cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimizing structures in object oriented programs

In this paper we demonstrate that effective structure optimization is essential to improve code quality and reduce compilation overhead for object-oriented programs. We propose to address this problem by using an effective representation of structure operation, folding indirect memory accesses to structure fields, flattening structures judiciously, and allowing more aggressive procedure inlining. These techniques enable the existing scalar optimizations, which were well tuned for the traditional imperative languages, to work effectively on object-oriented programs, allowing them to make better use of the performance enhancing-features available on modern processors. We have implemented this strategy in an SSA based global optimization framework in the Open Research Compiler, targeting the Itanium Processor Family. The experimental results with representative C++ benchmarks show that the applications' performance can be improved significantly. For instance, Eon's performance is improved by 35.6%, while the execution time of the Stepanov benchmark is reduced by a factor of 24.
A model of clay swelling and tactoid formation

An electrostatic model for the stability of clay tactoids (stacks of parallel clay platelets at - 10 A separation) in an aqueous solution has been developed. The counter ions located in the interstitial water layers are assumed to be in equilibrium with the bulk solution. Generally, the counter-ion charge density is slightly different in magnitude from the platelet charge density. Approximating the discrete charges by homogeneously charged planes, a one-dimensional potential distribution can be calculated. From this the Gibbs energy of electrostatic interaction (using single platelets as a reference) can be computed. The model predicts that clay minerals with high (vermiculite, mica) and low (pyrophyllite, talc) degrees of cationic substitution form stable tactoids. For smectites, charge density, electrolyte concentration, and counter- ion species determine the swelling characteristics. At a particular charge density, lower valences of the counter ions and lower electrolyte concentrations lead to increased swelling. If tactoids are formed, the number of platelets is governed by a dynamic equilibrium between electrostatic forces, van der Waals forces, and external forces, such as shear forces due to hydrodynamic flow.
High-quality operating room management research.

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since vendredi 1 aout 2014
Plasma amino acids and insulin levels in obesity: Response to carbohydrate intake and tryptophan supplements

We assessed the plasma amino acids, glucose, and insulin responses of obese and lean control subjects to midafternoon carbohydrate snacks. After a standard 400 kcal lunch, eight lean and nine obese subjects received, at 2PM, a 30 g sucrose snack; blood samples were obtained at hourly intervals until 6 PM. Each subject participated in four similar studies in which the carbohydrate snack was consumed alone or with 250, 500, or 1,000 mg of L-tryptophan (Trp), offered as a capsule. The obese group exhibited elevated plasma levels of the branched-chain amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine, and the levels of these amino acids declined much less in response to carbohydrate intake than in lean controls. As a consequence, the plasma ratio of Trp:large neutral amino acids (Trp/LNAA ratio), which normally rises after carbohydrate consumption, showed virtually no change in the obese group. The plasma Trp/LNAA response of this group did not reach control values even when carbohydrate intake was increased to 50 or 75 g. Peak plasma Trp concentrations and Trp/LNAA ratios after 250, 500, and 1,000 mg Trp doses were also significantly lower in the obese. Since brain Trp uptake is strongly correlated with the plasma Trp/LNAA ratio, which in turn determines the rate of brain serotonin synthesis, the blunted Trp/LNAA response to carbohydrate intake in the obese could contribute to alterations in the serotonin-mediated regulation of food intake.
Modeling financial data with stable distributions

Stable distributions are a class of probability distributions that allow heavy tails and skewness. In addition to theoretical reasons for using stable laws, they are a rich family that can accurately model dierent kinds of financial data. We review the basic facts, describe programs that make it practical to use stable distributions, and give examples of these distributions in finance. A non-technical introduction to multivariate stable laws is also given.
Data Warehouse Modeler: a CASE tool for warehouse design

Data warehouses have become an instant phenomenon in many large organizations that deal with a massive amount of information. Drawing on the experiences from the systems development field, we surmise that an effective CASE tool will enhance the success of warehouse implementations. Thus, we present a CASE tool designed to generate the SQL queries necessary to build a warehouse from a set of operational relational databases. The warehouse designer simply specifies a list of attribute names that are to appear in the warehouse, conditions if any are desired, and a description of the operational databases. The tool returns the queries needed to populate the warehouse table.
Why do physicians think parents expect antibiotics? What parents report vs what physicians believe

Objective To examine the relation between parent expectations for antibiotics, parent communication behaviors, and physicians’ perceptions of parent expectations for antibiotics. Study Design A nested cross-sectional study with parallel measures of parents presenting children for acute respiratory infections (previsit) and physicians (postvisit) and audiotaping of the
Political Utopias at the Time of the Revolution Debate in England, 1789–1796. By Reto Suter. (Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang, 2012. Pp. x, 337. $62.95.)

