cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Crisis of Identity

This chapter offers the view that long-term recovery and humanitarian solutions will be incomplete and unsuccessful if the identity issue among vulnerable populations, mainly displaced populations, is not central to the debate and practice of humanitarian action. In this chapter, Ilunga argues that identity issues should be addressed by tackling the problems of denationalization, de-patriotization, and hybrid identity. In fact, these three manifestations of the identity crisis continue to weaken the already challenged notion of national identity in Africa, which by its nature is so often undermined by the predominance of ethnicity. To address this crisis, the author suggests the use of Pan-Africanism as an inclusive ideology and identity, as supported by outstanding Pan-Africanist figures such as Bantu Stephen Biko and Kwame Nkrumah. Embracing Pan-Africanism has the merit of addressing the national and regional security crisis, while at the same time promoting an inclusive continental identity that would counteract the identity crisis engendered by humanitarian chaos.
Oxidative stress underlies heritable impacts of paternal cigarette smoke exposure

SUMMARY Paternal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is associated with increased risk of behavioral disorders and cancer in offspring, but the mechanism has not been identified. This study used mouse models to evaluate: 1) what impact paternal CS exposure has on sperm DNA methylation (DNAme), 2) whether sperm DNAme changes persist after CS exposure ends, 3) the degree to which DNAme and gene expression changes occur in offspring and 4) the mechanism underlying impacts of CS exposure. We demonstrate that CS exposure induces sperm DNAme changes that are partially corrected within 28 days of removal from CS exposure. Additionally, paternal smoking causes changes in neural DNAme and gene expression in offspring. Remarkably, the effects of CS exposure are largely recapitulated in oxidative stress-compromised Nrf2-/- mice and their offspring, independent of paternal smoking. These results demonstrate that paternal CS exposure impacts offspring phenotype and that oxidative stress underlies CS induced heritable epigenetic changes.
Abnormal P-wave terminal force in lead V1 is associated with low left atrial appendage ejection velocity.

Abstract Background: Sinus P-wave abnormalities have been associated stroke in people with atrial fibrillation (AF). The majority of AF-related strokes occur from left atrial appendage (LAA) thromboembolism. Dysfunction of the left atrium (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA) can increase rates of thromboembolic stroke. We studied whether abnormal P wave terminal force in V1 (aPTFV1) is associated with decreased LAA ejection velocity (LAAV) on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study reviewing patients at a tertiary care medical center who underwent TEE in sinus rhythm and had an interpretable sinus ECG within 12 months of TEE. Participants were excluded for complex congenital heart disease, age Results: In our final cohort of 169 patients (28% of which had LAAV Conclusion: Abnromal P-wave terminal force in lead V1 is associated with low LAAV after adjustment for potential confounders. Future research is needed for validation of our findings and determination of clinical utility.
Individual Hearing Outcomes in Cochlear Implant Users Influence Social Engagement and Listening Behavior in Everyday Life.

Purpose The goal of this study was to assess the listening behavior and social engagement of cochlear implant (CI) users and normal-hearing (NH) adults in daily life and relate these actions to obj...
Ethnographic Fieldwork in the Study of Game Production

The purpose of this essay is to show the ways in which ethnographic methodology provided a useful means for investigating the work and activity of an emergent game production team and system. With neither expertise in game design nor software programming, the researcher gained access to the unit of analysis, the production of educational computer games, as a research and instructional design apprentice. The essay shares an experience of sociological inquiry in the context of a highly complex and private game production process.
GnRH, brain mast cells and behavior.

Publisher Summary Mast cells, potent unicellular migratory glands, are found in all tissues and organs of the body including the brain and reproductive tract. GnRH is found in mast cell granules. This chapter presents evidence that the brain mast cell population increases under specific behavioral and endocrine states, including those associated with reproduction. Where pertinent, other mast cell-neuroendocrine interactions are also discussed. Mast cells are derived from the hematopoietic stem cell of the bone marrow. They circulate as committed precursors and undergo their final phenotypic differentiation in a tissue-specific manner. Progenitors of mast cells contain cytoplasmic granules and express RNAs encoding mast cell-associated proteases but lack expression of the high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor. Mast cells are highly plastic in the sense that they can change phenotype when transplanted from one environment to another. Depending on their place of residence, alterations in environmental signals, and activational state, mast cells store or produce upon activation a wide range of mediators. Mast cells are long-lived cells and can undergo many rounds of activation, involving degranulation and replenishment.
Microwave Spectroscopy of Astrophysical Molecules

Recent detections of new molecules in dense interstellar clouds, first detections of certain chemical elements in interstellar molecules, and new information on isotopic fractionation of hydrogen in the interstellar medium are discussed in the context of the need for new laboratory data on transition rest frequencies, reaction rates, and branching ratios.
The Decay of Motor Memories Is Independent of Context Change Detection

