cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mathematical aspects of shape analysis for object recognition

In this paper we survey some of the mathematical techniques that have led to useful new results in shape analysis and their application to a variety of object recognition tasks. In particular, we will show how these techniques allow one to solve a number of fundamental problems related to object recognition for configurations of point features under a generalized weak perspective model of image formation. Our approach makes use of progress in shape theory and includes the development of object-image equations for shape matching and the exploitation of shape space metrices (especially object-image metrics) to measure matching up to certain transformations. This theory is built on advanced mathematical techniques from algebraic and differential geometry which are used to construct generalized shape spaces for various projection and sensor models. That construction in turn is used to find natural metrics that express the distance (geometric difference) between two configurations of object features, two configurations of image features, or an object and an image pair. Such metrics are believed to produce the most robust tests for object identification; at least as far as the object's geometry is concerned. Moreover, these metrics provide a basis for efficient hashing schemes to do identification quickly, and they provide a rigorous foundation for error and statistical analysis in any recognition system. The most important feature of a shape theoretic approach is that all of the matching tests and metrics are independent of the choice of coordinates used to express the feature locations on the object or in the image. In addition, the approach is independent of the camera/sensor position and any camera/sensor parameters. Finally, the method is also independent of object pose or image orientation. This is what makes the results so powerful.
Species-specific partitioning of soil water resources in an old-growth Douglas-fir–western hemlock forest

Although tree- and stand-level estimates of forest water use are increasingly common, relatively little is known about partitioning of soil water resources among co-occurring tree species. We studied seasonal courses of soil water utilization in a 450-year-old Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco-Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. forest in southwestern Washington State. Soil volumetric water content (theta) was continuously monitored with frequency domain capacitance sensors installed at eight depths from 0.2 to 2 m at four locations in the vicinity of each species. Vertical profiles of root distribution and seasonal and daily courses of hydraulic redistribution (HR), sap flow and tree water status were also measured. Mean root area in the upper 60 cm of soil was significantly greater in the vicinity of T. heterophylla trees. However, seasonal water extraction on a root area basis was significantly greater near P. menziesii trees at all depths between 15 and 65 cm, leading to significantly lower water storage in the upper 65 cm of soil near P. menziesii trees at the end of the summer dry season. Greater apparent efficiency of P. menziesii roots at extracting soil water was attributable to a greater driving force for water uptake rather than to differences in root hydraulic properties between the species. The dependence of HR on theta was similar in soil near individuals of both species, but seasonal maximum rates of HR were greater in soil near P. menziesii because minimum values of theta were lower, implying a steeper water potential gradient between the upper and lower soil that acted as a driving force for water efflux from shallow roots. The results provide information on functional traits relevant for understanding the ecological distributions of these species and have implications for spatial variability of processes such as soil respiration and nutrient cycling.
Factors Important to Yellow Birch Establishment in Upper Michigan

Increasing the proportion of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) in the northern hardwood type should also increase the economic return from management. Under current market prices the stumpage value of yellow birch is about double that of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), the next most valuable species in the type. The use of yellow birch for veneer accounts for most of its high value. In upper Michigan about 30% of the net volume of this species is sold as veneer compared to only 7% of the volume of sugar maple. The proportion of yellow birch stems in the old-growth northern hardwood stands is seldom over 12% (Lake States 1935). In this type it is most commonly found as single trees on the edge of small openings or occasionally in small groups where the more tolerant species have died out or been destroyed by a catastrophic type of disturbance. Yellow birch seldom occurs as a pure stand except on relatively small areas that have been opened and mineral soil exposed, such as by windthrow, light burns, or abandoned clearings. However, in the hemlock-yellow birch sub-type (Soc. Amer. Foresters 1954), which occurs on mesophytic sites, yellow birch commonly makes up 25% or more of the stand basal area. In secondgrowth stands the percentage is usually less, the amount seeming to vary with the soil moisture conditions and species association. Some regeneration studies have been made in the north central and northeastern portions of the botanical range of yellow birch, but very little work has been reported in the Lake States, which are in the western portion. Although the general silvical requirements of this species are fairly well known, particularly as the tree reaches the larger size classes, little information is available on the early stages of establishment and growth in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The reasons for the lack of sufficient yellow birch reproduction after cutting in other regions are generally considered to be the relative intolerance of the species (Baker 1949, Graham 1941), browsing by animals, and more specific seedbed requirements than its competitors. A study was begun in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the fall of 1952 to determine (1) the influence of seedbed conditions on the regeneration of yellow birch, and (2) the relative importance of physical and biotic factors on the establishment and early growth of yellow birch seedlings. In the area selected for study, all seedbearing trees except yellow birch and a few white pine and hemlock were cut during the winter of 1952-53, and the area was disked in the fall of 1953. This paper summarizes the changes that occurred during four growing seasons after disking and discusses results of special studies on the factors affecting the early growth of yellow birch.
The Odyssey of the Ananda Marga: A Comparative Study

