cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated model-based image registration for tactical image exploitation

Automatic and timely image registration and alignment for producing highly accurate geodetic coordinates is of interest to tactical systems involved in battlespace awareness. We present an approach to registration that applies rigorous photogrammetric techniques to sensor geometry models to achieve registration accuracy of only a few pixels. Image collection is fully modeled in terms of its static geometry including aircraft and sensor parameters. The registration process not only aligns imagery, but also significantly reduces geoposition errors when multiple images are used. A normalized cross- correlation is applied to align image pixels through adjustments to the initial collection geometry. Our process is fully automatic and requires no operator intervention. This technique has a side benefit that the amount of time to register images is somewhat independent of the image size. Registration can be applied to imagery from disparate sensors, such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Electro- Optical (EO), Multi-Spectral, and Infrared, in a multi- sensor fusion approach to reduce geodetic errors. This approach is implemented on standard Commercial-Off-The-Shelf hardware and has been tested on SAR and EO imagery at near real-time processing rates.
A rapid immunoperoxidase technique to distinguish herpetic types.

: The United States is experiencing an epidemic of herpetic infections. Rapid specific diagnosis of herpes simplex types And herpes zoster is important epidemiohgically and also for individual cases since treatment as well as prognosis for recurrence or dissemination varies with virus type. We report a rapid test for the diagnosis and differentiation of these infections. This test uses scrapings from viral vesicles. It employs standard immunoperoxidase techniques and takes 2 hours to perform at UC Smears from 1 3 patients with clinical and/or culture confirmation of viral type were tested. Eleven of eleven who had fresh smears (vesicles present less than 5 days) had positive staining for the viral type expected clinically. Two patients with vesicles 5 days or older showed nonspecific staining.
Experimental evidence for finite-width edge channels in integer and fractional quantum Hall effects

We report our transport study of a narrow and low-density two-dimensional electron system (2DES) defined by a pair of split gates, in the integer (IQHE) and fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) regimes. The gate-bias-dependent breakdown on the high and low magnetic field side of the IQHE and FQHE diagonal resistance minima is studied. In the IQHE case, edge states of width comparable to the magnetic length, in the single-electron Landau-level picture, cannot explain the observed breakdown data and much wider edge channels (wide band of edge states) are needed. These wide edge channels are interpreted as the compressible regions when the 2DES near the sample boundary phase separates into compressible and incompressible regions. The same breakdown behavior is observed in the fractional quantum Hall state and is interpreted as a similar phase separation in the FQHE regime.
Rosuvastatin in the management of hyperlipidemia

Abstract Background: Rosuvastatin is a new statin indicated to reduce elevated levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides and to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, mixed dyslipidemia, and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Objective: The purpose of this article was to review the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and tolerability of rosuvastatin as monotherapy and combination therapy for patients with hyperlipidemia. Methods: A literature review was conducted using the search term rosuvastatin to identify English-language peer-reviewed articles and abstracts in the MEDLINE and Current Contents databases (both 1966 to March 2004). Citations from available articles were reviewed for additional references, and selected information from the manufacturer was discussed. Results: Rosuvastatin 10 to 40 mg/d reduced LDL-C by 43% to 63% ( P P P Conclusions: Clinical studies continue to demonstrate that achieving optimal levels of LDL-C is an important goal in reducing cardiovascular events. Recent evidence suggests the need for an even lower LDL-C goal than that being recommended by the NCEP Based on the studies included in this review, rosuvastatin may help patients achieve optimal goals early with lower dosages, thus reducing the need for dose titration or combination therapy.
Inhibition of nitrate uptake by aluminium in maize

Experiments with two maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were conducted to determine (a) if the inhibition of nitrate uptake by aluminium involved a restriction in the induction (synthesis/assemblage) of nitrate transporters, and (b) if the magnitude of the inhibition was affected by the concurrent presence of ambient ammonium. At pH 4.5, the rate of nitrate uptake from 240 μM NH4NO3 was maximally inhibited by 100 μM aluminium, but there was little measurable effect on the rate of ammonium uptake. Presence of ambient aluminium did not eliminate the characteristic induction pattern of nitrate uptake upon first exposure of nitrogen-depleted seedlings to that ion. Removal of ambient aluminium after six hours of induction resulted in recovery within 30 minutes to rates of nitrate uptake that were similar to those of plants induced in absence of aluminium. Addition of aluminium to plants that had been induced in absence of aluminium rapidly restricted the rate of nitrate uptake to the level of plants that had been induced in the presence of aluminium. The data are interpreted as indicating that aluminium inhibited the activity of nitrate transporters to a greater extent than the induction of those transporters. When aluminium was added at initiation of induction, the effect of ambient ammonium on development of the inhibition by aluminium differed between the two hybrids. The responses indicate a complex interaction between the aluminium and ammonium components of high acidity soils in their influence on nitrate uptake. ei]{gnA C}{fnBorstlap}
Dynamic model of visual recognition predicts neural response properties in the visual cortex

