cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mid-Twenty-First-Century Changes in Extreme Events over Northern and Tropical Africa

AbstractChanges in rainfall and temperature extremes are predicted by many global climate models as a response to greenhouse gas increases, and such changes will have significant environmental and social impacts. A regional climate model is used to predict changes in extremes across tropical and northern Africa for 2041–60 under a midline emissions forcing scenario. Six indicators are examined, including annual extreme and daily diurnal temperature ranges, heat wave days, number of dry days, number of extreme wet days, and extreme wet day rainfall intensity. Confidence in the projections is evaluated by examining the ensemble spread and the validation of extreme events in the twentieth-century simulation.Despite an increase in both daily minimum and maximum temperatures, diurnal temperature ranges decrease from West Africa to Ethiopia during spring and fall, over the Sahel during summer, and over the Congo basin during winter and spring. Diurnal temperature ranges increase over the Horn of Africa during b...
Advances in terrestrial physics research at NASA/Goddard space flight center

Some past, current, and future terrestrial physics research activities at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center are described. The uses of satellites and sensors, such as Tiros, Landsat, Nimbus, and SMMR, for terrestrial physics research are discussed. The spaceborne data are applicable for monitoring and studying vegetation, snow, and ice dynamics; geological features; soil moisture; water resources; the geoid of the earth; and the earth's magnetic field. Consideration is given to improvements in remote sensing systems and data records and the Earth Observing System sensor concepts.
Frictional Effects in the Buckling Delamination of a Compressed Thin Film and Implications for Interfacial Fracture

As a film in residual compression delaminates from a substrate, the post-buckling response of the film tends to drive it into the substrate in the region directly behind the delamination front. We consider the process of frictional interaction between the film and the substrate during the delamination process in order to assess the effect of Coulomb friction on the energy release rate, G, driving the delamination. For the case in which the film and the substrate have identical elastic properties, we derive a singular integral equation to determine the relative sliding displacement of the opposing faces of the interface. Using an analytical model, we find that G decreases by about 35% when the coefficient of interfacial friction is equal to one. Using finite element methods, we then investigate the effects of compliance differences between the film and the substrate. We find that, when the film is more compliant than the substrate, frictional interaction is enhanced and the calculated energy release rate decreases substantially. We conclude that frictional effects can account for a significant portion of the energy dissipation during the delamination process, and thus can play an important role in the observed arrest of spreading delaminations.
In memory of Prof. Dr. med Walter H. Hitzig: A pioneer of paediatrics and paediatric immunology

As an astute clinician, assisted by newly introduced laboratory methods, Walter Hitzig characterised the most severe inherited defect of immunity approximately 50 years ago. This deficiency first became known as “Swiss-type agammaglobulinaemia” and subsequently as “severe combined immunodeficiency” or “SCID”. Thirty years later, his team was able to cure the first Swiss infant from this lethal genetic disease by bone marrow transplantation. In the meantime, in a period of only one generation, a small group of dedicated colleagues from Europe and the USA had developed the field of paediatric immunology into a new discipline. Both the University and the Children’s Hospital (Kinderspital) of Zurich recognised the importance of this emerging specialty as well as the unique qualities of Walter Hitzig and appointed him to the first Chair of Paediatric Immunology in Continental Europe. This nomination rapidly attracted postgraduate physicians and innovative academic guests. Offers of professorships at the University Children’s Hospitals in Boston and Berlin, honourable and tempting as they were, were declined byWalter Hitzig who remained loyal to the Zurich Kinderspital. In Zurich, he continued to elucidate the role of the Haemoglobin Variant “Zurich” and the agammaglobulinemia as part of Transcobalamine II deficiency. When the younger generation remembers Walter Hitzig with high respect, this respect is also indelibly linked to his exemplary medical attitude. He cared for sick children in a holistic and humane way and promoted an intensive exchange between basic sciences and clinical practice to the benefit and well-being of his patients. This attitude was reflected in his legendary and stimulating rounds at Zurich Kinderspital with very fruitful interactions between the younger, specialised generation of paediatric haematologists, immunologists, oncologists, infectiologists, allergologists and rheumatologists, all emerging from his department. Walter Hitzig’s dedication to the comprehensive care of sick children was also reflected in his tireless engagement in the Medical Faculty of Zurich, the Swiss Society of Paediatrics and the Swiss Academy for Medical Sciences in the fields of Medical Ethics, Family Medicine and continuous medical education. Regarding his own patients, Walter Hitzig possessed a drawer full of reports of unsolved patient histories, which gave him no rest. Many of his patients, who had found the way to him only after a long medical odyssey, remained attached as adults and continued to ask for advice in important questions of everyday life. In response, they received personal letters from their fatherly Swiss paediatrician. Prof. Dr. Walter Hitzig, 1989 at a student lecture, in conversation with one of his patients
Soluble carbohydrates in bean leaves transformed into oxidant-tolerant tissues by EDU treatment

