cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sample size requirements to evaluate spore germination inhibition by compost extracts

We examined the effect of compost sample size (50 to 5000 g) on the precision of estimates of inhibition of Venturia inaequalis (Cke) Winter conidial germination induced by extracts of anaerobically-incubated composts. Composts were prepared from vegetable material; some were amended with manure. Variability due to sample size was considered as a function of extract efficacy (high, medium or low) and compost heterogeneity (high or low). Extract efficacy was characterized as ability to inhibit more than 75% of the conidia (high), 75 to 40% (medium), or fewer than 40% (low). Heterogeneity was characterized as visual or tactile presence (high) or absence (low) of parent material in the compost. To address the question of sample size-related variability we partitioned individual extract incubations (samples) into aliquots (sub-samples), and aliquots into microtiter plate wells (sub-sub-samples). For this nested design, the largest component of variation was consistently found to be that associated with wells; aliquots were a negligible source of variation. Sample size over the range examined was generally of small importance for extracts of medium and high efficacy, but not low efficacy, independent of compost heterogeneity. For previously untested composts, particularly those of high heterogeneity, statistical analyses of our data suggest that samples of at least 500 g circumvent potentially large errors and consequent difficulties to detect differences among composts or effects of experimental variables.
Production of 3s State Hydrogen by H2+ Impact on Noble Gases

Absolute cross sections are reported for the production of 3s atomic hydrogen by 20-150 keV H2+ ions incident on He, Kr, and Xe. These measurements were made with an established technique used previously at E.T.S.U. for proton charge transfer cross sections. This basic technique has also been used by laboratories at Georgia Tech and the University of Arkansas to make additional H2+ measurements. Results from these three laboratories are in good agreement and when combined provide a relatively consistant set of 3s cross sections for the five rare gases from 20-700 keV. Excited hydrogen atoms may be formed through several reaction channels; this experimental technique does not identify the relative contributions of these channels to the total 3s production. The multiple features of these cross section curves indicate that the internal structure of the targets plays an important role in the dissociation mechanism and that detailed theoretical descriptions will be quite involved.
Are Probiotics or Prebiotics Useful in Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Treatment options for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are notoriously either inadequate (IBS) or loaded with potentially serious side effects and risks (IBD). In recent years, a growing interest in effective and safer alternatives has focused on the potential role of probiotics and their metabolic substrates, prebiotics. It is in fact conceivable that the microbiome might be targeted by providing the metabolic fuel needed for the growth and expansion of beneficial microorganisms (prebiotics) or by administering to the host such microorganisms (probiotics). This review presents a concise update on currently available data, with a special emphasis on children. Data for prebiotics in IBS are scarce. Low doses have shown a beneficial effect, while high doses are counterproductive. On the contrary, several controlled trials of probiotics have yielded encouraging results. A meta-analysis including nine randomized clinical trials in children showed an improvement in abdominal pain for Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938, and the probiotic mixture VSL#3. The patients most benefiting from probiotics were those with predominant diarrhea or with a post-infectious IBS. In IBD, the use of prebiotics has been tested only rarely and in small scale clinical trials, with mixed results. As for probiotics, data in humans from about three dozens clinical trials offer mixed outcomes. So far, none of the tested probiotics has proven successful in Crohn's disease, while in ulcerative colitis a recent meta-analysis on 12 clinical trials (1 of them in children) showed efficacy for the probiotic mixture VSL#3 in contributing to induce and to maintain remission. It is evident that this is a rapidly evolving and promising field; more data are very likely to yield a better understanding on what strains should be used in different specific clinical settings and in what doses.
Access to aminophenylcarbenes via diazirine exchange reactions

Phenylbromodiazirine (1) reacts with a variety of primary and secondary amines affording a series of aminophenylcarbenes (3).
Molecular mechanics of dihydroxyphenylalanine at a silica interface

L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) is an amazing biological glue secreted by marine mussels. Through enhanced sampling molecular dynamics, here we demonstrate that proteins with DOPA residues have a strong affinity to a silica surface with an interfacial strength of several hundreds of thousand N/cm2. The mechanism of such strong adhesion is a pair of hydrogen bonds that forms between DOPA and the substrate, enabling enhanced cooperativity as the DOPA residue lays flat on top the surface. Our predicted adhesion force (743 pN) agrees well with experimental measurements (847 ± 157 pN), including the orientation of the DOPA residue on the surface.
Approximate zero polynomials of polynomial matrices and linear systems