When the error signals that guide human motor learning are withheld following training, recently-learned motor memories systematically regress toward untrained performance. It has previously been hypothesized that this regression results from an intrinsic volatility in these memories, resulting in an inevitable decay in the absence of ongoing error signals. However, a recently-proposed alternative posits that even recently-acquired motor memories are intrinsically stable, decaying only if a change in context is detected. This new theory, the context-dependent decay hypothesis, makes two key predictions: (1) after error signals are withheld, decay onset should be systematically delayed until the context change is detected; and (2) manipulations that impair detection by masking context changes should result in prolonged delays in decay onset and reduced decay amplitude at any given time. Here we examine the decay of motor adaptation following the learning of novel environmental dynamics in order to carefully evaluate this hypothesis. To account for potential issues in previous work that supported the context-dependent decay hypothesis, we measured decay using a balanced and baseline-referenced experimental design that allowed for direct comparisons between analogous masked and unmasked context changes. Using both an unbiased variant of the previous decay onset analysis and a novel highly-powered group-level version of this analysis, we found no evidence for systematically delayed decay onset nor for the masked context change affecting decay amplitude or its onset time. We further show how previous estimates of decay onset latency can be substantially biased in the presence of noise, and even more so with correlated noise, explaining the discrepancy between the previous results and our findings. Our results suggest that the decay of motor memories is an intrinsic feature of error-based learning that does not depend on context change detection.
Germline determinants of clinical outcome of cutaneous melanoma

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Despite the constant increase in melanoma incidence, which is in part due to incremental advances in early diagnostic modalities, mortality rates have not improved over the last decade and for advanced stages remain steadily high. While conventional prognostic biomarkers currently in use find significant utility for predicting overall general survival probabilities, they are not sensitive enough for a more personalized clinical assessment on an individual level. In recent years, the advent of genomic technologies has brought the promise of identification of germline DNA alterations that may associate with CM outcomes and hence represent novel biomarkers for clinical utilization. This review attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge of germline genetic factors studied for their impact on melanoma clinical outcomes. We also discuss ongoing problems and hurdles in validating such surrogates, and we also project future directions in discovery of more powerful germline genetic factors with clinical utility in melanoma prognostication.
The Final Stages of Massive Star Evolution and Their Supernovae

In this chapter I discuss the final stages in the evolution of massive stars – stars that are massive enough to burn nuclear fuel all the way to iron group elements in their core. The core eventually collapses to form a neutron star or a black hole when electron captures and photo-disintegration reduce the pressure support to an extent that it no longer can hold up against gravity. The late burning stages of massive stars are a rich subject by themselves, and in them many of the heavy elements in the universe are first generated. The late evolution of massive stars strongly depends on their mass, and hence can be significantly effected by mass loss due to stellar winds and episodic mass loss events – a critical ingredient that we do not know as well as we would like. If the star loses all the hydrogen envelope, a Type I supernova results, if it does not, a Type II supernova is observed. Whether the star makes neutron star or a black hole, or a neutron star at first and a black hole later, and how fast they spin largely affects the energetics and asymmetry of the observed supernova explosion. Beyond photon-based astronomy, other than the sun, a supernova (SN 1987) has been the only object in the sky we ever observed in neutrinos, and supernovae may also be the first thing we will ever see in gravitational wave detectors like LIGO. I conclude this chapter reviewing the deaths of the most massive stars and of Population III stars.
Acute Hemorrhagic Leukoencephalitis Associated With Autoimmune Myopathy

We report a case of unusual presentation of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis with autoimmune myopathy. This association has not been reported in the literature. This disease has a high mortality rate; however, this case presents a patient with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis who responded well with steroids and plasmapheresis and made a complete recovery.
Kinetics of Reductive Elimination from Platinum(IV) as a Probe for Nonthermal Effects in Microwave-Heated Reactions

To test the hypothesis that microwave heating effects the nonthermal acceleration of reactions proceeding through polarized transition states, the kinetics and product ratios of the strongly medium-dependent thermolyses of (DPPE)Pt(CH3)3O2CCH3 (1) under microwave and conventional heating conditions were compared. No evidence of nonthermal effects was observed in this reaction, although failure to apply stirring resulted in significant differences in the thermal conditions and reaction rates achieved by the two heating methods.
Noniterative Multireference Coupled Cluster Methods on Heterogeneous CPU-GPU Systems.

