cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-scale Structure-from-Motion Reconstruction with small memory consumption

Structure-from-Motion reconstruction is to recover the 3 dimensional structure from 2 dimensional images. Recent research in this field demonstrates the ability to reconstruct cities based on images extracted from a photo collection website; SIFT feature is typically extracted to detect correspondences between images. For the reconstruction of large scale unsorted images, the system is required to store all features and points information in the memory to search for correspondences. As SIFT feature is a 128 dimensional real-valued vector, storing each descriptor would consume a significant amount of memory. Due to this limitation, we propose to project the high-dimensional feature into a lower-dimensional space by using a new learned projection matrix while still maintaining the property of the original features. Hence, the result of this projection will shorten the distance among descriptors of the same point while lengthening the distance among descriptors of different points. These projected descriptors use Hellinger distance for calculation of the similarity between features. Furthermore, we learn a mapping function, which will map the real-valued descriptor into binary code coping with the variation of correspondence searching method. Experiments demonstrate that our method achieve excellent results with limited memory requirement.
Matrix metalloproteinase activities of turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) bile.

Abstract The bile from turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) gall bladders was found to contain substantial matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activities using gelatin, collagen, and casein substrate zymography, [3H]labeled collagen degradation assays, and gelatin–agarose affinity purification. Five major bands corresponding to approximate Mw of 64, 60, 46, 40 and 36 kDa showed gelatinolytic activities. On incubation with p-aminophenylmercuric acetate or thimerosal, the densities of both the 64- and 46-kDa bands decreased with increasing intensities of the 60- and 40-kDa bands. Both the 64- and 60-kDa bands showed collagenolytic activities whereas the caseinolytic activities appeared as diffuse bands corresponding to Mw of approximately 60, 40 and 36 kDa. Using [3H]collagen as substrate, the bile enzymes showed both a time and concentration-dependent degradation, which could be inhibited by the MMP inhibitors such as EDTA, phenanthroline, and N-[(2R)-2-(hydroxyamido carbonylmethyl)-4-methylpentanonyl]- l -tryptophan methylamide, but not by serine and cysteine protease inhibitors like trans-epoxysuccinyl- l -leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride or leupeptin. Both 60- and the 40-kDa gelatinolytic bands showed affinity adsorption to a gelatin–agarose matrix. The physiological roles of bile MMPs are not clear, but their involvement in the digestive functions of birds are likely.
The influence of ergometer pedaling direction on peak patellofemoral joint forces.

Abstract Objective . To compare patellofemoral joint forces during forward pedaling and reverse pedaling on a bicycle ergometer. Design . Experimental within-subject design. Background . Clinicians addressing patellofemoral pain syndrome often strive to achieve quadriceps strength while reducing forces at the patellofemoral joint. Related to this goal, previous research has shown greater activity in the quadriceps during reverse pedaling compared to forward pedaling on a bicycle ergometer, however, patellofemoral joint forces were not examined. Methods . Twenty-one healthy males performed 5-min exercise bouts for forward and reverse pedaling while normal and tangential pedal forces and kinematic data were collected. Inertial properties of each segment were estimated and net joint moments were calculated using Newtonian inverse dynamics. Patellofemoral joint forces ( F pf ) were quantified using the equation F pf =2 F Q ·sin β /2, where F Q is the quadriceps force and β is the patellar mechanism angle. Results . Reverse pedaling exhibited a 110% greater peak patellofemoral joint force and a 149% greater quadriceps force than forward pedaling. Peak effective moment arm lengths were not different between conditions. Conclusions . Reverse pedaling is associated with a greater peak patellofemoral force than forward pedaling. The peak force was influenced by the quadriceps force and not by the moment arm length. Relevance Insufficient data exist concerning the use of reverse pedaling as an alternative to forward pedaling for rehabilitation of knee disorders. Although quadriceps activity appears greater for reverse pedaling compared to forward pedaling, greater peak patellofemoral forces contradict clinical treatment goals for patellofemoral pain syndrome and may lead to load-elicited pain or damage to joint structures.
Telecommunications demand modeling

Taylor goes on to argue that the telephone possesses many unique features which considerably complicate the analysis of its demand. Several of these characteristics of telecommunications demand are addressed in a series of theoretical papers published during the mid-1970s in The Bell Journal of Economics. Taylor devotes a chapter to exploring the relative strengths and weaknesses of these models in adequately characterizing the unique features of telecommunications demand. Taylor also notes that at the time of his survey, little of this theoretical work had been incorporated into existing empirical telecommunications demand models. In Telecommunications Demand Modeling: An Integrated View, De Fontenay, Shugard and Sibley have collected an impressive group of essays on telecommunications demand analysis that makes considerable progress towards addressing Taylor’s criticism. Many of these papers incorporate recent theoretical work into empirical models of telecommunications demand. In addition, several of the papers present new theoretical advances in modeling the unique aspects of telecommunications demand. This book is a selected subset of the papers given at the conference,
The interpersonal influence of depression following spinal cord injury: A methodological study