This paper seeks to examine the ideology and theology of the Ananda Marga (Path of Bliss), a new radical Hindu sect of postcolonial India, by comparing its odyssey with an almost radical Christian sect of Reformation Europe, the Anabaptists. Like the Anabaptists, the Ananda Marga began as a movement of the common man. Both were also millennial movements with lay leadership arising as responses to the social, cultural, and economic crises of their respective historical times. Both sought to recover the pristine and authentic ethos of their respective religious traditions and thus antagonized their respective governments. Consequently, both endured persecution but both survived their ordeal by re-forming their ideology and theology under competent leadership to emerge as peaceful, fruitful, and resourceful members of their societies.
Management of aortopulmonary collateral arteries in Fontan patients: routine occlusion is not warranted.

Aortopulmonary collaterals (APCs) are common in patients undergoing a Fontan operation and are typically identified at cardiac catheterization. However, this is a qualitative approach and has important limitations. Previous catheterization-based studies of the effects of APCs have produced conflicting results. We have recently carried out a study directly measuring APC flow at the time of Fontan operation. This study showed that patients undergoing a Fontan operation have APC flow many-fold higher than controls, the extent of APC flow varies widely from patient to patient, APC flow does not increase in a linear fashion over time, and that APC flow has no detectable effect on the outcome of the Fontan operation. Thus, routine preoperative APC identification and occlusion does not appear indicated. A randomized study of preoperative coil occlusion could clarify this issue further. Aortopulmonary collaterals may exert a “threshold” effect, increasing risk in patients who also have other risk factors. Preoperative coil occlusion may decrease overall risk in such patients. Postoperative APC occlusion is a reasonable option in the patient with prolonged effusions after a Fontan operation, with no other correctable anatomic defects. Copyright © 2002 by W.B. Saunders Company
The nature of dust collected at high altitudes

Abstract Dust was collected from the atmosphere at altitudes above 40,000 feet by devices mounted on airplanes or balloons. The spatial density of the dust particles larger than 3 microns varied from less than one per five cubic meters to twelve particles per cubic meter. The particles appeared to be present in the form of dust clouds. Individual particles were analyzed for the elements, iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese, chromium, copper, and zinc with an electron-probe microanalyzer, and for aluminum and cobalt by neutron activation. Sixty-five specimens were analyzed. Most particles contained from 0.1% to 90% iron while some contained copper, zinc, or manganese in addition. None had detectable amounts of nickel, cobalt, or chromium. An upper limit of 30,000 tons per year for the entire earth was obtained for the accretion rate of particles between 3 and 30 microns in size with an iron-nickel-cobalt ratio similar to that of meteorites. Many of the particles could represent possible terrestrial contamination, but this explanation is improbable for the iron-manganese particles.
Inhibition of cell–cell adhesion impairs directional epithelial migration on micropatterned surfaces

The development of the vertebrate body plan with left-right (LR) asymmetry (also known as handedness and chirality) requires the emerging chiral morphogenesis of epithelial cells at specific embryonic stages. In this process, cell–cell adhesions coordinate cellular organization and collective cell migration, and are critical for the directional looping of developing embryonic organs. However, the underlying biophysical mechanism is not yet well understood. Here we modeled normal and delayed epithelial LR symmetry breaking with patterned epithelial chiral morphogenesis on microscale lines with various widths. The patterned cells exhibited biased migration wherein those on opposing boundaries migrated in different directions. Disrupting adherens junctions with ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) resulted in a decrease in velocity difference in opposing boundaries as well as the associated biased cell alignment, along with an increase in the overall random motion. Altering the distance between the opposing boundaries did not significantly alter alignment, but significantly disturbed the velocity profile of the cell migration field. Further examination of cell polarity indicated that disruption of adherens junctions did not affect cell polarization on the boundaries, but decreased the transmission of chiral bias into the interior region of the epithelial cell sheet. Overall, our results demonstrated the dependence of the scale of collective cell migration on the strength of cell–cell adhesion, and its effects on the chirality of a multicellular structure through mediating cell polarity in the vicinity of geometric boundaries. This study demonstrated that our 2D microscale system provides a simple yet effective tool for studying the influence of collective cell migration on LR symmetry breaking, and possibly for fetal drug screening to prevent birth defects related to alteration in cell–cell adhesion.
Emerging landscape of genomics in the Electronic Health Record for personalized medicine.