Recent neurophysiological experiments appear to indicate that the responses of visual cortical neurons in a monkey freely viewing a natural scene can sometimes differ substantially from those obtained when the same image subregions are flashed during a conventional fixation task. These new findings attain significance from the fact that neurophysiological research in the past has been based predominantly on cell recordings obtained during fixation tasks, under the assumption that these data would be useful in predicting responses in more general situations. We describe a hierarchical model of visual memory that reconciles the two differing experimental results mentioned above by predicting neural responses in both fixating and free-viewing conditions. The model dynamically combines input-driven bottom-up signals with expectation-driven top-down signals to achieve optimal estimation of current state using a Kalman filter based framework. The architecture of the model posits a role for the reciprocal connections between adjoining visual cortical areas in determining neural response properties.
The value relevance of non-financial performance variables and accounting information: the case of the airline industry

Abstract This research examines the relative value relevance to investors of non-financial performance variables, traditional accounting variables (earnings and changes in abnormal earnings) and other financial statement information in the airline industry. Consistent with prior research, earnings and changes in abnormal earnings are employed to represent traditional accounting information. The findings suggest that accounting earnings, changes in abnormal earnings and non-financial performance variables are significantly associated with stock returns. When non-financial performance metrics, earnings and changes in abnormal accounting earnings are included in the same model, we find that non-financial performance variables exhibit incremental value relevance over traditional accounting metrics. We do not find the opposite to be true. That is, although we find the traditional accounting variables to be significantly associated with stock returns, we do not find evidence of incremental explanatory power beyond that provided by the non-financial variables. In addition, financial statement details such as revenues, gross profit, assets, etc., are examined as metrics to construct financial statement proxies that reflect value relevance similar to non-financial performance metrics. Findings suggest that such proxies for non-financial metrics, in combination with earnings and changes in abnormal earnings explain approximately as much of the variation in returns as the non-financial metrics.
Microbiological coal desulphurization

Abstract Sulphur compounds present in coal impose severe limitations on its utilization since sulphur-containing gases emitted into the atmosphere upon direct combustion of coal cause serious environmental pollution problems. Removal of sulphur compounds from coal by microbial action has many advantages over physical and chemical desulphurization methods. The potential use of various microorganisms for the removal of sulphur compounds from coal is presented. Environmental conditions and major process variables affecting the process performance are identified and their possible effects are discussed. Various process schemes for microbial desulphurization (MDS) of coal are suggested. It is concluded that microbial methods have a high potential in removing sulphur compounds from coal. However, more research and development work is needed in this field to overcome present technological problems.
Cytokine-Based Therapy and Biochemotherapy for Advanced Melanoma

A variety of immunotherapeutic approaches have shown activity in patients with metastatic melanoma with the best results being observed with interleukin 2 (IL-2). Follow-up data through 2004 confirm the durability of responses produced by the Food and Drug Administration-approved high-dose IL-2 regimen in this patient population. Efforts to develop more tolerable and/or effective IL-2-based treatment regimens by either prolonged administration of lower doses or the combination of IL-2 with other cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, or vaccines have yet to produce results superior to those seen with high-dose IL-2 alone. Recent investigations have suggested that, in some patients, IL-2 may expand regulatory T-cell populations leading to immune tolerance rather than antitumor immunity. Efforts to shift this balance in favor of immune rejection by reducing the confounding effects of regulatory T cells on IL-2 therapy or the use of novel and potentially more purely immunostimulatory cytokines are ongoing. Despite promising phase 2 data, phase 3 studies have failed to show meaningful clinical benefit for the combination of cytokines with cytotoxic chemotherapy, so-called "biochemotherapy." Nonetheless, recent investigations with biochemotherapy followed by maintenance immunotherapy suggest that biochemotherapy may still have a role as a "bridge to immunotherapy" in some patients with rapidly progressive disease. Given the low number of patients achieving durable benefit with cytokine-based immunotherapy, considerable recent effort has focused on identifying predictors of therapeutic response. Investigations suggest that immune responsiveness may be predetermined by a tumor microenvironment conducive to immune recognition and the host propensity to develop autoimmunity. Efforts to understand and further define pretreatment predictors of response through the use of gene expression and proteomic techniques are ongoing and raise the potential for eventually limiting cytokine-based immunotherapy to those most likely to benefit.
Estrogen modulation of angiotensin-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in slices of rat anterior pituitary

