cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negative urgency fully mediates the relationship between alexithymia and dysregulated behaviours

Previous research documents a relationship between alexithymia and dysregulated behaviours, but fails to explore mechanisms that may account for this relationship. The current study sought to determine whether negative urgency would mediate the relationship between alexithymia and dysregulated behaviours. We hypothesized that positive relationships would exist among alexithymia, negative urgency and dysregulated behaviours. We also hypothesized that negative urgency would mediate the relationship between alexithymia and dysregulated behaviour. Results indicated that positive correlations exist between alexithymia, negative urgency and dysregulated behaviours. Additionally, our hypothesis that negative urgency would mediate the relationship between alexithymia and dysregulated behaviour was supported. The results suggest that negative urgency may be responsible for dysregulated behaviours that are observed in those who score high on alexithymia. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Broadening of a nonequilibrium phase transition by extended structural defects

We study the effects of quenched extended impurities on nonequilibrium phase transitions in the directed percolation universality class. We show that these impurities have a dramatic effect: they completely destroy the sharp phase transition by smearing. This is caused by rare strongly coupled spatial regions which can undergo the phase transition independently from the bulk system. We use extremal statistics to determine the stationary state as well as the dynamics in the tail of the smeared transition, and we illustrate the results by computer simulations.
Feuerstein's Representational Stencil Design Test: A Comparison of Two Scoring Methods

The Representational Stencil Design Test, one of the tasks from Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device, was administered to 370 seventh- and eighth-grade students from regular public school classrooms. Two scoring methods were used to investigate factorial and psychometric differences that would relate to problem-solving processes used by the students. The dichotomous method scored each design as correct or incorrect (possible range = 0 to 20 points). The non-dichotomous method gave 2 points for each stencil chosen and put in correct juxtaposition to other stencils or 1 point if placed incorrectly (possible range = 0 to 160 points). Coefficient alpha and split-half reliability values for both methods ranged from .88 to .96. Both scoring methods were subjected to principal components factor analyses with Varimax rotation. For the dichotomous method, four factors were identified; the first two accounted for about 36% of the variance. For the nondichotomous method, however, three factors were deri...
Regional Agreements and Trade Services : Policy Issues

Every major regional trade agreement now has a services dimension. Is trade in services so different that there is need to modify the conclusions on preferential agreements pertaining to goods reached so far? The authors first examine the implications of unilateral policy choices in a particular services market. They then explore the economics of international cooperation and identify the circumstances in which a country is more likely to benefit from cooperation in a regional rather than multilateral forum.
Selection for 2n gametes and tuberization in Solanum chacoense.

A breeding scheme is outlined which broadens the genetic base of the potato by incorporation of germplasm fromS. chacoense (Argentina) with Group Phureja and haploids of Group Tuberosum. Selection for adaptation to cultivation and production of 2n gametes is carried out at the diploid level, with the benefits of disomic ratios.S. chacoense provides increased genetic diversity, vegetative vigor and profuse flowering. About one-fifth of the 654 plants examined produced 2n eggs; clones with high 2n egg production may be obtained either by screening within particular introductions or by intercrossing known 2n egg producers. Only 16 of 1,212 plants screened produced 2n pollen —one by first division restitution. There is great variation among introductions and individuals for tuberization in the greenhouse. Selection for early tuberization in the field may be difficult due to extremely long stolons, but it would be facilitated by incorporation of the short stolon characteristic from the topiary mutant typeS. infundibuliforme. Male sterile Tuberosum haploids hybridize withS. chacoense to give male fertile interspecific F1 progeny, some of which produce 2n eggs or 2n pollen.
Ankylosing spondylitis: introductory comments on its diagnosis and treatment.

A nkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory rheumatic disorder of uncertain aetiology that primarily affects the axial skeleton (sacroiliac joints and spine). Sacroiliac joint involvement (sacroiliitis) is its hallmark.1 The course of AS is highly variable and can be characterised by spontaneous remissions and exacerbation, particularly in early disease. The disease activity, however, generally persists for many decades, rarely entering a long term remission. The disease in some patients may be relatively mild or stay limited to the sacroiliac joints and the lumbar spine. Many patients may not seek medical help, which combined with the insidious nature of AS, may preclude an early diagnosis. There is currently no cure for AS, nor is there any medical intervention which can prevent or retard its progression. Only a doctor who is fully cognisant of the clinical nature of AS might consider the possibility of a spondyloarthropathy (SpA), much less AS, when presented with a young individual in their teens or early to mid-20s with chronic back pain.1,2 Yet, this is a typical initial presentation of AS. Unfortunately, the presence of inflammatory back pain during the clinically unrecognised “pre-spondylitic” phase, which on average might last 5–10 years or longer, is accompanied by progressive structural damage that may take place inconspicuously.1–8 Diagnosis is often established when AS reaches the stage where structural damage has led to easily recognisable abnormal physical findings or readily apparent radiographic abnormalities of the sacroiliac joints and spine, or both.1–4 Figure 1, which represents data collected by a 78 item professional survey of patients with AS conducted by the German AS society in 1996, illustrates well the protracted time delay between onset of AS and its diagnosis.5 A total of 1614 patients with AS responded to the questionnaire. The average …
Pulmonary nodule registration in serial CT scans based on rib anatomy and nodule template matching

