cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Binding of tropomyosin-troponin to actin increases filament bending stiffness.

Abstract Rheologic measurements show that the association of tropomyosin–troponin with actin filaments is responsible for the reduction of the internal chain dynamic and increase in the mechanical rigidity of actin filaments. Basing calculations on the linear relation between the plateau modulus, G N ′ , and bending modulus, κ, I find that tropomyosin–troponin at r AT = 7 increases actin filament stiffness by ∼50%. This is confirmed by dynamic light scattering. Further increases are observed at rising F-actin and constant tropomyosin–troponin concentrations. Tropomyosin–troponin also delays actin assembly and subsequent network formation and increases filament stiffness over time.
Man-made superlattice and quantum wells: past and future

The story leading to the successful introduction of the GaAs/GaAlAs man-made superlattice is probably not known to most. Before I joined IBM and started working under Leo Esaki, I was working and teaching in Texas after I left Bell Labs. My boss, the head of Physics Research at Southwest Research Institute, Frank Witmore, showed me a new book: The Dynamics of Conduction Electrons by A.B. Pippard, Blackie & Son Limited, 1964. He discussed what happens to metals if the mean free path is sufficiently long. For example, electrons move toward the Brillouin zone boundary under the application of an electric field, and are reflected resulting in oscillations.
Pattern Formation and Tip Inhibition in the Cellular Slime Mold Polysphondylium pallidum

We have shown that the apical tip of the developing sorogen prevents secondary tip formation during normal patterning in Polysphondylium pallidum. In one class of experiments the apical tip was excised and secondary tips soon formed over the surface of the remaining sorogen. In another, very large sorogens formed secondary basal tips spontaneously before regulating to a fixed radius to length ratio of 0.14, the ratio characteristic of control sorogens. These results are discussed in the light of a simple model.
Multisensor fusion classification with a multilayer perceptron

The problem of fusing information from multiple sensors to perform pattern recognition is addressed. A technique is proposed for performing target/nontarget discrimination using information from absolute range and forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors. A multilayer perceptron is used to perform the feature-level fusion and is compared to a k -nearest-neighbor classifier as well as a nonparametric Bayesian classifier using Parzen windows. All three classifiers show statistically significant improvement from the fusion process; however, the multilayer perceptron uses far fewer free parameters, which should improve generalization capability. Also, the multilayer perceptron requires much less computation than the traditional classifiers
Elimination of pulse pileup distortion in nuclear radiation spectra

Abstract During the recording of pulse-amplitude spectra from nuclear radiations, distortions are produced when two or more pulses occur within the resolving time of the linear amplifier in use. Several fast-logic systems have been developed to remove these distortions by rejecting piled-up pulses. One system, built primarily from commercial logic units, operates satisfactorily with a NaI(Tl) spectrometer at total counting rates up to 7 × 10 5 pps. Further improvements are proposed. Additional systems are proposed for amplitude correction, rather than rejection, of the piled-up pulses. These latter systems should allow the use of substantially increased total counting rates, taking full advantage of the improved counting statistics, while maintaining satisfactorily low spectrum distortions.
Carrier–envelope phase stabilization of 5-fs, 0.5-mJ pulses from adaptive phase modulator

We compressed high-power laser pulses to 5 fs and 0.5 mJ using a neon-filled hollow-core fiber and a high-throughput 4f system. The carrier–envelope phase of the two-cycle pulses was measured directly by using their over-one-octave output spectrum. The carrier–envelope phase was stabilized by feedback controlling the grating separation of a stretcher in a chirped pulse amplifier. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that carrier–envelope phase locked few-cycle pulses were generated by using an adaptive phase modulator.
Strategy for integrating object-oriented and logic programming

Abstract Logic programming and object-oriented programming have made significant contributions to the field of artificial intelligence, particularly as knowledge-based system development tools. Both these tools are extremely powerful and have several interesting features for application developers to exploit. The paper examines the potential benefits of integrating these two technologies to develop large knowledge-based applications, using each for what it does best. The salient features of the object-oriented and logic programming paradigms are summarized, and the advantages of combining them are discussed. A possible strategy is also provided for implementing the object-oriented paradigm within the logic-programming environment.
Modulation of arginine-induced glucagon release by epinephrine and glucose levels in man.