Abstract In this study, slices of rat anterior pituitary were prelabeled with [ 3 H]myo-inositol and the ability of angiotensins II and III to stimulate [ 3 H]phosphoinositide hydrolysis was characterized. When using tissue derived from ovariectomized rats, dose-response experiments revealed that angiotensin II significantly increases [ 3 H]inositol monophosphate formation (in the presence of 10 mM LiCI) at concentrations of 10 nM and above. Maximal stimulation by angiotensin II was observed at 1 μM (228% of basal) and 50% maximal stimulation was at 10.8 ± 2.7 nM. Angiotensin III was less potent when compared to angiotensin II (maximal stimulation at 10 μM; 220% of basal: 50% maximal stimulation, 475 ± 159 nM). When using normal female rats, significant stimulation by angiotensin II was not observed until 1 μM angiotensin II. When ovariectomized rats were treated for 7 days with 17β-estradiol, increases in [ 3 H]inositol monophosphate induced by 1 μM angiotensin II were significantly reduced when compared to sesame oil vehicle controls. This study shows that estrogen down-regulates angiotensin receptor coupling in the anterior pituitary. Moreover, it illustrates the influence of the hormonal state of the animal on the regulation of the effects of angiotensins in this tissue.
An Elastomeric Energy Storage Device for Automotive Engine Restart

Abstract An elastomeric spring starter using rubber in shear has been designed. Design criteria have been established and used to develop potential compounds for use in the device. Natural rubber proved to be the elastomer of choice primarily because of its excellent fatigue resistance. To reconcile bonding requirements and requirements for low hysteresis, the individual rings were fabricated from two elastomer compounds. Limitations on the thermal stability of the adhesive system were identified which put constraints on the operating conditions for the starter. A prototype starter has been assembled and installed in a vehicle. This prototype starter provides quiet, rapid starting of the test car. Questions of cost effectiveness, reliability, durability or manufacturing feasibility of this device have not been addressed. The starter was built for experimental purposes only and development of such a concept for mass production has not been explored.
Modeling Multicomponent Aerosol Particle Growth By Vapor Condensation

A new “moving-sectional” method is presented to solve the dynamics of multicomponent aerosol particle growth by vapor condensation in a closed system. The method controls numerical diffusion and stiffness by adapting the method of characteristics to a sectional representation of the aerosol. An exact solution for a closed system is presented, and the “moving-sectional” method gives excellent agreement when tested against this solution. Four cases are presented to demonstrate the importance of the solute, Kelvin, and latent heat effects.
Partition function estimation of Gibbs random field images using Monte Carlo simulations

A Monte Carlo simulation technique for estimating the partition function of a general Gibbs random field image is proposed. By expressing the partition function as an expectation, an importance sampling approach for estimating it using Monte Carlo simulations is developed. As expected, the resulting estimators are unbiased and consistent. Computations can be performed iteratively by using simple Monte Carlo algorithms with remarkable success, as demonstrated by simulations. The work concentrates on binary, second-order Gibbs random fields defined on a rectangular lattice. However, the proposed methods can be easily extended to more general Gibbs random fields. Their potential contribution to optimal parameter estimation and hypothesis testing problems for general Gibbs random field images using a likelihood approach is anticipated. >
The effect of lubricant concentration, miscibility, and viscosity on R134a pool boiling

Abstract This paper presents pool boiling heat transfer data for 12 different R134a/lubricant mixtures and pure R134a on a Turbo-BII™-HP surface. The mixtures were designed to examine the effects of lubricant mass fraction, viscosity, and miscibility on the heat transfer performance of R134a. The magnitude of the effect of each parameter on the heat transfer was quantified with a regression analysis. The mechanistic cause of each effect was given based on new theoretical interpretation and/or one from the literature. The model illustrates that large improvements over pure R134a heat transfer can be obtained for R134a/lubricant mixtures with small lubricant mass fraction, high lubricant viscosity, and a large critical solution temperature (CST). The ratio of the heat flux of the R134a/lubricant mixture to that of the pure R134a for fixed wall superheat was given as a function of pure R134a heat flux for all 12 mixtures. The lubricant that had the largest CST with R134a exhibited the greatest heat transfer: 100%±20% greater than that of pure R134a. By contrast, the heat transfer of the mixture with the lubricant that had the smallest viscosity and the smallest CST with R134a was 55%±9% less than that of pure R134a. High-speed films of the pure and mixture pool boiling were taken to observe the effect of the lubricant on the nucleate boiling.
Nonadditivity in Conformational Entropy upon Molecular Rigidification Reveals a Universal Mechanism Affecting Folding Cooperativity

