cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lane tracking with omnidirectional cameras: algorithms and evaluation

With a panoramic view of the scene, a single omnidirectional camera can monitor the 360-degree surround of the vehicle or monitor the interior and exterior of the vehicle at the same time. We investigate problems associated with integrating driver assistance functionalities that have been designed for rectilinear cameras with a single omnidirectional camera instead. Specifically, omnidirectional cameras have been shown effective in determining head gaze orientation from within a vehicle. We examine the issues involved in integrating lane tracking functions using the same omnidirectional camera, which provide a view of both the driver and the road ahead of the vehicle. We present analysis on the impact of the omnidirectional camera's reduced image resolution on lane tracking accuracy, as a consequence of gaining the expansive view. And to do so, we present Omni-VioLET, a modified implementation of the vision-based lane estimation and tracking system (VioLET), and conduct a systematic performance evaluation of both lane-trackers operating on monocular rectilinear images and omnidirectional images. We are able to show a performance comparison of the lane tracking from Omni-VioLET and Recti-VioLET with ground truth using images captured along the same freeway road in a specified course. The results are surprising: with 1/10th the number of pixels representing the same space and about 1/3rd the horizontal image resolution as a rectilinear image of the same road, the omnidirectional camera implementation results in only three times the amount the mean absolute error in tracking the left lane boundary position.
Fluoxetine Decreases Fat and Protein Intakes But Not Carbohydrate Intake in Male Rats

Abstract Administration of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, results in decreases in food intake and body weight. The present study investigated whether the anorectic actions of fluoxetine were due to a general decrease in caloric intake or macronutrient specific. Male Long–Evans rats were maintained on a dietary self-selection regime with separate sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. During the acute phase of the experiment, nutrient intakes were measured 2, 4, 6, and 24 h after injections of 0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride. Fluoxetine significantly decreased protein and fat intakes in a dose-related manner at all measurement times. In comparison, fluoxetine had a less pronounced effect on carbohydrate intake. During the chronic phase, rats were divided into two groups, one receiving daily injections of 10.0 mg/kg fluoxetine, and the other, vehicle injections. Drug injections continued for 28 days, and were followed by a 28-day withdrawal period. Rats given fluoxetine on a chronic basis consumed significantly less calories and gained significantly less weight than rats injected with the vehicle. Both caloric intake and body weight returned to control values during the withdrawal period. Fat and protein intakes also were significantly reduced throughout the drug injection period, and were restored to baseline levels during the withdrawal period. In contrast, carbohydrate intake was not reduced on an absolute basis, and actually was increased as percent of total caloric intake during the drug period. The results of this experiment call into question the idea that increased serotoninergic activity is related to selective reductions in carbohydrate intake.
Use of small fluorescent molecules to monitor channel activity.

The Mechanosensitive channel of Large conductance (MscL) allows bacteria to rapidly adapt to changing environmental conditions such as osmolarity. The MscL channel opens in response to increases in membrane tension, which allows for the efflux of cytoplasmic constituents. Here we describe the cloning and expression of Salmonella typhimurium MscL (St-MscL). The amino acid sequence encoding for this MscL exhibits a high degree of similarity to Escherichia coli MscL (Eco-MscL). Using a fluorescence efflux assay, we demonstrate that efflux through the MscL channel during hypoosmotic shock can be monitored using endogenously produced fluorophores. These fluorophores are synthesized by a cotransformed gene, cobA. In addition, we observe that thermal stimulation, i.e., heat shock, can induce efflux through MscL.
Aminophospholipid translocase activity in JEG-3; a choriocarcinoma model of cytotrophoblast differentiation

The plasma membrane is characterized by a non-symmetrical distribution of phospholipids; the outer monolayer of the plasma membrane consists primarily of phosphatidylcholine (PC), and the aminophospholipids, phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), preferentially reside in the inner monolayer. Asymmetry is maintained by a membrane associated ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocase that preferentially relocates PS and PE from the outer to the inner monolayer. Although in most cells the translocase minimizes expression of PS on the outer surface, differentiating trophoblasts express increasing levels of surface PS. One possible explanation of prolonged PS externalization is that trophoblasts lack an effective aminophospholipid translocase. To test this hypothesis, fluorescent PC and PS analogues, NBD-PC and NBD-PS, were introduced into the plasma membrane of a choriocarcinoma model of trophoblast, JEG-3 cells. After incubation, the fluorescent lipid remaining on the outer monolayer was removed by incubation with fetal bovine serum. JEG-3 cells selectively translocated 80 per cent of the NBD-PS without significant translocation of NBD-PC. The process was significantly inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and vanadate. It is concluded that this model of trophoblast contains an active aminophospholipid translocase.
Transient heat partition factor for a sliding railcar wheel