The eighteenth century is not renowned as a great age of utopian writing. In this volume, the author does not aim to challenge that conventional judgment or to claim that the works he examines are ...
A comparative exploration of eye gaze and head motion cues for lane change intent prediction

Driver behavioral cues may present a rich source of information and feedback for future intelligent driver assistance systems (IDAS). Two of the most useful cues might be eye gaze and head motion. Eye gaze provides a more accurate proxy than head motion for determining driver attention, whereas the measurement of head motion head motion as a derivative of pose is less cumbersome and more reliable in harsh driving conditions. With the design of a simple and robust IDAS in mind, we are interested in determining the most important driver cues for distinguishing driver intent. We use a lane change intent prediction system [1] to determine the relative usefulness of each cue for determining intent. Various combinations of input data are presented to a discriminative classifier, which is trained to output a prediction of probable lane change maneuver at a particular point in the future. Quantitative results using real-world data are presented and show that head motion, when combined with lane position and vehicle dynamics, is a reliable cue for lane change intent prediction. The addition of eye gaze does not improve performance as much as simpler head pose-based cues.
Multiple Nod-Like Receptors Activate Caspase 1 during Listeria monocytogenes Infection

Listeria monocytogenes escapes from the phagosome of macrophages and replicates within the cytosolic compartment. The macrophage responds to L. monocytogenes through detection pathways located on the cell surface (TLRs) and within the cytosol (Nod-like receptors) to promote inflammatory processes aimed at clearing the pathogen. Cytosolic L. monocytogenes activates caspase 1, resulting in post-translational processing of the cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 as well as caspase 1-dependent cell death (pyroptosis). We demonstrate that the presence of L. monocytogenes within the cytosolic compartment induces caspase 1 activation through multiple Nod-like receptors, including Ipaf and Nalp3. Flagellin expression by cytosolic L. monocytogenes was detected through Ipaf in a dose-dependent manner. Concordantly, detection of flagellin promoted bacterial clearance in a murine infection model. Finally, we provide evidence that suggests cytosolic L. monocytogenes activates caspase 1 through a third pathway, which signals through the adaptor protein ASC. Thus, L. monocytogenes activates caspase 1 in macrophages via multiple pathways, all of which detect the presence of bacteria within the cytosol.
Inclusive trauma systems: do they improve triage or outcomes of the severely injured?

BACKGROUND:: Trauma systems decrease injury-related mortality, but not all systems have the same configuration. In some systems, nearly all acute care hospitals participate to the extent that their resources allow (inclusive systems), whereas in others, relatively few high-level centers participate (exclusive systems). We postulate that inclusive systems assure that severely injured patients are more likely to be triaged to a level I or II regional trauma center, and this greater degree of participation would lead to lower mortality. METHODS:: We used administrative discharge data for 2001 in 24 states with formal systems, and we included all urgently hospitalized adults with an Injury Severity Score >/=16. We categorized states by trauma system configuration ("exclusive", "more inclusive", "most inclusive") based on the proportion of all hospitals designated as a Level I through V trauma center (0-13%, 14-37%, 38-100%, respectively). We compared the rates of triage to a regional trauma center and inpatient death in inclusive states relative to exclusive states, while adjusting for patient- and state-level factors. RESULTS:: Out of 61,496 patients, 40,706 (66.2%) were hospitalized at regional trauma centers. Inpatient mortality was 14.7%. After adjusting for patient age, primary payer status, and system maturity, the odds of triage to a regional trauma center were similar in inclusive and exclusive systems. After adjusting for primary payer status, mechanism of injury, and system maturity, the odds of death were similar in more inclusive and exclusive systems (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.08) but were significantly lower in the most inclusive systems (odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.99). CONCLUSIONS:: Severely injured trauma patients have greater inpatient survival in inclusive trauma systems even though they are no more likely to be hospitalized at a regional trauma center. Consideration should be given to continuing implementation of systems with an inclusive configuration, especially in light of other theoretical benefits of these systems, such as better dispersing of trauma care resources in the event of natural disasters or terrorist events.
Benefits of implicit redundant representation genetic algorithms for conceptual design and damage identification

Solving large-scale structural design and damage identification problems using genetic algorithm optimization methods requires the use of advanced representations. The flexible implicit redundant representation (IRR) provides significant benefits for inverse problems in which the solution involves determining the optimal number of design variables, in addition to their values. The IRR encodes both variables and redundant segments in each individual. The encoded variable locations and values dynamically change and self-organize through crossover and mutation during optimization. In searching for optimal structural forms in conceptual design, the IRR provides the flexibility to represent designs having different numbers and locations of members and nodes, which supports the simultaneous optimization of topology, geometry, and member sizes. Therefore a broad range of designs can be evaluated during a single trial. The set of Pareto-optimal designs evolved by the IRR define the tradeoffs that occur in optimizing the objectives as the structural topology and geometry changes. In damage detection, optimization is often used to predict the location and extent of damages based on the structural response collected from measurement data. The IRR can work with a small subset of all possible damaged elements during the search process, which allows the method to scale well with problem size. The IRR genetic algorithm representation discussed holds significant promise in solving large-scale inverse problems by providing the benefit of working with a variable number of design variables. This flexibility is leveraged to reduce the implicit size of the problem domain searched and to compare designs having markedly different forms or topologies.
Robust D-stability via positivity