Previously, we employed a Maxwell counting distance constraint model (McDCM) to describe α-helix formation in polypeptides. Unlike classical helix-coil transition theories, the folding mechanism derives from nonadditivity in conformational entropy caused by rigidification of molecular structure as intramolecular cross-linking interactions form along the backbone. For example, when a hydrogen bond forms within a flexible region, both energy and conformational entropy decrease. However, no conformational entropy is lost when the region is already rigid because atomic motions are not constrained further. Unlike classical zipper models, the same mechanism also describes a coil-to-β-hairpin transition. Special topological features of the helix and hairpin structures allow the McDCM to be solved exactly. Taking full advantage of the fact that Maxwell constraint counting is a mean field approximation applied to the distribution of cross-linking interactions, we present an exact transfer matrix method that does not require any special topological feature. Upon application of the model to proteins, cooperativity within the folding transition is yet again appropriately described. Notwithstanding other contributing factors such as the hydrophobic effect, this simple model identifies a universal mechanism for cooperativity within polypeptide and protein-folding transitions, and it elucidates scaling laws describing hydrogen-bond patterns observed in secondary structure. In particular, the native state should have roughly twice as many constraints as there are degrees of freedom in the coil state to ensure high fidelity in two-state folding cooperativity, which is empirically observed.
Handset System Architectures for Mobile DTV

Mobile broadcast digital TV represents the latest grand addition to the mobile handset convergence phenomenon. Even before it began, mobile DTV was likened to the next killer application in the handset – analogous to the camera phone – and it understandably receives great attention with the annual handset market size rapidly approaching the billion unit mark. Arguably, much of this appeal stems from the opportunities for so many players in an expanded value web, especially involving the entrance of the broadcast and entertainment community's content, aggregation, and distribution providers into the conventional mix of the cellular communications community's technology, system, and handset providers, and network operators. In this paper, we present an overview of the mobile DTV landscape. We also focus on the architectures for mobile DTV within the cellular handset from the systems perspective, with emphasis on the architectural implications for the handset designer and across market segmentations from the higher-end multimedia phones to the mid- and lower-range feature phones where many believe mobile DTV will ultimately shine as does the camera today.
Within‐species brain‐body weight variability: A reexamination of the Danish data and other primate species

A restudy of the Danish brain weight data published by Pakkenberg and Voigt ('64), using partial correlation techniques, confirms and extends their earlier conclusions regarding a much stronger allometric relationship between height and brain weight than between body weight and brain weight. The relationship is particularly strong in males, and not in females, which is hypothesized to be related to higher fat components in the latter. Comparative data for smaller samples of Pan, Gorilla, Pongo, Macaca, Papio, and Saimiri using body weights, suggest that such relationships also hold more strongly in males than females, although more reliable data are greatly needed. In addition to providing within-species ranges of variability for variously derived neural statistics (e.g., encephalization quotients, "extra neurons," etc.), for "normal" primates, it is suggested that while allometric trends do exist within species, and particularly males, evolutionary pressures leading to larger brain size were probably very diverse, and that any one homogenistic theory is unlikely.
Pressure dependency of gas phase reaction rate coefficients

Abstract By employing transition-state theory, an expression for pressure dependency of reaction-rate coefficients can be obtained. For a reaction of the type: a rate coefficient, k c is defined in terms of the rate expression written in terms of molar concentrations: and from transition-state theory there is obtained: where Φ A , Φ B , and Φ M are the fugacity coefficients of reactants, A , B , and the activated complex, M , respectively and Z is the compressibility factor of the mixture; k c 0 is the value of the rate-coefficient, k c , as the pressure approaches zero. By measuring values of k c over a wide enough range of pressure, and simultaneously determining Φ A , Φ B , and Z experimentally from P-V-T data, Φ M can be obtained from Eq. (3). Experimental rate data were obtained for the dimerization of chlorotrifluorothylene: at 120, 135, and 150°C for pressures from near 1 atm up to 69, 100, and 67 atm respectively. For this bimolecular, single reactant system Eq. (3) is simplified to: where R refers to the reactant, chlorotrifluoroethylene. The experimentally determined fugacity coefficient, Φ M , is well behaved and has the characteristic pressure dependency of fugacity coefficients for ordinary molecular species indicating that transition-state theory leads to a physically reasonable expression for the pressure dependency of the reaction-rate coefficient. If the activated complex is assigned properties similar to those of the reaction product, the predicted rate-coefficient is in qualitative disagreement with the experimental data. The volume of activation Δ V ‡, the partial molar volume V M of the activated complex and the second and third virial coefficients for the reactant and activated complex are reported. Δ V ‡ and V M are found to be marked functions of pressure going through sharp peaks near 40 atm for data obtained at 120°C, this state being the closest encountered to the critical point of the reactant, chlorotrifluorethylene.
Temperature Dependence of Size and Polydispersity in a Three-Component Microemulsion Observed by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

