cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REINAM: reinforcement learning for input-grammar inference

Program input grammars (i.e., grammars encoding the language of valid program inputs) facilitate a wide range of applications in software engineering such as symbolic execution and delta debugging. Grammars synthesized by existing approaches can cover only a small part of the valid input space mainly due to unanalyzable code (e.g., native code) in programs and lacking high-quality and high-variety seed inputs. To address these challenges, we present REINAM, a reinforcement-learning approach for synthesizing probabilistic context-free program input grammars without any seed inputs. REINAM uses an industrial symbolic execution engine to generate an initial set of inputs for the given target program, and then uses an iterative process of grammar generalization to proactively generate additional inputs to infer grammars generalized from these initial seed inputs. To efficiently search for target generalizations in a huge search space of candidate generalization operators, REINAM includes a novel formulation of the search problem as a reinforcement learning problem. Our evaluation on eleven real-world benchmarks shows that REINAM outperforms an existing state-of-the-art approach on precision and recall of synthesized grammars, and fuzz testing based on REINAM substantially increases the coverage of the space of valid inputs. REINAM is able to synthesize a grammar covering the entire valid input space for some benchmarks without decreasing the accuracy of the grammar.
Breeding at higher latitude as measured by stable isotope is associated with higher photoperiod threshold and delayed reproductive development in a songbird

Abstract Many organisms time reproduction to photoperiod, a constant from year to year. Predicting how anthropogenic change will influence future timing demands greater knowledge of the current role of photoperiod. We held two closely related bird populations in a common environment. One population is resident; the other winters in sympatry with the resident population but migrates north prior to reproducing. We increased photoperiod gradually and measured preparation for migration and reproduction, using feather stable isotopes to estimate breeding latitude. We predicted population differences in the minimum stimulatory day length to elicit a response (CPP, critical photoperiod) and co-variation between CPP and distance migrated. We found clear population differences in CPP and greater CPP in longer distance migrants. We conclude that current geographic variation in reproductive timing has a genetic or early developmental basis and recommend that future research focus on how anthropogenic changes will interact with CPP to adjust timing of reproduction and migration.
United States prevalence of pediatric asthma by environmental tobacco smoke exposure, 2016–2017

Objectives: We sought to update the prevalence estimates of parent-reported asthma diagnosis by Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) exposure in the United States (US) pediatric population.Methods: Th...
Machine Learning and Therapeutic Strategies in VR

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the few treatment options for individuals suffering from psychological and physiological abnormalities like phobias, post-traumatic stress, stuttering, and anxiety. They are expensive in both cost and time, and are often difficult to evaluate for effectiveness. Virtual Reality (VR) can ameliorate ineffective and costly therapies, because it effectively reproduces stressful environments, and is mobile enough to be used at home. However, psychological therapies are supervised by highly trained psychiatrists whose years of experience help them diagnose patients' problems in a personalized manner. Can we use Machine Learning (ML) to glean information from patients that allow for such tailored-made therapy training for VR systems? Machine Learning of subject training history and behavior allows the system to adapt therapies to individual levels and needs. Machine Learning of sensor data that provide details of patient stress levels in time gives us moment-to-moment responses that can be used to customize their training in terms of difficulty and responsiveness. We detail use of these ML strategies in the case of helping stutterers cope with immanent episodes of public and social speaking using VR with systematic desensitization. 23 stutterers and 4 speech pathologists participated in our user studies, which refined our prototype to lower relaxation fidelity, reduce scene blur, and improve voice efficacy. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in VR technology serves to enable customization and adaptive training while maintaining the ease-of-use and comparatively low cost over traditional therapeutic strategies. This research opens up possibilities of using ML to customize levels, encounters, and environmental complexity in interactive experiences utilizing biometrics and in-game behavior.
Chapter Sixteen – Sedative Hypnotics

The sedative hypnotic drugs represent a variety of chemical agents that depress central nervous system activity. They have many clinical uses in medicine including treatment of anxiety and insomnia, epilepsy, as muscle relaxants, and for induction of anesthesia. Some members of the class also possess significant abuse potential and a hazard of overdose fatalities, especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs. The focus of this chapter will be on benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics (colloquially called the Z-drugs). The use of barbiturates has become more limited with the introduction of the benzodiazepines, which have lower risk of death in overdose, fewer drug drug interactions, and less risk for addiction.
Helicobacter spp. in Necropsied Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) Is Associated With Gastric Ulcers and Sensitive to Multiple Antibiotics