A novel parallel algorithm for noniterative multireference coupled cluster (MRCC) theories, which merges recently introduced reference-level parallelism (RLP) [Bhaskaran-Nair, K.; Brabec, J.; Apra, E.; van Dam, H. J. J.; Pittner, J.; Kowalski, K. J. Chem. Phys.2012, 137, 094112] with the possibility of accelerating numerical calculations using graphics processing units (GPUs) is presented. We discuss the performance of this approach applied to the MRCCSD(T) method (iterative singles and doubles and perturbative triples), where the corrections due to triples are added to the diagonal elements of the MRCCSD effective Hamiltonian matrix. The performance of the combined RLP/GPU algorithm is illustrated on the example of the Brillouin-Wigner (BW) and Mukherjee (Mk) state-specific MRCCSD(T) formulations.
Adaptive Partitioning in Combined Quantum Mechanical and Molecular Mechanical Calculations of Potential Energy Functions for Multiscale Simulations

In many applications of multilevel/multiscale methods, an active zone must be modeled by a high-level electronic structure method, while a larger environmental zone can be safely modeled by a lower...
CHEMICAL STRESS INDUCES THE UNFOLDED PROTEIN RESPONSE IN OLFACTORY SENSORY NEURONS

More than any other neuron, olfactory sensory neurons are exposed to environmental insults. Surprisingly, their only documented response to damaging stress is apoptosis and subsequent replacement by new neurons. However, they expressed unfolded protein response genes, a transcriptionally regulated defense mechanism activated by many types of insults. The unfolded protein response transcripts Xbp1, spliced Xbp1, Chop (Ddit3), and BiP (Hspa5) were decreased when external access of stressors was reduced by blocking a nostril (naris occlusion). These transcripts and Nrf2 (Nfe2l2) were increased by systemic application of tunicamycin or the selective olfactotoxic chemical methimazole. Methimazole's effects overcame naris occlusion, and the unfolded protein response was independent of odor-evoked neuronal activity. Chemical stress is therefore a major and chronic activator of the unfolded protein response in olfactory sensory neurons. Stress-dependent repression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl2 was absent, however, suggesting a mechanism for disconnecting the UPR from apoptosis and tolerating a chronic unfolded protein response. Environmental stressors also affect both the sustentacular cells that support the neurons and the respiratory epithelia, because naris occlusion decreased expression of the xenobiotic chemical transformation enzyme Cyp2a5 in sustentacular cells, and both naris occlusion and methimazole altered the abundance of the antibacterial lectin Reg3g in respiratory epithelia.
Multisensor data fusion model for multitarget tracking

The problem of fusion of mnultisensor data for multitarget tracking is considered. A fusion model is presented for fusion of numeric and nonnumeric data from multiple sensors and a clustering technique is introduced. A modified version of Dempster theory is used to combine evidence and to determine object type. An example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness and methodology. 1.
Porous SOFC Anodes Prepared by Sublimation of an Immiscible Metal Oxide during Sintering

Nanostructured composite powder, consisting of 20 wt % SnO 2 , 50 wt % NiO, and 30 wt % Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2 (GDC), was prepared using a combustion chemical vapor deposition process from a single solution containing all precursors. Bilayer solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) anodes of different porosity were fabricated by copressing of NiO-GDC powder and SnO 2 -NiO-GDC composite powder. Porosity variation in the anodes was achieved by the removal of the SnO 2 -phase during firing and subsequent cell testing. Anode-supported SOFC single cells were constructed and tested for electrochemical performance. Interfacial polarization resistances of a cell with the bilayer anode were 1.20, 0.49, 0.22, and 0.1 Ω cm 2 at 500, 550, 600, and 650°C, respectively, demonstrating peak power densities of 171, 301, 441, and 544 mW/cm 2 , respectively.
An investigation of the relationship between self‐report of memory functioning and memory test performance

Memory complaints are some of the most common cognitive problems presented to clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists. However, the probable validity of memory complaints presented to a psychologist rarely has been validated by objective memory tests. Using the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (MFQ; Gilewski et al., 1983), 62 relatively young adults reported the extent to which they were experiencing various types of memory problems. These data were compared with findings of memory and non-memory tests on an expanded Halstead-Reitan test battery and with the MMPI/MMPI-2. Results showed that with the exception of persons with more than one MMPI/MMPI-2 evaluation, memory complaints were not related more to memory than to non-memory tests.
HÖLDER ESTIMATES FOR THE ELASTIC FAR-FIELD PATTERN WITH RESPECT TO THE BOUNDARY

We prove that under a small perturbation (in the Euclidean metric) of the boundary of a Lipschitz domain there corresponds a small variation (in the uniform norm) of the elastic far-field pattern. The corresponding estimate is of Holder type. This is done under the assumptions that the Lipschitz character of the perturbation is bounded and that the frequency of the elastic waves is either sufficiently small or has a strictly positive imaginary part.
Transport effects on surface-volume biological reactions.

