cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Frequency-Domain Transport- and Diffusion-Based Reconstructions of Small Tissue Volumes

We report on the influence of different light propagation models on tomographic reconstructions of small tissue volumes, such as human finger joints or rodents. Using recently developed frequency-domain transport- and diffusion-based codes we show that image reconstructions with the transport equation as the forward model are in general of superior quality.
MASTERING THE ART OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION: BEST PRACTICES FROM THE FMCS

ABSTRACT In recent years, mediation has become increasingly popular as a means to resolve conflict. One important issue that arises out of the recent explosive growth in the practice of mediation is: what do mediators need to know in order to assist the parties in resolving their conflicts? To answer this question I conducted participant observation of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service's (FMCS) new mediator training program. This case study is unique in that to date, no one from outside the agency has been permitted to observe the FMCS training program. This case study makes a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in that it analyzes the FMCS' new mediator training and development program and shares the best practices from the premier provider of mediation services in the United States. In doing so, this case study sheds light on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are essential to mediators in a variety of contexts.
Informing Pedagogy Through the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model

Improving teaching to foster creative thinking and problem-solving for students of all ages will require two essential changes in current educational practice. First, to allow more time for deeper engagement with material, it is critical to reduce the vast number of topics often required in many courses. Second, and perhaps more challenging, is the alignment of pedagogy with recent research on cognition and learning. With a growing focus on the use of research to inform teaching practices, educators need a pedagogical framework that helps them interpret and apply research findings. This article describes the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model, a scheme that relates six distinct aspects of instruction to research from the neuro- and cognitive sciences.
SELF-DEFEATING PERSONALITY AND DEPRESSION: A CLOSER LOOK

55 men and 55 women were given Schill's Self-defeating Personality Scale, a measure of Beck's cognitive triad, and a measure of the personality dimensions of sociotropy and autonomy. The more characteristics of self-defeating personality endorsed, the more negative were subjects' cognitions about themselves, the world, and the future. Self-defeating men and women scored higher on sociotropy (social dependence), suggesting threats to relationships may be an important source of depression for them. Self-defeating women also scored higher on the autonomy subscales, suggesting threats to their independence may be a source of depression as well. Implications for treatment were discussed.
CCR4 drives ATLL jail break

![Figure][1] Insight from Kevin Shannon Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), caused by human T cell lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1), is an aggressive cancer that is refractory to current therapies. The long latency and low overall penetrance of ATLL in HTLV-1–infected individuals infers
Simulation of a biomechanical model of the human pupil

Abstract The near response of the human pupil, a movement evoked by effort to focus a near target, was used to isolate pupil behavior attributable to mechanisms in the smooth muscle iris structure. A model was sought that would link these muscular mechanisms to the properties of isolated muscles. Simulation of the model on a digital computer has enabled us to test consistency, correctness, and applicability of model elements in characterizing behavior displayed as time functions, phase-plane plots, and other functional relationships. These were judged according to their resemblance to experimental human pupillary data similarly displayed. The model currently ascribes two prominent pupil nonlinearities to muscular mechanisms: asymmetrical activation time constants, which dominate transient behavior; and tension sources, nonlinear with length, which determine gain. Incomplete reciprocal innervation to muscles by the controller signals is necessary to transform these non-linearities into external behavior, since simulation shows the marked ability of reciprocal innervation to mask out such nonlinear behavior. Light responses showed important additional linear and nonlinear dynamics in sensory processing. The complete model provided for asymmetrical preemphasis, scale compression, and an input saturation. Simulation of the model continues to interact with experimental design, proving an effective research tool.
Biological processes and organic micropollutants in treatment processes

Abstract This paper characterizes the factors that control biodegradation of organic micropollutants in biologically active drinking water processes. Particularly important are the dominance of attached microorganisms, the aerobic potential, the low concentration of organic matter, the very low concentrations of specific micropollutants, and the presence of inorganic electron donors. Biodegradation of the specific compounds is feasible if sufficient microbial growth occurs through utilization of natural organic material and if the secondary-utilization kinetics of the micropollutants are sufficiently rapid.
Evaluation of a sustainable remediation option: beneficial reuse of petroleum-contaminated sediment as an energy source.