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are threatened marine mustelids that commonly have gastric ulcers with secondary hemorrhage (melena) as a contributing cause of death. Although Helicobacter spp. infections are known to cause gastric ulcers and gastritis in humans and ferrets, it is unknown if the sea otter bacterium, ‘H. enhydrae’ sp. nov., causes similar gastric pathology. Determining whether Helicobacter detection is associated with sea otter gastric pathology is the first step toward using this information to expedite diagnosis and treatment. We investigated the proportion of Helicobacter infections in 46 necropsied southern sea otters via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of the 16S rRNA gene. Helicobacter DNA was detected in fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed gastric body and pyloric tissues using Helicobacter genus-specific 16S rRNA primers. Data from gross necropsy and histopathology were analyzed for associations between Helicobacter detection via qPCR, and presence/absence of gastric pathology. ETEST gradient strips were utilized to investigate antimicrobial minimum inhibitory concentrations for H. enhydrae isolates. Helicobacter spp. were detected in the gastric tissue of 85% of sea otters in this study. Fresh-frozen samples were more commonly Helicobacter qPCR-positive than formalin-fixed tissue, indicating variable sensitivity of detection in relation to post-necropsy tissue processing methods. Diagnosis of gastric ulcers at necropsy was significantly associated with Helicobacter qPCR detection in gastric mucosa (P= 0.005), while age, sex, presence of melena, shark trauma, and protozoal infection were not associated (P> 0.1). H. enhydrae strains were sensitive to clarithromycin and tetracycline in vitro at physiologically relevant concentrations. Overall, this work suggests that Helicobacter spp. might be commonly found in southern sea otters, particularly those with ulcers, and that H. enhydrae can be treated with several commonly used anti-Helicobacter therapies.
A peer-led non-diet behaviour change intervention: FitU:

Objective:Despite the popularity of weight loss interventions, research indicates these methods are ineffective for promoting long-term health. College age is a developmentally important age for de...
What Peterson Gets Wrong about Truman and The Bomb

Martin B. Peterson argues that the social experiment analysis improperly shifts our focus onto the rhetorical dimension of debates over technology, which is ‘clearly irrelevant’ to the ‘traditional...
Design of Real-time Obstacle Avoidance Control System for Power Tunnel Fire-fighting Robots

In order to solve the problem of fire rescue in power tunnels, it is necessary to study the design method of obstacle avoidance control system for fire-fighting robots. Poor response and effectiveness is one of the typical problems when using the current design method in the obstacle avoidance control system of power tunnel fire-fighting robots. A real-time method of obstacle avoidance control system for power tunnel fire-fighting robot is proposed in this article. The design of fire-fighting robot is completed through coordination and cooperation among power modules, lidar ranging modules, servo control modules and motor drive circuits. On the principle of artificial potential field, the obstacle range in power tunnel is divided into multiple window cells by grid method, the attractive force and repulsive force generated by the target point and obstacle in cells is calculated. According to the calculation results, the resultant force is obtained, which makes the fire robot avoid the obstacles in the power tunnel. Therefore, obstacle avoidance control system of the fire robot in the power tunnel is completed. The experimental results show that the proposed method is highly responsive and effective.
Effects of Moringa Extract on Aminoglycoside-Induced Hair Cell Death and Organ of Corti Damage.

Hypothesis Moringa extract, a naturally occurring anti-oxidant, protects against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death and hearing loss within the organ of Corti. Background Reactive oxygen species (ROS) arise primarily in the mitochondria and have been implicated in aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in loss of membrane potential, release of caspases, and cell apoptosis. Moringa extract has not previously been examined as a protective agent for aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity. Methods Putative otoprotective effects of moringa extract were investigated in an organotypic model using murine organ of Corti explants subjected to gentamicin-induced ototoxicity. Assays evaluated hair cell loss, cytochrome oxidase expression, mitochondrial membrane potential integrity, and caspase activity. Results In vitro application of moringa conferred significant protection from gentamicin-induced hair cell loss at dosages from 25 to 300 μg/mL, with dosages above 100 μg/mL conferring near complete protection. Assays demonstrated moringa extract suppression of ROS, preservation of cytochrome oxidase activity, and reduction in caspase production. Conclusion Moringa extract demonstrated potent antioxidant properties with significant protection against gentamicin ototoxicity in cochlear explants.
Hatch Pattern Optimization of Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Process for Minimizing Flatness error