An automated method is being developed in order to identify corresponding nodules in serial thoracic CT scans for interval change analysis. The method uses the rib centerlines as the reference for initial nodule registration. A spatially adaptive rib segmentation method first locates the regions where the ribs join the spine, which define the starting locations for rib tracking. Each rib is tracked and locally segmented by expectation-maximization. The ribs are automatically labeled, and the centerlines are estimated using skeletonization. For a given nodule in the source scan, the closest three ribs are identified. A three-dimensional (3D) rigid affine transformation guided by simplex optimization aligns the centerlines of each of the three rib pairs in the source and target CT volumes. Automatically defined control points along the centerlines of the three ribs in the source scan and the registered ribs in the target scan are used to guide an initial registration using a second 3D rigid affine transformation. A search volume of interest (VOI) is then located in the target scan. Nodule candidate locations within the search VOI are identified as regions with high Hessian responses. The initial registration is refined by searching for the maximum cross-correlation between the nodule template from the source scan and the candidate locations. The method was evaluated on 48 CT scans from 20 patients. Experienced radiologists identified 101 pairs of corresponding nodules. Three metrics were used for performance evaluation. The first metric was the Euclidean distance between the nodule centers identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, the second metric was a volume overlap measure between the nodule VOIs identified by the radiologist and the computer registration, and the third metric was the hit rate, which measures the fraction of nodules whose centroid computed by the computer registration in the target scan falls within the VOI identified by the radiologist. The average Euclidean distance error was 2.7 +/- 3.3 mm. Only two pairs had an error larger than 10 mm. The average volume overlap measure was 0.71 +/- 0.24. Eighty-three of the 101 pairs had ratios larger than 0.5, and only two pairs had no overlap. The final hit rate was 93/101.
MICROSPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF MITOSIS AND DNA SNYTHESIS ASSOCIATED WITH COLONY FORMATION IN PEDIASTRUM BORYANUM (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Patterns of DNA synthesis and mitosis in the coenobial alga Pediastrum boryanum (Turp.) Meneghini were analyzed by cytophotometric measurements of individual, Feulgen-stained nuclei from swarming zoospores aggregating into colonies, and cells in colonies varying in age from 12 to 96 h after their initial transfer to fresh culture medium. A haploid genome size of 0.2 pg DNA (corresponding to roughly 11 × 1012 daltons, or 1.64 × 105 kb) was estimated by comparative measurements of nuclei from zoospores or young colonies and chicken erythrocyte (RBC) nuclei which were included with each set of Pediastrum slides as an internal reference standard of 2.5 pg DNA/cell. Although nuclear morphology and extent of chromatin condensation vary with different stages of colony development, nuclear division in P. boryanum appears to follow each cycle of DNA replication with no accumulation of DNA beyond the 2C level. Cytoplasmic cleavage resulting in the formation of individual zoospores is delayed until completion of mitosis, as is the demise of the pyrenoid. After 96 h of culture, 40% of all colonies have cells that are 8- or 16-nucleate and some colonies have 32 nuclei/cell. Release of zoospores within vesicles occurs at this time to complete a cycle of asexual reproduction.
Reflections on 50 years of change

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the first nurse practitioner (NP) program in the United States, Dr. Loretta Ford offers these reflections on the progress of NPs in the past half century.
PRMA/DA: a new media access control protocol for wireless ATM

We propose a media access control (MAC) protocol for wireless local area networks (LANs) that is capable of supporting various types of traffic demands, such as constant bit rate (CBR) voice, variable bit-rate (VBR) video, and packet data. In addition, the proposed protocol provides a seamless connectivity to a broadband ATM backbone network. Our protocol, having an air interface comparable to ATM, adopts a dynamic channel allocation scheme which enables expeditious network-access and utilizes bandwidth resource efficiently. The simulation results presented show the improvements of dynamic channel allocation over the static channel allocation scheme in terms of key performance metrics such as: throughput, call blocking probability, network access delay and cell transmission delay.
Initial experimental results of the Small Isochronous Ring (SIR)

