cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Aflatoxin-DNA and Protein Adducts for Human Dosimetry

The last twenty-five years has seen extensive efforts to investigate the association between aflatoxin exposure and human liver cancer. Studies using standard epidemiological methods have been hindered by the lack of adequate dosimetry data on aflatoxin intake, excretion and metabolism, as well as by the general poor quality of world-wide cancer morbidity and mortality statistics. Despite these difficulties, the aflatoxins are among the few strucrally identified environmental carcinogens for which quantitative risk assessments have been attempted. These efforts have spurred a number of investitors, in the last few years, to develop reliable, fast and accurate techniques to assess individual human exposure to this carcinogen.
PGE2 generation and release by the larval stage of the cestode, taenia taeniaeformis.

Abstract The existence of an arachidonate cascade in invertebrate species has been little explored. We therefore sought to determine if two important prostanoid compounds, PGE and prostacyclin, PGI2 were generated and released by the larva stage of the cat tape orm, Taenia taeniaeformis . PGE and PGI2 were identified by specific radioimmunoassay after thin layer chromatography of chloroform/methanol extracts of the worms or in vitro saline culture media. We detected a release of 176–182 pg of PGE2 from 2 worms after a 60' incubation at 37° C with 4.5 mM exogenous sodium arachidonate. No release of PGI was detected immunochemically although 41 pg of immunoreactive material was identified in chloroform/methanol extracts of the worm alone. We therefore suggest that modulation of host immune responses could occur by the generation and release of prostanoid compounds such as PGE2, lipids which markedly suppress host cellular reactivity to the parasite. Secondly, the lack of any clot formation around the living organism may well reflect PGI presence at the surface of the parasite membrane. Although these findings are at present limited to larval cestodes we would propose that they may be more general means of evading host responses than heretofore suspected.
New hypoglycaemic agents

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on new hypoglycaemic agents. Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by excess glucose in the plasma and by various other metabolic abnormalities, including dyslipidaemia. In the United States 6-12 million people are believed to be affected, among which the majority suffer from non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM or type II) and the rest (500,000) from insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM or type I). The development of NIDDM has been linked to both genetic factors (the prevalence of NIDDM varies widely among racial groups) and environmental factors, such as diet, obesity and lack of physical exercise. A body of evidence is accumulating to suggest that tight blood glucose control is important in order to prevent or delay the onset of these complications and a large scale clinical study, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), has been undertaken in order to provide a definitive answer to this question. The goals of new therapeutic approaches for both IDDM and NIDDM have been and continue to be the provision of tight control both in the fasting and postprandial state and the correction of other metabolic abnormalities. Insulin is the primary therapy for all IDDM patients and is prescribed to NIDDM patients who do not respond to sulphonylureas or biguanides. Porcine insulin is slowly being replaced by human insulin, the majority of which is produced by recombinant DNA technology. The chapter also describes agents that either modulate or mimic insulin's actions in muscle, its main target tissue for glucose disposal.
Long-term treatment of severe SAPHO syndrome with adalimumab: case report and a review of the literature.

SAPHO (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis) syndrome defines an association of inflammatory cutaneous disorders with osteoarticular manifestations and represents a clinical and therapeutic challenge. We report a case of severe SAPHO syndrome with acne conglobata and a diffuse involvement of the anterior chest wall and sacroiliac joints that required treatment with isotretinoin and adalimumab, a new fully human anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibody. Combination treatment determined a complete clinical remission of cutaneous and osteoarticular manifestations after 48 weeks. Despite maintenance of clinical remission, follow-up imaging studies after 24 months of adalimumab monotherapy revealed osteoarticular disease progression, with features of inflammatory osteitis.
Polymorphism of adhesion molecule CD31 is not a significant risk factor for graft-versus-host disease.

Mismatch between bone marrow transplant (BMT) patient and donor for an amino acid polymorphism within the adhesion molecule CD31 has recently been reported to increase risk for the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We further examined this association in a larger series of 301 BMT patients (227 with grade III/IV GVHD and 74 with grade 0 GVHD) and their HLA-identical sibling donors. CD31 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction endonuclease digestion. The role of mismatch at the CD31 locus in the development of GVHD was assessed by analyzing the extent of CD31 identity and CD31 compatibility among the grade 0 GVHD and grade III/IV GVHD sibling pairs. No significant association between CD31 mismatch and the development of severe GVHD was detected in our overall patient population. Sixty-three percent of grade III/IV GVHD sibling pairs and 69% of grade 0 GVHD sibling pairs had CD31 genotypes that were identical (P=.36, odds ratio = 1.30). In addition, neither the grade 0 GVHD group (P=.10) nor the grade III/IV GVHD group (P=.27) differed significantly from the expected probability of identity between sibling pairs. Mismatch at the CD31 polymorphism between recipients and donors showed no consistent association with the development of GVHD. Current evidence does not support the value of CD31 mismatch in the selection of BMT donors.
The Dynamics of Long‐Term Mass Transport in Estuaries

