cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Nonlinear Least Square Algorithm for Voigt Spectral Lines

In this paper a new fitting algorithm which works with Voigt functions is discussed. The fitting algorithm used is an extension of the rapidly convergent gradient method of Fletcher and Powell, who claim faster convergence than the Newton-Raph-son method which has been used by Chang and Shaw for fitting Lorentz line widths. The Fletcher and Powell algorithm involves the effects of second derivatives although second derivatives are not explicitly calculated. In our algorithm, first and second derivatives are computed not numerically, but analytically via a modification to Drayson's Voigt function subroutine. This algorithm provides rapid convergence even when there are few data points. Profiles have been fitted with as few as five data points. Our typical line fits involve 40 points. The run time of the algorithm has been compared with the shrinking cube algorithm of Hillman and found to be at least 10 times faster under identical starting conditions. Sample single line and single line plus background are shown illustrating the speed and efficiency of the new algorithm, as well as the importance of good zero-order estimates to start the iterations.
Incarcerated Inguinal Richter’s Hernia With Ischemic Testis in a Premature Neonate The Diagnostic Role of Duplex Sonography

Richter’s hernia is an uncommon condition of hernia, in which only a portion of the anti-mesenteric bowel wall is entrapped in the hernia orifice. Although it is a well-recognized entity in adults, Richter’s hernia is much less frequently diagnosed in children, especially in the premature neonate. There has been only one report of this special type of hernia in the neonate in the English literature. Its tendencies to early strangulation and frequent lack of obstructive symptoms make it difficult to be diagnosed before operation. The author presents a unique case in which an inguinal hernia with incarceration and ischemic testis has been diagnosed and surgically proven in a premature newborn. Duplex sonography played an important role in the pre-operative diagnosis because there was no significant evidence of intestinal obstruction. The sonographic features and the findings of its complication are described.
Why We Need a New Theory of Government

In the 1970s I was among a group of scholars endlessly debating theories of the state. Others in the discussion were my recent predecessor as APSA President, Theda Skocpol, and my immediate successor, Ira Katznelson. What intrigued us was a vast literature, grounded in neo-Marxism and covering huge swaths of history and geography. Nearly all the important books and articles were by sociologists and historians, but with Structure and Change in Economic History, my then-colleague, economist Douglass North, transformed the debate by using economic models of transaction costs and property rights to model the state's role in economic prosperity over time. Most political scientists now acknowledge the importance of this perspective, but it nonetheless helped precipitate twenty years of divergence between historical and new economic institutionalists.Margaret Levi is Jere L. Bacharach Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science, University of Washington, Seattle (mlevi@u.washington.edu). Among her books are the single-authored Consent, Dissent and Patriotism (1997) and Of Rule and Revenue (1988) and the co-authored Cooperation Without Trust? (2005) and Analytic Narratives (1998). Many people offered me comments. I did not always take their advice, but I am grateful to Amit Ahuja, Paloma Aquilar, Marcelo Bergman, Maureen Eger, Ann Gryzmala-Busse, Bea Kelleigh, Bob Kaplan, Edgar Kiser, Victor Lapuente-Gine, Michael Lipsky, Kenneth Kollman, Jose-Maria Maravall, Peter May, Leonardo Morlino, Steve Pfaff, Kate Pflaumer, Frances Fox Piven, Christoph Pohlmann, Nancy Rosenblum, Jean-Laurent Rosenthal, Bo Rothstein, Susan Stokes, Katherine Stovel, Joan Tronto, and Ashutosh Varshney. My greatest debt is to the two graduate students who read and commented on several drafts as well as located the materials I needed to write this presentation: John Ahlquist and Audrey Sacks.
Systematics of Species of Anthonomus Germar Previously Assigned to Tachypterellus Fall and Cockerell (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Tachypterus Dietz (not Guerin-Meneville) (type species, Anthonomus quadrigibbus Say) and the replacement name Tachypterellus Fall and Cockerell are here considered junior synonyms of Anthonomus Germar ( New synonymy ). Species formerly assigned to Tachypterellus are now placed in Anthonomus: A. quadrigibbus Say, North America; A. consors (Dietz) ( New combination ), North America; and A. nodulosus (Marshall) ( New combination ), Java; A. similans (Voss) ( New combination ), Java; A. plaumanni (Voss), Brazil; A. collaris (Voss) ( New combination ), China; and A. dorsalis (Voss and Chujo) ( New combination ), Japan. A. consors and A. quadrigibbus are considered here to be closely related species; however, their relationships to other species in the genus is unclear. A. consors and A. quadrigibbus are both associated with plants of the family Rosaceae ( A. quadrigibbus perhaps also with Cornus sp. [Cornaceae]). Larval development takes place in fruits. A. consors is found west of the Continental Divide in the United States and Canada and is associated with Amelanchier and Prunus species. A. quadrigibbus is widespread in North America on a number of genera of Rosaceae ( Amelanchier, Crataegus, Prunus, Pyrus, Malus, and Sorbus species). Variation in structural features, particularly size and size-dependent characters, is marked in A. quadrigibbus and appears largely dependent on size of host plant fruit rather than host plant taxonomic category. No evidence has been obtained to indicate that subspecies or host races should be recognized. A. consors and A. quadrigibbus are hypothesized to have diverged in relatively recent geological time in association with species of Amelanchier to the west and east, respectively, of the Continental Divide in western North America.
Influence of Gender on the Ratio of Serum Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) to Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) in Patients With and Without Hyperbilirubinemia