The Small Isochronous Ring (SIR) is under development at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University (MSU). The ring is a small-scale experiment that simulates the dynamics of intense beams in large-scale accelerators. Its main purpose is the study of longitudinal space charge effects in the isochronous regime. A 20 to 30 keV bunch of hydrogen or deuterium ions is injected in the ring. After a variable number of turns (/spl sim/20-30), the bunch is extracted and its longitudinal profile is studied. This paper describes the hardware already designed, manufactured and installed as well as the first preliminary experimental results.
Interpretation of low-energy electron-CO 2 scattering

single-channel models that have previously been used to interpret the low-energy behavior of electron scattering by polar diatomic molecules. The present model is used to track the pole trajectories of both resonances and virtual states, both of which figure prominently in low-energy electron-CO2 scattering, in the plane of complex momentum. The connection between resonant and virtual states is found to display a different topology in the case of a polyatomic molecule than it does in diatomic molecules. In a polyatomic molecule, these states may have a conical intersection and consequently acquire a Berry phase along closed paths in two-dimensional vibrational motion. The analytic behavior of the S matrix is further modified by the presence of a geometrydependent dipole moment.
Thermal Comfort and Strategies for Energy Conservation

Human response to the thermal environment depends on seven variables: (1) air temperature, (2) relative humidity, (3) mean radiant temperature (temperature from surfaces such as windows), (4) air velocity, (5) clothing, (6) physical activity, and (7) time. After discussing major studies in thermal comfort which served as the basis for the comfort standard, and outlining the comfort standard itself, these seven factors are discussed individually in terms of ways in which they can be modified to conserve energy. Special topics include the Federal Emergency Building Temperature Restriction Plan (65°F in winter, 78°F in summer), night set-back, accidential hypothermia in the elderly, seasonal effects and interior decor.
Identification of Activity Areas by Multi-element Characterization of Sediments from Modern and Archaeological House Floors Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-atomic Emission Spectroscopy

Abstract A pilot study on the chemical analysis of earthen house floors, using both modern and archaeological localities, was undertaken to determine the degree to which activities leave detectable chemical residues, and whether these residues are preserved in archaeological contexts. The goals were to develop techniques for the identification and interpretation of activity areas in archaeological structures and to determine which elements serve to distinguish activities. One modern structure from Oaxaca, Mexico and two archaeological house floors (from British Columbia, Canada and Oaxaca, Mexico) were studied. Soil samples were collected from floors at all three sites and analysed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP/AES) for Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, Ti, and Zn. Preliminary results show that activity areas in the modern house compound can readily be distinguished on the basis of chemical residues in soils, that archaeological features are chemically distinct from natural soils, and that features such as floors, and hearths can be distinguished from each other and from the natural prehistoric ground surface. Multi-element characterization by ICP/AES offers an advantage over traditional, single element analysis by yielding more useful data for less effort, expense, and time.
INVESTIGATION OF THE CONTROL OF CORONAVIRUS SUBGENOMIC MRNA TRANSCRIPTION BY USING T7-GENERATED NEGATIVE-SENSE RNA TRANSCRIPTS

The subgenomic mRNAs of the coronavirus transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) are not produced in equimolar amounts. We have developed a reporter gene system to investigate the control of this differential subgenomic mRNA synthesis. Transcription of mRNAs by the TGEV polymerase was obtained from negative-sense RNA templates generated in situ from DNA containing a T7 promoter. A series of gene cassettes was produced; these cassettes comprised the reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene downstream of transcription-associated sequences (TASs) (also referred to as intergenic sequences and promoters) believed to be involved in the synthesis of TGEV subgenomic mRNAs 6 and 7. The gene cassettes were designed so that negative-sense RNA copies of the CAT gene with sequences complementary to the TGEV TASs, or modified versions, at the 3' end would be synthesized in situ by T7 RNA polymerase. Using this system, we have demonstrated that CAT was expressed from mRNAs derived from the T7-generated negative-sense RNA transcripts only in TGEV-infected cells and only from transcripts possessing a TGEV negative-sense TAS. Analysis of the CAT mRNAs showed the presence of the TGEV leader RNA sequence at the 5' end, in keeping with observations that all coronavirus mRNAs have a 5' leader sequence corresponding to the 5' end of the genomic RNA. Our results indicated that the CAT mRNAs were transcribed from the in situ-synthesized negative-sense RNA templates without the requirement of TGEV genomic 5' or 3' sequences on the T7-generated negative-sense transcripts (3'-TAS-CAT-5'). Modification of the TGEV TASs indicated (i) that the degree of potential base pairing between the 3' end of the leader RNA and the TGEV negative-sense TAS was not the sole determinant of the amount of subgenomic mRNA transcribed and (ii) that other factors, including nucleotides flanking the TAS, are involved in the regulation of transcription of TGEV subgenomic mRNAs.
Allylically Transposed Amines from Allylic Alcohols: 3,7‐Dimethyl‐1,6‐Octadien‐3‐Amine

