cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of generalization functions and frame of reference effects in different training paradigms.

Six experiments were carried out to compare go/no-go and choice paradigms for studying the effects of intradimensional discrimination training on subsequent measures of stimulus generalization in human subjects. Specifically, the purpose was to compare the two paradigms as means of investigating generalization gradient forms and frame of reference effects. In Experiment 1, the stimulus dimension was visual intensity (brightness); in Experiment 2, it was line orientation (line-angle stimuli). After learning to respond (or to respond “right”) to stimulus value (SV) 4 and not to respond (or to respond “left”) to SV2 (in Experiment 1) or SV1 (in Experiment 2), the subjects were tested for generalization (recognition) with an asymmetrical set of values ranging from SV1 to SV11. Go/no-go training produced peaked gradients, whereas choice training produced sigmoid gradients. The asymmetrical testing resulted in a gradual shift of the peak of responding (go/no-go group) or in the point of subjective indifference (PSI; choice group) toward. the central value of the test series; thus, both paradigms revealed a frame of reference effect. The results were comparable for the quantitative (intensity) and the qualitative (line-angle) stimulus dimensions. Experiment 3 compared the go/no-go procedure with a yes/no procedure in which subjects responded “right” to SV4 and “left” to all other intensities and found no differences between these procedures. Thus the difference in gradient forms in go/no as opposed to (traditional) choice paradigms depends on whether one or two target stimuli are used in training. In Experiment 4, in which visual intensity was used, the shift in the PSI following choice training varied positively with the range of asymmetrical test stimuli employed. In Experiment 5, also with visual intensity, the magnitude of the peak shift following go/no-go training varied as a function of over representing a high or a low stimulus value during generalization testing. Experiment 6, with line angles, showed that the PSI following choice training varies in a similar way. The frame of reference effects obtained in these experiments are consistent with an adaptation-level model.
Geomorphic and vegetative characteristics along three northern Virginia streams

Geometry, sediment, and woody-vegetation data were collected from bottomland geomorphic surfaces at valley sections along three gaged perennial streams of northern Virginia. The basins of the streams differ widely in topography and physiography; mean discharges vary from 0.196 to 323 m3 per sec. Prevalent surfaces identified were the depositional bar, the active-channel shelf, the flood plain, and terraces. The stages corresponding to active-channel-shelf levels were equivalent to flow durations of 5% to 13%. Stages corresponding to flood-plain levels were equivalent to discharges with 1.4- to 2.0-yr recurrence intervals. The discharge data and statistical tests of geomorphicsurface, sediment, and vegetative data suggest that the various alluvial features are formed and maintained by hydraulically controlled sorting processes. Analysis of woody-plant and geomorphic data shows that each surface supports characteristic species, some of which are nearly unique to a surface. Tests of sediment type with species distribution showed lower correlation than that of geomorphic surface with species. It is inferred that plant distributions largely are controlled by flow frequency and intensity, and that plants may help to identify geomorphic levels and potential for flood damage.
Calcium regulates tertiary structure and enzymatic activity of human endometase/matrilysin-2 and its role in promoting human breast cancer cell invasion

Human MMP-26 (matrix metalloproteinase-26) (also known as endometase or matrilysin-2) is a putative biomarker for human carcinomas of breast, prostate and other cancers of epithelial origin. Calcium modulates protein structure and function and may act as a molecular signal or switch in cells. The relationship between MMPs and calcium has barely been studied and is absent for MMP-26. We have investigated the calcium-binding sites and the role of calcium in MMP-26. MMP-26 has one high-affinity and one low-affinity calcium binding site. High-affinity calcium binding was restored at physiologically low calcium conditions with a calcium-dissociation constant of 63 nM without inducing secondary and tertiary structural changes. High-affinity calcium binding protects MMP-26 against thermal denaturation. Mutants of this site (D165A or E191A) lose enzymatic activity. Low-affinity calcium binding was restored at relatively high calcium concentrations and showed a Kd2 (low-affinity calcium-dissociation constant) value of 120 μM, which was accompanied with the recovery of enzymatic activity reversibly and tertiary structural changes, but without secondary structural rearrangements. Mutations at the low-affinity calcium-binding site (C3 site), K189E or D114A, induced enhanced affinity for the Ca2+ ion or an irreversible loss of enzymatic activity triggered by low-affinity calcium binding respectively. Mutation at non-calcium-binding site (V184D at C2 site) showed that C2 is not a true calcium-binding site. Observations from homology-modelled mutant structures correlated with these experimental results. A human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, transfected with wild-type MMP-26 cDNA showed a calcium-dependent invasive potential when compared with controls that were transfected with an inactive form of MMP-26 (E209A). Calcium-independent high invasiveness was observed in the K189E mutant MDA-MB-231 cell line.
Characterization of a bimorph deformable mirror using stroboscopic phase-shifting interferometry