The characteristics of petroleum-contaminated sediment (PCS) have been evaluated to assess whether the practice of its beneficial reuse as a sole or supplemental energy source is sustainable relative to other sediment remediation options such as monitored natural recovery (MNR), capping, or off-site disposal. Some of these remediation options for PCS are energy-intensive and/or require land utilization. The energy and compositional analysis results indicate a low carbon content (15–17%(wt)) and corresponding low energy values of 5,200 kJ/kg (2,200 Btu/lb) to 5,600 kJ/kg (2,400 Btu/lb). However, given other decision-making criteria, the sediment may contain enough value to be added as a supplemental fuel given that it is normally considered a waste product and is readily available. The thermogravimetric profiles obtained under both combustion and pyrolytic conditions showed that the sulfur contents were comparable to typical low sulfur bituminous or lignite coals found in the United States, and most of the...
Nonlinear frequency modulation by noise

Prior analyses of frequency modulation by noise have assumed a perfectly linear modulator. The effect of nonlinearity on spectral shape and bandwidth is exhibited in one specific case of interest. In the linear case, a discrete spectral line may exist at carrier frequency; it is shown that such a line can never exist under nonlinear modulation.
Synthesis of Electron Deficient 5,6-Aryloxy Spiroketals

[reaction: see text] A strategy for the construction of electron deficient 5,6-aryloxy spiroketal is reported. The process should prove useful for the synthesis of natural products containing similar spiroketals. The strategy uncovers an unexpected rearrangement between ortho and para quinone spiroketals.
Current management of atrial fibrillation

A resurgence of interest in atrial fibrillation has led to research in several avenues. Observations on the behavior of the atrium during atrial fibrillation demonstrate that electrical activity is not entirely random and that sinus node activity persists despite surrounding fibrillation. Anticoagulation therapy for chronic atrial fibrillation is now accepted as optimal treatment, but randomized trials have excluded the majority of patients screened and the risk-benefit ratio of therapy in the average patient therefore remains unclear. This is being addressed in comparative trials of warfarin and aspirin and in an analysis of risk factors for stroke derived from a major trial. Assessment of the efficacy of therapy for the control of ventricular rate in atrial fibrillation has underscored the slow action of digoxin and raised the issue of suboptimal dosing. With the recognition that improvement of exercise capacity following cardioversion may be postponed for weeks, several studies have evaluated serial changes in ventricular function and shown that in some patients sinus rhythm is associated with an improved ejection fraction. Transesophageal echocardiography is an area of intense interest for the identification of patients at high risk of thromboembolism following cardioversion, and the significance of left atrial spontaneous echo contrast as well as the left atrial appendage contractile function are being investigated. Finally, new methods of arrhythmia termination are being evaluated and developed, and surgical approaches to atrial fibrillation are being expanded and refined.
Skin-friction measurements on the NASA hump model

The skin-friction distribution on a wall-mounted hump model has been obtained using oil-film interferometry. This effort is part of a larger study to provide validation cases for simulations of unsteady flows. The challenges of using oil-film interferometry on this model, including model curvature and close camera proximity, are discussed. Skin-friction measurements are obtained over most of the hump model, including especially high-quality measurements in the separated and reattachment regions. These results highlight the method’s ability to capture a wide range of skin friction including measurements in reverse-flow and high-gradient regions. The wall skin-friction data are shown to complement other experimental data, and the use of independent skin-friction measurements for scaling in wall-bounded flows is emphasized. A comparison with results from several computational simulations of the same flow is presented. The comparison indicates that, for the most part, the computations accurately predict the skin-friction ahead of separation, but fail to predict the reattachment point correctly, and thus the comparison in the separated and recovery regions of the flow is poor. The ability of the skin-friction measurements to pinpoint regions where the computation performs poorly in the near-wall region is also presented. From these results, it is evident that independent skin-friction measurements should be a part of all validation experiments conducted in wall-bounded flows.
Isozyme variability in species of the genus Drosophila. II. A multiple allelic isozyme system in Drosophila busckii: a stable polymorphic system.

Two strains of Drosophila busckii have been examined for electrophoretic variation in the enzyme leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). In a Hawaiian strain, segregating at equilibrium for three alleles, severe heterotic distortions of segregation ratios from pair matings were observed. However, the adaptive values of the various genotypes varied, depending on the gene frequencies in the offspring. In spite of complications in estimating adaptive values, especially those associated with linkage disequilibrium, and with gene-frequency-dependent variables, predictions of the equilibrium gene frequencies were surprisingly close, and deviated as expected from observed values when the effects of the gene-frequency-dependent component of the adaptive value were considered. The preliminary investigation of an additional University of Texas strain originating from mass culture of several wild-caught females suggested that there may be widespread occurrence of heterotic effects from Lap alleles. The strain has been maintained since 1947 in a mass culture in the laboratory and, after about 300 generations, was segregating for two Lap alleles. Offspring from a series of matings from this population gave indications of heterotic distortions of segregation ratios, with one homozygote being almost lethal.
Hypothalamic microinjection of norepinephrine (NE) elevates and prolongs basal efflux of unmetabolized NE from injection site