During a wheel slide the frictional heat generated at the contact interface causes intense heating of the adjacent wheel material. If this material exceeds the austenitising temperature and then cools quickly enough, it can transform into martensite, which may ultimately crack and cause wheel failure. A knowledge of the distribution of the heat partitioned into the wheel and the rail and the resulting temperature fields is critical to developing designs to minimize these deleterious effects. A number of theoretical solutions have appeared in the literature to model the thermal aspects of this phenomenon. The objective of this investigation was to examine the limitations of these solutions by comparing them to the results of a finite element analysis that does not incorporate many of the simplifying assumptions on which these solutions are based. It was found that these simplified solutions can produce unrealistic results under some circumstances.
Mechanical properties and dual atmosphere tolerance of Ag–Al based braze

Abstract In this paper, the effects of aluminum on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and high temperature dual atmosphere tolerance of silver and silver–copper oxide filler metals were investigated. It was found that joints brazed with binary Ag–Al braze foils containing more than 2 at% Al retained a metallic form of aluminum within the metallic braze filler matrix after brazing at 1000 ∘ C in air. The bend strengths of these joints decreased with increasing aluminum content due to the formation of interfacial aluminum oxide. However, the existence of metallic aluminum in the braze filler matrix appeared to enhance the high-temperature dual atmosphere tolerance of the silver-based braze filler, which displayed measurably less porosity after 1000 h of exposure at 800 ∘ C in a dual reducing/oxidizing atmosphere environment than unalloyed silver. A series of binary and ternary braze pastes based on the Ag–Al(–Cu) system were also formulated as potential pSOFC (planar solid oxide fuel cell) sealants. Model alumina joints brazed with these pastes exhibited an increase in bend strength with increasing copper content. However, unlike the binary Ag–Al filler metals, the ternary compositions often retained no protective metallic aluminum after brazing. Thus, while the addition of copper improves filler metal wettability and, therefore, joint strength in the Ag–Al alloys, it appears to reduce the dual atmosphere tolerance of these filler metals.
Epilepsy as a Disorder of Cortical Network Organization

The brain is naturally considered as a network of interacting elements which, when functioning properly, produces an enormous range of dynamic, adaptable behavior. However, when elements of this network fail, pathological changes ensue, including epilepsy, one of the most common brain disorders. This review examines some aspects of cortical network organization that distinguish epileptic cortex from normal brain as well as the dynamics of network activity before and during seizures, focusing primarily on focal seizures. The review is organized around four phases of the seizure: the interictal period, onset, propagation, and termination. For each phase, the authors discuss the most common rhythmic characteristics of macroscopic brain voltage activity and outline the observed functional network features. Although the characteristics of functional networks that support the epileptic seizure remain an area of active research, the prevailing trends point to a complex set of network dynamics between, before, and during seizures.
Design and implementation of a 16-bit flexible ROM-less direct digital synthesizer

A ROM-less direct digital synthesizer architecture is presented in this paper. This architecture eliminates the ROM-based phase to sine wave amplitude converter, which is a bottleneck for pushing clock frequencies into the gigahertz range. The design consists of a 16-bit phase accumulator, a set of 18 band pass finite impulse response filters, a 12-bit digital to analog converter and a low pass filter to produce a sine wave with output frequencies ranging from 36 MHz to 72 MHz with a resolution of 3.05 KHz and a 55 dB spur free dynamic range. The same hardware can be used to achieve output frequency ranging from hertz to gigahertz and a 191 Hz resolution by changing the clock frequency. A resolution of 0.05 Hz can be achieved by using a 32-bit phase accumulator. This design was simulated in Xilinx system generator (Sysgen) and mapped on to Virtex-6 FPGA. The analysis results of the Sysgen and FPGA data show that the proposed design is an effective alternative.
Size of the export channel in the flagellar filament of Salmonella typhimurium

The size of the putative export channel in the bacterial flagellar filament appears small (25 A) in studies done by electron microscopy but large (60 A) in studies done by X-ray diffraction. We have undertaken additional studies by electron microscopy to examine some of the possible causes of the difference. A comparison of three-dimensional image reconstructions of native and reconstituted filaments rules out the presence or absence of flagellin monomers in the export channel as the source of the variation in apparent channel size. The channel seen in reconstructions from both kinds of filaments is 25 A in diameter. The difference in the previous studies is more probably a result of artifacts introduced in either the X-ray or the electron microscopical methodology. Comparisons of three-dimensional reconstructions from images of filaments embedded in various stains (anionic, cationic and neutral) and in ice, taken at a range of defocuses, rule out the two most likely sources of artifact in electron microscopy (i.e., staining artifacts and defocus phase contrast). Based on these studies we suggest that the channel seen in the image reconstructions is free of exported flagellin monomers, that its true diameter is about 25 A, and, therefore, that the flagellin monomer must be unfolded to pass along it.
Structural details of an adenine tract that does not cause DNA to bend

