cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
331 AN UNUSUAL CASE OF PERIPHERAL LYMPHADENOPATHY.

Peripheral lymphadenopathy is often a benign finding in a healthy individual but may represent an underlying infection, neoplasm, or autoimmune process. The differential of such a lesion is vast but can be narrowed based on the presence of localized or generalized lymphadenopathy on physical examination. A previously healthy 37-year-old male presented to clinic in April 2001 complaining of a painless lump in his left inguinal region of 6 months9 duration. Physical examination revealed a soft nonmatted 3 cm mass in the left inguinal canal. History was unremarkable. Laboratory examination revealed a normal CBC and chemistry panel. A CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed a lytic lesion of the left pubic ramus, measuring 2.6 × 2.7 cm. He promptly underwent lymph node biopsy, which showed angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia, which was consistent with Castleman9s disease, hyaline-vascular type. Further laboratory investigation by serum protein electrophoresis showed a small monoclonal IgG gammopathy with normal uninvolved immunoglobulins. Bone biopsy of the lytic lesion in the pelvis revealed a plasmacytoma for which radiation therapy was initiated. After radiation was complete, the monoclonal gammopathy resolved. A bone marrow aspirate was unremarkable. The patient was followed every 6 months by hematology. Repeat bone marrow aspiration in October 2001 remained unremarkable. He was doing well until December 2005 when repeat CT scan showed enlargement of the left iliac lesion. Laboratory examination showed recurrence of monoclonal gammopathy and hypercalcemia. Although bone marrow aspirate in January 2006 remained unremarkable, it was determined that the patient had developed multiple myeloma. He was referred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in February 2006 for bone marrow transplant. This case is the first reported occurrence of concomitant Castleman9s disease and multiple myeloma. It appears that the pathophysiology involves similar biochemical markers as HHV-8 and IL-6 have been described in association with multiple myeloma and multicentric CD. This case is unusual in that the patient has unicentric CD, which is usually not associated with HHV-8, but has multiple myeloma which can be associated with HHV-8. This suggests that IL-6 is more involved than initially believed. More research into these biochemical markers is needed to further understand these conditions.
Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed carbonyl isoprenylation via alcohol-mediated hydrogen transfer.

Highly enantioselective iridium catalyzed carbonyl (2-vinyl)allylation or “isoprenylation” is achieved via hydrogen auto-transfer or 2-propanol-mediated reductive coupling from primary alcohol or aldehyde reactants, respectively. Using this method, asymmetric total syntheses of the terpenoid natural products (+)-ipsenol and (+)-ipsdienol were achieved.
Performance Evaluation of Floating Two-Body Wave Energy Converter with Hydraulic Power Take-Off System

In the present work, the dynamic coupling between a self-reacting floating two-body wave-energy converter (WEC) and hydraulic power take-off (PTO) system is evaluated. The WEC is surface meshed; the hydrodynamic properties are calculated using WAMIT, a boundary element method code. The multi-body dynamics of the WEC was analyzed using the open-source code WEC-Sim. The hydraulic PTO system considered for the present analysis is a constant pressure system with valves which rectify the flow to high-pressure and low-pressure accumulators. The heave response amplitude operator of the WEC for varying wave period shows that the float and torus have different peak heave response which makes them oscillate with a phase difference. In the combined mode, the WEC exhibits a peak heave frequency which is less than the natural frequency of the float. Various parameters that include the shaft power, absorbed power, and usable electric power for varying hydraulic motor rpm and the area of the hydraulic piston is calculated. The most probable sea state condition that exists on the US East Coast (wave height = 5.5 m and wave period = 7 s) is used for analyzing the WEC. The absorbed power of WEC initially increases with an increase in the size of the hydraulic piston. Once the WEC reached maximum absorbed power, increasing the hydraulic piston diameter decreases the absorbed power. The increase in hydraulic piston area increases the pressure energy stored in accumulators. Since the volume flow rate to the hydraulic motor is constant, increase in the area reduces the limiting velocity of the PTO system. Therefore, hydraulic motor and hydraulic piston should be chosen such a way that the PTO system will work at maximum efficiency. The maximum RPM of a hydraulic motor is determined by the size of the hydraulic piston, smaller the size of hydraulic piston lower the limit of hydraulic motor RPM and vice versa.
Identifying Distracted and Drowsy Drivers Using Naturalistic Driving Data