Many cellular reactions involve a reactant in solution binding to or dissociating from a reactant confined to a surface. This is true as well for a BIAcoreTM, an optical biosensor that is widely used to study the interaction of biomolecules. In the flow cell of this instrument, one of the reactants is immobilized on a flat sensor surface while the other reactant flows past the surface. Both diffusion and convection play important roles in bringing the reactants into contact. Usually BIAcoreTM binding data are analyzed using well known expressions that are valid only in the reaction-limited case when the Damkohler number Da is small. Asymptotic and singular perturbation techniques are used to analyze dissociation of the bound state when Da is small and O(1). Linear and nonlinear integral equations result from the analysis; explicit and asymptotic solutions are constructed for physically realizable cases. In addition, effective rate constants are derived that illustrate the effects of transport on the measured rate constants. All these expressions provide a direct way to estimate the rate constants from BIAcoreTM binding data.
The costs and benefits of reducing SO2 emissions from ships in the US West Coastal waters

Abstract Potential costs and benefits of policy options for reducing offshore ship pollution are examined using a meta-analysis of studies synthesized regionally for the US West Coast. Net benefits of reducing SO2 emissions from cargo ships in the US West Coast waters are found to range between $98 million and $284 million, annually; the benefit–cost ratio varies between 1.8 and 3.36, depending on the size of the control area and the sulfur content limit. The results show that about 21,000 tons of on-land equivalent SO2 emissions or about 33% of SO2 emissions from all mobile sources in California in 2005 can be reduced annually if the US West Coast exclusive economic zone is designated as an International Maritime Organization-compliant SOx emission control area (SECA) with fuel-sulfur content not exceeding 1.5%. The analysis demonstrates that designating this area reduces more emissions than establishing a smaller zone at a lower but favorable benefit-cost ratio. Control measures that require 0.5% low-sulfur fuels reduce more SO2 emissions, and also may have higher net benefits. Technological alternatives may achieve benefits of emissions reductions on the US West Coast across higher ranges of potential fuel prices. Combinations of fuel switching and control technology strategies provide the most cost-effective benefits from SECAs on the US West Coast and other world regions.
The NO−Carbon Reaction: The Influence of Potassium and CO on Reactivity and Populations of Oxygen Surface Complexes

Results on the effects of a metal catalyst and the role of CO as a reducing agent are reported for a resin char and a Wyodak coal char, as well as demineralized samples of the latter. The effect of...
Embodied and disembodied technical change and the constant elasticity of substitution production function

Abstract This study examines the empirical basis for the suggestion that both disembodied technical progress and embodied technical progress in the capital stock and in labour have been important in the United States in the period 1947–1980. The results obtained by using a constant elasticity of substitution production function suggest that disembodied technical progress has been about 3% per year, embodied technical progress in the capital stock is in the neighbourhood of 3 to 4% annually and educational attainment significantly enhances labour productivity. Finally, when the structural stability of the underlying production relationship is examined, the period 1971–1980 gives rise to some inconsistency.
Grain Growth in Very Porous Al2O3 Compacts

Extensive grain growth was observed by scanning electron microscopy in very porous Al2O3 compacts, even at densities <40% of theoretical. After ∼7% shrinkage at 1700°C, the grain size increased from ∼0.3 to 0.51 μm in a compact having a relative green density of 0.31. During grain growth in highly porous compacts, the grains appear initially to be chainlike, then to be oblong, and finally to be equiaxed. The proposed mechanism of initial grain growth involves the filling of necks between adjacent grains followed by the movement of the grain boundary through the smaller grain. Although grain growth in very porous compacts is quite different from coalescence and ordinary grain growth, the kinetics are similar.
Airfoil Shaping for Reduced Radar Cross Section

Field methods based on finite difference approximations of the time-domain Maxwell's equations and the potential-flow equation have been developed to evaluate the electromagnetic scattering and aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils. Strong similarities in the two analysis methods facilitate a synergistic approach to solve the multidisciplinary problem of airfoil shaping for aerodynamic efficiency and low radar cross section (RCS). Results for standard test cases demonstrate that both methods are quite accurate. A parametric study shows that for frontal radar illumination, the RCS of an airfoil is independent of the chordwise location of maximum thickness, but depends strongly on the maximum thickness, leading-edge radius, and leading-edge shape. In addition, the study shows that the RCS of an airfoil can be reduced without significant effects on its transonic aerodynamic efficiency by reducing the leading-edge radius and/or modifying the shape of the leading edge.
The petrosal approach

Traditionally, the approach to the perimescencephalic and petroclival region has been challenging to the neurosurgeon. Approaches to this region have been associated with multiple complications including excessive temporal lobe and cerebellum retraction, hearing loss, facial nerve injury, and venous infarction. The petrosal approach is intended to provide direct access to the petroclival-perimesencephalic region while minimizing the above neuro-otologic complications. The approach relies on a retrolabyrinthine presigmoid window using a single temporo-suboccipital bone flap combined with a mastoidectomy and tentorial splitting, while preserving the major venous sinuses.
Effect of defoliation on root development of star‐grass under greenhouse conditions