The dynamics of long-term mass transport in estuaries having weakly nonlinear long wave dynamics are investigated. Low pass filtered long-term mass transport equations are derived for conditions of weak and strong vertical stratification. The dynamics of the residual mass transport velocity, or lowest order approximation to the Lagrangian residual velocity, are investigated by perturbation analyses of the hydrodynamics equations. For weak vertical stratification conditions, analytical results showing the influence of topography, the earth’s rotation, and channel curvature on the distribution of the residual mass transport velocity field are presented. The calculation of the residual mass transport velocity field from field current meter measurements and numerical hydrodynamic model output is also discussed.
Sturm-Liouville theory

In 1836-1837 Sturm and Liouville published a series of papers on second order linear ordinary differential operators, which started the subject now known as the Sturm-Liouville problem. In 1910 Hermann Weyl published an article which started the study of singular Sturm-Liouville problems. Since then, the Sturm-Liouville theory remains an intensely active field of research, with many applications in mathematics and mathematical physics. The purpose of the present book is (a) to provide a modern survey of some of the basic properties of Sturm-Liouville theory and (b) to bring the reader to the forefront of knowledge about some aspects of this theory. To use the book, only a basic knowledge of advanced calculus and a rudimentary knowledge of Lebesgue integration and operator theory are assumed. An extensive list of references and examples is provided and numerous open problems are given. The list of examples includes those classical equations and functions associated with the names of Bessel, Fourier, Heun, Ince, Jacobi, Jorgens, Latzko, Legendre, Littlewood-McLeod, Mathieu, Meissner, Morse, as well as examples associated with the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom. Many special functions of applied mathematics and mathematical physics occur in these examples.
Connected components of the space of circle-valued Morse functions on surfaces

We classify the path-components of the space of circle-valued Morse functions on compact surfaces: two Morse functions $f, g: M\to S^1$ belong to same path-component of this space if and only if they are homotopic and have equal numbers of critical points at each index.
Insidious Colonialism in Post-Apartheid Education: Interplay of Black Teacher Narratives, Educational Policy and Textbook Analysis.

This article focuses on the larger project of identifying oppressive structures (during apartheid more specifically in this instance) and how educational policy/textbooks (post-apartheid) produce transformative knowledge for decolonization. It presents Black South African teacher perceptions and desires of what/how educational policy, history textbooks can intervene in apartheid indoctrination and what role these have in addressing the nation’s meta-narrative of equity and social justice. I take up these teacher narratives as a way to further critique textbooks currently used and examine the written and visual content against post-apartheid decolonizing intentions. Teacher narratives and textbook analysis indicate that even prescriptive post-apartheid textbooks struggle to reimagine history wrought through with colonialism. Decolonizing analysis of visual images in the textbooks show how curriculum policy/practice in South Africa is a collision of anti-apartheid desires and post-apartheid reality. By examining grassroots linkages I attempt to expand the current dialogue on educational policy and textbook studies and to contextualize the field, both historically and contemporarily.
Uncertainty quantification via codimension‐one partitioning

We consider uncertainty quantification in the context of certification, i.e. showing that the probability of some ‘failure’ event is acceptably small. In this paper, we derive a new method for rigorous uncertainty quantification and conservative certification by combining McDiarmid's inequality with input domain partitioning and a new concentration-of-measure inequality. We show that arbitrarily sharp upper bounds on the probability of failure can be obtained by partitioning the input parameter space appropriately; in contrast, the bound provided by McDiarmid's inequality is usually not sharp. We prove an error estimate for the method (Proposition 3.2); we define a codimension-one recursive partitioning scheme and prove its convergence properties (Theorem 4.1); finally, we apply a new concentration-of-measure inequality to give confidence levels when empirical means are used in place of exact ones (Section 5).
Regulation of the biphasic decline in scleral proteoglycan synthesis during the recovery from induced myopia

Abstract During the recovery from form deprivation myopia (myopic defocus), the rate of proteoglycan synthesis in the posterior sclera decreases co-incident with a deceleration of axial elongation. The choroid has been implicated in the regulation of scleral proteoglycan synthesis, possibly through the synthesis and secretion of scleral growth inhibitors. Therefore these studies were carried out to attempt to establish a causal relationship between choroidal secretion and the inhibition of scleral proteoglycan synthesis during the recovery from induced myopia. Chicks were form vision deprived for 10 days followed by a recovery period (3 h–20 days) of unrestricted vision. Sclera and choroids (5 mm punches) were isolated from control and treated eyes. The rate of proteoglycan synthesis was estimated by the incorporation of 35c in cetylpyridinium chloride-precipitable glycosaminoglycans by isolated sclera of control and treated eyes. Additionally, choroids from control and treated eyes were placed in co-culture with untreated age-matched normal chick sclera for 20–24 h, after which time sclera were removed and scleral proteoglycan synthesis rates were determined. Following removal of occluders, a biphasic decline was observed in scleral proteoglycan synthesis: A rapid decline in proteoglycan synthesis (−7.6% per hr; r2 = 0.923) was observed over the first 12 h of recovery, followed by a slow decline extending from 12 to 96 h (−0.3% per hr; r2 = 0.735). Proteoglycan synthesis rates gradually increased to control levels over the next 96 h at a rate of +0.3% per hr. No relative proteoglycan inhibition was observed when untreated sclera were co-cultured with choroids from eyes recovering for 0–4 days, whereas co-culture of untreated sclera with choroids from eyes recovering for 5 and 8 days resulted in significant inhibition of sclera proteoglycan synthesis, relative to that of sclera co-cultured with choroids from control eyes (≈−24%, P
WE-E-301-01: Practical Tips for VMAT Implementation