The main objective of the paper is to convert the general problem of robust D-stability of a complex polynomial to positivity in the real domain of the corresponding magnitude function. In particular, the obtained Hurwitz stability criterion is applied to polynomials with interval parameters and polynomic uncertainty structures. The robust stability is verified by testing positivity of a real polynomial using the Bernstein subdivision algorithm. A new feature in this context is the stopping criterion, which is applied whenever the algorithm is inconclusive after a large number of iterations, but we can show that at least one zero of the polynomial is closer to the imaginary axis than a prescribed limit.
Indirect combustion noise

An analysis is made of the noise generated during the passage of quiescent temperature/entropy inhomogeneities through regions of rapidly accelerated mean flow. This is an important source of jet engine core noise. Bake et al. (J. Sound Vib., vol. 326, 2009, pp. 574–598) have used an ‘entropy wave generator’ coupled with a converging–diverging nozzle to perform a series of canonical measurements of the sound produced when the inhomogeneity consists of a nominally uniform slug of hot gas. When flow separation and jet formation occur in the diffuser section of the nozzle, it is shown in this paper that the vortex sound generated by the jet is strongly correlated with the entropy noise produced by the slug and that the overall noise level is significantly reduced. Streamwise ‘stretching’ of the hot slug during high subsonic acceleration into the nozzle and the consequent attenuation of the entropy gradient in the nozzle are shown to significantly decrease the effective rate at which indirect combustion noise increases with the Mach number. Numerical predictions indicate that this is responsible for the peak observed by Bake et al. in the entropy-generated sound pressure at a nozzle Mach number near 0.6.
Coupling thermodynamic theory with measurements to characterize acidity of atmospheric particles

The reference method currently being used in community health studies to characterize the acidity of atmospheric particles is based upon measuring the pH of aqueous extracts of atmospheric particles collected on filter media. These measurements represent total extractable acidity, i.e., hydrogen ion concentration at sufficient dilution of the sample, rather than the actual acidity of airborne particles. In contrast, models based upon chemical equilibrium theory can be used to estimate the hydrogen ion concentration and water content of atmospheric particles from the observed concentration of major solutes (sulfate, nitrate, chloride, ammonium, and sodium). Using about 100 data points from an intensive measurement study in Uniontown, Pennsylvania during 1990, we examined the nature and the causes of the deviations between measured and estimated hydrogen ion concentrations. We found that the measured hydrogen ion concentrations were substantially higher than the estimated concentrations because dilution of ...
Is MRI the Preferred Method for Evaluating Right Ventricular Size and Function in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease? MRI Is the Preferred Method for Evaluating Right Ventricular Size and Function in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

In contrast to adult patients with acquired heart disease, abnormalities of the right ventricle (RV) are ubiquitous in children and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). The RV is exposed to volume overload in shunt lesions (eg, atrial septal defect, anomalous pulmonary venous connections), as well as congenital or acquired tricuspid and pulmonary valve regurgitation. RV pressure overload characterizes numerous congenital anomalies, including pulmonary valve stenosis or atresia, large ventricular septal defect, single ventricle, tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), truncus arteriosus, and transposition of the great arteries, to name a few. Importantly, many surgical and transcatheter treatments of CHD result in persistent or acquired volume and pressure overload of the RV. In some patients with CHD, the RV functions as the systemic ventricle (eg, palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome, physiologically corrected transposition of the great arteries, and D-loop transposition of the great arteries after atrial switch procedure). Furthermore, exposure to cyanosis and surgical procedures in the RV often leads to myocardial abnormalities, including scar tissue and diffuse fibrosis. Response by Yeh and Foster see p 197 Given the frequent involvement of the RV in CHD, it is not surprising that the assessment of RV size and function is key for guiding clinical decisions in these patients.1 Among the diagnostic imaging tools available to clinicians for RV imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as the reference standard. In the following sections, I will review the evidence supporting this contention, highlight how CMR data are used to guide clinical decisions, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of CMR in comparison with other modalities, including echocardiography, computed tomography, conventional x-ray angiography, and nuclear scintigraphy. CMR is ideally suited for the assessment of the RV because it allows comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular morphology and physiology without most of the limitations that hinder alternative …
Topology-Preserving Multi-label Image Segmentation