The Information Technology (IT) roadmap for personalized medicine requires Electronic Health Records (EHRs), extension of Healthcare IT (HIT) standards, and understanding of how genetics/genomics should be integrated into the clinical applications. For reduced overall costs and development times, these three initiatives should run in parallel. EHRs must contain structured data and infrastructure that enables quality analysis, Clinical Decision Support (CDS) and messaging within the healthcare information network. Fortunately, as a result of sustained financial commitment to nongenetic-based healthcare, the industry has HIT data standards and understanding of EHR functionality that improves patient safety and outcomes while reducing overall healthcare costs. However, the HIT standards and EHR functional requirements, needed for personalized medicine, are only beginning to support simple genetic tests and need significant extension. In addition, our understanding of the clinical implications of genomic data is evolving and translation of new discovery into clinical care remains a challenge. Therefore, priority areas include CDS, educational resources, and knowledgebases for the EHR, clinical and research data warehouses, messaging frameworks, and continued review of healthcare policies and regulations supporting personalized medicine. Where core infrastructure remains to be developed and implemented, funding is needed for pilot projects, data standards, policy, and stakeholder collaboration. Hum Mutat 32:1–5, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tension and stretch receptors in gastrointestinal smooth muscle: re-evaluating vagal mechanoreceptor electrophysiology.

Electrophysiological and morphological analyses of vagal mechanoreceptors in the gut wall suggest conflicting conclusions. Electrophysiology has distinguished a single general class of ending in smooth muscle, one characterized as an 'in series' tension receptor. Morphology, in contrast, has characterized two distinct specializations of vagal afferent endings in the muscle wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These two structures differ in terms of their target tissues, terminal architectures and regional distributions; they also develop on different ontogenetic timetables and depend on different trophic support in the muscle wall. On the basis of these features, we have proposed that one of the putative mechanoreceptors, the intraganglionic laminar ending (IGLE), has characteristics of a tension receptor and the other, the intramuscular array (IMA), has features of a stretch or length receptor. In a functional analogy with striated muscle proprioceptors, IGLEs should have similarities to Golgi tendon organs, whereas IMAs should have equivalencies with muscle spindle afferents. The present survey re-examines the recording analyses in light of the structural observations. This review indicates that previous electrophysiological studies are too inconclusive to refute the inference that the vagus supplies two distinct types of mechanoreceptors to the muscle wall of the GI tract. Multiple methodological constraints and sources of variance have limited the resolution of electrophysiological experiments. Specifically, these experiments have conventionally used distension stimuli that confound tension and stretch. In addition, sampling strategies have biased recording experiments towards a focus on one type of ending, the IGLE. Furthermore, putative functional properties (e.g., broad tuning) of vagal mechanoreceptors suggest that distinguishing two recording patterns will require exacting protocols. Combining a recognition of the methodological difficulties that have limited electrophysiological analyses with an understanding of the structural features of the endings, however, suggests several critical electrophysiological experiments with the resolution to distinguish two classes of response profiles. Until such experiments can be conducted, sensory physiology's axiom that 'function varies with form', taken together with a re-assessment of the existing data, suggests that the vagus nerve supplies stretch receptors as well as tension receptors to the wall of the GI tract.
Optimal random matchings, tours, and spanning trees in hierarchically separated trees

We derive tight bounds on the expected weights of several combinatorial optimization problems for random point sets of size n distributed among the leaves of a balanced hierarchically separated tree. We consider monochromatic and bichromatic versions of the minimum matching, minimum spanning tree, and traveling salesman problems. We also present tight concentration results for the monochromatic problems.
Description of a Sleep-Restriction Program to Reduce Bedtime Disturbances and Night Waking

The authors describe a behavioral intervention designed to reduce sleep problems without increasing disruption at bedtime or throughout the evening. Sleep restriction was used to reduce the bedtime...
Incidence of abnormal laryngeal findings in asymptomatic singing students

Abstract Objective: Abnormalities in the mucosal lining of the vocal folds may interfere with the normal vibratory patterns and result in vocal limitations, especially for singers whose demands are great. A prospective, longitudinal study was undertaken to investigate the incidence of laryngeal abnormalities in asymptomatic singing students. Methods: Sixty-five singing students at the school of music underwent videostroboscopic evaluation and completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Videos were rated by 3 experienced clinicians, and interrater reliability was calculated. Results were correlated with demographic factors, background medical history, and singing history. Results: Five students (8.3%) exhibited early signs of benign vocal fold lesions (2 with nodules and 3 with cysts). A high incidence of posterior erythema (n = 44; 73.4%), suggesting possible reflux, was found. Conclusions: A surprisingly high number of otherwise asymptomatic singing students demonstrated abnormal laryngeal findings. Their relationship with vocal performance will be addressed as well as implications for preventative measures. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;121:69-77.)
Fractionation of caseins by anion-exchange chromatography using food-grade buffers

