cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of plates with curved boundaries using isoparametric strip distributed transfer functions

A semi-analytical analysis of flexible plates with curved boundaries is presented. Through a co-ordinate transformation, the original spatial domain of the plate is mapped onto a rectangular region, where the isoparametric strip distributed transfer functions of the plate are introduced. The transfer function formulation yields closed-form predictions of the displacement, stresses and eigensolutions of the plate. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated in numerical examples. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local dynamics of heart rate: detection and prognostic implications

The original observation that reduced heart rate variability (HRV) confers poor prognosis after myocardial infarction has been followed by many studies of heart rate dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that an entropy-based local dynamics measure gave prognostic information in ambulatory patients undergoing 24-h electrocardiography. In this context, entropy is the probability that short templates will find matches in the time series. We studied RR interval time series from 24-h Holter monitors of 1564 consecutive patients over age 39. We generated histograms of the count of templates as a function of the number of templates matches in short RR interval time series, and found characteristic appearance of histograms for atrial fibrillation, sinus rhythm with normal HRV, and sinus rhythm with reduced HRV and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). We developed statistical models to detect the abnormal dynamic phenotype of reduced HRV with PVCs and fashioned a local dynamics score (LDs) that, after controlling for age, added more prognostic information than other standard risk factors and common HRV metrics, including, to our surprise, the PVC count and the HRV of normal-to-normal intervals. Addition of the LDs to a predictive model using standard risk factors significantly increased the ROC area and the net reclassification improvement was 27%. We conclude that abnormal local dynamics of heart rate confer adverse prognosis in patients undergoing 24-h ambulatory electrocardiography.
High-temperature cyclic fatigue-crack growth behavior in an in situ toughened silicon carbide

The growth of fatigue cracks at elevated temperatures (25-1300°C) is examined under cyclic loading in an in situ toughened, monolithic silicon carbide with Al-B-C additions (termed ABC-SiC), with specific emphasis on the roles of temperature, load ratio, cyclic frequency, and loading mode (static vs. cyc- lic). Extensive crack-growth data are presented, based on measurements from an electrical potential-drop crack-monitoring technique, adapted for use on ceramics at high temperatures. It was found that at equi- valent stress-intensity levels, crack velocities under cyclic loads were significantly faster than those under static loads. Fatigue thresholds were found to decrease with increasing temperature up to 1200°C; behavior at 1300°C, however, was similar to that at 1200°C. Moreover, no effect of frequency was detected (between 3 and 1000 Hz), nor evidence of creep cavitation or crack bridging by viscous ligaments or grain-boundary glassy phases in the crack wake. Indeed, fractography and crack-path sectioning revealed a fracture mode at 1200-1300°C that was essentially identical to that at room temperature, i.e. predominantly intergranular cracking with evidence of grain bridging in the crack wake. Such excellent crack-growth resistance is attrib- uted to a process of grain-boundary microstructural evolution at elevated temperatures, specifically invol- ving crystallization of the amorphous grain-boundary films/phases. © 2000 Acta Metallurgica Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Digital restoration of images in the presence of correlated noise

Abstract Digital restoration of images, basically a problem in two-dimensional deconvolution, is complicated by the large dimensionality and inherent ill-conditioning of the describing equations. In this paper we develop a constrained-least-squares solution assuming that the degrading phenomenon can be modeled as a linear isoplanar system, and the additive noise as a P th order Markov process. To achieve a practical computer algorithm, the block-Toeplitz and block-circulant properties of the imaging equation matrices are exploited. Specifically, these properties are utilized to adapt Kutikov and Akaike's algorithms for the solution of the equations. Not only is the model more general than has heretofore been considered, but our approach results in considerable savings in memory storage compared to the existing approaches.
The Effect of Catastrophic Risk on Forest Investment Decisions

Abstract We analyze the effect of catastrophic risk on forest investment decisions by employing a forest-level model where the output price is specified to follow a stochastic process. We then incorporate a Poisson jump process to reflect the occurrence of catastrophic events. It is found that the presence of catastrophic risk always results in a reduced production value but an increased investment threshold for a forestry project. However, depending on the assumption regarding the option—whether the right to invest can be maintained after the occurrence of such an event—the degree and pattern of the effect are different.
The effects of different classification models on error propagation in land cover change detection.