The serum asparate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio is widely used in the differential diagnosis of icteric and non-icteric hepatic disorders. Our objective was to determine whether there are gender related-differences in the serum AST/ALT ratio. We used sera from 3,618 unselected patients sent to our laboratory for an automated chemistry panel, which included measurements of AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin. Effects of gender on serum AST, ALT, and AST/ALT were examined in different age groups. Among patients with normal total serum bilirubin concentrations, serum AST and ALT concentrations were significantly lower in the females than in the males (P < 0.0001). However, the serum AST/ALT ratio was higher in the females than the males (median values of 0.90 and 0.81, respectively; P < 0.0001). AST and ALT were also lower in the 54 hyperbilirubinemic females than in the 102 hyperbilirubinemic males. Serum AST/ALT ratios were considerably higher in these 156 hyperbilirubinemic patients than in the normobilirubinemic group, with median ratios of 1.09 in females and 0.92 in males (P = 0.02). Significantly higher serum AST/ALT ratios in females were first evident in the 3rd age decade and remained significantly higher than ratios in males through the 8th decade. We conclude that serum AST/ALT ratios are higher in women than men. When clinicians utilize serum AST/ALT ratios to assess the etiology or chronicity of liver disease, the patient's gender also should be taken into consideration.
Systematics and phylogeny of the Aglajidae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca)

The generic limits within the Aglajidae are reviewed and modified, based on the study of 21 species. Navanax Pilsbry, 1895 is reinstated as a genus distinct from Aglaja. The generic placement of several species is altered from previous works. An evaluation of morphological characters suggests that each of six genera has distinctive external morphology. The systematic value of twelve characters is critically reviewed. The evolutionary relationships of the Aglajidae and its genera to other philinacean familes are discussed.
Concepts and measurement: Ontology and epistemology

This article discusses some ontological and epistemological differences in qualitative and quantitative approaches to concepts and measurement. Concept formation inevitably raises the issue of ontology because it involves specifying what is inherent and important in the empirical phenomenon represented by a concept, e.g. ‘What is democracy?’ Qualitative researchers adopt a semantic approach and work hard to identify the intrinsic necessary defining attributes of a concept. Quantitative scholars adopt an indicator-latent variable approach and seek to identify good indicators that are caused by the latent variable. Concepts and measurement also raise epistemological issues about the nature and quality of knowledge. In quantitative analyses, the challenges of knowledge generation are closely linked to ‘error’, understood as the difference between an estimated value and a true value. By contrast, in qualitative analyses the challenges of knowledge generation are more closely linked to ‘fuzziness’, understood ...
Phosphorylation of both 47 and 49kDa proteins accompanies superoxide release by neutrophils.

Abstract Neutrophils stimulated with activators of protein kinase C (i.e., 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol) exhibit a dramatic, dose-dependent incorporation of 32 P[P 1 ] into two proteins with molecular weights of ca. 47 and 49kDa. Proteins of the same molecular weights are also labelled when the cells are stimulated with a chemotactic peptide. However, with the latter stimulus, labelling of the 47kDa species is transient whereas that of the 49kDa entity persists. Labelling of both proteins always accompanied the release of O 2 − stimulated by these agents. The kinetics of labelling are compatible with the involvement of both phosphoproteins in the stimulation of these cells.
Pericardial Effusion and Pneumothorax After Breast Augmentation

This is a case of a 41-year-old woman who presented with near-syncope and generalized weakness 1 week after breast augmentation. The patient was diagnosed in the Emergency Department (ED) with a pneumothorax and pericardial effusion. Although post-breast augmentation pneumothorax is well documented in the plastic surgery literature, to our knowledge the complication of pericardial effusion has not been reported. It is important to be aware of this potential morbidity associated with breast augmentation, an increasingly popular elective procedure.
The Earth System Prediction Capability program

The Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) inter-agency program was established in 2010 as a coordinating effort to improve collaboration across the federally sponsored environmental research and operational prediction communities for the development and implementation of improved national physical earth system prediction. Towards these goals, a set of five demonstration projects are under development and researchers are invited to participate in the definition and execution of the projects. The goal of the demonstrations is to provide unifying themes and common diagnostics to develop a common modeling environment, establish community data sets & test cases, assess predictability at sub-seasonal to inter-annual timescales, and begin to develop guidelines for the future transition to operational forecasts.
POLÍTICAS CRIMINAIS NUMA SOCIEDADE DEMOCRÁTICA

