cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-phase displacement in Hele Shaw cells: theory

A theory describing two-phase displacement in the gap between closely spaced planes is developed. The main assumptions of the theory are that the displaced fluid wets the walls, and that the capillary number Ca and the ratio of gap width to transverse characteristic length e are both small. Relatively mild restrictions apply to the ratio M of viscosities of displacing to displaced fluids; in particular the theory holds for M = o(Ca−1/3). We formulate the theory as a double asymptotic expansion in the small parameters e and Ca1/3. The expansion in e is uniform while that in Ca1/3 is not, necessitating the use of matched asymptotic expansions. The previous work of Bretherton (1961) is clarified and extended, and both the form and the constants in the effective boundary condition of Chouke, van Meurs & van der Poel (1959) and of Saffman & Taylor (1958) are determined.
Reply to Rehm: Why rates of upslope shifts in tropical species vary is an open question.

Global warming is causing a great many species to shift their distributions poleward and upslope around the world (1), whereas others appear unaffected. Reasons for this variation in response remain murky. One source of variation may be geographic: tropical species, adapted to relatively stable thermal environments, may be more sensitive to temperature increases than species inhabiting seasonal temperate zones (2). We recently tested this hypothesis using climate change resurveys conducted across a variety of taxa. We found stronger upslope shifts in tropical species compared with temperate zone species, suggesting that the former are disproportionately sensitive to temperature increases (3).
Electoral institutions,cleavage structures,and the number of parties

There does not exist a sustainable scientific proposition of high informative content concerning the effects of electoral systems that can be derived in complete isolation from social and political relations. The social, ethnic or religious homogeneity or heterogeneity of a society are very important for the structure of the party system. Nohlen 1993:27 Thus far in this book I have considered two levels at which political actors may face incentives to coordinate their actions. First, within individual legislative constituencies, voters or parties may need to coalesce in order to convert their votes into legislative seats more efficiently. Second, within the nation as a whole, would-be legislators and would-be executives may need to cooperate in order to convert their resources into executive office more efficiently. I have also stressed two broad influences on the outcome of the electoral coordination game, whether at the district or the national level: First, the nature of the electoral procedure pertinent to each level (the local electoral system by which legislators are elected, the national electoral procedure by which executives are elected); second, the nature of the social actors and cleavages involved at each level. Chapter 10 suggested that coordination at both levels would be pertinent to explaining the number of parties at the national level: coordination at the district level by affecting the number of parties within each district, coordination at the national level by affecting the degree to which the local party systems cumulated into a national party system.
Smooth scene transition for virtual tour on the World Wide Web

This paper presents a robust image registration technique for creating smooth scene transitions for a Web-based virtual tour system. Easy and effective virtual tour (EEVT). EEVT has advantages over traditional geometry-based 3D rendering approach in that it does not require labor intensive 3D modeling process or high bandwidth for realistic virtual tour yet provides a virtual tour with free navigation and immersive experience through the WWW. EEVT constructs virtual tour from a set of images. It uses several snap shots of conventional photos without special tools, builds a simple 3D space within each photo using the spidery mesh technique, and expands the virtual spaces by connecting each space together. The connection between images is achieved by image registration, which finds correspondences automatically and estimates transformations. The image registration process is crucial for virtual tour applications in order to compose smooth transitional scenes between two views so that virtual tourists perceive continuous scenes during navigation. Our registration method uses a parametric approach and it includes the following key features for robust and accurate computation: 1) coarse-to-fine hierarchical estimation; 2) fast computation based on image feature-correspondences; 3) FFT-based global matching, 4) automatic outlier removal by RANSAC. The expanded virtual space creates a sense of navigational freedom for virtual tourists with less distorted viewing.
WRIGHT'S STAIN FOR CHLOROPLASTS AND TISSUE SPREADS

Wright's stain, including the entire Wright method as used in hematology, is applicable to fresh animal and plant tissues which may be spread with rapid drying. Particularly are the chloroplasts and vacuole plastids of Nitella well prepared by: pricking open a blotted, uninjured (streaming) cell upon a dry slide, thus bursting out both chloroplasts and other plastids which spread themselves; further teasing of more plastids from the cell membrane upon an adjacent dry region of the slide. Also Tunicate zooids blotted dry in transference to a slide may be torn open and the various tissues teased and lifted about on the slide with excellent spreading of cells. Rapid drying with gentle heat, well timed fixing and staining and differentiation all contribute to results which not only show normal cellular differentiations but which are very valuable in showing experimental cytological changes.
Harmful effects of mustard bio-fumigants on entomopathogenic nematodes