Runs of adenines (adenine tracts) have been implicated as the main determinant of sequence-directed DNA bending. The most widely used experimental test for bending relies on the observation that bent DNA migrates more slowly than straight DNA on a polyacrylamide electrophoresis gel. It was shown recently that the polymer (GTTTTAAAAC)n runs with normal mobility on a gel, whereas (GAAAATTTTC)n runs more slowly and thus appears to be strongly bent. The observation that these similar sequences, which differ only in the order of the adenine and thymine tracts, adopt such different shapes offers a stringent test of theories to explain DNA bending. Although the wedge model for DNA bending has recently been elaborated to explain the gel mobilities of these molecules, we wished to determine experimentally the structural basis for the difference in bending. We report here measurements of the frequency of cleavage by the hydroxyl radical at each nucleotide of cloned versions of the two polymers (see Fig. 1). We show that the TTTTAAAA sequence does not display the cleavage pattern that is associated with bent DNA, whereas the AAAATTTT sequence does. The observed sequence dependence of the cleavage pattern of an adenine tract is at odds with current models for DNA bending, which assume that adenine tracts always adopt the same conformation.
Globalization from Below: The Ranking of Global Immigrant Cities

Immigration to major cities is an important dimension of cultural globalization, one that has been largely ignored in the global cities literature. Rates of immigration to major world cities are an important indicator of global city status and should be included in determining urban hierarchy indexes. Our study considers immigration in more than 100 metropolitan areas, using data from national censuses from more than 50 countries. We rank major cities of immigration and compare them to well-known global city hierarchies. Using immigration data, we create an urban immigrant index. The index considers four factors of immigration: (1) the percentage of foreign-born, (2) the total number of foreign-born, (3) the diversity of the foreign-born stock, and (4) whether immigrants are from neighboring countries or non-neighboring countries. This is the first time that an international urban immigrant data set and index have been created. The study explains the empirical challenge of acquiring comparable international metropolitan data and the limits of this research. Some of the cities that rank highly in the index are commonly cited as world cities (London, New York and Frankfurt); others such as Toronto, Amsterdam and Dubai seldom appear so highly ranked. L’Immigration vers les grandes villes est une dimension importante de la mondialisation culturelle, dimension largement ignoree dans la litterature sur les villes planetaires. Les taux d’immigration vers les grandes villes mondiales sont un indicateur significatif du statut de ville planetaire et devraient etre pris en compte pour etablir des repertoires de hierarchie urbaine. Cette etude, qui couvre l’immigration dans plus de cent zones metropolitaines, utilise les donnees de recensements nationaux provenant de plus de 50 pays. Elle classe les principales villes d’immigration et les compare aux hierarchies de villes planetaires reconnues. A partir des donnees sur l’immigration, est cree un repertoire des immigrants urbains, lequel se refere a quatre facteurs d’immigration: (1) le pourcentage nea l’etranger, (2) l’effectif total nea l’etranger, (3) la diversite de la population nee a l’etranger et (4) si les migrants viennent de pays voisins ou non. C’est la premiere fois qu’un fichier de donnees et un repertoire d’immigrants urbains internationaux sont crees. L’etude expose le defi empirique pour recuperer des donnees metropolitaines internationales comparables, ainsi que les limites de cette recherche. Certaines des villes placees en tete du repertoire sont frequemment citees comme villes mondiales (Londres, New York et Frankfort), d’autres comme Toronto, Amsterdam et Dubai apparaissent rarement a ce niveau de classement.
What Are The Prospects For Enduring Comprehensive Health Care Reform

Enduring reform must cover the uninsured, reduce inefficiency in funding and delivery of care, improve quality, and tame but not destroy the development of new medical technologies. Obstacles to re...
A mathematical approach toward defining and calculating the duration of the lag phase.