Previous investigations of the interpersonal response to depression and spinal cord injury have used different analog methods, and this has prevented reliable comparisons across studies. This study examined the effects of disparate analog methods on the interpersonal response to depression and spinal cord injury. Male and female college students were exposed to one of four analog presentations (in vivo,videotape, audiotape, and videotape without sound) in which a male spinal cord injured actor portrayed a depressed or nondepressed state during a brief interview. Subjects rated their own mood following the analog presentation and responded to a series of questions measuring their reactions to the actor. Subjects in the depressed condition experienced greater negative mood and reported more negative reactions toward the actor than subjects in the nondepressed condition. Subjects exposed to the in vivoanalog method experienced greater anxiety and hostility than those in the audiotape, videotape, or videotape without sound methods. There were no differential analog effects, however, for subjects' reactions to the actor. The presence or absence of actor depression and method of analog presentation did not interact with one another. These findings are discussed in terms of the interpersonal model of depression as it relates to spinal cord injury. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the study are presented.
Is the Sabine-Neches estuary net heterotrophic or autotrophic? A reply to the comment by Flinn et al.

In our earlier paper (Bianchi et al. 1997), we concluded that the Sabine-Neches estuary (southeast Texas) had low turnover of autochthonous carbon, based on low light penetrance, short hydraulic residence times (ca. 3 days), high inputs of refractory dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and low inputs of autochthonous carbon sources to sediments. High POC: chlorophyll a ratios (values > 1400) also indicated that allochthonous carbon inputs were a significant source to this light-limited estuary. Annual mean concentrations of chlorophyll a (3.0 ,ug 1-1) and particulate organic carbon (1.1 mg 1-1) in the water column were found to be considerably lower than other shallow estuarine systems. Only during a low inflow period in October 1993, did we observe considerably higher chlorophyll a concentrations in the lower estuary (ca. 16 ,Ig 1-1), which we attributed to injections of coastal waters. Since we did not measure parameters such as bacterial production and biomass as well as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), it was clearly not our objective to determine if the Sabine-Neches estuary was net heterotrophic or autotrophic. However, our characterization of the Sabine-Neches as a predominantly net heterotrophic
Rapid purification and N-terminal amino acid sequence of a photoaffinity-labeled juvenile hormone binding protein from an arctiid moth larva, Platyprepia virginalis

Abstract A novel two-step procedure has been developed for the purification of juvenile hormone binding proteins (JHBP) from caterpillars. Crude hemolymph was photoaffinity labeled with [ 3 H]EHDA, a JH II analog. After removal of excess ligand, 40 ml of buffer-diluted hemolymph containing over 200 mg protein was submitted to preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF) using a Rotofor device. After removal of ampholytes by dialysis, the 3 H-labeled fractions were purified to > 95% homogeneity by anion-exchange HPLC. Over 1000-fold purification could be achieved in a few days on a scale which provides 100–1000 μg of purified JHBP. Proteins thus obtained can be used for proteolytic digestion or can be sequenced after electroblotting from a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gel onto a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. This protocol is illustrated for the purification and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of a hemolymph JHBP from an arctiid wooly bear caterpillar, Platyprepia virginalis .
On the nonequilibrium carrier density equations for highly doped devices and heterostructures

Abstract Electron and hole density equations in solids with nonuniform band structure are reviewed in detail. Sufficient conditions are derived in order for the carrier density to be written in terms of a single parameter nie which characterizes the band structure. This establishes the conditions under which a set of Boltzmann-like carrier density equations commonly used in device analysis are valid. The relationship between nie and the change in bandgap ΔErmg is clarified. The results pertain directly to the analysis of highly doped devices and heterostructures.
Techniques for researching and designing global products in an unstable world: a case study

The value of ethnographic field work for guiding and inspiring product design is indisputable, especially for development teams working on products for other cultures. However, global instability can make it difficult or impossible for researchers and product designers to travel to foreign countries to conduct field work, leaving them ill equipped to guide culturally-appropriate product design. In this paper, we present a series of ethnographically-inspired techniques that allow researchers and development teams to gather a range of culturally relevant information for product design without visiting the countries for which they are designing. These techniques are not intended to substitute for on-the-ground ethnographic fieldwork, rather, they are intended to serve as a surrogate until further in-situ research can be conducted.
Biogenesis of mitochondria during Xenopus laevis development.