The use of land cover change maps is subject to the propagation of errors involved in classifying multi-temporal land cover maps. Understanding the link between classification processes and error propagation helps to determine appropriate classification models to mitigate the error propagation rate. In this paper, we present a simulation analysis on error propagation in land cover change detection using three classification models: a non-contextual model, a contextual model based on spatial smoothing, and a contextual model based on Markov random fields (MRF). A spatial simulation approach based on simulated annealing was developed with careful experimental designs to control two related factors including the spatial/temporal patterns of estimation errors associated with spectral probabilities. The results showed that the contextual classification model based on MRF had the smallest error propagation rate while the non-contextual classification model had the largest rate under all scenarios. The two facto...
Transfer of hydrologic information among river points

Abstract Concepts of transferable and transferred information are used in transferring hydrologic information between the river points. The former is measured by the square of entropy coefficient and the latter by the square of correlation coefficient. The entropy coefficient measures the maximum transferable information. The transfer of information along rivers has two cases. One case is when the flows of upstream stations pass through downstream stations. These upstream flows are conceived as throughflow, which along with the intermediate flow constitutes the downstream flow. The other case is when the correlation is carried out between upstream flow and the intermediate flow of downstream stations only. Daily flows of three gauging stations of the Esencay River, Turkey, are used for demonstration purpose. Series are further structurally decomposed (original data, trends removed, periodicity removed, stochastic dependence removed), in order to see effects of these characteristics on the transferable and transferred information. Some basic similarities in deterministic components of river flows are the main contributors to transferable and transferred information. The study of lag cross-correlation showed a significant increase in transferred information.
Cascades of Ethnic Polarization: Lessons from Yugoslavia

By building upon cascades literature, the author offers an explanation for rapid and massive polarization and applies it to the former Yugoslavia. The dominant images of ethnic categories in society change through cascades of individual reactions triggered by traumatic events, ideological shifts, or the activities of ethnic entrepreneurs. Polarization becomes self-propagating if the protagonists of a certain image of ethnic identities, called the divisive image, appear to have reached a critical mass. Downward ethnic preference falsification, people's concealment of their support for the divisive image in public, increases the severity of polarization. The article argues that downward falsification was significant in Yugoslavia before the 1980s due to policies that suppressed the public expression of the divisive image but insufficiently encouraged its elimination in private. In the 1980s, polarization reversed this trend and led to widespread upward ethnic preference falsification, the exaggeration of th...
Ease of habituation to repeated auditory and somesthetic stimulation in the human newborn.

Abstract The relative ease with which 63 2-day-old infants habituate to repeated auditory and somesthetic stimulation was studied. Habituation to somesthetic stimulation occurred earlier although the two types of stimuli were equivalently effective initially. In addition, the rates of habituation of an autonomic and a musculoskeletal response to the auditory stimulus were compared. Habituation of the musculoskeletal response was faster, more stable, and independent of habituation of the autonomic response to the same auditory stimulus. The results indicate differences in the ease with which infants habituate to stimuli in different modalities and in the ease with which different responses habituate to the same stimulus. The findings are discussed in relation to the concepts of generalized arousal and orienting responses.
The Use of Shell Beds as a Tool for Investigating Ecological Changes across Mass Extinction Intervals

INTRODUCTION Beginning with Sepkoski’s work in the early 1980’s, various iterations of diversity compilations have been published illustrating the taxonomic devastation of mass extinctions (e.g. Alroy et al., 2008; Sepkoski, 1981). Often, these diversity changes are assumed to correlate with (or even be the root cause of) broad ecological changes. For example, the taxonomic devastation of brachiopods at the end-Permian extinction in contrast with bivalves, which were relatively unscathed, led Gould and Calloway (1980) to conclude that the high species turnover triggered an ecological revolution in benthic marine communities. With a few notable exceptions (e.g. Jablonski, 2008) few authors have considered that major turnovers in ecology may be more complex, protracted events and relatively few studies have examined ecological changes across mass extinction intervals independently of diversity changes. It is important to evaluate them separately because, although taxonomic diversity is a reflection of ecological processes, it cannot be
Mechanistic role of enolate ions in “group transfer polymerization”

A new dissociative mechanism involving enolate anion intermediates is proposed for the process currently categorized as nucleophile-catalyzed “group transfer polymerization” (GTP). A rapid, reversible complexation of small concentrations of enolate anions with silyl ketene acetals (reversible termination) is proposed to explain the living nature of these polymerizations and the role of the silyl ketene acetals in “GTP”. It is proposed that these polymerizations do not involve “group transfer” in the chain-propagating step. These mechanistic conclusions are based on studies of the tetrabutylammonium 9-methyl-fluorenide- and methyllithium-initiated polymerizations of methyl methacrylate at ambient temperatures in the presence and absence of silyl ketene acetal.
Patterns of substance use in schizophrenia : a Markov modeling approach

Markov models were used to examine patterns of substance use and global functioning in a sample of 100 schizophrenic outpatients over an 18 month period. Patterns of changes in substance use and functional status were stable across the evaluation period. Persons remaining in any substance use or functional state for two evaluation periods were highly likely to continue in the same state. Tests of two common causal hypotheses about relationships between substance use and functional status yielded partial support for the hypothesis that substance use leads to functional impairment, but did not support the hypothesis that functional impairment leads to substance use. Furthermore, there was no evidence of any increase in overall substance use or of substance use leading to treatment dropout. These analyses illustrate a promising approach to key questions about substance use in schizophrenia.
Timing of Childhood Events and Early-Adult Household Formation.