This paper introduces the notions of approximate and optimal approximate zero polynomial of a polynomial matrix by deploying recent results on the approximate GCD of a set of polynomials [1] and the exterior algebra [4] representation of polynomial matrices. The results provide a new definition for the “approximate”, or “almost” zeros of polynomial matrices and provide the means for computing the distance from non-coprimeness of a polynomial matrix. The computational framework is expressed as a distance problem in a projective space. The general framework defined for polynomial matrices provides a new characterization of approximate zeros and decoupling zeros [2], [4] of linear systems and a process leading to computation of their optimal versions. The use of restriction pencils provides the means for defining the distance of state feedback (output injection) orbits from uncontrollable (unobservable) families of systems, as well as the invariant versions of the “approximate decoupling polynomials”.
Decision-Theoretic Prediction and Policy Design of GDP Slot Auctions

We examine the potential for a simple auction to allocate arrival slots during Ground Delay Programs (GDP’s) more efficiently than the currently used sys- tem. The analysis of these auctions uses Predictive Game Theory (PGT) Wolpert and Bono (2010a,b), a new approach that produces a probability distribution over strategies instead of an equilibrium set. We compare the simple auction with other allocation methods, including combinatorial auctions and theoretical benchmarks using data from a one-hour GDP at Chicago Midway. We find that the simple slot auction overcomes several practical shortcomings of other approaches, while offering economically significant efficiency gains with respect to current practices and the potential to lower airline costs. We also find that the second price version of the simple auction dominates the first price version in nearly every decision-relevant category. This is despite the fact that none of the conventional arguments for second price auctions, such as dominant strategy implementability, even apply to GDP slot auctions. Finally, the results indicate that combinatorial auctions, if made operationally practical, might be more efficient than our auction, even though the combinatorial auction does not implement the social optimum in dominant strategies.
Effects of Testosterone on Cognition and Mood in Male Patients With Mild Alzheimer Disease and Healthy Elderly Men

mental Test of Visual-Motor Integration), neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory), global functioning (Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change), and quality of life (Quality of Life–Alzheimer Disease Scale). Results: For the patients with AD, the testosteronetreated group had significantly greater improvements in the scores on the caregiver version of the quality-of-life scale (P = .01). No significant treatment group differences were detected in the cognitive scores at end of study, although numerically greater improvement or less decline on measures of visuospatial functions was demonstrated with testosterone treatment compared with placebo. In the healthy control group, a nonsignificant trend toward greater improvement in self-rated quality of life was observed in the testosterone-treated group (P=.09) compared with placebo treatment. No difference between the treatment groups was detected in the remaining outcome measures. Testosterone treatment was well tolerated with few adverse effects relative to placebo. Conclusions: Results suggest that testosterone replacement therapy improved overall quality of life in patients with AD. Testosterone had minimal effects on cognition. Arch Neurol. 2006;63:177-185
Estimating a population of parameter values using Bayes and empirical Bayes methods

Abstract In standard Bayes and empirical Bayes component decision problems, estimating inidividual parameters is the primary goal. In multiple comparison problems and in comparisons of histograms of estimates, however, the primary goal is to produce parameter estimates that can be considered as an ensemble. For example, the histogram of estimates should be a good estimate of the histogram of parameters. Standard methods of estimating by the posterior expectation do minimize symmetric, componentwise losses such as squared error, but they produce ensembles of estimates with a sample variance smaller than the posterior expected sample variance for parameters. In this article we propose new Bayes and empirical Bayes estimates that minimize a distance function between the empirical cdf of the estimates and the true parameters. These estimators are weighted averages of the prior mean and the data, with weight on the data being approximately the square root of that for the posterior expectation. We give theoreti...
Spatial, seasonal and diel distribution of fishes in a California reservoir dominated by native fishes

Abstract During 21 months of sampling with various techniques, we captured 24 species of fish in Britton Reservoir. Nine species comprised over 96% of the number of fish captured and approximately 88% of the biomass. Five native non-game species accounted for over 77% of the catches. The native non-game fishes have maintained large populations in the reservoir despite continued introductions of non-native species. Two sources of non-native species exist. The first is the introduction of exotic species directly into the reservoir during fish-stocking programs. The second is the continuous movement of non-native fishes into the reservoir from large populations which reside in a major tributary of the reservoir. Factors responsible for the large number of native fishes are: management of the reservoir for hydroelectric generation; temperature regime; reservoir morphology. The fish community structure is stratified along two axes: upper basin/lower basin and inshore/offshore. Most of the 24 species were found inshore: 14 species were found offshore. Four of the native non-game fishes were most abundant in the upper basin: three introduced non-native fishes were most abundant in the lower basin of the reservoir. The offshore community was dynamic on a daily and seasonal basis.
Transformations of visuospatial images.