Abstract Plant height above the stubble (PH) and stubble height (SH) are known to affect stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst var nlemfuensis) yield, quality, and persistence. However, little is known of PH and SH on root development. A greenhouse study was conducted comparing the effect of PH (15 and 30 cm) and SH (5 and 15 cm) cutting combinations to an uncut control on depth of rooting (DOR) and root dry matter (RDM) production of ‘Florico’ stargrass. Other response variables were herbage dry matter (HDM) yield, crude protein (CP) content and yield, and total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) content of the crown (5.0 cm stem base plus 7.5 cm root). Transparent plastic tubes 15 cm in diameter and 100 cm long were used as pots for soil columns. Root dry matter was reduced 97%, 90%, 70%, and 36% compared to the uncut control (16.6 Mg/ha by PH/SH combinations of 15/5, 30/5 15/15, and 30/15, respectively. The 15/15 PH/SH combination produced high total HDM yield (18.9 Mg/ha with high CP content (135 g/k...
Conformational aspects of rhodopsin associated with disc membranes

Abstract Bovine rod outer segments were sonically disrupted to prepare an optically transparent suspension of small membrane vesicles. Using such a preparation, interactions of opsin protein with phospholipid and the chromophore were studied by means of spectral measurements. In support of the previous conclusion on the importance of phospholipid for the structure of rhodopsin, the thermal stability of opsin was found to be increased when phospholipid was associated. During the denaturation reaction with guanidine hydrochloride, opsin behaved as a fairly homogeneous protein only when both the chromophore and phospholipid were associated with the protein. If guanidine concentration was quickly lowered, rhodopsin was almost completely recovered from a denatured product. During denaturation, the absorption maximum at 502 nm shifted gradually to 450 nm. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements showed that this restoration of the 502-nm band was accompanied by the renaturation of the native conformation of opsin. If retinal-free opsin or partially delipidated opsin was denatured by guanidine hydrochloride, the native conformation was recovered only to a very limited extent. From these results, it was concluded that opsin possesses the dynamic conformational reversibility only when it is in the native state, i.e. associated with the chromophore and phospholipid.
Paradigms Lost: Incommensurability vs Structurationist Inquiry

Although some organizational scholars invoke the alleged incommensurability of metatheoretical paradigms in order to legitimize a plurality of approaches to the field, others have called for cross- or multi-paradigm inquiry into organizations while yet maintaining the essential incommensurability of paradigms. As long as the incommensurability thesis itself is maintained, however, calls for cross- or multi-paradigm inquiry are compromised, and legitimate goals of theoretical and metatheoretical diversity are poorly served. The problem is not with such calls for broader but still diverse perspectives, but with the incommensurability thesis to which they infelicitously are tied. Giddens' structurationist metatheory pro vides a means to honour both calls for a broader, more unified perspective and demands for metatheoretical and theoretical pluralism, without resorting to the self-stultifying incommensurability thesis. A structurational analysis enables us to give up the idea of impermeable and imperialistic...
Addressing Substance Abuse Problems among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents.

Abstract The nature and extent of substance abuse problems among 260 youth consecutively admitted to an adolescent psychiatric unit are explored through use of self‐report data and standardized instruments. The results indicated that a substantial percentage of adolescents hospitalized with a primary psychiatric diagnosis also had co‐existing substance abuse problems. A program specifically designed to address such problems is elaborated.
Differential photocurrent transient measurements in a-Si:H

Abstract Differential photocurrent transients undoped a-Si:H have been measured using a Fourier transform technique. These transients are superposed on static photocurrents from bias illumination and are a linear response of the specimen. The form of the measured transient is dispersive and depends on the bias illumination intensity even at short times; the observations disagree with the predictions of the multiple-trapping model for dispersive transport.
Bounded linear mappings of finite rank

Abstract This paper comprises a constructive investigation of the relationship between compactness, finite rank and located kernel for a bounded linear mapping into a finite-dimensional normed space. The main result is that a bounded linear mapping of a normed space into a finite-dimensional normed space is constructively compact if and only if its kernel is located. Several examples are given which highlight the constructive distinction between a mapping into a finite-dimensional space and a mapping with finite-dimensional range.
Phenyl-bridging in the 2-phenylethyl radical. A molecular orbital study.