Using data on annual patterns of family structure and other demographic and economic conditions throughout childhood, this chapter analyzes the relationship between developmental stage-specific childhood events and the timing of independence from the parental household.
A conserved DNA damage response pathway responsible for coupling the cell division cycle to the circadian and metabolic cycles

The circadian clock drives endogenous oscillations of cellular and physiological processes with a periodicity of approximately 24 h. Progression of the cell division cycle (CDC) has been found to be coupled to the circadian clock, and it has been postulated that gating of the CDC by the circadian cycle may have evolved to protect DNA from the mutagenic effects of ultraviolet light. When grown under nutrient-limiting conditions in a chemostat, prototrophic strains of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, adopt a robust metabolic cycle of ultradian dimensions that temporally compartmentalizes essential cellular events. The CDC is gated by this yeast metabolic cycle (YMC), with DNA replication strictly segregated away from the oxidative phase when cells are actively respiring. Mutants impaired in such gating allow DNA replication to take place during the respiratory phase of the YMC and have been found to suffer significantly elevated rates of spontaneous mutation. Analogous to the circadian cycle, the YMC also employs the conserved DNA checkpoint kinase Rad53/Chk2 to facilitate coupling with the CDC. These studies highlight an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that seems to confine cell division to particular temporal windows to prevent DNA damage. We hypothesize that DNA damage itself might constitute a "zeitgeber", or time giver, for both the circadian cycle and the metabolic cycle. We discuss these findings in the context of a unifying theme underlying the circadian and metabolic cycles, and explore the relevance of cell cycle gating to human diseases including cancer.
Solar cycle variation of geosynchronous plasma mass density derived from the frequency of standing Alfvén waves

[1] We have studied the solar cycle variation of equatorial plasma mass density ρeq in the plasma trough at geosynchronous altitude. The density was indirectly determined from the frequency, fT3, of the third harmonic of toroidal standing Alfven waves detected over a 12 year period from 1980 to 1991 with magnetometers on five Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). Realistic models of the ambient magnetic field and field line mass distribution were used in numerically solving the wave equation to relate fT3 to ρeq. Scanning the magnetometer data in a 30 min time window that moved forward in 10 min steps, we obtained 228,382 fT3 samples equivalent to 1586 days of data. The detection rate of fT3 is highest (∼50%) in the prenoon sector, and fT3 and ρeq samples from this sector were used to examine their dependence on F10.7, Kp, and Dst. Overall, F10.7 exhibits the highest correlation with fT3 and ρeq, implying that the solar UV/EUV control of ion production at the ionospheric height is strongly reflected in mass density variations at geosynchronous orbit. Using 27 day medians computed excluding periods of plasmasphere expansion to geosynchronous orbit and geomagnetic storm, we obtained the empirical formula fT3 (mHz) = 38 − 0.097F10.7 and logρeq (amu cm−3) = 0.42 + 0.0039F10.7, where F10.7 is given in the solar flux units 10−22 W · m−2 · Hz−1. This last formula means that with the 27 day F10.7 in the range of 68–255 in the selected solar cycle, the mass density varied by a factor of ∼5 from ∼5 to ∼26 amu cm−3. During extremely quiet times (Kp averaged using a 3 day time scale <1), for which the plasmasphere may extend out to geosynchronous orbit, and during storm periods (Dst < −50 nT), the mass density may be enhanced beyond these values.
The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE): a model for training underserved scientists in cancer research.

Mentoring is a critical aspect of research and training; and the adoption of a successful mentoring model for guiding researchers through the educational pipeline is lacking. The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program was established in the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch; which is part of the National Cancer Institute. This program offers unique training and career development opportunities to enhance diversity in cancer research. The CURE initiative focuses on broadening the cadre of underserved investigators engaging in cancer research. CURE begins with high school students and fosters scientific, academic and research excellence throughout the trainee’s educational progression. The program supports students throughout the entirety of their training career. During this period, the trainee matures into a competitive early stage investigator; capable of securing advanced research project funding in academic and industry workforces. Thus, the CURE program provides a comprehensive vehicle for training and reinforces the critical mass of underserved investigators conducting cancer research.
The infrared spectra of alkyl isothiocyanates

Abstract The infrared spectra of methyl, ethyl and isopropyl thiocyanate have been studied from 4000 to 300 cm−1 and vibrational assignments for these compounds are presented. The complexity of the CS stretching region (725-550 cm−1) in alkyl thiocyanates is interpreted on the basis of restricted rotation about the CαS and CαCβ bonds.
Distributed Manipulation Using Discrete Actuator Arrays