Driver fatigue and distraction remain significant safety issues for drivers. Despite substantial developments in driver state detection technology, a reliable system has yet to emerge. Existing systems tend to suffer from reliance on a single metric such as PERCLOS estimated from single expensive in-vehicle cameras and/or a poorly designed and tuned algorithm resulting in lack of effectiveness (high false positive rates). It is not likely that any single, real-time measure of driver drowsiness will be obtainable all of the time from the entire driver population. Therefore, a multi-variable algorithm based on sensors/variables that can be reliably obtained in real time on modern vehicles is essential. In this work, several algorithms for multivariate time-series analysis are tested on the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) dataset, including a statistical feature extraction method, deep learning-based long short-term memory, and video classification using convolutional neural networks. Given the amount of training and test data currently available, traditional statistical feature extraction methods outperformed the deep learning methods tested.
A new kind of cyclic universe

Abstract Combining intervals of ekpyrotic (ultra-slow) contraction with a (non-singular) classical bounce naturally leads to a novel cyclic theory of the universe in which the Hubble parameter, energy density and temperature oscillate periodically, but the scale factor grows by an exponential factor from one cycle to the next. The resulting cosmology not only resolves the homogeneity, isotropy, flatness and monopole problems and generates a nearly scale invariant spectrum of density perturbations, but it also addresses a number of age-old cosmological issues that big bang inflationary cosmology does not. There may also be wider-ranging implications for fundamental physics, black holes and quantum measurement.
Remote detection of cyanobacteria blooms in an optically shallow subtropical lagoonal estuary using MODIS data

Abstract Widespread and persistent Ecosystem Disruptive Algal Blooms dominated by marine picocyanobacteria (Synechococcus) commonly occur in the subtropical lagoonal estuary of Florida Bay (U.S.A). These blooms have been linked to a decline in natural sheet flow over the past century from upstream Everglades National Park. Remote sensing algorithms for monitoring cyanobacteria blooms are highly desired but have been mainly developed for freshwater and coastal systems with minimal bottom reflectance contributions in the past. Examination of in situ optical properties revealed that Synechococcus blooms in Florida Bay exhibit unique spectral absorption and reflectance features that form the basis for algorithm development. Using a large, multi-year match-up dataset (2002–2012; n = 682) consisting of in situ pigment concentrations and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Rayleigh-corrected reflectance (Rrc(λ)), classification criteria for detecting cyanobacteria blooms with chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a) ~5–40 mg m−3 were determined based on a new approach to combine the MODIS Cyanobacteria Index, CIMODIS, and spectral shape around 488 nm, SS(488). The inclusion of SS(488) was required to prevent false positive classifications in seagrass-rich, non-bloom waters with high bottom reflectance contributions. 75% of cyanobacteria blooms were classified accurately based on this modified CI approach with
Variable Frequency Average Current Mode Control for ZVS Symmetrical Dual-Buck H-Bridge All-GaN Inverter

The quasi-square-wave (QSW) zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) symmetrical dual-buck H-bridge (DBHB) all-GaN inverter has been proven to have high efficiency and high density in Google’s Little Box Challenge. This variable frequency QSW ZVS inverter is drawing more and more interest in the industry and academia. However, the ac current control with cycle-by-cycle variable frequency ZVS operation is a basic challenge for this inverter. The conventional control methods for this QSW ZVS inverter, such as the hysteresis current mode control and the variable on-time control, require high-speed current sensing or zero-crossing detection (ZCD) circuits, which are very sensitive to noises. In this article, achieving variable frequency average current mode control with variable frequency pulsewidth modulation (VFPWM) is discussed and implemented for this QSW ZVS inverter to eliminate high-speed current sensing or ZCD circuits. For any synchronous half-bridge type converter, the voltage conversion ratio is dependent only on the duty-cycle in either continuous conduction mode (CCM) or QSW ZVS mode. The frequency of the PWM triangular carrier is another degree of freedom. In this control method, the averaged inductor current is sensed and regulated by the average current mode feedback controller and the duty-cycle is generated by the average current controller. The frequency of the PWM carrier is variable and directly calculated based on the duty-cycle signal and the sensed and filtered voltage and current signals. Since all the sensed signals for this current controller are low speed and filtered signals, this current control is highly immune to noises. The reliability of ZVS for this inverter is improved. The complexity of the controller is also reduced. A detailed analysis of the QSW ZVS conditions for the full range operation of the symmetrical DBHB inverter is done in this article. More negative currents can be introduced to reduce the switching frequency and increase the reliability of ZVS. A frequency limiter helps limit the frequency when the current is close to zero or under light load conditions. A frequency updating method with a constant and low interrupt frequency in a digital controller is also discussed. Finally, to verify this control method, a 1-kW all-GaN DBHB inverter prototype is developed and tested in this article.
Sociodemographic, clinical, psychosocial, and healthcare-related factors associated with beliefs about adjuvant endocrine therapy among breast cancer survivors.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) reduces the risk of recurrence and mortality in women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. However, adherence to AET remains suboptimal. Women’s beliefs about medication have been associated with medication adherence. The purpose of this study was to identify multilevel factors associated with women’s beliefs about AET. Beliefs about AET, measured using the Belief about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), sociodemographic (e.g., age), psychosocial (e.g., religiosity), and healthcare factors (e.g., patient-provider communication), were collected via survey. Clinical data were abstracted from medical records. Two stepwise regression analyses models were performed to assess relationships between variables and necessity and concern beliefs. In our sample of 572 women, mean BMQ concern score was 11.19 and mean necessity score was 13.85 (range 5–20). In the regression models, higher ratings of patient-provider communication were associated with lower concern and higher necessity beliefs. Higher concern beliefs were related to more AET-related symptoms (Β = 0.08; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.10; p < 0.001), lower patient satisfaction (Β = − 0.07; 95% CI − 0.09 to − 0.04; p < 0.001), and higher religiosity (Β = 0.05; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.08; p = 0.007). Higher necessity beliefs were associated with prior chemotherapy use (Β = 0.11; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.16; p < 0.005) and less education (Β = 1.00; 95% CI 0.27 to 1.73; p = 0.008). Modifiable factors are related to women’s AET beliefs. Healthcare interactions may play a key role with regard to shaping women’s beliefs about their AET medication.
The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota's Mental Institutions, 1946-1954