The temperature dependence of the size and polydispersity of the water core in a three-component microemulsion consisting of decane + AOT + D2O has been observed by small-angle neutron scattering. At each temperature, as a molar ratio, X. (D2O/[AOT], is varied from 8% to 49%, a linear increase in the radius is observed from about 25 A to 90 A. The extrapolated value of the radius at vanishing water concentration is non-zero, indicating substantial water penetration into the charged head-group region of the inverted micelle. From the slope and extrapolated radius of this line we can deduce the effective area and volume occupied by the hydrated head group at each temperature. The polydispersity in size is appreciable even at room temperature, and it increases steadily as the temperature is raised. The Q-dependence of the intensity distribution does not follow the Ornstein-Zernike form, but instead it can be well described as scattering from a collection of polydispersed spheres as the critical point (37°C for 6% D20) is approached.
Fatigue crack propagation in PVC: Effects of molecular weight and specimen history

Abstract In this study, an earlier investigation of the effects of molecular weight on fatigue crack propagation, FCP, in PVC was extended and earlier tentative conclusions were verified using samples whose molecular weight distributions were relatively constant and narrow. In the range of Mw between 6 × 104 and 2 × 105, a strong effect of M on the FCP rate per cycle (da/dN) as a function of the range in the stress intensity factor (δ K) was observed. While the apparent fracture toughness increased moderately with M, FCP rates at constant δK decreased by three orders of magnitude over the range examined. This strong dependence, which followed the empirical relationship da/dN = A eB/M δKn, implies that cyclic disentanglement is more difficult the higher M. Preliminary observations were also made on the roles of sample orientation, mean stress and thermal history. It was found that the residual orientation that survived specimen fabrication had a slight but significant effect on FCP rates and the maximum va...
Secondary Electron Energy Deposition in Thin Polymeric Films for Neutron-Photon Discrimination

Thin polymeric films are evaluated in this research as a potential replacement technology for radiation portal monitors where specific attention is given to the physical basis for neutron-photon discrimination. It is shown that the difference in the energy deposition mechanics from charged particle reaction products and from the Compton scattered electrons allows for the effective discrimination between neutrons and gammas. One goal of this study was to establish optimal thickness for polymeric films that maximize the neutron interactions and simultaneously minimize the measured interaction of photons. Polymeric films ranging from $15~\mu\hbox{m}$ to $600~\mu\hbox{m}$ containing ${}^6{\rm LiF}$ were fabricated and tested for their capability to satisfy criteria established by the Department of Homeland Security. Results from Monte Carlo simulations with the GEANT4 code and data from measurements confirm the technical basis for our proposed understanding of neutron-photon discrimination characteristics for thin films.
Examining organizational learning in schools: The role of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning

This study draws upon theory and methods from the field of organizational behavior to examine organizational learning (OL) in the context of a large urban US school district. We build upon prior literature on OL from the field of organizational behavior to introduce and validate three subscales that assess key dimensions of organizational learning that build upon and extend prior education research: psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Data from 941 teachers across 60 schools in this urban district suggest that organizational learning is an underlying condition which is expressed by teacher perceptions of subfactors of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Implications for adopting the conceptual framework and methods employed in this research for studying organizational learning and school change are discussed.
Laboratory measurement of suspended sediment concentration using an Acoustic Concentration Profiler (ACP)

Vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration have been gathered in a laboratory flume using a 2.25 MHz acoustic transducer. The acoustic concentration profiler (ACP) was calibrated in a vertical duct for homogeneous concentrations of two uniformly sized sediments. The transducer was then transferred to a 6 m horizontal flume where concentration profiles were measured in steady and unsteady flows. For the steady flow tests, concentration measurements made with the ACP and with suction samplers are compared. The results demonstrate that the ACP provides an accurate method of non-intrusively measuring sediment concentrations of more than 2.5% by volume.
A framework for the fragmentation of the massless relativistic string

Abstract The massless relativistic string is used to model QCD flux tubes in the process of hadronization. The solutions to the equations of motion of strings are interpreted as superpositions of momentum currents which circulate on domains with the topology of a circle. An equivalence between string fragmentation and cutting and pasting circular domains is demonstrated.
Nickel(II) cyclidenes with appended ethylpyridine receptor centers as molecular tweezers for dicarboxylic acids

A series of 14-, 15-, and 16-membered nickel(II) cyclidene macrocycles appended with 2-aminoethyl(2-pyridine) receptors I-III, respectively, were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography and NMR techniques. The 14- and 15-membered macrocycles I and II exist in a planar or extended Z-configuration, whereas the 16-membered macrocycle III was saddle shaped and had two asymmetric configurations in the unit cell (IIIa in a "capped" configuration and IIIb in an "open" configuration). Variable-temperature (1)H NMR studies of III in CD(3)CN were conducted (25-65 degrees C), and at room temperature, the interconversion between capping and uncapping is slow on the NMR time scale, resulting in a broad spectrum, whereas at 65 degrees C, interconversion was fast. (1)H NMR binding studies indicated I-III bind unsaturated dicarboxylic acids in a 1:1 stoichiometry with binding constants approaching 400 M(-)(1) in CD(3)CN, and the binding strength was dependent on the shape of the macrocyclic cyclidene platforms, whereas monocarboxylic acids were not bound. Generally, the planar 14-membered cyclidene I bound diacids the weakest and the 16-membered cyclidene III bound diacids the strongest. The presence of nuclear Overhauser effect spectrometry cross peaks in a 20 mM solution of 1:1 II-maleic acid indicates that the binding mode is ditopic with the guest being encapsulated by the aminoethylpyridine arms above the macrocyclic framework.
Stretta Radiofrequency Treatment for GERD: A Safe and Effective Modality