The effect of a microinjection of norepinephrine (NE) into the diencephalon of the rat was examined in terms of the subsequent endogenous activity of this amine. A push-pull guide cannula was first implanted stereotaxically with the tip resting in the rat's hypothalamus. Several days later, NE in a dose of 20 ng, 95 ng or 3.2 micrograms was microinjected in a volume of 0.5 microliters into the perifornical region. After a 30 min interval, the injection site was perfused, by means of push-pull cannulae with an artificial CSF at a rate of 25 microliters/min. The samples of perfusate collected one hour after the microinjection were analyzed by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The results indicate that an unexpectedly high level of unmetabolized NE can be detected at the perfusion site. This NE is greater than the picogram quantities of NE present endogenously in the rat's hypothalamus. The persistent presence of the exogenously applied amine within a microinjection site could explain the longevity of a given pharmacological effect of an amine often seen with this injection procedure. Also, it suggests that the local metabolic degradation of the amine is not as rapid as one would expect.
Severe reactional state in lepromatous leprosy simulating Sweet's syndrome.

: A male patient with underlying lepromatous leprosy mimicked Sweet's syndrome clinically. He was believed to be in an atypical reactional state recognized as a variant form of erythema nodosum leprosum In addition to the anti-leprosy treatment, steroid hormone was required to control the systemic symptoms.
Min-entropy as a resource

Abstract Secrecy is fundamental to computer security, but real systems often cannot avoid leaking some secret information. For this reason, it is useful to model secrecy quantitatively, thinking of it as a “resource” that may be gradually “consumed” by a system. In this paper, we explore this intuition through several dynamic and static models of secrecy consumption, ultimately focusing on (average) vulnerability and min-entropy leakage as especially useful models of secrecy consumption. We also consider several composition operators that allow smaller systems to be combined into a larger system, and explore the extent to which the secrecy consumption of a combined system is constrained by the secrecy consumption of its constituents.
Perceived risk and modal choice: risk compensation in transportation systems.

A transportation mode choice analysis is performed that examines behavioral responses to perceived risk in the choice of mode for daily commute trips. This methodology provides a technique for examining, by means of disaggregate individual level data, risk-compensating effects in transportation systems. Various measures of perceived risk are examined for explaining modal choice. Other studies have described how safety regulations have resulted in increases in "driving intensity." This study defines one component of driving intensity to be the increased probability of commuting by automobile. The results show that modal shifts occur when risk perceptions for a given mode are reduced. To demonstrate potential risk-compensating effects within the transportation system, an estimate of changes in accident fatalities due to commuting is derived using rough estimates of fatalities per person-mile travelled. It is shown that a given change in the perceived risk of commuting by automobile results in a less than proportionate change in net commuting fatalities. The relative magnitude is dependent on how objective reductions in risk translate into perceived reductions in risk. This study also shows that perceived safety improvements in bicycle transportation have an aggregate elasticity value that is greater than one. This means that bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately more people to bicycle commuting (i.e. a 10% increase in safety results in a greater than 10% increase in the share of people bicycle commuting).
Measurement of Hydroxyl-Radical Formation in the Rat Striatum by In Vivo Microdialysis and GC-MS

A GC-MS method was developed for measuring hydroxyl-radical capture products of salicylic acid, a common trapping agent for this reactive oxygen species, in samples obtained by in vivo cerebral microdialysis experiments. The assay employed liquid–liquid extraction followed by derivatization of 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, along with 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid added as an internal standard. Due to their simple electron ionization mass spectra featuring [M–57]+ ions through the loss of tertiary alkyl group from the corresponding molecular ions, tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives afforded straightforward method development based on selected-ion monitoring. In addition, tandem mass spectrometry probing collision-induced dissociation of [M–57]+ ions obtained from the isomeric tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives revealed characteristic differences in the resultant product-ion spectra. Our work has demonstrated the applicability of GC-MS for the assay of microdialysates for 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid by confirming that local administration of the excitotoxic glutamate into the rat striatum significantly increased in vivo hydroxyl-radical production in this brain region and that subsequent systemic administration of α-phenyl-tert-butylnitrone reversed glutamate-induced oxidative stress.
Chronic desquamative gingivitis