The static and dynamic characteristics of a bimorph deformable mirror (DM) for use in an adaptive optics system are described. The DM is a 35-actuator device composed of two disks of lead magnesium niobate (PMN), an electrostrictive ceramic that produces a mechanical strain in response to an imposed electric field. A custom stroboscopic phase-shifting interferometer was developed to measure the deformation of the mirror in response to applied voltage. The ability of the mirror to replicate optical aberrations described by the Zernike polynomials was tested as a measure of the mirror's static performance. The natural frequencies of the DM were measured up to 20 kHz using both stroboscopic interferometry as well as a commercial laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). Interferometric measurements of the DM surface profile were analyzed by fitting the surface with mode-shapes predicted using classical plate theory for an elastically supported disk. The measured natural frequencies were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the theoretical model.
Application of high vacuum fractional distillation to complex mixtures of methyl esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids

A technique for the high vacuum fractional distillation, with a spinning band column, of methyl esters of polyunsaturated fatty acids employing a carrier of long chain acetates is described. The carrier is used to facilitate the fractionation of minor components and minimize artifact formation in mixtures of methyl esters containing up to six double bonds. The technique is demonstrated on a standard mixture of methyl esters and applied to a concentrate of unsaturated methyl esters containing a large number of minor components as well as methyl docosahexaenoate.
Effect of Aluminum Concentration And Boron Dopant on Environmental Embriitlement in Feal Aluminides

The room-temperature tensile properties of FeAl aluminides were determined as functions of aluminum concentration (35 to 43 at. % Al), test environment, and surface (oil) coating. The two lower aluminum alloys containing 35 and 36.5% Al are prone to severe environmental embrittlement, while the two higher aluminum alloys with 40 and 43% Al are much less sensitive to change in test environment and surface coating. The reason for the different behavior is that the grain boundaries are intrinsically weak in the higher aluminum alloys, and these weak boundaries dominate the low ductility and brittle fracture behavior of the 40 and 43% Al alloys. When boron is added to the 40% Al alloy as a grain-boundary strengthener, the environmental effect becomes prominent. In this case, the tensile ductility of the boron-doped alloy, just like that of the lower aluminum alloys, can be dramatically improved by control test environment (e.g. dry oxygen vs air). Strong segregation of boron to the grain boundaries, with a segregation factor of 43, was revealed by Auger analyses. 28 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.
Living-donor hepatectomy in right-sided round-ligament liver : importance of mapping the anatomy to the left medial segment

Left-sided gallbladder (LSGB) and right-sided round ligament (RSRL) are very infrequent findings, mostly described in Oriental patients, that have associated anatomical variations. An abnormal portal vein branching, mainly to segment IV, is strongly associated with RSRL. Living-donor liver transplantation requires that both the graft and the remnant liver have adequate vascular supply and volumes. Abnormal vascularization of segment IV then threatens this goal. There have been scarce reports of the feasibility of living-donor hepatectomy under these conditions, all in Oriental populations. We present a case of an Occidental living liver donor with RSRL, and discuss the associated anatomical variations of the portal vascular supply of the liver, with its implications in planning a living-donor hepatectomy.
A comparative engineering-economic analysis of the evolution of the Soviet mainline freight locomotive

Abstract While there has been a much larger increase in the work output of the Soviet mainline locomotive fleet than in that of the United States (from the late 1920s to the mid-1970s), the United States-Soviet difference in the mainline freight-locomotive unit's ability to do work has increased rather than decreased. This paper summarizes the findings of the author's (Boncher, 1976) investigation that documents and examines the causes of this development. An attempt is made to identify the essential differences in the controlling United States and Soviet technological decision-making processes.
Associations Between Fifth Graders’ Gender Atypical Problem Behavior and Peer Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

An accruing body of evidence supports associations between self-perceived gender typicality and peer relationship difficulties; however, researchers have yet to evaluate peers' perceptions of problem behaviors to gain insight into the social correlates of gender typicality. A short-term longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate associations between gender atypical problem behavior and subsequent peer relational difficulties for 2,076 fifth graders (M age= 10.27; 53% female). Peer nomination methodology was used to assess participants' classroom peer relationships, problem behaviors, and social-emotional characteristics. Findings showed that youth characterized by gender atypical, compared to gender typical, problem behavior (withdrawn boys/aggressive girls vs. withdrawn girls/aggressive boys, respectively) evidenced higher levels of subsequent peer difficulties; moreover, participation in a mutual friendship was associated with decreased risk for peer relationship maladjustment, particularly among youth characterized by gender atypical problem behavior. Results further revealed that, compared to friendless youth, friended youth earned higher prosocial and peer liking scores and, for withdrawn youth, lower emotional sensitivity scores. The present research contributes to our understanding of the potential short-term consequences of youth's gender atypical problem behavior. Findings underscore the need for supplemental conceptualizations of gender typicality as well as multifaceted interventions designed to promote the acceptance of gender nonnormativity, support the development of adaptive peer relationships, and reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors.
Crystal growth and crystallography