Abstract Improved gas-liquid chromatography techniques were used to evaluate the effects of EDUa on soluble leaf carbohydrates in Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Bush Blue Lake 290’. This snap bean cultivar is normally rather sensitive to 0 3 but becomes highly tolerant when treated systemically with EDU. Less than 24 h is required to induce the resistance. Standardized trifoliate leaves from EDU-treated and control plants were sampled 48 h after treatment. Additional plants were sampled 48 h after treatment. Additional plants were exposed to 0 3 one day after EDU soil application to assess the plant tolerance induced. The optimal dose required to enhance oxidant tolerance was 50 mg/pot. Major sugars in both EDU-treated (0 3 -tolerant) and untreated (0 3 -sensitive) leaves were glyceraldehyde, erythritol, fructose, glucose and sucrose. Myo -inositol, ribose and arbitol were present in lesser or trace amounts. EDU-treatment resulted in significant increases (35–62%) in all soluble carbohydrates except glyceraldehyde and myo -inositol. Implications relating to plant tolerance, to oxidants and stress-induced senescence are discussed.
Public assistance and poverty reduction: The case of Shanghai:

Using household survey data collected during November 2009 to January 2010 among 500 low-income families in Shanghai, this article provides updated evidence on the poverty reduction effects of the Minimum Living Standard Assurance (MLSA, or Dibao), urban China’s primary public assistance program. The article finds that, even though Shanghai’s MLSA line has been constantly raised, it has trailed behind the average living standard in Shanghai as measured by city per capita income and consumption levels. Low education, unemployment, being unmarried, and having child(ren) have been revealed to be strongly linked to MLSA participation and higher benefit amounts. MLSA’s poverty reduction effects were most prominent when a low poverty line was used, and the effect size became smaller as the level of the poverty line rose. When using two absolute poverty lines that were set in the national context, MLSA lowered the poverty rate, gap, and severity in Shanghai significantly but was unable to eliminate poverty. When...
Room and pillar coal mine subsidence

A geographic, natural resources computer database was modified to accept data files created from subsurface geological information, mining information, and remote sensor data. The database files were then used as variables in equations produced to represent relationships among the mapped parameters — geological and mining — which identify areas prone to subside, as determined from field verified subsidence features. Also, the utility of computer-processed remote sensor data as a tool for indication of subsided areas was evaluated.
Analytical Institutional Economics and Rural Development Research: Opportunities for a New Synergism

During the past five years, the popularity of the rural development movement has waned considerably. The reasons for diminished rural development support among both public officials and researchers are numerous and complex, but the failure to adequately incorporate institutional change into research on community resource allocation must be regarded as one of the movement's major disappointments. The economist's traditional inclination to study community decision-making processes, given a particular institutional setting, has resulted in a wide variety of powerful, marketoriented economic tools being applied in rural development research without much demonstrable evidence of success. Any researcher who has attended a public forum on rural development research results understands local citizens' frustrations with applied economic analyses where few, if any, parameters can be manipulated in support of community objectives. A reorientation of perspectives is needed to bridge the gap between the market-oriented approach to rural development by most economists and the emphasis on the economic basis of collective action by analytical institutional economists. Both groups can make valuable contributions to rural development by synergizing their respective competencies in the development of a more precise theory of institutional change.
Dihydrofolate reductase and aminopterin resistance in Pneumococcus

Wild-type pneumococci derived from Avery's strain R36A are sensitive to extracellular concentrations of the folate antimetabolite aminopterin exceeding 1.0x10-6M. Three classes of resistant strains are phenotypically distinguishable: amiB-r, amiA-r and amiD-r strains are resistant to low (1.5x10-6M), intermediate (0.5–4.0×10-5M) and high (4.5x10-4M) aminopterin levels respectively. The amiA and amiB regions are weakly linked, but linkage has not been established between either of these loci and the amiD region.
Density-independent mortality, non-linear competitive interactions, and species coexistence

The influence of density-independent mortality on the coexistence of competing species is discussed. It is shown that equivalent mortality—an increase in mortality which reduces the intrinsic growth rate of all species by an equal proportional amount—does not affect the conditions for coexistence in the n-species Lotka-Volterra model. In this model the per capita growth rate of each species declines linearly with the population size of each competitor. In more general models, which incorporate nonlinearities in competitive interactions, it is shown that equivalent mortality may substantially change the conditions for competitive coexistence. A graphical model of the conditions for invasion shows that equivalent mortality can either reduce or increase the likelihood of coexistence for competing species, depending upon the kind of non-linearity built into the competition model. Both outcomes are illustrated by the Ayala-Gilpin-Ehrenfeld competition model, which incorporates a non-linear term for intraspecific competition.
The status ofAnarosaurus multidentatus von Huene (Reptilia, Sauropterygia), from the lower anisian of the lechtaler alps (Arlberg, Austria)