Abstract Although Metal Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing (PBFAM) process has emerged as an important industrial process, part distortion due to repeated heating and cooling is a major barrier that stands in the way of using this process for mass commercial production. Laser hatch pattern is a critical factor that influences the part distortion and has been widely studied through experimental investigations. In this paper, we describe an approach for hatch pattern optimization to minimize part GD&T errors using Genetic algorithms (GA). A pre-trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was adopted to predict the inherent strain of any hatch pattern, while a Backward Interpolation (BI) approach was used to predict the distortion of the sample part based on the inherent strain obtained from ANN. A Genetic Algorithm approach was then used to optimize the hatch angle of each layer to minimize the flatness form error of a flat feature of a sample part. Three types of island strategies were investigated for laying hatch patterns, and the results show that the increased number of scan islands in the hatch pattern results in less distortion and minimization of flatness error. The flatness values of four other benchmark hatch patterns were also investigated and compared with the optimal hatch pattern results. The comparison showed that the flatness of the sample part with the optimized hatch pattern performs better than the benchmark hatch patterns. The overall computational time for hatch pattern optimization was found to be reasonable, considering the large number of distortion simulations performed during the optimization process.
Thermal Performance Characterization of Stacked Silicon Microcoolers for Spatially Non-Uniform Power Dissipation

Using silicon for microcooler fabrication is advantageous over metals as it can be micromachined for smaller fin wall and channel width dimensions, increasing the thermal heat transfer coefficient [1], [2]. Since the fin height is limited by the wafer thickness, multiple microcoolers are stacked to increase the total fin height to enhance the heat transfer from a chip. Stacked silicon microcoolers have been previously designed, fabricated, and characterized for thermal performance [3].In a multi-core processor package, the power density across the chip surface is highly nonuniform; the power density in the cores can be 4-6 times that outside the cores. In this study, we explore a variety of non-uniform power distributions on the chip surface for characterizing the thermal performance of integrated stacked silicon microcoolers. An array of individually controllable heaters, present on the test chip, is used to generate heating patterns corresponding to high-power computing cores. The thermal resistance to the heat transfer across the microcooler and the pressure drop in the water flow across the microcooler are characterized as a function of the flow rate. The cooling power limits of such high-power computing core maps are also defined. Finally, a numerical analysis is performed for the non-uniform power dissipation cases to validate the experimental results.
The influence of divergent reproductive strategies in shaping modularity and morphological evolution in mammalian jaws

Marsupial neonates are born at an earlier developmental stage than placental mammals, but the rapid development of their forelimbs and cranial skeleton allows them to climb to the pouch, begin suckling and complete their development ex utero. The mechanical environment in which marsupial neonates develop is vastly different from that of placental neonates, which exhibit a more protracted development of oral muscles and bones. This difference in reproductive strategy has been theorized to constrain morphological evolution in the oral region of marsupials. Here, we use 3D morphometrics to characterize one of these oral bones, the lower jaw (dentary), and assess modularity (pattern of covariation among traits), morphological disparity and rates of morphological evolution in two clades of carnivorous mammals: the marsupial Dasyuromorphia and placental fissiped Carnivora. We find that dasyuromorph dentaries have fewer modules than carnivorans and exhibit tight covariation between the angular and coronoid processes, the primary attachment sites for jaw-closing muscles. This pattern of modularity may result from the uniform action of muscles on the developing mandible during suckling. Carnivorans are free from this constraint and exhibit a pattern of modularity that more strongly reflects genetic and developmental signals of trait covariation. Alongside differences in modularity, carnivorans exhibit greater disparity and faster rates of morphological evolution compared with dasyuromorphs. Taken together, this suggests dasyuromorphs have retained a signal of trait covariation that reflects the outsized influence of muscular force during early development, a feature that may have impacted the ability of marsupial carnivores to explore specialized regions of morphospace.
First Order Nonlinear State Models

In this and the succeeding chapters attention turns to examination of state models that are not linear. Consequently the techniques indicated previously which are valuable in analysis of linear state models are not of direct applicability here. In fact, it is not possible to develop a general theory of nonlinear state models; it is only possible to indicate some techniques and ideas which, for some nonlinear state models, may prove useful. Of course it is this characteristic of nonlinear state models which causes most difficulty; it is not possible to give general formulas or even procedures which are guaranteed to prove useful. As in the previous chapters some ideas and concepts are first presented; then several physical processes are examined where some of the concepts prove helpful.
Do rural and urban women experience differing rates of maternal rehospitalizations

Introduction Conditions such as postpartum complications and mental disorders of new mothers contribute to a relatively large number of maternal rehospitalizations and even some deaths. Few studies have examined rural-urban differences in hospital readmissions, and none of them have addressed maternal readmissions. This research directly compares readmissions for patients who delivered in rural versus urban hospitals. Methods The data for this cross-sectional study were drawn from the 2011 California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Readmission rates were reported to demonstrate rural-urban differences. Generalized estimating equation models were also used to estimate the likelihood of a new mother being readmitted over time. Results The 323 051 women who delivered with minor assistance and 158 851 women who delivered by cesarean section (C-section) were included in this study. Of those, seven maternal mortalities occurred after vaginal deliveries and 14 occurred after C-section procedures. Fewer than 1% (0.98% or 3171) women with normal deliveries were rehospitalized. The corresponding number for women delivering via C-section was 1.41% (2243). For both types of deliveries, women giving birth in a rural hospital were more likely to be readmitted. Conclusions This is the first study examining rural-urban differences in maternal readmissions. The results indicate the importance of monitoring and potentially improving the quality of maternal care, especially when the delivery involves a C-section. More studies investigating rural health disparities in women's health are clearly necessary.
GLUTAMATE METABOLISM IN BRUCELLA ABORTUS STRAINS OF LOW AND HIGH VIRULENCE