Mustard (Brassica and Sinapis spp.) green manures tilled into the soil preceding potato crops act as biofumigants that are toxic to plant–parasitic nematodes, providing an alternative to synthetic soil fumigants. However, it is not known whether mustard green manures also kill beneficial entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) that contribute to the control of pest insects. We used sentinel insect prey (Galleria mellonella larvae) to measure EPN infectivity in Washington State (USA) potato fields that did or did not utilize mustard green manures. We found a trend toward lower rates of EPN infection in fields, where mustard green manures were applied, compared to those not receiving this cultural control method. In a series of bioassays we then tested whether the application of two mustard (Brassica juncea) cultivars, differing in glucosinolate levels, disrupted the abilities of a diverse group of EPN species to infect insect hosts. Mustard-exposure trials were conducted first in laboratory arenas where EPNs were exposed to mustard extracts suspended in water, and then in larger microcosms in the greenhouse where EPNs were exposed to green manure grown, chopped, and incorporated into field soil. In all trials we used G. mellonella larvae as hosts and included multiple EPN species in the genera Steinernema (Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema glaseri, and Steinernema riobrave) and Heterorhabditis (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis marelatus, and Heterorhabditis megidis). In the laboratory, EPN infection rates were lower in arenas receiving mustard extracts than the control (water), and lower still when EPNs were exposed to extracts from plants with high versus low glucosinolate levels. Results were nearly identical when mustard foliage was soil-incorporated into greenhouse microcosms, except that the negative effects of mustards on EPNs developed more slowly in soil. Significantly, in arenas of both types one EPN species, S. feltiae, appeared to be relatively unaffected by mustard exposure. Together, our results suggest that the use of mustard bio-fumigants for the control of plant–parasitic nematodes has the potential to interfere with the biocontrol of insect pests using EPNs. Thus, it may be difficult to combine these two approaches in integrated pest management programs.
Exploration of pipelined FPGA interconnect structures

In this work, we parameterize and explore the interconnect structure of pipelined FPGAs. Specifically, we explore the effects of interconnect register population, length of registered routing track segments, registered IO terminals of logic units, and the flexibility of the interconnect structure on the performance of a pipelined FPGA. Our experiments with the RaPiD [4] architecture identify tradeoffs that must be made while designing the interconnect structure of a pipelined FPGA. The post-exploration architecture that we found shows a 19% improvement over RaPiD, while the area overhead incurred in placing and routing benchmarks netlists on the post-exploration architecture is 18%.
Diagnostic Accuracy of the Physical Examination and Imaging Tests for Osteomyelitis Underlying Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Meta-Analysis

Accurate diagnosis of osteomyelitis underlying diabetic foot ulcers is essential to optimize outcomes. We undertook a meta-analysis of the accuracy of diagnostic tests for osteomyelitis in diabetic patients with foot ulcers. Pooled sensitivity and specificity, the summary measure of accuracy (Q*), and diagnostic odds ratio were calculated. Exposed bone or probe-to-bone test had a sensitivity of 0.60 and a specificity of 0.91. Plain radiography had a sensitivity of 0.54 and a specificity of 0.68. MRI had a sensitivity of 0.90 and a specificity of 0.79. Bone scan was found to have a sensitivity of 0.81 and a specificity of 0.28. Leukocyte scan was found to have a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.68. The diagnostic odds ratios for clinical examination, radiography, MRI, bone scan, and leukocyte scan were 49.45, 2.84, 24.36, 2.10, and 10.07, respectively. The presence of exposed bone or a positive probe-to-bone test result is moderately predictive of osteomyelitis. MRI is the most accurate imaging test for diagnosis of osteomyelitis.
Nitrogen Balance in Older Individuals in Energy Balance Depends on Timing of Protein Intake

To explore whether nitrogen retention can differ on an isonitrogenous diet by changing when protein is consumed, we performed a short-term study in older individuals (64.5 ± 2.0 years) performing daily exercise while in energy balance. Participants consumed an isonitrogenous-isocaloric diet with the timing of a protein or carbohydrate beverage after exercise (protein after exercise [PRO], carbohydrate after exercise [CHO]) versus earlier in the day. Three-day mean energy balance (PRO: 202 ± 36 kcal and CHO: 191 ± 44 kcal; p = .68) did not differ between trials, but 3-day mean nitrogen balance was significantly more positive in the PRO (1.2 ± 0.32 g N) trial than the CHO trial (0.8 ± 0.45 g N; p < .05). Older individuals were better able to maintain nitrogen balance by simply changing when a portion of an identical amount of daily protein was consumed.
A unified approach for analyzing exchangeable binary data with applications to developmental toxicity studies.

