cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pull-Push Non-local Means with Guided and Burst Filtering Capabilities

Non-local means filtering (NLM) has cultivated a large amount of work in the computational imaging community due to its ability to use the self-similarity of image patches in order to more accurately filter noisy images. However, non-local means filtering has a computational complexity that is the product of three different factors, namely, \(O(NPK)\), where K is the number of filter kernel taps (e.g., search window size), \(P\) is the number of taps in the patches used for comparison, and \(N\) is number of pixels in the image. We propose a fast approximation of non-local means filtering using the multiscale methodology of the pull-push scattered data interpolation method. By using NLM with a small filter kernel to selectively propagate filtering results and noise variance estimates from fine to coarse scales and back, the process can be used to provide comparable filtering capability to brute force NLM but with algorithmic complexity that is decoupled from the kernel size, K. We demonstrate that its denoising capability is comparable to NLM with much larger filter kernels, but at a fraction of the computational cost. In addition to this, we demonstrate extensions to the approach that allows for guided filtering using a reference image as well as motion compensated multi-image burst denoising. The motion compensation technique is notably efficient and effective in this context since it reuses the multiscale patch comparison computations required by the pull-push NLM algorithm.
Similarity-dissimilarity and social capital in research knowledge networks: explaining knowledge sharing in academic institutions

As diversity grows, it becomes important for academics of diverse backgrounds to share knowledge to strengthen research capability at academic institutions. Yet, little is known about the relations...
Hierarchical structure of bacterial-derived cellulose and its impact on biomedical applications

Since its discovery in 1886, bacterial-derived cellulose has become a highly researched biomaterial due to its unique structural properties. These properties include fibrous structure and robust stability through immense hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen bonding and resulting hierarchical structure from polymer chains to fibers can be controlled by altering bacteria culture conditions. Low temperature and static culture of cellulose producing microbes lead to the formation of a less stable cellulose amorph, while agitated culture, increased culture duration, alternative carbon sources, and the addition of additives lead to the formation of cellulose with an increased thermal stability. The unique structure of bacterial-derived cellulose allows it to be used for living cell-based sensors, vehicles for targeted cell delivery, and material for wound dressings. This review discusses the recent findings on bacterial-derived cellulose and cellulose synthase as a frame for advanced functional biomaterials.
Preventing distracted driving: A program from initiation through to evaluation.

Abstract Background Distracted driving(DD) is a public health threat. We initiated a DD program where the objective was to attract parents to a website to download a parent tool box. We report the effectiveness of media strategy. Methods An evidence based interactive DD website was developed which provided a parent tool box. Two different digital media strategies were used. Parent(P)/Teen(T) focus groups were used. Analytics, orders during each media strategy are reported as well the results of the focus group. Results There were 73972 visits (>2 min) to the site. The tool box was downloaded/ordered from 10 different countries and 50 states. There were 603 requests via the internet for tools kits, 159 in the first campaign and 444 in the second campaign. Average website time increased from 2.33 min in media campign 1–5.29 min in campaign 2. The focus groups reported the: website was “very useful” in 9/15-P vs 10/15- T. Conclusion Contextual placement digital advertising and focused social media was more effective in attracting parents to the website, and increased downloads. Level of evidence III. Type of study prospective/retrospective study with economic and valued based evaluations.
VARIABILITY IN PRESENTATION OF AMYLOIDOSIS BASED ON HEREDITARY PATTERN

Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is caused by a mutation resulting in abnormal deposition of plasma proteins in insoluble beta-pleated sheets. These sheets result in physiological dysfunction of normal tissue. The genetic inheritance is autosomal dominant. Mr. C and Mr. L are brothers who were
Abstract B29: Impact of obesity on the uterine microbiome in pre- and postmenopausal mice with endometrial cancer

Introduction: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the 4th most common cancer in US women. The relentless rise of EC frequency and mortality is due in part to the obesity epidemic (Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 2019). Obesity is associated with higher risk of both developing and dying from EC. The microbiome is known to play a complex role in the regulation of obesity and cancer, yet the inter-relationship of obesity, the uterine tumor microbiota, and EC pathogenesis is unknown, including the potential influence of menopausal status. Thus, we characterized the microbiota of the malignant uterus using pre- and postmenopausal, obese and lean genetically engineered mouse models of endometrioid EC. Methods: The Lkb1fl/flp53fl/fl mouse is a genetically engineered, preclinical model of endometrioid EC. At 3 wks of age, Lkb1fl/flp53fl/fl mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD, 10% calories from fat) versus a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% calories from fat) to mimic diet-induced obesity. At 6 wks of age, the right uterine horn was injected with AdenoCre virus to delete Lkb1 and p53 and induce EC. Concurrently, mice either underwent bilateral oophorectomy to induce the postmenopausal state or retained their ovaries to maintain a premenopausal status. EC tumors were collected from all mice 12 wks after tumor induction. The microbiota profiles were characterized by bacterial 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, and the data were analyzed using Qiime2 and MicrobiomeAnalyst. Results: When analyzed by obesity and menopausal status, we observed significant differences in the EC microbiota composition of Lkb1fl/flp53fl/fl mice at the phylum and genus level. OD1 and TM7 phyla abundance was higher among obese post- versus premenopausal mice (p Conclusion: There were distinct differences in the bacterial composition of the ECs in Lkb1fl/flp53fl/fl mice according to obesity and menopausal status, suggesting that the microbiome may play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity-driven EC. Citation Format: Gabrielle M. Hawkins, Amber N. McCoy, Wenchuan Sun, Temitope Keku, Chunxiao Zhou, Wendy R. Brewster, Victoria L. Bae-Jump. Impact of obesity on the uterine microbiome in pre- and postmenopausal mice with endometrial cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr B29.
The city in Arabic literature: classical and modern perspectives: edited by Nizar F. Hermes and Gretchen Head, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2018, pp. 352, $125 (hardback), ISBN: 9781474406529