Selected topics that may be of interest for both crystal-structure and crystal-growth communities are overviewed. The growth of protein crystals, along with that of some other compounds, is one of the topics, and recent insights into related phenomena are considered as examples of applications of general principles. The relationship between crystal growth shape and structure is reviewed and an attempt to introduce semiquantitative characterization of binding for proteins is made. The concept of kinks for complex structures is briefly discussed. Even at sufficiently low supersaturations, the fluctuation of steps may not be sufficient to implement the Gibbs-Thomson law if the kink density is low enough. Subsurface ordering of liquids and growth of rough interfaces from melts is discussed. Crystals growing in microgravity from solution should be more perfect if they preferentially trap stress-inducing impurities, thus creating an impurity-depleted zone around themselves. Evidently, such a zone is developed only around the crystals growing in the absence of convection. Under terrestrial conditions, the self-purified depleted zone is destroyed by convection, the crystal traps more impurity and grows stressed. The stress relief causes mosaicity. In systems containing stress-inducing but poorly trapped impurities, the crystals grown in the absence of convection should be worse than those of their terrestrial counterparts.
Multiflows in multihop wireless networks

This paper studies maximum multicommodity flow and maximum concurrent flow in multihop wireless networks subject to both bandwidth and interference constraints. The existing proof of the NP-hardness of both problems is too contrived to be applicable to meaningful multihop wireless networks. In addition, all known constant-approximation algorithms for both problems restricted to various network classes are super-exponential in running time. Some of them are simply incorrect. In this paper, we first provide a rigorous proof of the NP-hardness of both problems even in very simple settings. Then, we show that both problems restricted to a broad family of multihop wireless networks admit polynomial-time approximation scheme (PTAS). After that, we develop a unified framework for the design and analysis of polynomial approximation algorithms for both problems. Following such framework, we obtain polynomial constant-approximation algorithms for both problems restricted to a broad network family. The approximation ratios of these algorithms are also better than those known in the literature.
The Effects of Situations and Situation Transitions on Maternal and Infant Behavior

Abstract Mothers and their firstborn year-old infants (30 girls, 30 boys) were observed during two counterbalanced situations. In the noninteraction situation, mothers were not to initiate interaction; during interaction mothers were free to interact. Maternal and infant behavior were dependent upon both the situation examined and how it compared to the previous situation. During interaction, mothers directed more behavior toward their infants than during noninteraction; this effect was intensified when noninteraction preceded interaction. Infant looking and proximity-seeking were greater during interaction than during noninteraction, while the reverse was true for touching and vocalization. A decrease in the level of interaction resulted in increases in infant behavior, while the reverse transition was associated with a more variable pattern. Two models describe the interrelationships between changes in maternal and infant behavior. In a reciprocal system, increases by the mother in a given behavior or i...
Mars--A warmer, wetter planet, by Jeffrey S. Kargel

Book Review: Mars—A Warmer, Wetter Planet, Jeffrey S. Kargel. Springer-Verlag/Praxis (2004).
Effect of calmodulin antagonists on Ca2+ uptake by boar spermatozoa

Abstract Calcium uptake by washed boar sperm suspensions is markedly stimulated by the calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and calmidazolium. Both 45 Ca 2+ uptake and net Ca 2+ uptake are increased by these drugs. Drug stimulated Ca 2+ uptake is blocked by verapamil (1 mM), by ruthenium red (25 μM) and by carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone. Calmodulin antagonists do not slow ATP-dependent Ca 2+ extrusion from plasma membrane vesicles, and they do not inhibit plasma membrane Ca 2+ -ATPase. It is proposed that calmodulin is involved in the control of Ca 2+ entry in boar spermatozoa. Most entering Ca 2+ in uncapacitated spermatozoa is sequestered by mitochondria or rapidly extruded by plasma membrane pumps. In contrast to the uptake mechanism, ATP-dependent Ca 2+ extrusion does not appear to be regulated by calmodulin.
Virology: micro mystery solution.