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is an arc‐based dosedelivery approach that produces highly conformal dose distributions similar to those generated with static gantry intensity modulated radiation therapy. Like many existing IMRT approaches, this treatment technique can be delivered with a standard linear accelerator that is equipped with a conventional multileaf collimator(MLC). During arc beam delivery the dose rate, the speed of the gantry, and the position of the MLC leaves are varied dynamically. The AAPM has a working group, under the Therapy Physics Commitee of the Science Council, preparing a report that provides general guidelines and recommendations for safe, error‐free use of this new technology. This presentation will review the information in the report of the Therapy Emerging Technology Assessment Working Group (TETAWG). A major advantage of this IMRT approach is the speed of dosedelivery. This makes VMAT ideally suited for meeting the challenges of delivering the higher daily doses that are necessary for the hypofractionated treatment techniques. All accelerator manufacturers that use a traditional rotating gantry geometry have implemented this technology, and an additional number of treatment planning systems are now available to handle this part of the VMAT dosedelivery process. The development of this technology is rapid and there is a great need for clearly describing the overall QA requirements for VMAT. This presentation will address this need by discussing Acceptance Testing, Commissioning, and ongoing QA methodologies for VMAT. Objectives: 1. To understand the Acceptance Testing procedure for a new VMAT delivery system, a retrofitted VMAT cability, or a VMAT threatment planing system 2. To understand the Commissioning process for the situations listed above 3. To understand the requirements for ongoing routine QA for VMAT
Coastal geomorphology and restoration

Abstract Increases in human development of the coastal zone, sea level rise and intensity of coastal storms will test the resilience of coastal systems. An integrated approach is needed to describe geomorphic–biologic dependencies, feedbacks between processes and responses, and determine how coastal systems can be maintained or restored. The 2013 Binghamton geomorphology symposium focused on three themes in these research areas (1) the geomorphic response of coastal landforms to changes in sea level and episodic storms; (2) the way these stressors alter geomorphic–biotic interactions and reduce the resilience of coastal environments; and (3) the way natural and human processes are being integrated to restore or maintain dynamic geomorphic and biologic linkages. This issue contains eighteen papers presented at the symposium; six papers are devoted to each of these themes. The papers point to the importance of ecological systems in modulating the responses to natural physical processes and, in turn, responding to geomorphic change and the role of humans in assisting natural processes.
Fock-space representation of coupled Abelian Chern-Simons theory.

The theory in 2+1 dimensions described by the Abelian Chern-Simons gauge field minimally coupled to a spinor field is given a Fock-space representation. The states which satisfy the constraint of Gauss's law are explicitly constructed for both the weak and strong implementation. The charged states are shown to be coherent states of disallowed ghost operators. The {ital S} matrix for the theory is explicitly constructed and the gauge field is shown to decouple from the theory. The charged states are reduced to exhibit a manifestly gauge-invariant form. The angular momentum operator for the theory is derived from Noether's theorem and given a decomposition in terms of Fock-space operators. The charged eigenstates of the angular momentum are shown to have the induced spin {ital Q}{sup 2}/4{pi}{kappa}, where {ital Q} is the total charge operator of the theory and {kappa} is the Chern-Simons action strength, leading to the possibility of exotic statistics for the charged particles.
Histopathologic and cytopathologic diagnostic discrepancies in head and neck region: pitfalls, causes, and preventive strategies.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians commonly utilize fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for the primary investigation of head and neck masses. Correlation of these results with the surgical resection diagnosis is an essential part of quality control and assurance programs in all cytology laboratories.METHODS: Of 610 cases, 20 (3.3%) had corresponding surgical resections performed within 3 months of the FNAB, with a discrepant diagnosis identified through a search that involved all FNABs performed on the head and neck region, excluding the thyroid gland, at Wayne State University between 1999 and 2004. Sites of discrepant samples included the parotid or submandibular gland (n = 5), lymph nodes (n = 8), and paratracheal/paraesophageal neck masses (n = 7).RESULTS: The reasons of false-negative FNABs included sampling errors (n = 3), insufficient material for an adequate interpretation (n = 5), lack of triage necessary for ancillary studies (n = 4), and interpretation errors (n = 6). There were 2 false-positive FNABs, b...
DNA polymerases of human tonsil and chicken bursa: Absence of a distinct B cell specific terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