With their publication of The City in Arabic Literature: Classical and Modern Perspectives, Nizar F. Hermes and Gretchen Head have made a noteworthy contribution to the scholarship on cities in Ara...
C3APTION: c onstrainted c oupled C P and P ARAFAC2 t ensor decomposit ion

Given data from a variety of sources that share a number of dimensions, how can we effectively decompose them jointly into interpretable latent factors? The coupled tensor decomposition framework captures this idea by jointly supporting the decomposition of several CP tensors. However, coupling tends to suffer when one dimension of data is irregular, i.e., one of the dimensions of the tensor is uneven, such as in the case of PARAFAC2. In this work, we provide a scalable method for decomposing coupled CP and PARAFAC2 tensor datasets through non-negativity-constrained least squares optimization on a variety of objective functions. We offer the following contributions: (1) Our algorithm can perform coupled factorization with an active-set, block principal pivoting and least square optimization method including the Frobenius norm induced non-negative factorization. (2) $C$ 3 APTION scales to billions of non-zero elements in both the data and model. Comprehensive experiments on large data confirmed that $C$ 3 APTION is up to 5× faster and 70 - 80% accurate than several baselines. We present results showing the scalability of this novel implementation on a billion elements as well as demonstrate the high level of interpretability in the latent factors produced, implying that coupling is indeed a promising framework for large-scale, unsupervised pattern exploration and cluster discovery.
A Minimal Solution to the Generalised 3-Point Pose Problem

It is a well known classical result that given the image projections of three known world points it is possible to solve for the pose of a calibrated perspective camera to up to four pairs of solutions. We solve the Generalised problem where the camera is allowed to sample rays in some arbitrary but known fashion and is not assumed to perform a central perspective projection. That is, given three back-projected rays that emanate from a camera or multi-camera rig in an arbitrary but known fashion, we seek the possible poses of the camera such that the three rays meet three known world points. We show that the Generalised problem has up to eight solutions that can be found as the intersections between a circle and a ruled quartic surface. A minimal and efficient constructive numerical algorithm is given to find the solutions. The algorithm derives an octic polynomial whose roots correspond to the solutions. In the classical case, when the three rays are concurrent, the ruled quartic surface and the circle possess a reflection symmetry such that their intersections come in symmetric pairs. This manifests itself in that the odd order terms of the octic polynomial vanish. As a result, the up to four pairs of solutions can be found in closed form. The proposed algorithm can be used to solve for the pose of any type of calibrated camera or camera rig. The intended use for the algorithm is in a hypothesise-and-test architecture.
Progress and Challenges in Thyroid Cancer Management.

Abstract The state of thyroid cancer in 2021 is reviewed including the prevalence of thyroid cancer, vulnerable patient groups such as women and young adults, and known and hypothesized risk factors for thyroid cancer. Understanding the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of thyroid cancer as well as recent efforts to reduce harms secondary to overdiagnosis and overtreatment are addressed with optimism that future work will continue to evaluate and improve the care of thyroid cancer patients.
Acting for real: Drama therapy process, technique, and performance.

Part I: Process. Sources. Conceptual Bases in Drama Therapy. An Integrative Framework for Drama Therapy. Goals in Treatment. Stages: Five Sequential Phases in Drama Therapy. Dramatic Play. Scene Work. Role Play. Culminating Enactment. Ritual. Stories: Individual Growth in Process-Oriented Group Drama Therapy-Four Case Examples. Sessions: The Development of a Single Session. Process and Progression. Resistance. Choice Points. Description of Actual Sessions. Scenes: Development, Direction, and Resolution of Improvisational Enactments. Types of Improvisations. Therapeutic Direction of Improvisational Scenes. Tools and Techniques in Scene Direction. Scene Resolution. Part II: Techniques. Beginning of the Session and Series. Emotional Expression. Group Interaction. Physical Activation. Trust. Observation and Concentration. Mid-Session and Mid-Series. Expression and Communication. Character and Role Development. Group Collaboration. Self Revelation. Closure of the Session and Series. Giving and Receiving. Collective Creativity. Intergroup Perceptions. Review and Celebration. Part III: Performance: The Story of Seven People and the Play They Created About Their Lives. Development of a Group and a Play. Theater and Therapy. Beyond Analysis: The Early Group Process-First Two Phases. The Group's Entrance into Phase Three. Hospital and Therapy Scenes. Anticipating the Performance. Self-Revelatory Performance. Post-Performance Depression and the Integration of Success.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Bacteriophage SPO1-Infected Bacillus subtilis I. Bacteriophage Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis and Fate of Host Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Normal and Polymerase-Deficient Strains