The unfertilized egg ofXenopus laevis contains 10 μg of mitochondrial protein and a cytochrome oxidase activity of 0.03 μatom oxygen/min/egg. During embryogenesis these values remain constant for about 2 days to stage 38, then increase coordinately and double by the feeding tadpole stage (45). The unfertilized egg contains 3.8 ng mitochondrial DNA. Incorporation of precursors into mitochondrial DNA proceeds at a low rate before stage 30 and increases more than 4-fold around stage 32. Apparently linear accumulation leads to a doubling of the mitochondrial DNA content by stage 45. Mitochondrial RNA consists predominantly of the two RNA components of the mitochondrial ribosome (rRNA),2 and of 4 S RNA. Eggs contain 13.0 ng of the large and 6.9 ng of the small mitochondrial rRNA. Mitochondrial rRNA synthesis begins, or at least accelerates 8-fold, at gastrulation (stage 10). Accumulation then proceeds at a constant rate, and by stage 45 the content of both mitochondrial rRNAs per embryo has doubled. Mitochondrial rRNA synthesized during embryogenesis is relatively stable, having a half-life of 50 hr. Mitochondrial rRNA is synthesized normally in anucleolate mutant embryos, indicating that the synthesis of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial rRNA is not coupled obligatorily. Mitochondrial 4 S RNA synthesis is absent or very low throughout early embryogenesis and is therefore not coordinated with the synthesis of rRNA. We conclude that the mitochondria synthesized during oogenesis and present in the egg are used during embryogenesis and are thus a storage product of eggs. Since the synthesis of different mitochondrial components initiates at different, characteristic stages of development we conclude that these components are under separate metabolic control.
Salt, concentration, and temperature effects on an asparagine-based, aqueous Diels–Alder cycloaddition

Abstract Results are reported on the salt, concentration, and temperature effects in an aqueous, auxiliary-mediated asymmetric Diels–Alder cycloaddition. The auxiliaries were prepared under basic aqueous conditions from asparagine and trimethylacetaldehyde, and coupled to acryloyl chloride to generate dienophiles in one pot. Temperature and concentration modestly impacted cycloaddition stereochemistry. Experiments with a range of salts examined the speculation that complexation between the counterion of the auxiliary carboxylate and the dienophile carbonyl promotes the formation of the minor endo product, reducing cycloaddition diastereoselectivity for the endo products. The transformation was poorly selective for the carboxylic acid but gave moderate selectivities for several metallated carboxylates. The magnitude of the diastereoselectivity of the endo products was weakly dependent on carboxylate counterion and more strongly influenced by the basicity of the salt anion. Data presented suggest that Lewis acid catalysis reduces cycloaddition diastereoselectivity for the endo products.
Breakdown in RF Cavities

We present a simple model of breakdown in rf cavities. For most events this involves tensile stress and tensile strength, however other effects can also contribute. We discuss the effects of different materials, fatigue, high pressure gas, primary and secondary emission sites, local field enhancements, dark currents, secondary emission, work functions, magnetic fields, macro and microscopic fracture mechanisms high current densities, surface and subsurface defects, and astronomical power densities. While primarily devoted to normal conductors, this work also has consequences for superconducting rf surfaces.
Adaptation in load shedding under vulnerable operating conditions

The proposed approach to avoiding catastrophic failures in interconnected power systems uses a defeusive system based on multiagent system technologies. Because of their dynamic environments, these agents need to automatically adjust their decision criteria. The method of reinforcement learning with temporal differences can provide a suitable basis for the adaptation. An appropriate convergence criterion is derived and an application of the method to load shedding is demonstrated. A dynamic simulation involving a 179-bus power system is used to validate the method.
Mechanics and Mental Change

Realistic human rationality departs from ideal theories of rationality and meaning developed in epistemology and economics because in human life deliberation takes time and effort, ignorance and inconsistency do not deter action, and learning takes time and slows with time. This paper examines some theories of mental change with an eye to assessing their adequacy for characterizing realistic limits on change and uses a simple kind of reasoning system from artificial intelligence to illustrate how mechanical concepts, including mental inertia, force, work, and constitutional elasticity, provide a new language and formal framework for analyzing and specifying limits on cognitive systems.
Network Progeny? Prefounding Social Ties and the Success of New Entrants

Entrepreneurs that were employed by successful industry incumbents prior to founding tend to confer advantages on their new organizations. We propose and then demonstrate a similar “network progeny” effect rooted in the social relationships that form among entrepreneurs. Our analysis of new entrants into the Ontario wine industry shows that prefounding friendship ties of the founders of one especially prominent entrepreneurial firm led to significantly higher ice wine prices. This attests to the promise of a network progeny extension of the parent--progeny account of new firm success. Follow-on analysis indicates that this effect is not attributable to an entrant's ability to make ice wines of superior quality or to it having access to better distribution knowledge. We therefore conclude that having a social tie to this prominent entrepreneurial firm generated reflected prominence that enhanced the valuations and therefore prices of wines made by connected market entrants. This paper was accepted by Jesper Sorensen, organizations.
Determination of the Fermi level position for neutron irradiated high resistivity silicon detectors and materials using the transient charge technique (TChT)