Abstract The extracts obtained from chicken bursas and human tonsils, both of which are known to contain predominantly B lymphocyte precursor cells, were examined for the presence of putative B cell specific terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (B-TdT). Neither of the two types of tissue extracts revealed the presence of specific TdT, although the presence of DNA polymerase α, β, and γ could be easily demonstrated.
Existence theory for generalized nonlinear complementarity problems

The nonlinear complementarity problem is generalized by replacing the usual nonnegative ordering ofRn by an ordering generated by a convex cone. Two new classes of operators are introduced, each of which is used to guarantee the existence of a solution to the generalized problem. The new classes can be seen to be broader than previously studied classes. In addition, conditions are presented under which the solution set of the generalized linear complementarity problem is shown to have at most a finite number of solutions.
Exact sequences of algebras generated by singular integral operators

An abstract theorem concerning exact sequences of Banach algebras of operators and symbol homomorphisms relative to groups of operators is derived. This general result is used to deduce many of the classical spectral inclusion theorems and short exact sequences for algebras of singular integral operators.
New nanostructured sorbents for desulfurization of natural gas

Desulfurization of natural gas is achieved commercially by absorption with liquid amine solutions. Adsorption technology could potentially replace the solvent extraction process, particularly for the emerging shale gas wells with production rates that are generally lower than that from the large conventional reservoirs, if a superior adsorbent (sorbent) is developed. In this review, we focus our discussion on three types of sorbents: metal-oxide based sorbents, Cu/Ag-based and other commercial sorbents, and amine-grafted silicas. The advantages and disadvantages of each type are analyzed. Possible approaches for future developments to further improve these sorbents are suggested, particularly for the most promising amine-grafted silicas.
Drag coefficients for single coral colonies and related spherical objects

Flows over and through coral canopies and isolated coral colonies are sometimes approximated using arrays of spheres and cylinders, which may not adequately represent the effects of their complex geometry. We report the results of a series of lab experiments measuring drag on branching coral colonies and other similar objects. The results expressed in terms of a drag coefficient (CD), based on the exposed frontal area, are compared with those of several spherical objects, including perforated, hollow spheres. Our results show that a sphere is not an accurate model of an individual branching coral in that CD can be much larger than that of a sphere, especially at low Reynolds numbers where the fluid in the interior of the colony is nearly stagnant. Using the measured drag coefficients, we show that drag is likely to dominate inertial forces for wavy conditions commonly found on coral reefs.
SemantiCode: using content similarity and database-driven matching to code wearable eyetracker gaze data

Laboratory eyetrackers, constrained to a fixed display and static (or accurately tracked) observer, facilitate automated analysis of fixation data. Development of wearable eyetrackers has extended environments and tasks that can be studied at the expense of automated analysis.Wearable eyetrackers provide 2D point-of-regard (POR) in scene-camera coordinates, but the researcher is typically interested in some high-level semantic property (e.g., object identity, region, or material) surrounding individual fixation points. The synthesis of POR into fixations and semantic information remains a labor-intensive manual task, limiting the application of wearable eyetracking.We describe a system that segments POR videos into fixations and allows users to train a database-driven, object-recognition system. A correctly trained library results in a very accurate and semi-automated translation of raw POR data into a sequence of objects, regions or materials.
Discovery of fast-moving oxygen filaments in Puppis A

A number of faint filaments in the Puppis A supernova remnant have been found to have spectra with strong oxygen lines, extremely weak Balmer lines, and radial velocities greater than 1500 km/s. These are very different from the bright filaments, which are nitrogen-rich and have velocities less than 300 km/s. The newly discovered filaments are spectroscopically similar to those found in young, oxygen-rich remnants, as typified by the fast-moving knots in Cas A. These Puppis A filaments are interpreted as knots of oxygen-rich supernova ejecta which remain relatively uncontaminated by interstellar material, despite the probable age of Puppis A of several thousand years. Spectra of the newly discovered filaments show, in addition to strong forbidden lines of O I, O II, and O III, permitted lines of O I: 7774, 8446 A. The permitted lines are attributed to recombination of O(+), and their strength relative to H is used to estimate that the O:H mass ratio is about 30.
Dynamic feature selection for hardware prediction

Most hardware predictors are table based (e.g. two-level branch predictors) and have exponential size growth in the number of input bits or features (e.g. previous branch outcomes). This growth severely limits the amount of predictive information that such predictors can use. To avoid exponential growth we introduce the idea of "dynamic feature selection" for building hardware predictors that can use a large amount of predictive information. Based on this idea, we design the dynamic decision tree (DDT) predictor, which exhibits only linear size growth in the number of features. Our initial evaluation, in branch prediction, shows that the general-purpose DDT, using only branch-history features, is comparable on average to conventional branch predictors, opening the door to practically using large numbers of additional features.
A collision chamber for the study of high energy ion molecule reactions at high resolution