To assess how physiological epinephrine (EPI) elevations and EPI-induced hyperglycemia interact in the regulation of glucagon secretion, we measured acute glucagon responses (AGR) to arginine at controlled glucose levels during EPI infusions in man. With glucose levels matched at 166 +/- 5 mg/dl using glucose clamp techniques, the AGR (mean change at 2-5 min) to a 5-g iv arginine injection was greater in each subject during the infusion of 15 ng/kg . min EPI (low EPI) than during the control glucose infusion and was still greater during the infusion of 80 ng/kg . min EPI (high EPI; 69 +/- 15, 76 +/- 13, and 142 +/- 22 pg/ml, respectively; n = 8; P less than 0.003). With glucose levels matched at 256 +/- 5 mg/dl, a similar dose-related enhancement of AGR by EPI was seen (control, 53 +/- 12 pg/ml; low EPI, 63 +/- 5 pg/ml; high EPI, 130 +/- 20 pg/ml; P less than 0.008). During control infusions, raising the glucose level from 102 +/- 2 to 166 +/- 5 to 256 +/- 5 mg/dl suppressed AGR from 77 +/- 17 to 69 +/- 15 to 53 +/- 12 pg/ml (P less than 0.002). During low EPI, the same glycemic increments lowered GR from 108 +/- 19 to 76 +/- 13 to 63 +/- 5 pg/ml (P less than 0.02). This suppression of AGR by hyperglycemia was sufficient to obscure stimulation by EPI: at a glucose level of 102 +/- 2 mg/dl during control infusions, AGR was 77 +/- 17 pg/ml, compared to only 76 +/- 13 pg/ml during low EPI with the glucose level higher (166 +/- 5 mg/dl). Multiple linear regression analysis showed a highly significant dependence of AGR on both EPI and glucose levels, accounting for 80% of the within-subject variation in AGR (P less than 0.0001). These data show that 1) EPI is a dose-dependent amplifier of arginine-induced glucagon secretion in man, and 2) hyperglycemia suppresses arginine-induced glucagon secretion, potentially masking the stimulation caused by EPI. The findings suggest that the feedback effect of hyperglycemia on glucagon secretion may help regulate the level of hyperglycemia resulting from adrenergic stimulation.
Minimization of Total Absolute Flow Time Deviation in Single and Multiple Machine Scheduling

In this note, single machine scheduling and minimizing absolute flow time deviation (TAFD) are considered. The relationship between this problem and the mean absolute deviation of job completion times about a common due date (MAD) is discussed. Based on the MAD problem optimal solutions of the TAFD problem are given. Furthermore, the generalization of the problem to the multiple machine case is discussed and an efficient algorithm for generating many optimal solutions of the problem, in the multi-machine case, is given.
Recapturing the Art of Medicine: From the Selma and Lois DeBakey Lectureship in Biomedical Communications, given in the winter of 2011

Introduction I revere the concept of the teacher. The word doctor comes from the Latin “docere,” to teach, and that is what we are expected to do. We know this from the Hippocratic Oath, and we know it in the grand tradition of medicine. We don’t know much about Hippocrates, but we know that “his” writings — approximately 70 books that comprise the Hippocratic corpus — were not actually written by him but by many people over a period of several centuries. The Hippocratic physicians accomplished much and they laid down the foundation for the practice of medicine as we know it today. They did not believe that sickness occurred because the person had been morally corrupt in some way. They proposed for the very first time, at least in the western concept, that disease was a natural phenomenon that had to do with forces of nature. Yet the most important thing they left us was their code of ethics — laid down not just in the Hippocratic Oath but in many of those 70 books. Their sense of ethics wasn’t akin to today’s meaning of medical ethics. Rather, it meant healer’s morality, the goodness of the physician. That the physician was a good person with whom the patient could identify was an important characteristic of anyone who attempted to heal, because this was part of the transference that enabled the patient to identify with the person who was treating them.
Quenching of the Nonlocal Electron Heat Transport by Large External Magnetic Fields in a Laser-Produced Plasma Measured with Imaging Thomson Scattering

We present a direct measurement of the quenching of nonlocal heat transport in a laser-produced plasma by applying large external magnetic fields (>10 T). The temporally resolved Thomson-scattering measurements of the electron temperature profile show that the heat front propagation transverse to a high-power laser beam is slowed resulting in extremely strong local heating. We find agreement with hydrodynamic modeling when including a magnetic field model that self-consistently evolves the fields in the plasma.
Analysis and interpretation of seismic data from thin reservoirs: Northwest Java Basin, Indonesia

A detailed analysis and interpretation is performed of a 2‐D seismic line over a sequence of thin reservoirs in the upper Cibulakan formation in the Northwest Java Basin. Most well sites in this area are selected to be structures near fault zones as faults are assumed to be the main hydrocarbon migration paths. Amplitude variation with offset analysis is little used because of contamination by thin‐layer tuning effects. Attribute analysis, impedance inversion, and full‐wavefield modeling suggest that gas reservoirs are detectable even when they are less than their tuning thickness, as they correspond to acoustic impedance anomalies and low instantaneous frequency. The presence of hydrocarbons can also be detected by anomalous behavior in crossplots of acoustic impedance versus density and P‐wave velocity; sandstone reservoirs show low velocity and low impedance. Two‐dimensional P‐velocity and density distributions resulting from impedance inversion produce synthetic elastic common‐source gathers that disp...
Phase Transformations in the Ti-6Al-4V-H System