A particular talent of herpes simplex virus-1 is that it can lurk unseen in the cells of an infected person for long periods. It turns out that the virus achieves this feat through the agency of a microRNA. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can lie latent in the peripheral nervous system until reactivated by stress of some kind, when infectious viruses are again produced, forming familiar epithelial herpes infections such as cold sores. Just one viral gene is expressed during this latency phase, and no viral particles are produced. The product of that one gene has now been identified and the subtlety of the latency ploy is revealed: the virus produces a microRNA that protects the infected neurons from cell death (or apoptosis), so that the infection persists until reactivated. Mammalian cells are known to use the RNAi (RNA interference) pathway to restrict viral propagation but here the tables are turned to the benefit of the virus.
Microfabrication of high temperature micro-reactors for continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Robust, high temperature micro-reactors for on-line conversion of organic compounds were microfabricated in high purity fused silica to enable stable isotopic compositional analysis of individual compounds in mixtures using advanced gas chromatography (GC) separation techniques, such as fast GC and comprehensive 2D GC, coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). These micro-reactors could also be manufactured at larger channel dimensions to enable robust operations for normal GCC-IRMS applications. Photolithography was used to define the reactor channel pattern on high purity fused silica, with a protective layer of amorphous silicon. A two-step isotropic wet etching process, using 49% HF, selectively created semi-circular cross-section micro-channels of arbitrary diameters (56–209 μm), with tapered sections leading to input/output ports (>400 μm) that accept fused silica capillary tubing used in GC and MS peripherals. Pairs of symmetric mirror image substrates were aligned and bonded to form enclosed circular channels. The resulting micro-reactors are more robust than the standard designs made of fragile-fused silica capillary or alumina tubes of relatively large bore, and are gas tight at temperatures up to 1,000°C. Fast GC plugs of CH4 with and without the reactor revealed that peak shapes are minimally affected by the micro-reactor when carrier flow rate and channel diameter are optimized. Peak shapes with full widths at half maximum of 250 ms are shown for plugs of CH4 through a fast-GC-combustion-IRMS system interfaced with a micro-reactor containing a CuO/NiO combustion source, enabling carbon isotope ratio measurements of CH4 with a precision of SD(δ13C) = ±0.28‰. The devices enable arbitrarily narrow bores and long path channels that can be operated as open tubes or loaded with a reactant, in a small, robust package.
BALANCE THEORY AND OTHER EXTRA-BALANCE PROPERTIES: AN APPLICATION TO FAIRY TALES

Summary.-In recent years, certain aspeas of graph theory have been used as empirical measures of the consistency of relations within a given group structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of applying a formalization of balance theory as well as some measures of extra-balance properties to one particular type of literature, fairy tales. Indeed, balance theory can be applied to fairy tales. The analysis indicates that 100% of the fairy tales ended in complete balance. At the same time, because 63% of the fairy tales maintained complete balance throughout the entire tale, another extra-balance property was needed to indicate changes throughout the plot line. Using a measure of positive relations, 94% (all but one) of the fairy tales ended with complete positive relations.
Postanthesis temperatures influence cytokinin accumulation and wheat kernel weight

High temperatures during reproductive development alter kernel development and reduce yield and quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Understanding how temperature alters kernel formation will help the development of genetic approaches to enhance heat tolerance in this cereal. A relationship between kernel development and postanthesis cytokinin accumulation is well documented, but the effect of temperature on this relationship is not known. This study quantified the effects of a postanthesis temperature treatment (7 d at 35/25 °C day/night) on kernel development and cytokinin accumulation in a soft white winter wheat (c.v. Stephens). Kernels from control plants maintained at 25/15 °C accumulated zeatin, dihydrozeatin and their corresponding 9-ribosides from 1 to 4 d postanthesis. Postanthesis kernel cytokinin accumulation was reduced by 50–80% by the temperature treatment. Kernel cytokinin content in control plants declined to baseline by 5 d postanthesis and remained at that level. Kernels from treated plants had a secondary peak of cytokinin accumulation 6–8 d after anthesis. This treatment significantly reduced kernel weight. The magnitude of the effect on kernel number was smaller than on kernel weight, but was statistically significant. Reduced kernel weight was accompanied by reduced cytokinin accumulation. Exogenous cytokinins did not mitigate the temperature effects on kernel weight, but at the highest concentrations, did reduce the effect on kernel number.
Attention Modulates Contextual Influences in the Primary Visual Cortex of Alert Monkeys

Abstract The response properties of cells in the primary visual cortex (V1) were measured while the animals directed their attention either to the position of the neuron's receptive field (RF), to a position away from the RF (focal attention), or to four locations in the visual field (distributed attention). Over the population, varying attentional state had no significant effect on the response to an isolated stimulus within the RF but had a large influence on the facilitatory effects of contextual lines. We propose that the attentional modulation of contextual effects represents a gating of long range horizontal connections within area V1 by feedback connections to V1 and that this gating provides a mechanism for shaping responses under attention to stimulus configuration.
Examination of published and unpublished manuals and handouts on United Nations documentation