Dasinger, B. L. (University of Wisconsin, Madison) and J. B. Wilson. Glutamate metabolism in Brucella abortus strains of low and high virulence. J. Bacteriol. 84:911–915. 1962.—Brucella abortus strains of low virulence oxidize glutamate at a high rate, whereas strains of high virulence oxidize glutamate at a relatively low rate. Results indicated that this observation was not related to differences in pathway of glutamate oxidation or to differences in total enzyme activity. Permeability studies showed that the maximal rates of glutamate accumulation were 2.8 μmoles per 2 min per g (wet wt) for a strain of high virulence and 6.2 μmoles per 2 min per g for a strain of low virulence, but equal intracellular steady-state concentrations were attained by both types of strains. Evidence is presented which suggests that the site of glutamate oxidation is separate from the pool of glutamate being measured. Unequal rates of permeability at these sites could be the reason for the differences in rate of glutamate oxidation.
The Protean Therapist

SUMMARY The subject of the following article is the protean journey therapists make as they adapt to changing situations and challenges in their own lives and the ultimate impact it has on their clinical work with patients. I have used the example of my own life, in which certain critical events have transformed me from a person with a rather ordinary perspective to someone who has come to appreciate the fragile nature of life with its rich tapestry of complicated ties and patterns. I have tried to demonstrate that significant events in my life and my personal development over the past thirty years have furthered my appreciation and treatment of my patients. I have also come to recognize that my patients' particular journeys, on which I have accompanied them, have similarly contributed to and enriched my life in myriad ways.
An Overview of World Bank Experience in Road Safety

Awareness within the World Bank of the need to incorporate road safety components in its projects began in the 1970’s. As this awareness increased it became clear that the Bank could play a more important role in the sector. In order to explore what that role might be, the Bank sponsored, together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a seminar on road safety in developing countries in May 1979. This seminar resulted in a long list of recommendations for actions by the Bank and the PAHO. As a result, the bank issued a note to staff on road safety in developing countries (1) and carried out a review of road safety components in World Bank projects (2). At this time (1981), 42 World Bank projects were identified with a direct or indirect impact on road safety.
Ligand-induced changes in integrin expression regulate neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth

Receptors of the integrin family are expressed by every cell type and are the primary means by which cells interact with the extracellular matrix. The control of integrin expression affects a wide range of developmental and cellular processes, including the regulation of gene expression, cell adhesion, cell morphogenesis and cell migration. Here we show that the concentration of substratum-bound ligand (laminin) post-translationally regulates the amount of receptor (alpha6beta1, integrin) expressed on the surface of sensory neurons. When ligand availability is low, surface amounts of receptor increase, whereas integrin RNA and total integrin protein decrease. Ligand concentration determines surface levels of integrin by altering the rate at which receptor is removed from the cell surface. Furthermore, increased expression of integrin at the cell surface is associated with increased neuronal cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth. These results indicate that integrin regulation maintains neuronal growth-cone motility over a broad range of ligand concentrations, allowing axons to invade different tissues during development and regeneration.
Multiaxial Creep of Textured Zircaloy-4

Extremes of anisotropic multiaxial creep behaviors were considered by analyzing the strain rate ratios versus applied stress ratio for highly cold-worked stress-relieved and partially recrystallized Zircaloy-4 tubings. Power-law creep was modeled by using the upper-bound estimate with the assumption that prism, basal, and pyramidal slip modes are possible mechanisms. Experimental strain rate ratios were compared with those calculated by statistical averaging of crystallite behavior using the crystallite orientation distribution function (CODF). The experimental data on the stress-relieved material were in excellent agreement with the model predictions based on basal slip as the dominant deformation mode. Data on partially recrystallized material were in reasonable agreement with the predictions based on a combination of basal and prism slip modes. These results are also correlated with the Von-Mises-Hill phenomenological description with appropriate contractile strain ratios (anisotropy parameters), R and P. The parameter R is relatively insensitive to partial recrystallization and is related to the basal pole angle. The P-parameter, however, is shown to be very sensitive to fabrication procedures and is greater than unity for well-annealed material with split prism pole distributions. As the amount of cold work increased, P-parameter decreased to well below unity.
Source requantization: successive degradation and bit stealing