Abstract Plotting the second derivative of a typical bacterial growth curve generates unique maximum and minimum points. The maximum occurs at the end of the lag phase, while the minimum is associated with the end of the exponential growth phase. It appears that the maximum can be used to more accurately define and calculate the duration of the lag phase.
Cloning and characterization of a novel zinc finger gene in Xp11.2

Abstract During a systematic search for open reading frames in chromosome band Xp11.2, a novel gene (ZNF157) that encodes a putative 506-amino-acid protein with the sequence characteristics of a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor was isolated. ZNF157 is encoded by four exons distributed over >20 kb of genomic DNA. The second and third exons contain sequences similar to those of the previously described KRAB-A and KRAB-B domains, motifs that have been shown to mediate transcriptional repression in other members of the protein family. A fourth exon contains 12 zinc finger DNA binding motifs and finger linking regions characteristic of ZNF proteins of the Kruppel family. ZNF157 maps to the telomeric end of a cluster of ZNF genes that includes ZNF21, ZNF41, and ZNF81.
A PERSONALIZED SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHING CHECKING ACCOUNT SKILLS TO ADULTS WITH MILD DISABILITIES

This study evaluated the efficacy of a personalized system of instruction to teach checking account skills to persons with mild disabilities. Using a self-paced manual, 8 participants in two groups were taught to write checks, complete deposit slips, and reconcile monthly bank statements. Four participants were assessed for generalization from the classroom to community sites and demonstrated nearly perfect performance. A multiple probe design showed that acquisition occurred sequentially for each skill only after training using the self-paced manual. Follow-up sessions demonstrated that participants maintained the checking account skills. The results provide evidence of the effectiveness and adaptability of a personalized system of instruction for teaching complex monetary skills to persons with mild disabilities.
The ideal conduit for surgical revascularization: the quest for the holy grail continues.

Coronary artery bypass grafting has been an important treatment option for patients with significant obstructive and flow-limiting coronary artery disease for decades. Although there was a decline in the number of procedures performed with the introduction of and subsequent improvements in percutaneous revascularization, surgical revascularization continues to be an appropriate and effective therapy for many patients. The issue of what conduit to use for surgical revascularization has been studied and debated for decades as well. There are many choices for the surgeon and cardiologist to consider and choose from, including saphenous vein, internal thoracic artery, radial artery, gastroepiploic artery, and in some cases, umbilical vein or cryopreserved vein. For patients having surgical revascularization, there is a clear advantage in clinical outcomes when the left internal thoracic artery is used to bypass the left anterior descending coronary artery.1,2 For additional grafts, or the choice of the best conduit to other coronary arteries, the evidence is less clear. Historically, the greater saphenous vein has been the most commonly used conduit for additional grafts, but many clinical and bench studies have examined the use of additional arterial conduits to improve long-term patency and outcomes. The radial artery as a choice for the second conduit was initially described in 1973 by Carpentier et al3; however, it quickly lost favor, because early angiographic studies revealed poor patency. Over time, with improvements …
Is Academic Science Trapped Inside the Ivory Tower? Universities and the Diffusion of New Knowledge

The idea of the “ivory tower” refers to the widely observed phenomenon that knowledge produced in academia has little immediate impact on the economy. A debate opposes those who believe that this r...
Curing of Diglycidyl Ether of 4,4′‐Bisphenol P with Nitro Derivatives of Amine Compounds, 3

Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis and polarized light microscopy were used to study the curing reaction of diglycidyl ether of 4, 4'-bisphenol P epoxy resin with an aromatic amine, 3-nitro-l,2-phenylenediamine. Because of different reactivity of the two amino groups, the curing gives rise to two processes represented by two peaks on a DSC curve. It is demonstrated that the amine group in position 1 is more reactive than the one in position 2. Kinetic analysis was performed by using an advanced isoconversional method, which suggests that the effective activation energy for the first process is around 50 kJ . mol -1 , and for the second process, is about 100 kJ . mol -1
A unified approach to modeling multichannel ARMA processes

Using a compact Kronecker-product-based representation for the cumulants of vector processes, the authors develop several techniques for estimating the parameters of a multichannel ARMA (autoregressive moving average) process, from sample cumulants of the output processes: (1) the AR parameters are estimated first; the MA parameters are then estimated from the AR compensated time series. (2) AR and IR (impulse response) parameters are estimated simultaneously; (3) an algorithm that handles causal as well as noncausal ARMA models, by transforming the ARMA parameter estimation problem to a pair of MA parameter estimation problems, is given. Order-determination techniques are also proposed. The algorithms are applicable to both stochastic and deterministic problems. >
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Current treatment options and future directions

The prevalence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has remained high in endemic regions. Various genetic and epigenetic changes synergistically contribute to NPC pathogenesis. Although NPC is highly radiosensitive and chemosensitive, treatment of patients with advanced locoregional disease remains challenging. RT with or without chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with IMRT now the preferred technique over conventional radiotherapy techniques because of its ability to deliver high doses of radiations to target structures while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues. New treatment options including targeted monoclonal antibodies and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being studied as well. In this article we will review the current standards of care, new techniques and treatment options for NPC.
A comparison of the lasso and marginal regression