Abstract The documentation of the United Nations has been covered by numerous descriptions in the form of articles, handbooks and manuals. The following bibliography of user instructional manuals and handouts lists those which were written about the United Nations in particular, and those which deal with international organizations in general. Handbooks concerning the European Communities have also been included. The bibliography covers commercially published or printed manuals as well as unpublished materials prepared by individual libraries.
Thermally Induced Intramolecular Surface Reactions on a Photoimageable Dielectric

The effect of bake temperature on the surface chemistry of a photoimageable dielectric is investigated. The dielectric contains mixtures of multifunctional bisphenol A based epoxies which are polymerized using cationic aryl sulfonium hexafluoroantimonate. Surface characterization via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact-angle titration reveals that baking the dielectric yields nucleophilic sulfur substitution of hydroxylated surface species to produce a diphenyl sulfoxide reaction product. Such reactivity provides a convenient means of altering the dielectric surface acidity. Surface acidity is shown to be well correlated to the adsorption of a high molecular weight cationic polyacrylamide deposited from solution during microelectronics fabrication.
Lysine 2,3-Aminomutase: Rapid Mix−Freeze−Quench Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Studies Establishing the Kinetic Competence of a Substrate-Based Radical Intermediate†

Lysine 2,3-aminomutase from Clostridia catalyzes the interconversion of L-lysine and L-beta-lysine. The enzyme contains iron-sulfur clusters and is activated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and S-adenosylmethionine, all of which participate in catalysis. Current spectroscopic evidence implicates two substrate-based organic radicals as intermediates in the mechanism. One of these species, the radical N3-(5'-phosphopyridoxylidene)-beta-lysin-2-yl (3), appears in the steady state of the reaction of lysine and has been definitively characterized by EPR and ESEEM spectroscopy. The 2-deuterio form of this radical, 3-2-d, which is generated in the reaction of L-[2-2H]lysine, can be distinguished by line shape analysis from 3. The rate at which the signal for 3-2-d is transformed into that for 3 has been measured by rapid mix-freeze quench kinetic analysis. The rate constant for this process is 24 +/- 8 s-1 at 21 degrees C. This is the rate constant for the turnover of radical 3 and is indistinguishable from the turnover number of lysine 2,3-aminomutase. Therefore, radical 3 is kinetically competent as an intermediate in the reaction of lysine 2,3-aminomutase.
Top scientific visualization research problems

Scientific visualization as currently understood and practiced is still a relatively new discipline. As a result, we visualization researches are not necessarily accustomed to undertaking the sorts of self-examinations that other scientists routinely undergo in relation to their work. Yet if we are to creat a disciplinary culture focused on matters of real scientific importance and committed to real progress, it is essential that we ask ourselves hard questions on an ongoing basis. What are the most important research issues facing us? What underlying assumptions needs to be challenged and perhaps abandoned? What practices need to be reviewed? In this article, I attempt to start a discussion of these issues by proposing a list of top research problems and issues in scientific visualization.
Neonatal handling increases cardiovascular reactivity to contextual fear conditioning in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR)

Much research has demonstrated that events occurring in early life can have a profound influence on future biobehavioral responses to stressful and emotion provoking situations. The purpose of these studies was to determine the effects of an early environmental manipulation, handling (HAN) on cardiovascular (CV) reactivity, freezing behavior and corticosterone (CORT) responses to contextual fear conditioning in the borderline hypertensive rat (BHR),which is susceptible to environmental stressors. HAN subjects were separated from the nest for 15 min/day on post-natal days 1-14, while non-handled (NON-HAN) controls remained in the home cage. Adult subjects were exposed to the contextual fear conditioning procedure and returned to the chamber 24 h later for a 10 min test period. HAN subjects displayed significantly more freezing behavior compared to NON-HAN(92%+/-2.2 vs 80.7%+/-5.7, p<.05). Although resting MAP did not differ between groups, HAN subjects had increased MAP reactivity when re-exposed to the chamber. In addition, HAN subjects had significantly lower CORT levels at the end of the 10 min test period (174.2+/-9 ng/ml vs 237.2+/-12.9 ng/ml, p<.05). In the second experiment, CORT responses to 60 min of restraint stress and recovery following return to the home cage were assessed in separate groups of HAN and NON-HAN subjects. HAN subjects showed reduced CORT levels in response to acute restraint stress. These results indicate that neonatal handling can modulate biobehavioral responses to contextual fear conditioning in BHR and may suggest a useful model with which to study emotionality and susceptibility to CV disease.
Phase-only adaptive Processing based on a direct data domain least squares approach using the conjugate gradient method

