cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enterprise resource planning software: a solution to the return material authorization problem

Abstract One of the critical processes of an organizations supply chain is the return material process. Ineffective management of this process can result in financial loss, poor customer service and negative quality impacts. However, often this process is given little, if any, attention even though the financial and operational impacts of a poorly designed and managed returned material process are significant. Because this process crosses several functional areas (materials, accounting, manufacturing, sales, and service), an integrated information system solution is required. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems provide a potential solution. This paper will focus on the design of a return material authorization (RMA) process and the ERP information system solution required in supporting this process.
Active constraints, indefinite quadratic test problems, and complexity

The observation that at leasts constraints are active when the Hessian of the Lagrangian hass negative eigenvalues at a local minimizer is used to obtain two results: (i) a class of nearly concave quadratic minimization problem can be solved in polynomial time; (ii) a class of indefinite quadratic test problems can be constructed with a specified number of positive and negative eigenvalues and with a known global minimizer.
SNAP: A VLSI architecture for artificial intelligence processing

Abstract The organization and operation of a semantic network array processor (SNAP) are described. The architecture consists of an array of identical cells each containing a content addressable memory, microprogram control, and communication unit. Each cell is dedicated to one node of the semantic network and its associated relations. The array can perform global associative functions under the supervision of an outside controller. In addition, each-cell is equipped with the necessary logic to perform individual functions. A set of primitive instructions was carefully chosen. Some of the applications discussed include pattern search operations, production systems, and inferences. A LISP simulator was developed for this architecture, and some simulation results are presented.
Revisiting the Effects of Case Reports in the News

Synthesizing several theories about the likely impact of case reports in the news, we propose that the impact of featuring identified victims in a news story is contingent on the degree of similarity between the audience member and the identified victims. We execute a population-based survey experiment involving immigration policy to examine our theory. Our results suggest that featuring specific, identified victims in a news story will promote more supportive policy opinions than otherwise identical stories about unidentified victims, but only when the victim is highly similar to the audience member. Conversely, case reports featuring identified people who are dissimilar to the audience member will decrease the extent to which the story encourages victim-supportive policy attitudes. Overall, our experimental findings shed light on the conditions under which the inclusion of case reports increases versus decreases the policy relevance of news stories. Our findings also help explain previous inconsistencie...
Inhibition of formation of birefringent crystals by high humidity in citrus red mites infected with virus

Abstract The presence of birefringent crystalline inclusions within the bodies of citrus red mites, Panonychus citri , infected with a nonoccluded virus is the major criterion for diagnosis. However, if mites inoculated with the virus are exposed to a high humidity within 5–6 days, the initiation of these crystals is greatly inhibited.
Antigenicity of zymosan.

SummaryHeat stable antibodies to zymosan were produced in rabbits and measured by quantitative agglutination. The increased bactericidal activity for Escherichia coli B resulting from injections of zymosan could be absorbed by E. coli B. Some aspects of the antigenicity of zymosan are discussed.
Derivatives of the Perron root at an essentially nonnegative matrix and the group inverse of an M-matrix☆

Abstract The results of the work in this paper can be divided into two major parts. In the first part we develop formulae, using group inverses of irreducible M-matrices, for the second-order partial derivatives with respect to the entries of the Perron root r at an essentially nonnegative and irreducible matrix A. We use these formulae to obtain explicit expressions for the matrices ( ∂ 2 r(A) ∂ ij 2 ) and ( ∂ 2 r(A) ∂ ii ∂ jj ) and examine these expressions at some special cases when, for example, in addition to A being essentially nonnegative and irreducible, A is row stochastic or A is of rank 1 and so on. In the second major part of this paper we investigate, for a singular and irreducible M-matrix Q, a certain matrix G which is a positive diagonal scaling of the group inverse Q#, of Q. We show, for instance, that zτ Gz ⩾ 0 for all real vectors z and use this result and some of the formulae obtained in the first part of the paper to provide a matrix theoretic proof of a theorem due to J. E. Cohen (Math. Proc, Cambridge Philos. Soc., 86 (1979), 343–350), which states that for an essentially nonnegative and irreducible matrix A, the Perron root is a convex function of the main diagonal of A.
The Effect of Excess Weight Gain in Teenage Pregnancies