We consider source requantization in two forms - successive degradation (i.e., source fidelity reduction) and bit stealing (i.e., information embedding) when no forward planning has been done to facilitate the requantization. We focus on finite-alphabet sources with arbitrary distortion measures as well as the Gaussian-quadratic scenario. For the successive degradation problem, we show an achievable distortion-rate trade-off for non-hierarchically structured rate-distortion achieving codes, and compare it to the distortion-rate trade-off of successively refinable codes. We further consider source requantization in the form of bit stealing, whereby an information embedder acts on a quantized source, producing an output at the same rate. Building on the successive degradation results, we develop achievable distortion-rate trade-offs. Two cases are considered, corresponding to whether the source decoder is informed of any bit stealing or not. In the latter case, the embedder must produce outputs in the original source codebook. For the Gaussian-quadratic scenario, all trade-offs are within 0.5 bits/sample of the distortion-rate bound. Furthermore, for bit stealing, the use of simple post-reconstruction processing that is only a function of the embedded rate can eliminate the loss experienced by uninformed decoders.
Enantioselective synthesis of 5-epi-citreoviral using ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric ring-closing metathesis.

Chiral ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts can perform asymmetric ring-closing reactions in ≥90% ee with low catalyst loadings. To illustrate the practicality of these reactions and the products they form, an enantioselective total synthesis of 5-epi-citreoviral was completed by using an asymmetric ring-closing olefin metathesis reaction as a key step early in the synthesis. All of the stereocenters in the final compound were set by using the chiral center generated by asymmetric olefin metathesis.
Simulation as a tool for biopolymers design

Many polymers are made from simple small molecules (monomers) derived through many processing steps from petroleum. Biologically sourced materials are more sustainable, but to be cost competitive, new products will likely need to be based on different structures composed of natural oils or alcohols that have undergone minimal processing. For example, plant-derived oils can be made into polymers, but these oils can bear many more functional groups in variable positions, which poses considerable challenges to controlling their reaction chemistry. The use of computer simulation based on experimental inputs offers a way to control this complexity and transform materials design, just as process simulators have transformed engineering design. This perspective presents a case that simulation is ready to change the way we research, develop, and design thermoset polymer recipes (formulations).
The Cool Flames Experiment: Recent Results at Reduced and Partial Gravity

Cool flames at Earth (1g), Martian (0.38g), Lunar (0.18g) and reduced-gravity (10g) have been studied experimentally in a closed, unstirred, static reactor to better understand the role of natural convection and diffusive transport on the induction period(s), flame shape, flame propagation speed, pressure history and temperature profile. Natural convection is known to play an important role in all terrestrial, unstirred, static reactor cool flame and auto-ignition experiments when the Rayleigh number, Ra≡βg∆TR3/να, exceeds 600 [2,3,6]. At 1g, typical values of the Ra are 10-10. In this paper, experimental results from static, unstirred reactor studies conducted at four different gravitational acceleration levels are reported for an equimolar propane-oxygen premixture. At 1g, the effects of natural convection dominate diffusive transport, the cool flame starts near the top of the vessel and subsequently propagates downward through the vessel. The flame is inherently two-dimensional. As the effective gravitational acceleration decreases, the associated Ra decreases linearly, convective transport weakens relative to diffusive fluxes of heat and species. At reduced-gravity, cool flames are observed to propagate radially outward from a centrally-located kernel without distortion owed to convective flow at a velocity that depends on the flame radius. HARDWARE DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION The static, unstirred reactor and support apparatus are described in detail in reference 5. The essential hardware components include a furnace (0-600C), a fused-silica spherical vessel (i.d.=10.2 cm) and a premixed gas mixing and delivery system. The temperature uniformity within the furnace is ± 10C. The pressure in the reaction vessel is recorded with a Setra Model 204 0-25 psia transducer (accuracy:±1.4 Torr) mounted on the gas inlet to the reactor. The radial gas temperature profile is measured at 5 discrete radial locations, using a horizontally-mounted, type-K thermocouple rake in the vessel. A Hamamatsu C5909 ICCD camera operating at maximum gain records the emitted light through an optical port on the side of the furnace and a Xybion intensified camera mounted on the top of the furnace records an orthogonal view. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS The slow heat release that occurs during the initial induction period is expected to induce a slow toroidal convective flow in the closed vessel for Ra>600 (1g, 0.38g, and 0.18g cases) as the hot, less dense gas rises in the bulk and recirculates downward along the internal vessel wall as it cools [3,6]. The rise speed of the hot gas is expected to scale as g [5] and thus decrease as the effective gravitational acceleration (g) decreases. Relative to the 1g case, the manifestation of the slower convective flows at 0.38g and 0.18g on the flame shape and propagation is observed indirectly through the observed modifications in the flame shape and its evolution (see Fig. 1). To date, however, this toroidal flow field has not been quantified experimentally.
A momentum source model for wire-wrapped rod bundles—Concept, validation, and application