O presente artigo busca estabelecer algumas bases politicasindicativas do que pode ser considerada uma intervencao estatal democratica,adequada a um pais emergente, para o enfrentamento doproblema da criminalidade, a partir do projeto de sociedade, Estadoe Direito positivado constitucionalmente em 1988.
Basic Exploratory Research versus Guideline-Compliant Studies Used for Hazard Evaluation and Risk Assessment: Bisphenol A as a Case Study

BackgroundMyers et al. [Environ Health Perspect 117:309–315 (2009)] argued that Good Laboratory Practices (GLPs) cannot be used as a criterion for selecting data for risk assessment, using bispheno...
Growth of rose roots and shoots is highly sensitive to anaerobic or hypoxic regions of container substrates.

Abstract Commercial greenhouse cut rose plants commonly have shallow root systems, even in well-drained substrates. We studied rose plant responses to a wide range of soil air-filled porosity values to determine tolerance to low soil aeration. ‘Kardinal’ rose plants on ‘Natal Briar’ rootstock were grown for 11 weeks in containers holding 2.5 l of Yolo loam soil. The soil had been treated with a polyacrylamide soil conditioner to stabilize aggregates after they had been separated into three size fractions: coarse (1–2 mm), medium (0.1–1 mm), and fine (
Three-dimensional tracking of objects in holographic imaging

In this paper we overview on a three dimensional imaging and tracking algorithm in order to track biological specimen in sequence of holographic microscopy images. We use a region tracking method based on MAP estimator in a Bayesian framework and we adapt it to 3D holographic data sequences to efficiently track the desired microorganism. In our formulation, the target-background interface is modeled as the isolevel of a level set function which is evolved at each frame via level set update rule. The statistical characteristics of the target microorganism versus the background are exploited to evolve the interface from one frame to another. Using the bivariate Gaussian distribution to model the reconstructed hologram data enables one to take into account the correlation between the amplitude and phase of the reconstructed field to obtain a more accurate solution. Also, the level set surface evolution provides a robust, efficient and numerically stable method which deals automatically with the change in the topology and geometrical deformations that a microorganism may be subject to.
Increasing Rates of Atmospheric Mercury Deposition in Midcontinental North America

Mercury contamination of remote lakes has been attributed to increasing deposition of atmospheric mercury, yet historic deposition rates and inputs from terrestrial sources are essentially unknown. Sediments of seven headwater lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin were used to reconstruct regional modern and preindustrial deposition rates of mercury. Whole-basin mercury fluxes, determined from lake-wide arrays of dated cores, indicate that the annual deposition of atmospheric mercury has increased from 3.7 to 12.5 micrograms per square meter since 1850 and that 25 percent of atmospheric mercury deposition to the terrestrial catchment is exported to the lake. The deposition increase is similar among sites, implying regional or global sources for the mercury entering these lakes.
Why a Special Issue on Collaborative Learning in Postsecondary and Professional Settings

To introduce the special issue on collaborative learning in postsecondary and professional education, the editors describe their reasons for assembling it. First, most of the existing collaborative learning research focuses on K-12 settings; second, some forms of collaborative learning are used predominantly or exclusively in postsecondary or professional education; and finally, increasing numbers of adults are getting some or all of their college education online. The introduction concludes with the editors explaining their decision not to take a position on the nomenclature question (“collaborative” vs. “cooperative” vs. “peer” vs. “small group” learning) which pervades the literature.
Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement Dysfunction in Abstinent Cocaine Abusers: Effects of a Paternal History of Alcoholism

The present study evaluated smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) function in 36 cocaine-dependent patients, with or without a paternal history of alcoholism, and 12 nondrug-dependent normal volunteers. None of the subjects in either group met DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, or delusional, major affective, or schizotypal personality disorders. None possessed a history of seizures, significant head injury, HIV-1 infection, or regular medication use. SPEMs were elicited by a pendulum, oscillated at 0.5 Hz, and recorded using electro-oculographic techniques. Tracking accuracy was estimated by the power of the horizontal electro-oculograph at the stimulus oscillation frequency. Analyses revealed that the SPEM tracking accuracy of cocaine-dependent patients without a paternal history of alcoholism was superior to that of the normal control group. SPEM tracking in these patients correlated positively with years of cocaine and polysubstance abuse. In contrast, patients with a paternal history of alcoholism exhibited subnormal SPEM tracking performance. These differences could not be explained by other family history, demographic, or drug use variables.
Dialysis: The importance of peritoneal catheter exit-site care.