: Caseins prepared by microfiltration of bovine skim milk were fractionated using anion-exchange chromatography. Laser densitometry of electrophoresis gels was shown to be sufficiently quantitative to perform accurate mass balance calculations detailing the fate of each casein fraction. L-cysteine was successfully used as a reducing agent instead of traditional toxic agents, such as dithiothreitol or β-mercaptoethanol, enabling development of the first food-grade buffer system for casein fractionation. More salt was required for elution of the casein fractions having a greater charge: αs-casein > β-casein > κ-casein. Increasing flow rate decreased the extent of separation. Use of smaller beads was suggested as a method to maintain separation at increased flow rate.
On the LQR Problem for Phase-Canonic Systems

New recursive formulae are given to compute the solution of the algebraic Riccati equation arising in the Linear-Quadratic Regulator problem for linear, time-invariant, single-input systems.
Ischemic myocardial hysfunction assessed by temporal Fourier transform of regional myocardial wall thickening

A Fourier analysis including the first 20 harmonics was performed on sonomicrometric measurements of regional myocardial wall thickness in eight conscious dogs under control conditions and at four levels of ischemia produced by a hydraulic occluder on the left circumflex coronary artery. Systolic wall thickening was reduced from 26.47 ± 6.20% (S.D.) (control) to 22.05 ± 5.73% (mild stenosis), 17.00 ± 5.86% (moderate stenosis), 11.46 ± 3.56% (severe stenosis), and 3.69 ± 2.57% (30-second occlusion), values significantly different from each other (p < 0.01). The amplitude of the first harmonic decreased stepwise from 1.35 ± 0.31 to 1.08 ± 0.29 mm, 0.90 ± 0.27 mm, 0.69 ± 0.24 mm, and 0.43 ± 0.12 mm, all significantly different from each other (p < 0.05). These amplitude values correlated to percent systolic wall thickening (r = 0.894, p = 0.001). A phase shift of the first harmonic from 137 ± 11 to 139 ± 14 degrees, 150 ± 15 degrees (p < 0.05 vs control), 161 ± 21 degrees (p < 0.01 vs control), and 191 ± 21 degrees (p < 0.01 vs control and severe stenosis) correlated with the increase in time from end diastole to the point of maximum wall excursion (r = 0.662, p < 0.001). These data indicate that the extent of ischemic regional myocardial hypokinesis can be adequately described by the amplitude of the first harmonic, and that the asynchrony of ventricular contraction and relaxation can be detected from the phase of the first harmonic.
An industry survey of emerging prototype methodologies

Abstract The literature indicates that although the phased traditional systems development approach continues to be used, prototyping techniques are becoming popular. Instead of a single prototyping methodology, however, studies suggest there are several, each with its unique processes and characteristics. These developments raise important questions: which specific methodologies are being used, to what extent are they being applied, and how important are they? A mail survey of the MIS managers in Fortune 1000 firms was conducted to attempt to answer these questions. Four separate methodologies are identified and investigated. Results indicate that over 60% of the respondent organizations are prototyping; all four methodologies are very popular and seen as important to the development of information systems.
An inversion for radial viscosity structure using seismic tomography

Using a uniform velocity/density scaling, we have inverted the seismically inferred 3-dimensional structure of the whole manfie for the radial viscosity structure which best fits the geoid. We are able to obtain 60-72% variance reductions for three different S-wave tomographic models. The resulting viscosity structures are remarkably similar, showing a high viscosity lid, a low viscosity zone in the transition region and a high viscosity lower manfie. A resolution analysis indcates that the viscosity structure in the upper manfie is well resolved by the data, however the resolution in the lower manfie is poorer. Our models axe in general agreement with previous studies except that our inversions prefer a low viscosity layer at 400-670 km as opposed to 100-400 kin.
Biological effects of surfactants: Part 6—effects of anionic, non-ionic and amphoteric surfactants on a green alga (Chlamydomonas)

Abstract The well known algistatic effect of cationic surfactants was not exhibited by homologous series of amphoteric, anionic and non-ionic types assayed with Chlamydomonas reinhardi. Sulphobetaine amphoterics, 3-(octyl-octadecyldimethylammonio)-1-propanesulphonates, caused growth inhibition when the lipophile contained twelve or more carbon atoms, but only at micellar concentrations. Critical micelle concentration (CMC) of sulphobetaines decreases logarithmically with increasing alkyl chain length and derivatives having eight and ten carbons in the lipophile were below the CMC at the highest concentration tested. Despite their pronounced protein-denaturing properties, sodium higher alkylsulphates did not materially inhibit the growth of Chlamydomonas. This may be due to the fact that the Kraft points of these anionics having fourteen or more carbon atoms were above the culture temperatures, thereby reducing their solution properties. Although less inhibiting than the sulphobetains, the non-ionic alcohol ethoxylates decreased growth with increasing hydrophilicity. The most lipophilic non-ionic showed growth-promoting effects.
Transformation of the Fallopian Tube Secretory Epithelium Leads to High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer in Brca;Tp53;Pten Models

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma presents significant clinical and therapeutic challenges. Although the traditional model of carcinogenesis has focused on the ovary as a tumor initiation site, recent studies suggest that there may be additional sites of origin outside the ovary, namely the secretory cells of the fallopian tube. Our study demonstrates that high-grade serous tumors can originate in fallopian tubal secretory epithelial cells and also establishes serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma as the precursor lesion to high-grade serous ovarian and peritoneal carcinomas in animal models targeting the Brca, Tp53, and Pten genes. These findings offer an avenue to address clinically important questions that are critical for cancer prevention and early detection in women carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Formation of coated and "synaptic" vesicles within neurosecretory axon terminals of the crustacean sinus gland.