Abstract The design of a short (0.25 inch) collision region located at the object slit an electric sector is described. The advantages of this arrangement, especially for studying various charge-transfer reactions, are discussed.
MOD approach for the growth of epitaxial CeO2 buffer layers on biaxially textured Ni–W substrates for YBCO coated conductors

We have grown epitaxial CeO2 buffer layers on biaxially textured Ni–W substrates for YBCO coated conductors using a newly developed metal organic decomposition (MOD) approach. Precursor solution of 0.25 M concentration was spin coated on short samples of Ni–3 at%W (Ni–W) substrates and heat-treated at 1100 °C in a gas mixture of Ar–4%H2 for 15 min. Detailed x-ray studies indicate that CeO2 films have good out-of-plane and in-plane textures with full-width-half-maximum values of 5.8° and 7.5°, respectively. High temperature in situ XRD studies show that the nucleation of CeO2 films starts at 600 °C and the growth completes within 5 min when heated at 1100 °C. SEM and AFM investigations of CeO2 films reveal a fairly dense microstructure without cracks and porosity. Highly textured YSZ barrier layers and CeO2 cap layers were deposited on MOD CeO2-buffered Ni–W substrates using rf-magnetron sputtering. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was used to grow YBCO films on these substrates. A critical current, Jc, of about 1.5 MA cm−2 at 77 K and self-field was obtained on YBCO (PLD)/CeO2 (sputtered)/YSZ (sputtered)/CeO2 (spin-coated)/Ni–W.
Raising the Bar for Environmental Literacy in Graduate Education

Conservation and natural resource literature and practice are permeated with calls for improving graduate education, with much attention paid to the mismatch between the disciplinary structure of most universities and the complexity of real world natural resource and conservation problems. At the university graduate level, students are developing advanced levels of expertise in a particular discipline or practice. Indeed, disciplinary education and research are crucial to providing fundamental knowledge related to environmental and conservation sciences. Yet, the environmental problems we face today are far too complicated to be approached with single-discipline or fragmented approaches.
Performance analysis of centralized databases with optimistic concurrency control

Abstract In this paper we analyze Optimistic Concurrency Control (OCC) schemes based on certification. We allow two data access schemes referred to as static and dynamic . A static data access scheme implies that all data items are accessed at the beginning of transaction processing, while data items are accessed on demand during the processing of a transaction in a dynamic scheme. After completing its processing, each transaction is validated, i.e., checked as to whether it has encountered a data conflict. Validated transactions commit; otherwise, they are restarted. A variant of the regular (silent) commit scheme where a committing transaction notifies conflicted transactions to restart immediately (broadcast commit scheme) is also considered. System efficiency or the fraction of useful work as affected by data contention is used as the main performance measure. We develop an iterative solution method to analyze the performance of OCC schemes in the framework of a system with a fixed number of transactions in multiple classes with given occurrence frequencies. The model is analyzed by (iteratively) solving a set of nonlinear equations which relate per class efficiencies to system efficiency. The iterative solution method is validated against simulation and shown to be highly accurate even for high data contention. An advantage of the iterative solution method is that it separates the analysis of data contention from hardware resource contention and provides per class efficiencies. We present graphs/tables, which are used to determine how system performance is affected by: (i) various OCC schemes, (ii) the distribution of transaction processing times, (iii) transaction size and its distribution, and (iv) the throughput characteristics of the system (as determined by hardware contention).
WHAT IS THE POINT OF MINIMUM AGGREGATE TRAVEL?1

THE January, 1954 issue of Economic Geography carried an article by John Fraser Hart in which he described the properties of certain kinds of statistical centers and the available means of determining these centers.2 In discussing the center known as the "point of minimum aggregate travel," he remarked, with a certain note of despair, that it could only be found by trial and error, using a polar-coordinate annule. This method gave a reasonably close approximation of the true point, although it had the disadvantage of being quite time-consuming. Again in 1959, in a note in the Geographical Review, John Q. Stewart and William Warntz stated that "the only known practical way of finding it is to compute aggregate travel distances for a number of points and to approximate, by trial and error, the point of minimum."3 The present article offers a solution to this vexed problem and seizes the opportunity to include a short historical comment on centrographic techniques. For the past several years geographers and social scientists in related fields have shown a renewed interest in a "spatial methodology for areal distributions."4 The idea, at least in
Colonial legacies, post-colonial (in)securities, and gender(ed) representations in South Asia's nuclear policies

Through a comparative study of India and Pakistan's national security discourses, this article explores the linkages between post-colonial India and Pakistan's nationalist/communalist identities, configurations of masculinities, and gendered representations underpinning their nuclear (in)securities. This paper contends that the colonial politics of place-making in the sub-continent has not only inscribed a process of ‘othering’ between these states but has also facilitated the rise of divergent visions of post-colonial nationalisms, which, at each of their phases and with particular configurations of masculinities, have used women's bodies to re-map India-Pakistan's borders and national (in)securities. This article particularly draws attention to a new form of gendered manipulation in South Asian politics in the late 1990s, whereby both states, embedded in colonial notions of religious/cultural masculinities, have relied on discourses of Hindu/Indian and Muslim/Pakistani women's violence and protection fr...
The spectrum ( P ⋀ bo ) −∞