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the leading gastrointestinal disorders. Current treatments include lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapies, surgical fundoplications, and, more recently, endoscopic procedures. The rising concern of long-term side effects of the popular proton-pump inhibitors and the more recent evidence raising doubts about the durability of fundoplication have spurred reinterest in endoscopic procedures to treat reflux disorders. In the aftermath of several innovative antireflux procedures that were introduced and failed clinically or financially over the past decade, there is lingering confusion regarding the merits of the presently available interventions. This paper focuses on one endoscopic procedure, Stretta, which now enjoys the longest experience, a recent meta-analysis, and robust data supporting its safety, efficacy, and durability. Stretta reduces esophageal acid exposure, decreases the frequency of transient lower esophageal relaxation, increases patient satisfaction, decreases medication use, and improves quality of life. As such, this procedure remains a valuable nonsurgical treatment option in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Dynamics of skew beams and the projectional emittance

Abstract Study of the projectional emittance is an efficient way of probing the quality of a particle beam. In this work we deal with some computational aspects of the problem. We present the argument that in a beam optic code for the design or evaluation of the performance of electrostatic extractors/accelerators which produce such (round) beams, one must include in the calculation beamlets with skew angles. This is necessary if one wants to compare calculations with emittance measurements for a beam with transverse temperature. We have developed new steps and modified an existing code for such a purpose and produced calculated results of emittance plots that can be compared with experimental observations.
The Effective Range of Nuclear Forces. II. Photo-Disintegration of the Deuteron

The theory of the effective range is applied to the photo-disintegration of the deuteron. For the photoelectric effect, the only important influence of the range is through the normalization of the ground state wave function. We find that this is given by an energy-independent factor (${(1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}{r}_{0t})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, where ${r}_{0t}$ is the effective range of the forces in the triplet state, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is related to the binding energy of the deuteron. With the most likely experimental constants, this factor is 1.58, irrespective of the shape of the nuclear potential.In the photomagnetic case, the effect of the range on the matrix element nearly compensates that on the normalization. The cross section is thus nearly the same as for zero range of the forces. However, the cross section is sensitive to the difference of the effective ranges for triplet and singlet state, and can thus be used to determine the latter (${r}_{0s}$). The capture of slow neutrons by protons gives ${r}_{0s}\ensuremath{\approx}2.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm, in good agreement with the proton-proton scattering results.In the last section, we show that the effect of tensor forces is unimportant.
CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS OF Glossina, III: SUBGENERA Glossina AND Nemorhina

The cuticular methyL-branched alkanes of tsetse flies of the subgenera Glossina (sensu stricto, formerly morsitans) and Nemorhina (formerly palpalis) were identified and quantified by capillary gas–liquid chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Males of Glossina (Nemorhina) are differentiated from G. (Glossina) by dominant 27-, 28-, and/or 29-carbon backbone trimethylalkanes with the methyl positions at 3,7,11-, 4,8,12-, and 3,7,11-, respectively. All females contain major quantities of long-chain internally branched di- and/or trimethylalkanes that were previously implicated as mediators of sexual behavior in males. Taxa within these two subgroups that are closely related and/or conspecific, based upon conventional morphological and ecological criteria, exhibit similar GC patterns and similar internally branched di- and trimethylalkane isomers in females. Examination of these potentially stimulatory methylalkanes may provide reasons for the reproductive isolation of closely related species from each other.
The Shed People and the Opening of the Yangzi Highlands

The ranges of the Nanling mountain system lie strewn across the provinces south of the Yangzi, wrapping the land tightly in their rumpled and threadbare folds. These are old mountains, their wrinkled slopes patched with brush and blotched by the raw red scars of erosion. Even so, they dominate the environment of the region and loom large in the lives and memories of the people who live among them. It has not always been so. Until the late sixteenth century most parts of the Yangzi highlands were the regular haunts only of hunters and hermits, of Daoist priests and desperate brigands, and of the few poor peasants who crept up from the neighboring valleys to cut firewood and dig for medicinal roots. The mountains were a different place then, their misty heights covered with tall stands of virgin timber broken by occasional grassy meadows, through which roamed deer, tigers, and (or so local opinion had it) the mysterious unicorn. Wild, strange, and barely
Precipitation behavior of Nb in steel under ultra fast cooling conditions