Abstract Twelve patients, aged 21 to 67 years, of whom ten were women and two men, presented with symptoms of desquamative gingivitis. A comprehensive review of the literature on this disease is included. Case reports illustrated with photographs and photomicrographs are given. The clinical and histopathologic findings are described. A method of clinical management and its rationale are discussed. The disease is hypothetically designated as a local manifestation of a metabolic disturbance. Various causes of the disturbed metabolism are considered. These include especially the abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland and the interrelation of the vitamins and estrogens. The data suggest that a local depletion of estrogen in the oral tissues may play a major causative role. Estrogen ointments applied topically are effective in controlling the disease.
Matched ultraslow propagation of highly efficient four-wave mixing in a closely cycled double-ladder system

We present a fully time dependent, adiabatic solution, and steady-state analysis for the ultraslow propagation of the nondegenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) signal and the weak probe beam in a closely-cycled double-ladder system. Under appropriate (especially power balance) conditions, the two-mode probe and phase-matched NDFWM pulses, after a characteristic propagation length, evolve into a pair of amplitude and group velocity matched pulses. Double transparency for the probe and NDFWM beams can be achieved owing to an efficient one- and three-photon destructive interference involving the NDFWM beam and its back reaction to the probe beam. The forward and backward configurations are investigated in this double-ladder system, and their efficiencies are calculated and compared.
The influence of venous occlusion and exercise on serum magnesium concentration.

Following venous occlusion and exercise, there is increased serum K, Mg and osmolality as well as an increase in hematocrit. The per cent increase in K is approximately twice that observed for Mg, osmolality and hematocrit. These data are consistent with an intracellular shift of water and, in addition, an extracellular transfer of K. The results of this study indiciate that, at least under the conditions of this experiment, the 2 major intracellular cations, K+ and Mg++ are not handled by man in precisely the same manner.
Abstract capacitary estimates and the completeness and separability of certain classes of non-locally convex topological vector spaces

Abstract We are concerned with establishing completeness and separability criteria for large classes of topological vector spaces which are typically non-locally convex, including Lebesgue-like spaces, Lorentz spaces, Orlicz spaces, mixed-normed spaces, tent spaces, and discrete Triebel–Lizorkin and Besov spaces. For vector spaces of measurable functions we also derive pointwise convergence results. Our approach relies on abstract capacitary estimates and works in certain cases of interest even in the absence of a background measure space and/or of a vector space structure.
Magnetic field dependence of resonant tunneling in thin metal-oxide-semiconductor structures.

The magnetic field dependence of resonant tunneling via sodium-induced localized states in thin-oxide metal-oxide-semiconductor structures has been measured. The resonant tunneling peaks are observed to both shift in energy and change in amplitude for all orientations of the applied magnetic field. The amplitude modulation is well accounted for by a magnetic field modulation of the density of states in the inversion layer. The energy shifts of the peaks are linear for magnetic field parallel to the sample surface and nonmonotonic for perpendicular field. These shifts are not understood.
A neural network based matrix inversion algorithm

The implementation of a technique first proposed by J.S. Jang et al. in (Neural Information Processing Systems, D.Z. Anderson, Ed., AIP Press, 1988, p.397-401) for the inversion of a matrix is discussed. The inversion is performed by mapping an appropriate energy function onto a fully connected processing architecture (which is similar to a Hopfield neural network). A description is given of the advantages and disadvantages of inverting a matrix in this fashion as compared with more conventional approaches. In particular, the inversion of highly ill-conditioned matrices is examined
Mural Thrombosis After Experimental Carotid Endarterectomy

The incidence of mural thrombosis following three types of experimental intimal injuries at common carotid arteries, was investigated in a series of 12 dogs. Mural thrombosis was obtained at each of the intimal lesions. Moreover, obstructive thrombosis occurred in three instances. Further investigation of thrombi revealed that partial fragmentation occurred when exposed to hydrodynamic forces. These results suggest that mural thrombosis following carotid endarterectomy in humans, is possibly more frequent and significant than it is generally appreciated, thus leading to the consideration of postoperative anticoagulation after endarterectomy, as a means to minimize the incidence of postoperative embolic cerebrovascular accidents.
Brainstem Application of Melanocortin Receptor Ligands Produces Long-Lasting Effects on Feeding and Body Weight