There are spectra P −k constructed from stunted real projective spaces as in [1] such that H * ( P −k ) is the span in ℤ/2[x, x −1 ] of those x i with i ≥ −k. (All cohomology groups have ℤ/2-coefficients unless specified otherwise.) Using collapsing maps, these form an inverse system which is similar to those of Lin ([15], p. 451). It is a corollary of Lin's work that there is an equivalence of spectra where holim is the homotopy inverse limit ([3], ch. 5) and Ŝ –1 the 2-adic completion of a sphere spectrum. One may denote by this holim ( P –κ ), although one must constantly keep in mind that , but rather
RADIATIVE CORRECTIONS TO PARAPOSITRONIUM DECAY

Radiative corrections to the two-gamma decay of parapositronium are examined. Special care is taken in the handling of the so-called binding diagram; in particular, the limiting procedure related to the infrared divergence is considered carefully. The general covariant gauges and the Fried--Yennie gauge are used in the computation to see that gauge invarance is accounted for. The order ..cap alpha.. correction of Harris and Brown is confirmed. In addition, from a sharp peak of the matrix element at low momentum and the low-momentum correction to the wave function, and ..cap alpha../sup 2/ ln ..cap alpha../sup -1/ correction is derived.
The arterial supply to the lumbo-sacral spinal cord in the monkey: a comparison with man.

This report compares the arterial supply of the lumbo-sacral spinal cord in the monkey with that of man. The arterial supply to the lumbo-sacral cord of 100 monkeys (82 Rhesus and 18 Mangabey) was demonstrated by perfusion techniques. We tabulated the level and side of origin of the great anterior medullary artery. Previous authors have shown that in man the peak incidence of the great anterior medullary artery is at T-10. The peak incidence in the monkey is at L-1. There are other features of the arterial supply to the lumbo-sacral cord of the monkey that are different from man.
A backward stable hyperbolic QR factorization method for solving indefinite least squares problem

We present a numerical method for solving the indefinite least squares problem. We first normalize the coefficient matrix. Then we compute the hyperbolic QR factorization of the normalized matrix. Finally we compute the solution by solving several triangular systems. We give the first order error analysis to show that the method is backward stable. The method is more efficient than the backward stable method proposed by Chandrasekaran, Gu and Sayed.
The assessment of type a behavior in children and adolescents: An overview

The present article presents an overview of the instruments that have been used to assess the Type A behavior pattern in children and adolescents. The development, usage, and psychometric properties of each assessment technique are discussed, with methodological concerns being addressed whenever appropriate. The Matthews Youth Test for Health is the assessment of choice for children, because of its brevity, ease of administration, and adequate psychometric properties. The Hunter-Wolf A-B Rating Scale is desirable only for older, highly literate children. The Adolescent Structured Interview appears to be the most promising device for the adolescent age range. The other adolescent assessment devices are relatively unpopular, difficult to administer, and not always conceptually parallel to existing research on Type A behavior. Recommendations for future research are presented.
A measurement model for tracking hand-object state during dexterous manipulation

It is frequently accepted in the manipulation literature that tactile sensing is needed to improve the precision of robot manipulation. However, there is no consensus on how this may be achieved. This paper applies particle filtering to the problem of localizing the pose and shape of an object that the robot touches. We are motivated by the situation where the robot has enclosed its fingers around an object but has not yet grasped it. This might be the case just prior to grasping or when the robot is holding on to something fixtured elsewhere in the environment. In order to solve this problem, we propose a new model for position measurements of points on the robot manipulator that tactile sensing indicates are touching the object. We also propose a model for points on the manipulator that tactile measurements indicate are not touching the object. Finally, we characterize the approach in simulation and use it to localize an object that Robonaut 2 holds in its hand.
Experimental uses of short pulse radar in coal seams

We discuss here a series of radar tests conducted to determine the penetration distances and reflection ranges obtainable in coal with currently available short‐pulse radar. The various field tests were conducted in 1977 and 1978. Three different types of tests were presented. The first series of tests examined the penetration distances, velocity of propagation, and attenuation versus frequency in a large coal pillar. The velocity of propagation was approximately half that in the air. The tests showed that it was possible to transmit electromagnetic (EM) energy in the range of 20 to 500 MHz through 50 ft of coal. The tests also showed the definite polarization effects that had previously been measured in coal. The second series of tests was designed to show the maximum reflection distances for radar with a center frequency of 100 MHz. Using common‐depth‐point (CDP) reflection techniques, a tenfold CDP line obtained reflections for distances greater than 50 ft. The final series of tests was conducted to lo...
Vertical resolution in the neutron method for measuring soil moisture