By measuring the expansion curves of a Nb bearing steel at different cooling rates by using Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator, combining with metallographic analysis, different phase zones were determined. Also, precipitation behavior of Nb at different phase zones was investigated under ultra fast cooling conditions. The experimental results showed that adopting a proper deformation temperature, the ultra fast cooling process can restrain the precipitation of Nb at austenite phase zone. More quantities and smaller size precipitates of Nb can be found at the ferrite or bainite phase zone by controlling the ultra fast cooling ending temperature. With the increase of holding time at austenite, ferrite and bainite phase zones respectively, the volume fraction of precipitation, density, and average size of precipitates will increase obviously. With the decrease of early ultra fast cooling ending temperature, the density of Nb precipitates first increase (at ferrite phase zone) and then decrease (at bainite phase zone), the volume fraction of Nb precipitation decreases and precipitates can be refined. The optimal early ultra fast cooling ending temperature is located at ferrite phase zone. The combination of high rolling temperature with early ultra fast cooling technology opens the way for new cooling schedules and makes the production of high strength steels easier and cheaper by making full use of Nb precipitation strengthening effect.
Probabilistic color matching and tracking of human subjects

Pattern discovery algorithms based on the computational mechanics (CM) method have been shown to succinctly describe underlying patterns in data through the reconstruction of minimum probabilistic finite state automata (PFSA). We apply the CM approach toward the tracking of human subjects in real time by matching and tracking the underlying color pattern as observed from a fixed camera. Objects are extracted from a video sequence, and then raster scanned, decomposed with a one-dimensional Haar wavelet transform, and symbolized with the aid of a red-green-blue (RGB) color cube. The clustered causal state algorithm is then used to reconstruct the corresponding PFSA. Tracking is accomplished by generating the minimum PFSA for each subsequent frame, followed by matching the PFSAs to the previous frame. Results show that there is an optimum alphabet size and segmentation of the RGB color cube for efficient tracking.
Spectroscopic properties of Os(VI) monoesters containing heterocyclic nitrogen ligands

A series of osmium monoesters containing heterocyclic nitrogen ligands has been prepared from bicyclic and acyclic alkenes, and IR, UV-visible, and NMR spectroscopic properties are reported. As an elaboration of the NMR properties of the monoesters, the chemical shifts of the protons of the complexes in deuterochloroform solution have been followed as a function of increasing lanthanide shift reagent concentration. Besides providing general indices to the identification of the monoesters, the observed induced shifts are consistent with the formation of a unique product from the alkene substrates even when cis/trans isomers are encountered. The observed shifts are qualitatively consistent with a structure containing the expected osmyl group with the nitrogen atoms of the ligands and the oxygens of the esterified olefin lying approximately in a plane through the osmium atom perpendicular to the osmyl group.
Incomplete covariates in the Cox model with applications to biological marker data

A common occurrence in clinical trials with a survival end point is missing covariate data. With ignorably missing covariate data, Lipsitz and Ibrahim proposed a set of estimating equations to estimate the parameters of Cox's proportional hazards model. They proposed to obtain parameter estimates via a Monte Carlo EM algorithm. We extend those results to non-ignorably missing covariate data. We present a clinical trials example with three partially observed laboratory markers which are used as covariates to predict survival.
Cell renewal in the lungs of rats exposed to low levels of ozone.

Abstract This research was undertaken to study the early effects of low levels of ozone on cell renewal in the lungs of rats. To accomplish this, male rats were exposed to ozone for up to 8 days. Dividing cells were labeled with tritiated thymidine ([3H]TdR) and studied with autoradiographic techniques in the light microscope. The results showed that all labeled cells increased and then decreased to near control levels within 4 days. Type 2 cells showed the largest change in labeling index. Since the labeling indexes decreased by the fourth day despite continuous exposure and no further injury occurred, it was assumed the tissue had become tolerant to that concentration of O3. To test the degree of tolerance, groups of animals adapted to O3 were exposed to higher concentrations of O3, and the labeling indexes of Type 2 cells were studied. These studies showed that tolerance to the initial concentration of O3 did not ensure total protection to rats against reexposure to higher concentrations of O3.
TRAINING PARENTS AS BEHAVIOR MODIFIERS: SELF‐RECORDING OF CONTINGENT ATTENTION1