In this article, we present a general procedure to analyze exchangeable binary data that may also be viewed as realizations of binomial mixtures. Our approach unifies existing models and is practical and computationally easy. Resulting from completely monotonic functions, we introduce a rich family of parametric parsimonious binomial mixtures, including the incomplete Beta-, Gamma-, Normal-, and Poisson-binomial, generalizing the Beta-binomial. We show that the family is closed under convex linear combinations, products, and composites. We also give the moments and the Markov property of the family. With such distributions, we can perform statistical inference on correlated binary data and, in particular, overdispersed data. We propose a regression procedure that generalizes logistic regression. We provide a forward model selection procedure. We run a small simulation to validate the inclusion of the binomial distribution. Finally, we apply the proposed procedure to analyze the 2, 4, 5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and E2 data and compare the results with existing procedures. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reliability of brittle materials in thermal shock

The fracture-of alumina disks subjected to thermal shock is predicted from Weibull parameters derived from isothermal three-point-bend tests. Both the shear-insensitive Batdorf model and the principle of independent action model are used to compare results from three-point-benr1 and isothermal biaxial strength tests to results from thermal fracture tests. It is found that the shear-insensitive Batdorf model gives good agreement between mechanical tests and fracture of the thermally shocked disks.
Tribological results of PEEK nanocomposites in dry sliding against 440C in various gas environments

Abstract This case study reports on a recent survey of filled polyetheretherketone composites. A wide variety of available nanoparticles and microparticles were used during this exploratory activity. The friction coefficients ranged from below μ = 0.05 to over μ = 0.60; the wear rates varied from 10 −4 to 10 −7 mm 3 /(N m). The tests were run against 440C stainless steel counterfaces in open laboratory air with approximately 45% RH, a dry nitrogen environment with less than 0.5% RH, and unfilled PEEK was cycled between ambient air and high vacuum (10 −6 Torr). The open (with edge sites) and closed (without edge sites) structures of the solid lubricant particles did not demonstrate a clear environmental dependence, while the PEEK showed a very low friction coefficient and wear rate in dry and vacuum environments.
MAVL/StickWRLD for protein: visualizing protein sequence families to detect non-consensus features

A fundamental problem with applying Consensus, Weight-Matrix or hidden Markov models as search tools for biosequences is that there is no way to know, from the model, if the modeled sequences display any dependencies between positional identities. In some instances, these dependencies are crucial in correctly accepting or rejecting other sequences as members of the family. MAVL (multiple alignment variation linker) and StickWRLD provide a web-based method to visually survey the model-training sequences to discover and characterize possible dependencies. Initially introduced for nucleic acid sequences, with MAVL/StickWRLD, it is easy to distinguish typical DNA or RNA structural dependencies in input families, identify mixed populations of distinct subfamilies, or discover novel dependencies that result from binding interactions or other selective pressures [W. Ray (2004) Nucleic Acids Res., 32, W59–W63]. Since the announcement of MAVL/StickWRLD for nucleic acids, one of the most requested new features has been the extension of this visualization method to support protein alignments. We are pleased to report that this extension has been successful, that the basic visualization has been augmented in several ways to enhance protein viewing, and that the results with protein alignments are even more dramatic than with NA alignments. MAVL/StickWRLD can be accessed at http://www.microbial-pathogenesis.org/stickwrld/.
Isolation and characterization of myrmexins, six isoforms of venom proteins with anti-inflammatory activity from the tropical ant, Pseudomyrmex triplarinus.

Abstract Venom from the tropical ant, Pseudomyrmex triplarinus, has anti-inflammatory properties demonstrated by the carrageenin-induced edema animal mode. A multi-protein complex that inhibits edema was isolated from the venom and was further characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and amino acid sequencing. Although the complex exhibited a single band in SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, six proteins (isoforms) were resolved and purified to homogeneity and were designated myrmexin I–VI. They have very similar molecular masses between 6998 and 7142 Da. Each myrmexin is a heterodimer consisting of a small subunit (SS1 or SS2 or SS3) disulfide-linked to a larger, quite structurally unrelated subunit (LS1 or LS2). Thus, the myrmexin complex consists of six isoforms of venom proteins: myrmexin I (SS1/LS2), myrmexin II (SS1/LS1), myrmexin III (SS2/LS2), myrmexin IV (SS3/LS2), myrmexin V (SS2/LS1), myrmexin VI (SS3/LS1). Subunit SS1 is highly homologous to SS2 (96% of identity) and SS3 (87% of identity) and LS1 is highly homologous to LS2 (79% of identity). Our study suggests that myrmexins may represent a new class of anti-inflammatory proteins.
Effectiveness of Temazepam with Short-, Intermediate-, and Long-Term Use: Sleep Laboratory Evaluation

