerous case reports from the U.S. and other countries of liver tumors in women who used combined oral contraceptives. These reports, coupled with data from two U.S. case-control studies, indicate that the risk of hepatocellular adenoma increases sharply with increasing duration of oral contraceptive use. Case reports suggest that there may be a similar effect on the risk of focal nodular hyperplasia, but this is not established because there have been no case-control studies of the lesion. The incidence of benign liver disease attributable to oral contraceptive use in the U.S. is small because of the very low incidence of the disease. There have also been numerous case reports of malignant liver tumors in young women who used oral contraceptives. Seven case-control studies have been conducted--two in Great Britain, two in the U.S., one in Italy, one in several developing countries (conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO)), and one in South Africa. Data from the first five studies, all conducted in low risk populations, indicated an association of hepatocellular carcinoma (largely in the absence of liver cirrhosis) with oral contraceptive use. Because of small numbers estimates were unstable, but the risk did not appear to be increased appreciably for durations of use less than about five years. For longer durations, the risk appeared increased by five- to tenfold or more. There was little evidence of hepatitis B infection in the cases, but systematic determinations were not carried out. An increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma was not established, but few of these lesions were studied. Because the incidence of primary liver cancer in Northern Europe and the U.S. is low, the incidence attributable to oral contraceptive use is also likely to be low. The WHO study was carried out in eight countries, most of which have a high incidence of liver cancer and a high prevalence of a predisposing factor, hepatitis B infection. Similarly, the South African study was carried out among black women, and virtually all of the cases had serological evidence of hepatitis B infection. Both studies indicated no association of short-term oral contraceptive use with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, and the WHO study indicated a lack of association with cholangiocarcinoma.
Porosity of natural fracture networks

Volumetric imaging is used to determine the three-dimensional topology of natural fracture networks in coal subjected to reservoir conditions. Computerized X-ray tomographic data and bulk porosity measurements are combined with image processing techniques to quantify the porosity distribution of three-dimensional fracture networks in two coal cores. Under in-situ conditions, the porosity of the fracture networks in the cores is less than one-tenth of a percent. In addition, the porosity varies by {+-}10% over depth intervals of approximately 16 mm. 11 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.
Stereoscopic 3D reconstruction using motorized zoom lenses within an embedded system

This paper describes a novel embedded system capable of estimating 3D positions of surfaces viewed by a stereoscopic rig consisting of a pair of calibrated cameras. Novel theoretical and technical aspects of the system are tied to two aspects of the design that deviate from typical stereoscopic reconstruction systems: (1) incorporation of an 10x zoom lens (Rainbow- H10x8.5) and (2) implementation of the system on an embedded system. The system components include a DSP running μClinux, an embedded version of the Linux operating system, and an FPGA. The DSP orchestrates data flow within the system and performs complex computational tasks and the FPGA provides an interface to the system devices which consist of a CMOS camera pair and a pair of servo motors which rotate (pan) each camera. Calibration of the camera pair is accomplished using a collection of stereo images that view a common chess board calibration pattern for a set of pre-defined zoom positions. Calibration settings for an arbitrary zoom setting are estimated by interpolation of the camera parameters. A low-computational cost method for dense stereo matching is used to compute depth disparities for the stereo image pairs. Surface reconstruction is accomplished by classical triangulation of the matched points from the depth disparities. This article includes our methods and results for the following problems: (1) automatic computation of the focus and exposure settings for the lens and camera sensor, (2) calibration of the system for various zoom settings and (3) stereo reconstruction results for several free form objects.
Applications of Cardiac CT in the Tetralogy of Fallot Patient

In various subsets of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients, the anatomic heterogeneity, myriad of potential surgical palliations, and the potentially associated intracardiac and extracardiac anomalies encountered must be taken into consideration when imaging a patient with TOF. Multidetector cardiac
A structural model for the α‐subunit of transducin Implications of its role as a molecular switch in the visual signal transduction mechanism

Transducin is a GTP-binding protein which mediates the light activation signal from photolyzed rhodopsin to cGMP phosphodiesterase and is pivotal in the visual excitation process. Biochemical studies suggest that the Tα subunit of transducin is composed of three functional domains, one for rhodopsin/Tβγ interaction, another for guanine nucleotide binding, and a third for the activation of phosphodiesterase. The integration of the primary sequence of Tα along with secondary structure, hydropathy and folding topology predictions, and a comparison with homologous proteins have led to the construction of a three-dimensional model of the Tα subunit. A molecular mechanism which underlies the coupling action of Tα is suggested on the basis of this model.
An electron microprobe study of P645/T390: Evidence for an Early Helladic III Lerna–Aegina connection