Two mothers of deviant young children were instructed to count their episodes of attention to appropriate child behavior in their homes, using wrist counters. Attention and appropriate child behavior were defined before counting began. Independent observations of parent-child interactions showed that, for each mother-child pair, the percentage of maternal attention given following appropriate child behavior increased, as did the child's appropriate behavior. Removal of the counters did not produce a reversal of the behaviors; instead the increased level stabilized. One mother was then instructed to count her attention to inappropriate child behavior and to decrease it. This instruction had little effect on her attention, and her child's behavior did not change. When both parents were again instructed to count their episodes of attention to appropriate behavior, further improvements in both mothers, and in their children resulted. These results were obtained despite inaccurate parent self-recording. Follow-up observations made over the next five months showed these behavioral gains to be durable. A third parent and his child were unaffected by this training procedure. Thus, there are instances in which self-recording may function as an effective and economical parent-training technique for effecting improvements in child behavior.
EFFECTS OF SIZE AND CONCENTRATION OF FOOD PARTICLES ON THE FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF THE MARINE PLANKTONIC COPEPOD CALANUS PACIFICUS1

When adult females of Calanus pacificus are fed on monospecific cultures of centric diatoms which grow as single cells, a predictive relationship is found between feeding behavior of the copepods and size and concentration of food particles. Ingestion rate of copepods increases linearly with cell concentration up to a maximal rate. This maximal ingestion rate, expressed as carbon, is the same for copepods feeding on diatoms ranging in diameter from 11–87 µ. As the size of food particles increases, the carbon concentration at which this ingestion rate is achieved decreases. Thus females of C. pacificus can obtain their maximal daily ration at relatively low carbon concentrations of large cells.
Sensitivity and specificity of rapid influenza testing of children in a community setting.

Please cite this paper as: Stebbins et al. (2011) Sensitivity and specificity of rapid influenza testing of children in a community setting. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 5(2), 104–109. Introduction Rapid influenza testing (RFT) allows for a rapid point-of-care diagnosis of influenza. The Quidel QuickVue® Influenza A+B test (QuickVue) has a reported manufacturer’s sensitivity and specificity of 73% and 96%, respectively, with nasal swabs. However, investigators have shown sensitivities ranging from 22% to 77% in community settings. Methods The QuickVue rapid influenza test was evaluated in a population of elementary (K-5) school children, using testing in the home, as part of the Pittsburgh Influenza Prevention Project during the 2007–2008 influenza season. The QuickVue test was performed with nasal swab in full accordance with package instructions and compared with the results of nasal swab semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results Sensitivity of the QuickVue was found to be 27% in this sample. There was no statistically valid correlation between the semi-quantitative PCR result and the QuickVue result. Conclusions This study is consistent with the low sensitivity of the QuickVue test also reported by others. Viral load, technique, and the use of nasal swabs were examined as contributing factors but were not found to be explanations for this result. Community testing includes patients who are on the lower spectrum of illness which would not be the case in hospital or clinic samples. This suggests that RFT is less sensitive for patients at the lower spectrum of illness, with less severe disease.
Role of ortho-retronasal olfaction in mammalian cortical evolution

Fossils of mammals and their extinct relatives among cynodonts give evidence of correlated transformations affecting olfaction as well as mastication, head movement, and ventilation, and suggest evolutionary coupling of these seemingly separate anatomical regions into a larger integrated system of ortho-retronasal olfaction. Evidence from paleontology and physiology suggests that ortho-retronasal olfaction played a critical role at three stages of mammalian cortical evolution: early mammalian brain development was driven in part by ortho-retronasal olfaction; the bauplan for neocortex had higher-level association functions derived from olfactory cortex; and human cortical evolution was enhanced by ortho-retronasal smell.
Direct Measurements of Thermal Stress Distributions in Large Die Bonds for Power Electronics

Large semiconductor devices can be subject to significant mechanical stress resulting from thermal expansion mismatch between the devices and packaging materials. This stress can either cause mechanical failure or change the operational characteristics of the device. Furthermore, this stress governs the reliability of the system during use. Therefore, a complete understanding is required of the nature of stress evolution during packaging, and its time and temperature dependence during subsequent service. In the present investigation, the absolute magnitudes and spatial distributions of time-dependent thermal residual stress are measured directly by piezospectroscopic techniques. These measurements are performed with high stress (±15 MPa) and spatial (1 μm) resolution in silicon specimens attached to substrates. Measurements are performed at room temperature on 25 mm square specimens, with continuous, layered solder joints in model specimens of silicon/solder/copper. Room temperature creep relaxation is also investigated. The stress data are then analyzed according to fundamental micromechanical models.
The Role of Purposeful Work Goals in Promoting Meaning in Life and in Schoolwork During Adolescence

What type of work goals provide adolescents with the sense that schoolwork is important and that their lives are meaningful? This mixed-methods study of a diverse sample of 6th-, 9th-, and 12th-grade adolescents (N = 148) investigated the relationship between work goals, purpose, and meaning using a semistructured interview and a survey. Interview analyses showed that multiple motives were normative (68%), and that 30% of adolescents aspired to an occupation that would allow them to contribute to the world beyond themselves. Regression analyses found that adolescents with purposeful work goals also reported more meaning in life and in schoolwork than those who did not.