Transformations of visuospatial mental images are important for action, navigation, and reasoning. They depend on representations in multiple spatial reference frames, implemented in the posterior parietal cortex and other brain regions. The multiple systems framework proposes that different transformations can be distinguished in terms of which spatial reference frame is updated. In an object-based transformation, the reference frame of an object moves relative to those of the observer and the environment. In a perspective transformation, the observer's egocentric reference frame moves relative to those of the environment and of salient objects. These two types of spatial reference frame updating rely on distinct neural processing resources in the parietal, occipital, and temporal cortex. They are characterized by different behavioral patterns and unique individual differences. Both object-based transformations and perspective transformations interact with posterior frontal cortical regions subserving th...
Strategic psychotherapy for trauma: Hypnosis and trauma in context

Integration of attempts to explain trauma with therapies focused on the change process is important for effective therapy. An attempt is made to use hypnotic and strategic therapy principles within a dissociative conceptualization of the trauma response. Case examples of strategic therapy principles and of a trauma case are presented to aid in clarification of concepts.
Calmodulin inhibitors block neutrophil degranulation at a step distal from the mobilization of calcium.

Summary Two calmodulin inhibitors, trifluoroperazine and N-(6-aminohexyl-5-chloro-1-naphtalene sulfonamide, were found to be potent inhibitors of the chemotactic factor plus cytochalasin B induced lysosomal enzyme release from rabbit peritoneal neutrophils. On the other hand, these inhibitors did not affect the chemotactic factor induced intracellular calcium redistribution and membrane permeability increase. These results strongly suggest that calmodulin is involved in the expression of the various neutrophil functions. In addition, these compounds provide a unique experimental tool for the dissection of the excitation-secretion coupling sequence in neutrophils and other secretory cells.
A combinatorial proof of the multivariable Lagrange inversion formula

Abstract Part I contains a combinatorial proof of a multivariable Lagrange inversion formula. Part II discusses the various multivariable Lagrange inversion formulas of Jacobi, Stieltjes, Good, Joni, and Abhyankar and shows how they can be derived from each other.
The biological control of alligatorweed, Alternanthera philoxeroides, in the United States of America

Abstract Alligatorweed, Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., an aquatic amaranth introduced into the United States from South America around 1900, was recognized as a threat to the aquatic ecosystem as early as 1901. It has been classed as a weed because of its competitive advantage over our native flora. A 1963 survey found the weed commonly throughout the southeastern United States. Alligatorweed was estimated to infest 65,700 ha in the states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Biological control of alligatorweed was begun in 1960 with surveys in South America for natural enemies. Research in South America by U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists resulted in the introductions of three species of insects into the United States for control of alligatorweed. Agasicles hygrophila (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was first introduced in 1964, Amynothrips andersoni (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in 1967, and Vogtia malloi (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Phycitinae) in 1971. These insects are now providing substantial control of alligatorweed over the entire range where the weed occurred as an aquatic plant problem. It is our contention that alligatorweed will cease to be an important aquatic weed and only rarely will be found in pure stands in any significant proportions in the United States of America.
Learning question classifiers

In order to respond correctly to a free form factual question given a large collection of texts, one needs to understand the question to a level that allows determining some of the constraints the question imposes on a possible answer. These constraints may include a semantic classification of the sought after answer and may even suggest using different strategies when looking for and verifying a candidate answer.This paper presents a machine learning approach to question classification. We learn a hierarchical classifier that is guided by a layered semantic hierarchy of answer types, and eventually classifies questions into fine-grained classes. We show accurate results on a large collection of free-form questions used in TREC 10.
Thailand's political peasants: power in the modern rural economy

What a relief to finally have a book that describes the political dynamics of contemporary village life in Thailand. To understand the importance of Andrew Walker's new book, some background into t...
Induction of gene amplification by arsenic

Arsenic is a well-established carcinogen in humans, but there is little evidence for its carcinogenicity in animals and it is inactive as an initiator or tumor promoter in two-stage models of carcinogenicity in mice. Two arsenic salts (sodium arsenite and sodium arsenate) induced a high frequency of methotrexate-resistant 3T6 cells, which were shown to have amplified copies of the dihydrofolate reductase gene. The ability of arsenic to induce gene amplification may relate to its carcinogenic effects in humans since amplification of oncogenes is observed in many human tumors. The inability of arsenic to induce gene mutations may relate to the negative results of arsenic in long-term animal studies and suggests that these experiments may not detect some environmental agents that act late in the carcinogenic process in humans.
The Influence of Genetic Strain on Growth Performance and Meat Yield of Large White Turkeys