Middle Helladic Aeginetan Ware is widely distributed throughout the Aegean. It is characterized by a “gold mica or volcanic ash” fabric and is abundant at Lerna on the Argive plain, Greece, in the Middle Helladic and Late Helladic I periods. A group of Early Helladic III ceramics at Lerna includes P645/T390, which also has a volcanic fabric. We have sampled all the major rock types of the separate volcanic episodes on Aegina, Methana, and Poros and analyzed the constituent minerals with the electron microprobe. These analyses provide a reference standard against which the mineralogy of P645/T390 and other potential Aeginetan wares can be compared. The compositions of amphibole, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and biotite in P645/T390 are identical to the same minerals in dacites on Aegina, suggesting an origin on that island. Compositional mismatches with the minerals of Methana and Poros indicated the ceramic was not manufactured at these locations. This narrow-necked jar represents the earliest occurrence of Aeginetan Ware on mainland Greece that has been confirmed by a quantitative method. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Primary structure of tRNA Lys of E. coli B

The primary structure of tRNALys of E. coli was determined by use of [32P]-tRNA. The sequence is pGGGUCGUUAGCUCAGDDGGDAGAGCAGUUGACUmam5-s2-UUU-t6AApsiCAAUUGm7GXCGCAGGTpsiCGAAUCCUGCACGACCCACCA. No s4-U was detected in position 8. No other lysine tRNA was detected but the existence of another species has not been ruled out.
Using Construal Level Theory to Motivate Accounting Research: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT: This study reviews extant literature on construal level theory (CLT) of psychological distance (Liberman and Trope 1998; Trope and Liberman 2003). According to CLT, the concept of psychological distance constitutes a common meaning shared by four interrelated dimensions: temporal distance, social distance, spatial distance, and hypotheticality. The core premise is that psychological distance is tied to the level of mental construal (i.e., mental representation), such that more distant objects (or situations) are construed at a higher level and higher-level construals evoke thoughts of more distant objects (Trope and Liberman 2010). CLT further suggests that mental construals influence evaluation, prediction, and behavior (Trope, Liberman, and Wakslak 2007). In spite of the fact that CLT is considered a prominent contemporary theory and comprehensive framework for judgment and decision-making, behavioral accounting research, with few exceptions, has largely ignored the theory's predictions and in...
Undocumented Immigrants, Left Out Of Health Reform, Likely To Continue To Grow As Share Of The Uninsured

The increase in undocumented immigration between 1999 and 2007 contributed to an increase in the number of uninsured people in the United States. During this period, the number of undocumented immigrants increased from an estimated 8.5 million to 11.8 million, leading to an estimated additional 1.8 million uninsured. These uninsured and undocumented immigrants were estimated to represent 27 percent of the overall increase of 6.9 million uninsured people during this period. Undocumented immigrants accounted for one in seven of the uninsured in 2007, up from one in eight in 1999. These undocumented immigrants will not be eligible for public insurance or any type of private coverage obtained through exchanges under the Affordable Care Act of 2010. As a result, members of this group will eventually constitute a larger percentage of the uninsured population, unless other policy actions are taken to provide for their coverage, or their immigration status is changed.
Access to the Broadcast Media: The Legislative Precedents.

Application of the Fairness Doctrine in license renewal proceedings “has been far more effective than specific access rights in opining broadcasting to the views and participation of minority groups.”
A monthly and latitudinally varying volcanic forcing dataset in simulations of 20th century climate

[1] A new monthly volcanic forcing dataset is included in a coupled GCM for a more physically consistent treatment of the stratospheric sulfate aerosol history from explosive volcanism. The volcanic forcing is different from previous versions in that there is an individual evolution of the aerosol for each event. Thus the seasonal and latitudinal dependence of the volcanic aerosol can affect global climate in a more realistic way prior to the satellite period, compared to earlier volcanic forcing datasets. Negative radiative forcing from volcanic activity is greatest in the early 20th century prior to 1915 and in the late 20th century after 1960. The combination of volcanic and solar forcing contributes to an early-20th century warming, followed by relative cooling in late 20th century. Consequently, the addition of natural forcing factors to the anthropogenic GHG forcing in late 20th century is required to simulate the observed late 20th century warming.
Constrained interpolation (remap) of divergence-free fields