Distributed manipulation systems induce motions on objects through the application of many external forces. An actuator array performs distributed manipulation using a planar array of many small stationary elements (which are called cells) that cooperate to manipulate larger objects. Typically, highly dense actuator arrays are modeled as spatially continuous, programmable forcefields, althoughinmany implementations a relatively small number of actuators supports an object and continuous assumptions break down. This paper serves two purposes: to present a methodology for modeling and analyzing the dynamics of manipulation on a highly discrete actuator array and to present a methodology for designing manipulation strategies on discrete actuator arrays. This is done in the context of a particular macro-scale actuator array comprising a fixed planar array of motorized wheels. Modeling of the dynamics takes into account several models of the interaction between the actuators and the object, the distribution of...
Integrative approaches to building information systems for software engineering environments

Abstract Designing an information management system for software engineering environments is often done according to integrative approaches. An integrative approach consists of connecting and facilitating communication between systems that already exist (subsystems) but satisfy only partially the requirements for information and data repositories and management system for software engineering environments. Three integrative approaches are considered here: (a) the creation of a new system whose functions sit on top of those performed by its subsystems; (b) the creation of a system that unifies the functions performed by its subsystems; and (c) the designing of a system which is not going to be very visible to the user but is hidden under the previously existing subsystems. Each of these approaches is illustrated by a project which is briefly described and analysed. Advantages and disadvantages of the systems built within these projects are outlined in order to compare the three corresponding integrative approaches to information management systems for software engineering.
Slaves to the Community: Blacks and the Rhetoric of “Selling Out”

In 2008, Randall Kennedy, the Michael R. Klein Professor of Law at Harvard University, published Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal. In this work, Kennedy provided both a historical and a contemporary discussion of the term “sellout” as well as a defense of its usage among blacks. In this essay, I critique Kennedy’s work and argue that the rhetoric of “selling out” functions as a mechanism of social control meant to keep blacks on “their side” of the color line.
Metastable anions of CO2

Abstract Long-lived metastable negative ions of CO 2 have been observed in the gas phase as direct products of electron and cesium collisions with organic molecules which contain “bent” CO 2 as a basic unit. The long autodetachment life-times are attributed to two related factors - first, the potential energy curve of CO − 2 ( 2 A 1 ) lies below that of CO 2 ( 1 A 1 ) at 134°, and, second, an unfavorable Franck-Condon overlap exists between the bent ion (134°) and the linear neutral parent.
Evaluation of acidic electrolyzed water for phytotoxic symptoms on foliage and flowers of bedding plants.

Abstract Acidic electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water quickly kills a variety of fungi and shows promise as a broad-spectrum contact fungicide for control of foliar diseases of greenhouse-grown ornamentals. One requirement for use in the greenhouse is that EO water will not cause excessive phytotoxic symptoms on a wide variety of species. In one experiment, two applications of EO water did not damage 15 species of bedding plants. In a second experiment, EO water applied as a foliar spray three times per week for 4–7 weeks did not produce any visible phytoxicity on seven of the 12 species tested. Small, white spots were observed on flowers of geranium ( Pelargonium x hortorum ), impatiens ( Impatiens walleriana ), and vinca ( Catharanthus roseus ). Slight necrosis was observed on some leaf edges of petunia ( Petunia x hybrida ), and snapdragon ( Antirrhinum majus ). EO water generated from magnesium chloride produced more phytotoxicity than EO water generated by potassium chloride or sodium chloride. Phytotoxicity ratings of greater than 3 (0–10 scale) were not observed on any of the species tested. EO water caused slight damage to some plant species but, in general, appears to be safe to use as a foliar spray on a wide variety of bedding plants grown under greenhouse conditions.
Making the Nonprofit Sector in the United States: A Reader . Edited with introductions by David C. Hammack. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998. Pp. xix, 481. $19.95, paper.

At the dawn of the twenty-first century American historians are unusually qualified to advise on social policy. With the passage in 1996 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, much of the nation's system of public assistance for the poor was given back to the states and localities. President Clinton promised to “end welfare as we know it,” and he did. But President Clinton did not abolish welfare: in dimensions financial, legal, administrative, and moral, too polyphonous to name here, the new system is trying to revive welfare as historians of the 1870s know it . Likewise, with the inauguration of President-elect George W. Bush, the government's social services—from poverty alleviation to drug abuse treatment—will go, Bush promises, increasingly into the hands of faith-based groups. Of course the economic viability and the constitutionality of the faith-based subsidy is being challenged. And again, history offers ample precedent. The vision of the President-elect, and the immediate reactions against it, are reminiscent of the 1820s and of the 1870s–1900s movement to organize charity. So it is especially fortunate that the historian David C. Hammack has published the essays and excerpts that comprise Making the Nonprofit Sector in the United States: A Reader .
Flow field measurement and visualization using projected smoke trails