Enforcing a specific topology in image segmentation is a very important but challenging problem, which has attracted much attention in the computer vision community. Most recent works on topology-constrained image segmentation focus on binary segmentation, where the topology is often described by the connectivity of both foreground and background. In this paper, we develop a new multi-labeling method to enforce topology in multi-label image segmentation. In this case, we not only require each segment to be a connected region (intra-segment topology), but also require specific adjacency relations between each pair of segments (inter-segment topology). We develop our method in the context of segmentation propagation, where a segmented template image defines the topology, and our goal is to propagate the segmentation to a target image while preserving the topology. Our method requires good spatial structure continuity between the template and the target such that the template segmentation can be used as a good initialization for segmenting the target. In addition, we focus on multi-label segmentation where a segment and its adjacent segments form a ring structure, which is among the most complex type of inter-segment topology for 2D structures. We apply the proposed method to segment 3D metallic image volumes for the underlying grain structures and achieve better results than several comparison methods. Finally, we also apply the proposed method to interactive segmentation and stereo matching applications.
A note on nonlinear models with integrated regressors and convergence order results

Abstract This note concerns an asymptotic distribution result from the literature on nonlinear estimation with integrated variables. It points out a way of strengthening local asymptotic distribution results towards results that hold for the global minimizer of the criterion function.
Interaction of βA3-Crystallin with Deamidated Mutants of αA- and αB-Crystallins

Interaction among crystallins is required for the maintenance of lens transparency. Deamidation is one of the most common post-translational modifications in crystallins, which results in incorrect interaction and leads to aggregate formation. Various studies have established interaction among the α- and β-crystallins. Here, we investigated the effects of the deamidation of αA- and αB-crystallins on their interaction with βA3-crystallin using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy-fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FLIM-FRET) methods. SPR analysis confirmed adherence of WT αA- and WT αB-crystallins and their deamidated mutants with βA3-crystallin. The deamidated mutants of αA-crystallin (αA N101D and αA N123D) displayed lower adherence propensity for βA3-crystallin relative to the binding affinity shown by WT αA-crystallin. Among αB-crystallin mutants, αB N78D displayed higher adherence propensity whereas αB N146D mutant showed slightly lower binding affinity for βA3-crystallin relative to that shown by WT αB-crystallin. Under the in vivo condition (FLIM-FRET), both αA-deamidated mutants (αA N101D and αA N123D) exhibited strong interaction with βA3-crystallin (32±4% and 36±4% FRET efficiencies, respectively) compared to WT αA-crystallin (18±4%). Similarly, the αB N78D and αB N146D mutants showed strong interaction (36±4% and 22±4% FRET efficiencies, respectively) with βA3-crystallin compared to 18±4% FRET efficiency of WT αB-crystallin. Further, FLIM-FRET analysis of the C-terminal domain (CTE), N-terminal domain (NTD), and core domain (CD) of αA- and αB-crystallins with βA3-crystallin suggested that interaction sites most likely reside in the αA CTE and αB NTD regions, respectively, as these domains showed the highest FRET efficiencies. Overall, results suggest that similar to WT αA- and WTαB-crystallins, the deamidated mutants showed strong interactionfor βA3-crystallin. Variable in vitro and in vivo interactions are most likely due to the mutant's large size oligomers, reduced hydrophobicity, and altered structures. Together, the results suggest that deamidation of α-crystallin may facilitate greater interaction and the formation of large oligomers with other crystallins, and this may contribute to the cataractogenic mechanism.
PP04.6 – 2257: Arterial ischemic stroke in children with infectious meningitis

Objective Arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) is a serious complication of infectious meningitis, often conveying a poor outcome. We aim to identify children with infectious meningitis who are at risk of developing AIS. Methods We retrospectively studied inpatient children aged 1 month to 16 years with infectious meningitis at KK Women and Children's Hospital from 2008 to 2013. Infectious meningitis was defined as febrile encephalopathy with neurological signs and symptoms (including seizures, headache or meningism) and either a 1) positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, 2) CSF pleocytosis or 3) subdural effusion, empyema or intracranial abscess. Children with immune-mediated encephalitis, eosinophilic meningitis and pre-existing risk factors for stroke were excluded. Results 97 patients were eligible but 17 were excluded as they had either cranial ultrasound or no neuroimaging. 17 had arterial ischemic strokes (21%). Streptococcus was isolated in 9 (7 S. pneumoniae and 2 S. milleri) children, of which 3 had received at least 1 dose of pneumococcal vaccination. Two children had enteroviral infection, one of whom had an Escherichia coli co-infection. Four children had tuberculous meningitis. Seizures, of which 78% were status epilepticus, (OR 7.50, 95% CI: 1.61–34.9) and severe hypoglycoracchia Conclusion AIS occurred in one-fifth of children with infectious meningitis, and Streptococcus was the commonest pathogen. Status epilepticus and severe hypoglycoracchia were likely representative of a severe infection at risk of AIS. Neuroimaging and aggressive antimicrobial therapy may be warranted in these children.
The Image of the Loyal African During World War II and its Postwar Use by the French Communist Party