Abstract A novel constrained interpolation algorithm for remapping of solenoidal face finite element vector fields is presented. The algorithm is based on explicit recovery, postprocessing and interpolation of a potential for the original vector field and a subsequent application of a curl operator to obtain the desired divergence-free finite element field on the new mesh. The use of interpolation instead of advection in the remap process offers valuable computational advantages. Old and new meshes are neither required to have the same connectivity, nor to be close to each other. Slope limiting and upwinding, which can be sensitive to grid structure, are avoided and replaced by local optimization to control energy of the remapped field. The new method is validated using a suite of cyclic remap problems on random and tensor product mesh sequences. A comparison with a local remapper based on a constrained transport advection algorithm is also included.
A new hybrid FDTD field-teleportation approach for modeling radiating/scattering structures

The essence of the technique, called Field Teleportation, is to invoke the principle of equivalent sources (Schelkunoff's currents) using FDTD's discrete definition of the curl to copy any field propagating in one FDTD domain to a finite region of another domain without distortion [1]. Here an approach to teleport a frequency domain field into FDTD domain has been successfully tested for realistic large objeet scattering problem. The teleported field is used in FDTD to illuminate a scattering object introduced into the test region and the time-domain scattered signal has been transformed back into the frequency domain as induced equivalent surface currents. Having these currents, calculation of the farfield scattering becomes a trivial procedure. For the case of an exact frequency-domain solution, the error introduced by field-teleportation for 5λ 5λ by 2λ modeled space with PEC boundary is less than -110 dB and the phase error is less than 0.16 degree. For the case of field obtained by Uuiform Theory of Diffraction (UTD) on condense grid, intrinsic error has not exceeded -60 dB in magnitnde and ±3 degree in phase. In this case main e m r caused by H-field retrieving from E-field on condensed (non-Yee) grid. Our modeling shows high importance of the grid matching between any frequency domain method and FDTD (E and H-field components have to he found on Yee-grid for the hest field teleportation).
EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS INDUCED IN THE RABBIT WITH HETEROLOGOUS RENAL ANTIGENS

Rabbits immunized to different heterologous renal antigens developed antibodies some of which are fixed to their own glomeruli (autoantibodies). These autoantibodies, reacting with the host's kidneys, were directed to those antigenic determinants which were present in identical or cross-reactive form in both the immunizing antigen and the kidneys of the host. Glomerulonephritis developed in some of the rabbits immunized to heterologous mammalian kidneys, but in none of those immunized to nonmammalian kidneys. The development of glomerulonephritis in the immunized rabbits appears to depend upon two factors: (a) the amount of autoantikidney antibody made to the common renal antigens; and (b) the quantity of the common antigens available in the host's kidneys. An amount of common antigen sufficient to fix a nephritogenic amount of antibody is essential for the development of disease.
Estimation of interaction effects using pooled biospecimens in a case‐control study

Pooling, or physically mixing biospecimens, prior to evaluating biomarkers dramatically reduces biomarker evaluation cost, reduces the quantity of biospecimens required of each individual, and may reduce the percentage of laboratory measurements below the lower limit of detection. Motivated by a case-control study on miscarriage (binary outcome) and cytokines (continuous exposures), we are interested in estimating parameters in a logistic regression, where individuals with the same disease status (with or without a miscarriage) are paired and their pooled cytokine concentrations are assessed. Previous research has proposed a set-based logistic model to evaluate the relationship between a disease and pooled exposures. While the set-based logistic model is very useful for estimating main effects, it cannot estimate interactions of continuous exposures when both are measured in pools. Therefore, we propose using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm to obtain estimators of all parameters in logistic regression model, including interactions effects. Using a simulation study, we present comparisons of efficiency under different scenarios where exposures have been measured in pools and individually. Our simulations show that randomly sampling half of the available biospecimens has less efficiency than pooling pairs of biospecimens stratified by disease status. The EM algorithm provides a method for estimating interaction effects when biospecimens have already been pooled for other reasons such as the gain in efficiency for estimating main effects demonstrated by previous research. This manuscript demonstrates that the EM algorithm offers a promising approach to estimate interaction effects of pooled biospecimens.
Optimal power control in interference-limited fading wireless channels with outage-probability specifications