Review of: "The Crusade for Forgotten Souls: Reforming Minnesota's Mental Institutions, 1946-1954," by Susan Bartlett Foote.
Protocol and Feasibility-Randomized Trial of Telehealth Delivery for a Multicomponent Upper Extremity Intervention in Infants With Asymmetric Cerebral Palsy:

Background:Past work showed that an in-person, therapist-guided, parent-implemented multicomponent intervention increased the motor functioning of the more affected upper extremity (UE) in infants ...
Individual non-esterified fatty acids and incident atrial fibrillation late in life

Objective Obesity and dysmetabolism are major risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF). Expansion of fat depots is associated with increased circulating total non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), elevated levels of which are associated with incident AF. We undertook comprehensive serum measurement of individual NEFA to identify specific associations with new-onset AF late in life. Methods The present study focused on participants with available serum and free of AF selected from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a community-based longitudinal investigation of older US adults. Thirty-five individual NEFAs were measured by gas chromatography. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association of individual NEFAs with incident AF. Results The study sample included 1872 participants (age 77.7±4.4). During median follow-up of 11.3 years, 715 cases of incident AF occurred. After concurrent adjustment of all NEFAs and full adjustment for potential confounders, higher serum concentration of nervonic acid (24:1 n-9), a long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid, was associated with higher risk of AF (HR per SD: 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29; p Conclusions Among older adults, serum levels of non-esterified nervonic acid were positively associated, while serum levels of non-esterified GLA were inversely associated, with incident AF. If confirmed, these results could offer new strategies for AF prevention and early intervention in this segment of the population at highest risk.
MmWave Codebook Selection in Rapidly-Varying Channels via Multinomial Thompson Sampling

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications, using directional beams, is a key enabler for high-throughput mobile ad hoc networks. These directional beams are organized into multiple codebooks according to beam resolution, with each codebook consisting of a set of equal-width beams that cover the whole angular space. The code-book with narrow beams delivers high throughput, at the expense of scanning time. Therefore overall throughput maximization is achieved by selecting a mmWave codebook that balances between beamwidth (beamforming gain) and beam alignment overhead. Further, these codebooks have some potential natural structures such as the non-decreasing instantaneous rate or the unimodal throughput as one traverses from the codebook with wide beams to the one with narrow beams. We study the codebook selection problem through a multi-armed bandit (MAB) formulation in mmWave networks with rapidly-varying channels. We develop multiple novel Thompson Sampling-based algorithms for our setting given different codebook structures with theoretical guarantees on regret. We further collect real-world (60 GHz) measurements with 12-antenna phased arrays, and show the performance benefits of our approaches in an IEEE 802.11ad/ay emulation setting.
Services to Children and Families in Lebanon

Many services to children are available in Lebanon; however, there is a need to review the role of government welfare structures, specifically in the spectrum of protection services. This review should consider:
Anticoagulant management of pregnant women with mechanical heart valve replacement during perioperative period