The holotype ofAnarosaurus multidentatus von Huene (1958) from the lowermost Anisian of the Austrian Alps is redescribed and referred to the genusCymatosaurus. Eusauropterygian characters shared byA. multidentatus are the elongated and broadened Symphysis, and the contours of the lower jaw suggesting the presence of a constricted snout. Morphological details of the lower jaw Symphysis showA. multidentatus to be close toCymatosaurus among stem-group sauropterygians.Cymatosaurus multidentatus is the only representative of its genus known so far from the Alpine Triassic, and it represents the earliest known sauropterygian from the Alpine Triassic.
Hybrid intelligent systems for network security

Society has grown to rely on Internet services, and the number of Internet users increases every day. As more and more users become connected to the network, the window of opportunity for malicious users to do their damage becomes very great and lucrative. The computer industry is combating the rising threat of malicious activity with new hardware and software products such as Intrusion Detection Systems, Intrusion Prevention Systems, and Firewalls. However, malicious users are constantly looking for ways to by-pass the security features of these products, and many times they will succeed. This paper describes a novel concept implemented for the purpose of computer and network security with hopes of using it to combat malicious user activity. A hybrid-intelligent system based on Bayesian Learning Networks and Self-Organizing Maps was created and used for classifying network and host based data collected within a Local Area Network. The KDD-CUP-99 data set was used to test this classification system, and the experimental results show that there is an advantage to using a hybrid system such as this because there was a significant improvement in classification accuracy compared to a non-hybrid Bayesian Learning approach when network-only data is used for classification.
Inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate is an order of magnitude less potent than inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in mobilizing intracellular stores of calcium in mouse pancreatic acinar cells.

Semi-synthetic inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate is 116th as potent as inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in releasing Ca2+ from intracellular stores in permeabilized mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Competitive displacement studies in mouse pancreatic microsomes show that the affinity of inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate is 120th of that of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate at the latter's receptor, indicating that the lower potency of inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate in releasing Ca2+ can be accounted for by a weaker affinity at the receptor. These results suggest that inositol 1,2-cyclic 4,5-trisphosphate is unlikely to play any significant role in Ca2+ mobilization, at least in mouse pancreatic acinar cells.
Improving Chronic Disease Care by Adding Laypersons to the Primary Care Team: A Parallel Randomized Trial

Chronic diseases can be expensive and difficult to treat. From 6 clinics in Minnesota, 2135 patients with diabetes, hypertension, or heart failure received care goals and were randomly assigned to ...
The use of simulation as an objective framework to conduct life cycle assessment

Increased political and media attention is encouraging greater industrial focus on environmental responsibility and resource management. This has promoted product and process designs that are more optimal in their utilization of materials and resources. This optimization is a complex task that is only made more difficult by the subjective methods of environmental impact evaluation commonly used. To optimize a process or product design, a complete understanding of the nature of production must be reached. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that can be combined with current simulation tools to obtain a realistic model of the prospective design alternatives. Utilizing this combined model, the simulation can draw quantitative comparisons between the predictions of various subjective methods commonly used in LCA. Based on these comparisons, the determination of the optimal path the product and process design will follow. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated through the use of a controversial LCA performed in 2005 by the UK's Environmental Agency. The study focused on the environmental impact of the life of diapers and reached debated conclusions. This example illustrates how a simulation can be used to create an objective framework for the impartial evaluation and comparison of designs.
Perinatal outcomes related to induction of labor: a call for randomized trials.

ll obstetric clinicians know that induction of labor A causes more cesarean deliveries. If you spend time on the labor floor, you can see that women who are induced end up with more cesareans than those who experience spontaneous labor. However, we have been confused and wrong regarding this issue for decades. This is because at any gestational age, the options for a clinician and patient are not induction of labor vs spontaneous labor but induction of labor vs expectant management. Expectant management encompasses having the patient progress into the future in which a wide variety of things could occur. She may go into spontaneous labor, but she may also develop a complication of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, or oligohydramnios. If she progresses to 41 or 42 weeks’ gestation, most clinicians will induce at that point, even without another complication, but now the patient has an increased risk of fetal macrosomia as well. Similarly, it appears that with greater gestational age at term, the risk of uteroplacental insufficiency rises, leading to more cesareans for fetal intolerance of labor. Thus, expectant management at term has a number of associated complications that all may contribute to an increased risk of cesarean. In a randomized trial, one compares induction of labor to expectant management. There are a number of these trials conducted at 41 or 42 weeks’ gestation, and in metaanalyses, induction of labor has been shown to decrease the risk of cesarean delivery compared with expectant management. There are far fewer studies conducted prior to 41 weeks’ gestation, but these, too, have demonstrated a reduction in the risk of cesarean delivery. One randomized trial of a preventive induction of labor was not statistically powered to show a reduction in the cesarean delivery rate but did show a reduction in fetal morbidity as measured by the adverse outcome index.
Naloxone fails to block ECT-induced prolactin increase.