Excess weight gain in pregnancy, as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), has been linked to adverse obstetrical outcomes. However, this relationship has not been examined in the younger maternal population. Our aim was to study excess weight gain in our inner-city teenage population. In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed all nulliparous teenage deliveries between 2000 and 2004. The groups were divided by IOM criteria into “underweight” (body mass index [BMI] 29.0 kg/m 2 ; n = 89). The groups were then compared according to normal (control, n = 257) and excess weight gain (n = 199). Frequencies and odds ratios (ORs) for adverse outcomes were calculated. Excess weight gain was associated with an increased risk for cesarean delivery (OR 1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 3.01) and postpartum fever (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.13 to 5.35). Significant neonatal findings included higher birthweight (3199 g versus 2864 g; p < 0.0001) and increased risk of macrosomia (OR, 8.18; 95% CI, 2.02 to 32.99) in the excess weight gain group. We concluded that excess weight gain places teen mothers at increased risk for cesarean delivery, postpartum febrile morbidity, and macrosomia. Interventions aimed at optimal weight gain in teen pregnancies are warranted.
Recent Research and Debates in Adi Granth Studies

Recent debates in Adi Granth studies have exposed two divergent approaches on the process of canon formation in the Sikh tradition. The first approach stresses a linear process that began with a single source and then diversified into separate textual strands with minor variations that we encounter in the available manuscripts of the Adi Granth. The second approach lays emphasis on the development of ‘independent’ textual traditions in different geographical areas in isolation from one another in the process of repeated copying and correction over generation of scribal activity. The present article offers an analysis of a new source, the Bhai Rupa Pothi (book), highlighting the third alternative of the ‘theory of working drafts’ prepared under the direct supervision of Guru Arjan.
Heat-flow measurements between North America and the Hawaiian Islands

Abstract From 23 new measurements, the average terrestrial heat flow through the deep-sea floor between North America and Hawaii is about 1.4 · 10 −6 cal./cm 2 sec. No significant differences were measured between recognized topographic provinces, which include the Hawaiian ridge and the Molokai fracture zone.
Application of bootstrap method in conservative estimation of reliability with limited samples

Accurate estimation of reliability of a system is a challenging task when only limited samples are available. This paper presents the use of the bootstrap method to safely estimate the reliability with the objective of obtaining a conservative but not overly conservative estimate. The performance of the bootstrap method is compared with alternative conservative estimation methods, based on biasing the distribution of system response. The relationship between accuracy and conservativeness of the estimates is explored for normal and lognormal distributions. In particular, detailed results are presented for the case when the goal has a 95% likelihood to be conservative. The bootstrap approach is found to be more accurate for this level of conservativeness. We explore the influence of sample size and target probability of failure on the quality of estimates, and show that for a given level of conservativeness, small sample sizes and low probabilities of failure can lead to a high likelihood of large overestimation. However, this likelihood can be reduced by increasing the sample size. Finally, the conservative approach is applied to the reliability-based optimization of a composite panel under thermal loading.
Influence of Fiber Waviness on the Structural Response of Composite Laminates

Fiber waviness is often found to be a failure initiation site in a structural part. The objective of this research is to evaluate the influence of in-plane fiber waviness on structural response and its sensitivity on a composite beam. Explicit forms of lamina and laminate stiffness and their sensitivity analysis due to fiber waviness are formulated. The change of deflection and natural frequency of a symmetrically laminated composite beam due to fiber waviness was also investigated.
Engineering of deltoid and reduced deltoid: Two chimeric proteins containing the oligomerization site of the hepatitis delta antigen

Hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg) must form oligomers to be biologically active. Quadrin (HDAg-(12–60)-Tyr) is a 50-residue protein segment from the oligomerization domain of HDAg. The crystal structure of quadrin shows an octamer consisting of four identical copies of a dimer containing an antiparallel α-helical coiled coil. Each end of the dimer contains an oligomerization site that interacts isologously with the oligomerization site of another dimer to form a right-angled corner. The resulting quadrin octamer is a 400-residue square protein surrounding a large aqueous hole. We have designed, chemically synthesized, and characterized deltoid and reduced deltoid, two 51-residue chimeric proteins that structurally and functionally mimic one of the two oligomerization sites of the quadrin dimer. Dimerization of deltoid or reduced deltoid should emulate the dimerization of two quadrin dimers to form one right-angled corner of the square. Deltoid and reduced deltoid were designed by molecular modeling, mechanics, and dynamics and synthesized by the solid-phase method. The amino acid sequence of deltoid (GREDILEQWVSCRKKL + PKAPPEE + LRKLKKKCKKLEEDNPWLGNIKGIIGKY) is a chimera of three protein segments: HDAg-(12–28), Thermus thermophilus serine tRNA synthase-(59–65), and HDAg-(34–60)-Tyr. Cysteine (C) was introduced at two positions to explore the effects of the presence (deltoid) or absence (reduced deltoid) of an interhelical disulfide bond. Circular dichroic spectropolarimetry revealed that both synthetic proteins form an α-helical structure that is stable over a wide range of pH and KCl concentrations. Size-exclusion chromatography indicated that deltoid and reduced deltoid each form a dimer. Interconversion of these monomers and dimers should be useful model systems for studying the structural features of the right-angled corners of the quadrin octamer that contribute to HDAg oligomerization. If, like quadrin, deltoid or reduced deltoid interferes with HDAg oligomerization, it might serve as a lead compound for the design of potent HDV inhibitors.
Characterization of surface heat convection of bilayer graphene