A source of fast neutrons and a slow neutron detecting device in close proximity have been used to measure the moisture content of soil. The work was done with a 10-mc Ra-Be source and a BF3-filled counter (2.5×30 cm). Rates varied between 16 and 2 counts per second. The vertical extent of the soil layer contributing 95 pet of the measured counting rate varied from 65 cm with very dry material (4.4 pct water by volume) to 45 cm with saturated material (38 pet water by volume). It has been shown possible, by partial shielding of the counting tube with cadmium foil to increase vertical resolution, at expense of counting rate. This procedure is not very effective, however.
Reducing CO2 accumulation and its phytotoxicity to lettuce with absorbent in hermetic storage as a simulation of long-term fumigation ☆

Abstract Long-term fumigation with pure phosphine at low-temperature injures lettuce and the injury is likely caused by a potential accumulation of CO2. In this study, iceberg and romaine lettuce were stored hermetically in fumigation chambers with and without absorbents for CO2 and ethylene for 3 days at 2 oC as a simulation of long-term fumigation to determine the effects of the absorbents on accumulations of CO2 and ethylene and postharvest quality of lettuce. In the absence of absorbents, CO2 level increased from 0.08% at the start to 3.36% at the end of the 3-day hermetic storage. No accumulation of ethylene was detected. Hermetic storage resulted in significant CO2 injuries to both iceberg and romaine lettuce and quality degradation as compared with the controls at 14 days after treatment. In the storage with absorbents, the CO2 level remained low throughout the storage and ethylene was undetectable, and the CO2 injury level was the same or lower than the control. Lettuce quality scores were either the same or better than lettuce in the control. Our findings suggest that the accumulation of CO2 alone caused injuries associated with long-term phosphine fumigation and CO2 absorbent has the potential to prevent such injuries.
The large subunit of RNA polymerase II is a substrate of the Rsp5 ubiquitin-protein ligase

The E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases play an important role in controlling substrate specificity of the ubiquitin proteolysis system. A biochemical approach was taken to identify substrates of Rsp5, an essential hect (homologous to E6-AP carboxyl terminus) E3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show here that Rsp5 binds and ubiquitinates the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (Rpb1) in vitro. Stable complex formation between Rsp5 and Rpb1 was also detected in yeast cell extracts, and repression of RSP5 expression in vivo led to an elevated steady-state level of Rpb1. The amino-terminal domain of Rsp5 mediates binding to Rpb1, while the carboxyl-terminal domain of Rpb1, containing the heptapeptide repeats characteristic of polymerase II, is necessary and sufficient for binding to Rsp5. Fusion of the Rpb1 carboxyl-terminal domain to another protein also causes that protein to be ubiquitinated by Rsp5. These findings indicate that Rsp5 targets at least a subset of cellular Rpb1 molecules for ubiquitin-dependent degradation and may therefore play a role in regulating polymerase II activities. In addition, the results support a model for hect E3 function in which the amino-terminal domain mediates substrate binding, while the carboxyl-terminal hect domain catalyzes ubiquitination of bound substrates.
“The More Things Change…”: Business Litigation and Governance in the American Automobile Industry

Business litigation is a relatively neglected area of corporate governance, particularly given its enormous rise in the United States over the past generation. As a preliminary effort to engage this issue, we examine dispute avoidance and resolution in the automotive sector since the early 1970s-focusing on relationships between auto manufacturers and their suppliers and dealers. We generally presume intercorporate litigation to be a “last resort” in business practice, chosen only on the breakdown of less costly means of dispute avoidance or resolution; we take such breakdown typically to be caused by shifts in the terms of competition among firms (e. g., increased competition, instability, uncertainty); and we expect that, over time, the costs of litigation will motivate efforts to construct new structures of nonlitigious dispute resolution. In the case of the U. S. auto industry, we find disruptive shifts in the terms of competition and increased recourse to litigation. Throughout, however, this litigation effect is mitigated by the dominance of major manufacturers over their suppliers and dealers. Over time, it is further dampened by industry development of mechanisms for arbitration or other nonlitigious dispute resolution.
Chaos and limit cycle in Duffing's equation

Abstract Duffing's equation was first given in 1918. Recently CHAOS was found and studied by using analog and digital computers. The present paper reports the chaotic behavior for a wide range of parameters and limit cycle in Duffing's equation. Some discussion on the chaotic behavior and its benefit is included.
Piloting behavioral family systems therapy to improve adherence among adolescents with HIV: A case series intervention study

Adolescents with HIV are at high risk for suboptimal adherence but have been ignored by the literature. Treatment outcome and feasibility data for the first-known adaptation of Behavioral Family Systems Therapy (BFST) targeting adherence among adolescents with HIV are presented for four adolescents with suboptimal adherence. The intervention was delivered in an alternating home-based and telehealth format and a multi-method adherence assessment approach was used. Adherence improved for three adolescents, viral load decreased for two adolescents, and barriers to adherence declined for all participants. Delivery of an adapted BFST intervention was acceptable to families and may be a promising treatment approach.
Neighbor vector centrality of complex networks based on neighbors degree distribution