The risk of peritonitis associated with infections of the peritoneal catheter exit site can be reduced by the use of proper exit-site care, such as the routine administration of prophylactic antibiotics at the exit site. Studies that demonstrate the efficacy of such an approach or similar approaches continue to be published.
Supporting topological relationship queries for complex line and collection geometries in oracle spatial

Transportation networks including roads and railways, and linear hydrography features like streams and canals are traditionally represented as complex lines in geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial database systems. In addition, as the Global Positioning System (GPS) becomes increasingly ubiquitous, GIS and spatial database systems are also encountering increasing use of trajectories of moving objects, which can also be represented as complex lines with each vertex not only containing location information, but also associated with some additional measures such as time. In this paper, we present our experience with supporting topological relationship queries for these complex lines. Furthermore, this paper presents our experience with supporting topological relationship queries for complex geometry collections, such as a composite hydrography feature, which can be comprised of complex lines (for narrow portions of rivers) and complex polygons (for wide portions of rivers, and lakes). We conduct our experiments by utilizing real-world data sets and demonstrate that topological relationship query performance for both complex lines and complex collections can be significantly improved.
Optimal control of population transfer in an optically dense medium

We apply the optimal control technique (OCT) to design an optical pulse pair that controls the population transfer in a medium of three‐level atoms. The absorption and reshaping of the controlling pulses by the medium are taken into account. The efficiency of the population transfer is improved significantly compared with designs that do not incorporate pulse absorption and reshaping.
More Than Just a Soundtrack: Toward a Technology of the Collective in Hardcore Punk

We study the musical genre of punk to discuss how the embodiment of music and musical practices operate as a “technology of the collective.” This furthers our understanding how music, as a cultural form, becomes a tangible resource used in the constitution of collective identity. By utilizing the subculture of hardcore punk as a vehicle for exploration, this approach helps us understand how musical practices operate at the analytical level of embodied practices. We explore how aspects of embodiment illuminate displays of involvement and group membership, as well as solidarity and community. Music becomes the conduit between identity, conventionalized expressions, and the ways people form investments to configure their social worlds.
Checkpoint Therapy to the Rescue

To prevent overactivation of the immune system, the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway works as a checkpoint to control T cell activation. The pathway is activated when the ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 bind to the PD-1 receptor, resulting in T cell “exhaustion,” a reversible inhibition of T cell
Content Reading Education: What Methods Do Teachers Prefer?

During the past 20 years many teachers have participated in preserviceand inservice education programsaimed at developing students' readingcomprehension. What strategies haveteachers found most valuable for help ing students read text assignments ?
Plasticity of Oriented Glassy Polymers

The stress‐strain properties of uniaxially oriented, glassy polycarbonate and polyphenylene oxide were measured in shear vs the angle between the shear plane and the orientation axis. The results are interpreted in terms of a model that emphasizes the microscopic graininess of glassy polymers. It is concluded that at least four of the five independent slip systems required for a general deformation of each grain involve kinking and the flexing of bonds. This confirms the importance of bond flexing in the plasticity of glassy polymers, as was assumed in a recently proposed theory.
WE-D-BRA-01: MLC Based Delivery and Serial Tomotherapy Experience

IMRT, by virtue of the increased degrees of delivery freedom available, requires the utilization of advanced optimization approaches (so‐called inverse planning techniques). While such inverse planning optimization approaches make possible the solution of these otherwise intractably large problems, they impose unique challenges with regard to the treatment of multiple targets with different desired total delivered dose levels. In this session we will discuss and characterize these challenges and discuss various “workarounds” to these problems, along with their potential implications and ramifications.
PEP carboxykinase exchange reaction in photosynthetic bacteria

This paper describes some new characteristics of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase CO2-oxaloacetate exchange reaction in purified preparations of Rhodospirillum rubrum. The enzymatic activity has been purified 169-fold. Nucleotide diphosphates substitute for nucleotide triphosphates in the exchange reaction. Nucleotide diphosphates will not support the synthesis of phosphoenolpyruvate from oxaloacetate. This reaction differs significantly from the CO2-oxaloacetate exchange reaction in higher plants and animals.
The bidirectional p53-Wrap53β promoter is controlled by common cis- and trans-regulatory elements

The p53 protein is an important tumor suppressor that regulates many cellular processes including maintenance of the cell cycle and apoptosis. The p53 protein maintains stability of the genome through the induction of several intracellular and extracellular factors in response to DNA damage, which in turn, stabilizes the protein, allowing it to undergo its proper mechanisms of action. We recently reported that the p53 tumor suppressor gene has a bidirectional gene partner, Wrap53β. This discovery prompted the development of a bidirectional expression vector system (pLucRLuc) that is capable of measuring the output of transcripts mediated by bidirectional promoters. We have begun to study the nature of the p53/Wrap53β promoters. Here, we have continued these studies by incorporating mutations within the regulatory regions of the p53/Wrap53β bidirectional gene pair to study the effect(s) these have on the two promoters. Deletions and point mutations were created within the two promoters and their activity was examined in the pLucRLuc system. Our results demonstrated that each of the deleted sequences within the murine p53/Wrap53β promoters reduced the activity of each of the promoters. Co-transfections with the pLucRLuc:p53/Wrap53β bidirectional expression vector and known p53 transcriptional regulators were also performed. Here, we demonstrate that p53's bidirectional gene partner, Wrap53β, can also be regulated by many of the same transcription factors.
A Laminar Flow Nebulizer for Aerosol MALDI