Abstract The influence of genetic strain on the growth performance and meat yield of Large White turkeys was investigated utilizing three replicate (50 birds each) of Large White tom turkey poults of seven different genetic strains. Day-old poults were wing banded, reared following a standard management program, and individual weights were recorded at 1 day 6, 12, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 weeks of age during two trials. Mortality records were kept during the entire experiment. In both trials, five birds from each replicate group were randomly selected for slaughter for six consecutive weeks starting at 2 3 weeks of age. All birds were slaughtered, eviscerated, inspected, packaged and frozen by a commercial processor. The frozen oven-ready carcasses were thawed and deboned as they would be in a commercial further processing operation. Carcass weight and the component part weights were recorded for each bird. To aid in the evaluation, a dollar value was placed on the turkey carcass and component parts. From the data collected, one strain (CA) was significantly (P
Aortic occlusion and reperfusion and conduction, blood flow, and the blood-nerve barrier of rat sciatic nerve

We studied the effect of ischemia and reperfusion on blood flow, electrophysiology, and the blood-nerve barrier of the sciatic nerve of the rat. Ischemia for 10 to 60 min, with up to 3 h of reperfusion, was produced by closure and then release of a noose around the abdominal aorta. Nerve blood flow and function were measured serially using microelectrode-hydrogen polarography and electrophysiologic recordings, respectively. The integrity of the blood-nerve barrier was assessed using the permeability surface area product to [14C]sucrose. Ischemia of up to 30 min did not impair reperfusion. One hour of ischemia resulted in reperfusion abnormalities that affected about half of the nerves. The ischemic and reperfusion stresses did not disrupt the blood-nerve barrier to [14C]sucrose nor produce conduction block. Possible mechanisms for this resistance to ischemic and reperfusion injury are discussed.
Local environment of Zn in zirconium borosilicate glasses determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The Zn environments in six zirconium borosilicate glasses were characterized using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The Zn environment is of interest because the addition of ZnO to borosilicate glass produces beneficial eAects on certain bulk physical properties that are important in the production and long-term storage of radioactive waste glasses. Zn XAS data and analyses show that all glass samples investigated contain Zn aa surrounded by four oxygens in tetrahedral coordination, with most likely, Si second nearest neighbors. The Zn environments are essentially invariant in all of the glass samples investigated, despite significant diAerences in glass chemistry and sample homogeneity. The results indicate that tetrahedral Zn in these glasses takes on the role of a weakly bonded network former. As ZnO is added to a silicate glass, Zn tetrahedra most likely link to silicate tetrahedra, decrease the volume of voids between linked tetrahedra, and restrict diAusion of large ions. These inferences concur with observations that leach rates are reduced for zirconium borosilicate glass as ZnO is added. ” 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
CCR5/CXCR4 discriminating sites in the HIV-1 gp120 core

HIV-1 requires engagement of host co-receptor CCR5 or CXCR4 in order to infect human cells. Amino acid identity at positions 11 and/or 25 in the V3 loop of HIV-1 gp120 (positions 306 and 322 in terms of standard HXB2 gp120 numbering) has been shown to strongly influence which co-receptor is utilized by a viral strain. To identify additional sites in other gp120 regions that may influence co-receptor usage, we compared, position-by-position, the electrostatic charge distributions at each location in the 3D structure of X4-tropic gp120 core domains to each structurally equivalent location in R5-tropic gp120 core domains. Seven sites in the gp120 core showed a significant difference in charge distribution between the viral sets. The two strongest differences were positions 440 and 373, both located adjacent to the origin of the V3 loop, suggesting that the co-receptor binding surface of gp120 is a single hotspot formed by the V3 loop and adjacent gp120 core regions.
Stereoscopic-3D display design: a new paradigm with Intel Adaptive Stable Image Technology [IA-SIT]

Stereoscopic-3D (S3D) proliferation on personal computers (PC) is mired by several technical and business challenges: a) viewing discomfort due to cross-talk amongst stereo images; b) high system cost; and c) restricted content availability. Users expect S3D visual quality to be better than, or at least equal to, what they are used to enjoying on 2D in terms of resolution, pixel density, color, and interactivity. Intel Adaptive Stable Image Technology (IA-SIT) is a foundational technology, successfully developed to resolve S3D system design challenges and deliver high quality 3D visualization at PC price points. Optimizations in display driver, panel timing firmware, backlight hardware, eyewear optical stack, and synch mechanism combined can help accomplish this goal. Agnostic to refresh rate, IA-SIT will scale with shrinking of display transistors and improvements in liquid crystal and LED materials. Industry could profusely benefit from the following calls to action:- 1) Adopt 'IA-SIT S3D Mode' in panel specs (via VESA) to help panel makers monetize S3D; 2) Adopt 'IA-SIT Eyewear Universal Optical Stack' and algorithm (via CEA) to help PC peripheral makers develop stylish glasses; 3) Adopt 'IA-SIT Real Time Profile' for sub-100uS latency control (via BT Sig) to extend BT into S3D; and 4) Adopt 'IA-SIT Architecture' for Monitors and TVs to monetize via PC attach.
Modulation of cyclic AMP accumulation in glial cells by exogenous phospholipase C