Allylically transposed amines from allylic alcohols: 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-amine intermediate: Geraniol trichloroacetimidate (1) intermediate: 3,7-Dimethyl-3-trichloroacetamido-1,6-octadiene (2) solvent: 300 ml. of xylene product: 3,7-Dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-amine (3) product: 3-Trichloroacetamido-1-hexene product: 3-Phenyl-3-trichloroacetamido-1-propene product: (E)-1-Trichloroacetamido-2-heptene product: 3-Trichloroacetamido-1-cyclohexene product: 3,7-Dimethyl-1-trichloroacetamido-2,6-octadiene product: 3,5,5-Trimethyl-3-trichloroacetamido-1-cyclohexene product: 3-(4,4-Ethylenedioxybutyl)-3-trichloroacetamido-1-cyclohexene Keywords: trichloroacetonitrile
Symbolic mining of temporal specifications

Program specifications are important in many phases of the software development process, but they are often omitted or incomplete. An important class of specifications takes the form of temporal properties that prescribe proper usage of components of a software system. Recent work has focused on the automated inference of temporal specifications from the static or runtime behavior of programs. Many techniques match a specification pattern (represented by a finite state automaton) to all possible combinations of program components and enumerate the possible matches. Such approaches suffer from high space complexity and have not scaled beyond simple, two-letter alternating patterns (e.g. (ab)*). In this paper, we precisely define this form of specification mining and show that its general form is NP-complete. We observe a great deal of regularity in the representation and tracking of all possible combinations of system components. This motivates us to introduce a symbolic algorithm, based on binary decision diagrams (BDDs), that exploits this regularity. Our results show that this symbolic approach expands the tractability of this problem by orders of magnitude in both time and space. It enables us to mine more complex specifications, such as the common three-letter resource acquisition, usage, and release pattern ((ab+c)*). We have implemented our algorithm in a practical tool and used it to find significant specifications in real systems, including Apache Ant and Hibernate. We then used these specifications to find previously unknown bugs.
Transformation-mismatch plasticity of NiAl/ZrO2 composites—finite-element modeling

A coupled thermo-mechanical finite-element model was developed to describe transformation-mismatch plasticity resulting from mismatch stresses produced by allotropic particles within a creeping matrix. A composite consisting of a NiAl matrix with 10 vol.% zirconia allotropic particles was modeled in two dimensions for a range of externally-applied stress values. The instantaneous composite strain developed during the zirconia transformation is found to increase linearly with the applied stress, in agreement with continuum-mechanical, closed-form models for transformation-mismatch plasticity. This instantaneous strain is smaller than the total strain accumulated over a half temperature cycle, indicating that mismatch stresses produced during the transformation relax by matrix creep long after the particles have transformed. Also, the total composite strain calculated after a full temperature cycle is in good agreement with strains determined experimentally on a NiAl–10% ZrO2 composite. Finally, the internal stress distribution within the transforming composite is determined numerically and compared to simple analytical averages. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Quality versus intelligibility: studying human preferences for American Sign Language video

Real-time videoconferencing using cellular devices provides natural communication to the Deaf community. For this application, compressed American Sign Language (ASL) video must be evaluated in terms of the intelligibility of the conversation and not in terms of the overall aesthetic quality of the video. This work presents a paired comparison experiment to determine the subjective preferences of ASL users in terms of the trade-off between intelligibility and quality when varying the proportion of the bitrate allocated explicitly to the regions of the video containing the signer. A rate-distortion optimization technique, which jointly optimizes a quality criteria and an intelligibility criteria according to a user-specified parameter, generates test video pairs for the subjective experiment. Experimental results suggest that at sufficiently high bitrates, all users prefer videos in which the non-signer regions in the video are encoded with some nominal rate. As the total encoding bitrate decreases, users generally prefer video in which a greater proportion of the rate is allocated to the signer. The specific operating points preferred in the quality-intelligibility trade-off vary with the demographics of the users.
Tipu Sultan in History: Revisionism Revised

This historiographical essay seeks to chart a middle course between what may be called Tipu bashing and, to borrow an expression from Anne Buddle, “Tipu Mania,” with a view to providing a balanced view of Tipu Sultan the man and the statesman. This study is premised on the verdict of Joseph Francois Michaud who not only admires the Sultan’s courage and noble intentions but also laments his superstition, lack of discretion and farsight, apathy to deliberations, and counterproductive stubbornness that inevitably led to his undoing. Tipu’s tenacious conviction in the rectitude of his policies and measures deprived him of the sagacity to mend and amend them as and when necessary. The American gymnast and three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes observed that people do not plan to fail but respond to failure when it occurs by bouncing back and responding to it. Tipu Sultan’s misfortune was that he failed to learn from his failures.
Report from the Standards for Pathogen Identification via Next-Generation Sequencing (SPIN) Workshop

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is not routinely used in applied settings due to lack of confidence in results. This workshop convened experts to identify measurement challenges impeding NGS implementation and potential standards-based solutions to address these challenges.
Refractory Autoimmune Hepatitis: Beyond Standard Therapy