To investigate the morbidity of complications and pregnancy outcomes in women with mechanical heart valve replacement who received low-dose oral anticoagulation treatment with warfarin throughout the pregnancy, compare the prognosis and complications of patients who were treated with single oral warfarin treatment or the “bridging” therapy treatment, investigate the influence of using vitamin K1 before emergency cesarean section delivery on postoperative warfarin anticoagulant effect and to explore an appropriate anticoagulant regimen during perioperative period for pregnant women with mechanical heart valve replacement. 46 pregnant women with mechanical heart valve replacement who received low-dose oral anticoagulation treatment from October 2008 to October 2014 treated at West China Women’s and Children’s Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Eight patients received emergency cesarean section (CS), while 38 patients received selective CS, in which 17 patients received single oral warfarin and 21 patients received “bridging” anticoagulation treatment during postoperative period. Morbidity of complications and the time to achieve the target INR after operation were compared. The mechanical valves were at the mitral position in 35 (76.09 %) patients, at the aortic position in 2 (4.35 %) patient and at both the mitral and aortic position in 9 (19.57 %) patients. 46 full-term healthy babies were delivered and no maternal thromboembolic was observed during pregnancy. There was no significant difference of the amount of uterine bleeding between single oral warfarin group and “bridging” treatment group during postpartum period. In single oral warfarin group, one valve thrombosis was observed and led to sudden death. No periphery thrombosis, hematoma, general hemorrhage or other sign of over-anticoagulation was observed. The INR increased more slowly in the group who received emergency CS with preoperative application of vitamin K1 than other two groups. The use of vitamin K1 preoperatively might result in warfarin resistance and discontinuation of warfarin therapy before selective CS might be more appropriate than application of vitamin K1. The “bridging” anticoagulation treatment which combines oral warfarin and subcutaneous LMWH might be more effective and safer than single oral warfarin therapy for patients with mechanical heart valve replacement during postoperative period, no matter selective or emergency CS. The safety of low-dose oral warfarin therapy throughout pregnancy is still under controversy.
Reactivity of dimeric cyclopalladated complexes with an (sp3)C–Pd bond toward KPPh2

Abstract Reactions of KPPh2 with dimeric C,N, C,P and C,S cyclopalladated complexes (CPCs) 1a−g containing an (sp3)C–Pd bond were investigated. The CPCs used in the study were obtained from D-camphor O-methyloxime (a), l -fenchone O-methyloxime (b), 4,4-dimethyl-2-phenyl-2-oxazoline (c), 8-methylquinoline (d), trimesitylphosphine (e), tri(O-tolyl)phosphine (f) and 2,6-dimethylthioanisole (g). The dichloro-bridged CPCs 1a,b,d,f,g and the diacetato-bridged analog μ-OAc-1d reacted with 4.5 equiv. of KPPh2 at room temperature in THF to give either phosphines 2a,b or phosphine oxides 8d,f,g in 20–51% yield. Complexes 1a,b,d reacted with 1 equiv. of KPPh2 to produce the corresponding μ-chloro-μ-diphenylphosphido-CPCs 3a,b,d in 33–56% yield. In the reaction of CPC 1c with 4.5 equiv. of KPPh2, complex 4c with two PPh2 bridging ligands was isolated in 36% yield. Structures of phosphines 2a,b, phosphine oxides 8a,d,f,g as well as complexes 3a,b,d and 4c were confirmed by 1H, 13C{1H} and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy.
Training and Development for High Performance

This chapter discusses the need for training and personnel development. The initial contact of a new employee with a formal organization is also discussed. Because of the complexity and diversity of security management tasks, adequate initial training for security personnel is required. This may be supplemented by in-service training for operational workers. Successful training ensures that employees meet the short-term needs of the employer, while further development enhances their long-term skills and career paths. Managers and executives also require further development through education at conferences, seminars, and academic courses. Training should be planned to achieve or exceed the objectives of the employer. A variety of training methods can be considered to meet the requirements of cost-effective learning. In most organizations, entry-level training receives the greatest attention. System-based training allows managers to identify specific segments of instruction as problematic for trainees. Such training material can be reworked to facilitate learning comprehension. Workplace training requires validation and review as well as long-term evaluation and follow-up.
Design and use of zonally-averaged climate models

Zonally-averaged climate models (ZACMs) provide a bridge from one-dimensional models such as energy-balance and radiative-convective models to three-dimensional general circulation models. Each type of model in this hierarchy involves particular simplifications, assumptions, and complexities in its development. As a consequence, each type of model presents particular advantages and disadvantages in the investigation of questions of importance toward a better understanding of climate. While representation of the influence of horizontal eddies on the meridional climatic structure presents special difficulties for a ZACM, the inclusion of latitudinal and altitudinal variations, and the absence of synoptically-generated climatic variability, permit the investigation of a range of climatic perturbations in which the forcing function is relatively small, latitudinally limited, or transient.
Modelling a real-time economics simulation with user-coded agents in an object-oriented database