Abstract Large uncertainties still exist in the treatment of wire-spacers and drag models for momentum transfer in current lumped parameter models. To improve the hydraulic modeling of wire-wrap spacers in a rod bundle, a three-dimensional momentum source model (MSM) has been developed to model the anisotropic flow without the need to resolve the geometric details of the wire-wraps. The MSM is examined for 7-pin and 37-pin bundles steady-state simulations using the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+. The calculated steady-state inter-subchannel cross flow velocities match very well in comparisons between bare bundles with the MSM applied and the wire-wrapped bundles with explicit geometry. The validity of the model is further verified by mesh and parameter sensitivity studies. Furthermore, the MSM is applied to a 61-pin EBR-II experimental subassembly for both steady state and PLOF transient simulations. Reasonably accurate predictions of temperature, pressure, and fluid flow velocities have been achieved using the MSM for both steady-state and transient conditions. Significant computing resources are saved with the MSM since it can be used on a much coarser computational mesh.
Detection and classification of land mine targets in ground penetrating radar images

The present paper proposes image analysis methods for the detection and classification of landmine targets in images acquired using a ground penetrating radar sensor. The detection methodology initially employs a preprocessing step based on principal component analysis principles. The preprocessed image is further subjected to a multilevel density slicing operation to generate a map of iso-intensity contours in the image. Salient regions, that correspond to true targets as well as false-alarms in the image, are then segmented by establishing hierarchical intensity links within the framework of iso-intensity contours based on parent-to-child nodal relations. Features are proposed to classify mines and FAs based on size, shape, contrast, and texture of the segmented regions.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of Physical and Aerodynamic Ramps as Fuel Injectors in Supersonic Flow

An experimental investigation was conducted to compare the supersonic mixing performance of a novel e ush-wall aerodynamic ramp injector with that of a physical ramp injector. The aerodynamic ramp injector consists of nine e ush-wall jets arranged to produce fuel‐ vortex interactions for mixing enhancement in a supersonic crosse ow. Test conditions included a Mach 2.0 crosse ow of air with a Reynolds number of 3.63 10 7 per meter and helium injection with jet-to-freestream momentum e ux ratios of 1.0 and 2.0. Conventional probing techniques, including species composition sampling, were employed to interrogate the e owe eld at several downstream locations. Results show that with increasing jet momentum the aeroramp exhibited a signie cant increase in fuel penetration, whereas the physical ramp showed no discernible change. The near-e eld mixing of the aeroramp was superior to that of the physical ramp; however, the physical ramp reaches a fully mixed condition at approximately half the distance of the aeroramp. As the jet momentum was increased, the far-e eld mixing performance of the aeroramp approached that of the physical ramp. In all cases the total pressure loss incurred with the aeroramp was less than that caused by the physical ramp. For both injectors the total pressure loss decreased with increasing jet momentum. It was concluded that, although physical ramps may provide better far-e eld mixing, properly designed e ush-wall injection can provide comparable mixing performance while avoiding the practical problems associated with an intrusive geometry in a scramjet combustor.
The Relationality of Movements: Movement and Countermovement Resources, Infrastructure, and Leadership in the Los Angeles Tenants’ Rights Mobilization, 1976–1979

This article offers a comprehensive empirical analysis of the determinants of social movement mobilization, with serious consideration of countermovement leadership and infrastructure on terms comparable with those of the movement. The authors examine the role of resources, infrastructure, and leadership in tenant mobilization in the Los Angeles tenants’ rights movement between 1976 and 1979. Using survey and census data along with archival materials, they compare neighborhoods across Los Angeles and find a significant role for resources, infrastructure, and leadership; notably, the authors find that countermovement infrastructure and leadership are more important to renter mobilization than movement infrastructure and leadership.
The Cyclical Behavior of Skill Acquisition

Individuals routinely devote time to skill acquisition by pursuing activities such as formal schooling, formal employer-provided training, and informal on-the-job training. Here, we use a business-cycle model to analyze the general-equilibrium implications of a representative agent's decision to devote time to skill acquisition; we also use the model to make inferences regarding the behavior of aggregate skill-acquisition activities. Under the model, investment of time in the acquisition of skills increases the stock of human capital available for use in production activities in the following period. In parallel, purchases of the physical investment good increase the stock of physical capital available for use in production activities in the following period. We use aggregate data on consumption, investment and labor hours to formally estimate the parameters of the model, and then use the estimated model and the observed data to infer the aggregate behavior of skill-acquisi tion activities. We find that these activities have important cyclical implications, and follow a distinct countercyclical pattern.
Arthroscopic Treatment of Ulnar Impaction Syndrome