Abstract The effect of bacteriophage SPO1 infection of Bacillus subtilis and a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase-deficient (pol−) mutant of this microorganism on the synthesis of DNA has been examined. Soon after infection, the incorporation of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates into acid-insoluble material by cell lysates was greatly reduced. This inhibition of host DNA synthesis was not a result of host chromosome degradation nor did it appear to be due to the induction of thymidine triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase. Examination of the host chromosome for genetic linkage throughout the lytic cycle indicated that no extensive degradation occurred. After the inhibition of host DNA synthesis, a new polymerase activity arose which directed the synthesis of phage DNA. This new activity required deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates as substrates, Mg2+ ions, and a sulfhydryl reducing agent, and it was stimulated in the presence of adenosine triphosphate. The phage DNA polymerase, like that of its host, was associated with a fast-sedimenting cell membrane complex. The pol− mutation had no effect on the synthesis of phage DNA or production of mature phage particles.
D-mannonolactam amidrazone. A new mannosidase inhibitor that also inhibits the endoplasmic reticulum or cytoplasmic alpha-mannosidase.

The amidrazone of D-mannonolactam (see compound 5, Fig. 1) was synthesized chemically as a mimic of the mannopyranosyl cation and tested as a potential inhibitor of mannosidases. In this study compound 5 is shown to be a more general mannosidase inhibitor than other currently known compounds and exhibits properties not previously observed with any other mannosidase inhibitors. Thus D-mannonolactam amidrazone not only inhibits the Golgi mannosidase I (IC50 = 4 microM) and mannosidase II (IC50 = 90-100 nM), but it is the first inhibitor that has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of the soluble or endoplasmic reticulum alpha-mannosidase (IC50 = 1 microM). This compound also inhibited the aryl-mannosidases regardless of anomeric configuration although it was much more effective on enzymes recognizing alpha-linked mannose, i.e. jack bean and mung bean alpha-mannosidases (IC50 = 400 nM) as compared with fungal beta-mannosidase (IC50 = 150 microM). Mannonoamidrazone was tested in animal cell cultures using influenza virus-infected Madin-Darby canine kidney cells as a model system, and was found to prevent almost completely the formation of complex types of N-linked oligosaccharides with the formation of about equal amounts of Man9(GlcNAc)2 and Man8(GlcNAc)2 structures. Thus D-mannonolactam amidrazone is a potent but broad spectrum mannosidase inhibitor whose structure and properties should provide valuable insight into the design of other useful glycosidase inhibitors.
Signal Detection Theory

The sections in this article are 1 Basic Principles 2 Detection of Known Signals in Noise 3 Detection of Signals with Unknown Parameters 4 Detection of Random Signals 5 Advanced Topics 6 Further Reading
Managing Product Transitions under Technology Uncertainty

Sequential innovation, where a new product is developed to replace an existing product, creates several logistical challenges for innovating firms. We consider a firm that has to make the end-of-life inventory decision (or final build) for an existing product before identifying key performance measures of a new product. The firm also has the ability to improve the new product's quality during the transition, which we refer to as development flexibility. We jointly model the final build and new product introduction decisions, and characterize optimal inventory and launch policies. The effects of competition, product architecture and development flexibility on the firm's product transition strategy are also explored. In a competitive setting, we show that the optimal policy can be characterized as competitively overstocking or understocking, based on the inventory level relative to a rival's time of entry. Our results thus provide an alternative view of inventory as a hedge against development uncertainty that is inherent to product development.
Adaptive playout for real-time media streaming

When media is streamed over best-effort networks, a buffer at the client protects against playout interruptions due to variations in the data arrival rate. While the amount of protection offered grows with the size of the client's buffer, so does the latency that is introduced. In this paper we show how adaptive media playout (AMP) - the variation of the playout speed of media frames depending on the condition of the channel - allows smaller buffer sizes and correspondingly smaller delays for a given level of protection against buffer underflow. We demonstrate this with the results of Markov chain analyses and with simulations. In addition, we consider AMP as a form of receiver-driven rate scalability, allowing clients access to streams encoded at higher source rates than their connections would ordinarily allow.
A dislocation model for hardness indentation problems—I