The goal of this research was to create a real-time economics simulation that would allow users to test their theories about the stock market. This would be done by allowing users to code their own intelligent agents that would then be inserted in the simulation and allowed to interact with the environment. The simulation would feed the agents information about the stock market, as well as other economic factors (e.g. inflation rates), and the agents will react based on the code the user has written.The user interface for this project is a website, written entirely in JavaServer Pages. The website provides the means for new users to register their agents. Based on documentation given on the site, users code their agents in Java to interact with the simulated environment. This means they tell their agents when and what stocks to buy, as well as when and what stocks to sell. The user code is then used to create a Java file that is compiled on the fly and inserted in a database. If the code contains any compilation errors, the errors are displayed on the site for the users to see.After registering an agent, the user has several options, including viewing up-to-the-minute statistics about the performance of their agents, which lists what stocks they own, how much unspent money the agent possesses, and the agent's net worth. The website also provides the means of editing a registered agent's code if the agent is not performing in the way the user intended. Changes take effect immediately. The user can also remove the agent from the simulation.Since the simulation is written entirely in Java, an Object-Oriented Database (OODB) was used. Agents are stored as objects in the OODB. Within each Agent object, the current state of the agent (what stocks the agent owns, how much money it has, etc.) is stored in XML.The economic simulation itself is a Java application. The simulation pulls all of the agents from the database, iterates through them, and calls an Execute method for each agent, which the users provided via the website. The simulation provides the agent with methods for checking stock prices, buying and selling stocks, and checking current interest rates. As the agent makes these method calls, the simulation is responsible for updating the state of the agent in the OODB. The simulation receives delayed stock quotes on a regular interval, which the agents then have instantaneous access to. Other factors of the simulation (interest rates changes, etc.) are implemented as XML files that the simulation reads from.The simulation has a GUI interface for the administrator that is written using the Java Swing package. This interface allows the administrator to monitor the current activity in the simulation at variety of different levels of detail, to remove agents from the simulation, and to manually influence the simulation by changing stock prices or varying any of the other economic factors.
N-recognin/Ubc2 interactions in the N-end rule pathway.

Abstract The N-end rule relates the in vivo half-life of a protein to the identity of its N-terminal residue. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, substrates of the N-end rule pathway are targeted for degradation by a complex that includes the 225-kDa N-recognin, encoded by UBR1, and the 20-kDa ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme encoded by UBC2. We report that both physical stability and functional activity of the N-recognin.Ubc2 complex require the presence of a highly acidic 23-residue region at the C terminus of Ubc2. Ubc2-C88A, an inactive variant of Ubc2 in which the active-site Cys-88 has been replaced by Ala, is shown to retain the affinity for N-recognin. Expression of Ubc2-C88A inhibits the N-end rule pathway, apparently as a result of competition between Ubc2 and Ubc2-C88A for binding to N-recognin. The two-hybrid (interaction cloning) technique was used to identify a approximately 170-residue C-terminal fragment of the 1,950-residue N-recognin as a Ubc2-interacting domain. We also show that the level of UBR1 mRNA decreases upon overexpression of UBC2. This effect of UBC2 is observed with cells whose UBR1 is expressed from an unrelated promoter but is not observed if UBR1 contains a frameshift mutation, or if the Ubc2 protein lacks its C-terminal acidic region. The N-recognin.Ubc2 complex appears to regulate the expression of N-recognin through changes in the metabolic stability of its mRNA.
Global International Relations (IR) and Regional Worlds

The discipline of International Relations (IR) does not reflect the voices, experiences, knowledge claims, and contributions of the vast majority of the societies and states in the world, and often marginalizes those outside the core countries of the West. With IR scholars around the world seeking to find their own voices and reexamining their own traditions, our challenge now is to chart a course toward a truly inclusive discipline, recognizing its multiple and diverse foundations. This article presents the notion of a “Global IR” that transcends the divide between the West and the Rest. The first part of the article outlines six main dimensions of Global IR: commitment to pluralistic universalism, grounding in world history, redefining existing IR theories and methods and building new ones from societies hitherto ignored as sources of IR knowledge, integrating the study of regions and regionalisms into the central concerns of IR, avoiding ethnocentrism and exceptionalism irrespective of source and form, and recognizing a broader conception of agency with material and ideational elements that includes resistance, normative action, and local constructions of global order. It then outlines an agenda for research that supports the Global IR idea. Key element of the agenda includes comparative studies of international systems that look past and beyond the Westphalian form, conceptualizing the nature and characteristics of a post-Western world order that might be termed as a Multiplex World, expanding the study of regionalisms and regional orders beyond Eurocentric models, building synergy between disciplinary and area studies approaches, expanding our investigations into the two-way diffusion of ideas and norms, and investigating the multiple and diverse ways in which civilizations encounter each other, which includes peaceful interactions and mutual learning. The challenge of building a Global IR does not mean a one-size-fits-all approach; rather, it compels us to recognize the diversity that exists in our world, seek common ground, and resolve conflicts.
Biotechnology (Bioprocess Engineering)