Abstract Pretreatment of 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells with exogenously added bacterial phospholipase C (PLC) induced an increase in subsequent stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation by the β-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol and by the direct adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin, a phenomenon referred to as sensitization. The direct protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced a similar sensitization. In contrast, in C62B rat glioma cells both PLC and PMA induced a decrease in subsequent cyclic AMP accumulation stimulated by isoproterenol and little or no change in stimulation by forskolin. Although the effects of PMA were completely abolished by pretreating cells overnight with PMA to down-regulate protein kinase C activity, the effects of PLC were inhibited only partially or not inhibited. Pertussis toxin pretreatment did not inhibit the sensitization induced by PLC, whereas sensitization induced by lysophosphatidic acid (previously shown to involve pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP binding proteins) was completely inhibited. Further studies of these phenomena may reveal novel pathways for regulation of the cyclic AMP signalling pathway.
Meclofenamate and prostaglandin E2 affect breathing movements independently of glucose concentrations in fetal sheep

Fetal breathing movements in sheep are stimulated by infusions of a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, meclofenamate; they are inhibited by prostaglandin E2. Recent studies suggest that these effects are mediated through changes in fetal plasma glucose concentrations. We infused into chronic fetal sheep preparations (1) glucose, (2) meclofenamate, and (3) prostaglandin E2, followed by prostaglandin E2 and glucose together. Infusions of glucose alone did not affect fetal breathing movements despite a significant twofold increase in glucose concentrations. During meclofenamate infusions, fetal breathing movements increased from 34.9% to 80.6% (p less than 0.005); glucose concentrations did not change. During prostaglandin E2 infusions, fetal breathing movements decreased from 36.5% to 4.1% (p less than 0.005) without any change in glucose concentrations; the addition of glucose did not alter the effects of prostaglandin E2 on fetal breathing movements. We conclude that fetal infusions of glucose in sheep do not affect fetal breathing movements and the effects on these breathing movements produced by meclofenamate and prostaglandin E2 are independent of the changes in plasma glucose concentrations.
Formal approach to various properties of antiferromagnets

The formal representation of thermal and magnetic properties of moderately anisotropic antiferromagnets in the presence and absence of a constant, uniform external magnetic field is discussed both in selective ordered configurations and in the paramagnetic phase. The mean-field-theoretical formalism is shown to give a satisfactory account of the magnetic properties of a class of two-sublattice antiferromagnets in those ordered configurations where the applied magnetic field is at a right angle to the direction of the spontaneously evolving sublattice magnetic moments. Predictions of mean-field theory on the linearity of the magnetic moment in the applied field strength and the attendant invariant molar susceptibility throughout the relevant portions of the configuration phase diagrams, phase-boundary lines included, are seen to be well satisfied. This is verified in detail on the typical antiferromagnet MnCl2 · 4H2O, where the Mn2+ ions in their6S5/2 ground state determine the magnetic properties and for which numerous magnetic and thermal measurements have been accumulated in both the ordered and paramagnetic phases. The experimentally explored low-temperature properties of this antiferromagnet refer to the liquid3He and4He and liquid H2 bath-temperature intervals 0.3≤T≤4.2 K and 15≤T≤21 K, respectively. In contrast with the magnetic properties, mean-field theory is less successful in accounting for the thermal properties of antiferromagnets, but its qualitative predictions agree well with the observations. In the paramagnetic phase, the isotropic nearest-neighbor exchange-coupled model system is used, wherein the data on the manganese compound are assigned approximately to an effective simple-cubic distribution of the Mn2+ ions, with an effective empirical exchange-energy parameter,J<0, derived from magnetic and heat capacity data at asymptotically high temperatures. Here the formal approach corresponds to a series expansion of the various properties in ascending powers of ‖J‖/kT, in the absence of magnetic field, with an additional magnetic-field-exchange double series in the presence of an external field. In those temperature and field-strength regions where convergence is satisfactory, the above approach is shown to give a good account of the observed thermal properties of the manganese compound in the absence of magnetic field, as well as of the low-field paramagnetic susceptibility. The hitherto observed field-dependent properties are confined to a much too narrow temperature interval outside the region of convergence of the series-expansion formalism. Experimental control of this approach requires acquisition of new data in the appropriate temperature range of convergence of the model formalism.
Heterogeneity and new molecular forms of human liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Abstract The distribution of the multiple molecular forms of human liver alcohol dehydrogenase and the specific enzymatic activity of homogenate supernatants were examined in 100 liver specimens from Indianapolis, IN. The specific enzymatic activities of livers with the ADH 3 2 phenotype were significantly higher than those with the ADH 3 1 or ADH 3 2−1 phenotype. By comparison of the electrophoretic pattern and the pH-activity profiles of the homogenate supernatants, sixteen percent of the specimens contained hitherto unknown enzyme forms exhibiting unusual electrophoretic mobility and a pH-optimum of 7.0 for ethanol oxidation. The data confirm that the molecular and catalytic properties of this enzyme are even more diverse than has been known.
Pediatric Nocturnal Enuresis Secondary to Airway Obstruction from Cleft Palate Repair