The transient charge technique (TChT) has been used in this work to study the electrical properties in both space charge region (SCR) and electrical neutral bulk (ENB) of neutron irradiated high resistivity (4-6 k/spl Omega/-cm) silicon particle detectors. Detectors irradiated to various neutron fluences were measured by TChT at various biases and temperatures from 110 K to 300 K. The Fermi level, obtained from the Arrhenius plot of the time constant of the ohmic relaxation component of the charge shape, has been found to stabilize around E/sub c/-0.47 to 0.50 eV at high fluences (/spl Phi/n>10/sup 13/ n/cm/sup 2/). >
K12-biotinylated histone H4 marks heterochromatin in human lymphoblastoma cells.

Covalent modifications of histones play crucial roles in chromatin structure and genomic stability. Recently, we reported a novel modification of histones: biotinylation of lysine residues. Here we provide evidence that K12-biotinylated histone H4 (K12Bio H4) maps specifically to both heterochromatin (alpha satellite repeats in pericentromeric regions) and transcriptionally repressed chromatin (γ-G globin and interleukin-2) in human lymphoblastoma cells. The abundance of K12Bio H4 in these regions was similar to that of K9-dimethylated histone H3, a known marker for heterochromatin. Likewise, K8-biotinylated histone H4 (K8Bio H4) mapped to heterochromatin, but the relative enrichment was smaller compared with K12Bio H4. Stimulation of interleukin-2 transcriptional activity with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and phytohemagglutinin caused a rapid depletion of K12Bio H4 in the gene promoter. These data are consistent with a novel role for biotin in chromatin structure and transcriptional activity of genes.
Longitudinal and Concurrent Relations among Temperament, Ability Estimation, and Injury Proneness

This study examined longitudinal and concurrent relations between temperament, ability estimation, and injury proneness. Longitudinal assessments of Inhibitory Control were collected through a behavioral battery at toddler (33 months) and preschool ages (46 months). Parent-reported measures of Inhibitory Control and Extraversion also were obtained at those ages. At school age (76 months), children participated in a set of tasks to assess overestimation and underestimation of physical abilities. Parents provided reports of children's temperament and injury history at school age. Results showed that children who were high on Extraversion and low on Inhibitory Control as toddlers and preschoolers tended to overestimate their physical abilities and to have more unintentional injuries at age 6. Children low on Extraversion and high on Inhibitory Control tended to underestimate their physical abilities. Implications for injury prevention are discussed.
Environmental pollution and world trade

Abstract In this paper we present a model that highlights the relationship between international trade and environmental pollution. It includes a small open economy that produces a domestic composite good and imports another composite good and energy products. The pollution is created by local production, global production and transportation. Given this model we demonstrate that free trade within the current political and economic context may produce a suboptimal level of welfare. The rationale is based upon the argument that transportation is energy-intensive and that, therefore, trade itself is a source of pollution. Consequently, under certain global conditions the introduction of an energy tariff in a small open economy raises social welfare and is superior to free trade. A consumption tariff adopted by a single nation will not have similar consequences because it has no impact upon local usage. However, when a consumption tariff is globally adopted there is the opportunity for a net benefit. Finally, we argue that a global tariff that raises both the price of energy and the price of the imported composite good may generate the greatest increase in welfare by reducing both energy-intensive production and energy-intensive trade.
Short chain fatty acid regulation of intestinal gene expression.

The molecular pathways involved in regulation of intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation have not been characterized to the extent that analogous pathways have been defined for many other cell types, especially those in the hematopoietic lineages. Much of the published work on intestinal cells has focused on regulation by polypeptide growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins while relatively less attention has been given to the contributions of luminal factors to growth and differentiation. Notwithstanding, luminal fluid in the colon contains a number of putative growth regulators. Foremost among these is the four carbon short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate. Herein, we will review selected aspects of the cell physiology and biology of butyrate. Emphasis will be given to studies in epithelial systems, although a larger body of work has been conducted in cells of hematopoietic origin. We will also emphasize our own studies using the HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cell line as a model for study of early cellular and molecular events associated with butyrate-mediated growth and differentiation.
Assessing the Risk of Progression From Asymptomatic Left Ventricular Dysfunction to Overt Heart Failure: A Systematic Overview and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to provide estimates of the risk of progression to overt heart failure (HF) from systolic or diastolic asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Background Precise population-based estimates on the progression from asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (or stage B HF) to clinical HF (stage C HF) remain limited, despite its prognostic and clinical implications. Pre-emptive intervention with neurohormonal modulation may attenuate disease progression. Methods MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched (until March 2015). Cohort studies reporting on the progression from asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ALVSD) or asymptomatic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (ALVDD) to overt HF were included. Effect estimates (prevalence, incidence, and relative risk) were pooled using a random-effects model meta-analysis, separately for systolic and diastolic dysfunction, with heterogeneity assessed with the I2 statistic. Results Thirteen reports based on 11 distinct studies of progression of ALVSD were included in the meta-analysis assessing a total of 25,369 participants followed for 7.9 years on average. The absolute risks of progression to HF were 8.4 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.0 to 12.8 per 100 person-years) for those with ALVSD, 2.8 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 1.9 to 3.7 per 100 person-years) for those with ALVDD, and 1.04 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.0 to 2.2 per 100 person-years) without any ventricular dysfunction evident. The combined maximally adjusted relative risk of HF for ALVSD was 4.6 (95% CI: 2.2 to 9.8), and that of ALVDD was 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3 to 2.2). Conclusions ALVSD and ALVDD are each associated with a substantial risk for incident HF indicating an imperative to develop effective intervention at these stages.
Retail capability systems