The lasso is an important method for sparse, high-dimensional regression problems, with efficient algorithms available, a long history of practical success, and a large body of theoretical results supporting and explaining its performance. But even with the best available algorithms, finding the lasso solutions remains a computationally challenging task in cases where the number of covariates vastly exceeds the number of data points. Marginal regression, where each dependent variable is regressed separately on each covariate, offers a promising alternative in this case because the estimates can be computed roughly two orders faster than the lasso solutions. The question that remains is how the statistical performance of the method compares to that of the lasso in these cases. In this paper, we study the relative statistical performance of the lasso and marginal regression for sparse, high-dimensional regression problems. We consider the problem of learning which coefficients are non-zero. Our main results are as follows: (i) we compare the conditions under which the lasso and marginal regression guarantee exact recovery in the fixed design, noise free case; (ii) we establish conditions under which marginal regression provides exact recovery with high probability in the fixed design, noise free, random coefficients case; and (iii) we derive rates of convergence for both procedures, where performance is measured by the number of coefficients with incorrect sign, and characterize the regions in the parameter space recovery is and is not possible under this metric. In light of the computational advantages of marginal regression in very high dimensional problems, our theoretical and simulations results suggest that the procedure merits further study.
Moral reasoning among physical therapists: results of the Defining Issues Test.

Background and Purpose. Although there is extensive literature in other health care fields about the ability to make ethical judgements (moral reasoning), there is a paucity of research addressing the moral reasoning of practising physical therapists. The purposes of this research were to 1) identify the types of moral reasoning used by practising physical therapists as measured by the Defining Issues Test; 2) identify differences in moral reasoning among physical therapists based on educational background, demographic variables, clinical experience, practice setting or expertise in ethics; and 3) compare the moral reasoning of physical therapists with that of other professional groups. Methods. The Defining Issues Test of James Rest was used to evaluate moral reasoning. Five hundred thirty-seven physical therapists responded to a mail survey sent to a random sample of 2,000 American Physical Therapy Association members. Twelve physical therapists with expertise in ethics or professionalism completed the same survey. Results. The mean postconventional score for the random sample was 41.93. This score was lower than the mean scores of physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students and dental students established in previous research. Females, ethics experts and those in academic settings had higher postconventional scores. Conclusions. Physical therapists scored lower in postconventional moral reasoning than some other professional groups with similar educational background. Factors that may inhibit or enhance the development of moral reasoning among physical therapists and possible consequences of high or low moral reasoning scores in physical therapy require further research. These findings may raise concerns about the entry-level educational curriculum and professional development opportunities in the area of ethics and moral reasoning. Results of this research may also highlight the challenges of evaluation, scholarship and research in physical therapy ethics. Further research and theory development is needed to address the relationships between moral theory and descriptive or empirical research within physical therapy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The significance of platelet count in traumatic brain injury patients on antiplatelet therapy

METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort analysis of all traumatic brain injury patients with an ICH on prehospital antiplatelet therapy. Antiplatelet therapy was defined as aspirin, clopidogrel, or a combination of both. Admission platelet count was recorded and used for analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to identify the optimal platelet count for progression on RHCT scan and neurosurgical intervention in patients on antiplatelet therapy. RESULTS: A total of 264 patients were enrolled. Platelet count of 135,000/HL or less (area under the curve, 0.80) and platelet count of 95,000/HL or less (area under the curve, 0.92) were the optimal threshold points for progression on RHCT scan and neurosurgical intervention, respectively. Patients with platelet count of 135,000/HL or less were 12.4 times (95% confidence interval, 7.1Y18.4) more likely to have progression on RHCT scan and patients with platelet count 95,000/HL or less were 31.5 times (95% confidence interval, 19.7Y96.2) more likely to require neurosurgical intervention. CONCLUSION: A platelet count of less than 135,000/HL in patients on antiplatelet therapy is predictive of both radiographic and clinical worsening. This is a clinically relevant target intended to help tailor and improve management in patients on antiplatelet therapy. ( JT rauma Acute Care Surg. 2014;77: 417Y421. Copyright * 2014 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins) LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level III.
Teaching motivational interviewing skills to third-year psychiatry clerkship students.