We propose a new method of power control for interference-limited wireless networks with Rayleigh fading of both the desired and interference signals. Our method explicitly takes into account the statistical variation of both the received signal and interference power and optimally allocates power subject to constraints on the probability of fading induced outage for each transmitter/receiver pair. We establish several results for this type of problem. We establish tight bounds that relate the outage probability caused by channel fading to the signal-to-interference margin calculated when the statistical variation of the signal and interference powers is ignored. This allows us to show that well-known methods for allocating power, based on Perron-Frobenius eigenvalue theory, can be used to determine power allocations that are provably close to achieving optimal (i.e., minimal) outage probability. We show that the problems of minimizing the transmitter power subject to constraints on outage probability and minimizing outage probability subject to power constraints can be posed as a geometric program (GP). A GP is a special type of optimization problem that can be transformed to a nonlinear convex optimization problem by a change of variables and therefore solved globally and efficiently by interior-point methods. We also give a fast iterative method for finding the optimal power allocation to minimize the outage probability.
On the temporal interpretation of Japanese temporal clause

The interpretation of Japanese temporal clauses depends on an intricate interplay between a number of factors including, in addition to the temporal connective, the tense and aspectual properties of the embedded clause as well as the matrix clause. This paper presents a detailed survey of these interactions and a model-theoretic compositional analysis which improves significantly over previous proposals in terms of attention to empirical detail and internal simplicity.
Can High-Level Concepts Fill the Semantic Gap in Video Retrieval? A Case Study With Broadcast News

A number of researchers have been building high-level semantic concept detectors such as outdoors, face, building, to help with semantic video retrieval. Our goal is to examine how many concepts would be needed, and how they should be selected and used. Simulating performance of video retrieval under different assumptions of concept detection accuracy, we find that good retrieval can be achieved even when detection accuracy is low, if sufficiently many concepts are combined. We also derive suggestions regarding the types of concepts that would be most helpful for a large concept lexicon. Since our user study finds that people cannot predict which concepts will help their query, we also suggest ways to find the best concepts to use. Ultimately, this paper concludes that "concept-based" video retrieval with fewer than 5000 concepts, detected with a minimal accuracy of 10% mean average precision is likely to provide high accuracy results in broadcast news retrieval.
Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve; report of three cases and analysis of clinical syndrome.

In Ebstein's anomaly the tricuspid valve is displaced downward so that the upper portion of the right ventricle is incorporated in the right auricle. This imipairs the efficiency of the right side of the heart and produces a distinctive syndrome, which is described here for the first time. Diagnosis is important because this malformation, which is not amenable to surgery, may be confused with the tetralogy of Fallot.
A Transformation of Propositional Prolog Programs into Classical Logic

We transform a propositional Prolog program P into a set of propositional formulas prl(P) and show that Prolog, using its depth-first left-to-right search, is sound and complete with respect to prl(P). This means that a goal succeeds in Prolog if and only if it follows from prl(P) in classical propositional logic. The generalization of prl(P) to predicate logic leads to a system for which Prolog is still sound but unfortunately not complete. If one changes, however, the definition of the termination operator, then one obtains a theory that allows to prove termination of arbitrary non-floundering goals under Prolog.
Textured Lives: Women, Art and Representation in Modern Mexico

Textured Lives: Women, Art and Representation in Modern Mexico. CLAUDIA SCHAEFER. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1992. 163 pp. $29.95 (cloth). ISBN 0–8165–1250–7.
MENTAL ILLNESS IN MADAGASCAR: A MODEL OF COMMUNITY-BASED CARE

(2010). MENTAL ILLNESS IN MADAGASCAR: A MODEL OF COMMUNITY-BASED CARE. Journal of Pastoral Theology: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 128-151.
A Review of Parent-Based Barriers to Parent-Adolescent Communication about Sex and Sexuality: Implications for Sex and Family Educators.

Although adolescents' sexual health is generally better when parents and adolescents communicate about sex and sexuality, researchers have found parents can be reluctant to engage adolescents in conversations about those topics. To better understand why, we reviewed prior literature and identified four types of parent-based barriers to communication with adolescents about sex: limited sexual health knowledge, believing adolescents are not ready to discuss sex, discomfort discussing sex, and demographic factors. We then used the Theory of Planned Behavior to develop recommendations for how health educators can address these barriers, thereby increasing parent–adolescent sexual health communication.
Embedded system design of a real-time parking guidance system