Drawing on the retail literature, archival records, and managerial interviews, we identify twelve capabilities associated with retail success. These capabilities are hierarchically grouped as foundational or supportive. Foundational capabilities are the basis upon which retail advantages are built, while supportive capabilities principally enhance the value of foundational capabilities. Drawing on systems theory, the loosely coupled systems perspective, and the Resource Based View, we propose that unique combinations of a foundational capability and an interdependent subset of supportive capabilities form four capability systems: brand management, merchandising, service, and market information management. The capability systems are socially complex and causally ambiguous making imitation by rivals particularly difficult. A retailer’s strategy determines the emphasis and focus placed on each of the four capability systems. We use the Miles and Snow (1978) strategy typology and the strategic fit literature to develop propositions linking our four capability systems to Defender, Analyzer, and Prospector strategies. We further propose that maintaining status-quo investments in all capabilities is necessary to achieve competitive parity. Ultimately, our capability systems perspective adds to the retail literature by enhancing our understanding of firm heterogeneity and performance.
China's peasants: A caste-like system of social stratification: the position of peasants in modern China's social order

The distinction between rural and urban dwellers in the People's Republic of China has been made the basis for classification into two caste-like civil status groups, a higher status group called “urban personnel,” and a lower status group called “rural personnel.” Membership in either group is inherited from the mother, assigned at birth, and cannot be changed except under the most extraordinary circumstances. The result is a system of birth-ascribed stratification which, considered as a whole, displays caste-like features. The system is simultaneously a product of Chinese cultural assumptions and of a characteristically Chinese interpretation of Marxist ideas. The idea that membership in a class status category is inherited is present at the level of an assumption in Chinese society. As Hinton says, discussing the matter in Fanshen (1966), Was one to consider the present status of the family, the status several years back, or the status in the light of several generations? When left to themselves, the peasants of Long Bow tended to go back two and even three generations. This was in accord with habits deeply ingrained in the Chinese people, habits which had much precedent in the culture of the past. Under the old imperial examination system, for example, candidates had to prove not only that they themselves were not representatives of some barred category (boatman, actor, prostitute, or other “wandering” type) but also that their parents and grandparents were free of any such taint.
A Preliminary Study of the Measurement of Trust in a Hybrid Inspection System

Since human trust in automation can directly impact inspection quality and overall inspection performance, it is critical to study the issue of trust in hybrid inspection systems. After developing a trust questionnaire for hybrid inspection systems, we conducted a preliminary study to measure human's trust in the hybrid inspection systems using the questionnaire developed. Two hybrid inspection systems were used in the study. Results showed that the trust questionnaire was sensitive to different systems. A stepwise regression procedure selected competency and reliability as the better predictors.
Pathologic Diagnosis of Osteomyelitis

Acute osteomyelitis in the diabetic patient is usually the result of contiguous spread of infection from an adjacent skin ulcer. Inflammation reaches the bone by breeching the periosteum or the joint capsule. Bone biopsy for histologic examination and culture is the most reliable way to diagnose osteomyelitis. Acute osteomyelitis is characterized by the presence of neutrophils adjacent to necrotic bone. Chronic osteomyelitis is characterized by marrow fibrosis and plasma cells. Malignancy may rarely arise in chronic osteomyelitis.
Influence of Protein Surface Coverage on Anomalously Strong Adsorption Sites

Serum albumin is commonly used as a blocking agent to reduce nonspecific protein adsorption in bioassays and biodevices; however, the details of this process remain poorly understood. Using single molecule techniques, we investigated the dynamics of human serum albumin (HSA) on four model surfaces as a function of protein concentration. By constructing super-resolution maps, identifying anomalously strong adsorption sites, and quantifying surface heterogeneity, we found that the concentration required for site blocking varied dramatically with surface chemistry. When expressed in terms of protein surface coverage, however, a more consistent picture emerged, where a significant fraction of strong sites were passivated at a fractional coverage of 10–4. On fused silica (FS), “non-fouling” oligo (ethylene glycol) functionalized FS, and hydrophobically modified FS, a modest additional site blocking effect continued at higher coverage. However, on amine-functionalized surfaces, the surface heterogeneity exhibit...
Research Progress in Relevant Theories of Increasing Breeding Level of Direct-seeding Rice