Abstract Surface displacement and stress fields caused by the Vickers indentation are calculated by a dislocation model. The non-elastic indentation is simulated by motion of prismatic square dislocation loops created at the loaded surface.
Convergence of Fourier series with complex quasimonotone coefficients and coefficients of bounded variation of order m

Abstract L1-convergence theorems for Fourier series with complex quasimonotone coefficients are generalized. The class of null sequences of bounded variation of order m is extended and the point-wise theorem for Fourier series with such coefficients is proved.
PROPERTIES OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF A CHICKEN TUMOR : IV. ASSOCIATION OF AN INHIBITOR WITH THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE

The presence of an inhibiting substance in the chicken tumor is shown by the fact that a desiccate of the tumor is more active after it has been washed two or three times with water, and that an extract of the tumor is more potent after some factor is removed by adsorption on aluminum hydroxide. When the tumor-producing factor in an extract of a slow-growing tumor has been destroyed by heating at 55 degrees C. it is found to have the property of neutralizing a highly active tumor extract. This inhibiting property is destroyed by heating over 65 degrees C.
Organochlorine compounds in subtropical and tropical marine organisms: a meta-analysis.

A search of the published and unpublished literature was conducted for analytical data on organochlorine compounds in tissues of subtropical and tropical marine organisms. The search was limited to reports of analyte concentrations in whole body or muscle tissue that were minimally determined by chromatographic procedures. A total of 1564 sample analyses consisting of 4431 analyte determinations were obtained for hard and soft corals, sponges, benthic seagrasses and algae, gastropods, fish and shellfish, and 'market-basket' (processed seafood) samples. For comparative purposes, data that were reported on a wet- or fresh-weight basis were uniformly converted to a common dry-weight estimate by dividing the wet-weight values by five (i.e., 80% water, 20% dry-weight tissue). Due to the large variation in analytical procedures, target analytes, chromatographic interpretations, and reporting units, the data were pooled by organochlorine-compound class (i.e., chlorinated cyclodienes, chlorinated aliphatics, chlorinated phenols, and chlorinated terpenes, hexachlorocyclohexanes, and polychlorinated biphenyls). A meta-analysis of the resulting database yielded a mean analyte concentration of 1594 +/- 8768 ng g-1 (dry weight), a median concentration of 23 ng g-1 (dry weight), and a mean of 2.89 analytes per sample; the corresponding mean tissue burden is 4608 ng g-1 (dry weight), the equivalent of 922 ng g-1 on a wet-weight basis. It was also found that the chlorinated aliphatics (i.e., DDT and its metabolites) constituted 40.15% of the reported analyte determinations.
A method for evaluation of dislocation strain energy and self force

Abstract In this investigation, a new cutoff procedure was developed for the evaluation of the strain energy associated with a general curvilinear dislocation in an infinite homogeneous linear-elastic anisotropic body. When used in conjunction with the geometric-theorem approach for dislocation stress fields, a convenient and self-consistent prescription for the complete infinite-body self force is obtained. This kind of prescription will be needed to determine the true equilibrium shape of a dislocation within the framework of linear-elastic dislocation theory. The present method has the same essential physical features as an earlier approach due to Barnett and Gavazza. In addition, the method allows a simple double-line integral formula for the strain energy to be derived, which may prove useful in applications.
Computations in the Ascending Auditory Pathway in Songbirds Related to Song Learning

SYNOPSIS. In general, the song of each adult songbird is unique to that individual. Although some of the parameters of song result from maturational processes which are innately specified, the spectral and temporal parameters of song that confer individual specificity are acquired by learning. The specifics of an individual's song are reflected in idiosyncratic physiological properties of auditory neurons in song system nuclei such as the nucleus hyperstriatum ventrale pars caudale (HVc). We are exploring the transformation from classical auditory to song-specific neuronal properties. This transformation is a complex one which to date has not yielded to classical neuroanatomical and neurophysiological methods of analysis. Furthermore, the idiosyncratic nature of song system auditory response properties makes it difficult to collapse data across individuals. To address these issues, we have investigated a connectionist modelling approach. Our initial efforts have been directed at auditory neurons of the thalamus. In the thalamus, simple linear-static models that use average firing rates of responses to tone bursts have proven to be poor predictors of responses to song. In contrast, time-delay neural network (TDNN) architectures that are trained with time-varying responses to tone bursts using the backpropagation algorithm make excellent predictions of the responses to songs. We are currently extending these architectures in an attempt to capture salient features of the responses of song system auditory neurons. INTRODUCTION ticity associated with idiosyncratic
Advice-giving in the English lingua franca classroom

This paper reports on a research project that examined advice giving in the English lingua franca (ELF) classroom. Considering that the body of literature on ELF and pragmatic research contains a relatively small number of works that are based on naturally occurring classroom interactions (e.g. Mauranen 2003, 2006) this study was undertaken with a view to addressing some questions in this underrepresented area of research. The context involves classes made up of students and lecturers from a number of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds who are learning American English from other nonnative speakers.
Information and the memory span