Density functional theory at the UB3PW91/6-31G(d.p) level on the open and bridged forms of the 2-phenylethyl radical are reported here together with activation energies and calculated rate constant...
Parton Model for the Electroproduction of Single Hadrons with Highly Virtual Photons

In this paper we study the contrasting dynamical roles played by the "wee" and the "nonwee" partons in the process $\mathrm{ep}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}\mathrm{AB}$ ($A$, $B$ being hadrons) when the negative squared mass ${Q}^{2}$ of the virtual photon becomes large. Two relevant asymptotic limits are pointed out and are shown to be controlled by the two different parton mechanisms which are possible. In each case, one of the two final hadrons is forced to emerge predominantly in the direction of the virtual photon in the laboratory. This imposes testable kinematic restrictions for either limit. Moreover, the behavior of the structure function ${\mathcal{W}}_{2}$ in these two limits is related to the square of the asymptotic electromagnetic form factor times unknown functions of the scaling variables.
Three-dimensional camera motion estimation with applications to video compression and three-dimensional scene reconstruction

In this paper, we propose two classes of algorithms for modeling camera motion in video sequences captured by a camera. The first class can be applied in situations where there is no camera translation and the motion of the camera can be adequately modeled by zoom, pan, and rotation parameters. The second class is more general in that it can be applied to situations where the camera is undergoing a translational motion, as well as a rotation and zoom and pan. These algorithms are then applied to two problems: predictive video coding and three dimensional (3-D) scene reconstruction. In predictive coding, the 3-D camera motion is estimated from a sequence of frames and used to predict the apparent change in successive frames. In 3-D scene reconstruction, a 3-D object is `scanned' by translation/rotation motion of the camera along a pre-specified path. The information in successive frames is then used to recover depth at a few select locations. The depth and intensity information at these locations are then used to recover the intensity along intermediate points on the scanning path. Experimental results on both these applications are shown.
A variability tolerant system-on-chip ready nano-CMOS analogue-to-digital converter

As integrated circuit technologies progress to nanoscale, process variations become relatively large and significantly impact circuit performance. The proactive management of process variation during the design process is critical to ensure effective device yield and to keep manufacturing costs down. In the present scenario, designers are searching for analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) architectures which are nanoscale CMOS processes tolerant. Expectations of the performance of ADCs are continuously increasing along with the progress of digital systems. A process and supply variation tolerant, System-on-Chip (SoC) ready, 1 GS/s, 6-bit flash ADC suitable for integration into nanoscale digital CMOS technologies is presented. The physical design of the ADC has been done using a generic 90 nm Salicide 1.2 V/2.5 V 1 Poly 9 Metal process design kit. Baseline post layout simulation results at nominal supply and threshold voltages are presented. The parasitic-extracted physical design of the ADC is then subject...
Teachers’ conceptions of representation in middle school mathematics

Current reform efforts call for an emphasis on the use of representation in the mathematics classroom across levels and topics. The aim of the study was to examine teachers’ conceptions of representation as a process in doing mathematics, and their perspectives on the role of representations in the teaching and learning of mathematics at the middle-school level. Interviews with middle school mathematics teachers suggest that teachers use representations in varied ways in their own mathematical work and have developed working definitions of the term primarily as a product in problem solving. However, teachers’ conception of representation as a process and a mathematical practice appears to be less developed, and, as a result, representations may have a peripheral role in their instruction as well. Further, the data suggested that representation is viewed as a topic of study rather than as a general process, and as a goal for the learning of only a minority of the students—the high-performing ones. Implications for mathematics teacher education, prospective and practicing, are discussed.
Interband quantum coherence in intersubband coupled quantum wells.

When two electron conduction subbands in a doped quantum well are coupled by a coherent laser pumping, electromagnetically induced transparency and Rabi splitting in the interband absorption spectrum of a probe light are found for steady electron dressed states. The effect of light-electron interaction on electron and hole eigenenergies and states are calculated using a generalized density-functional approach. The change of absorption coefficient with the pump field amplitude is studied and explained.
Promoter for a developmentally regulated gene in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the promoter for a B. subtilis gene (the 0.4 kb gene) whose transcription is under developmental control. Transcription of the 0.4 kb gene is turned on at the onset of sporulation; this RNA synthesis depends on the products of the B. subtilis regulatory genes (the spoO loci) that control the initiation of development. Recognition of the 0.4 kb gene promoter in vitro is dictated by novel species of B. subtilis RNA polymerase sigma factor known as σ 37 and σ 29 but not by the principal B. subtilis sigma factor σ 55 . Using S1 nuclease mapping, runoff transcription and dinucleotide priming, we have identified dual startpoints (separated by about 10 bp) for σ 37 -directed transcription of the 0.4 kb gene. These startpoints correspond closely to the 5′ termini of 0.4 kb RNA synthesized in vivo during the course of sporulation. Two forms of σ 37 -containing RNA polymerase were distinguished that preferentially utilize either the upstream or the downstream startpoint in vitro. We investigated the requirements for σ 37 -directed transcription by constructing in vitro deletion mutations that extend from the upstream direction into the 0.4 kb promoter region. One such deletion, which terminates 40 and 51 bp upstream from the transcription startpoints (thereby removing a highly AT-rich 26 bp sequence), completely eliminates transcription from the downstream startpoint but only partially inhibits transcription from the upstream startpoint. A second deletion that terminates at the upstream startpoint completely prevents transcription from both initiation sites. The implications of 0.4 kb gene promoter structure for developmentally regulated transcription in B. subtilis are discussed.
Reorganization in semantic memory: An interpretation of the facilitation effect*