There are many factors affecting the growth and development of direct-seeding rice,such as low emergence rate,difficult weeding,and lodging in later growth period. In order to provide theoretical basis for the production of direct-seeding rice,this article summarized the research progress in the characteristics of mesocotyl elongation,hypoxia-tolerant germinability,herbicide resistance,and lodging resistance of direct-seeding rice,and put forward that enhancing the adaptability of direct-seeding rice to high-yielding cultivation was the primary breeding goal in the future.
Preliminary Tests of MEG and EEG Localization in a Homogeneous Saline Head

As part of a larger project, to measure MEG and EEG localization due to an implanted dipole in vivo in the actual human head, it was important to first test the entire method in vitro. The purpose of this paper is to describe various aspects of this in vitro test. The head in this test consisted of a glass sphere filled with saline, hence was an idealized homogeneous spherical head. This head model is described here, including some features of the dipole electronics. Preliminary results are presented of MEG and EEG localization tests in this model. A serious problem was encountered in the EEG measurements of this test. It was temporarily circumvented so that the EEG localization results presented here are useful and valid. However, it must be dealt with before this project can proceed to the actual in vivo measurements, and is described because it will appear whenever this type of experiment is performed by others, using the same parameters.
Modeling setting time and compressive strength in sodium carbonate activated blast furnace slag mortars using statistical mixture design

Abstract The alkali activation of industrial by-products have the potential to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions form the cement industry and to develop alternative mortars and concretes with properties similar or better than the ones based on ordinarily Portland cement. The used of sodium carbonate as an activator for blast furnace slag offers potential advantages over other Alkali-Activated Materials (AAMs) in terms of environmental impact and cost. This study explores the use of statistical mixture design to determine what affects initial setting time and compressive strength in sodium carbonate activated blast furnace slag mortars. This experimental design approach allows for a more thorough analysis of the effects of the mortar components on response variables over the entire design space. In this study the amount of each component was restricted to certain values in order for the mixture to react and produce a mortar with acceptable mechanical strength and setting time. The mortars obtained were tested according to ASTM C403 and ASTM C109 standards for initial setting time and compressive strength. The statistical design and analysis was done using Design-Expert 9.0. This study finds that initial setting time and compressive strength of these materials are highly dependent on the composition of the materials and proposes a model for setting time and compressive strength prediction. It was found that the two-factor interactions with sodium carbonate are statistically significant in the compressive strength model but not in the initial setting time model. A typical sample was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy.
The benefits and limitations of ground-based upset-recovery training for general aviation pilots

Research by Rogers et al (2009) and Leland et al established that flight simulator training can improve a pilot’s ability to recover a general aviation aeroplane from an in-flight upset. To reach this conclusion, they administered simulator-based and classroom-based upset-recovery training to two groups of student pilots, then compared their performance in recovering an aerobatic Decathlon aeroplane from a series of four upsets with the performance of a third group of untrained control group pilots subjected to the same upsets. We extend this result by addressing the unanswered question of how much classroom-based training as opposed to simulator-based training contributes to improving a pilot’s upset-recovery manoeuvring skills. After receiving classroom-based upset-recovery training but no simulator training, our participants were subjected to the same series of four upsets in the same Decathlon aeroplane. We then compared the performance of the classroom-trained pilots with the performances of control group pilots and the two groups of simulator-trained pilots. Statistical analysis suggests that classroom-based instruction alone improves a pilot’s ability to recover an aeroplane from an upset. We summarise related research, describe the training experiment and the training program, analyse and interpret flight-test data, and explain what our research implies with respect to establishing career-long commercial pilot upset-recovery training requirements.
Sentencing Transferred Juveniles in the Adult Criminal Court: The Direct and Interactive Effects of Race and Ethnicity

Much prior research has demonstrated that race and ethnicity are associated with harsher punishment outcomes among adult defendants in the criminal court. However, few studies have explored these disparities in the sentencing of juvenile offenders who have been transferred to the adult court, and this research has reported conflicting findings. Moreover, the ways in which offenders’ race and ethnicity may interact with their sex, age, and offense type have yet to be explored among this population. Analysis of defendants sentenced in Florida (N = 30,913) reveals that Black transferred juveniles are more likely to be sentenced to jail or prison and are given longer prison sentences than Whites, but Hispanic youth are only penalized in the sentence to jail. Interaction analyses suggest that Black males are sentenced particularly harshly regardless of age, and the effects of race and ethnicity are conditioned by a violent, sex, or drug offense.
A Short Supplement to the Letters of Ludwig Tieck