From Marx's writing on the "Irish question," through Lenin's Imperialism, on to Meillassoux's recent work with labor migration, the impact of imperialist economic development upon class struggles within the metropolitan nations has occupied analysts of capitalist imperialism. But cultural imperialism and its relationship with metropolitan class struggles may deserve similar attention. The conceptions of African society imposed by European administrators and scholars upon colonial Africa may have played a vital role in obscuring African resistance to colonial domination and class development in Africa from even the most progressive elements of the metropolitan proletariat. The following account describes the image of African political attitudes and actions during World War II created by contemporary French propaganda and, subsequently, French historiography, and discusses the use of these images by the French Communist party in the postwar period.1
Well-Defined Shape-Memory Networks with High Elastic Energy Capacity

Controlling network architecture and chain connectivity is critical to understanding elastic energy storage and improving performance of shape-memory polymers. Acrylate-terminated poly(caprolactones) were converted into thermoset networks by three different reactions: conventional free radical polymerization, radical-induced coupling with multifunctional thiols, and base-catalyzed Michael addition with multifunctional thiols. The highly efficient thiol–acrylate coupling reaction ensures that the molecular weight between cross-links is uniform, resulting in tougher, more elastic materials with a high degree of crystallinity and outstanding shape-memory properties. Elastomers can be cold drawn to achieve several hundred percent of strain, and upon heating, nearly complete shape recovery is observed. Shape fixity upon cold drawing is correlated to the degree of strain-induced crystallization which is influenced by the draw rate and stress treatment immediately following cold drawing. Slow unloading of sample...
Syntactic autonomy

The study of adapting and evolving autonomous agents should be based on a complex systems-theoretic framework which requires both self-organizing and symbolic dimensions. An inclusive framework based on the notions of semiotics and situated action is advanced to build models capable of representing, as well as evolving in their environments. Such undertaking is pursued by discussing the ways in which symbol and self-organization are irreducibly intertwined in evolutionary systems. This way, we re-think the notion of autonomy of evolving systems, and show that evolutionary systems are characterized by a particular type of syntactic autonomy. Developments in emergent computation in cellular automata are discussed as examples of the emergence of syntactic autonomy in computational environments. New results emphasizing this syntactic autonomy in cellular automata are presented.
Beyond broadcast

The work presented in this paper takes a novel approach to the task of providing information to viewers of broadcast news. Instead of considering the broadcast news as the end product, this work uses it as a starting point to dynamically build an information space for the user to explore. This information space is designed to satisfy the users information needs, by containing more breadth, depth, and points of view than the original broadcast story. The architecture and current implementation are discussed, and preliminary results from the analysis of some its components are presented
Regression: Forecasting Using Explanatory Factors

This comprehensive technical note explains linear regression. It is indended for students with no prior knowlede of the topic. It is devided into nine sections, which may be assigned separately: 1. The simple linear model, 2. Fitting the model using least squares, 3. Important properties of the least-squares regression line, 4. Summary regression statistics, 5. Assumptions behind the linear model, 6. Model-building philosopy, 7. Forecasting using the linear model, 8. Using dummy variables to represent categorical variables, and 9. Useful data transformations. The sections correspond to stand-alone notes also available through Darden Business Publishing.
Influence of Feeding a High Calcium Diet for Various Durations in Prelaying Period on Growth and Subsequent Performance of White Leghorn Pullets

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect on growth and subsequent performance of feeding a diet containing a high level of calcium to pullets for various durations in the late part of the growing period. The control group was fed a diet containing .8% calcium from 14 to 20 wk of age. Other groups were fed a diet containing 3.5% calcium from 18, 17, 16, 15, or 14 wk of age until reaching 20 wk of age. Available and total phosphorus content of control and high calcium diets were equal (.4 and .61%, respectively). From 20 to 60 wk of age all groups were fed a laying diet containing 3.55% calcium and .42% available phosphorus (.61% total phosphorus). The high calcium diet did not have significant adverse effects on weight gain, feed consumption, or mortality in the growing period. Kidney weight, liver, fat, and plasma level of uric acid were not significantly different for birds fed the high calcium diet for various durations as compared with birds in the control group. Tibia ash and tibia calcium were consistently higher for birds fed a high calcium diet for 2 wk or longer during the growing period. Sexual maturity was advanced due to feeding a high calcium diet in the growing period. Feeding a high calcium diet for various durations in the growing period did not have any adverse effects on production traits during the laying period.
The effect of stress on the gastric mucosal barrier in rats.