Repetitions of stimuli produce reductions in the time required to make semantic judgments. In semantic network models, these reductions are attributed to residual activation of the memory traces. An alternate model is proposed in which information processing is accompanied by dynamic processes, including the reorganization of items into active patterns and their subsequent displacement. Category names and instances were shown to 69 subjects in a verification task with priming. The reaction times were measured for first presentations and for repetitions (mean lag = 10 trials), using high-, medium-, and low-dominant instances. Reaction times decreased with each successive repetition presented without intervening same-category positive items, but longer latencies were restored when same-category items intervened between repetitions. The results could not be attributed to activation, but matched predictions from the reorganization model. The dynamic processes provide a link between learning models and models of memory organization.
Spatial distribution of tumor vaccine improves efficacy.

Objectives Genetically engineered tumor cells were used as a vaccine in a murine model to compare tumor formation after inoculating multiple sites versus a single site. The effect of vaccinating draining lymph node basins was evaluated. Study Design Mice were vaccinated in either the floor of the mouth, the draining nodes of the front legs, the hind leg, or a combination of sites. Seven days later, the mice were challenged with parental tumor cells in the floor of the mouth and followed for tumor growth. Methods A retroviral vector was used to transduce the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene into SCCFVII/SF tumor cells, which were then irradiated to prevent replication in vivo. Syngeneic C3H/HeJ mice were vaccinated with 1 × 106 cells in various sites, then challenged with 1 × 105 parental cells after 7 days. Results Animals vaccinated in multiple sites had better protection from later tumor challenge than those receiving single vaccinations. Of the animals receiving vaccination at multiple sites, those vaccinated in the site of tumor challenge (floor of the mouth) had more protection than those not vaccinated at the site. Conclusions Mice vaccinated at multiple draining lymph node sites were better primed against tumor challenge than mice receiving single inoculations. Vaccination strategies that included the challenge site (floor of the mouth) and the nodes near this site were optimal.
Metabolic Dependence of Fast Axoplasmic Transport in Nerve

Fast axoplasmic transport, shown in cat sciatic nerves by a crest of labeled activity after injection of the L7 ganglion with [3H]-leucine or [ 3H]-lysine, was stopped within 15 minutes after death of the animals by bleeding. If the sciatic nerves were removed from the animals and placed in a chamber supplied with oxygen at 38 degrees centigrade, fast transport was sustained. Transport was rapidly blocked in similar in vitro preparations when the nerves were kept in a nitrogen environment. Fast axoplasmic transport is closely dependent upon oxibdative metabolism.
Validation of Aquarius sea surface salinity with in situ measurements from Argo floats and moored buoys

We validate sea surface salinity (SSS) retrieved from Aquarius instrument on SAC-D satellite with in situ measurements by Argo floats and moored buoy arrays. We assess the error structure of three Aquarius SSS products: the standard product processed by Aquarius Data Processing System (ADPS) and two data sets produced at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL): the Combined Active-Passive algorithm with and without rain correction, CAP and CAP_RC, respectively. We examine the effect of various filters to prevent unreliable point retrievals from entering Level 3 averaging, such as land or ice contamination, radio frequency interference (RFI), and cold water. Our analyses show that Aquarius SSS agrees well with Argo in a monthly average sense between 40°S and 40°N except in the Eastern Pacific Fresh Pool and Amazon River outflow. Buoy data within these regions show excellent agreement with Aquarius but have discrepancies with the Argo gridded products. Possible reasons include strong near-surface stratification and sampling problems in Argo in regions with significant western boundary currents. We observe large root-mean-square (RMS) difference and systematic negative bias between ADPS and Argo in the tropical Indian Ocean and along the Southern Pacific Convergence Zone. Excluding these regions removes the suspicious seasonal peak in the monthly RMS difference between the Aquarius SSS products and Argo. Between 40°S and 40°N, the RMS difference for CAP is less than 0.22 PSU for all 28 months, CAP_RC has essentially met the monthly 0.2 PSU accuracy requirement, while that for ADPS fluctuates between 0.22 and 0.3 PSU.
Multicellular in vivo sister-chromatid exchanges induced by urethane.