New Biotechnology Growth of the Fermentation Industries Growth of the Antibiotic/Pharmaceutical Industry Growth of the Amino Acid/Acidulant Fermentation Industry Growth of the Biopharmaceutical Industry Growth of Industrial Enzymes Impacts of Biotechnology on Drug Discovery and Biology Bioprocess Engineering and Economics Bioseparations and Bioprocess Engineering Keywords: biotechnology (bioprocess engineering)
ActorSpaces: a model for scalable heterogeneous computing

The ActorSpace model is based on message passing, but allows the user to specify a more abstract destination of messages. This decouples individual actors from each other and makes ActorSpace well suited for expressing open distributed systems, which may run on different architectures. ActorSpace supports heterogeneous computing by using the message passing facilities as an encapsulation of the individual actor's state. ActorSpace supports an open system by using a pattern as a specification of the receiving group of actors. By using the ActorSpace communication primitives, executing actors will not be aware that other actors may be executing on different architectures. The result of this is that actors can join and later leave an ongoing computation or make use of an available service without a specific connection to a set of computing actors or a server. >
Lossless cascade networks and stochastic estimation

The notion of matrices with generalized displacement structure is introduced. An efficient procedure for Cholesky factorization of nonstationary covariances with such structure is presented. An inverse scattering interpretation of this procedure relates it to lossless cascade models with p+q-1 parameters per layer where (p, q) denotes the displacement inertia of the covariance matrix. Matrices with displacement inertia are of particular interest: they have given rise to cascade models that are lossless two-ports, with a single parameter per layer. The author uses the cascade model to construct Levinson-type recursions for the prediction polynomials associated with structured nonstationary covariances. >
Evaluation methods for helical and spiral VHF/UHF satellite antennas

A helix antenna and a cavity-backed spiral antenna are built and tested for use in the 240-320 MHz satellite frequency band. Two methods are examined for quickly and inexpensively verifying the performance of these antennas. First, an outdoor pattern measurement is performed that makes use of the fundamental properties of directivity to avoid the need for an anechoic chamber and a calibrated reference antenna. Second, the antennas are used directly to make a series of measurements of the power received from a satellite to verify performance.
Cortical dynamics of navigation and steering in natural scenes: Motion-based object segmentation, heading, and obstacle avoidance

Visually guided navigation through a cluttered natural scene is a challenging problem that animals and humans accomplish with ease. The ViSTARS neural model proposes how primates use motion information to segment objects and determine heading for purposes of goal approach and obstacle avoidance in response to video inputs from real and virtual environments. The model produces trajectories similar to those of human navigators. It does so by predicting how computationally complementary processes in cortical areas MT^-/MSTv and MT^+/MSTd compute object motion for tracking and self-motion for navigation, respectively. The model's retina responds to transients in the input stream. Model V1 generates a local speed and direction estimate. This local motion estimate is ambiguous due to the neural aperture problem. Model MT^+ interacts with MSTd via an attentive feedback loop to compute accurate heading estimates in MSTd that quantitatively simulate properties of human heading estimation data. Model MT^- interacts with MSTv via an attentive feedback loop to compute accurate estimates of speed, direction and position of moving objects. This object information is combined with heading information to produce steering decisions wherein goals behave like attractors and obstacles behave like repellers. These steering decisions lead to navigational trajectories that closely match human performance.
Infrared Dispersion of Second-Order Electric Susceptibilities in Semiconducting Compounds

A unified study is presented of the infrared behavior of the second-order electric susceptibilities ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ in semiconducting compounds for both longitudinal and transverse fields. The molecular model used previously for the calculation of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ for frequencies above the lattice resonances is extended and applied to the calculation of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ for frequencies below the lattice resonances as well. An ab initio calculation of the different contributions is given and the local-field corrections are taken into account in a semiempirical way, consistent with the macroscopic infrared properties of these materials. In particular, the Raman, electro-optic, optical rectification, and far-infrared frequency mixing coefficients are explicitly considered for the seven semiconductors InSb, InAs, InP, GaSb, GaAs, GaP, and AlSb. The agreement with experiment is good. The relation between the ionic part of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ and the phonon-damping mechanisms in these compounds is also discussed and a generalization of the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation to the nonlinear regime is presented. Further, the relation of the different terms in ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ to the covalent character of the bonds in these compounds is briefly discussed in terms of the exactly soluble unidimensional $\ensuremath{\delta}$-function-bond model. This latter approach combined with the recent phenomenological descriptions of the bonding in tetrahedral covalent compounds can also be extended for the calculation of ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(2)}$ for the II-VI compounds.
Soil nitrogen and chronic ozone stress influence physiology, growth and nutrient status of Pinus taeda L. and Liriodendron tulipifera L. seedlings