The rapid, but transient, prolactin (PRL) induring the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well known (Ohman et al. 1976; Skrabanek et al. 1981; Papakostas et al. 1984), although the underlying mechanism mediating this effect remains speculative. It has been suggested that endogenous opioid peptides may be involved (Skrabanek et al. 1981; Deakin et al. 1983): these substances, among other effects, increase PRL in man, and this increase can be blocked by small doses of naloxone (Grossman and Rees 1983; Morley 1983). The question then arises whether or not the ECT-induced PRL increase is mediated via stimulation of opioid secretion. In this study, the role of opioids in the ECTinduced prolaetin increase was tested by the administration of the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone, to five female melancholic patients who were undergoing treatment with ECT. The patients' ages ranged between 38 and 63 years. With the exception of low doses of benzodiazepines (flunitrazepam) given at bed time, they were free from psychotropics or any other drugs
An exploratory case study of the preparation of secondary teachers to meet special education needs in the general classroom

Abstract Teaching teachers to effectively adapt the general curriculum for students with disabilities in general education classrooms is a challenging and often overwhelming task for preservice methods faculty. In order to examine the preparation needs of secondary education teachers and the realities of today's secondary education classrooms, inservice secondary education teachers and preservice methods faculty were matched in intensive, asynchronistic, online discussions. An initial attitude, knowledge, and skills survey was completed by both groups of participants and compared to the results of the online discussions. Findings of this small case study revealed that (a) theoretical knowledge in best practices of special education are not adequately addressed in secondary education preparation programs, and (b) both methods faculty and inservice secondary teachers need to learn effective content enhancement practices, principles of strategy instruction, effective curriculum design, and technology skills....
Constant phase, phase drift, and phase entrainment in lasers with an injected signal

In a laser with an injected signal (LIS), the phase of the laser field can be constant (phase locking) or grow unbounded (phase drift) or vary periodically (phase entrainment). We analyze these three responses by studying the bifurcation diagram of the time-periodic solutions in the limit of small values of the population relaxation rate (small \ensuremath{\gamma}), small values of the detuning parameters (small \ensuremath{\Delta} and \ensuremath{\Theta}), and small values of the injection field (small y). Our bifurcation analysis has led to the following results: (1) We determine analytically the conditions for a Hopf bifurcation to stable time-periodic solutions. This bifurcation appears at y=${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{H}}$ and is possible only if the detuning parameters are sufficiently large compared to \ensuremath{\gamma} [specifically, \ensuremath{\Delta} and \ensuremath{\Theta} must be O(${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{1/2}$) quantities]. (2) We construct the periodic solutions in the vicinity of y=${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{H}}$. We show that the phase of the laser field varies periodically. We then follow numerically this branch of periodic solutions from y=${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{H}}$ to y=0. Near y=0, the phase becomes unbounded. (3) A transition between bounded and unbounded phase time-periodic solutions appears at y=${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{c}}$ (0${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{c}}$${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{H}}$). This transition does not appear at a bifurcation point. We characterize this transition by analyzing the behavior of the phase as y\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{c}}^{+}$ and as y\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{y}}_{\mathit{c}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$. (4) We find conditions for a secondary bifurcation from the periodic solutions to quasiperiodic solutions. The secondary branch of solutions is then investigated numerically and is shown to terminate at the limit point of the steady states. (5) We develop a singular perturbation analysis of the LIS equations valid as \ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0. This analysis allows the determination of a complete branch of bounded time-periodic solutions. We show that the amplitude of these time-periodic solutions becomes unbounded as y\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 provided that \ensuremath{\Delta} and \ensuremath{\Theta} are sufficiently small compared to \ensuremath{\gamma} [specifically, \ensuremath{\Delta} and \ensuremath{\Theta} are zero or O(\ensuremath{\gamma}) quantities].
Novel Approach for Thin Dense Nanoscale-Grained Metal Films

A novel approach to the synthesis of thin (∼1 μm) fully dense metallic films with nanoscale microstructure is presented. This technique is an unusual combination of two different phenomena: electroless plating and osmosis. It is remarkable that the method permits a systematic variation of film microstructure and thickness that allows for optimization of the film properties. Because the unique approach described herein can be used for synthesis of nanograined thin metal films of any desired composition, it can be employed in a variety of applications.
Story-specific demand models and seismic fragility estimates for multi-story buildings