The effectiveness of 30 mg temazepam (SaH 47-603) for inducing and maintaining sleep was evaluated in the sleep laboratory in six insomniac subjects under conditions of short-, intermediate-, and long-term drug administration. Administration of temazepam had no effect on sleep induction. In addition, effectiveness was not demonstrated for sleep maintenance: wake time after sleep onset was not significantly decreased on any of the three drug conditions, while the number of nightly awakenings was significantly decreased on all three drug conditions. Total wake time was decreased only slightly with short-term drug administration and was similar to baseline with intermediate- and long-term use. The percent REM sleep was essentially unchanged throughout the drug administration period. On the initial set of withdrawal nights, the per cent REM sleep was slightly but no significantly increased over baseline. The per cent slow wave sleep decreased significantly with short-, intermediate-, and long-term drug administration. After withdrawal, the percent slow wave sleep returned to baseline values.
Modeling of stator teeth-tip iron losses in fractional-slot concentrated winding surface PM machines

This paper presents a model for estimating the iron losses in the stator teeth tips of surface permanent magnet (SPM) machines with fractional-slot concentrated windings based on simplified semi-analytical solutions for the machine flux densities. This model is being developed for use in machine design optimization software that analyzes very large numbers of candidate designs. Tooth tip design details are important because a significant fraction of the total stator iron losses is concentrated in these structures during high-speed operation. The first model in this paper focuses on closed-form solutions for no-load operation. It is shown that the simplified model can estimate the stator losses predicted by finite element (FE) analysis within 15% while consuming less than 0.1% of the calculation time required for FE analysis. Armature reaction is included by means of conformal mapping analysis that makes it possible to predict the tooth-tip losses during loaded operation within 15% of the FE results.
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease in Community-Dwelling Elders Taking Vitamin C and/or Vitamin E

BACKGROUNDSince increased oxidative stress may impair cognition and be a risk factor for dementia, there has been interest in determining whether use of antioxidants could protect against such events.OBJECTIVETo determine whether supplement use of vitamins C and/or E in a community-based sample of older African American and white individuals delayed incident dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD).METHODSWe selected a subgroup from the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, a longitudinal study of community-representative persons aged 65–105 years living in 5 adjacent counties in North Carolina, and followed them for dementia (1986–1987 through June 2000). Information gathered during in-home interviews included sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health service use, and vitamin use. Diagnosis of dementia and AD was based on evaluations using the clinical and neuropsychological batteries of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease, with final ...
Adaptation Dynamics in Densely Clustered Chemoreceptors

In many sensory systems, transmembrane receptors are spatially organized in large clusters. Such arrangement may facilitate signal amplification and the integration of multiple stimuli. However, this organization likely also affects the kinetics of signaling since the cytoplasmic enzymes that modulate the activity of the receptors must localize to the cluster prior to receptor modification. Here we examine how these spatial considerations shape signaling dynamics at rest and in response to stimuli. As a model system, we use the chemotaxis pathway of Escherichia coli, a canonical system for the study of how organisms sense, respond, and adapt to environmental stimuli. In bacterial chemotaxis, adaptation is mediated by two enzymes that localize to the clustered receptors and modulate their activity through methylation-demethylation. Using a novel stochastic simulation, we show that distributive receptor methylation is necessary for successful adaptation to stimulus and also leads to large fluctuations in receptor activity in the steady state. These fluctuations arise from noise in the number of localized enzymes combined with saturated modification kinetics between the localized enzymes and the receptor substrate. An analytical model explains how saturated enzyme kinetics and large fluctuations can coexist with an adapted state robust to variation in the expression levels of the pathway constituents, a key requirement to ensure the functionality of individual cells within a population. This contrasts with the well-mixed covalent modification system studied by Goldbeter and Koshland in which mean activity becomes ultrasensitive to protein abundances when the enzymes operate at saturation. Large fluctuations in receptor activity have been quantified experimentally and may benefit the cell by enhancing its ability to explore empty environments and track shallow nutrient gradients. Here we clarify the mechanistic relationship of these large fluctuations to well-studied aspects of the chemotaxis system, precise adaptation and functional robustness.
Comparing Film and Digital Radiographs for Reliability of Pneumoconiosis Classifications: A Modeling Approach

Rationale and Objectives The International Labour Office (ILO) system for classifying chest radiographic changes related to inhalation of pathogenic dusts is predicated on film-screen radiography. Digital radiography has replaced film in many centers. Digital images can be printed on film (“hard copy”) or can be viewed at a computer workstation (“soft copy”). The goal of the present investigation was to compare the inter-reader and intra-reader agreement of ILO classifications for pneumoconiosis across image formats. Materials and Methods Traditional film radiographs, hard copy digital images, and soft copy digital images from 107 subjects were read by six B readers. A multiple reader version of the inter-reader kappa statistic was compared across image formats. Intra-reader kappa comparisons were carried out using an iterative least-squares approach (unadjusted analysis) as well as a two-stage regression model adjusting for readers and subject-level covariates. Results There were few significant differences in the inter-reader and intra-reader agreement across formats. For parenchymal abnormalities, inter-reader and intra-reader kappa values ranged from 0.536 to 0.646, and 0.65 to 0.77, respectively. In the covariate-adjusted analysis film-screen radiography was generally associated with a numerically greater reliability (ie, higher kappa values) than the other image formats, although differences were rarely statistically significant. Conclusion Film-screen radiographs, hard copy digital images, and soft copy digital images yielded similar reliability measures. These findings provide further support to the recommendation that soft copy digital images can be used for the recognition and classification of dust-related parenchymal abnormalities using the ILO system.
Chernoff bounds for Class A noise