summary The effects of soil nitrogen availability and chronic ozone stress on carbon and nutrient economy were investigated in loblolly pine (Pinus. taeda L.) and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.). One-year-old seedlings were planted individually in pots in forest soil of low (58 μg g−1), medium (96 μg g−1) or high (172 μg g−1) initial concentrations of soluble nitrogen. The seedlings were exposed to ozone in open-top field chambers at sub-ambient (charcoal-filtered air), ambient, and elevated (ambient + 60 nl 1−1 O3) (32, 56, 108 nl 1−1 O3, 1 h seasonal mean, respectively) levels for 18 weeks. At final harvest loblolly pine dry matter increased by 50% at the highest soil K level relative to the low with the largest gains in new needle biomass. Elevated ozone reduced the biomass of current-year needles by 20% in plants grown at the highest N level. Higher soil N supply increased the concentration of nitrogen in needles, stimulated current-year needle photosynthesis and increased needle and whole-plant water-use efficiencies. Ozone treatment had no significant effect on photosynthesis or water-use efficiency in either species, although ozone exposure tended to reduce- stomatal conductance in loblolly pine. The low N treatment increased the proportion of dry matter allocated to fine roots in yellow-poplar, but whole-plant dry weight had not responded to N fertilization at the final harvest, suggesting other limitations on growth. Ozone exposure increased leaf abscission and doubled leaf turnover m yellow-poplar. Although yellow-poplar was highly sensitive to ozone-induced leaf abscission, final whole-plant dry weights were not affected. The indeterminate growth habit of yellow-poplar permitted compensatory leaf growth which may have ameliorated effects of chronic ozone stress on biomass gain. Ozone exposure also decreased shoot weight more than root weight, resulting in higher root:leaf ratios in loblolly pine and a similar trend m higher fine roor:leaf ratios in yellow-poplar. Greater proportional allocation of carbon to roots in response to nutrient deficiency may preclude an increased allocation to shoots often observed in response to air pollution stress. Interspecific differences in growth response to chronic ozone and nutrient stress may be influenced by differences in leaf growth habit.
Carved and painted rock images in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

Marquesan prehistoric rock art, occurring throughout the island group, has not been systematically documented nor studied in detail. I discuss here the results of survey-generated data in the archipelago compiled between 1984 and 1989, and my recent work in Hatiheu Valley, located on the north coast of Nuku Hiva. Classification system, method of manufacture, geographic distribution, architectural context and placement of motifs are described. Some broad conclusions are drawn as to the images' cultural significance.
The Study of Global Solutions: A Postmodern Systems Thinking View of Grounded Theory/Grounded Action

The grounded theory research method embodies a crucial element of postmodernist thinking due to its aversion to theory verification and its ability to imbue analysts with the power to discover theory. These processes closely mirror systems thinking because they allow for holistic examination. Postmodern systems thinking combines the worldview of postmodernism with systems thinking, creating a mechanism that is both respectful to the variations of human interaction and the need for “de-compartmentalizing” complex systems. The postmodern systems thinking framework united with grounded action research could be a potent approach for the dissemination of localized, culture-specific ideas in countries susceptible to Western hegemony.
Relations between hierarchies and inverse scattering

in [9]it was shown how one can construct sato hierarchies within the context of D bar dressing and a general Hirota bilinear identity, derived via D bar dressing, was shown to lead to tau functions and canonical structure for mckp situations. In this note we will show some spectral formulas for kernels, derived in [8;10;12] for KP in the dressing picture based on Sato hierarchies, can be further developed and embellished and related to the inverse scattering point of view of [1;2;3;5;6;14;18]. This may be seen as part of a program to bring the hierarchy picture and the scattering picture together, and understand relations between scattering data and dressing data, etc.
Reduced quality of life in very overweight Mexican American adolescents.

Abstract Quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory ™ , PedsQL ™ ) was assessed for 175 Mexican American adolescents with measured height and weight used to determine body mass index (BMI) percentile/weight classification. Main effects for weight classification were detected using One-way ANOVAs ( p
Mössbauer and EPR studies of the photoactivation of nitrile hydratase.

The alphabeta dimer of active nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus sp. R312 contains one low-spin ferric ion that is coordinated by three Cys residues, two N-amide groups from the protein backbone, and one OH(-). The enzyme isolated from bacteria grown in the dark is inactive and contains the iron site as a six-coordinate diamagnetic Fe-nitrosyl complex, called NH(dark). The active state can be obtained from the dark state by photolysis of the Fe-NO bond at room temperature. Activation is accompanied by the conversion of NH(dark) to a low-spin ferric complex, NH(light), exhibiting an S = (1)/(2) EPR signal with g values of 2.27, 2.13, and 1.97. We have characterized both NH(dark) and NH(light) with Mossbauer spectroscopy. The z-axis of the 57Fe magnetic hyperfine tensor, A, of NH(light) was found to be rotated by approximately 45 degrees relative to the z-axis of the g tensor (g(z) = 1.97). Comparison of the A tensor of NH(light) with the A tensors of low-spin ferric hemes indicates a substantially larger degree of covalency for nitrile hydratase. We have also performed photolysis experiments between 2 and 20 K and characterized the photolyzed products by EPR and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Photolysis at 4.2 K in the Mossbauer spectrometer yielded a five-coordinate low-spin ferric species, NH(A), which converted back into NH(dark) when the sample was briefly warmed to 77 K. We also describe preliminary EPR photolysis studies that have yielded new intermediates.
Inflight performance of the Viking visual imaging subsystem