Messages differing in number of symbols and symbol information load were presented tachistoscopically to 4 adult Ss, The messages were constructed by random drawing with replacement from an alphabet of 8 black form symbols and an alphabet of 32 colored form symbols. The number of symbols recalled varied as a function of alphabet; however, the information in recall was constant for all conditions. The number of symbols recalled and the information in recall was independent of message length.
Measurement issues in knowledge engineering

There are five sources (or determinants) of knowledge base quality: domain experts, knowledge engineers, knowledge representation schemes, knowledge elicitation methods, and problem domains. The knowledge base for many expert systems is developed for a problem domain using one domain expert, one knowledge engineer, one knowledge representation scheme, and one elicitation method. Since there is minimal research demonstrating that the possible variation in each of these sources does not significantly affect the quality of the knowledge base, the generalizability (or validity) of such systems in real-world settings is questionable. Consequently, research is needed to assess the extent to which system validity is affected by these sources of variability. Toward this end, the results of reanalyzing the data from an experiment varying domain experts, knowledge engineers, and elicitation methods when developing a multiattributed representation scheme for combat readiness are presented. No significant effects were obtained for elicitation method or knowledge engineer. >
Landscapes of Desire: Anglo Mythologies of Los Angeles

To those of us who look at Los Angeles and see no sense at all, this text offers a vivid account of the particular visions that drove the period of Anglo dominance in the Los Angeles region, from about 1850 to about 1985. William McClung's essay, supported by illustrations, shows that Anglo settlers and developers wanted nothing more than to make sense of their surroundings, but that their two dominant paradigms were at war with each other. Anglophone Los Angeles, McClung says, has tried strenuously to reconcile two competing mythologies of place and space: one of an acquired Arcadia - a found natural paradise - and the other of an invented Utopia - an empty space inviting development. The collision between these two underlying ideals is still present in the ambivalence at the heart of the city's and region's understanding of themselves.
Enhanced electronic conductivity by controlled self-doping in pyrochlores.

Most 5d transition-metal (TM) pyrochlores exhibit metallic behavior, but 3d and 4d TM pyrochlores are generally electronic semiconductors or insulators. Here, we report a semiconductor–metal transition induced by introducing excess Ti metal as interstitials into Y2Ti2O7. These Ti interstitials prefer anion vacant 8a sites or bridge sites between two neighboring cations along the 〈010〉 direction. Density functional theory calculations suggest that an increased electronic conductivity originates from the interplay between the extra Ti and its neighboring cations. These findings suggest a means for achieving metallic behavior in semiconducting pyrochlore oxides and tuning the electronic conduction in pyrochlores for their electrochemical applications in solid oxide fuel cells.
Optimum sensor placement for localization under log-normal shadowing

In source localization one estimates the location of a source using a variety of relative position information. Such relative position information is often provided by the received signal strength (RSS) which is in turn affected by log normal shadowing. This paper considers optimal sensor placement in two dimensions so that a source can be localized optimally from the RSS at various non-collinear sensors. We assume that the source to be localized is uniformly distributed in a circle. The goal is to optimally place sensors outside a larger concentric circle, by maximizing the smallest eigenvalue or the determinant of the expectation of an underlying Fisher Information matrix, or minimizing the trace of its inverse. We show that optimality is achieved if and only if the the expected value of the FIM is a scaled identity, and provide methods for achieving this condition.
Proximity correction and k1 performance for resists with nonoptical patterning response

Model based OPC is critical for mask design employing current design rules. Models based on the aerial image assume resist response will generally follow behavior predicted by diffractive optics, however, some classes of resist introduce non-optical resist response. It is critical to understand the proximity behavior of these resists in order to accurately manufacture lithographic masks. In this paper, we present modeling and experimental results for a class of resist systems exhibiting a strong non-optical resist response; reversed bias in nested versus isolated space pattern dimension. The behavior is ascribed to a secondary source of proximity originating from heat absorbed during PEB within the exposed region, which produces a non-uniform, pattern dependent, effective PEB temperature. A continuum PEB model employing a combined mass and energy balance is developed as well as experimental methods to determine the parameters in the model. The resulting calibrated model reproduces the degree of proximity bias measured with SEM for a variety of process conditions. Both proximity correction and characterization of k1 performance for the resist system are discussed.
Assessment of neural tube defects in fetuses: accuracy of imaging and correlation of findings with neuro-urologic outcomes