Background Despite a large percentage of health care costs being related to smoking, obesity, and substance abuse, most physicians are not confident in motivating patients to change health behaviors. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a directive, patient-centered approach for eliciting behavior change. The purpose of this study was to teach students MI skills and assess their confidence and knowledge during the psychiatry clerkship using smoking cessation as the target behavior.
Energy for biologic sulfate reduction in a hydrothermally formed ocean on Europa

[1] Formation of a sulfate-bearing ocean on Jupiter's satellite Europa by quenched hydrothermal fluids provides a source of metabolic energy for low-temperature sulfate-reducing organisms that use dissolved H2 as an electron donor. Inhibition of thermodynamically favorable sulfate reduction in cooled hydrothermal fluids creates the potential for biologic reduction. Both high temperature and reduced conditions of ocean-forming hydrothermal solutions favor sulfate reduction in quenched fluids. The maximum amount of energy available to support autotrophic sulfate reduction is on the order of a few kilojoules per kilogram of water and is limited by the low abundances of either H2 or sulfate in ocean-forming fluids. Although this irreplaceable energy source might have supported early life on Europa, maintenance of biologic sulfate reduction throughout the ocean's history would require a supply of organic compounds from endogenic sources or from the satellite's surface.
Efficient partitioning of fragment shaders for multipass rendering on programmable graphics hardware

Real-time programmable graphics hardware has resource constraints that prevent complex shaders from rendering in a single pass. One way to virtualize these resources is to partition shading computations into multiple passes, each of which satisfies the given constraints. Many such partitions exist for a shader, but it is important to find one that renders efficiently. We present Recursive Dominator Split (RDS), a polynomial-time algorithm that uses a cost model to find near-optimal partitions of arbitrarily complex shaders. Using a simulator, we analyze partitions for architectures with different resource constraints and show that RDS performs well on different graphics architectures. We also demonstrate that shader partitions computed by RDS can run efficiently on programmable graphics hardware available today.
Phospholemman is a substrate for myotonic dystrophy protein kinase.

The genetic abnormality in myotonic muscular dystrophy, multiple CTG repeats lie upstream of a gene that encodes a novel protein kinase, myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK). Phospholemman (PLM), a major membrane substrate for phosphorylation by protein kinases A and C, induces Cl currents (ICl(PLM)) when expressed in Xenopusoocytes. To test the idea that PLM is a substrate for DMPK, we measuredin vitro phosphorylation of purified PLM by DMPK. To assess the functional effects of PLM phosphorylation we compared ICl(PLM) in Xenopus oocytes expressing PLM alone to currents in oocytes co-expressing DMPK, and examined the effect of DMPK on oocyte membrane PLM expression. We found that PLM is indeed a good substrate for DMPK in vitro. Co-expression of DMPK with PLM in oocytes resulted in a reduction in ICl(PLM). This was most likely a specific effect of phosphorylation of PLM by DMPK, as the effect was not present in oocytes expressing a phos(−) PLM mutant in which all potential phosphorylation had been disabled by Ser → Ala substitution. The biophysical characteristics of ICl(PLM) were not changed by DMPK or by the phos(−) mutation. Co-expression of DMPK reduced the expression of PLM in oocyte membranes, suggesting a possible mechanism for the observed reduction in ICl(PLM) amplitude. These data show that PLM is a substrate for phosphorylation by DMPK and provide functional evidence for modulation of PLM function by phosphorylation.
New procedures for 2-D and 3-D microwave circuit analysis with the TLM method

Four contributions to numerical field modeling with the TLM (transmission line matrix) method are presented: (1) the formulation of a 3-D Johns matrix (or numerical Green's function) for wideband non-TEM (transverse electromagnetic)-absorbing boundary conditions using the 3-D condensed TLM node; (2) use of a tapered Johns matrix (or numerical Green's function) for improving the return loss of frequency dispersive absorbing boundaries; (3) a recursive algorithm for wideband non-TEM absorbing boundary modeling; and (4) a pseudoparallel iteration scheme for the simultaneous processing of TLM substructures. These procedures are essential for efficient time-domain modeling of 3-D waveguide discontinuities of arbitrary geometries. Their application saves considerable computer run-time and memory when compared with conventional TLM analysis. >
Delicious Peace Coffee Marketing Community in Uganda

This article asserts the economic relevancy of human connectedness and community. It argues that if the goal of economics is to maximize human happiness, then approaches that directly address social phenomena and community building, rather than utility and income maximization by individual economic actors, are more promising and indeed “rational.” The fair trade movement, insofar as it supports community-based cooperatives, can play an important role in this process. However, the real story behind successful cooperatives is often more about the nature of the rural “peasant” community that supports it. Viewing economic decision making through the lens of the Mirembe Kawomera coffee cooperative in Uganda reveals a market that is socially embedded in a community rich in social capital, or more appropriately social productive power of labor, rather than one that constitutes a separate market sphere. When economic incentives encompass a more holistic set of costs and benefits, even those that may be less tangi...
Magnetic Penetration Depth and Intragrain Critical Current Density in Grain-Aligned Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3O10 Superconductor