The goal is, using a very large passive array, to determine the performance limits of a detector. The signal of interest is narrowband with a Gaussian envelope, and the contaminating noise is multivariate Class-A. Two different multivariate models for the Class-A family are presented. The data are spatially dependent and temporally independent. It is shown, in the spatially independent case, that the Chernoff approximation does closely approximate the performance of the optimal detector. It is shown that the approximation improves as the number of samples increases. It is also shown that the Chernoff approximation requires numerical evaluation of a M-dimensional integral. For the application, M may be as large as 150, ruling out this approach. Two alternative approaches are examined. First, approximating the Class-A model by a Gaussian model is shown to result in a poor approximation. Second, the exact likelihood ratio is approximated by a piecewise function. Although the approximation can be done with very good accuracy, the bound must be evaluated numerically. >
Asian Embeddedness and Political Participation: Social Integration and Asian-American Voting Behavior in the 2000 Presidential Election

Despite the abundance of electoral research, a recurring finding is that Asian-Americans in multivariate analyses are less likely to vote compared to all other Americans. Yet Asians have high level...
Control of Large-Scale Heat Transport by Small-Scale Mixing

The equilibrium of an idealized flow driven at the surface by wind stress and rapid relaxation to nonuniform buoyancy is analyzed in terms of entropy production, mechanical energy balance, and heat transport. The flow is rapidly rotating, and dissipation is provided by bottom drag. Diabatic forcing is transmitted from the surface by isotropic diffusion of buoyancy. The domain is periodic so that zonal averaging provides a useful decomposition of the flow into mean and eddy components. The statistical equilibrium is characterized by quantities such as the lateral buoyancy flux and the thermocline depth; here, scaling laws are proposed for these quantities in terms of the external parameters. The scaling theory predicts relations between heat transport, thermocline depth, bottom drag, and diapycnal diffusivity, which are confirmed by numerical simulations. The authors find that the depth of the thermocline is independent of the diapycnal mixing to leading order, but depends on the bottom drag. This dependence arises because the mean stratification is due to a balance between the large-scale wind-driven heat transport and the heat transport due to baroclinic eddies. The eddies equilibrate at an amplitude that depends to leading order on the bottom drag. The net poleward heat transport is a residual between the mean and eddy heat transports. The size of this residual is determined by the details of the diapycnal diffusivity. If the diffusivity is uniform (as in laboratory experiments) then the heat transport is linearly proportional to the diffusivity. If a mixed layer is incorporated by greatly increasing the diffusivity in a thin surface layer then the net heat transport is dominated by the model mixed layer.
Effects of lipid-probe interactions in biochemical fluorometric methods that assess HDL redox activity

Background: Fluorescence-based cell-free assays offer an attractive alternative to current cell-based assays for measuring the redox activity of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). We have recently developed a biochemical assay that assesses the effect of HDL on the oxidation rate of dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR), reflected by increasing fluorescence over time. However, an immediate reduction in the fluorescence signal is observed after addition of HDL to DHR, due to fluorescence quenching from lipid-probe interactions. Understanding this process is important for interpretation of the results of all fluorescence-based cell-free assays that measure oxidative properties of lipids. Methods: We determined the effect of quenchers (proteins or lipids) on the fluorescence signal of two fluorescence-based cell-free assays: the rhodamine 123 (RHD)-based assay, and a previously described assay based on dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) in patients with systemic inflammation or atherosclerosis versus healthy subjects. Results: We found lipid-probe interactions between the non-fluorescent substrate and the lipid, which affect the observed rate of change of fluorescence after addition of lipids to DHR and DCFH. These interactions depended on: sample collection and storage, types and concentrations of lipid and fluorescent probe, method of HDL isolation, diluents and matrices, and pH. The RHD-based assay yielded reproducible measurements despite fluorescence quenching, while the DCF-based assay displayed more experimental variability. Furthermore, the lipid-probe interactions varied according to the setting of systemic inflammation when using apolipoprotein (apo) B-depleted plasma. However, under fixed conditions the rhodamine assay could reliably detect similar mean relative differences in the redox activity of HDL samples between different groups of patients using either purified HDL or apo-B depleted plasma. Conclusions: Lipid-probe interactions should be considered when interpreting the results of fluorescence assays for measuring lipid oxidative state. Ideally, samples should be freshly obtained and purified HDL should be utilized rather than Apo B-depleted serum. Assay variability can be reduced by strict standardization of conditions (particularly sample collection, storage, lipid isolation method). Data comparisons between different studies similarly require strict standardization of conditions between studies and this caveat must be considered when using these assays to study the role of HDL function in the development of atherosclerosis in vivo.
Impact of organizational vitality on Black voter turnout in the South