Purpose In order to provide accurate information to parents whose fetus has a neural tube defect (NTD) we evaluated the accuracy of the assigned lesion level by prenatal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MRI) with postnatal imaging, neuro-motor assessment and urodynamic studies (UDS). Material and methods The retrospective review involved all pregnant women whose fetus had a NTD who were counselled at our fetal center between August 1999 and January 2006. Prenatal imaging (US/MRI) defined a lesion level in 38 of 55. Findings were compared with available postnatal imaging (N = 9) neuro-motor level (N = 15) and urodynamic findings (N = 17). Results US and MRI were equally accurate in demonstrating the anatomic level in 23 of 24 (95.8%) fetuses prenatally. Twenty of 38 women delivered a live-born infant. Lesion levels from prenatal and postnatal imaging correlated within one vertebral level in 9 of 9. The postnatal neuro-motor level was similar or caudad to the anatomic prenatal imaging level in 12 of 15 (80%) and > 2 vertebral levels (either cephalad or caudad) in only 4 of these 15 (26.6%). Prenatal imaging levels did not correlate with postnatal urodynamic function. Conclusions US and MRI are equally accurate in demonstrating the anatomic NTD level in utero. Postnatal neuro-motor level is often more caudad than the identified anatomic level. The relationship between estimated anatomic level and urodynamic function is not predictable by prenatal imaging. Caution should be exercised in predicting functional outcomes during prenatal counseling based on the prenatal anatomic level of the NTD.
Influence of adipose tissue mass on DXA-derived lean soft tissue mass in middle-aged and older women

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fat-free adipose tissue mass (FFAT) on association between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived lean soft tissue mass and skeletal muscle mass (TMM). Forty-one middle-aged and older women were recruited for this study. Percent body fat, total and appendicular fat mass (tFM and aFM, respectively), and total and appendicular lean soft tissue mass (tLM and aLM, respectively) were measured using a DXA. FFAT was calculated based on the methods of a previous study. TMM was estimated from the ultrasound-derived prediction equation. The subjects were separated into three groups based on DXA-determined percent fat: low (n = 12, 35 % of body fat). Therefore, in this population, it is advisable to use DXA-derived aLM minus FFAT when evaluating age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass.
In Vitro Studies in Reproductive Immunology, 3. Restoration of Mitogenic Activity of Lymphocytes Inhibited by Seminal Plasma in Man

Human seminal plasma, (HuSePl) is inhibitory to mitogen (PHA-M, Con-A, and PWM) lymphocyte activation. The inhibition does not require the continuous presence of HuSePl. Lymphocyte cultures remain inhibited after 24-hr contact with HuSePl and subsequent washings. Addition of fresh autochthonous lymphocytes or T cells but not B cells can restore the mitogenic activity of HuSePl-inhibited lymphocyte cultures. These observations suggest that T-lymphocyte in the male genital tract are surveilled by HuSePl and lack of inhibitory material could induce an immunologic response by spermatozoal antigens.
Portable Electrification Using Biogas Systems

Abstract There is a strong correlation between electrification and rise in human development, but in developing countries access to electricity is often unreliable, unavailable, or unobtainable, especially from a centralized electric grid. Portable electrification using batteries provides an affordable energy source while sidestepping costs and regulations associated with physical transmission lines. In this paper, an anaerobic digestion system consumes organic waste and produces biogas that fuels an electric generator for battery charging. The paper presents a detailed approach for conducting an engineering economic analysis of the system. Two candidate business models to evaluate the potential of portable energy storage device distribution services of different sizes to return profit are proposed. The results offer a promising starting point for local entrepreneurs to implement similar business models, particularly at a small scale with a modest capital investment of about $1500, with revenue of about $100 per week, and a payback period of 18 months on the investment.
New approximate-iterative technique in shape optimization of continuum structures

An efficient technique that examines the optimum shape of elastic continuum structures is presented. The total number of stiffness matrix inversions required to obtain the optimal shape was significantly reduced as a result of using a newly developed iterative and approximate algorithm. The new technique is capable of approximating both displacements and stresses, and allows the user to have control over the degree of approximation. The efficiency of the proposed iterative approach was verified through various numerical examples and proved to be a viable alternative to the direct approach (which requires matrix inversion), especially in large-scale problems. The proposed approach is not limited, however, to shape optimization, but can be applied to other branches of structural optimization.
HotMobile 2006: Mobile Computing Practitioners Interact

Like the First IEEE Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications, held in 1994, the 2006 workshop aimed to foster interaction between mobile computing practitioners. In keeping with this goal, we returned to a small, informal workshop with few papers but significant discussions. We accepted just nine papers, but we had two important group discussions, two exciting panels, and an insightful keynote address. To reflect these changes, the steering committee changed the nickname of this year's workshop to HotMobile 2006. Approximately 40 people attended the two-day event, held at the Semiahmoo resort in Blaine, Washington.
A new acousto-optic isolator for the stabilization of optically pumped submillimetre lasers