Generally, adaptive antenna arrays operate by changing the complex adaptive weights consisting of both magnitudes and phases applied at each of the antenna elements. However, it is easier to require the adaptive weights have only phase variation with a fixed magnitude at each of the antenna elements. Hence, This work addresses the phase only adaptive systems whose weights have a fixed magnitude through a new phase only adaptive method based on a direct data domain least squares approach (D/sup 3/LS), which utilize only a single snapshot of the data for adaptive processing.
Parallel program debugging with on-the-fly anomaly detection

We describe an approach for parallel debugging that coordinates static analysis with efficient on-the-fly access anomaly detection. We are developing on-the-fly instrumentation mechanisms for the structured synchronization primitives of Parallel Computing Forum (PCF) Fortran, the emerging standard for parallel Fortran. For programs without nested parallelism, it is possible to bound the cost of detection to a small constant at each shared access and thread creation point—in preliminary experiments this overhead is less than 40%. Our instrumentation techniques guarantee that we can isolate schedule-dependent behavior in a schedule-independent fashion. The result is that a single instrumented execution will either report sources of schedule-dependent behavior, or it will validate that all executions of the program on the same data compute the same result. When an instrumented execution is being used solely to find sources of schedule-dependent behavior, its cost can be reduced by slicing out computations that do not contribute to race conditions. Our approach to debugging is particularly well-suited for inclusion in a parallel program development environment; we describe our ongoing efforts to incorporate it in the ParaScope environment.
On sequential labelings of graphs

A valuation on a simple graph G is an assignment of labels to the vertices of G which induces an assignment of labels to the edges of G. β-valuations, also called graceful labelings, and α-valuations, a subclass of graceful labelings, have an extensive literature; harmonious labelings have been introduced recently by Graham and Sloane. This paper introduces sequential labelings, a subclass of harmonious labelings, and shows that any tree admitting an α-valuation also admits a sequential labeling and hence is harmonious. Constructions are given for new families of graceful and sequential graphs, generalizing some earlier results. Finally, a conjecture of Frucht is shown to be wrong by exhibiting several graceful labelings of wheels in which the center label is larger than previously thought possible.
A hybrid boundary integral equation method for the computation of source time functions for 3-D rupture propagation

SUMMARY A hybrid space and spatial transform convolution method is developed for computing source time functions based on numerically solving an integral equation formulation of the mixed boundary value problem for fault displacements and tractions. The space domain method is an adaptation of the method of Das (1980) in which the displacements on the broken region of the crack and the tractions on the unbroken region of the crack are computed by convolving the Green’s function for a point source with the tractions from all times back to the onset of faulting. The spatial transform domain method performs the convolutions by obtaining the 2-D Fourier transform of the stresses and Green’s functions; multiplying them in the transform domain; and then inverse transforming back to the space domain. The space domain method is more accurate and rapid for small grid sizes; it is used for convolving over the tip of the Green’s function cone. The spatial transform method is more rapid, and reproduces the old spatial domain method it replaces within 1 per cent; it is used for convolving over the higher times of the Green’s function cone. As a check of the accuracy of the overall method the results are compared against the analytic results of Kostrov (1964) for a circular crack which grows without stopping at a fixed rupture velocity of 0.5~~. Good agreement is found for the slip displacements. We also test the grid size dependence of the numerical fracture criterion, and show that it decreases somewhat more rapidly than A...’” for average rupture velocities above about 0.4a but is not well resolved for lower rupture velocities due to the coarse grid sizes involved. The usable frequency bandwidth of both the slip velocities on the fault and the synthetic seismograms is determined by the granularity of the discretization of the rupture process. The usable spectral bodywaves radiated from this model extend in a band 1.0 decades above the corner frequency.
Nondestructive testing for identifying poor-quality onions

Methods of nondestructively examining Granex type sweet onions are needed to insure that only good quality onions are shipped at harvest and to avoid putting infected onions in controlled atmosphere (CA) storage where they occupy valuable space and can ruin surrounding onions. A Toshiba TCT 20Ax tomographic scanner operated in the line scan mode and an incandescent light box were used to evaluate the potential for detecting infected onions nondestructively. A study (CA storage study) involving 200 onions, 100 harvested early and 100 harvested late, one half destructively inspected before the remaining half were placed into CA storage was initiated May 1994. All onions were line scanned and scored with the light box before CA storage and those in CA storage were line (will be) scanned and optical scored on retrieval from the storage. An additional study (Disease storage study) involving 40 onions, late harvest, stored at 25C, 60% rh for three weeks with line scanning as above on a weekly interval. After the third week these fruit were assayed for visual damage and for decay organisms. Results from the incandescent light box scoring were not encouraging. From both studies the number of defects, average defect size and the difference image intensity as determined from line scanning were the major contributing parameters to a discriminant analyses model predicting about 70% or better accuracy.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Proximity mining: finding proximity using sensor data history