In the voting behaviour literature, political organizations are often mentioned as playing an important role in mobilizing a deactivated electorate. Nevertheless, researchers have paid little attention to the relationship between organization strength and Black voter participation. In this study, a direct test of the organizational strength hypothesis is examined by utilizing official voter turnout data at the county level from the November 2004 elections. Controlling for socio-demographic factors, campaign factors and the impact of Black Churches, the findings show that there is a positive and significant relationship between political organizations and Black turnout. The findings suggest that the Democratic Party and civil rights organizations can play a critical role in promoting Black turnout if they improve upon their organizational features.
Technical Note: Lightweight Camera Stand for Close-to-Earth Remote Sensing

Digital photography and subsequent image analysis for ground-cover measurements can increase sampling rate and measurement speed and probably can increase measurement accuracy. Reduced monitoring time (labor cost) can increase monitoring precision by allowing for increased sample numbers. Multiple platforms have been developed for close-to-earth remote sensing. Here we outline a new, 5.8-kg aluminum camera stand for acquiring stereo imagery from 2 m above ground level. The stand is easily transported to, from, and within study sites owing to its low weight, excellent balance, and break-down multipiece construction.
Value of FDG PET/CT in diagnosis of osteomyelitis in diabetic patients with chronic foot infections

1951 Objectives Accurate diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the settings of complicated diabetic foot is a diagnostic challenge. In this study we assess the value of FDG PET/CT to determine bone involvement in diabetic patients with chronic foot infection. Methods Total of 35 diabetic patients with chronic foot infection (22 men and 13 women; age range, 21-84y) was studied using dedicated FDG PET/CT imaging of the feet. In 17 patients surgery was performed and the final diagnosis was determined based on histopathologic findings. Results Imaging results indicated bone involvement in 25 patients, and excluded osteomyelitis in 10 patients. PET/CT detected abnormal focal FDG uptake in the bones in all 13 patients with histopathologic diagnosis of osteomyelitis. Also, PET/CT correctly excluded osteomyelitis in 3 patients with no histopathologic evidence of osteomyelitis. In 1 patient with focal FDG uptake in the bone there was no definite findings of bone infection on histopathology. Sensitivity of FDG PET/CT was 100% and specificity 75% with overall accuracy of 94%. Conclusions Our experience demonstrates high accuracy of FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in diabetic patients with chronic foot infections.
Field, coil, and echo-time influence on sensitivity and reproducibility of brain proton MR spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Clinical MR imaging scanners now offer many choices of hardware configurations that were not available in the first 25 years of their existence. Our goal was to assess the influence of coil technology, magnetic field strength, and echo time (TE) on the sensitivity, reflected by the signal intensity-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and reproducibility of proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MR spectroscopy). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The SNR, the intersubject reproducibility, and the intrasubject reproducibility of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), and choline (Cho) levels were compared at the common TEs of 30, 144, and 288 ms, by using 1H-MR spectroscopy in 6 volunteers at (1) 3T with a single-element quadrature (SEQ); (2) 1.5T with SEQ; and (3) 1.5T with a 12-channel phased-array (PA) head coil. RESULTS: In terms of sensitivity, the best SNR for all metabolites was obtained at the shortest TE (30 ms). It was comparable between the 3 and 1.5T with the PA, but ∼35% better than the 1.5T with SEQ. This SNR difference declined CONCLUSIONS: For the same coil type, the SNR of all major metabolites was ∼35% better at 3T than at 1.5T. This advantage, however, was offset at 1.5T with a PA coil, making it a cost-effective upgrade for existing scanners. Surprisingly and counterintuitively, despite the lowest SNR, the best reproducibility was obtained at the longest TE (288 ms), regardless of field or coil.
Picosecond photorefractive optical switching in GaAs