A “coated” vesicle type has been found in neurosecretory axon terminals of the crustacean sinus gland, in addition to the previously described dense-cored granules and “synaptic” vesicles. After either in vivo or in vitro exposure of the terminals to a colloidal suspension of Thorotrast, incorporation of tracer particles into both “synaptic” and coated vesicles is observed, suggesting origin of one or both vesicle types from the plasma membrane by micropinocytosis. Relevant consequences of such a process in axon terminals are discussed, including retrieval of membrane material following exocytotic release of hormone containing granules, absorption of nutrients, and resorption of transmitter products to the interior of the axon.
Palliative Care for Patients With Dementia in Long-Term Care

Seventy percent of people in the United States who have dementia die in the nursing home. This article addresses the following topics on palliative care for patients with dementia in long-term care: (1) transitions of care, (2) infections, other comorbidities, and decisions on hospitalization, (3) prognostication, (4) the evidence for and against tube feeding, (5) discussing goals of care with families/surrogate decision makers, (6) types of palliative care programs, (7) pain assessment and management, and (8) optimizing function and quality of life for residents with advanced dementia.
Of Roosters and Repetitio: Ambrose’s Aeterne rerum conditor

AbstractThis article examines Ambrose’s use of repetitio in his morning hymn Aeterne rerum conditor. Thanks in part to a long tradition of criticism that has focused primarily on the unadorned ‘simplicity’ of the Ambrosian hymn, relatively little attention has been paid to the poet’s artful use of rhetorical figures. Aeterne rerum conditor features a rooster whose repetitive cry is replicated in the third and fourth stanzas of the hymn in a striking figure that, upon a close reading, is found to be integrally connected with the poem’s meaning and message.
The clinical efficacy and safety of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The use of currently available antihyperglycemic agents can be limited by contraindications; cost; renal and hepatic dosage adjustments; dosing schedules; and adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset, weight gain, and hypoglycemia. These limitations have led the pharmaceutical industry to identify and pursue alternative therapies. Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors belong to a new class of diabetes drugs and have a novel mechanism of action. These agents are unique in that they increase glucose excretion, independent of insulin secretion, by inhibiting the renal reabsorption of glucose, inducing glycosuria. To summarize the current evidence for SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy, we reviewed abstracts and published data from human trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin through February 2013. Data from these trials suggest that SGLT-2 inhibitors are able to lower hemoglobin A1c and fasting blood glucose when used as either monotherapy or combination therapy. Cardiometabolic benefits included a reduction in systolic blood pressure, reduction in triglycerides, and weight loss of up to 3 kg. Common and serious adverse effects including infections, cancer, and pollakiuria were identified and reviewed. Although these agents have generally demonstrated efficacy, the adverse effects associated with dapagliflozin have caused a delay in its regulatory approval. Continued research in this area will determine the risk:benefit ratio of SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy.
Facile synthesis of colloidal CuO nanocrystals for light-harvesting applications

CuO is an earth-abundant, nontoxic, and low band-gap material; hence it is an attractive candidate for application in solar cells. In this paper, a synthesis of CuO nanocrystals by a facile alcohothermal route is reported. The nanocrystals are dispersible in a solvent mixture of methanol and chloroform, thus enabling the processing of CuO by solution. A bilayer solar cell comprising of CuO nanocrystals and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) achieved a power conversion efficiency of 0.04%, indicating the potential of this material for light-harvesting applications.
Experimental study of absorption and gain by two-level atoms in a time-delayed non-Markovian optical field

We have measured the absorption from a weak time-delayed probe field by a two-level atomic system [Na 3[ital s][sub 1/2]([ital F]=2,[ital m][sub [ital F]]=2)[r arrow]3[ital p][sub 3/2]([ital F]=3,[ital m][sub [ital F]]=3)] saturated by a phase-diffusing pump field. The pump and probe, derived from the same artificially-noise-modulated phase-diffusing laser beam, are frequency degenerate and resonant with the atomic transition. The probe is a time-delayed replica of the pump. Our results, carried out in a regime where the field bandwidth and the Rabi frequency are comparable, provide confirmation of recent theoretical predictions [K. Gheri, M. A. M. Marte, and P. Zoller, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5, 1559 (1991)] for the atomic response to the non-Markovian composite of a pump and time-delayed probe, valid for arbitrary bandwidths and intensities. Amplification of the probe field is observed for delays comparable to the lifetime of the upper level and again for very long delays, if the bandwidth is less than the decay rate of the upper state.
Enrobed and Encased: Dying for Art in A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book