Recent evidence suggests that the central melanocortin (MC) system is a prominent contributor to food intake and body weight control. MC receptor (MC-R) populations in the arcuate and paraventricular nuclei are considered probable sites of action mediating the orexigenic effects of systemically or intracerebroventricularly administered ligands. Yet, the highest MC4-R density in the brain is found in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, situated subjacent to the commissural nucleus of the solitary tract, a site of pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA expression. We evaluated the contribution of the caudal brainstem MC system by (1) performing respective dose-response analyses for an MC-R agonist (MTII) and antagonist (SHU9119) delivered to the fourth ventricle, (2) comparing, in the same rats, the fourth intracerebroventricular dose-response profiles to those obtained with lateral intracerebroventricular delivery, and (3) delivering an effective dose of MTII or SHU9119 to rats before a 24 hr period of food deprivation. Fourth intracerebroventricular agonist treatment yielded a dose-dependent reduction of short-term (2 and 4 hr) and longer-term (24 hr) food intake and body weight. Fourth intracerebroventricular antagonist treatment produced the opposite pattern of results: dose-related increases in food intake and corresponding increases in body weight change for the 24-96 hr observation period. Comparable dose-response functions for food intake and body weight were observed when these compounds were delivered to the lateral ventricle. Results from deprived rats (no effect of MTII or SHU9119 on weight loss) support the impression derived from the dose-response analyses that the body weight change that follows MC treatments is secondary to their respective effects on food intake. Results support the relevance of the brainstem MC-R complement to the control of feeding.
Effects of non‐hydrostatic core‐mantle boundary topography and core dynamics on Earth rotation

VLBI estimates for the retrograde annual nutation have shown that there is a 2 mas discrepancy with model results that assume a hydrostatically pre-stressed earth. This discrepancy has been used to infer that the non-hydrostatic Y02 component of core-mantle-boundary (CMB) topography is roughly 0.5 km in amplitude. However, the possible effects of other topographic components have not been fully examined. Based on an earth model with a rigid mantle, a homogeneous and incompressible fluid core, and a slightly non-hydrostatic core-mantle boundary, we investigate effects of the core and of non-hydrostatic CMB topography on the Earth's nutations, Chandler wobble and tidal changes of the length of day (LOD). A convergent numerical technique is developed to solve the differential and boundary equations for both the free and forced motions. In our solution, the fluid pressure is represented by a truncated sum of spherical harmonic functions in a special set of coordinates. We retain second-order CMB topographic factors with the equatorial core rotation in our nutation calculations. Using the degree variances of a recent seismically inferred CMB model (with non-hydrostatic CMB topography of about 3.5 km rms), the rms contribution of the randomly generated non-Y02 topographic components to the retrograde annual nutation is about 0.55 mas. However, the effects of CMB topography depend on the reference earth model. A simple analysis shows that nutational effects for a realistic earth, with a non-rigid mantle and realistically stratified core, can be inferred by dividing our results by a factor of 2.61. The transformation then gives an rms effect of about 0.2 mas on the retrograde annual nutation. The effects depend on some CMB components more than they do on others. For example, results as large as 0.77 mas in the retrograde annual amplitude are possible for a realistic earth due to certain individual non-Y02 CMB topographic components with mean-to-peak amplitudes of 4–5 km. The effects grow quadratically with topography, so that a 2 mas nutation amplitude would require those components to be 6–7 km in amplitude. The CMB topography is poorly known at present, but components of such magnitude may be unlikely. For the Chandler wobble and the tidal variations of LOD, the effects of CMB topography are likely to be small.
Innovative approaches to teaching analog and digital filter design concepts

We present a new approach to teaching filter design. In the classroom, students see graphical design methods emphasizing relationships between poles/zeros and frequency response (e.g., Chebyshev pole locations, low-pass to band-pass mapping, and bilinear transformation). In lab, each student develops a MATLAB® program, capable of designing analog or digital, low-pass/high-pass/band-pass/notch, and Butterworth or Chebyshev filters. Using a “bottom-up” approach, students write individual functions as topics are covered in class, thereby creating “student toolboxes” that make no use of inherent MATLAB filter design functions. Students then craft a “main program” to implement filter design logic by calling their (tested) lower level functions. Finally, students use their programs to filter individually corrupted music files. Students design a digital filter to remove that band-limited noise, while preserving music fidelity, in an iterative process, exploring tradeoffs between maximum passband attenuation, minimum stopband attenuation, filter type, passband and stopband cutoffs, filter order and fidelity. Using graphical techniques, along with bottom-up program development, provides significant insight into fundamental tradeoffs in the filter design process not attainable through design by table lookup or inherent MATLAB function calls. Furthermore, feedback suggests the final design project is very gratifying and unites theory and real world design.
Brain Function and Adult Learning: Implications for Practice

Recent discoveries about brain function explain how best practices in adult learning may lead to adult learners' developmental growth.
Global gene expression profiling of pancreatic islets in mice during streptozotocin-induced β-cell damage and pancreatic Glp-1 gene therapy