Recently, we demonstrated that photorefractive mechanisms in GaAs have picosecond response times and that GaAs is a sensitive material for high-speed recording, primarily because of its large mobility-lifetime product.1 Even so, the weak-beam gains measured in our two-beam coupling experiments were limited by the size of the electrooptic coefficient in GaAs to a few percent at fluences of ~0.1 mJ/cm2 (i.e., 1 pJ/μm2). Such small modulation ratios are clearly Inadequate for most switching applications. Here, however, we demonstrate efficient high-contrast high-speed switching in GaAs by orienting the grating k vector along the direction and by using the polarization rotation associated with photorefractive beam coupling, as suggested by Partovi et al.2 in their work with cw beams.
Sorex merriami and Microtus mexicanus in Colorado

The third specimen of Sorex merriami and the first of Microtus mexicanus from Colorado have been taken in Mesa Verde National Park by the Park Archaeologist, Mr. Don Watson. Sorex merriami leucogenys Osgood.—A single specimen in the collection of the Mesa Verde National Park, consisting of skin and skull, was identified by one of us (Rodeck) in a small collection of mammals sent by Mr. Watson to the University of Colorado Museum for identification. The specimens were sent for corroboration to the University of Kansas, Museum …
“What a Glorious Moment in Jurisprudence”: Rhetoric, Law, and Battlestar Galactica:

This article is an inquiry into the legal rhetoric and jurisprudential tensions presented in television series Battlestar Galactica (BSG) (2003–2009). Gaius Baltar’s trial for treason, which closes the series’ third season, serves as a compelling rumination on collective guilt, vengeance, and injustice, succinctly encapsulating BSG ethos. This study, drawing on rhetorical scholarship, explores the trial’s performative features and through rhetorical analysis illustrates how the legal actors in Baltar’s trial frame justice, set legal precedent, and re-establish community-based order in a tenuous Galactica universe – a universe particularly revealing of post-9/11 anxieties and American jurisprudence in crisis.
At the blurry edge of mineralogy

Nanominerals are characterized by crystal dimensions that fall between 100 and 1 nm, and as the length scale of atomic ordering approaches the lower end of this range, a material’s physical and chemical properties may dramatically diverge from what is observed at the macroscale. Indeed, when atomic correlation lengths approximate the dimensions of the unit-cell, one can reasonably ask whether a natural material should be classified as a mineral at all. In their Outlook contribution, Caraballo et al. (2014) offer a state-of-the-art assessment of the science of environmental nanominerals, with an emphasis on the role that crystallinity plays in their behavior.
Branched-chain amino acid restriction in Zucker-fatty rats improves muscle insulin sensitivity by enhancing efficiency of fatty acid oxidation and acyl-glycine export.

Objective A branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-related metabolic signature is strongly associated with insulin resistance and predictive of incident diabetes and intervention outcomes. To better understand the role that this metabolite cluster plays in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction, we studied the impact of BCAA restriction in a rodent model of obesity in which BCAA metabolism is perturbed in ways that mirror the human condition.
Paths Optimal Ordering Algorithm Based on MPLS Traffic Engineering

Based on the analysis of algorithms have been proposed, this paper proposes the Paths Optimal Ordering Algorithm(POOA) for routing issue of Multi-Protocol Label Switch(MPLS) Traffic Engineering(TE).The algorithm uses a learning machine.It can automatically learn from information proposed by a random environment, calculate the best routing priorities, and determine the best path forward by this.The simulation results indicate that routing reject ratio of the routing algorithm is smaller than that of other algorithms, its calculation speed is faster than that of other algorithms, and it can guarantee Quality of Service(QoS), so it is an efficient and quick routing algorithm.
Modeling of reservoir fractures based on discrete fracture network

Well logging and seismic data are utilized to analyze the distribution of reservoir fractures in three-dimensional space.First,we identify natural fractures and calculate quantitative fracture parameters such as density,length,width,dip angle and strike after processing EMI data,and output them in LAS format which will be used in geological modeling.Then by making use of fracture parameters,well logging and seismic data,fracture model of carbonate reservoirs can be built up according to discrete fracture network theory on GoCAD software platform.This model not only precisely displays the geometrical features and distribution of fractures,but also serves as a base for subsequent numerical simulation.
Novel precision enhancement algorithm with reduced image noise in cosmic muon tomography applications

In this paper, we present a new algorithm that improves muon-based generated tomography images with increased precision and reduced image noise applicable to the detection of nuclear materials. Cosmic muon tomography is an interrogation-based imaging technique that, over the last decade, has been frequently employed for the detection of high-Z materials. This technique exploits a magnitude of cosmic muon scattering angles in order to construct an image. The scattering angles of the muons striking the geometry of interest are non-uniform, as cosmic muons vary in energy. The randomness of the scattering angles leads to significant noise in the muon tomography image. GEANT4 is used to numerically create data on the momenta and positions of scattered muons in a predefined geometry that includes high-Z materials. The numerically generated information is then processed with the point of closest approach reconstruction method to construct a muon tomography image; statistical filters are then developed to refine the point of closest approach reconstructed images. The filtered images exhibit reduced noise and enhanced precision when attempting to identify the presence of high-Z materials. The average precision from the point of closest approach reconstruction method is 13 %; for the integrated method, 88 %. The filtered image, therefore, results in a seven-fold improvement in precision compared to the point of closest approach reconstructed image.
Reconsidering “The inappropriateness of conventional cephalometrics”