A laminar flow nebulizer was developed for use with aerosol matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. The nebulizer consists of a glass pneumatic nebulizer combined with a laminar flow tube. Particles formed at the pneumatic nebulizer are entrained in an auxiliary gas stream that dries the particles in the laminar flow tube. The mass range of the reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been extended to greater than 5000 Da: a mass spectrum of bovine insulin is reported at a mass resolution of 100. Mass spectra of bovine insulin and the peptides bradykinin and angiotensin II contain features resulting from prompt analyte dissociation prior to ion acceleration.
A universal relationship between magnetic resonance and superconducting gap in unconventional superconductors

A comprehensive survey of the cuprate, heavy-fermion and iron-based superconductors shows a universal linear relationship between their magnetic resonance energy and superconducting gap. This result suggests that antiferromagnetic fluctuations might have a similar role in the unconventional superconductivity of these seemingly different classes of materials. Superconductivity involves the formation of electron pairs (Cooper pairs) and their condensation into a macroscopic quantum state. In conventional superconductors, such as Nb3Ge and elemental Hg, weakly interacting electrons pair through the electron–phonon interaction. In contrast, unconventional superconductivity occurs in correlated-electron materials in which electronic interactions are significant and the pairing mechanism may not be phononic. In the cuprates, the superconductivity arises on doping charge carriers into the copper–oxygen layers of antiferromagnetic Mott insulators1. Other examples of unconventional superconductors are the heavy-fermion compounds, which are metals with coupled conduction and localized f-shell electrons2, and the recently discovered iron–arsenide superconductors3. These unconventional superconductors show a magnetic resonance, a prominent collective spin-1 excitation mode in the superconducting state4,5,6,7,8. Here we demonstrate the existence of a universal linear relation, Er∝2Δ, between the magnetic resonance energy (Er) and the superconducting pairing gap (Δ), which spans two orders of magnitude in energy. This relationship is valid for the three different classes of unconventional superconductors, which range from being close to the Mott-insulating limit to being on the border of itinerant magnetism. As the common excitonic picture of the resonance has not led to such universality, our observation suggests a much deeper connection between antiferromagnetic fluctuations and unconventional superconductivity.
Alcoholism and Prescription Drug Abuse in the Elderly: St. Louis University Grand Rounds

This Grand Rounds will review the problem of alcoholism and prescription drug abuse in the elderly. Several case vignettes will be presented. The pharmacology of alcohol and potentially addictive prescription medications will be reviewed. The clinical presentation of and psychiatric symptoms associated with these disorders will be discussed. The process of addiction and issues regarding the clinical evaluation of the elderly addict will be discussed. The medical complications of these disorders will be reviewed, followed by a discussion of guidelines for the appropriate use of these drugs in the elderly. The grand rounds will conclude with a discussion of the treatment of patients with these disorders.
Control strategies for two-player games

Computer games have been around for almost as long as computers. Most of these games, however, have been designed in a rather ad hoc manner because many of their basic components have never been adequately defined. In this paper some deficiencies in the standard model of computer games, the minimax model, are pointed out and the issues that a general theory must address are outlined. Most of the discussion is done in the context of control strategies, or sets of criteria for move selection. A survey of control strategies brings together results from two fields: implementations of real games and theoretical predictions derived on simplified game-trees. The interplay between these results suggests a series of open problems that have arisen during the course of both analytic experimentation and practical experience as the basis for a formal theory.
Nonlocal Continuum Theory Based Modeling of Carbon Nanotube Composites

Analytical modeling of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) composite based on the nonlocal continuum theory is investigated. This approach accounts for nonlocal stress-strain relationships, that is, stress at any point in a structure is a function of strain in the entire structure. Finite element analysis of a representative volume element (RVE) of CNT composite is used to evaluate unknown constant in the nonlocal theory based solution. Stress distributions are obtained from finite element method (FEM), nonlocal theory, and standard (local) elasticity. Nonlocal theory and FEM stress distributions yield the same total force and first moment, whereas standard elasticity gives less accurate results.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A NOVEL METHOD FOR AUTOMATION OF 3D HYDRO BREAK LINE GENERATION FROM LIDAR DATA USING MATLAB