Nocturnal enuresis in children can at times be alleviated or resolved completely with surgery on the upper airway. We present a report of a 7-year-old boy in whom nocturnal enuresis began immediately after reconstructive surgery of the pharynx that caused upper airway obstruction. Enuresis diminished immediately and stopped following an adenoidectomy but resumed secondary to adenoid regrowth after more than a year of dry nights. Nocturnal enuresis was immediately and permanently relieved by adenoidectomy revision. We review the relevant literature and discuss possible physiologic relationships between upper airway obstruction and bladder and renal function.
Surflets: a sparse representation for multidimensional functions containing smooth discontinuities

Discontinuities in data often provide vital information, and representing these discontinuities sparsely is an important goal for approximation and compression algorithms. Little work has been done on efficient representations for higher dimensional functions containing arbitrarily smooth discontinuities. We consider the N-dimensional Horizon class-N-dimensional functions containing a C/sup K/ smooth (N-1)-dimensional singularity separating two constant regions. We derive the optimal rate-distortion function for this class and introduce the multiscale surflet representation for sparse piecewise approximation of these functions. We propose a compression algorithm using surflets that achieves the optimal asymptotic rate-distortion performance for Horizon functions. This algorithm can be implemented using knowledge of only the N-dimensional function, without explicitly estimating the (N-1)-dimensional discontinuity.
Globalization and internationalization in higher education: theoretical, strategic and management perspectives

edited by Felix Maringe and Nick Foskett, London, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010, 336 pp., £80.00(hardback), ISBN 978-1-4411-3277-2 The organizational and structural challenges of h...
Comparative Analysis of Neural Network Techniques Vs Statistical Methods in Capacity Planning

Capacity planning is a technique which can be used to predict the computing resource needs of an organization for the future after studying current usage patterns. This is of special import for adaptive enterprises, given the large infrastructure and large number of users. Determining resource needs beforehand can be very beneficial because it is a proactive approach and helps prevent resource crunches and service level violations. Accuracy of the predicted values, however, depends upon the methods used for the forecast and also upon the accuracy of the historical data. Historical data in the capacity planning sense is system performance data. Most of the approaches used for such a prediction make use of statistical methods or are based on queuing theory. This paper compares the traditional statistical based methods with a method based on neural networks. The training set for the neural network consists of historical values of a metric (for example CPU utilization percentage) for which the prediction is to be done. The advantages of this method over other methods have also been discussed. From the predicted information, we illustrate how capacity planning is done.
In vivo resonant Raman measurement of macular carotenoid pigments in the young and the aging human retina.

We have used resonant Raman scattering spectroscopy as a novel, noninvasive, in vivo optical technique to measure the concentration of the macular carotenoid pigments lutein and zeaxanthin in the living human retina of young and elderly adults. Using a backscattering geometry and resonant molecular excitation in the visible wavelength range, we measure the Raman signals originating from the single- and double-bond stretch vibrations of the p-conjugated molecule’s carbon backbone. The Raman signals scale linearly with carotenoid content, and the required laser excitation is well below safety limits for macular exposure. Furthermore, the signals decline significantly with increasing age in normal eyes. The Raman technique is objective and quantitative and may lead to a new method for rapid screening of carotenoid pigment levels in large populations at risk for vision loss from age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in the United States. © 2002 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 170.0170, 170.4470, 170.4580, 170.1610, 300.6450, 330.4300.
Sensor Management with Uncertain Performance Characteristics