The primary objective of this work is to design a parking guidance system to reliably detect entering/exiting vehicles to a parking garage in a cost-efficient manner. Existing solutions (inductive loops, RFID based systems, and video image processors) at shopping malls, universities, airports etc., are expensive due to high installation and maintenance costs. There is a need for a parking guidance system that is reliable, accurate, and cost-effective. The proposed parking guidance system is designed to optimize the use of parking spaces and to reduce wait times. Based on a literature review we identify that the ultrasonic sensor is suitable to detect an entering/exiting vehicle. Initial experiments were performed to test the sensor using an Arduino based embedded system. Detection logic was then developed to identify a car after analyzing the initial test results. This logic was extended to trigger a camera to take an image of the vehicle for validation purposes. This system consists of Arduino, ultrasonic sensor, and a temperature sensor. It was installed and tested in Richard Beard Garage at the University of South Florida for five days. The test results of each trial are provided and average error for all the trials is calculated. The error cases occur due to golf carts, straddling cars on both entry/exit lanes, and people walking under the sensor. The average error of the system is 5.36% over five days (120 hrs). The estimated cost for one detector per lane is approximately $30.
Observation of Individual Semiconducting Nanoparticle Collisions by Stochastic Photoelectrochemical Currents

We describe a method to detect individual semiconducting nanoparticles (NPs) using the photoelectrochemical (PEC) current measured at an ultramicroelectrode (UME). We use photooxidation of MeOH by TiO2 NPs as a model system of photocatalysis in solution. NPs suspended in MeOH under constant illumination produce valence-band holes that oxidize MeOH. The electrons are collected at the UME, and the current-versus-time data show discrete current changes that are assigned to particle-by-particle interactions of the NPs with the UME. The stepwise changes in the photocurrent denote irreversible attachment of NPs to Pt UMEs (<30 μm diameter). We found that accumulation of electrons in the conduction band by the NPs is not enough to explain the stochastic PEC currents. We propose that the observed anodic steps have a PEC nature and are due to photooxidation of MeOH by the NPs at the electrode surface.
Effect of betaine on the growth performance of chicks inoculated with mixed cultures of avian Eimeria species and on invasion and development of Eimeria tenella and Eimeria acervulina in vitro and in vivo

Abstract At 7 d postinoculation (DPI) with a mixed culture of avian Eimeria species, 21-d-old chicks maintained in batteries and floor pens on a diet containing 0.15% (3 lb/ton) betaine plus 66 ppm (60 g/ton) salinomycin were significantly heavier and had significantly lower feed conversion ratios and mortality than chicks fed diets containing 0.15% betaine or 66 ppm salinomycin alone, or the control diet. At 31 DPI, when the chicks were 45 d old, the differences between the diet groups were not as great as at 7 DPI. In vitro, except at high concentrations, betaine was nontoxic to sporozoites of Eimeria tenella or Eimeria acervulina and had little effect on their invasion and development in cultured cells. In vivo, invasion by E. tenella and E. acervulina sporozoites was significantly reduced in all chicks fed diets containing betaine or salinomycin compared with that in control chicks. There was a significant interaction between betaine and salinomycin that impacted on invasion by both species. Overall development of E. tenella did not appear to be adversely affected by addition of betaine to diets containing salinomycin. Conversely, development of E. acervulina was reduced in chicks fed diets containing 0.075% (1.5 lb/ton) betaine plus 66 ppm salinomycin as compared with that in chicks fed salinomycin alone.
Development of the Bait Principle for Control of Boll Weevils: Addition of Terpenoids and Related Plant Constituents

In laboratory biossays, several candidate attractants incorporated into a cottonseed oil bait increased the olfactory response of Anthonomus grandis Boheman 10- to 16-fold over the response to the standard unfortified bait. Also, in a ½-acre field-cage test, a mixture of N -borneol, rose oxide, a-pinene, and linalool oxide bait added to cottonseed oil bait that contained dye for a marker increased the response of weevils 48% before mid-September. After that period, none of the attractants elicited an increase in response.
Networking smartphones for disaster recovery

In this paper, we investigate how to network smart-phones for providing communications in disaster recovery. By bridging the gaps among different kinds of wireless networks, we have designed and implemented a system called TeamPhone, which provides smartphones the capabilities of communications in disaster recovery. Specifically, TeamPhone consists of two components: a messaging system and a self-rescue system. The messaging system integrates cellular networking, ad-hoc networking and opportunistic networking seamlessly, and enables communications among rescue workers. The self-rescue system energy-efficiently groups the smartphones of trapped survivor and sends out emergency messages so as to assist rescue operations. We have implemented TeamPhone as a prototype application on the Android platform and deployed it on off-the-shelf smartphones. Experiment results show that TeamPhone can properly fulfill communication requirements and greatly facilitate rescue operations in disaster recovery.
Imaging of Benign Prostatic Conditions