Thermohydrogen processing, a technique in which hydrogen is used as a temporary alloying element in titanium, allows enhanced microstructural control and improved mechanical properties. This paper provides an improved definition of the phase transformations taking place in the Ti-6Al-4V-hydrogen system, which should lead to increased application of the technique.
Making Generic Tutorials Content Specific: Recycling Evidence-based Practice (EBP) Tutorials for Two Disciplines

Librarians at the Boston University Medical Center constructed two interactive online tutorials, “Introduction to EBM” and “Formulating a Clinical Question (PICO),” for a Family Medicine Clerkship and then quickly repurposed the existing tutorials to support an Evidence-based Dentistry course. Adobe's ColdFusion software was used to populate the tutorials with course-specific content based on the URL used to enter each tutorial, and a MySQL database was used to collect student input. Student responses were viewable immediately by course faculty on a password-protected Web site. The tutorials ensured that all students received the same baseline training and allowed librarians to tailor a subsequent library skills workshop to student tutorial answers. The tutorials were well-received by the medical and dental schools and have been added to mandatory first-year Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) and Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) courses, meaning that every medical and dental student at BUMC will be expected to c...
WE‐B‐351‐02: Patient Dose Estimates From CT Examinations

Radiation dose from computed tomography has been an important issue for medical physicists for some time. This issue has increased in significance in the past several years due to advances in multidetector CT, which have resulted in increased utilization in areas such as pediatric CT,cardiacCT and even screening applications. Some of the key issues currently facing the medical physics community are assessing dose to patients from these various exams. One of the key building blocks to these assessments is the estimation of organ dose. The purpose of this presentation is to describe an approach to estimating organ doses to patients using Monte Carlo‐based simulation methods. In this approach, both the scanner and patient are modeled in some detail and a CT exam may be simulated. The detailed modeled of the CTscanner is created by including information such as the source spectra and filtration, its geometry, beam collimation and the path that the source travels around the patient (such as the path during a helical CT exam). The development, testing and validation of these models will be discussed. Patient models generally fall into two categories. The first consists of geometric descriptions of organs (based on cones, cylinders, etc.) such as the MIRD phantom. The second consists of voxelized descriptions of patient anatomy that are created based on actual patient scans. In these, radiosensitive organs are identified in the image data to create a voxelized model of the patient geometry. For both types of models, there are challenges to create models representing patients of different sizes, ages and genders. Once both the scanner and patient are modeled, then different scan protocols can be simulated using a Monte Carlo based software package (such as MCNP or EGS). This involves selecting a scanner model, a patient model and then selecting a set of technical parameters, such as one would do for an actual scan — including body region being examined, etc. The Monte Carlosoftware then simulates the specified scan and tallies absorbed dose in each voxel or geometric unit of the patient model, which then allows the calculation of either mean organ dose or the distribution of dose within an organ. In this presentation, the results of this approach in several applications will be described, including: (a) dose to the fetus in pregnant women of early, middle and late gestational ages, (b) comparing dose to glandular breast tissue from thoracic CT scans both with and without tube current modulation. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the Monte Carlo simulation based approach to estimating radiation dose to radiosensitive organs from CT scans. 2. Understand the current limitations of the Monte Carlo based approach. 3. Describe the results of some current applications of this approach to estimating fetal dose as well as breast dose reduction from tube current modulation.
A Market‐Based Examination of Revenue and Liability Recognition: Evidence from the Publishing Industry

This study examines the market valuation of the unearned revenue liability reported by a sample of newspaper and magazine publishers. The evidence indicates that stock prices behave as if the unearned revenue liability represents an economic asset overall. It is further shown that the market valuation of the unearned revenue “asset” is increasing in the magnitude of advertising relative to circulation revenue. After controlling for advertising revenue inflows, reported unearned revenue is negatively related to stock price, indicating that the economic asset is valued in part on its liability characteristics. These results have direct implications for the FASB's current deliberations on revenue and liability recognition.
The many faces of planning

Abstract In this issue of Bookwatch, we start with a number of books which deal with different aspects or approaches to planning. The first has an unusual title (particularly for a book from the US): Planning in Government: Shaping Programs that Succeed (by Melvin R. Levin, Planners Press, Chicago, 1987, 257 pp). The idea that planning can ‘succeed’ is not all that common these days, and one might expect this volume to take the nature of a political tract, bucking the current strong anti-government, pro-privatism philosophies, and espousing the benefits of more — or at least better — planning.
The impact of music therapy versus music medicine on psychological outcomes and pain in cancer patients: a mixed methods study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of music therapy (MT) versus music medicine (MM) interventions on psychological outcomes and pain in cancer patients and to enhance understanding of patients’ experiences of these two types of music interventions. This study employed a mixed methods intervention design in which qualitative data were embedded within a randomized cross-over trial. Thirty-one adult cancer patients participated in two sessions that involved interactive music making with a music therapist (MT) and two sessions in which they listened to pre-recorded music without the presence of a therapist (MM). Before and after each session, participants reported on their mood, anxiety, relaxation, and pain by means of visual analogue and numeric rating scales. Thirty participants completed an exit interview. The quantitative data suggest that both interventions were equally effective in enhancing target outcomes. However, 77.4 % of participants expressed a preference for MT sessions. The qualitative data indicate that music improves symptom management, embodies hope for survival, and helps connect to a pre-illness self, but may also access memories of loss and trauma. MT sessions helped participants tap into inner resources such as playfulness and creativity. Interactive music making also allowed for emotional expression. Some participants preferred the familiarity and predictability of listening to pre-recorded music. The findings of this study advocate for the use of music in cancer care. Treatment benefits may depend on patient characteristics such as outlook on life and readiness to explore emotions related to the cancer experience.
Identifying usability issues via algorithmic detection of excessive visual search