Abstract Following urethane inhalation exposure, clear dose—response relationships were apparent in all cell types examined in hepatectomized and intact mice. At concentrations of 0.1 mg/l and higher, induced SCE frequencies were linearly related to log urethane concentrations. No significant differences in SCE response between like cell types of hepatectomized and intact mice were apparent. In hepatectomized mice, there was no significant difference in the SCE response of regenerating liver and alveolar macrophage cells. However, bone-marrow response was significantly lower ( p = 0.01). Likewise, in intact mice bone marrow response was significantly lower than in alveolar macrophages ( p = 0.01). Inhalation and intravenous infusions of the same total dose of urethane (193 mg/kg) administered over a 4-h period produced comparable SCE responses in all cell types. However, a single intraperitoneal injection of 193 mg/kg just prior to BrdU infusion produced significantly higher SCE frequencies in bone marrow ( α = 0.01), and alveolar macrophages ( α = 0.05) of intact mice than did the equivalent inhalation dose. Intraperitoneal injections produced similar results in 2-month-old mice as in 4-month-old mice. However, regardless of the route of administration SCE frequencies in regenerating liver and/or alveolar macrophages were significantly higher than in bone marrow.
Motor programming as a function of constraints on movement initiation.

Abstract Three experiments are reported that test the hypothesis that under certain conditions programming time is a function of the directional accuracy demand of a response, directional accuracy being quantified by the minimal angle subtended at the point of movement initiation by the circular targets within the response. Subjects in three simple reaction time experiments were required to tap a single target or a series of circular targets as rapidly as possible with a hand-held stylus. Experiments 1 and 3 showed that the subtended angle (SA) of a response can have a more powerful effect on programming time, as indexed by reaction time and premotor time, than the number of movement parts in the response. The results of Experiment 2 revealed that the locus of the directional accuracy effect was SA and not target size or movement distance. In all three experiments, response SA was a better predictor of programming time than was number of movement parts, target size, movement distance, movement time, and a...
Composition and Distribution of Free Amino Acids in Flatpea (Lathyrus sylvestris L.) as Influenced by Water Deficit and Plant Age

Drought-stressed flatpea (Lathyrus sylvestris L.) plants from 8 to 22 weeks old were analysed for nitrogen, soluble protein and free amino acids. An increase in nitrogen and free amino acid concentrations and a decrease in soluble protein level were observed in roots of plants up to 16 weeks old. The cumulative concentration of free amino acids increased with drought stress. Tissue concentrations of 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (1-6-2-6% of the dry weight) were highest in leaves. Levels increased steadily, nearly doubling, in leaves and stems between weeks 10 and 16. Levels in drought-stressed leaves were, on average, 11-9% higher than those of controls. Estimated concentrations of a mixture of 4-aminobutyric acid and an unknown amino acid were highest in stems, increased in this tissue with age and tended to increase in stems and leaves and decrease in roots in response to water deficit. Levels of the mixture of homoserine and another unidentified amino acid were not influenced by age or water status of the plants. Root concentrations of asparagine, arginine, glutamine, aspartate, and another prominent, unidentified amino acid increased with plant age and reached a peak at the time of flowering (14 to 18 weeks). Only the concentration of the unknown compound was elevated following drought stress. Concentrations of valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and methionine also increased during this period and were elevated in drought-stressed plants. Proline levels increased with plant age and drought stress, but proline accounted for only about 10% of the total free amino acids in the drought-stressed plants.
The Provision and Financing of Medical Care for AIDS Patients in US Public and Private Teaching Hospitals

The National Association of Public Hospitals and the Association of American Medical Colleges' Council of Teaching Hospitals conducted a detailed survey on hospital care to patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in major US public and private teaching institutions in 1985. The 169 hospitals treating patients with AIDS that responded to the survey reported providing inpatient services to 5393 patients with AIDS. These patients accounted for 171205 inpatient days and 8806 inpatient admissions, with an average length of stay of 19 days. The average costs and revenue for patients with AIDS per day were $635 and $482, respectively, with Medicaid representing the most frequent third-party payer. The average inpatient cost per patient per year was $20 320. Using Centers for Disease Control estimates of 18 720 patients diagnosed as having AIDS and alive during any part of 1985, we estimate that the total cost of inpatient care for patients with AIDS was $380 million for that year. We also found significant regional and ownership differences in source of payment for patients with AIDS and regional differences in revenues received for AIDS treatment. Results indicate that the costs of treating patients with AIDS will profoundly affect major public and private teaching institutions, but that public teaching hospitals in states with restrictive Medicaid programs will be most adversely affected. ( JAMA 1987;258:1343-1346)
Evaluation of White-Testa Peanut Genotypes for Potential Use As Food Supplements1

Abstract While searching for peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes that could compete both nutritionally and economically with other plant proteins in the United States market, a white-testa peanut was examined. This genotype had low concentrations of flatus-producing sugars, lacked flavor, and had a high calcium content. Production costs could be reduced because blanching would not be required to produce a high quality, cream-colored flour. Since the initial study, samples of four additional white-testa genotypes have been obtained. All five were examined for possible use as protein supplements in food. Flours and isolates were prepared and evaluated chemically for protein content, amino acid pattern, and gel- and immuno-electrophoretic patterns. Experimental field plots were grown to determine seed germination potentials and yields. The results indicated that two of the genotypes had good biochemical profiles and produced well in the field. These two Spanwhite and P. I. 288160. have been selected for f...