Photography from the Viking Orbiter Visual Imaging Subsystem, taken while enroute to and in orbit about Mars, has been analyzed to determine the performance of the cameras. The cameras have remained in good focus. Random and coherent noise levels in flight were the same as measured prior to launch. A recalibration of each instrument allows photometric measurements to accuracies of less than 3% for relative measurements and 9% for absolute measurements. Geometric distortion remained close to the preflight levels of 4 pixels rms and 11 pixels maximum.
Respiration in Euphausiids

RESPIRATORY rates provide estimates of catabolism in organisms. These rates, together with estimates of anabolism (such as growth rates), are used to assess gross production (assimilation) rates, which themselves are necessary to an understanding of energy transfer in food webs. This communication reports measurements of the respiration of euphausiids (class Crustacea) collected off the Oregon coast in winter. The effect of temperature on respiration was evaluated, and length–weight relationships were determined in order to study the effect of body size on respiration.
A simple and efficient method of preparing α-bromo carboxylic acids

Abstract A new and convenient method for α-bromination of aliphatic carboxylic acids is reported. Heating carboxylic acids for 16 hours at 85 °C in trifluoroacetic acid with 1.5 equivalents of N-bromosuccinimide and a catalytic amount of concentrated H 2 SO 4 leads to good yields of the respective α-bromocarboxylic acids.
Elevated beta-adrenergic receptor number after chronic propranolol treatment.

Treatment of rats with the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol for two weeks leads to a 100% increase in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors ((−) [3H]dihydroalprenolol binding sites) in cardiac particulate fractions. No change in receptor affinity was observed. These findings may l) represent the converse of agonist-induced desensitization which is associated with decreases in beta-receptor number, 2) provide a potential explanation for the clinically observed “propranolol withdrawal syndrome”.
Distributed processing with the NS16000 family

The paper discusses the benefits of microprocessor-based distributed processing systems, which are greater than those of conventional timeshared mini or main-frame systems. It highlights the advantages of the NS16000 microprocessor family for this application, and it explains how the NS16000 operating system supports distributed processing.
A general purpose CPU simulator

The Computer Science department here at USM has two 8080 based machines and two Texas Instruments 960 minicomputers in addition to our XEROX Sigma-9. Our mass storage medium for the mini and micro systems is cassette. Because of the limits of this medium, and the inability for more than one person at a time to use one of these machines, software development has been very slow.One way to speed up this process would be to do all our work on the Sigma-9. That is keep all files on its disc, and use cross-assemblers and cross-compilers to generate object code and test the code on simulators. Thus the small systems would only be needed for final checkout.A cross-assembler and simulator for the 8080 systems were obtained and work begun. The more these programs were used, the more inadequate they seemed. This paper documents the design and implementation of a new simulator.
Efficacy of Repeat Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients Who Develop Recurrent Melanoma

Background Even after negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for primary melanoma, patients who develop in-transit (IT) melanoma or local recurrences (LR) can have subclinical regional lymph node involvement. Study Design A prospective database identified 33 patients with IT melanoma/LR who underwent technetium 99m sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy alone (n = 15) or in conjunction with lymphazurin dye (n = 18) administered only if the IT melanoma/LR was concurrently excised. Results Seventy-nine percent (26 of 33) of patients undergoing SLNB in this study had earlier removal of lymph nodes in the same lymph node basin as the expected drainage of the IT melanoma or LR at the time of diagnosis of their primary melanoma. Lymphoscintography at time of presentation with IT melanoma/LR was successful in 94% (31 of 33) cases, and at least 1 sentinel lymph node was found intraoperatively in 97% (30 of 31) cases. The SLNB was positive in 33% (10 of 30) of these cases. Completion lymph node dissection was performed in 90% (9 of 10) of patients. Nine patients with negative SLNB and IT melanoma underwent regional chemotherapy. Patients in this study with a positive sentinel lymph node at the time the IT/LR was mapped had a considerably shorter time to development of distant metastatic disease compared with those with negative sentinel lymph nodes. Conclusions In this study, we demonstrate the technical feasibility and clinical use of repeat SLNB for recurrent melanoma. Performing SLNB cannot only optimize local, regional, and systemic treatment strategies for patients with LR or IT melanoma, but also appears to provide important prognostic information.