Benign diseases of the prostate include a spectrum of pathologies that are caused by congenital development such as prostatic cysts, aging such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, and infections such as bacterial prostatitis and prostatic abscess. Imaging of non-malignant conditions of the prostate can be performed using different imaging modalities. The utilities of prostate imaging include detection and follow up of prostate abnormalities, investigation of symptoms that can be caused by diseases of the prostate, selection of treatment options, and image guidance for surgical intervention. In this chapter, we will discuss the presentations, etiologies, and diagnoses of benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, prostatic abscess, prostatic cysts, and prostatic calculi. While transrectal ultrasonography is the standard imaging modality of the majority of prostatic conditions, advancement in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially for investigation of prostate cancer, have led to increased incidental findings of asymptomatic benign prostatic pathologies and better delineation of these diseases.
Inhibitory effects of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A against human endometrial cancer cell line Ishikawa

Objective:To study the inhibitory effect of demethylating agent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine(5-Aza-CdR)and trichostatin A(TSA)against human endometrial cancer cell line Ishikawa in vitro.Methods:Ishikawa cells were treated with 5-Aza-CdR,TSA or a combination of both and the growth curves of cells in each group were obtained by trypan-blue exclusion assay and cell counting.The cell apoptosis was examined by Annexin V,cell cycle by flow cytometry,and cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase(PARP)and activation of caspase-8 by Western blotting.The effect of the 2 inhibitors on the survival rates of transplanted tumors,tumor sizes and weights were studied in mouse transplantation model of Ishikawa cells.Results:5-Aza-CdR and TSA inhibited the growth of Ishikawa cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.5-Aza-CdR combined with TSA resulted in greater growth inhibition than they were used alone(P0.05).5-Aza-CdR and TSA both induced apoptosis of Ishikawa cells,and a combination of the two caused higher apoptosis rate(P0.05).5-Aza-CdR combined with TSA also induced the G1 phase arrest of Ishikawa cells.Caspase-8 activation and cleavage of PARP were confirmed by Western blotting.5-Aza-CdR and TSA inhibited the growth of transplanted tumors and reduced the volume and weight of tumors.Conclusion:5-Aza-CdR and TSA can inhibit the growth of Ishikawa cells and induce their apoptosis,and combination of both has more potent effect,which might be related to the activation of caspase-8 and the cleavage of PARP.
Characteristics of spatial variations in xylem sap flow in urban greening tree species Pinus tabulaeformis,Cedrus deodara and Robinia pseudoacacia in Beijing,China

Aims Water consumption of urban plants with multiple ecological effects is important. However,large errors may occur when sap flow is scaled from single point measurement to whole tree without knowledge of spatial sap flow profiles in the trunk. Our objective was to investigate the spatial variation of sap flux density (Js) and its possible cause to estimate whole-tree water use more precisely. Methods Spatial patterns of sap flux density in the sapwood of Pinus tabulaeformis,Cedrus deodara and Robinia pseudoacacia were investigated with thermal dissipation probe from June to November 2008 in Beijing,China. Important findings Axial variation was substantial. Due to greater exposure to sun in the south aspect,the anatomy of the xylem structure and lower branch height,there was an apparent relationship between sap flux density and aspect in P. tabulaeformis and C. deodara,but no apparent relationship in R. pseudoacacia. Hourly Js over 24 h at different aspects were highly correlated; therefore,mean Js may be accurately estimated based on measurement obtained on one aspect. Js showed marked radial variation within the trunk. Js at different depths show similar diurnal pattern,while Js at deeper depth lagged behind and was more sensitive to evaporative demand than the shallower depth. Hourly Js over 24 h at different depths were highly correlated,so Js at a particular depth could be extrapolated as a multiple of Js at the depth of 15 mm. However,depth profiles of Js differed among aspects within a tree. Js at the deeper depth on the south aspect of C. deodara was greater and had no time lag compared to other aspects. In conclusion,sap flux density on the north side at depths of 15 and 70 mm could give an accurate estimation of whole-tree transpiration.
A New Method for Inducing Homogeneous Alignment of Nematic Liquid Crystals

A uniform homogeneous alignment of nematic liquid crystals can be induced by sputtering a silica coating onto the substrate and by ion-beam etching the silica surface at a shallow angle. The resulting liquid crystal alignment is parallel to the etch direction with a very small tilt angle out of the surface toward the ion beam source. Orientational control is believed to be derived from the presence of extremely minute grooves in the etched silica surface. One can measure a splay in the alignment caused by a slight divergence of the ion beam. Small defects in the alignment occasionally appear but are metastable and can be eliminated by heating or applying an ac field.