A new, simple method is described for measuring and visualizing air flows. The method involves projecting a small heated metal pellet through the air at a speed greater than the flow. The pellet burns as it moves through the air and leaves a wake of very fine, visible, metal oxide particles. The position of this visible smoke trail is then photographed at a sequence of times. The displacement of the trail can be used to provide a plot of the normal component of velocity as a function of distance. Examples are given for very low speed thermal convection (less than about 1 m/sec) and low speed flow over airfoils and cylinders (less than about 10 m/sec). Comparisons of the method to pulsed smoke-wire, spark-tracer and laser fluorescence methods, which give similar information, are discussed.
Infection with Cytomegalovirus During Pregnancy: Specific IgM Antibodies as a Marker of Recent Primary Infection

Specific IgM antibodies that persisted for up to four months were detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the sera of 16 (55%) of 29 women with primary infections due to cytomegalovirus (CMV). The RIA for IgM detected primary infections in six (86%) of seven sera obtained within four months of seroconversion. In contrast, IgM antibodies were never detected by RIA in 104 serum samples from 18 women with recurrent infections due to CMV, irrespective of whether intrauterine transmission of virus had occurred. Specific IgM antibodies were also detected in the earliest samples during pregnancy of serum from three (14%) of 21 women whose type of infection with CMV was unknown but who had been delivered of congenitally infected infants. All of these results show that primary infection with CMV in the first trimester of pregnancy can be diagnosed by testing a single serum sample by RIA for IgM antibodies. Attempts to measure IgM antibodies by immunofluorescence gave a high frequency (19 [18%] of 104) of false-positive reactions.
Effect of L-dopa and bilateral nephrectomy on the aldosterone response to metoclopramide.

Abstract The dopaminergic antagonist, metoclopramide (MCP) causes an increase in plasma aldosterone (PA) by a processnot well delineated. To investigate the mechanism of action of metoclopramide (MCP), studies were performed in rats after pre-treatment with L-dihydroxy-phenylalanine (L-dopa) and after bilateral nephrectomy. Intra-arterial MCP (200 μg/kg) resulted in a significant elevation in PA and prolactin (PRL) at 5 min and plasma renin activity (PRA) at 10 min without altering serum potassium levels. Pre-administration of L-dopa (30 mg/kg) delayed and markedly blunted PA, PRL and PRA resonses to MCP. In 7 rats, studied 30 hours after bilateral nephrectomy, the PRA was measurable (2.5 ± 0.4 ng/ml h−1) but displayed no response to MCP. In contrast, the PA and PRL responses to MCP were not significantly affected. L-dopa induced suppression of PRA and PA was prevented by pre-administration of MCP. These results suggest that dopaminergic modulation of PA secretion occurs independently of the renin-angiotensin system.
Periodicities in physiological activity at puberty in the female rat.

Abstract Periodicities in physiological activity were examined in young female rats prior to and at puberty. At least three distinct periodicities in these data were observed: (i) light: dark differences in the occurrence of wakefulness (W) and quiet sleep (QS); (ii) a 90-min cycle between behavioral sleep and wakefulness; and (iii) a 10 to 20-min rhythm possibly reflecting an active sleep cycle. These periodicities included changes in EEG and EMG amplitude, somatic activity, heart rate, and variability in heart rate. The changes in sleep-waking states at puberty (either spontaneous or precociously induced) did not result in any marked changes in either the 10 to 20-min or 90-min rhythms.
New estimate of volume of glaciers worldwide

As climate warms, melting mountain glaciers are likely to contribute significantly to sea level rise over the next decades, but how much they will contribute remains uncertain, as the total volume of Earth's mountain glaciers is not precisely known. Some studies have estimated the total volume of water stored in glaciers worldwide using statistical techniques, but these studies do not take into account features of individual glaciers such as surface geometry and local climate. Other studies have used physically based methods to calculate ice thickness for small numbers of glaciers, but a worldwide, physically based study has not been done until now.
Preparation and crystal structure of [(1,5-C8H12)Rh( μ-η2-ReO4)]η

Abstract The reaction of [(COD)Rh(μ-Cl)]2 (COD = 1,5-C8H12) with 2 equivalents of AgReO4 in dry tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature leads to orange, crystalline [(COD)Rh(μ-η2-ReO4)]η. The structure consists of infinite chains in which square-planar rhodium and tetrahedral rhenium centres are linked by oxygen bridges to form a (ReO2ORh(COD)O)n polymer. The two unique RhORe angles are 176(1) and 157(1)°.
Stigma Management and Well-Being: The Role of Perceived Social Support, Emotional Processing, and Suppression:

Lesbians and gay men frequently make decisions about concealing or disclosing their stigmatized identity. Past research has found that disclosing one's sexual orientation is often beneficial. This study aimed to answer the question, "why?". Specifically, this study tested a model in which perceived social support, emotional processing, and suppression mediate the association between disclosure and well-being. To capture disclosure decisions in real time, participants completed a 2-week daily diary study and a 2-month follow-up survey. As expected, participants generally reported greater well-being on days when they disclosed (vs. concealed) their sexual orientation. Perceived social support was a consistent predictor of well-being and mediator of the association between disclosure and well-being. Although less consistent across time and measures, emotional processing and to a lesser extent suppression were also significantly associated with disclosure and well-being. This research advances the scientific understanding of concealable stigmatized identities and their impact on individual well-being.
Finite-Dimensional Simple-Pointed Hopf Algebras

for some q g k _ 0. With the advent of quantum groups these relations took on added importance in the theory of Hopf algebras. The quantized w x enveloping algebras, see 2, 5 , for example, are generated by pairs of such elements a and x which satisfy these relations. Quantized enveloping algebras are examples of pointed Hopf algebras. A natural question to ask about pointed Hopf algebras is which ones are ‘‘simple’’ in an appropriate sense. In this paper we give a definition of ‘‘simple’’ pointed Hopf algebra and refer to such Hopf algebras as simplepointed. We describe the structure of simple-pointed Hopf algebras in the class of pointed Hopf algebras which are generated by pairs a and x which satisfy the relations above when k is algebraically closed. In the finite-dimensional characteristic 0 case we characterize the coalgebra structure of the duals of these simple-pointed Hopf algebras as well. Many finite-dimensional Hopf algebras A over a field k are non-trivial biproducts. A necessary and sufficient condition for A to be a biproduct is the existence of a Hopf algebra projection A a H from A onto a sub-Hopf algebra H of A. The associated biproduct realization of A has
Influence of phytoplankton on the global radiation budget

[1] Oceanic phytoplankton may exert a warming influence on the planet by decreasing surface albedo. Compared with the case of pure seawater, the globally and annually averaged outgoing radiative flux is decreased by a probable value of 0.25 Wm−2. This value corresponds to about 20% of the combined radiative forcing by greenhouse gases and anthropogenic aerosols since preindustrial times, including indirect effects. The relative importance of phytoplankton is greater on regional and seasonal scales, with forcing values reaching −1.5 Wm−2 in coastal zones and high-latitude regions during summer. The annual amplitude of radiative forcing by phytoplankton is large in subpolar regions, owing to the conjugate action of cloud amount and biomass level. Spatial and temporal variability of the forcing is affected by phytoplankton type, some reflective species increasing the outgoing radiative flux. The effects of space- and time-varying phytoplankton on surface albedo should be taken into account explicitly in the numerical modeling of climate change.
User-computer interaction employing block mode data transfer

The use of a video display terminal (VDT) with "block mode" option can provide a natural transition from paper forms. The interaction of a user with a VDT-form is outlined in relation to a patient's data and the functions of data entry, display, update, and deletion. The invocation of a function is kept simple with the use of abreviations as command words and the requirement of a command word as the first element sent to the computer. The strong points include: 1) a simple approach for the user, 2) a process can be aborted at any point, and 3) functions that can be used are displayed at all times. The weak points are: 1) software interface problems and 2) terminal cost. Block mode is discussed in relation to a modular approach and a distributive system.
Seeing the light: probing ROS in vivo using redox GFP.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) dictate biological outcomes and are linked with myriad pathologies. However, measuring ROS in vivo remains a major obstacle in the field. Here, Albrecht et al. (2011) demonstrate the efficacy of redox-sensitive GFP in measuring glutathione redox state and H2O2 levels of tissues in Drosophila.
Impact of perinatal exposure to equol enantiomers on reproductive development in rodents.

There is now considerable interest in the intestinally derived soy isoflavone metabolite, equol, which occurs in the enantiomeric forms, S-(−)equol and R-(+)equol, both differing in biological actions. Little is known about effects of either enantiomer on reproductive development, yet such knowledge is fundamental because of the recent commercialization of S-(−)equol as a dietary supplement. S-(−)equol and R-(+)equol were therefore investigated to determine their effects on reproductive development and fertility in the Sprague–Dawley rat. Neither enantiomer affected fertility, number of litters produced, number of pups per litter, number of male and female pups born, birth weight, anogenital distance, testicular descent or vaginal opening. Histological analysis showed no major abnormalities in ovary, testis, prostate or seminal vesicle tissue with dietary exposure to S-(−)equol or R-(+)equol, but both enantiomers triggered hyperplasia of uterine tissue. With R-(+)equol this stimulatory effect subsided after exposure was discontinued, but the effect of S-(−)equol was prolonged.
Extended stigmergy in collective construction