Ulnar impaction syndrome occurs in the setting of a central traumatic or degenerative defect in the triangular fibrocartilage complex in patients with ulnar positive variance. Chondral and subchondral edema, mechanical impingement of the articular disc, and chondromalacia of the distal ulna, proximal lunate, and proximal triquetrum produce symptoms with activity that do not improve with rest. Decreasing ulnocarpal load-sharing across the wrist with recession of the distal ulna is necessary to relieve symptoms in the majority of patients. Arthroscopic treatment with triangular fibrocartilage complex debridement and arthroscopic ulnar wafer resection is an effective treatment for ulnar impaction syndrome. It affords a single-stage, minimally invasive approach, with similar efficacy and fewer complications than open wafer resection or ulnar shortening osteotomy.
Le symbole modéré

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Moving a hand-held object: Reconstruction of referent coordinate and apparent stiffness trajectories

This study used the framework of the referent configuration hypothesis and slow changes in the external conditions during vertical oscillation of a hand-held object to infer the characteristics of hypothetical control variables. The study had two main objectives: (1) to show that hypothetical control variables, namely, referent coordinates and apparent stiffness of vertical hand position and grip force can be measured in an experiment; and (2) to establish relation(s) between these control variables that yield the classic grip-force-load-force coupling. Healthy subjects gripped a handle and performed vertical oscillations between visual targets at one of five metronome-prescribed frequencies. A HapticMaster robot was used to induce slow changes in the vertical force applied to the handle, while the size of the handle was changed slowly leading to changes in the grip aperture. The subjects were instructed not to react to possible changes in the external forces. A linear, second-order model was used to reconstruct the referent coordinate and apparent stiffness values for each phase of the vertical oscillation cycle using across-cycle regressions. The reconstructed time profiles of the referent coordinates and apparent stiffness showed consistent trends across subjects and movement frequencies. To validate the method, these values were used to predict the vertical force and the grip force applied to the handle for movement cycles that were not utilized in the reconstruction process. Analysis of the coupling between the four variables, two referent coordinates and two apparent stiffness values, revealed a single strong constraint reflecting the coupling between the grip force and vertical force. We view these data as providing experimental support for the idea of controlling natural, multi-muscle actions with shifts in a low-dimensional set of referent coordinates.
A Dialectical View of Theory and Practice

This philosophical essay explains how a dialectical approach to theory and practice can be useful to music educators. It also offers a dialogical approach to working through the conceptual and prac...
The traveling inspector model

In this note we introduce a model of a dynamic inspection process which we call "The Traveling Inspector Model." The problem is formulated as a single-controller, zero-sum, undiscounted stochastic game, with some special structure. This structure ensures that the game is solvable by a relatively simple linear program. In dieser Arbeit betrachten wir ein Modell eines dynamischen Inspektionsprozesses, das wir "Traveling-Inspector-Modell" nennen. Das Problem wird formuliert als ein speziell strukturiertes stochastisches Zweipersonen-Nullsummenspiel, bei dem ein Spieler das Ubergangsgesetz bestimmt. Wegen der speziellen Struktur kann das Problem mithilfe eines relativ einfachen linearen Programms gelost werden.
Outcomes at 3 years of a prospective pilot study of Campath‐1H and sirolimus immunosuppression for renal transplantation

Campath-1H (alemtuzumab) induction was used for renal transplantation in combination with sirolimus as immunosuppression. We previously reported a high (28%) rate of early rejection with this regimen, and now report 3-year outcomes. Twenty-nine patients were recipients of either deceased donor or non-HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) identical living donor primary renal allografts. Clinical parameters including infection, malignancy, kidney function, and kidney histology were followed prospectively for 3 years. Three-year cumulative graft and patient survival were 96% and 100%, respectively. Twenty patients were maintained on steroid-free immunosuppressive regimens, and 15 patients were maintained on monotherapy for immunosuppression (12 on sirolimus). No serious infectious complications were observed and two patients developed basal cell skin cancer. The 3-year results of our initial pilot study demonstrate good graft (96%) and patient (100%) outcomes. Campath-1H induction has yielded a high proportion of patients maintained on immunosuppressive monotherapy (57%) without serious infectious- and no malignancy-related complications. The reported regimen yielded novel insights into both Campath-1H and sirolimus therapy in renal transplantation. Because of the higher incidence of early rejection, we recommend a modified strategy of immunosuppression including a brief course of a calcineurin inhibitor.
Methodological challenges in designing efficacious drug abuse and HIV preventive interventions for Hispanic adolescent subgroups.