Abstract This paper develops seismic demand models for multi-story buildings. Story-specific demand models that consider the maximum interstory drift of each story are developed. Correlations among individual story demand models are also assessed to properly capture the potential dependence between maximum interstory drifts over the height of a building. Both linear and bilinear models in logarithmic space are considered to describe the relationships between drift demand and seismic intensity. A Bayesian approach is used to estimate the model parameters. The developed demand models are used to estimate the seismic fragility of two example buildings. The fragility estimates are compared with currently available estimates based on demand models for the overall maximum interstory drift. It is shown that when only the maximum interstory drift of a building is considered, the fragility might be underestimated; particularly if the interstory drifts for one or more stories are close to the maximum value. The proposed methodology provides a refined approach that includes more building response information than typical demand models, allowing for more accurate estimates of the seismic fragility of multi-story buildings.
Impaired Function of CTLA-4 in the Lungs of Patients with Chronic Beryllium Disease Contributes to Persistent Inflammation

Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is an occupational lung disorder characterized by granulomatous inflammation and the accumulation of beryllium-responsive CD4+ T cells in the lung. These differentiated effector memory T cells secrete IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α upon in vitro activation. Beryllium-responsive CD4+ T cells in the lung are CD28 independent and have increased expression of the coinhibitory receptor, programmed death 1, resulting in Ag-specific T cells that proliferate poorly yet retain the ability to express Th1-type cytokines. To further investigate the role of coinhibitory receptors in the beryllium-induced immune response, we examined the expression of CTLA-4 in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage cells from subjects with CBD. CTLA-4 expression was elevated on CD4+ T cells from the lungs of study subjects compared with blood. Furthermore, CTLA-4 expression was greatest in the beryllium-responsive subset of CD4+ T cells that retained the ability to proliferate and express IL-2. Functional assays show that the induction of CTLA-4 signaling in blood cells inhibited beryllium-induced T cell proliferation while having no effect on the proliferative capacity of beryllium-responsive CD4+ T cells in the lung. Collectively, our findings suggest a dysfunctional CTLA-4 pathway in the lung and its potential contribution to the persistent inflammatory response that characterizes CBD.
DIBOA: Fate in soil and effects on root-knot nematode egg numbers

The benzoxazinoid 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIBOA) is produced by rye (Secale cereale) and may contribute to plant-parasitic nematode suppression when rye plants are incorporated as a green manure. We investigated the fate of DIBOA in soil and DIBOA’s effects on nematode reproduction. Soil in plastic bags was treated with DIBOA at concentrations ranging from 1.1 to 18 m gg �1 dry soil, and with the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Control soils were treated with water or with 0.31% methanol, with or without nematodes. DIBOA concentrations extracted from the soil were measured at selected times for 5 consecutive days. The soil from each bag was then placed into a pot in the greenhouse, and a cucumber seedling was transplanted into each pot. Five weeks later, only the highest DIBOA concentration, 18 m gg �1 soil, reduced nematode egg numbers. At 0 h, DIBOA measured in soil ranged from 19.68 to 35.51% of the initial DIBOA concentration, and was dependent on the concentration added to the soil. DIBOA half-life was from 18 to 22 h, and very little DIBOA was present in soil after 120 h. Identified breakdown products accounted for only 4% at maximum of the initially added DIBOA. The results of our study demonstrate that high soil concentrations of DIBOA are necessary to suppress M. incognita; DIBOA may not be a major factor in nematode suppression by a rye cover crop. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis of the mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase gene in NIDDM.

Because the activity of mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPD) in the pancreatic β-cell is normally among the highest of the body, but is low in the pancreatic islets of numerous rodent models of NIDDM and is reported to be low in the islets of the few humans studied with NIDDM (1,2), it has been questioned whether mGPD might be a diabetes candidate gene. Linkage studies have failed to find an association between mGPD and NIDDM in Caucasians (3) and Mexican Americans (4), which suggests that mutations in mGPD are not a common cause of NIDDM. Since NIDDM is a multifactorial and heterogeneous disorder, it is possible that abnormalities in many individual genes influencing reactions that are important for the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis in the β-cell will be found in a low percentage of individuals with NIDDM. With this idea in mind, conditions for using single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the mGPD gene were developed to use this method to screen for mutations in this gene.
Special Education and Medicine A Survey of Physicians

A random sample of physicians across the state who were likely to be in contact with parents of handicapped children were surveyed regarding such issues as their knowledge of Public Law 94-142, the impact of this legislation on their practice, their medical school training in the areas of emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, and mental retardation, and their interactions with parents and local school programs. Only 64% of the sample were familiar with this legislation; however, nearly that many were interested in receiving more information regarding this law as well as programs that serve handicapped children. Current response to the needs of parents of handicapped children and implications for future possibilities are discussed.
Block-Based Compressed Sensing of Images and Video