We've described a scheme by which a swarm of robots can automatically assemble solid structures of square building blocks in two dimensions according to a high-level user-specified design. We discuss the use of extended stigmergy: augmenting the basic notion of stigmergy by increasing the capabilities of environmental elements. In this construction setting, the elements are the building blocks, the basic information they carry is the simple fact of their presence at a location, and extensions include cases where they can store additional information, perform computations, and/or communicate with physically attached neighbors. Benefits can include increased robustness and faster completion of a desired structure. We review three variants of that construction scheme that use extended stigmergy to different degrees. We focus on analysis of the algorithms and their comparative performance, mainly theoretical but also through simulation experiments.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for family caregivers: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose Caring for a family member with dementia is associated with chronic stress, which can have significant deleterious effects on caregivers. The purpose of the Balance Study was to compare a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention to a community caregiver education and support (CCES) intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia. Design and methods We randomly assigned 78 family caregivers to an MBSR or a CCES intervention, matched for time and attention. Study participants attended 8 weekly intervention sessions and participated in home-based practice. Surveys were completed at baseline, postintervention, and at 6 months. Participants were 32- to 82-year-old predominately non-Hispanic White women caring for a parent with dementia. Results MBSR was more effective at improving overall mental health, reducing stress, and decreasing depression than CCES. Both interventions improved caregiver mental health and were similarly effective at improving anxiety, social support, and burden. Implications MBSR could reduce stress and improve mental health in caregivers of family members with dementia residing in the community.
Coherence and Correspondence in Medicine

Many controversies in medical science can be framed as tension between a coherence approach (which seeks logic and explanation) and a correspondence approach (which emphasizes empirical correctness). In many instances, a coherence-based theory leads to an understanding of disease that is not supported by empirical evidence. Physicians and patients alike tend to favor the coherence approach even in the face of strong, contradictory correspondence evidence. Examples include the management of atrial fibrillation, treatment of acute bronchitis, and the use of Vitamin E to prevent heart disease. Despite the frequent occurrence of controversy stemming from coherence-correspondence conflicts, medical professionals are generally unaware of these terms and the philosophical traditions that underlie them. Learning about the coherence-correspondence distinction and using the best of both approaches could not only help reconcile controversy but also lead to striking advances in medical science.
A kernel-based approach to exploiting interaction-networks in heterogeneous information sources for improved recommender systems

Pairwise interaction networks capture inter-user dependencies (e.g. social networks) and inter-item dependencies (e.g item categories) that provide insight into user and item behavior. It is often assumed that such interaction information is informative for preference prediction. This may not be the case, as the some of the observed interactions may not be correlated with the preferences, and their use may negatively impact performance by introducing undesired noise.We propose an approach for weighting each interaction, such that we can determine the importance of each interaction to the preference prediction task. We model the preferences using kernel matrix factorization; where the kernels capture the weighted effects of the interactions. Our approach is validated on Last.fm and Movielens datasets; which include multiple sources of explicit and implicit inter-user and inter-item interactions. Our experiments suggest that learning the most important interactions can improve recommendation performance when compared to the standard matrix factorization approach.
Self-reported hepatitis C virus antibody status and risk behavior in young injectors.

Objective.This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of self-reported hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody (anti-HCV) serostatus in injection drug users (IDUs), and examine whether self-reported a...
Domnak Equilibria in Wood-Alkali Interactions Part 3. Theoretical Modeling

Abstract Wood-alkali interactions in agueous solution were described with Donnan equilibrium and ionic dissociation equilibrium theories. Theoretical models of three systems, NaOH-H2O-wood, NaOH-NaCl-H2O-wood, and NaOH-Na2CO3-H2O-wood, were developed. Theoretical predictions fit experimental data well. The theoretical modeling also shows good agreement with experimental results reported in the literature when applied to NaOH-H2O-cotton system. Theoretical simulations indicate that carbohydrate hydroxyl groups can be considered as mono-basic weak acids at alkali concentrations lower than 3 M. At higher alkalinities (> 3 M), however, further hydroxyl groups are also significantly ionizable.
A Framework for Synchronized Editing of Multiple Curve Representations

Editing curves and surfaces is difficult in part because their mathematical representations rarely correspond to most people’s idea of a curve or surface. The implementation (and hence, behavior) of most manipulation tools is intertwined with a particular curve or surface representation; this can make reimplementing the tool with a different representation problematic. A system using a single representation must therefore either limit the types of tools available or convert existing tools to work on the system’s representation. In this paper we present a framework for editing curves or surfaces which supports multiple representations and ensures that they stay synchronized. As a proof of concept, we have created a curve editor which contains several tools each of which manipulate one of three different curve representations: polylines, NURBs, and multiresolution B-splines.
Cleman: Comprehensive Clone Group Evolution Management