Abstract A polarization sensitive acousto-optic isolator concept is described in which a colinear interaction occurs in an acousto-optic material in such a way that the optical radiation fed back toward a laser oscillator is orthogonally polarized to the polarized output of the laser. Possible materials from which a device could be made for operation in the 10 μm region are investigated. Consideration is given to the birefringent effects that are desired for the material to be an effective isolator, to the minimum frequency of the acoustical wave that is required for phase matching and isolation to occur, and to the optical and acoustical attenuation in the acousto-optic medium itself. The amount of the ordinary wave that is generated in the first passage through the material when no acousto-optic interaction is desired and the length of crystal that is required in order to achieve 100% transfer of energy to the ordinary way after reflection and passage through the acousto-optic material are determined. The spectral bandwidth of this interaction and the angular sensitivity of the device to feedback radiation are also found. Finally, the application of this isolator principle to isolation of a CO 2 laser oscillator from feedback radiation when pumping a submillimetre laser is investigated.
Familial Occurrence of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Presages a Genetic Rather Than an Environmental Cause

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon form of left ventricular dysfunction associated with pregnancy and triggered by a number of obstetric factors including pre-eclampsia, plural gestations and multiparity. PPCM is the most frequent cause of pregnancy-related maternal death. Although the clinical outcome of PPCM has been determined, its patho-etiology has not been elucidated. Two recent studies have demonstrated for the first time in a small proportion of patients, convincing evidence of a genetic predisposition for PPCM, activated by modifier genes responding to biochemical and hemodynamic signals during mid to late pregnancy.
Brain-Computer Symbiosis

The theoretical groundwork of the 1930s and 1940s and the technical advance of computers in the following decades provided the basis for dramatic increases in human efficiency. While computers continue to evolve, and we can still expect increasing benefits from their use, the interface between humans and computers has begun to present a serious impediment to full realization of the potential payoff. This paper is about the theoretical and practical possibility that direct communication between the brain and the computer can be used to overcome this impediment by improving or augmenting conventional forms of human communication. It is about the opportunity that the limitations of our body's input and output capacities can be overcome using direct interaction with the brain, and it discusses the assumptions, possible limitations and implications of a technology that I anticipate will be a major source of pervasive changes in the coming decades.
Generalizations of Prime Ideals

Let R be a commutative ring with identity. Various generalizations of prime ideals have been studied. For example, a proper ideal I of R is weakly prime (resp., almost prime) if a, b ∈ R with ab ∈ I − {0} (resp., ab ∈ I − I 2) implies a ∈ I or b ∈ I. Let φ:ℐ(R) → ℐ(R) ∪ {∅} be a function where ℐ(R) is the set of ideals of R. We call a proper ideal I of R a φ-prime ideal if a, b ∈ R with ab ∈ I − φ(I) implies a ∈ I or b ∈ I. So taking φ∅(J) = ∅ (resp., φ0(J) = 0, φ2(J) = J 2), a φ∅-prime ideal (resp., φ0-prime ideal, φ2-prime ideal) is a prime ideal (resp., weakly prime ideal, almost prime ideal). We show that φ-prime ideals enjoy analogs of many of the properties of prime ideals.
Camera-trapping forest–woodland wildlife of western Uganda reveals how gregariousness biases estimates of relative abundance and distribution

Abstract Camera traps are increasingly used to estimate relative abundance and distribution of wildlife. These methods are powerful and efficient ways to inventory multiple species simultaneously and count rare, secretive individuals across landscapes. However the estimation methods demand assumptions about relative capture probability that may not hold well for gregarious animals. We present results from the first systematic, camera-trap study in forest–woodland, western Uganda. Within a landscape of seven protected areas with globally important biodiversity, we detected >36 species of large mammals and birds in 8841 camera-trap days. Species photographed in groups of two or more individuals produced higher estimates of relative abundance and wider distribution than species photographed as single individuals. We propose these findings reflect higher detectability for animals that forage or travel in groups. We discuss how capture–recapture theory should be adapted to account for both non-independence among individuals in groups and for the interaction between individual and temporal variation in capture probability. We also identify several species that deserve greater conservation attention in Uganda and beyond. Among them, leopards were unexpectedly rare, especially when compared to the sympatric African golden cat. We recommend against a recent policy on leopard trophy hunting, at least in western Uganda.
Standard components of alternating type centralized by a 4-group

Abstract We determine the finite groups possessing a standard subgroup which is the covering group of an alternating group, and whose centralizer is of 2-rank at least 2. The result is one step in the original proof of the classification of the finite simple groups, and presumably also in improvements to that proof. The paper is a modification of the original preprint, which had remained unpublished since the seventies.
Anesthesia and sleep