Emerging ubiquitous and pervasive computing applications often need to know where things are physically located. To meet this need, many location-sensing systems have been developed, but none of the systems for the indoor environment have been widely adopted. We propose proximity mining, a new approach to build location information by mining sensor data. The proximity mining does not use geometric views for location modeling, but automatically discovers symbolic views by mining time series data from sensors which are placed in surroundings. We deal with trend curves representing time series sensor data, and use their topological characteristics to classify locations where the sensors are placed.
Effectiveness of interruptive alerts in increasing application functionality utilization: A controlled trial

Medical applications frequently contain a wide range of functionalities. Users are often unaware of all of the functionalities available. More effective ways of delivering information about available functionalities to the users are needed. We conducted a pseudo-randomized controlled trial to determine whether interruptive alerts will increase utilization of several functionalities by the users of the Pre-Admission Medication List (PAML) Builder application at two academic medical centers. In a log-linear model, alerts increased total utilization of the promoted functionalities per PAML built by 70% compared to the controls at the site level (p<0.0001). At the user level, frequency of utilization of the PAML Builder functionalities by individual users increased by 0.03 for every extra alert shown to the user (p<0.0001). Alerts led to a nearly 2-fold increase in utilization of the promoted functionalities. Interruptive alerts are an effective method of delivering information about application functionalities to users.
Post-transfusion purpura: a rare and life-threatening aetiology of thrombocytopenia

We present a middle-aged man with history of lung adenocarcinoma, who was admitted with massive haemoptysis secondary to severe thrombocytopenia. Two weeks prior he was started on enoxaparin for a newly diagnosed pulmonary embolus and at that time required blood transfusions for anaemia. Our initial diagnosis was heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. His platelet count, however, did not improve despite receiving argatroban and platelet transfusions. Hence, we suspected post-transfusion purpura (PTP) and started him on intravenous immunoglobulin which brought his platelet count to normal levels. The serotonin-release assay was negative and platelet-antibody test was positive confirming PTP as our diagnosis. The patient eventually was transferred to hospice care because of the advanced stage lung cancer and died of respiratory failure.
The Carnivorous Pale Pitcher Plant Harbors Diverse, Distinct, and Time-Dependent Bacterial Communities

The ability of American carnivorous pitcher plants (Sarracenia) to digest insect prey is facilitated by microbial associations. Knowledge of the details surrounding this interaction has been limited by our capability to characterize bacterial diversity in this system. To describe microbial diversity within and between pitchers of one species, Sarracenia alata, and to explore how these communities change over time as pitchers accumulate and digest insect prey, we collected and analyzed environmental sequence tag (454 pyrosequencing) and genomic fingerprint (automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) data. Microbial richness associated with pitcher plant fluid is high; more than 1,000 unique phylogroups were identified across at least seven phyla and 50 families. We documented an increase in bacterial diversity and abundance with time and observed repeated changes in bacterial community composition. Pitchers from different plants harbored significantly more similar bacterial communities at a given time point than communities coming from the same genetic host over time. The microbial communities in pitcher plant fluid also differ significantly from those present in the surrounding soil. These findings indicate that the bacteria associated with pitcher plant leaves are far from random assemblages and represent an important step toward understanding this unique plant-microbe interaction.
Pregnancy initiation in the rhesus macaque: Towards functional manipulation of the maternal-fetal interface

Nonhuman primates provide an important opportunity to define the mechanisms that contribute to the success of early pregnancy. We have focused for several years now on defining the expression of novel placental major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. In parallel, we have used reagents against human immune cell markers to characterize the leukocyte population in the decidua and have demonstrated dynamic changes in these cell populations during the first 5 weeks of gestation. The challenge is to identify the possible role(s) of placental MHC class I in modifying/directing the maternal endometrial or systemic immune system in the post-implantation period. Foremost among the challenges is the difficulty in modifying placental function. In the instance of trophoblast surface proteins, passive immunization studies are feasible, although limitations include the empirical nature of this approach, as well as the inability to modify intracellular function. We have shown that using lentiviral vectors to effect preimplantation gene transfer for transgene expression in the placenta is not only feasible, but of good efficiency. In addition to transgene overexpression, robust approaches for knocking down/knocking out placental gene expression are essential. Recent developments in RNA interference approaches may allow "transient knockout" experiments. While the rhesus monkey has been our model of choice, currently there are limitations in the number of available female rhesus monkeys of reproductive age for research in early pregnancy. It is critical that the technologies for advanced study move forward in other species. The baboon has been used significantly in reproductive tract biology and early pregnancy research and important models have been developed for manipulation of the maternal-fetal interface. Additional characterization of other species, such as the cynomolgus and African green (vervet) monkey is critical. Given the limitations on antigen recognition when using human reagents, we also propose that the development of panels of primate-specific anti-leukocyte antibodies is essential for moving forward nonhuman primate reproductive research.
Identification of rear-end crash patterns on instrumented freeways: a data mining approach