Magnetic studies were performed on the high temperature superconductor Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3O10 (Tc = 123 K) in the form of a grain aligned composite. Investigations with the magnetic field applied parallel and perpendicular to the sample’s cannon c-axes were analyzed to obtain the magnetic penetration depth as a function of temperature and the critical current density Jc(H,T).
Colonization, interaction, and organization of cladoceran epibiont communities1

The distribution of three genera of epibionts on two Daphnia species was examined in two subalpine beaver ponds. Epibiont prevalence and burden were proportional to body length in both species of Daphnia, but varied between the two Daphnia species and among female Daphnia with parthenogenic eggs in different stages of development. The most common epibiont appeared to have a doubling rate of 1 d-l, but this rapid growth rate was insufficient to increase epibiont burdens on Daphnia in a pond where salamanders fed selectively on Daphnia serving as epibiont substrates. There were two indications of significant interactions between epibiont taxa: inverse relationships between prevalence of each epibiont species and the burden of the most common epibiont, and nonrandom distributions of epibiont species combinations among the substrate organisms. There was no effect of two epibiont genera (Carchesium, Chlorungiclla) on Daphnia egg production, but the negative effect of the third, most locally abundant, epibiont genus (Colucium) was proportional to its abundance.
1968, 1989, 2011: reconsidering social movements, 'moments of change' and theoretical framing over time

This article focuses on three separate "moments of change" - 1968, 1989 and 2011 – in order to trace the changes in the way in which social movements were theoretically framed on a research level ever since the 1960s. Rather than focusing on the real or imaginary connections that activists often create with the contestatory past – or the rejection thereof – it demonstrates the ways in which those moments were theorised and the genealogies that were forged by specialists, who more often than not were implicated in the events themselves. In this respect, it argues that 1968 was the starting date that defined to a greater or lesser extent how we still view and experience collective mobilisations.
Spontaneous coronary artery dissection causing acute coronary syndrome in a young patient without risk factors

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction that is more common in younger patients (under age 50) and in women. Although the etiology is not known, some predisposing conditions to SCAD are well known and include Marfan syndrome, pregnancy and peripartum state, drug abuse, and some anatomical abnormalities of the coronary arteries such as aneurysms and severe kinking. We describe a case of SCAD in a young woman who presented with sudden onset of chest pain and was admitted for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome. The coronary angiography showed dissection of the left anterior descending artery. The patient underwent successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent placement.
Can robots manifest personality? : An empirical test of personality recognition, social responses, and social presence in human-robot interaction

Personality is an essential feature for creating socially interactive robots. Studies on this dimension will facilitate enhanced human–robot interaction (HRI). Using AIBO, a social robotic pet developed by Sony, we examined the issue of personality in HRI. In this gender-balanced 2 (AIBO personality: introvert vs. extrovert) by 2 (participant personality: introvert vs. extrovert) between-subject experiment (N = 48), we found that participants could accurately recognize a robot’s personality based on its verbal and nonverbal behaviors. In addition, various complementarity attraction effects were found in HRI. Participants enjoyed interacting with a robot more when the robot’s personality was complementary to their own personalities than when the robot’s personality was similar to their own personalities. The same complementarity attraction effect was found in participants’ evaluation of the robot’s intelligence and social attraction. Participants’ feelings of social presence during the interaction were a significant mediator for the complementarity attraction effects observed. Practical and theoretical implications of the current study for the design of social robots and the study of HRI were discussed.
Preventing Glitches Circuit in Flash ADC

The purpose of this paper is to design a prevented glitch circuit (PGC) to avoid the destroyed that is caused to glitch in the paralleling comparator Flash ADC. The advantages of this prevented glitch circuit are high-speed, lower power consumption, and size effective, furthermore, it also reduce the faults. We used the TSPC's D flip-flop to achieve this prevented glitch circuit where reduces and improves the glitches and faults, respectively. The PGC is simulated by the Tanner Pro. 13.0 with Generic0_25μm techniques in 0.25-μm. Summarizing the features of this implemented circuit is lower power of 3.3V at 333.3MHz, higher area density is 89.6%, and lower area size is 1221.16×721.793μm 2 .
Automated Analysis of Fault-Tolerance in Distributed Systems