Of all the articles on cephalometrics this journal has published over the last half-century, the one most cited across the scientific literature is the 1979 lecture “The inappropriateness of conventional cephalometrics” by Robert Moyers and me. But the durable salience of this article is perplexing, as its critique was misdirected (it should have been aimed at the craniometrics of the early twentieth century, not merely the roentgenographic extension used in the orthodontic clinic) and its proposed remedies have all failed to establish themselves as methods of any broad utility. When problems highlighted by Moyers and me have been resolved at all, the innovations that resolved them owe to tools very different from those suggested in our article and imported from fields quite a bit farther from biometrics than we expected back in 1979. One of these tools was the creation de novo of a new abstract mathematical construction, statistical shape space, in the 1980s and 1990s; another was a flexible and intuitive new graphic, the thin-plate spline, for meaningfully and suggestively visualizing a wide variety of biological findings in these spaces. On the other hand, many of the complaints Moyers and I enunciated back in 1979, especially those stemming from the disarticulation of morphometrics from the explanatory styles and purposes of clinical medicine, remain unanswered even today. The present essay, a retrospective historical meditation, reviews the context of the 1979 publication, its major themes, and its relevance today. This essay is dedicated to the memory of Robert E. Moyers on the 100th anniversary of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
Medical homes for children with special healthcare needs in North Carolina.

BACKGROUND The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a medical home as medical care for children that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, and compassionate. North Carolina uses the medical home concept as a model for providing high quality care to children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN). However, until recently, information on medical homes for CSHCN in North Carolina has not been available. METHODS Using North Carolina data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (2000-2002), we describe the characteristics of children having a special healthcare need. We conducted bivariate analysis of socio-demographic factors with medical home and its five components (family-centered care, effective care coordination, personal doctor or nurse, usual source of care, and referrals for specialty care) and multivariate analysis to identify the predictors of having a medical home. RESULTS Fifty-six percent of CSHCN in North Carolina have a medical home. White CSHCN are 1.7 times more likely to have a medical home compared to non-white CSHCN. CSHCN with no functional limitations are 1.6 times more likely to have a medical home compared to children with some or severe limitations of their functional status. CONCLUSIONS Current, population-based information about CSHCN and their families is essential for assessing needs and evaluating pediatric initiatives at the state level. Disparities among CSHCN due to race and functional status should be considered in organizing services for CSHCN in North Carolina.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions affecting children, especially preschool-aged children 5 years and younger. Seizure onset early in life is often associated with epilepsy syndromes, but may also occur in the context of localization-related epilepsy associated with cerebral lesions. Early seizure onset, particularly when it occurs within the first years of life, is known to negatively impact cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. In this highly at-risk population, neuropsychological evaluations assist in maximizing a child's likelihood of attaining optimal developmental outcomes. However, there are myriad factors and numerous interpretive challenges that must be taken into account when conducting evaluations in preschool-aged children with epilepsy. These clinical factors, developmental outcomes, and interpretive challenges are discussed and clinical recommendations are provided for this complex population.
Prospects for indigenous language bilingualism in Mexico: A reassessment

This retrospective overview looks back twenty years to the first series of reports from the field on a study of bilingualism and literacy learning. Continuing research in the same community during this period allows today for a reassessment of the claims, proposals and overall approach of the project. The particular language contact situation, that of indigenous language (IL)-national language (NL) bilingualism, adds an important dimension to the discussion, one that has attracted much attention in recent years: the problem of language erosion/language shift in the context of widespread mastery of, and expanding literacy in, the national language. This condition of language replacement still requires further study for the purpose of gaining clarity on important theoretical questions as well as pressing practical applications related to the development of language abilities among the new generation of school-age bilinguals.
Surgical management of adult spinal deformity: Indications, surgical outcomes, and health-related quality of life

Abstract Due to the aging population, as well as advancements in surgical and anesthetic technique, the rate of surgical intervention for adult scoliosis has increased. The consequences of spinal deformity regarding pain, disability, health-related quality of life, and mental health, as well as the risks and complications of surgical management can be substantial and wide reaching. Significant attention has been directed in describing which patients benefit from operative treatment and validating methods in assessing the postoperative outcomes (pain, function, self-image, mental health, and general health). In this context, the purpose of this article is to discuss the indications, outcomes, and the quality-of-life changes following surgical intervention for adult degenerative scoliosis.