Enrobed and Encased: Dying for Art in A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book Margaret D. Stetz Reviewing Judith Flanders's The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection (201...
Sociologizing the geographical imagination: spatial concepts in the world-system perspective

Abstract In recent years a ‘world-system’ perspective has emerged in sociology that challenges the premises of other theoretical positions. This perspective is closely associated with the research and writing of Immanuel Wallerstein but has now spread throughout the social sciences. A major element in the perspective is an emphasis on certain spatial concepts—core, periphery, semi-periphery and external arena—as defining the geographical ‘parts’ of a world-system ‘whole’. This paper discusses the role of these concepts in the world-system perspective, in the process pointing up a difference in usage between Wallerstein's detailed historical analyses and other writing by him and others, and raises some critical questions concerning usage of spatial concepts that need addressing by world-system theorists. The critical questions concern the potential hypostatization and ascription of causality to spatial categories, the pattern-process inference problem, and the single scale of analysis problem. A major conclusion is that bringing together sociological and geographical imaginations is necessary but difficult. The temptation is to subsume one under the other: in this case to sociologize the geographical imagination by turning spatial categories into causes.
PREGNANCY ATTENUATES ACTIVITY OF THE BARORECEPTOR REFLEX

SUMMARY 1. Pregnancy-induced changes in acute blood pressure regulation are reviewed. 2. Pregnant animals are less able to maintain arterial pressure during haemorrhage than non-pregnant animals. 3. Baroreceptor reflex-mediated increases in heart rate, renal sympathetic activity, vasopressin, ACTH and cortisol are reduced during pregnancy. Therefore, one explanation for the subnormal ability of pregnant animals to regulate arterial pressure during haemorrhage is that the baroreceptor reflex is not as effective. 4. Chronic increases in oestrogen levels in non-pregnant rabbits do not reduce the gain of baroreflex control of renal sympathetic activity. This and other findings suggest that oestrogen alone does not mediate the blunted baroreflex activity observed during pregnancy.
Relation between macular retinal ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer thickness and multifocal electroretinogram measures in experimental glaucoma.

Purpose. We investigated relations between macular retinal ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer (RGC+IPL) thickness and macular retinal function revealed by multifocal electroretinonography (mfERG) in a nonhuman primate model of experimental glaucoma.
A novel method for recognition of point sources (antenna arrays)

Some calibration and focusing techniques for antenna arrays assume availability of point sources that radiate spherical wave fronts in free space. In practice, point sources and free-space propagation can only be approximated. Descriptions are given of technique and a decision criterion that provide a means for testing the radiation or reflection from a source to see if it acts sufficiently like a point source to permit accurate array focusing. The physical meaning of this procedure is described, and the proposed approach is demonstrated by simulation examples. >
Event-driven model skill assessment

Abstract We expect a numerical simulation to improve upon our first guess; typically some sort of climatology. If a model is not better than this initial estimate of the ocean state, the model provides no new information and serves no purpose. Very often in coastal regions we are interested in predicting events—episodes when the ocean state differs greatly from the climatology. The ability of a model to predict these events will define its usefulness, as these are the deviations from climatology that are unknown before the model is run. An idealized time-series of an event is used to investigate the effects various errors have on the prediction of model skill, a commonly used metric of a model’s ability to reproduce observations. It is shown that the choice of climatology is as important in determining model skill as other sources of model error.
Pimaricin and Mycostatin for Retarding Cottage Cheese Spoilage

Abstract Two antifungal agents, pimaricin and mycostatin, added to Cottage cheese through the wash water at concentrations of 20, 50, or 100 μ g/ml of wash water or added through the cheese dressing at 1, 2, or 5 μ g/g retarded the growth of Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and improved the shelf-life of the cheese. In general, cheese with highest concentration of antifungal agent and stored at lowest temperature had best keeping quality. Pimaricin was slightly more effective than mycostatin in inhibiting fungi; inhibition was greater if the antifungal agents were added to the cheese dressing and the cheese was stored at low temperature; and A. niger was more sensitive to the inhibitors than S. cerevisiae.
Poster — Thur Eve — 75: Patient‐specific Dose Escalation Using Patient‐Matching Machine Learning