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) can be difficult to control, particularly in some African-Americans. When standard therapy of prednisone and azathioprine is ineffective or poorly tolerated, alternative therapies are resorted to. We report two patients with AIH who were refractory to or intolerant of standard therapy. They initially responded to a combination of tacrolimus and MMF, but eventually developed acute flares of the disease that had to be managed with sirolimus, and in one case, rituximab, to achieve remission.
Minimum-bias spectral estimation with a coherent optical spectrum analyzer

We investigate the problem of obtaining minimum-bias high-resolution spectral estimators with a coherent optical system. Circular symmetry and isotropic statistics are assumed. We consider the class of spectral smoothing windows W(ρ) > 0 and derive a window function that ensures both minimum-bias and high-resolution spectral estimation. The effect of aberrations, as summarized by the optical transfer function of the system, on the spectral estimate is also considered. In the general case it is shown that minimum-bias, direct frequency-plane smoothing is not physically realizable.
Optical Response of Terpyridine Ligands to Zinc Binding: A Close Look at the Substitution Effect by Spectroscopic Studies at Low Temperature.

Terpyridine (tpy) ligands are popular building blocks to bind metal ions. Several tpy ligands with different substituents were synthesized and examined for their binding with zinc cation. The study revealed a large substituent effect on the zinc binding-induced fluorescence quenching. With the aid of a liquid nitrogen Dewar, the tpy molecules were frozen to their ground-state conformation, preventing (or minimizing) molecular reorganization in the photoinduced excited state. This allowed us to detect the fluorescence spectra from the locally excited state (having a minimum of charge transfer interaction) and the temperature-dependent fluorescence. The fluorescence response to low temperature provided useful information about the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interaction between the donor and acceptor groups. Furthermore, a strong donor substituent (such as Me2N) played an essential role in observed fluorescence quenching. The study also provides a useful example to elucidate the ICT mechanism by us...
Aerodynamic Investigations of the Freewing Tilt-Body UAV

The Freewing UAV by Freewing Aerial Robotics Corporation has demonstrated stability, gust alleviation, and near VTOL characteristics. However, limitations in existing analytic models constrain the development of model-based autopilots and design refinements. Presently, there is a need to further evaluate the vehicle's aerodynamic properties and control characteristics to enable the development of a reliable analytical model to be used in flight control. A 20% scaled model of the Freewing Tilt-Body vehicle was developed and tested to evaluate its aerodynamic properties and the effects of self-induced flows on the performance of the aircraft. Wind tunnel tests for validation and evaluation of various flight conditions and configurations were carried out. Particular attention has been paid to evaluating high angle of attack flight. The wind tunnel model is fully powered with moveable control surfaces and is instrumented with transducers for real time measurements of Freewing and propeller motion. An external three component balance is used for force and moment measurements as well as multi-hole probes for flow surveys. The tests were conducted using Aero View, a multi-media interactive flow-diagnostics environment.
Use of Landsat 5 for Change Detection at 1998 Indian and Pakistani Nuclear Test Sites

An underground nuclear explosion (UNE) can generate a shock wave that lofts surface material, resulting in surface changes that might be detectable. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) allows ground and airborne spectral and thermal imaging to help locate such events. Landsat 5 data on the 1998 Indian and Pakistani tests are used here to demonstrate that there are detectable changes in surface features which might be used to localize an underground nuclear test and to develop change detection techniques specific to the use of satellite data to support a CTBT on-site inspection. Landsat 5 has been active for over 20 years providing repeat coverage of the Earth's surface every 16 days. Most locations have Landsat data available for a variety of dates, allowing for statistical analysis of the data to understand temporal trends and data variability on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Given the right conditions, these usual patterns of change (such as seasonal changes or weathering) can be discerned from unusual patterns of change, such as features relating to a UNE. This paper extends known change detection techniques to a temporal series of data and shows that multispectral change detection can be used to help localize a UNE.
Ultrasonographical assessment of implanted biodegradable device for long-term slow release of methotrexate into the vitreous.

Our group has developed a biodegradable drug delivery device (micro-implant) for long-term slow intraocular release of methotrexate (MTX) that can be implanted in the peripheral vitreous. The purpose of this study was to assess the position of the implanted devices and the status of the adjacent vitreous and peripheral retina over time using B-scan ocular ultrasonography (US). In each of the eight New Zealand rabbits used in this study, a chitosan (CS) and poly-lactic acid (PLA)-based micro-implant containing approximately 400 μg of MTX and a placebo micro-implant without MTX were inserted into the peripheral vitreous of the right and left eyes, respective, employing minimally invasive surgery. B-scan US imaging was performed on all of the rabbits immediately after implant insertion and on two rabbits at each of several pre-determined time points post-insertion (post-insertion days 5, 12, 19, and 33) to evaluate the position of the micro-implants and identify any evident morphological changes in the micro-implants and in the peripheral retina and vitreous during treatment. US imaging revealed stable positioning of the PLA-coated CS-based MTX micro-implant and the placebo micro-implant in the respective eyes throughout the study and lack of any changes in size, shape or sonoreflectivity of the micro-implants or abnormalities of the peripheral vitreous or retina in any of the study eyes. In summary, US did not show any evident morphological changes in the micro-implants, shifts in post-insertion position of the micro-implants, or identifiable changes in the micro-implants or peripheral vitreous and retina of the study eyes.
Similarity and Difference in "Jun Zi"(Gentlemen):Heterogeneous Quality in the Su's Brothers