Data mining is the analysis of large "observational" datasets to find unsuspected relationships that might be useful to the data owner. It typically involves analysis where objectives of the mining exercise have no bearing on the data collection strategy. Freeway traffic surveillance data collected through underground loop detectors is one such "observational" database maintained for various ITS (intelligent transportation systems) applications such as travel time prediction etc. In this research data mining process is used to relate this surrogate measure of traffic conditions (data from freeway loop detectors) with occurrence of rear-end crashes on freeways. The results from this analysis are envisioned to be the first step in the development of a functional proactive traffic management system. The dataset under consideration includes information on crashes and corresponding traffic data collected from detectors neighboring the crash locations just prior to the time of the crash. The problem is setup as a classification problem for a crash being rear-end vs. not. Three types of classification tree involving different splitting criterion were attempted for variable selection. It was found that the classification tree with chi sq. test as the splitting criterion resulted in the most inclusive list of variables. The variable selection was followed by two neural network architectures, namely, the RBF (radial basis function) and MLP (multi-layer perceptron) to model the binary target variable. The two neural network models were then combined based on their output to achieve any possible improvement in the classification accuracy. It was found, however, that the classification tree model with chi sq. test as splitting criterion (with more than 65% classification accuracy) was better than any of the individual or combined neural network models (54-55% classification accuracy). Since the decision tree model also provides simple interpretable rules to classify the data in a real-time application it was recommended as the final classification model.
Specific determination of serum creatinine.

ConclusionsSerum creatinine can be determined specifically on tungstate filtrates by using either the Miller-Dubos creatinine-splitting enzyme, or by adsorption on Lloyd's reagent and subsequent elution by alkaline picrate.
Differences in tissue distribution of HBCD alpha and gamma between adult and developing mice.

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a mixture of three stereoisomers alpha (a), beta (b), and gamma (g). g-HBCD dominates the mixture (~70%), and despite a-HBCD’s minor contribution to global HBCD production and usage (~10%), it is the dominant congener found in most biotic samples worldwide. Evidence of toxicity and lack of stereoisomer studies drives the importance of understanding HBCD toxicokinetics in potentially susceptible populations. The majority of public health concern has focused on hazardous effects resulting from exposure of infants and young children to HBCD due to reports on adverse developmental effects in rodent studies, in combination with human exposure estimates suggesting that nursing infants and young children have the highest exposure to HBCD. This study was designed to investigate differences in the disposition of both g-HBCD and a-HBCD in infantile mice reported to be susceptible to the HBCD commercial mixture. The tissue distribution of a-[ 14 C]HBCD– and g-[ 14 C]HBCD–derived radioactivity was monitored in C57BL/6 mice following a single oral dose of either compound (3 mg/kg) after direct gavage at postnatal day 10. Mice were held up to 7 days in shoebox cages after which pups were sacrificed, tissue collected, and internal dosimetry was measured. Developing mice exposed to a-HBCD had an overall higher body burden than g-HBCD at every time point measured; at 4 days postexposure, they retained 22% of the a-HBCD administered dose, whereas pups exposed to g-HBCD retained 10%. Total body burden in infantile mice after exposure to g-HBCD was increased 10-fold as compared with adults. Similarly, after exposure to a-HBCD, infantile mice contained 2.5-fold higher levels than adult. These differences lead to higher concentrations of the HBCD diastereomers at target tissues during critical windows of development. The results indicate that the toxicokinetics of the two HBCD diastereomers differ between developing and adult mice; whereas distribution patterns are similar, concentrations of each HBCD diastereomer’s–derived radioactivity are higher in the pup’s liver, fat, kidney, brain, blood, muscle, and lungs than in the adult’s. This study suggests that developmental stage may be a risk factor for the harmful effects of a-HBCD and g-HBCD, when developing animals may be more sensitive to effects and have increased body burden.
An exploratory study of auditory extinction in ageing: Now you hear it, now you don't

Background: One phenomenon used to study attention is auditory extinction and binding. Extinction is typically defined as a failure to respond to a contralesional target during simultaneous presentations of stimuli to both left and right hemispace (double simultaneous stimulation) or when both stimuli are presented on the same side. Due in part to this ability to identify a single stimulus, extinction has been characterised as an attentional deficit. Binding refers to the integration of sensory information (identification and localisation) into a whole, thus resulting in the perception of an object or event. Previous studies noted that patients with visual extinction frequently have lesions that may disconnect the dorsal and ventral visual pathways. This suggests that extinction may be related to difficulty in connecting (or binding) information from the two pathways. While this has been studied in stroke patients, and mostly with visual modality, few of these studies have utilised non‐brain‐damaged contr...