Water body detection is necessary to generate hydro break lines, which are in turn useful in creating deliverables such as TINs, contours, DEMs from LiDAR data. Hydro flattening follows the detection and delineation of water bodies (lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, streams etc.) with hydro break lines. Manual hydro break line generation is time consuming and expensive. Accuracy and processing time depend on the number of vertices marked for delineation of break lines. Automation with minimal human intervention is desired for this operation. This paper proposes using a novel histogram analysis of LiDAR elevation data and LiDAR intensity data to automatically detect water bodies. Detection of water bodies using elevation information was verified by checking against LiDAR intensity data since the spectral reflectance of water bodies is very small compared with that of land and vegetation in near infra-red wavelength range. Detection of water bodies using LiDAR intensity data was also verified by checking against LiDAR elevation data. False detections were removed using morphological operations and 3D break lines were generated. Finally, a comparison of automatically generated break lines with their semi-automated/manual counterparts was performed to assess the accuracy of the proposed method and the results were discussed.
Activation of the alternative pathway of complement by malassezia ovalis (Pityrosporum ovale)

Activation of C3 and factor B in normal human serum by P. ovale was demonstrated using a standard unidirectional immunoelectrophoresis technique. Activation of complement by the alternative (properdin) pathway is a possible mechanism by which P. ovale may mediate an inflammatory response.
Haynesville Louisiana Drilling and Production Update 2012

Louisiana’s Haynesville shale has been actively developed since its discovery, but in recent years there has been rapid retrenchment in the region and a precipitous decline in the number of new wells drilled. Cheap credit, irrational exuberance, and risk taking have played key roles in the investment decisions of operators, but work remains to sustain production and make the play more efficient and successful to attract capital. To better understand the trade-offs in unconventional development, Louisiana’s Haynesville shale is used as a case study to evaluate trends in production profiles, expected recovery volumes, development cost, and operator performance. Average production profiles have improved from 2008 to 2012 reflecting better identification of sweet spots and improved completion designs. In 2008, the expected recovery volume for a Haynesville well was 2.3 Bcf, which by 2011 increased to 5.7 Bcf per well. About two-thirds of the 2,248 producing Haynesville wells circa March 2013 are expected to recover between 2.5 and 10 Bcf over their lifetime, and the total expected recovery volume from the current well inventory is estimated to be 13.9 Tcf. The average cost to develop one Mcf of Louisiana Haynesville shale reserves to the point of production is estimated to be $1.8/Mcf, and more than half of the March 2013 well inventory is expected to have development cost greater than $3/Mcf. This is the first time development cost has been computed for any play in the U.S. based on wellbore cost statistics.
Mechanical stimulation of skeletal muscle generates lipid-related second messengers by phospholipase activation

Repetitive mechanical stimulation of cultured avian skeletal muscle increases the synthesis of prostaglandins (PG) E2 and F2 alpha which regulate protein turnover rates and muscle cell growth. These stretch-induced PG increases are reduced in low extracellular calcium medium and by specific phospholipase inhibitors. Mechanical stimulation increases the breakdown rate of 3H-arachidonic acid labelled phospholipids, releasing free 3H-arachidonic acid, the rate-limiting precursor of PG synthesis. Mechanical stimulation also increases 3H-arachidonic acid labelled diacylglycerol formation and intracellular levels of inositol phosphates from myo-[2-3H]inositol labelled phospholipids. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2), phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PLC), and phospholipase D (PLD) are all activated by stretch. The stretch-induced increases in PG production, 3H-arachidonic acid labelled phospholipid breakdown, and 3H-arachidonic acid labelled diacylglycerol formation occur independently of cellular electrical activity (tetrodotoxin insensitive) whereas the formation of inositol phosphates from myo-[2-3H]inositol labelled phospholipids is dependent on cellular electrical activity. These results indicate that mechanical stimulation increases the lipid-related second messengers arachidonic acid, diacylglycerol, and PG through activation of specific phospholipases such as PLA2 and PLD, but not by activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC.
A Solution to the Navier-Stokes Inequality with an Internal Singularity

We consider weak solutions to the time dependent Navier-Stokes equations of incompressible fluid flow in three dimensional space with an external force that always acts against the direction of the flow. We show that there exists a solution with an internal singularity. The speed of the flow reaches infinity at this singular point. In addition, the solution has finite kinetic energy.
Lin28: Time for Tissue Repair

Embryos and juveniles in many organisms repair tissue injuries better than adults. In this issue, Shyh-Chang et al. find that postnatal activation of Lin28a, a gene typically active in embryonic development, promotes better than normal tissue repair in mice, including following ear and digit injuries.
Imbibition Temperature Sensitivity of Lima Bean Seeds Controlled by Initial Seed Moisture

Excised embryonic axes and whole seeds of Phaseolus lunatus L. were previously shown to be injured if exposed to low (5 degrees -15 degrees ) temperature during the initial stages of imbibition. Present data show that this chilling injury during imbibition of liquid water can be prevented if axes are first allowed to absorb water vapor. The increase of initial water content to 20% increases growth even of unchilled axes, and reduces leaching of 264 mmu absorbing compounds. Protection resulting from increased water content is at first independent of the temperature at which water vapor was absorbed. However, longer exposure of high moisture axes to low temperature results in typical chilling injury. The response to initial seed moisture is repeatedly reversible with changes in water content. Because the same response occurs in intact seeds, it may be possible both to protect them against low temperature injury and to increase vigor by increasing seed water-content prior to planting.
The Insolvent Thrifts of 1982: Where Are They Now?