SummaryTo obtain evidence about the controversial role of the gastric mucosal barrier to back-diffusion of hydrogen ions in the pathogenesis of gastric ulcerations during restraint-stress, rats were subjected to restraint stress for 24 hr and acid instillations performed in their pylorus ligated stomachs with a technique adapted from previously described methods for acid instillation in canine dog pouches. Since the rat's pylorus ligated stomach does not tolerate solutions with high hydrogen ion (H+) concentrations, test solutions containing H+ of 55 meq/liter were used. Hydrogen ion secretion did not decrease in these stressed rats, but there was a marked increase in H+ back-diffusion across the gastric mucosa which was well correlated with the gross visual damage. Abnormal gastric mucosal permeability to hydrogen ion may play a pathogenic role in restraint-stress induced ulceration.
Non-Transitive Dominance

If Al is taller than Bill and Bill is taller than Charlie, we may conclude that Al is taller than Charlie. This fact is abstracted mathematically by the statement that the relation "is taller than" is a transitive relation. Many other relations are also transitive: e.g., "greater than", "less than", "is isomorphic to", and "equals". Certainly, if all relations were transitive, transitivity would not be an interesting property to study. The relation "does not divide" (written A') is not transitive, for from the facts 34' 5 and 54' 12, it does not follow that 34' 12. Intuitively one feels that relations having to do with dominance like "is better than" or "wins at chess from" or "is wiser than" should be transitive. But not all of them are, and this is surprising. Stories abound of chess masters who can beat everybody but a certain nemesis. This nemesis may be a rather second-rate player and be beaten regularly by many of the players that the chess master beats. Thus we have a case where A (the master) beats B and B beats C (the nemesis), but C beats A. This example is to a certain extent unsatisfying because the reasons for it are unclear, or at least the problem may not be mathematical. Perhaps the fault lies in some imprecision in the definitions. So let us consider a better defined situation, one involving objects and events that can be described in detail, and one which involves some interesting mathematics. We will consider a game between two players involving three dice, colored red, white, and blue for purposes of identification. Each player chooses a die and rolls it, and the one who rolls the higher number wins. The dice have been specially made for the game, and each face has an integer between one and nine on it; opposite faces of each die are identical; and the dice are fair in the sense that each side is equally likely. Surprisingly, this game, which sounds perfectly fair, can be rigged in such a way that the player who chooses the first die will lose an average of five out of nine games.
Characteristics and Risk Factors of Chinese Immigrant Intimate Partner Violence Victims in New York City and the Role of Supportive Social Networks

This study identified the characteristics and risk factors of Chinese immigrant intimate partner violence (IPV) victims and their offenders through a case study of 189 IPV victims who sought help f...
Some Aspects of Hygroscopic Properties and Fermentation of Honey

(1958). Some Aspects of Hygroscopic Properties and Fermentation of Honey. Bee World: Vol. 39, No. 7, pp. 165-178.
A Study of the Effects of Oonline Store Friendliness on Consumer Pleasure and Arousal of Emotion

Does the online store have a friendly character like the entity shop? If it does, which cues can express the friendliness of an online store?Through integrating literatures, it is found that the three cues, i.e. friendly language, interactivity and social role, can all express the friendliness of online stores. The friendliness of online stores can further affect consumer pleasure and arousal of emotion. This study conducts a single-factor inter-group experiment on 313 subjects. The result shows that the friendliness of on-line stores can positively affect consumer pleasure and arousal of emotion.In the relationship between online store friendliness and consumer pleasure and arousal of emotion, atmosphere response plays a moderating role. In addition, hedonic value moderates the effects of online store friendliness on emotion arousal, not moderating the effects of online store friendliness on pleasure.
Crises as Catalysts for Foreign Bank Activity in Emerging Markets

Since the mid-1990s, banking sectors in many developing countries have experienced some important transformations. Key among them has been a rapid increase in the degree of foreign bank participation. Between 1995 and 2002, the average share of banking sector assets held by foreign banks in 104 developing countries rose from 18 per cent to 33 per cent.1 Many studies have examined the causes and implications of foreign bank participation. The contribution of this chapter is to survey the existing literature and to focus on the role of crises in serving as a catalyst for the entry of foreign banks into developing countries. The empirical analysis that follows shows that countries that experienced a banking crisis from 1995 to 2002 tended to have higher levels of foreign bank participation than those that did not. Moreover, foreign participation tended to increase as a result of crises rather than prior to them. However, post-crisis increases in foreign participation did not tend to coincide with improved provision of credit to the private sector, in part because foreign entrants often acquired distressed banks with a high share of loans that needed to be written off. By contrast, in countries where the level of foreign participation was relatively high and stable, private credit levels were significantly higher than in other countries before, during, and after crises.
Hamstring Strength Asymmetry at 3 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Alters Knee Mechanics During Gait and Jogging