Several studies have concluded that dose-escalation may improve tumor control rates for patients with localized prostate cancer; however, toxicity remains a concern. We evaluated the ability of a new machine-learning approach, patient-matching, to stratify patients that would have been eligible for dose-escalation. With this knowledge, clinicians may prescribe patient-specific target dose-escalation. DVH parameters from 319 historical treatment plans were evaluated to delineate previously-approved plans that met the Pollack et al. dose constraints for dose-escalation in the prostate. Patient-matching was performed to predict the amount of dose-escalation that could be met without exceeding the toxicity dose-constraints (rectal V40Gy<35%, V65Gy<17%, and bladder V40Gy<25%, V65Gy<50%, and 95% of the target volume receiving prescription). Dose-escalation predictions were then made on the library of patients to determine the max dose escalation while still meeting dose objectives. Plans were processed using software that enables patient matching (QuickMatch, Siris Medical, Mountain View, CA); this software has been previously shown to successfully aid treatment planning systems to perform faster, more favorable plans. The use of patient-matching identified the ability to dose-escalate the PTV from an average of 78Gy to an average of 83.5Gy (range 78.5Gy to 91.3Gy) while meeting toxicity constraints. Across all patients investigated, mean rectal V40Gy was 4.8%, and V65Gy was 21.1%. Mean bladder V40Gy was 8.3%, and V65Gy was 21.6%. Patient-matching is a promising method to identify eligible patients for dose-escalation. This study warrants investigation in a prospective cohort. Additionally, further study will investigate other disease states.
Cloning and Characterization of the Rat Gene Encoding GAP-43.

GAP-43 is a gene expressed only in the nervous system. The protein product is believed to be important to neuronal growth and plasticity. Most, and likely all, neurons express high levels of GAP-43 during periods of neurite elongation. To initiate studies of GAP-43 gene regulation we have cloned the rat gene encoding GAP-43. The GAP-43 gene includes three exons. The first exon encodes only the amino terminal 10 amino acids, which corresponds to the membrane targeting domain of GAP-43. The second exon encodes a putative calmodulin binding domain and a protein kinase C phosphorylation site. The 5′-flanking sequence is unusual in that it lacks CAAT or TATA elements, and directs RNA transcription initiation from several sites. Some of the transcription start sites are used to a different degree in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Improving Trial Advocacy: The Views of Trial Attorneys

This article reports an exploratory study of trial attorneys' views of competent advocacy and the factors that affect such performance. It examines how attorneys account for variations in civil trial performance. These perceptions are then examined in relation to the major programs that have been proposed to remedy attorney incompetence.
Power of depth-based nonparametric tests for multivariate locations

Li and Liu [New nonparametric tests of multivariate locations and scales. Statist Sci. 2004;19(4):686–696] introduced two tests for a difference in locations of two multivariate distributions based on the concept of data depth. Using the simplicial depth [Liu RY. On a notion of data depth based on random simplices. Ann Stat. 1990;18(1):405–414], they studied the performance of these tests for symmetric distributions, namely, the normal and the Cauchy, in a simulation study. However, to the best of our knowledge, the performance of these tests for skewed distributions has not been studied in the current literature. This paper is a contribution in that direction and examines the performance of these depth-based tests in an extensive simulation study involving ten distributions belonging to five well-known families of multivariate skewed distributions. The study includes a comparison of the performance of these tests for four popular affine-invariant depth functions. Conclusions and recommendations are offered.
Analysis of link failures in an IP backbone

Today's IP backbones are provisioned to provide excellent performance in terms of loss, delay and availability. However, performance degradation and service disruption are likely in the case of failure, such as fiber cuts, router crashes, etc. In this paper, we investigate the occurence of failures in Sprint's IP backbone and their potential impact on emerging services such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP). We first examine the frequency and duration of failure events derived from IS-IS routing updates collected from three different points in the Sprint IP backbone. We observe that link failures occur as part of everyday operation, and the majority of them are short-lived (less than 10 minutes). We also discuss various statistics such as the distribution of inter-failure time, distribution of link failure durations, etc. which are essential for constructing a realistic link failure model. Next, we present an analysis of routing and service reconvergence time during a controlled link failure scenario in our backbone. Our results indicate that disruption to packet forwarding after link failures depends not only on routing protocol dynamics, but also on the design of routers' architectures and control planes. Thus our results offer insights into two basic components for defining network-wide availability, which we consider a more appropriate metric for service-level agreements to support emerging applications.
Effects of early reperfusion on the mechanical and biochemical characteristics of ischemic myocardium