The brotherly affection of Su Shi and Su Che has been praised in literary field for years.However,such deep affection does not show not with presentation form of the same qualities.Actually in such aspects as disposition and mind-set,literary individuality,attitude towards life and lifestyle,there are lots of the major heterogeneous features,which are all unique views.Thus in their realistic life and literary career,both of them could attain not substitutable achievements which suit personal development.
Managing Carbon on Federal Public Lands: Opportunities and Challenges in Southwestern Colorado.

Federal lands in the United States have been identified as important areas where forests could be managed to enhance carbon storage and help mitigate climate change. However, there has been little work examining the context for decision making for carbon in a multiple-use public land environment, and how science can support decision making. This case study of the San Juan National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office in southwestern Colorado examines whether land managers in these offices have adequate tools, information, and management flexibility to practice effective carbon stewardship. To understand how carbon was distributed on the management landscape we added a newly developed carbon map for the SJNF–TRFO area based on Landsat TM texture information (Kelsey and Neff in Remote Sens 6:6407–6422. doi: 10.3390/rs6076407 , 2014). We estimate that only about 22 % of the aboveground carbon in the SJNF–TRFO is in areas designated for active management, whereas about 38 % is in areas with limited management opportunities, and 29 % is in areas where natural processes should dominate. To project the effects of forest management actions on carbon storage, staff of the SJNF are expected to use the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and extensions. While identifying FVS as the best tool generally available for this purpose, the users and developers we interviewed highlighted the limitations of applying an empirically based model over long time horizons. Future research to improve information on carbon storage should focus on locations and types of vegetation where carbon management is feasible and aligns with other management priorities.
Metrics for Assessing the Quality of Groundwater Used for Public Supply, CA, USA: Equivalent-Population and Area

Data from 11,000 public supply wells in 87 study areas were used to assess the quality of nearly all of the groundwater used for public supply in California. Two metrics were developed for quantifying groundwater quality: area with high concentrations (km(2) or proportion) and equivalent-population relying upon groundwater with high concentrations (number of people or proportion). Concentrations are considered high if they are above a human-health benchmark. When expressed as proportions, the metrics are area-weighted and population-weighted detection frequencies. On a statewide-scale, about 20% of the groundwater used for public supply has high concentrations for one or more constituents (23% by area and 18% by equivalent-population). On the basis of both area and equivalent-population, trace elements are more prevalent at high concentrations than either nitrate or organic compounds at the statewide-scale, in eight of nine hydrogeologic provinces, and in about three-quarters of the study areas. At a statewide-scale, nitrate is more prevalent than organic compounds based on area, but not on the basis of equivalent-population. The approach developed for this paper, unlike many studies, recognizes the importance of appropriately weighting information when changing scales, and is broadly applicable to other areas.
Providing efficient and reliable end-host multicast services on the internet

The fast emergence of P2P services, such as file sharing, Internet phone service, and video streaming demonstrates the potential of P2P network to deliver large files and high quality streams to a large audience. The successful commercialization of P2P audio services such as Skype illustrates the business potential of P2P services. End-host multicast is a natural protocol for P2P applications that deliver data in a one-to-many fashion. In this thesis, we present a comprehensive solution for providing efficient and reliable end-host multicast services on the Internet. Existing approaches have several drawbacks in their protocol design. First, existing approaches lack a systematic study of overlay construction. Second, existing published protocols focus on the overlay design itself without taking into account the heterogeneity of Internet hosts and network conditions. Finally, current efforts only focus on data dissemination from a single source. Supporting multi-source applications with current solutions may lead to sub-optimal performance. To address these drawbacks, we first conduct a systematic study on the effect of adding new links to an overlay and present an effective heuristic to reduce latencies between multicast group members. We then conduct empirical experiments on the Internet to collect statistics on user profiles of existing P2P systems. We discover that the prevalence of guarded hosts---hosts behind firewalls and NAT gateways---interferes with overlay construction, since guarded peers cannot accept incoming connections from other peers. Taking into account the existence of guarded hosts, we enhance our overlay improvement heuristic and develop the e* protocol to accommodate a large number of guarded hosts while achieving low average end-to-end latencies. Under realistic scenarios involving guarded hosts, e* can reduce average end-to-end latency on the overlay by 28-61% compared to existing protocols. We also improve the resiliency of overlays to membership churn, node failures, and targeted attacks. Finally, we implement our protocol and develop a video/audio multicast system that has been used to stream several workshops and conferences live online. Our experience with the deployment of our multicast tool confirms that our protocol can provide efficient and reliable overlay services on the Internet.
Symbolic-numeric interface: A review