A number of techniques for the compressed sensing of imagery are surveyed. Various imaging media are considered, including still images, motion video, as well as multiview image sets and multiview video. A particular emphasis is placed on block-based compressed sensing due to its advantages in terms of both lightweight reconstruction complexity as well as a reduced memory burden for the random-projection measurement operator. For multiple-image scenarios, including video and multiview imagery, motion and disparity compensation is employed to exploit frame-to-frame redundancies due to object motion and parallax, resulting in residual frames which are more compressible and thus more easily reconstructed from compressed-sensing measurements. Extensive experimental comparisons evaluate various prominent reconstruction algorithms for still-image, motion-video, and multiview scenarios in terms of both reconstruction quality as well as computational complexity.
Competence in Medicine

During the past decade, medical educators have spent time discussing and attempting to define medical competence. There appears to be some confusion as to why definitions of competence are important and how one might describe in a logical fashion the elements of competence for physicians. Here, we try to clarify what is meant by competence, to describe how definitions of competence are of value to students, educators, institutions and the public, and to provide a conceptualization of the elements of a definition of competence in medicine.
Mapping the Journey of Reform and Assessment for an Elementary Education Teacher Preparation Program

This article describes the non-linear journey of an elementary education teacher preparation program in a large southeastern university during an eight-year process of program improvement. In that time period, the program developed and implemented innovative programs; collected data from various sources; and adopted a robust, valid, and reliable performance assessment instrument in order to enact program improvement. The authors provide details and lessons learned that highlight the relationship of practices for improving teacher candidate programs and performance assessment data. They conclude by sharing suggestions for continual improvement by utilizing actionable data.
Genomic scan for genes predisposing to schizophrenia.

We initiated a genome-wide search for genes predisposing to schizophrenia by ascertaining 9 families, each containing three to five cases of schizophrenia. The 9 pedigrees were initially genotyped with 329 polymorphic DNA loci distributed throughout the genome. Assuming either autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance, 254 DNA loci yielded lod scores less than -2.0 at {theta} = 0.0, 101 DNA markers gave lod scores less than -2.0 at {theta} = 0.05, while 5 DNA loci produced maximum lod scores greater than 1: D4S35, D14S17, D15S1, D22S84, and D22S55. Of the DNA markers yielding lod scores greater than 1, D4S35 and D22S55 also were suggestive of linkage when the Affected-Pedigree-Member method was used. The families were then genotyped with four highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers; possible linkage diminished with DNA markers mapping nearby D4S35, while suggestive evidence of linkage remained with loci in the region of D22S55. Although follow-up investigation of these chromosomal regions may be warranted, our linkage results should be viewed as preliminary observations, as 35 unaffected persons are not past the age of risk. 90 refs., 3 tabs.
The effects of personal accountability and personal responsibility instruction on select off-task and positive social behaviors

This study examined the effects of personal accountability and personal responsibility instructional treatments on elementary-age, urban, at-risk physical education students. A multiple treatment ABAD, ACAD, ADA, control behavior analysis design was implemented across four distinct matched class settings to determine the separate and combined treatment effects of each instructional treatment on the number of occurrences and percentage of class time for the following: teacher management, student leadership, passive and disruptive student off-task, positive social behavior, and student conflict and conflict resolution behaviors. Study participants included fourth- and fifth-grade students from four elementary classes in an inner-city charter-school setting. Results indicated that both personal accountability and personal responsibility treatments were effective in the primary treatment setting for changing all managerial, off-task, and positive social measures in desirable directions. Recommendations includ...
In Situ , Real-Time Curvature Imaging During Chemical Vapor Deposition

Coherent Gradient Sensing (CGS) is a full-field optical technique that produces real-time images of macroscopic wafer curvature, which, for thin films, can be related to stress through Stoney's equation. Here we describe the use of CGS as an in situ diagnostic to observe film stress distributions during chemical vapor deposition. The application of this method to measure oxygen diffusion rates in thin film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ δ (YBCO) and stresses in thin film Pb x Ba 1 -x TiO 3 (PBT) under chemical vapor deposition (CVD) conditions will be discussed.
Functional Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: A Brief, Individual Treatment for Functional Impairments Resulting From Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia

This paper describes a novel cognitive-behavioural approach to treating psychotic symptoms—functional cognitive-behavioural therapy (FCBT)—which was developed with the primary aim of remediating social functioning deficits in patients with residual psychotic symptoms. In FCBT, symptom-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions are delivered in the context of working on functional goals: a premise of FCBT is that the therapeutic alliance and patient motivation are enhanced by linking interventions to life goals. The paper outlines the rationale for expanding existing approaches to target social functioning impairment and uses case illustrations to exemplify particular phases of treatment as well as specific CBT interventions. Results from a pilot study of FCBT are summarized, together with suggestions for new research directions. (Can J Psychiatry 2005;50:258-263)
The Airborne Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (AirMISR): instrument description and first results

An Airborne Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (AirMISR) instrument has been developed to assist in validation of the Earth Observing System (EOS) MISR experiment. Unlike the EOS MISR, which contains nine individual cameras pointed at discrete look angles, AirMISR utilizes a single camera in a pivoting gimbal mount. The AirMISR camera has been fabricated from MISR brassboard and engineering model components and, thus, has similar radiometric and spectral response as the MISR cameras. This paper provides a description of the AirMISR instrument and summarizes the results of engineering flights conducted during 1997.
Cardiovascular calcification: current controversies and novel concepts

Cardiovascular calcification is a commonly observed but incompletely understood mechanism of increased atherosclerotic plaque instability and accelerated aortic valve stenosis. Traditional histological staining and imaging techniques are nonspecific for the type of mineral present in calcified tissues, information that is critical for proper validation of in vitro and in vivo models. This review highlights current gaps in our understanding of the biophysical implications and the cellular mechanisms of valvular and vascular calcification and how they may differ between the two tissue types. We also address the hindrances of current cell culture systems, discussing novel platforms and important considerations for future studies of cardiovascular calcification.
Limitations and challenges of computer-aided design technology for CMOS VLSI

As manufacturing technology moves toward fundamental limits of silicon CMOS processing, the ability to reap the full potential of available transistors and interconnect is increasingly important. Design technology (DT) is concerned with the automated or semi-automated conception, synthesis, verification, and eventual testing of microelectronic systems. While manufacturing technology faces fundamental limits inherent in physical laws or material properties, design technology faces fundamental limitations inherent in the computational intractability of design optimizations and in the broad and unknown range of potential applications within various design processes. In this paper, we explore limitations to how design technology can enable the implementation of single-chip microelectronic systems that take full advantage of manufacturing technology with respect to such criteria as layout density performance, and power dissipation.
Some insight on censored cost estimators.

Censored survival data analysis has been studied for many years. Yet, the analysis of censored mark variables, such as medical cost, quality-adjusted lifetime, and repeated events, faces a unique challenge that makes standard survival analysis techniques invalid. Because of the ‘informative’ censorship imbedded in censored mark variables, the use of the Kaplan–Meier (Journal of the American Statistical Association 1958; 53:457–481) estimator, as an example, will produce biased estimates. Innovative estimators have been developed in the past decade in order to handle this issue. Even though consistent estimators have been proposed, the formulations and interpretations of some estimators are less intuitive to practitioners. On the other hand, more intuitive estimators have been proposed, but their mathematical properties have not been established. In this paper, we prove the analytic identity between some estimators (a statistically motivated estimator and an intuitive estimator) for censored cost data. Efron (1967) made similar investigation for censored survival data (between the Kaplan–Meier estimator and the redistribute-to-the-right algorithm). Therefore, we view our study as an extension of Efron's work to informatively censored data so that our findings could be applied to other marked variables. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning not to share

Strong reasons exist for executing a large-scale discrete-event simulation on a cluster of processor nodes (each of which may be a shared-memory multiprocessor or a uniprocessor). This is the architecture of the largest scale parallel machines, and so the largest simulation problems can only be solved this way. It is a common architecture even in less esoteric settings, and is suitable for memory-bound simulations. This paper describes our approach to porting the SSF simulation kernel to this architecture, using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) system. The notable feature of this transformation is to support an efficient two-level synchronization and communication scheme that addresses cost discrepancies between shared-memory and distributed memory. In the initial implementation, we use a globally synchronous approach between distributed-memory nodes, and an asynchronous shared-memory approach within a SMP cluster. The SSF API reflects inherently shared-memory assumptions; we report therefore on our approach for porting an SSF kernel to a cluster of SMP nodes. Experimental results on two architectures are described, for a model of TCP/IP traffic flows over a hierarchical network. The performance on a distributed network of commodity SMPs connected through ethernet is seen to frequently exceed performance on a Sun shared-memory multiprocessor.
Joint composition at the computer: Learning to talk about writing

Abstract Joint composition at the computer is common in United Kingdom primary schools, where both ideology (a belief in the benefits of group work) and necessity (a shortage of hardware) have encouraged many teachers to require pupils to work together to prepare a single piece of writing. The Spoken Language and New Technology (SLANT) project investigated the potential of computers in schools for encouraging pupil discourse that would develop and extend learning. Among its findings, the project team reported that even children as young as 7 years could jointly plan a story at the computer. However, for this to be more than a perfunctory exercise, the pupils first needed to learn discursive skills and to appreciate their relevance to the task in hand. Examples of pupils' discourse while composing are used to illustrate the processes by which they produced written text. These processes are discussed in light of the context in which they occurred, the preparation done by the teacher, and of their significance in terms of the development of writing skills.
Group-velocity-matched three-wave mixing in birefringent crystals.