Streptozotocin (STZ), a glucosamine-nitrosourea compound, has potent genotoxic effects on pancreatic β-cells and is frequently used to induce diabetes in experimental animals. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has β-cell protective effects and is known to preserve β-cells from STZ treatment. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms of STZ-induced diabetes and GLP-1-mediated β-cell protection in STZ-treated mice. At 1 week after multiple low-dose STZ administrations, pancreatic β-cells showed impaired insulin expression, while maintaining expression of nuclear Nkx6.1. This was accompanied by significant upregulation of p53-responsive genes in islets, including a mediator of cell cycle arrest, p21 (also known as Waf1 and Cip1). STZ treatment also suppressed expression of a wide range of genes linked with key β-cell functions or diabetes development, such as G6pc2, Slc2a2 (Glut2), Slc30a8, Neurod1, Ucn3, Gad1, Isl1, Foxa2, Vdr, Pdx1, Fkbp1b and Abcc8, suggesting global β-cell defects in STZ-treated islets. The Tmem229B, Prss53 and Ttc28 genes were highly expressed in untreated islets and strongly suppressed by STZ, suggesting their potential roles in β-cell function. When a pancreas-targeted adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector was employed for long-term Glp-1 gene delivery, pancreatic GLP-1 expression protected mice from STZ-induced diabetes through preservation of the β-cell mass. Despite its potent β-cell protective effects, however, pancreatic GLP-1 overexpression showed limited effects on the global gene expression profiles in the islets. Network analysis identified the programmed-cell-death-associated pathways as the most relevant network in Glp-1 gene therapy. Upon pancreatic GLP-1 expression, upregulation of Cxcl13 and Nptx2 was observed in STZ-damaged islets, but not in untreated normal islets. Given the pro-β-cell-survival effects of Cxcl12 (Sdf-1) in inducing GLP-1 production in α-cells, pancreatic GLP-1-mediated Cxcl13 induction might also play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of β-cells in damaged islets.
Geometric reasoning for pose and size estimation of generic shaped objects

Generic shape recognition is the problem of determining the pose and dimensions of objects for which only topological models are available (that is, the shape of the object is known but the size is unknown). One such application domain is the handling and sorting of postal objects. Because metrical information relating object features to one another is not available, the more common model-based approaches are inadequate. The INGEN (inference engine for generic object recognition) system uses a data-driven approach to recognize objects with generic shapes, such as parallelepipeds and cylinders, when the dimensions of the objects are unknown. Size and pose estimation are facilitated by a geometric reasoning process which extends objects in the direction away from the sensor until they physically contact other objects in the scene. The results of experiments which use the INGEN system to guide a robot in the manipulation of postal objects are presented. >
When All the Children Are Left Behind: An Exploration of Fosterage of Owambo Orphans in Namibia, Africa

High levels of HIV and rising number of orphans place enormous stress on societies, perhaps less so in Africa than other regions of the world due to the dominance of the extended family and the African cultural complex of socially distributed childcare. A unique example of a culturally specific child care practice found within socially distributed systems is the tradition of child fosterage in Africa. The primary purpose of this study was to better understand the practice of child fosterage among agropastoralist Owambos in Namibia, Southern Africa. This study focuses on the outcomes (health, education) for orphan and non-orphan children by utilizing the 2000 Namibian Demographic and Health Survey (N=5,949) and qualitative interviews. In countries without institutional systems to better the welfare of children and the resources of families, fosterage serves a crucial role and may be a key component in African communities’ reaction to HIV/AIDS. Understanding how gender and kinship and the context of fosterage shape family life for orphans and non-orphans may help the development community identify interventions for the most vulnerable of children in Africa.
The functions of oncogene products.

An understanding of the actions of oncogenes in the process of malignant transformation will ultimately depend on a knowledge of the functions of the protein products of these genes. To date about twenty different oncogenes of either viral or tumor origin have been identified. One or more protein products of each of these oncogenes have been described. Some progress has been made in assigning functions to oncogene products, and at least one function has been ascribed to over half these proteins. I propose to review briefly our current knowledge in this area.
Online direct-to-consumer messages about non-invasive prenatal genetic testing

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been integrated into clinical care at a time when patients and healthcare providers increasingly utilize the internet to access health information. This study evaluated online direct-to-consumer information about NIPT produced by commercial laboratories accessible to both patients and healthcare providers. A coding checklist captured areas to describe content and assess concordance with clinical guidelines. We found that the information presented about NIPT is highly variable, both within a single website and broadly across all websites. Variability was noted in how NIPT is characterized, including test characteristics and indications. All laboratories offer NIPT to test for common sex chromosome aneuploidies, although there is a lack of consistency regarding the conditions offered and information provided about each. Although indicated for a subset of women at increased risk of aneuploidy, some laboratories describe the use of NIPT for all pregnant women. A subset of laboratories offers screening for microdeletions, although clinical practice guidelines do not yet recommend for general use for this indication. None of the online materials addressed the ethical issues associated with NIPT. This study highlights the need for clear, consistent, and evidence-based materials to educate patients and healthcare providers about the current and emerging applications of NIPT.
Multiple subpicosecond pulse laser damage behavior of optical coatings in a vacuum environment