Recent research results have shown more benefits of the management of code clones, rather than detecting and removing them. However, existing management approaches for code clone group evolution are still ad hoc, unsatisfactory, and limited. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for comprehensive code clone group management in evolving software. The core of our method is Cleman, an algorithmic framework that allows for a systematic construction of efficient and accurate clone group management tools. Clone group management is rigorously formulated by a formal model, which provides the foundation for Cleman framework. We use Cleman framework to build a clone group management tool that is able to detect high-quality clone groups and efficiently manage them when the software evolves. We also conduct an empirical evaluation on real-world systems to show the flexibility of Cleman framework and the efficiency, completeness, and incremental updatability of our tool.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Coronary artery disease (also known as CAD) is the most common cardiovascular disorder in adults. It is caused by the build-up of cholesterol deposits in the wall of the coronary arteries that convey the blood to the heart muscle (myocardium). These deposits limit the flow of blood through the coronary arteries. Coronary artery disease often results in heart attack (myocardial infarction) or chest pain (angina pectoris), even in the absence of prior symptoms. Warning signs of a heart attack have been well outlined in a previous publication.1 Treatment for coronary artery disease can include changes in lifestyle, diet modification, weight reduction, and cholesterol reduction,2 as well as control of diabetes and high blood pressure (if either or both are present). Smoking cessation is essential.3 Many patients can be adequately treated with medications. Some individuals, however, will require invasive treatments such as stretching (dilatation) of the coronary arteries with a balloon (percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography or PTCA) or coronary artery bypass surgery. Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) involves creating new arteries to provide blood to the heart by use of other blood vessels as conduits to bypass the obstructions in the patient’s coronary arteries (Figure). In most cases, the surgeon constructs at least one of the bypasses by using an artery called the internal mammary artery that is located behind the breastbone or sternum. Other bypasses may be constructed by using a vein from the leg (saphenous vein) or an artery from …
Spatial Learning and Memory Deficits after Whole-Brain Irradiation are Associated with Changes in NMDA Receptor Subunits in the Hippocampus

Abstract Shi, L., Adams, M. M., Long, A., Carter, C. C., Bennett, C., Sonntag, W. E., Nicolle, M. M., Robbins, M., D'Agostino, R., Jr. and Brunso-Bechtold, J. K. Spatial Learning and Memory Deficits after Whole-Brain Irradiation are Associated with Changes in NMDA Receptor Subunits in the Hippocampus. Radiat. Res. 166, 892–899 (2006). Whole-brain irradiation is used for the treatment of brain tumors, but can it also induce neural changes, with progressive dementia occurring in 20–50% of long-term survivors. The present study investigated whether 45 Gy of whole-brain irradiation delivered to 12-month-old Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats as nine fractions over 4.5 weeks leads to impaired Morris water maze (MWM) performance 12 months later. Compared to sham-irradiated rats, the irradiated rats demonstrated impaired MWM performance. The relative levels of the NR1 and NR2A but not the NR2B subunits of the NMDA receptor were significantly higher in hippocampal CA1 of irradiated rats compared to control rats. No ...
Parallel I/O Workload Characteristics Using Vesta

To develop optimal parallel I/O subsystems, one must have a thorough understanding of the workload characteristics of parallel I/O and its exploitation of the associated parallel file system. Presented are the results of a study conducted to analyze the parallel I/O workloads of several applications on a parallel processor using the Vesta parallel file system. Traces of the applications are obtained to collect system events, communication events, and parallel I/O events. The traces are then analyzed to determine workload characteristics. The results show I/O request rates on the order of hundreds of requests per second, a large majority of requests are for small amounts of data (less than 1500 bytes), a few requests are for large amounts of data (on the order of megabytes), significant file sharing among processes within a job, and strong temporal, traditional spatial, and interprocess spatial locality.
Effects of regional versus general anesthesia on outcomes after total hip arthroplasty: a retrospective propensity-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND Many orthopaedic surgical procedures can be performed with either regional or general anesthesia. We hypothesized that total hip arthroplasty with regional anesthesia is associated with less postoperative morbidity and mortality than total hip arthroplasty with general anesthesia. METHODS This retrospective propensity-matched cohort study utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database included patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty from 2007 through 2011. After matching, logistic regression was used to determine the association between the type of anesthesia and deep surgical site infections, hospital length of stay, thirty-day mortality, and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications. RESULTS Of 12,929 surgical procedures, 5103 (39.5%) were performed with regional anesthesia. The adjusted odds for deep surgical site infections were significantly lower in the regional anesthesia group than in the general anesthesia group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20 to 0.72; p 0.05). The adjusted odds for cardiovascular complications (OR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.85) and respiratory complications (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.81) were all lower in the regional anesthesia group. CONCLUSIONS Compared with general anesthesia, regional anesthesia for total hip arthroplasty was associated with a reduction in deep surgical site infection rates, hospital length of stay, and rates of postoperative cardiovascular and pulmonary complications. These findings could have an important medical and economic impact on health-care practice.