This paper studies the surface heat convection of a bilayer graphene and the possibility of using graphene wires as a flow and temperature sensor. A bilayer graphene wire was designed and fabricated, with the length of around 53 µm and the average width of around 0.5 µm. Prior to testing, the device was packaged with a microfluidic chamber and capillary tubes to minimize environmental interference. Thermal inertia of the graphene wire was studied at a temperature of 70 °C and the flow sensing behavior was characterized with normalized resistance changes for different values of flow rates. Our preliminary results demonstrate a negative temperature coefficient of the bilayer graphene and a flow sensitivity of about 0.44 L/min and a resolution of about 0.07 L/min. This technique provides a strong candidate for flow sensing in the nano and micro industrial applications with large temperature detection range, reliability and low cost.
Comparisons of inhibitors of tyrosine oxidation in the enzymatic blackening of potatoes

Sodium bisulfite, cysteine, dithiothreitol, and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (Na Dieca) inhibit enzymatic blackening in potatoes by initially inhibiting the oxidation of tyrosine by polyphenol oxidase. Sodium bisulfite and Na Dieca also cause enzyme inactivation. Although cysteine and dithiothreitol inhibit tyrosine oxidation for a period of time, they do not appear to inactivate the enzyme. Dithiothreitol is a much more effective inhibitor of tyrosine oxidation than cysteine. Ascorbic and dihydroxyfumaric acids inhibit enzymatic blackening by reducing the dopaquinone to dopa. When the reducing agents are completely oxidized, blackening can occur.
Regulation of granulosa and theca cell transcriptomes during ovarian antral follicle development.

Coordinated interactions between ovarian granulosa and theca cells are required for female endocrine function and fertility. To elucidate these interactions the regulation of the granulosa and theca cell transcriptomes during bovine antral follicle development were investigated. Granulosa cells and theca cells were isolated from small ( 10 mm) antral bovine follicles. A microarray analysis of 24,000 bovine genes revealed that granulosa cells and theca cells each had gene sets specific to small, medium and large follicle cells. Transcripts regulated (i.e., minimally changed 1.5-fold) during antral follicle development for the granulosa cells involved 446 genes and for theca cells 248 genes. Only 28 regulated genes were common to both granulosa and theca cells. Regulated genes were functionally categorized with a focus on growth factors and cytokines expressed and regulated by the two cell types. Candidate regulatory growth factor proteins mediating both paracrine and autocrine cell-cell interactions include macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP1 beta), teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor 1 (TDGF1), stromal derived growth factor 1 (SDF1; i.e., CXCL12), growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8), glia maturation factor gamma (GMFG), osteopontin (SPP1), angiopoietin 4 (ANGPT4), and chemokine ligands (CCL 2, 3, 5, and 8). The current study examined granulosa cell and theca cell regulated genes associated with bovine antral follicle development and identified candidate growth factors potentially involved in the regulation of cell-cell interactions required for ovarian function.
3-D stacked thin-film photodetectors for multispectral detection applications

To demonstrate simultaneous multispectral detection, short and long wavelength thin-film detectors, which are grown and optimized separately, are colocated and heterogeneously integrated in a three-dimensional (3-D) stack onto pads on an Si substrate. Simultaneous two-color detection by each detector in the 3-D stack has been measured and theoretically explored. This heterogeneous integration of two different detectors in a 3-D stack is an interesting physical integration technology for multispectral imaging systems and coarse wavelength-division-multiplexing systems.
Integrating Technology and a Standards-Based Pedagogy in a Geometry Classroom: A Mature Teacher Deals with the Reality of Multiple Demands and Paradigm Shifts

Abstract A mature mathematics teacher (one in the latter stages of a successful career in teaching secondary mathematics) sought support in making a paradigm shift to a technology-integrated pedagogy in the context of a state's emerging standards-based curriculum. The teacher had concerns regarding his ability to make the paradigm shift, but he was willing to make the effort because he believed that integrating technology as an instruction/production tool would increase student achievement in mathematics. This article describes the teacher's experience. Students in two of his three high school geometry classes were introduced to altered teaching methods involving technology. The first class created instructional modules using presentation and Web page software, and a second class used student-created instructional modules. A third geometry class received traditional instruction based on text and lecture. Two topics, angles and circles, were taught using this format. Another topic, lines, was taught tradit...
The Management of Prepubertal Children with Gonorrhea