Although both general anesthesia and naturally occurring sleep depress consciousness, distinct physiological differences exist between the two states. Recent lines of evidence have suggested that sleep and anesthesia may be more similar than previously realized. Localization studies of brain nuclei involved in sleep have indicated that such nuclei are important in anesthetic action. Additional observations that regional brain activity during anesthesia resembles that in the sleeping brain have raised the possibility that anesthesia may exert its effects by activating neuronal networks normally involved in sleep. In animals, behavioral interactions between sleep and anesthesia appear to support these mechanistic similarities. Rat studies demonstrate that sleep debt accrued during prolonged wakefulness dissipate during anesthesia. Moreover, anesthetic potency is subject both to circadian effects and to the degree of prior sleep deprivation. Such interactions may partly explain anesthetic variability among patients. Finally, sleep and anesthesia interact physiologically. Endogenous neuromodulators known to regulate sleep also alter anesthetic action, and anesthetics cause sleep with direct administration into brain nuclei known to regulate sleep. Together, these observations provide new research directions for understanding sleep regulation and generation, and suggest the possibility of new clinical therapies both for patients with sleep disturbances and for sleep deprived patients receiving anesthesia.
A New Paradigm for Head-Mounted Display Technology: Application to Medical Visualization and Remote Collaborative Environments

Today advanced 3D virtual environments are mostly based on either a technology known as the cave or head-mounted displays. A new type of head-mounted display, which consists of a pair of miniature projection lenses and displays mounted on the helmet and retro-reflective sheeting materials placed strategically in the environment, has been proposed as an alternative to eyepiece optics types of displays. The novel concept and properties of the head- mounted projective display (HMPD) suggests solutions to part of the problems of state-of-art visualization devices and make it extremely suitable for multiple-user collaborative environments. In this paper, we first review the concept of the HMPD and present the latest prototype developed. We then discuss its application to medical visualization and remote collaborative environments.
Decoupling of recessive and nonrecessive solutions for a second-order system

Abstract A Riccati transformation is used to obtain Liouville/Green approximations, along with error bounds, for a vector system u = F(t) u on a real interval [a, ∞), subject to suitable assumptions on the n × n matrix-valued function F = F(t).
Genotype and environment effects on adhesive shear strength in soybean-based adhesives

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] adhesives developed from seed protein provide a safe, renewable alternative to petroleum-based adhesives. The quality of many products made from soybean seed components is influenced by genotype and environment. Research has not addressed genotype and environment effects on adhesive quality. The objective of this study was to determine if genotype and environment affect adhesive shear strength in soybean. Twenty-two genotypes were grown in replicated plots at six Kansas locations over 2 yr. Protein was isolated from ground seed harvested from each plot. A protein-water mixture was used to glue wood boards together. Shear strength, the force needed to pull the wood apart, was measured. Shear strength means, averaged over all six environments, ranged from 3.71 to 3.22 MPa for the genotype producing the strongest and weakest adhesives, respectively. PI437401 had significantly less mean shear strength than did the twelve top-ranked genotypes in the test. Environment and genotype by environment effects on shear strength were not significant. Significant shear strength differences found among entries indicate that genotype should be a consideration when developing soybean-based adhesives.
Summer sea ice motion from the 18 GHz channel of AMSR‐E and the exchange of sea ice between the Pacific and Atlantic sectors

We demonstrate that sea ice motion in summer can be derived reliably from the 18GHz channel of the AMSR-E instrument on the EOS Aqua platform. The improved spatial resolution of this channel with its lower sensitivity to atmospheric moisture seems to have alleviated various issues that have plagued summer motion retrievals from shorter wavelength observations. Two spatial filters improve retrieval quality: one reduces some of the microwave signatures associated with synoptic-scale weather systems and the other removes outliers. Compared with daily buoy drifts, uncertainties in motion are approx.3-4 km/day. Using the daily motion fields, we examine five years of summer ice area exchange between the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean. With the sea-level pressure patterns during the summer of 2006 and 2007 favoring the export of sea ice into the Atlantic Sector, the regional outflow is approx.21% and approx.15% of the total sea ice retreat in the Pacific sector.
Pseudallescheria boydii mycetoma in Northern New England

: Mycetoma is a chronic subcutaneous fungal infection characterized by tumefaction, draining sinuses, and grains. It is most common in the tropics but occasionally occurs in the United States. We report a case of a mycetoma affecting the foot of a 38–year-old mentally retarded man from northern New England. The causal organism was identified as Pseudallescheria boydii, the most common cause of mycetoma in the United States. The patient showed a partial response to 8 months of ketoconazole therapy.
Self-tuned filters

A scheme for the tuning of filters is proposed. In it, filters are time-shared between a signal path and a tuning path, so that each filter in a system is individually tuned. An accurate system frequency response can thus be achieved which does not rely on tight matching between filters.
Cement-matrix structural nanocomposites

This paper reviews cement-matrix structural nanocomposites, including those with particulate and fibrous reinforcements. Silica fume is valuable for improving numerous mechanical properties, in addition to enhancing the freeze-thaw durability, the vibration damping capacity, the abrasion resistance, the bond strength with steel rebars, the chemical attack resistance and the corrosion resistance of steel rebars. Furthermore, silica fume decreases the alkali-silica reactivity, the drying shrinkage, permeability, creep rate and thermal expansion. On the other hand, carbon nanofiber is not attractive, as it fails to compete with conventional discontinuous carbon fiber as a reinforcement.