Previous work has presented an information-theoretic sensor management framework for the detection of static targets. This framework is based on the expected discrimination gain maximization technique of Kastella. The sensor manager searches for N targets within a grid of cells using M sensors, which may be thought of as a reconfigurable sensor array. Sensor probabilities of detection and false alarm are used in the mathematical structure of the sensor manager, and these probabilities have previously been assumed to be certain. Realistic problems, however, will inevitably involve uncertainty. This paper introduces uncertain sensor Pd and Pf values into the mathematical framework and allows for their incorporation into the sequential structure of the sensor manager. The performance of the presented sensor management technique is then compared to direct search, where the sensors sweep through the grid in a predefined sampling pattern. The sensor manager is found to be superior to direct search when the uncertainty present in the problem is properly modeled. When uncertainty is present but not modeled, the performance of the sensor manager is severely degraded. This result indicates that uncertainty modeling will be important and necessary for the successful application of the presented sensor manager to real-world problems. Additional simulations examine the robustness of the sensor manager to errors in the assumed densities for Pd and Pf, and the performance of the sensor manager is found to remain strong even when the assumed Pd and Pf densities differ from the true densities
An efficient algorithm for estimating noise covariances in distributed systems

We present an efficient computational algorithm for estimating the noise covariance matrices of large linear discrete stochasticdynamic systems. Such systems arise typically by discretizing distributed-parameter systems, and their size renders computational efficiency a major consideration. Our adaptive filtering algorithm is based on the ideas of Belanger, and is algebraically equivalent to his algorithm. The earlier algorithm, however, has computational complexity proportional to p6, where p is the number of observations of the system state, while the new algorithm has complexity proportional to only p3. Furthermore, our formulation of noise covariance estimation as a secondary filter, analogous to state estimation as a primary filter, suggests several generalizations of the earlier algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated for a distributed system arising in numerical weather prediction.
Hot gas environment around STOVL aircraft in ground proximity. I - Experimental study

In connection with the problems of the ingestion of exhaust gases of engines in V/STOL and STOVL aircraft in ground effect, an experimental investigation was conducted on a typical model configuration using marker nephelometry to establish the interactions between the jets, forward velocity, and the ground. The test rig consisted of a two inlet configuration with four low subsonic velocity jets impacting vertically on a flat plate; the vertical distance between the plate and model undersurface was adjustable. A wind tunnel provided forward airflow to simulate landing into a wind with a velocity that could be set at 0-0.1 times the jet velocity. A videotape of concentration distribution revealed several vortical features in the interaction region, which were affected variously by the distance between the ground plane and model and the inlet suction. The frame-averaged data compared favorably with time-averaged predictions carried out elsewhere in a companion investigation. However, such predictions did not seem to reveal several aspects of the vortical flow features that should affect instantaneous distortion into the engine inlet.
Wave scattering by small impedance particles in a medium

The theory of acoustic wave scattering by many small bodies is developed for bodies with impedance boundary condition. It is shown that if one embeds many small particles in a bounded domain, filled with a known material, then one can create a new material with the properties very different from the properties of the original material. Moreover, these very different properties occur although the total volume of the embedded small particles is negligible compared with the volume of the original material.
Inhaled Heroin-Induced Status Asthmaticus: Five Cases and a Review of the Literature

We report five cases of status asthmaticus (four requiring mechanical ventilation) that were triggered by inhaled heroin and review the pertinent literature. These cases share common features of sudden and severe asthma exacerbations temporally related to heroin use, stress the importance of considering illicit drug use in like cases, and call attention to a public health issue.
How Americans Understand Racial and Religious Differences: A Test of Parallel Items from a National Survey

How can we better conceptualize attitudes about difference in an increasingly diverse, multicultural United States? This article uses data from a recent, nationally representative telephone survey with oversamples of African Americans and Hispanics to analyze attitudes about two prominent sources of distinction in the United States. Race and religion were selected because they tend to be understood in very different ways—race as a social problem, religion as an individual choice and collective good. To assess the utility of these contrasting emphases built into common survey measures, we constructed a battery of questions that included parallel items for both. Our findings indicate that, with some notable exceptions, Americans’ attitudes tend to be more similar than different, such that respondents see comparable (rather than contrasting) positive and negative aspects of race and religion in the United States. Based upon these results, we argue for a more multifaceted approach to the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of race and religion, with implications for how we generally approach difference, diversity, and multiculturalism.
Synthesis and optical properties of phenylene-containing oligoacenes.