In 1982, 237 thrifts were GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principle) insolvent. By 1987, 92 of these were either merged or closed and 77 remained insolvent. The remaining 68 were GAAP solvent with an average GAAP-to-total-assets ratio of 5.6%. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that affected the probability of solvency for the 1982-insolvent thrifts over the period 1983–1987. To identify these factors, the probability of insolvency is modeled in each year between 1983 and 1987 using logistic regression. Because a thrift can earn its way out of insolvency or raise outside capital, the probability of solvency is a function of the infusion of outside capital along with balance sheet and income statement ratios reflecting the thrifts earning ability. The only variable consistently significant in each year is the variable reflecting the raising of outside capital.
Intermediate range order in amorphous selenium: A novel approach based on IR absorption

Abstract This paper presents model calculations that identify the dynamic effective charges mechanisms responsible for infrared (IR) absorption via vibrational modes in amorphous selenium (a-Se). We demonstrate that the IR response is reveals information relative to aspects of the intermediate range order, in particular to the sequence of dihedral angles.
Cardiovascular effects of surfactant suspensions given by tracheal instillation to premature lambs.

Summary: After delivery by cesarean section at 133–136 days gestational age, 18 lambs were supported with infant ventilators. Peak inspiratory pressure was the only ventilator setting that was changed in an attempt to normalize PCO2. The lambs were retrospectively divided into two groups based on their respiratory status before treatment. Ten lambs with PCO2 values of 38 ± 2 mmHg (mean ± S.E.) at 5 h of age were treated with a 15-ml suspension containing 50 mg natural sheep surfactant lipid/kg body weight. After surfactant instillation, pH fell, PCO2 increased and compliance/kg decreased transiently. Surfactant treatment did not reduce the respiratory support that these lambs required. Eight lambs with PCO2 values of 68 ± 3 mmHg at 3 ± 0.8 h of age responded to surfactant instillation with a decrease in PCO2 and an increase in PO2 and pH. In both groups of lambs heart rates, mean aortic pressures, and mean pulmonary artery pressures changed little after surfactant instillation. Cardiac outputs and regional blood flows measured before and after surfactant treatment were unchanged. Instillation of surfactant suspensions to premature lambs did not adversely affect cardiovascular status; however, some lambs did have a transient deterioration of lung function after surfactant instillation.
Temporalis muscle resuspension using titanium miniplates and screws: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the technique for and results of using titanium miniplates and screws for resuspension of the temporalis muscle after osseous detachment during cranial procedures requiring exposure of and access to the frontotemporoparietal region. METHODS: Thirty-four patients, who were being treated with various cranial procedures, underwent resuspension of the dissected temporalis muscle, using 1.5-mm or 1.3-mm titanium plates and screws, after bone flap replacement. RESULTS: The temporalis muscle was successfully and securely resuspended in all cases, using the plates and screws. There were no infections, muscle tears, dislodgement, fractures, or temporal hollowing in any of the cases. In four cases that required re-exploration, the muscle was observed to be rigidly fixated and scarred to the bone. CONCLUSION: The use of titanium plates and screws is a safe, simple, successful alternative for reattachment of temporalis muscles for patients undergoing cranial procedures.
Broadband Coherent Signal Direction Finding Algorithm Improvement

TCT for broadband coherent signal direction finding algorithm, the problem of large amount of calculation, an improved method of direction finding is studied, and the only focus signal subspace of the matrix is used to calculate, able to quickly estimate two-dimensional broadband coherent signal. Compared with the traditional TCT algorithm, in the case of without affecting the estimation precision greatly reduce amount of calculation and improve the signal DOA estimation of broadband real-time performance, and in an arbitrary planar array for the model computer simulation experiments have been carried out to verify the performance of it.
Combination of Carbon Dioxide and Cinnamon to Inactivate Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Apple Juice

ABSTRACT: Pasteurized apple juice with CO2 (0, 1, and 4%) and cinnamon (0 and 0.3%) was inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 at 104 CFU/mL, and stored at 5 and 20 °C. Counts on nonselective and selective media, and thin agar layer (TAL; selective medium overlaid with nonselective medium) were determined at 1 h and 1, 3, 7, and 14 d. Inactivation was greater at 20 °C. Samples with 1 and 4% CO2, alone and combined with cinnamon, presented < 0.7 log CFU/mL in 3 d. Counts in apple juice inoculated at 102 CFU/mL, a low-level E. coli O157:H7 contamination, were nondetectable at 3 d. The TAL method was as effective as nonselective medium to recover injured cells.
GIS, SINKS, FILL, and disappearing wetlands: unintended consequences in algorithm development and use