Automated detection of excessive visual search (ES) experienced by a user during software use presents the potential for substantial improvement in the efficiency of supervised usability analysis. This paper presents an objective evaluation of several methods for the automated segmentation and classification of ES intervals from an eye movement recording, a technique that can be utilized to aid in the identification of usability problems during software usability testing. Techniques considered for automated segmentation of the eye movement recording into unique intervals include mouse/keyboard events and eye movement scanpaths. ES is identified by a number of eye movement metrics, including: fixation count, saccade amplitude, convex hull area, scanpath inflections, scanpath length, and scanpath duration. The ES intervals identified by each algorithm are compared to those produced by manual classification to verify the accuracy, precision, and performance of each algorithm. The results indicate that automated classification can be successfully employed to substantially reduce the amount of recorded data reviewed by HCI experts during usability testing, with relatively little loss in accuracy.
The Wyoming Province: a distinctive Archean craton in Laurentian North America

The Wyoming Province is a distinctive Archean craton in the northwestern United States that can be subdivided into three subprovinces, namely, from oldest to youngest, the Montana metasedimentary province, the Beartooth–Bighorn magmatic zone, and the Southern accreted terranes. Archean rocks of the Montana metasedimentary province and the Beartooth–Bighorn magmatic zone are characterized by (1) their antiquity (rock ages to 3.5 Ga, detrital zircon ages up to 4.0 Ga, and Nd model ages exceeding 4.0 Ga); (2) a distinctly enriched 207Pb/204Pb isotopic signature, which suggests that this part of the province was not produced by the amalgamation of exotic terranes; and (3) a distinctively thick (15–20 km), mafic lower crust. The Montana metasedimentary province and Beartooth–Bighorn magmatic zone were cratonized by about 3.0–2.8 Ga. Crustal growth occurred via continental-arc magmatism and terrane accretion in the Southern accreted terranes along the southern margin of the province at 2.68–2.50 Ga. By the end of the Archean, the three subprovinces were joined as part of what is now the Wyoming Province. Subsequent to amalgamation of the Wyoming crust to Laurentia at ca. 1.8–1.9 Ga, Paleoproterozoic crust (1.7–2.4 Ga) was juxtaposed along the southern and western boundaries of the province. Subsequent tectonism and magmatism in the Wyoming region are concentrated in the areas underlain by these Proterozoic mobile belts.
1141635485 Genetic stress (IL‐10 deficiency) and toxicant (PCB)‐induced disruption of pregnancy

Several epidemiologic studies have provided evidence that a significant number of pregnant women living within the World Trade Center disaster area experienced a high rate of low birth weight and premature deliveries. Our hypothesis is that these women were predisposed to pregnancy disruption effects of toxicants detected in the dust of the disaster area. We sought to examine the effects of PCB on pregnancy outcome in an IL-10-/- mouse model. IL-10-/- or congenic wild type mice of 6–8 weeks age were given i.p injections of Aroclor 1254 (PCB) at doses of 50 or 500 μg/mouse in 100 μL corn oil on gestational day (gd) 1 and 7 or an equivalent (100 μL) amount of corn oil. Mice were sacrificed on gd 13 and uteri and spleen were excised and collected. Uterine mononuclear cells (UMC) and splenic mononuclear cells (SMC) were isolated. These cell populations were subjected to phenotypic and functional characterization. A portion of uterine tissue was either snap frozen for placental PCB contents or for histology. No doses of Aroclor 1254 affected the pregnancy outcome in wild type mice. However, IL-10-/- mice experienced fetal resorption when injected with high dose (500 μg/mouse) of Aroclor 1254. Local immune dysregulation and placental anomalies including apoptosis and immunocyte infiltration are currently being investigated. Our results strongly suggest that IL-10 deficiency and PCB-mediated immunotoxicity lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Acknowledgement: Supported by NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program Award P42ES13660.
Remark on lower bounds to eigenvalues

It is shown that the familiar Temple, Stevenson-Crawford, and Weinstein lower bound formulas for eigenvalues are consequences of a much stronger general lower bound formula and the weak “Eckart criterion” for the overlap of the approximate and true wave functions.
NONLINEAR STRUCTURE FORMATION AND THE ACOUSTIC SCALE