Synthesis of a new class of fully unsaturated ladder structures, phenylene-containing oligoacenes (POAs), using 3,4-bis(methylene)cyclobutene as a building block for sequential Diels–Alder reactions is described. The geometric effects of strain and energetic cost of antiaromaticity can be observed via the optical and electrochemical properties of the reported compounds. The resulting shape-persistant ladder structures contain neighboring chromophores that are partially electronically isolated from one another while still undergoing a reduction in the band gap of the material.
1D System identification of a 54‐story steel frame building by seismic interferometry

A 54-story steel, perimeter-frame building in downtown Los Angeles, California, is identified by a wave method using records of the Northridge earthquake of 1994 (ML=6.4, R=32 km). The building is represented as a layered shear beam and a torsional shaft, characterized by the corresponding velocities of vertically propagating waves through the structure. The previously introduced waveform inversion algorithm is applied, which fits in the least squares sense pulses in low-pass filtered impulse response functions computed at different stories. This paper demonstrates that layered shear beam and torsional shaft models are valid for this building, within bands that include the first five modes of vibration for each of the NS, EW and torsional responses (0-1.7 Hz for NS and EW, and 0-3.5 Hz for the torsional response). The observed wave travel time from ground floor to penthouse level is τ ≈ 1.5 s for NS and EW and τ ≈ 0.9 s for the torsional responses. The identified equivalent uniform shear beam wave velocities are eq β ≈ 140 m/s for NS and EW responses and 260 m/s for torsion, and the apparent Q ≈ 25 for the NS and torsional, and ≈ 14 for the EW response. Across the layers, the wave velocity varied 90 - 170 m/s for the NS, 80 - 180 m/s for the EW, and 170 - 350 m/s for the torsional responses. The identification method is intended for use in structural health monitoring.
Total L-5 spondylectomy and reconstruction of the lumbosacral junction. Technical note.

✓The authors describe a technique for total L-5 spondylectomy and reconstruction of the lumbosacral junction. The technique, which involves separately staged posterior and anterior procedures, is reported in two patients harboring neoplasms that involved the L-5 level. The first stage consisted of a posterior approach with removal of all posterior bone elements of L-5 and radical L4–5 and L5–S1 discectomies. Lumbosacral and lumbopelvic instrumentation included pedicle screws as well as iliac screws or a transiliac rod. The second stage consisted of an anterior approach with mobilization of vascular structures, completion of L4–5 and L5–S1 discectomies, and removal of the L-5 vertebral body. Anterior lumbosacral reconstruction included placement of a distractable cage and tension band between L-4 and S-1. Allograft bone was used for fusion in both stages. No significant complications were encountered. At more than 1 year of follow-up, both patients were independently ambulatory, without evidence of recurre...
Applications of Fractional Calculus to the Theory of Viscoelasticity

Relation entre le calcul fractionnaire et la theorie de l'equation integrale d'Abel pour les materiaux a memoire. On obtient les fonctions de fluage et de relaxation en termes de fonction de Mittag-Leffler qui depend de la derivee fractionnaire du parametre β (parametre de memoire)
Permanent Magnets for MEMS

This paper reviews the state of the art for the microfabrication of permanent magnets applicable to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Permanent magnets are a key building block for the realization of magnetically based MEMS sensors, actuators, and energy converters. In this paper, the basic theories and operational concepts for permanent magnets are first described. Then, different classes of permanent-magnet materials and associated performance tradeoffs are introduced. Challenges relating to the integration of permanent magnets into MEMS applications are then discussed. Last, a summary and review of previously reported fabrication strategies and material properties is provided.
Endothelial Function: The Impact of Objective and Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Flow-Mediated Dilation

Background Although objective and subjective indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) are linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD), little is known about their relationship to endothelial dysfunction, which often precedes CVD.
Herbal Use among US Elderly: 2002 National Health Interview Survey

BACKGROUND:Use of herbal products among the elderly is an important concern for healthcare professionals. The presence of polypharmacy and multiple comorbidities places the elderly at high risk for herb—drug and herb—disease interactions. Limited data exist regarding herbal use among the US elderly population.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the incidence of and attitudes toward herbal use in a nationally representative sample of US elderly patients ⩾65 years of age.METHODS:We performed a descriptive analysis of public domain data collected in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Statistical analyses were conducted through use of SUDAAN software with Taylor series linearization for variance estimation.RESULTS:Analysis of weighted data revealed that 12.9% ± 0.5% (mean ± SE) of US elderly people had used an herbal supplement within the past 12 months. Use was greatest among individuals 65–69 years of age, females, Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnic minorities, and respondents with a greater income, higher educatio...
Assisted ejection fraction in B-mode and contrast echocardiography

This paper describes a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm to outline the endocardium in apical views of echocardiograms. The user provides three landmark points in the end-diastole and end-systole frames, and the system generates the endocardial contours which can then be used to compute the volume of the left ventricle and its ejection fraction. We show qualitatively and quantitatively that the results are very good and that the system can considerably reduce user variability.