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software has become an important computational tool in several fields. GIS software ranges from command line processors, with maximal control over internal model decisions, to GUI versions with point-and-click access to pre-set modules. Based on the output from this software, some GIS users make important decisions to plan and manage landscapes (e.g., cities, parks, forests) with real consequences for the managed ecosystems. We discuss a programming decision in a GIS algorithm originally used to discern flow direction in hydrological modeling: a first step in mapping streams and rivers. Topographic depressions ("sinks") are "filled" in the algorithm to map water flow downstream; otherwise, the GIS algorithm cannot solve the flow direction. Unfortunately, sinks are often "isolated" wetlands which provide essential habitat for many species not commonly found elsewhere. Thus the algorithmic filling of sinks can make these wetlands "disappear" in GIS output and land-use decisions based on this output.This algorithmic detail may have potentially devastating real-world consequences for numerous wetlands because land-use plans made in ignorance cannot adequately conserve these unique habitats and the vital ecosystem services that wetlands provide. These consequences were not anticipated by the programmers who originally implemented the flow direction algorithm and may not be known to GIS users. We offer several strategies to reduce the impact of these consequences for GIS programmers, users, and policy makers who depend on GIS data when making decisions.
Successful competitive positioning: the key for entry into the European consumer market

Focuses on the importance of successful competitive positioning in the European consumer market. Presents a model for establishing a competitive position in the minds of consumers. Proposes that the model presented will help marketing executives achieve a better competition position in the European market by the successful use of components and elements which it has identified.
Folic acid pathway single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with methotrexate significant adverse events in United States veterans with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES Methotrexate (MTX) is the cornerstone medication in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in enzymes of the folic acid pathway (folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase [FPGS], gamma-glutamyl hydrolase [GGH], and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase [MTHFR]) associate with significant adverse events (SigAE). METHODS Patients (n=319) enrolled in the Veterans Affairs RA (VARA) registry taking MTX were genotyped for HLA-DRB1-SE and the following SNPs: FPGS (rs7033913, rs10760503, rs10106), GGH (12548933, rs7010484, rs4617146, rs719235, rs11988534), MTHFR (rs1801131, rs1801133). AE were abstracted from the medical record using a structured instrument. SigAE were defined as an AE leading to MTX discontinuation. Covariates included: age, gender, race, RA antibody status, tobacco, RA disease duration between diagnosis and MTX course, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index, glucocorticoids, use of prior RA medications, and mean 4-variable disease activity score. Cox regression was performed to determine factors associated with time-to-SigAE. A p-value ≤ 0.005 established significance in the final model. RESULTS The presence of ≥ 1 copy of the minor allele in MTHFR rs1801131 was associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) of SigAE (HR 3.05, 95% CI 1.48-6.29, p-value 0.003 and HR 3.88, 95% CI 1.62-9.28, p-value 0.002 for heterozygotes and homozygotes for the minor allele, respectively). An interaction term, between FPGS rs7033913 heterozygotes and GGH rs11988534 homozygotes for the minor allele, had a p-value <0.0001. CONCLUSIONS RA subjects taking MTX may have decreased time-to-SigAE with ≥ 1 copy of the minor allele in MTHFR rs1801131. Further investigation is warranted, as these SNPs may indicate susceptibility to MTX toxicity.
How does audio-haptic enhancement influence emotional response to mobile media?

This research sought to characterize and quantify the emotional response to haptic (vibrotactile) enhancement in mobile video applications, and its impact on quality of experience. The findings reported here indicate that participants feel more emotionally involved with certain types of mobile video content when they are accompanied by haptic effects generated from the audio track. Study participants also exhibited heightened emotional arousal levels as indicated by both a physiological measure (electrodermal response rates) and a self-report. These results have important implications for mobile interaction designers, as well as mobile content providers and application developers, who wish to create engaging media experiences for mobile device users.
Phase II Study of Rituximab in Combination With CHOP Chemotherapy in Patients With Previously Untreated, Aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

PURPOSE: To determine the safety and efficacy of the combination of the chimeric anti-CD20 antibody Rituxan (rituximab, IDEC-C2B8; Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA) and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with previously untreated advanced aggressive B-cell NHL received six infusions of Rituxan (375 mg/m2 per dose) on day 1 of each cycle in combination with six doses of CHOP chemotherapy given on day 3 of each cycle. RESULTS: The ORR by investigator assessment confirmed by the sponsor was 94% (31 of 33 patients). Twenty patients experienced a complete response (CR) (61%), 11 patients had a partial response (PR) (33%), and two patients were classified as having progressive disease. In the 18 patients with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score ≥ 2, the combination of Rituxan plus CHOP achieved an ORR of 89% and CR of 56%. The median duration of respon...