Abstract Coronary reperfusion of ischemic myocardium may be beneficial but is highly dependent upon occlusion and reperfusion times. To study the effects of early reperfusion on ischemic myocardium, 24 open chest pigs underwent coronary occlusion; one group was occluded for 40 min, and the other was occluded for 30 min followed by 10 min of reperfusion. Left ventricular wall thickness during systole and diastole was determined by ultrasound. Mitochondrial energy production and calcium content were evaluated from ischemic and nonischemic areas. Results showed: (1) There was an absence of systolic thickness, a slight decrease of diastolic thickness from baseline, and a decrease in energy production in the ischemic myocardium. (2) Reperfusion resulted in a diverse pattern of systolic and diastolic wall thickness in the ischemic area and a variable Ca 2+ accumulation and mitochondrial ATP production. (3) The variability of myocardial Ca 2+ accumulation in the ischemic reperfused group correlated inversely with mitochondrial ATP production ( r = −0.94) and directly with diastolic wall thickness ( r = 0.65). (4) Similarly, calcium accumulation, ATP production, and diastolic wall thickness correlated with mean blood pressure during reperfusion. These results suggest that many factors including individual characteristics of the animal and experimental conditions such as the level of blood pressure and the degree of calcium accumulation may determine outcome of reperfusion even in as brief a period as 10 min.
Vertical distribution of radiolaria in the eastern equatorial Atlantic: Analysis of a multiple series of closely-spaced plankton tows

Radiolaria from the upper 101 and 202 m of eastern equatorial Atlantic waters were collected with multiple opening/closing nets in combination with an environmental sensing system (MOCNESS). The abundance and vertical distribution of 40 polycystine and phaeodarian species were measured and compared with physical and chemical water properties measured at the tow sites. Highest concentrations of radiolaria (radiolaria/unit volume of water filtered) in the upper 100 m occur at depths encompassing thechlorophyll-a maximum and thermocline. Abundance peaks of many of the spumellarian taxa are recorded in samples taken from nets towed at depths at or directly above thechlorophyll-a maximum zone. Six of the nine colonial radiolarians identified are present in highest concentrations in surface waters (0–25 m) where the highest levels of dissolved oxygen were recorded. Most of the nassellarian and phaeodarian taxa counted in these samples reach maximum abundances at depths well below thechlorophyll-a maximum. The relationships between radiolaria distribution and physical and/or chemical properties measured at the two tow sites are statistically significant.
Dynamical methods for polar decomposition and inversion of matrices

We show how one may obtain polar decomposition as well as inversion of fixed and time-varying matrices using a class of nonlinear continuous-time dynamical systems. First we construct a dynamic system that causes an initial approximation of the inverse of a time-varying matrix to flow exponentially toward the true time-varying inverse. Using a time-parameterized homotopy from the identity matrix to a fixed matrix with unknown inverse, and applying our result on the inversion of time-varying matrices, we show how any positive definite fixed matrix may be dynamically inverted by a prescribed time without an initial guess at the inverse. We then construct a dynamical system that solves for the polar decomposition factors of a time-varying matrix given an initial approximation for the inverse of the positive definite symmetric part of the polar decomposition. As a byproduct, this method gives another method of inverting time-varying matrices. Finally, using homotopy again, we show how dynamic polar decomposition may be applied to fixed matrices with the added benefit that this allows us to dynamically invert any fixed matrix by a prescribed time.
Canopy duration has little influence on annual carbon storage in the deciduous broad leaf forest

Vegetation phenology, the study of the timing and length of the terrestrial growing season and its connection to climate, is increasingly important in integrated Earth system science. Phenological variability is an excellent barometer of short- and long-term climatic variability, strongly influences surface meteorology, and may influence the carbon cycle. Here, using the 1895–1993 Vegetation/Ecosystem Modelling and Analysis dataset and the Biome-BGC terrestrial ecosystem model, we investigated the relationship between phenological metrics and annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon. For the 1167 deciduous broad leaf forest pixels, we found that NEE was extremely weakly related to canopy duration (days from leaf appearance to complete leaf fall). Longer canopy duration, did, however, sequester more carbon if warm season precipitation was above average. Carbon uptake period (number of days with net CO2 uptake from the atmosphere), which integrates the influence of all ecosystem states and processes, was strongly related to NEE. Results from the Harvard Forest eddy-covariance site supported our findings. Such dramatically different results from two definitions of ‘growing season length’ highlight the potential for confusion among the many disciplines engaged in phenological research.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome in a Centenarian

To the Editor. —Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) includes visual pseudohallucinations (hallucinations with preserved insight), visual deprivation, and preserved cognitive status.1We present a patient who improved without medications. Report of a Case. —A 103-year-old widow presented with a 1-year history of visual hallucinations, which she recognized as unreal. They appeared during the day and disappeared when she closed her eyes. The visions were related to past experiences, such as when she was a child or a teacher, and were often pleasant. She was previously treated with phenothiazines, but without effect. She had glaucoma of the right eye and a cataract in the left eye. She had decreased visual acuity (OD 20/200, OS 20/100). Results of her neurological examination, cognitive status, Geriatric Depression Scale, and computed tomographic scan were normal. Increasing communication and occupational therapy decreased the frequency of the visions. Comment. —The diagnosis of CBS is by exclusion of