A survey of the use of a combination of symbolic and numerical calculations is presented. Symbolic calculations primarily refer to the computer processing of procedures from classical algebra, analysis, and calculus. Numerical calculations refer to both numerical mathematics research and scientific computation. This survey is intended to point out a large number of problem areas where a cooperation of symbolic and numerical methods is likely to bear many fruits. These areas include such classical operations as differentiation and integration, such diverse activities as function approximations and qualitative analysis, and such contemporary topics as finite element calculations and computation complexity. It is contended that other less obvious topics such as the fast Fourier transform, linear algebra, nonlinear analysis and error analysis would also benefit from a synergistic approach.
Moving beyond traditional valuation of vaccination: Needs and opportunities

Abstract Economic evaluations of vaccination traditionally focus on a relatively narrow set of vaccine benefits, such as averted medical care costs among those who are immunized. In recent years, researchers have identified additional vaccination benefits that should be incorporated into economic evaluations in order to reflect vaccination’s full value. Early efforts to estimate the magnitude of these broader benefits suggest that vaccination has been substantially undervalued, which has important implications for public and private vaccine policy and human health and welfare. More and better data will be required to advance this emerging line of research on the value of vaccination. The article discusses promising data sources and methods and research questions needing to be addressed.
Moment Problem and Its Applications to Risk Assessment

ABSTRACTThis article discusses how to assess risk by computing the best upper and lower bounds on the expected value E[φ(X)], subject to the constraints E[Xi] = μi for i = 0, 1, 2, …, n. φ(x) can take the form of the indicator function in which the bounds on are calculated and the form φ(x) = (ϕ(x) − K)+ in which the bounds on financial payments are found. We solve the moment bounds on through three methods: the semidefinite programming method, the moment-matching method, and the linear approximation method. We show that for practical purposes, these methods provide numerically equivalent results. We explore the accuracy of bounds in terms of the number of moments considered. We investigate the usefulness of the moment method by comparing the moment bounds with the “point” estimate provided by the Johnson system of distributions. In addition, we propose a simpler formulation for the unimodal bounds on compared to the existing formulations in the literature. For those problems that could be solved both ana...
“Friendliness” of the Experimenter

60 Ss were treated either in a “friendly” or in a “neutral” manner by an E during an initial, instructional phase of the experimental session. Significant difference in the groups were found in (a) the proportion of photographs of facial expression assigned to the Love-Mirth-Happiness category and in (b )affective reaction to the experimental situation as measured by a post-session questionnaire and adjective check list.
Effects of saturated lightweight sand content on key characteristics of ultra-high-performance concrete

Abstract In this study, 0 to 75% volume of river sand was replaced by an equivalent amount of pre-saturated lightweight sand (LWS) to enhance mechanical properties and reduce autogenous shrinkage of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). The use of LWS is demonstrated to effectively decelerate and reduce the drop in internal relative humidity and autogenous shrinkage of UHPC. Isothermal calorimetry and thermal gravimetry results showed that the use of LWS promoted cement hydration degree after 28 d of hydration. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscope analyses revealed that the porosity was decreased and interface properties between sand and cement matrix is enhanced by use of LWS up to 25%. The optimum replacement ratio of LWS to river sand was found to be 25%, which resulted in the highest compressive strength (168 MPa at 91 d), flexural strength (24 MPa at 28 d), and autogenous shrinkage limited to 365 μm/m at 28 d.
Biologic Augmentation of Rotator Cuff Repair: The Role of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate

Rotator cuff tears are common and can be a debilitating problem for patients, leading to pain, difficulty sleeping, and poor function. Although in many cases, patients can be managed non-operatively, surgery is required for a subset of patients. Even with advances in surgical techniques and implants, postoperative re-tear rates range from 15%-40%. Thus, surgical approaches to manage rotator cuff tears must be optimized to improve clinical outcomes and reduce failure rates. The incorporation of biologic agents to the repair construct has been increasingly described over the past decade, and appears to be a promising potential augmentation to standard repair techniques. Biologic agents such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) are obtained from the patient at the time of rotator cuff repair (RCR), and are added to the repair construct to improve the likelihood of tendon healing. This review will describe the utilization of biologic agents, including PRP and BMAC, during RCR, with an emphasis on techniques and outcomes. Given the paucity of literature describing long-term outcomes with any biologic agent as an augmentation to RCR, additional research is needed to better understand the long-term impact of these agents.
Exposure assessments for a cross-sectional epidemiologic study of US carbon nanotube and nanofiber workers