(1949). A Short Supplement to the Letters of Ludwig Tieck. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 18-20.
Wide-Scope Screening Method for Multiclass Veterinary Drug Residues in Fish, Shrimp, and Eel Using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A screening method for veterinary drug residues in fish, shrimp, and eel using LC with a high-resolution MS instrument has been developed and validated. The method was optimized for over 70 test compounds representing a variety of veterinary drug classes. Tissues were extracted by vortex mixing with acetonitrile acidified with 2% acetic acid and 0.2% p-toluenesulfonic acid. A centrifuged portion of the extract was passed through a novel solid phase extraction cartridge designed to remove interfering matrix components from tissue extracts. The eluent was then evaporated and reconstituted for analysis. Data were collected with a quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer using both nontargeted and targeted acquisition methods. Residues were detected on the basis of the exact mass of the precursor and a product ion along with isotope pattern and retention time matching. Semiquantitative data analysis compared MS1 signal to a one-point extracted matrix standard at a target testing level. The test c...
Modeling landscape connectivity for bobcats using expert-opinion and empirically derived models: how well do they work?

Efforts to retain ecological connectivity have become a conservation priority to permit animal movements within home ranges, allow dispersal between populations and provide opportunities for animals to respond to climate change. We used expert-opinion and empirically derived models to investigate landscape connectivity at two spatial scales among bobcats Lynx rufus in New Hampshire, USA. Paths of marked bobcats were compared to random movements in the context of program CircuitScape. At the local scale (within home ranges), the empirical model (based on observations and telemetry locations) performed better than the expert-opinion model. At the regional scale (state of New Hampshire), both models identified urban development as a potential barrier; however, the models differed in predicting how specific natural features (e.g. mountains and large water bodies) and some roads affected bobcat movements. When compared with bobcat population structure based on genetic information, the expert-opinion model overestimated the influence of roads. Alternatively, the empirical model overestimated the influence of snow. Our findings indicate that the empirically based resistance model was better at describing landscape-scale effects, whereas the expert-opinion model provided a good understanding of gene flow at a regional scale. As such, both models may be considered complementary. Bobcats were sensitive to disruptions imposed by habitat fragmentation and thus may be a suitable focal species for evaluating the consequences of land-use changes on the regional suite of mesocarnivores.
Application of kernel method in fluorescence molecular tomography

Reconstruction of fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) is an ill-posed inverse problem. Anatomical guidance in the FMT reconstruction can improve FMT reconstruction efficiently. We have developed a kernel method to introduce the anatomical guidance into FMT robustly and easily. The kernel method is from machine learning for pattern analysis and is an efficient way to represent anatomical features. For the finite element method based FMT reconstruction, we calculate a kernel function for each finite element node from an anatomical image, such as a micro-CT image. Then the fluorophore concentration at each node is represented by a kernel coefficient vector and the corresponding kernel function. In the FMT forward model, we have a new system matrix by multiplying the sensitivity matrix with the kernel matrix. Thus, the kernel coefficient vector is the unknown to be reconstructed following a standard iterative reconstruction process. We convert the FMT reconstruction problem into the kernel coefficient reconstruction problem. The desired fluorophore concentration at each node can be calculated accordingly. Numerical simulation studies have demonstrated that the proposed kernel-based algorithm can improve the spatial resolution of the reconstructed FMT images. In the proposed kernel method, the anatomical guidance can be obtained directly from the anatomical image and is included in the forward modeling. One of the advantages is that we do not need to segment the anatomical image for the targets and background.
Analysis of Traffic Crashes Involving Pedestrians using Big Data: Investigation of Contributing Factors and Identification of Hotspots

This study aims to explore the potential of using big data in advancing the pedestrian risk analysis including the investigation of contributing factors and the hotspot identification. Massive amounts of data of Manhattan from a variety of sources were collected, integrated, and processed, including taxi trips, subway turnstile counts, traffic volumes, road network, land use, sociodemographic, and social media data. The whole study area was uniformly split into grid cells as the basic geographical units of analysis. The cell-structured framework makes it easy to incorporate rich and diversified data into risk analysis. The cost of each crash, weighted by injury severity, was assigned to the cells based on the relative distance to the crash site using a kernel density function. A tobit model was developed to relate grid-cell-specific contributing factors to crash costs that are left-censored at zero. The potential for safety improvement (PSI) that could be obtained by using the actual crash cost minus the cost of "similar" sites estimated by the tobit model was used as a measure to identify and rank pedestrian crash hotspots. The proposed hotspot identification method takes into account two important factors that are generally ignored, i.e., injury severity and effects of exposure indicators. Big data, on the one hand, enable more precise estimation of the effects of risk factors by providing richer data for modeling, and on the other hand, enable large-scale hotspot identification with higher resolution than conventional methods based on census tracts or traffic analysis zones.
An Enhanced Image Reconstruction Tool for Computed Tomography on GPUs

The algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) is an iterative algorithm for CT (i.e., computed tomography) image reconstruction that delivers better image quality with less radiation dosage than the industry-standard filtered back projection (FBP). However, the high computational cost of ART requires researchers to turn to high-performance computing to accelerate the algorithm. Alas, existing approaches for ART suffer from inefficient design of compressed data structures and computational kernels on GPUs. Thus, this paper presents our enhanced CUDA-based CT image reconstruction tool based on the algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) or cuART. It delivers a compression and parallelization solution for ART-based image reconstruction on GPUs. We address the under-performing, but popular, GPU libraries, e.g., cuSPARSE, BRC, and CSR5, on the ART algorithm and propose a symmetry-based CSR format (SCSR) to further compress the CSR data structure and optimize data access for both SpMV and SpMV_T via a column-indices permutation. We also propose sorting-based and sorting-free blocking techniques to optimize the kernel computation by leveraging the sparsity patterns of the system matrix. The end result is that cuART can reduce the memory footprint significantly and enable practical CT datasets to fit into a single GPU. The experimental results on a NVIDIA Tesla K80 GPU illustrate that our approach can achieve up to 6.8x, 7.2x, and 5.4x speedups over counterparts that use cuSPARSE, BRC, and CSR5, respectively.
Agriculture and Climate Change: Mitigation Opportunities and Adaptation Imperatives

Maintenance of critical agroecosystem functions will require proactive responses through the strategic application of management practices that mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and/or adapt to impacts from climate change. Numerous management strategies currently exist to mitigate GHG emissions from agriculture. While adaptation strategies are currently less developed, there exists a core of sound recommendations for responding to changes in long-term temperature and precipitation conditions, annual weather variation, and challenges associated with invasive pests and/or diseases. Significant production, environmental, and economic co-benefits potentially exist through the successful application of mitigation and adaptation practices.
Impact of Breakfast Consumption and RTE Cereals on Nutritional Adequacy of the Diets of Young Adults in Bogalusa, La

Abstract Breakfast consumption patterns of 504 young adults (× age: 23yrs.; 58% female, 70% white) were examined using the 24-hour dietary recall. Consumption patterns were then related to mean daily nutrient intake. Analysis of variance and logistic regression techniques were used to investigate the relationship of breakfast consumption, ethnicity, and gender on dietary adequacy. Thirty-seven percent of young adults skipped breakfast. For those who ate breakfast, 75% ate the meal at home, 10% reported having a fast-food breakfast, and 15% reported other sources. The mean energy intake from breakfast was 485 kcal. Males consumed more energy than females (p Sixty-five percent of young adults consumed RTE cereal at breakfast. The young adults in the RTE cereal group had greater consumption of total carbohydrates and lower consumption of total fat than those who did not consume RTE cereal. Seventy-four percent who consumed RTE cereal also consumed one or more milk products compared to 31% of the non-RTE cereal eaters. Young adults who consumed RTE cereal met at least 2/3 RDA for vitamins A, D, C, and folate, iron and zinc than those who did not. Encouraging consumption of breakfast and the selection of healthier breakfasts or snacks that are culturally appropriate, may be important strategies for improving the nutritional quality of young adults' diets.
Abstract 3262: De Novo Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Dual Chamber Pacemakers

Background: Brief atrial high rate episodes (AHREs) of even 5 minutes duration, as detected by pacemaker (PPM) diagnostics, are a reliable surrogate for atrial fibrillation (AF) and potentially identify patients at increased risk for stroke and death. However, the incidence and predictors of de novo AF following dual chamber PPM implantation are unknown. Methods : We retrospectively evaluated 127 patients (71 male; 76 ± 11 years) without documented AF who underwent PPM implantation for management of sinus node dysfunction. Information regarding patient demographics, cardiovascular diseases, and medication history was obtained. The cumulative percentage of right ventricular pacing (Cum VP) was determined. Results : During a mean follow-up of 599 ± 353 days, 33 (26%) patients had an AHRE ≥ 5 minutes. Age, gender, ejection fraction, co-morbid medical conditions, use of medications, and burden of atrial pacing were similar between patients with and without AHREs during the follow-up period. The only significant predictor of an AHRE was ≥ 50% Cum VP (RR 2.2; CI [1.1–4.8]; p = 0.03, Figure). The 1- and 2-year incidence of an AHRE Conclusions: Cumulative right ventricular pacing ≥ 50% was the sole significant predictor of de novo AF (defined as an AHRE ≥ 5 minutes) in patients with sinus node dysfunction following dual chamber PPM implantation and is associated with a more than two-fold increased risk of AF. The routine use of novel pacing strategies that minimize right ventricular pacing merits prospective investigation as a means of reducing the incidence of de novo AF in this population.