We present high signal-to-noise ratio measurements of the acoustic scale in the presence of nonlinear growth and redshift distortions using 320 h−3 Gpc 3 of cosmological particle-mesh simulations. Using simple fitting methods, we obtain robust measurements of the acoustic scale with scatter close to that predicted by the Fisher matrix. We detect and quantify the shift in the acoustic scale by analyzing the power spectrum: we detect at greater than 5 σ a decrease in the acoustic scale in the real-space matter power spectrum of 0.2% at z = 1.5, growing to 0.45% at z = 0.3. In redshift space, the shifts are about 25% larger: we detect a decrease of 0.25% at z = 1.5 and 0.54% at z = 0.3. Despite the nonzero amounts, these shifts are highly predictable numerically, and hence removable within the standard ruler analysis of clustering data. Moreover, we show that a simple density field reconstruction method substantially reduces the scatter and nonlinear shifts of the acoustic scale measurements: the shifts are reduced to less than 0.1% at z = 0.3–1.5, even in the presence of nonnegligible shot noise. Finally, we show that the ratio of the cosmological distance to the sound horizon that would be inferred from these fits is robust to variations in the parameterization of the fitting method and reasonable differences in the template cosmology.
A modification of the DeLury method for use when natural mortality is not negligible

Abstract An alternative method for estimating population size, N0, and catchability coefficient, q, which does not involve DeLury's use of an approximation of the Taylor series, is developed. The equation is of the form C f /f=q · N 0 − (q′) K t where Ct/f is the instantaneous catch per unit effort, Kt is the cumulative catch to the start of interval t plus half of that taken during the time-interval t, and q′ is the slope of the regression of Ct/f against Kt and is related to q as q=(−1/f) [ log (1− q′ · f) + M] where M is the instantaneous rate of natural mortality.
Levofloxacin treatment failure in a patient with fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia.

The frequency of fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has increased as fluoroquinolone administration for treatment of respiratory tract infections has increased. Levofloxacin treatment failed in a patient who had pneumococcal pneumonia and had received three previous courses of levofloxacin therapy. Susceptibility testing revealed high-level resistance to levofloxacin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] > 32 μg/ml), and cross-resistance to moxifloxacin (MIC 4 μg/ml), trovafloxacin (6 μg/ml), and gatifloxacin (12 μg/ml). Sequencing of the quinolone-resistance determining region revealed a mutation of serine-81 to phenylalanine (Ser81Phe) in the gyrA region of DNA gyrase and a Ser79Phe mutation in the parC region of topoisomerase IV. The patient was treated successfully with intravenous ceftriaxone followed by oral cefprozil. Clinicians must be aware of local resistance patterns and the potential for fluoroquinolone treatment failures in patients with infections caused by S. pneumoniae.
Neuroendocrine effects of light therapy in late luteal phase dysphoric disorder

In 20 late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD) and in 11 normal control (NC) subjects, circadian profiles of cortisol, prolactin, thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH), and core body temperature were measured during midfollicular (MF) and late luteal (LL) menstrual cycle phases and after 1 week of light therapy either with (1) bright (tau 2500 lux) white morning (6:30 AM to 8:30 AM), (2) bright white evening (7 PM to 9 PM) or (3) dim (< 10 lux) red evening light, randomly administered in three separate luteal phases. In NC but not PMDD subjects, the cortisol peak significantly delayed in the LL compared with the MF phase. In PMDD, prolactin peak and amplitude were higher, prolactin acrophase earlier, and temperature amplitude higher during both the MF and LL phases. After light treatment, prolactin amplitude remained higher in LLPDD than in controls. In both groups, bright light shifted the cortisol acrophase, and AM light increased the prolactin nadir. Bright PM light increased the TSH nadir in LLPDD, but decreased it in controls. Thus, menstrual cycle phase, diagnosis, and light therapy may differentially affect neuroendocrine systems.
Radioisotope scanning of the lung in cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Abstract Lung scanning was found to be a safe and useful method of studying pulmonary blood flow in cyanotic patients, and good correlation was obtained with angiocardiographic findings. At present, in addition to its proved value in thromboembolic pulmonary disease, radioisotope scanning of the lung appears indicated for the following groups of cyanotic patients: (1) In those suspected of major regional differences of pulmonary flow due to absence or hypoplasia of one pulmonary artery or its major branch, or to peripheral pulmonary arterial stenosis. (2) In those with severe chest deformity due to scoliosis or other skeletal anomalies in whom simple radiologic assessment of pulmonary flow is difficult or impossible. (3) In patients after operation to assess the patency of venous shunts, and in a few instances, to document the continuing patency of arterial shunts. Future quantitative studies comparing cyanotic patients with pulmonary hypertension and those with pulmonary stenosis are indicated. Further improvements in methods of quantitation and timing may make the technic useful in documenting bronchial flow and in assessing the velocity of pulmonary blood flow in selected cyanotic patients.
The frequency domain