The multiple-pulse damage threshold of dual-ion beam sputtered films show a drop to just 10% of the single-pulse damage threshold when tested in high vacuum. The drop is related to the background pressure of water vapor. Optical microscopy shows a change in the damage morphology.
Rotaviral and coronaviral diarrhea

A number of different viruses can be primary pathogens in the neonatal calf diarrhea complex. By far the most common viruses causing calfhood diarrhea found throughout the world are rotaviruses and coronaviruses. Primary infection of newborn calves with either one of these viruses can cause severe intestinal alterations and diarrhea. Rotaviruses can produce high-morbidity outbreaks of diarrhea in calves under 10 days of age. Morality is variable mainly owing to secondary bacterial infections and electrolyte imbalances. Rotavirus infection of the small intestinal mucosa leads to loss of enterocytes of the upper third of the intestinal villi with subsequent villous atrophy and malabsorption. There is growing evidence that different rotavirus serotypes of different pathogenicity exist. Coronavirus infections can produce high-morbidity outbreaks of diarrhea in calves under 20 days of age, with variable mortality due to secondary complications. Coronaviruses affect not only the small intestinal mucosa, producing significant villous atrophy, but also the colon, causing a very severe intestinal damage that can lead to death due to subsequent electrolyte disturbances. All coronaviruses associated with neonatal calf diarrhea appear to be of the same serotype. The etiologic diagnosis of viral diarrheas of calves requires the support of the laboratory. One of the most useful diagnostic methods is the examination of fecal extracts for the presence of virus particles by electron microscopy. Other antigen-detection procedures like enzyme immunoassays have been found to be useful in the diagnosis of rotaviral diarrheas. The sample of choice for these diagnostic tests is a fresh fecal sample collected directly from the calf as close as possible to the onset of diarrhea. Samples from more than one calf during the outbreak enhance the laboratory ability to establish a proper viral diagnosis.
What meaningful use means for pharmacy

Pharmacists have been practicing as patient caregivers for decades but have failed to develop widespread acceptance of independent, accountable clinical practice.[1][1] Health care reform initiatives and investments in health information technology (HIT) offer new opportunities for pharmacists to
Insulin antibodies in 104 children with diabetes mellitus.

Binding capacity for porcine, bovine, and human insulin was estimated in 104 diabetic children using homologous systems of iodinated and noniodinated insulin. All patient sera bound porcine and bovine insulin whilst 11.5% did not bind human insulin. There was no clear correlation between duration of insulin treatment and binding capacity. However, some patients with only short duration of treatment had high binding capacity for porcine insulin. The binding capacity for human insulin was low in most patients. High insulin requirement was on average combined with high binding for bovine insulin. Cases of diabetes, which are difficult to control, treated with individual mixtures of porcine and bovine insulin, often showed high binding for porcine and also for human insulin. The value of estimations of insulin-binding capacity in diabetic children is debatable. However, the high incidence of antibodies seems to justify the use of low immunogenic (monocomponent) insulin preparations.
Nectar-Collecting Behavior of Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a Parasitoid of Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

We observed 5 nectar-collecting behaviors of Diadegma insulare (Cresson), a major parasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). The most striking behavior of D. insulare was chewing at the base of Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. and Brassica napus L. flowers and creating holes that probably released the floral nectar. D. insulare visited more frequently and spent longer times on Rower species that supported longer life and high fecundity ( B. vulgaris, Brassica kaber (D.C.) Wheeler, B. napus and Daucus carota L.). Time spent per visit was positively correlated with the number of previous visits for B. vulgaris and B. kaber , flowers that support long life and high fecundity. Time spent per visit was negatively correlated with the number of previous visits for Berteroa incana L. (D.C.) and Erysimum cheiranthoides L. (flowers that cause shorter lives and low fecundity of D. insulare ). This suggests that D. insulare , after experience, was able to positively correlate nectar rewards with the Rower characters. Flower color did not affect parasitoid choice of flowers. D. insulare spent significantly longer time at the upper one-third of D. carota corolla and at the lower one-third of B. kaber and B. vulgaris corollas than oilier Rowers. Behavioral flexibility of D. insulare to flower characters and its nectar-collecting behaviors should be considered for increased impact of this parasitoid in diamondback moth management programs.
The Relationship of Suicidal Ideation to Objective and Subjective Executive Functioning