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using a hamstring tendon autograft often results in hamstring muscle strength asymmetry. However, the effect of hamstring muscle strength asymmetry on knee mechanics has not been reported.Hypothesis:Participants with hamstring strength asymmetry would demonstrate altered involved limb knee mechanics during walking and jogging compared with those with more symmetric hamstring strength at least 2 years after ACLR with a hamstring tendon autograft.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:There were a total of 45 participants at least 2 years after ACLR (22 male, 23 female; mean time after ACLR, 34.6 months). A limb symmetry index (LSI) was calculated for isometric hamstring strength to subdivide the sample into symmetric hamstring (SH) (LSI ≥90%; n = 18) and asymmetric hamstring (AH) (LSI <85%; n = 18) groups. Involved knee kinematic and kinetic data were collected using 3-dimensional motion analysis during gait and jogging. Peak sagittal-, ...
Mechanics of gas-vapor bubbles

Most bubbles contain a mixture of vapor and incondensible gases. While the limit cases of pure vapor and pure gas bubbles are well studied, much less is known about the more realistic case of a mixture. The bubble contents continuously change due to the combined effects of evaporation and condensation and of gas diffusion in the liquid and in the bubble. This paper presents a model for this situation and illustrates by means of examples several physical processes that can occur: a bubble undergoing a temporary pressure reduction, which makes the liquid temporarily superheated; a bubble subjected to a burst of sound; and a bubble continuously growing by rectified diffusion of heat in the presence of an incondensible gas.
Detection of BRAF kinase mutations in melanoma, ovarian, and prostate carcinomas: Evidence for tumor heterogeneity in clinical samples

11031 Background: Several studies have provided evidence that solid tumors are polyclonal malignancies, an observation which may contribute to difficulties in achieving durable treatment responses. In some patients, molecularly targeted therapies may be compromised due to heterogeneity among tumor subclones. In this study we compared conventional DNA sequencing with a fluorescent-based mutant-specific PCR (MS-PCR) assay to detect the BRAF hotspot mutation V600E in a large panel of patient tumors, including paired primary and metastatic tumors from individual patients. Methods: BRAF MS-PCR and conventional sequencing were performed on DNA from 304 tumors (112 melanoma, 110 ovarian, 82 prostate) to determine the presence of the BRAFV600E hot-spot mutation. Among the melanomas were 18 matched primary and metastatic specimens, and 40 metastatic specimens from 19 patients, each of whom had 2 or more metastases. Results: DNA sequencing detected mutations in 5/110 (4.5%) ovarian tumors, 1/82 (1.2%) prostate tumo...
Parasite richness and abundance within aquatic macroinvertebrates: testing the roles of host‐ and habitat‐level factors

The importance of parasites as both members of biological communities and as structuring agents of host communities has been increasingly emphasized. Yet parasites of aquatic macroinvertebrates and the environmental factors regulating their richness and abundance remain poorly studied. Here we quantified parasite richness and abundance within 12 genera of odonate naiads and opportunistically sampled four additional orders of aquatic macroinvertebrates from 35 freshwater ponds in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA. We also tested the relative contributions of host- and habitat-level factors in driving patterns of infection abundance for the most commonly encountered parasite (the trematode Haematoloechus sp.) in nymphal damselflies and dragonflies using hierarchical generalized linear mixed models. Over the course of two years, we quantified the presence and intensity of parasites from 1,612 individuals. We identified six parasite taxa: two digenetic trematodes, one larval nematode, one larval acanthocephalan, one gregarine, and a mite, for which the highest infection prevalence (39%) occurred in the damselfly genus, Ishnura sp. Based on the hierarchical analysis of Haematoloechus sp. occurrence, infection prevalence and abundance were associated predominantly with site-level factors, including definitive host (frog) presence, nymphal odonate density, water pH and conductivity. In addition, host suborder interacted with the presence of fishes, such that damselflies had higher infection rates in sites with fish relative to those without, whereas the opposite was true for dragonfly nymphs. These findings offer insights into the potential interaction between host- and site-level factors in shaping parasite populations within macroinvertebrate taxa.
Two Special Cases for Rectilinear Steiner Minimum Trees

The rectilinear Steiner minimum tree for a set of points is the shortest network interconnecting points in the set with rectilinear distance. Computing the rectilinear Steiner minimum tree is NP-hard [2]. In this paper, we present two polynomial-time computable special cases. As an application, we also give a simple way to compute the rectilinear Steiner minimum tree for four, five, and six points.
Ethanol-Induced Neurodegeneration: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches

Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with a number of medical disorders, including alcohol-induced brain damage. It has been reported that about 7.4% of the adult American population (14 million individuals) meets the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence (Grant et al., 1994), and that about 9% of this population (about 1,250,000 Americans) has clinically diagnosable brain disorders (Eckardt and Martin, 1986). With less stringent criteria for alcohol-induced brain disorder, it has been demonstrated that 50–75% of detoxified, alcohol-dependent individuals show some degree of cognitive dysfunction. Because susceptibility to alcohol-induced brain damage is affected by many factors, including gender, genetics and environment (Dufour, 1993), it is difficult to associate any particular level of alcohol intake with neurotoxicity. However, post-mortem studies of brain tissue from both humans and animals indicate that chronic, heavy alcohol exposure alters brain structure.
Chemotherapy by Isolated Regional Perfusion for Melanoma of the Limbs