The author aims to give you some idea of what a pole is and why it is a significant concept. To do this, he gives a tour of the mysterious world that control engineers call the frequency domain. The article is intended as a conceptual preview for undergraduate students and assumes minimal technical background. The frequency domain is a kind of hidden companion to our everyday world of time. We describe what happens in the time domain as temporal and in the frequency domain as spectral. Roughly speaking, in the time domain we measure how long something takes, whereas in the frequency domain we measure how fast or slow it is. Why do control engineers like the frequency domain so much? In a nutshell, the reason is this: most signals and processes involve both fast and slow components happening at the same time. Frequency domain analysis separates these components and helps to keep track of them.
Predicting Emotional and Social Competence during Early Childhood from Toddler Risk and Maternal Behavior

The longitudinal associations between maternal parenting behavior and toddler risk with children's emotional and social competence were examined during the transition to kindergarten, in a sample of 253 children. Toddler risk was characterized by early externalizing behavior and poor emotion regulation skills. Given that we were interested in the multiple pathways that may result in emotional and social competence, we examined the interactions among maternal parenting behavior and toddler risk. There were some significant interactions, although the pattern of results was not consistent across all competence outcomes. Maternal parenting behavior was not directly associated with children's emotional and social competence. In some instances, maternal control has differential implications for children's emotional and social competence dependent upon the child's level of early risk and maternal positive parenting. Specifically, maternal control tended to be more detrimental for children's emotional competence during the transition to kindergarten, when children exhibit higher levels of risk. Overall, it appears that there are multiple developmental pathways, depending on child and maternal characteristics that lead to early emotional and social competence.
The rate coefficient for the reaction of O(3P= with CH3OOH at 297 K

The absolute second-order rate coefficient for the reaction, O( 3 P) + CH 3 OOH → products, was measured to be k 1 = (1.06 ± 0.26) × 10 −14 cm 3 molec −1 s −1 at 297 K, where the quoted error is 2σ including precision and estimated systematic errors. The possible presence of (CH 3 CH 2 ) 2 O in our sample of CH 3 OOH leads to a large error in k 1 which reflects the relatively large uncertainty indicated. O( 3 P) was generated in excess CH 3 OOH by photolyzing a small amount of O 3 at 532 nm, where CH 3 OOH does not photolyze. The rate of removal of O( 3 P) in the experiments was monitored by resonance fluorescence detection. The increased reactivity of O( 3 P) with CH 3 OOH relative to H 2 O 2 is interpreted as due to H abstraction from the CH 3 group
A mediational model relating affect intensity, emotion inhibition, and psychological distress

A growing empirical literature suggests that attempts to suppress, inhibit, or avoid private experience (e.g., thoughts, feelings) can be problematic. The purpose of this study was to examine a model in which inhibition of thoughts and emotion was predicted to mediate the relationship between the trait of negative affect intensity and acute psychological distress. Two studies evaluated the model using structural equation modeling procedures: one in a clinical sample and the other in a nonclinical sample. Support for the model was found in both studies, indicating its generalizability. These results provide further evidence for the notion that avoiding or inhibiting cognitive and emotional experience may be a particularly problematic coping style, which is more likely to be engaged in by emotionally intense individuals who are vulnerable to psychological distress.
Breaking news on twitter

After the news of Osama Bin Laden's death leaked through Twitter, many people wondered if Twitter would fundamentally change the way we produce, spread, and consume news. In this paper we provide an in-depth analysis of how the news broke and spread on Twitter. We confirm the claim that Twitter broke the news first, and find evidence that Twitter had convinced a large number of its audience before mainstream media confirmed the news. We also discover that attention on Twitter was highly concentrated on a small number of "opinion leaders" and identify three groups of opinion leaders who played key roles in spreading the news: individuals affiliated with media played a large part in breaking the news, mass media brought the news to a wider audience and provided eager Twitter users with content on external sites, and celebrities helped to spread the news and stimulate conversation. Our findings suggest Twitter has great potential as a news medium.
Improving TCP reordering robustness in multipath networks

The TCP performance can deteriorate substantially in multipath packet-forwarding networks which induce persistent packet reordering. Focusing on these networks, we propose a simple algorithm to adaptively adjust the value of dupthresh, the threshold of duplicate acknowledgement at which the TCP fast retransmission algorithm is triggered, to improve the TCP performance. It uses an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and the mean deviation of the length of reordering events to adjust the value of dupthresh. Our algorithm also computes an upper bound of dupthresh to avoid retransmission timeout events. In addition, it provides a mechanism to decrease dupthresh at the retransmission timeout (RTO) events. The simulation results show that our algorithm improves the protocol performance significantly with very low overhead. It achieves a greater throughput and fewer false fast retransmissions.
Parental Influences on Young Women’s Certainty about Their Career Aspirations