We introduce a novel centrality metric, the neighbor vector centrality. It is a measurement of node importance with respect to the degree distribution of the node neighbors. This centrality is explored in the context of several networks. We use attack vulnerability simulation to compared our approach with three standard centrality approaches. While for real-world network our method outperforms the other three metrics, for synthetic networks it shows a slightly weak properties but still a good measure overall. There is no significant correlation of our method with network size, average degree or assortativity. In summary, neighbor vector centrality presents a novel measurement of node importance, which has a better performance to reduce dynamics of real-world complex networks.
Video detection anomaly via low-rank and sparse decompositions

In this paper, we purpose a method for anomaly detection in surveillance video in a tensor framework. We treat a video as a tensor and utilize a stable PCA to decompose it into two tensors, the first tensor is a low rank tensor that consists of background pixels and the second tensor is a sparse tensor that consists of the foreground pixels. The sparse tensor is then analyzed to detect anomaly. The proposed method is a one-shot framework to determine frames that are anomalous in a video.
Effect of vasotocin on locomotor activity in bullfrogs varies with developmental stage and sex

Although neurohypophysial peptides are present in many regions of the developing and adult bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) brain, the function of these peptides remains unclear. To investigate possible behavioral actions, we examined locomotor activity following peptide injection in bullfrogs at various developmental stages. An intraperitoneal (ip) injection of arginine vasotocin (AVT) in tadpoles (stages V, X, or XVII) produced an immediate and dose-dependent inhibition of locomotor activity. On the other hand, AVT stimulated activity when administered ip to juvenile or adult female bullfrogs, but did not influence activity in juvenile or adult males. The minimum effective dose of AVT, when injected directly into the brain of tadpoles, was 100-fold less than that observed when injected ip, suggesting a central nervous system site of action for this peptide. A vasopressin receptor antagonist (d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP administered ip or icv) significantly increased locomotor activity in tadpoles, compared to controls. Oxytocin, vasopressin, and AVP4-9 inhibited activity in tadpoles while mesotocin, des Gly(NH2)AVP, and pressinoic acid had no significant effect. Injection of PGF2 alpha also significantly decreased activity levels in tadpoles. However, pretreatment of tadpoles with indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, did not prevent the behavioral effects of AVT, suggesting that prostaglandin synthesis is not required for this response. In summary, AVT influenced locomotor activity in bullfrog tadpoles and female frogs. This effect shifted during development from an inhibitory action in tadpoles to a stimulatory effect in metamorphosed female frogs. The effect of AVT on juvenile and adult frog locomotion was sexually dimorphic, as this peptide altered female behavior but not male behavior.
Diequatorial and Axial-Equatorial Orientations of Eight-Membered Rings in Monocyclic Pentaoxyphosphoranes Containing Trifluoroethoxy Groups'

Abstract Reaction of (CF3CH2O)3P with diols yielded new monocyclic pentaoxyphosphoranes with eight-membered ring systems containing methylene or sulfur bridges. Trigonal-bipyramid (TBP) geometries were shown to be present by X-ray analysis for CH2(C6H4O)2P(OCH2CF3)3 (2) and S(Me3C6H2O)2P(OCH2CF3)3 (3) with the ring in 2 located in axial-equatorial (a–e) positions and the ring in 3 in diequatorial (e–e) sites. These structures are compared with the first pentaoxyphosphorane derivative to exhibit a diequatorial ring in a TBP, CH2[Me(t-Bu)C6H2O]2P(OCH2CF3)3 (1), recently prepared in our laboratory. A pseudooctahedral structure was revealed by X-ray analysis for S[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(OCH2CF3)3 (4). 1H, 31P, and 19F solution NMR data indicated rapid intramolecular ligand exchange for 2 and 3 at room temperature. In contrast, NMR data on 1 and 4, which contained tert-butyl groups, did not indicate exchange behavior. Here, retention of the basic solid-state TBP in solution was consistent with the observed spectra. C...
Fast algorithms for designing nearly optimal lookup tables for complexity control of the H.264 encoder

The H.264/AVC standard significantly improves video compression performance over earlier standards at the cost of increased complexity. In this paper, we present two offline algorithms for generating a lookup table of parameter settings that can be used by a complexity control algorithm for controlling the speed of the H.264 encoder. Our algorithms to design the lookup table of parameter settings take fewer than 2% of the number of encodings required by an exhaustive search of all possible parameter settings and find parameter settings that offer high peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) with low encoding time at a given bitrate. Our parameter settings are fairly robust over different videos and bitrates. We focus on low-resolution videos at bitrates less than 300 kb/s. We compare the performance of our algorithms to both exhaustive search and a multiobjective optimization algorithm. Our parameter settings improve the average encoding speed over the default parameter setting of the x264 encoder on both PC and cell phone platforms by up to 37.4 and 94.1%, respectively, with PSNR difference of up to 0.3 dB.