The original work with chemotherapy by regional perfusion began at Tulane University in 1957 (Creech et al. 1958; Ryan et al. 1958). Based on previous work using indwelling arterial catheters to deliver chemotherapy directly into tumor-bearing regions (Bierman et al. 1950; Klopp et al. 1950; Sullivan et al. 1953), the use of an extracorporeal oxygenated circuit was adapted to maintain and deliver a chemotherapeutic agent to the isolated tumor-bearing region, obtaining high-dose tumor exposure, with minimal systemic effects. Drug dosages were limited only by the local tissue tolerance. The technique was applied to a variety of tumor types, and in most areas of the body, but the most dramatic responses were seen in melanoma of the extremities, for which no good systemic agents existed at that time. Objective responses were seen in more than 50% of melanoma patients following limb perfusions, a response rate still unequaled by any systemic agent or combination of agents.
Role of Vitamin D in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and deformity of the joints and may result in other systemic effects. In animal models, vitamin D has been shown to suppress autoimmunity; however, in humans the role of vitamin D is less clear as to the effects on rheumatoid arthritis. There do appear to be suppressive effects of specific disease mechanisms; however, epidemiologic results on the effect of vitamin D on the development of the disease are contradictory. A better understanding of the rheumatoid arthritis immune system and the effects of vitamin D is needed before conclusions can be drawn.
Optical properties of nanoporous gold foams

We fabricated and experimentally studied Au nano-foams and Al2O3 scaffolds filled with Au nanoparticles (NPs). We found that while the reflectance spectra of Au nano-foams depended very little on the 8-10 nm Al2O3 ALD coating, the spectra were highly sensitive to annealing, which increased the sizes of voids and ligaments from 50-100 nm to ∼300 nm. The effective dielectric permittivities of the Au nano-foams and Al2O3 scaffolds with Au NPs were extremely high, ∼50. At the same time, Au nano-foams covered with a dielectric (MgF2) featured bright structural colors, calling for the model, which extends beyond the effective medium approximation.
Vernacularizing Jñāndev: Hagiography and the Process of Vernacularization

The process of vernacularization involves more than literary language, but also invokes social ethics and an investment in the idioms of everyday life. Vernacularization can reach beyond texts to enact its force upon biographies as well, altering the ethics and quotidian memory of sacred figures. The paper examines how texts and biographical memory identified with the medieval Marathi “saint” (sant) Jnāndev (about thirteenth century) underwent a process of vernacularization that altered the social ethics of texts associated with Jnāndev and with the public memory of the saint himself. In particular, issues of caste and gender as subjects of the process of vernacularization are discussed, and especially in the context of producing bhakti publics—social spheres of devotion—that merge with the Vārkarī religious tradition in Maharashtra.
Using Network Reliability to Understand International Food Trade Dynamics

Understanding the structural and dynamical properties of food networks is critical for food security and social welfare. Here, we analyze international trade networks corresponding to four solanaceous crops obtained using the Food and Agricultural Organization trade database using Moore-Shannon network reliability. We present a novel approach to identify important dynamics-induced clusters of highly-connected nodes in a directed weighted network. Our analysis shows that the structure and dynamics can greatly vary across commodities. However, a consistent pattern that we observe in these commodity-specific networks is that almost all clusters that are formed are between adjacent countries in regions where liberal bilateral trade relations exist. Our analysis of networks of different years shows that intensification of trade has led to increased size of clusters, which implies that the number of countries spared from the network effects of disruption is reducing. Finally, applying this method to the aggregate network obtained by combining the four networks reveals clusters very different from those found in the constituent networks.
Ultrasonic welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy

This article overviews the ultrasonic welding process, a solid-state joining method, using the example of welding of a magnesium alloy as well as the joining of magnesium alloys in general. In situ high-speed imaging and infrared thermography were utilized to study interfacial relative motion and heat generation during ultrasonic spot welding of AZ31B magnesium (Mg) alloys. A postweld ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation was performed to study the evolution of local bond formation at the faying interface (contact surface of the joint between the top and bottom Mg sheets) at different stages of the welding process. Two distinct stages were observed as the welding process progresses. In the early stage, localized reciprocating sliding occurred at the contact faying interface between the two Mg sheets, resulting in localized rapid temperature rise from the localized frictional heating. Microscale (submillimeter) bonded regions at the Mg–Mg faying surface started to form, but the overall joint strength was low. The early-stage localized bonds were broken during the subsequent vibrations. In the later stage, no relative motion occurred at any points of the faying interface. Localized bonded regions coalesced into a macroscale joint that was strong enough to prevent the Mg–Mg interface from further breakage and sliding. With increasing welding time, the bonded area continued to increase.