Identity control theory (Kerpelman, Pittman, & Lamke, Journal of Adolescent Research, 12: 325–346, 1997) and the literature on possible selves (Markus & Nurius, American Psychologist, 41: 954–969, 1986) and family influences on adolescents’ vocational choices (e.g., Otto, Journal of Career Development, 27: 111–117, 2000; Whiston & Keller, The Counseling Psychologist, 32: 493–568, 2004) were used to guide this study of young women’s career aspirations. How mother–daughter and father–daughter relationships were associated with young women’s certainty about their anticipated future careers was addressed with data from 304 female undergraduates. Findings indicated that parent–daughter connectedness predicted the young women’s anticipated distress, as well as their willingness to change to fit parental views should their parents disagree with their career aspirations. In addition, anticipated distress mediated associations between willingness to change and connectedness with parents, and between willingness to change and father–daughter career discussions. Discussing career goals with mother increased mother’s influence, but decreased father’s influence, on daughter’s career certainty under conditions of father–daughter disagreement about career choice. The ability to separate her own feelings from those of her father was particularly important in reducing the daughter’s willingness to change her career goals to fit maternal or paternal expectations. Collectively, these findings offer additional insights about the role of parent–adolescent relationships in understanding young women’s career aspirations and note the importance of considering the distinct influences of mothers and fathers on their daughters’ career goals and plans.
Assessment of Styrene Oxide Neurotoxicity Using In Vitro Auditory Cortex Networks

Styrene oxide (SO) (C8H8O), the major metabolite of styrene (C6H5CH=CH2), is widely used in industrial applications. Styrene and SO are neurotoxic and cause damaging effects on the auditory system. However, little is known about their concentration-dependent electrophysiological and morphological effects. We used spontaneously active auditory cortex networks (ACNs) growing on microelectrode arrays (MEA) to characterize neurotoxic effects of SO. Acute application of 0.1 to 3.0 mM SO showed concentration-dependent inhibition of spike activity with no noticeable morphological changes. The spike rate IC50 (concentration inducing 50% inhibition) was 511±60 μM (𝑛=10). Subchronic (5 hr) single applications of 0.5 mM SO also showed 50% activity reduction with no overt changes in morphology. The results imply that electrophysiological toxicity precedes cytotoxicity. Five-hour exposures to 2 mM SO revealed neuronal death, irreversible activity loss, and pronounced glial swelling. Paradoxical “protection” by 40 μM bicuculline suggests binding of SO to GABA receptors.
The prevalence and incidence of convulsive disorders in children.

Summary: Each year, about 150,000 children and adolescents in the United States will come to medical attention for evaluation of a newly occurring seizure disorder of some type. Between 2% and 4% of all children in Europe and the United States experience at least one convulsion associated with a febrile illness before the age of 5 years. The cumulative incidence of febrile convulsions among children ranges from about 1% in China to more than 8% in Japan and 14% in Guam. The peak incidence of a first febrile convulsion occurs in the second year of life. Between 0.5% and 1% of children and adolescents experience a seizure associated with other acute metabolic or neurologic insults; most of these occur in the neonatal period. The incidence of epilepsy (recurrent unprovoked seizures) in children and adolescents seems relatively consistent across all populations studied, ranging from 50 to 100/100,000. The highest incidence of epilepsy is in the first year of life. West syndrome accounts for about 2% of all childhood epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome for 1–2%, childhood absence epilepsy (pyknolepsy) for 10–15%, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy for 5%, and idiopathic localization-related epilepsy for 10%. Between 0.5 and 1% of children experience a nonrecurrent, single, unprovoked convulsive episode. Following are the estimated numbers of children and adolescents with newly diagnosed convulsive disorders in the United States for the year 1990: febrile seizures, 100,000; neonatal seizures, 4,000; other provoked seizures, 6,000; single unprovoked seizures, 10,000; and epilepsy, 30,000.
Assessing Glycinin (11S) and β-Conglycinin (7S) Fractions of Soybean Storage Protein by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Soybean breeding programs underway today are addressing the goal of improving the protein profile to benefit the human diet as well as that of livestock. Glycinin, a globulin storage protein of the meal and designated as the 11S size fraction by ultracentrifugation, is desirable because of its relative abundance of sulfur-containing amino acids, such as methionine and cysteine. The current study examined the feasibility of near-infrared (NIR) measurement of glycinin and the other prevalent protein fraction, β-conglycinin (7S size fraction), as well as the electrophoretically separable sub fractions that comprise these two components. From a population of 101 F6-derived recombinant inbred lines in a field replicated trial, single whole soybeans were scanned in transmittance (800–1,798 nm, 24 beans/sample × 197 samples total). Additional scanning of the ground meal was performed in reflectance (1,100–2,498 nm). Partial least squares (PLS) calibrations were developed, using the 24-bean average log(1/T) spectrum for each sample, as well as the average spectrum from duplicate packs of log(1/R) spectra of the meal. The results indicate that NIR prediction of 11S and 7S, as well as the sub fractions thereof, is at best limited to screening purposes in soybean breeding programs for probable reasons of an inherent lack of spectral specificity of the protein fractions and a non-constant proportion of soluble-to-total protein.
Performance modeling and enhancement in real-time data flow architectures