It is shown that the combination of pulse-front slant, k-vector tilt, and crystal birefringence often permits exact matching of both phase and group velocities for three-wave mixing in birefringent crystals. This exact match makes possible more-efficient mixing of short light pulses, and it permits efficient mixing of chirped or broadband light. I analyze this process and present examples.
Lipoprotein Lipase and Lipid Metabolism in Mammary Gland

Abstract The lipid content of milk is the most variable of its major components. It ranges from zero in milk of rhinoceros and 2% in that of the horse to as much as 50% in milk of aquatic mammals (35). The lipid content of human and cow's milk is about 4%, rodent milk 12%, and milk of the polar bear 33% (Table 1). Fat provides about 70% of the calories in rat milk (1) and considerably more in milk of the polar bear and seal where fat content is extremely high and lactose content is low (Table 1). The major lipid component of milk of all species is triglyceride, accounting for >95% of the lipid (26). Milk fat droplets, which range from 1 to 7 μ m in diameter (35), are composed of a core of trigly ceride with small amounts of digly cerides, free fatty acids and monoglycerides, and traces of cholesterol ester (15, 23, 36).
A Machine-Job Scheduling Model

This paper makes use of a device proposed by Fulkerson and Ford for maximal multi-commodity network flows Ford, L. R. Jr., D. R. Fulkerson. 1958. A suggested computation for maximal multi-commodity network flows. The RAND Corporation, Paper P-1114, March 27, 1958. Also Management Sci.51 97--101.. A machine-job scheduling model is formulated that avoids the usual in-process inventories and thereby has fewer equations. The activities are the possible sequence for each job of machine steps and interspersed delays; this, of course, greatly multiplies the number of activities. However, a compact network representation of the set of possible activities is developed which permits generating just the activity to enter the basis on each iteration without explicitly generating the others. This is done by using one of the efficient procedures that now exist for computing the shortest route through a network Dantzig, George B. 1960. On the shortest route through a network. Management Sci.62; Moore, E. F. The shortest path through a maze. Unpublished mimeographed report, 16 pages; Bellman, Richard. 1958. On a routing problem. JORSA, XVI1 87--90., Ford, L. R. Jr. 1956. Network flow theory. The RAND Corporation, Paper P-923.
Government Program Usage and Political Voice

Objectives. Despite the scope of U.S. social spending, we know little about cumulative program usage among individuals or how it may influence their political attitudes or behavior. This article examines program usage among citizens and probes the association of usage with program assessment and the likelihood of voting. Methods. We examine these issues using the 2005 Maxwell Poll, which uniquely asked respondents about both usage of 18 social programs as well as attitudes about such programs and rates of political involvement. Results. The data indicate that direct experience of social programs is fairly common and widespread across the population, but beneficiaries of programs differ in their assessments compared to nonbeneficiaries. Most significant, after controlling for various demographic factors, we find that the greater the number of universal programs citizens have used, the greater the likelihood that they vote; conversely, the greater the number of means-tested programs they have used, the lower their likelihood of voting. Conclusion. Experiences of social programs may influence voter turnout and may help explain why young and less advantaged citizens vote less than older citizens. Trends in social provision may be fostering inequality of political voice, particularly among younger generations.
Individualized Cognitive Behavioural Treatment of Chronic Pain

Cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic pain was individually tailored based on pre-treatment assessment of the subjective pain experience of each patient. Eight chronic pain patients completed the individualized treatment program which consisted of relaxation techniques, hypnotic deepening strategies, a relabeling hierarchy based upon pain descriptors, positive self-statements, didactic information, and cognitive-restructuring techniques. Patients self-monitored their pain during a two week pre-treatment baseline period, during the eight weeks of treatment and for one week post-treatment. Additional treatment outcome measures were also taken. Compared to baseline data, patients reported positive changes on many of the treatment outcome criteria, including McGill Pain Questionnaire indices, reduction in the number of hours spent in pain, and follow-up questionnaire responses. Treatment outcome measures collected at one week, six months, and 15 months post-treatment all suggested positive treatment gains. The greatest gains were reported at the six month post-treatment assessment suggesting a generalization or practice component to the therapy. Additionally, patients with constant pain were found more refractory to treatment than patients with intermittent pain.