Prior research on executive ability and suicidal ideation (SI) has frequently failed to account for either symptom or performance validity. Similarly, studies have not adequately examined both obje...
The Construction of Synchronous Network in the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" Period

This paper introduces the basic concept of synchronization network and the main form of network synchronization.Through interpreting the "Twelfth Five-Year Communication Network Plan of State Grid Corporation of China",it introduces the guidelines,principles,goals,as well as technical policies and development priorities of power communication synchronous network.The points for attention during the construction are also put forward in the paper.
Effects of Shading and Obturating on Tomato Transpiration in Greenhouse

On the basis of the stem heat balance principle to measure the plant transpiration,with the instruments to collect meteorological data in greenhouse,we studied the variation rules of tomato sap flow under different environmental treatments through shading and obturating environment.The results showed the trend of tomato sunny sap flow was invariable in the obturated greenhouse,but sap flow was obviously diminished.Besides illuminance,temperature,humidity and CO2 concentration were necessary environmental parameters to affect tomato sap flow in greenhouse.Under the treatment of changing illuminance artificially,transpiration rate was changed with illuminance changed,they had similar rules.But the sap flow curve was lagged to the illuminance curve,sap flow was gradually diminished following the illuminance reduced,and had a time delay.When the greenhouse became dark in the daytime,sap flow was gradually diminished,but sap flow value was far bigger than sap flow value at night.When the greenhouse was in the dark in the different time section,the diminished speed of tomato sap flow was different.
Spin Trapping of the Primary Radical Involved in the Activation of the Carcinogen N-Hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene by Cumene Hydroperoxide-Hematin

We have verified that the cumene hydroperoxide-hematin system reacts with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide to form the nitroxide 5,5-dimethyl-pyrrolidone-(2)-oxyl-(1) (DMPOX). We have investigated the mechanism of this reaction and found that it is not a simple oxidation, as has been previously reported, but that DMPOX is formed via the spin trapping of a cumene hydroperoxyl radical followed by an intramolecular carbanion displacement. The activation of the carcinogen, N-hydroxyl-2-acetylaminofluorene, by the cumene hydroperoxide-hematin system is most likely mediated by cumene hydroperoxyl radical.
Navigating PCB stackup layer assignments for optimized si and pi performance in high speed, high power designs

Demanding signal- and power-integrity performance requirements in high-performance computing (HPC) systems require careful trade-space analysis when prioritizing layer allocations in printed circuit board (PCB) designs. Typically, the topmost layers in a stackup construction are the most desirable for enhancing both signal and power delivery capabilities. In this paper, we use analytical performance metrics to determine PCB layer utilization for optimized signal and power performance in sample designs targeting 56 Gbps non-return-to-zero (NRZ) differential signaling and a power delivery network (PDN) providing sub-1 mOhm impedance.
New Möbius inversion formulas

Abstract More Mobius inversion formulas may be derived from several infinite summation identities involving the Mobius function and the relevant function F ( x ). Some of them have complete new formalisms. A simple example of applications of one of the new inversion formulas is also discussed.
The role of mindfulness as approach-based coping in the PTSD-substance abuse cycle.

• Mindfulness has shown an inverse relationship with avoidant coping styles, PTSD symptoms, and substance use disorders.
Structural Analysis of Pyrolytic Lignins Isolated from Switchgrass Fast-Pyrolysis Oil

Structural characterization of lignin extracted from the bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is reported. This is important for understanding the utility of lignin as a chemical feedstock in a pyrolysis-based biorefinery scheme. Pyrolysis induces a variety of structural changes to lignin in addition to reduction in molecular weight. The guaiacol structural units remain largely intact, and some hemicellulose stays covalently linked to the lignin. However, two-dimensional 1H–13C HSQC NMR analysis shows an absence of γ-methylene hydrogens from β-O-4 linkages, implying that rearrangements in the propyl linking chains have occurred. Ferulate and hydroxyl phenol esters are still present in the pyrolyzed lignin, but at lower concentrations than in unpyrolyzed switchgrass lignin.
A hybrid observer for fixed-time state estimation of linear systems

This paper deals with the problem of state estimation for single-output observable linear systems. A hybrid observer is proposed to estimate the state of the system exactly and in a finite time. Moreover, the proposed hybrid observer provides fixed-time convergence of the state estimation error, i.e. there exists a convergence time that is bounded and such a bound is independent of the initial estimation error. Some simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid observer.
Sport-related concussion induces transient cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.

Recent evidence suggests that concussions may disrupt autonomic cardiovascular control. This study investigated the initial effects of concussion on cardiovascular function using three autonomic re...