This article focuses on designing and evaluating drug abuse and HIV prevention interventions for subgroups of Hispanic adolescents. It describes the need for preventive interventions designed or adapted specifically for Hispanic adolescents and offers a rationale for subgrouping Hispanic adolescents based on risk and protective factor profiles rather than demographic indices. This subgrouping method is based on intrapersonal and ecodevelopmental domains of risk and protection. Finally, the article presents methods for designing, adapting, and evaluating “flexible” interventions for use with Hispanic adolescent subgroups.
Re-examining the role of training in contributing to international project success: A literature review and an outline of a new model training program

Abstract International projects face greater obstacles to success and fail more often than do similar domestic projects, even those with a multicultural workforce. Cross-cultural training of individuals has been the standard response, and has no doubt been generally effective in equipping personnel with most of the knowledge and skills needed to live and work successfully in another culture. But the question is raised here: Is there a gap between the needs of international projects and what the current approaches to cross-cultural training offer for meeting those needs? The authors contend that current cross-cultural training fails to address adequately the organizational and environmental factors which impact significantly on the overall success of international projects. After reviewing a selection of studies from the literature dealing with the causes of success and failure of international projects, the authors propose the elements of a new model training program intended to equip international personnel with a broader range of the knowledge and skills needed to enhance the chances of project success.
A Study of the infinite horizon ‘solution’ of inventory lot size models with a linear demand function

Abstract The article studies the infinite time horizon inventory lot size model with a linear demand function. The pertinent costs are the carrying and order costs, shortages are prohibited, and replenishments are instantaneous. The problem is to minimize the total cost by exhibiting a schedule of optimal replenishment times. The computerized asymptotic solution suggested here is a generalization of the classical square root law and the more recent cubic root law. Due to its broader usefulness, it should preponderate previously known results.
Fundraising for Interscholastic Athletic and Recreation Programs

(2002). Fundraising for Interscholastic Athletic and Recreation Programs. Strategies: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 37-38.
Direct-current cardioversion for the conversion of atrial flutter

Abstract Hemodynamically stable atrial flutter should be treated with DC cardioversion using 200 J as an initial setting. This can be accomplished in an outpatient setting, saving the cost of hospitalization and avoiding the hazards of drug therapy.
Table of differential polarization coefficients for (gamma, particle) reactions

Abstract Differential polarization coefficients for photonuclear reactions are tabulated for E1, M1, and E2 radiation. Values are presented for target and residual nuclei with spins ≦ 5 2 and for emitted positive parity particles of spin 1 2 .
Discontinuous Spectral Element Solution of Acoustic Radiation from Thin Airfoils

A time-domain spectral element method is used to compute the acoustic radiation from thin airfoils generated in response to upstream, small amplitude plane vorticity waves. The method is a spectral element (collocation) form of the discontinuous Galerkin method for the solution of the Euler gasdynamics equations. Solutions are presented for flat plate and symmetric and nonsymmetric Joukowski airfoils. Comparisons are made to semi-analytic and finite difference computations.
Analytical Characterization and Production of an Isothermal Surface for Biological and Electronic Applications

Characterization and regulation of isothermal surfaces are key issues in a number of thermal management devices. The surface temperature uniformity can be controlled utilizing a variable area channel heat exchanger filled with a porous medium. A comprehensive analytical investigation of forced convection through a generic variable area channel is carried out to design a compact heat exchanger in producing an isothermal surface subject to a constant heat flux, which may be required in the biological, electronics, optical, laser, manufacturing, and solidification applications. Exact solutions for the fluid and solid phases and the wall surface temperature distributions as well as the Nusselt number correlations are established while incorporating local thermal nonequilibrium and transverse conduction contributions. The channel temperature field is adjusted utilizing either an adiabatic or a constant temperature on the inclined surface. The effects of the pertinent physical parameters, such as channel inlet/outlet thickness, inclination angle, Biot number, ratio of fluid and matrix thermal conductivities, working fluid properties, and imposed heat flux, on the fluid and solid temperature fields and the isothermal surface are thoroughly investigated. The results indicate that utilizing proper pertinent parameters, an isothermal surface is achieved. The validity of the utilization of the local thermal equilibrium model is also investigated and error maps are presented.
Synthesis of β-alkynyl α-amino acids via palladium-catalyzed alkynylation of unactivated C(sp 3 )-H bonds

β-Di-substituted α-amino acids (AAs) contain adjacent carbon stereogenic centers and pose considerable synthetic challenge. Complementary to the conventional synthesis strategies based on the transformation of existing functional groups, we envisioned these molecules could be quickly accessed via selective functionalization of sp3 hybridized C-H bonds on the side chains of common α-AA precursors. We report a readily applicable method to prepare β-alkynyl α-amino acids via Pd-catalyzed diastereoselective C(sp3)-H alkynylation of common α-amino acids precursors with acetylene bromide.