The authors are concerned with performance modeling and enhancement for periodic execution of large-grain, decision-free algorithms in data flow architectures operating in real-time. The mapping of real-time algorithms onto data flow architectures is realized by a marked graph model called ATAMM (algorithm to architecture mapping model). Applications include control, surveillance, and signal processing problems. Performance is characterized by computing speed and throughput. Bounds on performance measures are established. A technique for transforming an algorithm to improve throughput while maintaining input-output equivalence is presented. The state equations of a linear time invariant system are modified to illustrate the throughput enhancement technique. >
Factors Associated with Missed Vaccination during Mass Immunization Campaigns

Achieving a high percentage of vaccination coverage with polio vaccine, while necessary, is not sufficient to eliminate or eradicate polio. The existence of pockets of under-vaccinated children has allowed outbreaks of polio in countries that have achieved high levels of vaccination coverage and in countries with no cases for many years. In a literature review, 35 articles were identified that described factors associated with missed vaccination in mass immunization campaigns. An annotated bibliography was developed for each article; these were then coded using the AnSWR program, and codes were organized into three larger thematic categories. These thematic areas were: (a) organization and implementation of mass campaigns; (b) population characteristics; and (c) knowledge and practices of caretakers. If these factors were geographically clustered, it was suspected that these clusters might have higher likelihood of becoming pockets of unvaccinated children. Immunization programme managers can target resources to identify if such clusters exist. If so, they can then ensure supervision of vaccination efforts in those sites and take further action, if indicated, to prevent or mitigate pockets of unvaccinated children.
Radioactive Source Estimation Using a System of Directional and Non-Directional Detectors

We derive source parameter estimation algorithms based on maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for a system of non-directional (scintillator) and directional (CZT based Compton) radiation detectors. For multiple non-directional detectors, the joint likelihood of registered counts is maximized to estimate the source parameters. For directional detectors, the well-known List Mode Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (MLEM) algorithm is extended to fuse information from multiple detectors and locate the source in Cartesian coordinates. We then develop multi-sensor fusion algorithms for a system of non-directional and directional detectors by combining MLE and MLEM algorithms. Results are presented which illustrate the behavior and performance of our proposed approaches.
Diode-footed domino: a leakage-tolerant high fan-in dynamic circuit design style

A leakage-tolerant design technique for high fan-in dynamic logic circuits is presented. An NMOS transistor with gate and drain terminals tied together (diode) is added in series with the evaluation network of standard domino circuits. Due to the stacking effect, the leakage of the evaluation path significantly decreases, thereby improving the robustness of the circuit against deep-submicron subthreshold leakage and input noise. To improve the speed of the circuit, a current mirror is also employed in the evaluation network to increase the evaluation current. The proposed technique (diode-footed domino) exhibits considerable improvement in leakage and noise immunity as compared to the standard domino circuits. Simulation results of wide fan-in gates designed using Berkeley Predictive Technology Models of 70-nm technology demonstrate at least 1.9/spl times/ noise-immunity improvement at the same delay compared to the standard domino circuits. Dynamic comparators and multiplexers are designed using the diode-footed domino and conventional techniques to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in improving leakage-tolerance and performance of high fan-in circuits.
An Adaptive On-Demand Channel Estimation for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Various vehicular communication technologies have been proposed to provide reliable and seamless wireless communications. Short-range vehicular communications can be established using IEEE 802.11p, and the range of these protocols can be extended using mobile multi-hop ad hoc networks. To provide consistent Quality of Service (QoS) with maximum achievable transmission rate, many algorithms assume that the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the receiver is known, or can be obtained by modifying protocols. In this paper, we present an efficient on-demand adaptive channel estimation technique. Using simple UDP messages without changing protocols, the estimator predicts the SNR with minimum signaling overheads. Extensive experiments in vehicular environments along the I-85 highway and residential areas in Atlanta, Georgia reinforce that the proposed algorithm is efficient and reliable channel estimation technique for next generation wireless mobile networks.
Network-Aware Overlays with Network Coordinates

Network coordinates, which embed network distance measurements in a coordinate system, were introduced as a method for determining the proximity of nodes for routing table updates in overlay networks. Their power has far broader reach: due to their low overhead and automatic adaptation to changes in the network, network coordinates provide a new paradigm for managing dynamic overlay networks. We compare network coordinates to other proposals for network-aware overlays and show how they permit the lucid expression of a range of distributed systems problems in well-understood geometric terms.
Finding zero-crossings using the Laplacian of a LLMMSE filter for stationary random noise

Edge detection in the presence of noise is a fundamental problem in computer vision. Its solution directly influences the solution of many higher-level vision problems. A method for edge detection in the presence of stationary, signal independent, randomly distributed additive noise is presented. A rotationally symmetric Laplacian of a locally linear minimum-mean-squared-error (LLMMSE) filter is used to obtain the zero-crossings in an image instead of the Marr-Hildreth operator. The effect of this filter is studied for images degraded by Gaussian white noise. >