This paper describes a method for automated analysis of fault-tolerance properties of distributed systems. The framework is based on ideas from stream-processing semantics for networks of processes and abstract interpretation of programs. The stream-processing model provides modularity and a clean algorithmic basis for the analysis. For efficiency, all aspects of a system''s behavior can be approximated in the analysis, including: values (the data transmitted in messages), multiplicities (the number of times each value is sent), and orderings (the order in which values are sent). The approximation mechanisms are based on abstract interpretation, symbolic computation, and partial orders. Approximations are essential to support abstraction from aspects of a system''s behavior that do not directly impact its fault-tolerance. Another feature of our approach is that perturbations due to failures can be represented explicitly. This allows fault-tolerance requirements to be expressed as bounds on the acceptable perturbations to a system''s behavior as a consequence of certain failures. This facilitates separation of fault-tolerance from other correctness requirements and sometimes enables more efficient analysis. The analysis has been implemented in a prototype tool.
A Summary of Historical Shoreline Changes on Beaches of Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, Hawaii

ABSTRACT Romine, B.M. and Fletcher, C.H., 2013. A summary of historical shoreline changes on beaches of Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, Hawaii. Shoreline change was measured along the beaches of Kauai, Oahu, and Maui (Hawaii) using historical shorelines digitized from aerial photographs and survey charts for the U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment of Shoreline Change. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive report on shoreline change throughout Hawaii and supplements the limited data on beach changes in carbonate reef–dominated systems. Trends in long-term (early 1900s–present) and short-term (mid-1940s–present) shoreline change were calculated at regular intervals (20 m) along the shore using weighted linear regression. Erosion dominated the shoreline change in Hawaii, with 70% of beaches being erosional (long-term), including 9% (21 km) that was completely lost to erosion (e.g., seawalls), and an average shoreline change rate of −0.11 ± 0.01 m/y. Short-term results were somewhat less erosional ...
Act Like a Lawyer, Be Judged Like a Lawyer: The Standard of Care for the Unlicensed Practice of Law

In recent years, regulation of the unauthorized or unlicensed practice of law has become a profoundly controversial issue. Given the extensive attention that has been given to regulation of the practice of law ex ante, it is remarkable how little attention has been given to the problem of protecting consumers from the provision of substandard legal services by non-lawyers ex post - that is, through the tort system after injury has occurred. This article explores the standard of care applicable to the unlicensed practice of law - that is, the standard of care applicable to the exercise of legal judgment, giving of legal advice, counseling of others as to rights and obligations under the law, preparation of legal instruments, and the like by non-lawyer professionals when the adequacy of such services is challenged ex post in tort. Notwithstanding the general prohibition against the practice of law by non-lawyers, non-lawyers do commonly engage in such activities, sometimes with explicit permission, sometimes with tacit permission, sometimes with no permission at all. To what standard should such non-lawyers be held when they do and their activities injure the consumers they are servicing? Without taking any position as to whether such activities should be lawful - that is, without becoming embroiled in the ex ante regulatory debate - the Article explores whether there are reasons to relax the applicable tort standards in each such context. It is possible that without some flexibility in the ex ante regulation of legal practice, many lower- and middle-income Americans would be deprived of effective access to important legal services. Regardless of whether states should authorize the conduct of such activities by non-lawyers, however, there is no good reason to deprive the lower- and middle-income Americans thus served of recourse in tort when the resulting services are substandard. The Article therefore concludes, consistent with the bulk of existing case law, that there is nothing in the ex ante authorization of the performance of such tasks by non-lawyers that would justify the reduced ex post consumer protection implied by lower standards of care. Courts should hold those who engage in the compensated practice of law, whether authorized or unauthorized, whether licensed or unlicensed, to the standard of care of a practicing attorney.
Comparison of the Gray Scale Characteristics of Analog and Video (Digital) Formatters

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between optical density and image counts for video (digital) and analog formatters so that a video formatter could be adjusted to mimic the performance characteristics of an analog formatter. The relationship between optical density on film and image counts was determined for a video formatter and for four different analog formatters. All analog formatters demonstrated a similar logarithmic relationship, between optical density and counts, over the optical density range of 0–3.2. The video formatter gave the standard film density response curve for the film type, with a maximum optical density of 2.0. A gray scale map was created on a computer to permit the video formatter to simulate the performance characteristics of the analog formatter over the limited optical density range of 0–2.0. Both graphic and tabular techniques are described for the creation of such gray scale maps.
Automatic Defect Detection and Recognition for Asset Condition Assessment: A Case Study on Sewer Pipeline Infrastructure System

This paper presents the preliminary results of a research project that seeks to investigate the use of advanced image processing, computer vision and pattern recognition technologies, to facilitate asset inspection and condition assessment of sewer pipeline infrastructure. This research aims to provide a basis for sewer pipeline inspection and condition assessment, enabling automatic detection and recognition of defects and/or critical features from sewer pipeline inspection videos and images. An approach for automatic detection and recognition is presented in this paper. The major steps of the approach are illustrated by examples using actual sewer inspection visual data.