Abstract Background Recent animal studies have suggested the potential for wide-ranging health effects resulting from exposure to carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (CNT/F). To date, no studies in the US have directly examined the relationship between occupational exposure and potential human health effects. Objectives Our goal was to measure CNT/F exposures among US workers with representative job types, from non-exposed to highly exposed, for an epidemiologic study relating exposure to early biologic effects. Methods 108 participants were enrolled from 12 facilities across the US. Personal, full-shift exposures were assessed based on the mass of elemental carbon (EC) at the respirable and inhalable aerosol particle size fractions, along with quantitatively characterizing CNT/F and estimating particle size via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, sputum and dermal samples were collected and analyzed to determine internal exposures and exposures to the hands/wrists. Results The mean exposure to EC was 1.00 μg/m3 at the respirable size fraction and 6.22 μg/m3 at the inhalable fraction. Analysis by TEM found a mean exposure of 0.1275 CNT/F structures/cm3, generally to agglomerated materials between 2 and 10 μm. Internal exposures to CNT/F via sputum analysis were confirmed in 18% of participants while ∼70% had positive dermal exposures. Conclusions We demonstrated the occurrence of a broad range of exposures to CNT/F within 12 facilities across the US. Analysis of collected sputum indicated internal exposures are currently occurring within the workplace. This is an important first step in determining if exposures in the workforce have any acute or lasting health effects.
Pulmonary Embolism in Pediatric Patients: Survey of CT Pulmonary Angiography Practices and Policies

Rationale and Objectives To determine the current policies and practices of Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) members regarding the evaluation of pediatric patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) with an emphasis on use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Materials and Methods Institutional review board exemption was granted for this study. Surveys were mailed electronically to the 1575 members of the SPR representing 416 institutions. Information gathered included the existence of written policies, the imaging study of choice for suspected PE, routine acquisition of chest radiographs before CTPA, currently used CTPA techniques, modifications of protocols for radiation dose reduction, typical DLP (dose-length-product) for CTPA, and estimated annual frequency of performing CTPA for evaluating PE in children. Survey items pertaining to policies and practices were compared between practice settings and populations using chi-square analysis. Results One hundred and sixty members representing 118 institutions responded, which resulted in a response rate of 28% (118/416), on an institutional basis. Of these 118 respondents, 104 (88%) perform CTPA in children with clinical suspicion of PE. Of the 104 respondents who perform CTPA, 26 (25%) have a written policy for CTPA, 93 (89%) perform CTPA as the first study choice, and 67 (64%) routinely obtain chest radiographs before CTPA. The most commonly used CTPA techniques in children with clinical suspicion of PE include intravenous contrast amount of 2 mL/kg, mechanical injection of intravenous contrast, and tailored bolus tracking method for CTPA scan initiation by observing the Hounsfield units of contrast in the central pulmonary artery on the monitoring scan. Sixty respondents (58%) modify CTPA imaging protocols for evaluating PE in children in order to decrease radiation dose. The two most common modifications for radiation dose reduction were reduced mAs in 41 (68%) and automatic exposure control in 38 (63%). The majority of respondents (88%) did not know the typical DLP for a 20-kg child during CTPA study performed to evaluate for PE. A significantly greater percentage of radiation dose-reduction techniques are performed within academic institutions compared with private institutions (P = .03). Conclusion Most survey respondents perform CTPA as the study of choice for evaluating PE in children, but there is considerable variability in their policies and practices. Respondents from academic medical centers are more likely to employ radiation dose-reduction techniques for CTPA than those in private practice settings.
Biology, Therapeutics, and Prophylaxis in Recurrent Depression

Affective disorders constitute the most common major psychiatric problem. While even a single episode of depression is disabling and entails considerable economic cost and personal suffering, recurrent depression represents a major public health problem. The identification and succesful treatment of individuals who develop repeated episodes of depression have become high clinical priorities.
One-Dimensional Inorganic Platinum-Chain Electrical Conductors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses one-dimensional inorganic platinum-chain electrical conductors. The burgeoning field of studies of 1-D compounds is due to intrinsic scientific interest in unraveling the fundamental chemistry and physics of these unusual materials and, additionally, because of their possible practical uses. There is the likely probability that 1-D materials will find uses in electronic devices and even possibly that a high-temperature superconductor may eventually be discovered. Therefore it is obvious that a 1-D metal will remain metallic when the distortions due to electron-phonon coupling are overcome by the elastic restoring forces of the lattice. Consequently, the stronger the electron-phonon coupling, the higher the transition temperature to a non-conducting state. Thus the suppression of the Peierls transition in 1-D conductors is a practical problem that offers a considerable challenge with respect to the design and synthesis of new materials.