To determine whether test-of-cure cultures are necessary for prepubertal children diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, we examined the records of all 66 patients <10 years old seen at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia over a 7.5-year period (1987-1994) diagnosed with gonorrhea. Ninety-eight percent had genital discharge on examination. All children with genital gonorrhea were symptomatic, but only 10% of children with rectal gonorrhea and 20% with pharyngeal infection were symptomatic. Seventy-seven percent of children were treated with ceftriaxone. Of these, 72% returned for test-of-cure cultures. Ninety-three percent of children had complete resolution of physical symptoms at test-of-cure, and all follow-up cultures were negative for N. gonorrhoeae. Our data suggest that most prepubertal children with gonorrhea are symptomatic at initial presentation and are cured after recommended treatment with ceftriaxone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for obtaining test-of-cure cu...
Analyzing firm-level strategy for Internet-focused reintermediation

We propose a framework for understanding circumstances under which information technology (IT) innovations for electronic commerce (EC) change firm-level strategic choices, and the economic forces behind these choices, in Internet market competition. We identify a recurring pattern of intermediation, disintermediation and reintermediation: the IDR cycle. With this framework, we explain technological reintermediation, where a disenfranchised player is able to compete again, by combining technological innovation with leveragable co-specialized assets. We build this perspective with evidence from the corporate travel industry. The analysis reveals that traditional travel firms have access to a range of strategies that enable them to avoid disintermediation and become more powerful in the long run.
Long-term recurrence and mortality after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for nonfunctional pituitary adenomas.

Object Long-term outcomes following surgery for nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are unclear. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy is therefore controversial because it is associated with higher tumor control but also carries known long-term morbidity. The authors' aim was to determine predictors of recurrence and overall survival and to define patient subgroups that may benefit from radiotherapy. Methods The authors performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 663 patients who underwent surgery between 1975 and 1995 for treatment of primary NFPAs. The main outcome measures were disease progression after surgery, defined by clinical and/or imaging criteria, and all-cause mortality. Results Over a median clinical follow-up of 8.4 years, there were 64 (9.7%) recurrences after treatment, with a median time to recurrence of 5.6 years. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year recurrence-free probabilities were 0.93, 0.87, and 0.81, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis identified the...
Clinical Aspects of Mental Retardation The Chief Complaint

The charts of 101 mentally retarded children were studied to determine how their retardation first came to the attention of their pediatrician. It was found that Speech Delay, Developmental Delay, and School Failure were the three most common parental concerns. Speech Delay accounted for over 50 percent of all referrals of children age 2 to 6 years. A first step to improve accurate evaluation and treatment of mental retardation is to recognize how children ultimately diagnosed as retarded are initially brought to the attention of the pediatrician.
Aggregation of bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A toxins upon binding to target insect larval midgut vesicles

During sporulation, Bacillus thuringiensis produces crystalline inclusions comprised of a mixture of δ-endotoxins. Following ingestion by insect larvae, these inclusion proteins are solubilized, and the protoxins are converted to toxins. These bind specifically to receptors on the surfaces of midgut apical cells and are then incorporated into the membrane to form ion channels. The steps required for toxin insertion into the membrane and possible oligomerization to form a channel have been examined. When bound to vesicles from the midguts of Manduca sexta larvae, the Cry1Ac toxin was largely resistant to digestion with protease K. Only about 60 amino acids were removed from the Cry1Ac amino terminus, which included primarily helix α1. Following incubation of the Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac toxins with vesicles, the preparations were solubilized by relatively mild conditions, and the toxin antigens were analyzed by immunoblotting. In both cases, most of the toxin formed a large, antigenic aggregate of ca. 200 kDa. These toxin aggregates did not include the toxin receptor aminopeptidase N, but interactions with other vesicle components were not excluded. No oligomerization occurred when inactive toxins with mutations in amphipathic helices (α5) and known to insert into the membrane were tested. Active toxins with other mutations in this helix did form oligomers. There was one exception; a very active helix α5 mutant toxin bound very well to membranes, but no oligomers were detected. Toxins with mutations in the loop connecting helices α2 and α3, which affected the irreversible binding to vesicles, also did not oligomerize. There was a greater extent of oligomerization of the Cry1Ac toxin with vesicles from the Heliothis virescens midgut than with those from the M. sexta midgut, which correlated with observed differences in toxicity. Tight binding of virtually the entire toxin molecule to the membrane and the subsequent oligomerization are both important steps in toxicity.
Effect of Selenium Supplementation on Human Lymphocyte Tumor Cytotoxicity

This study examined the effect of dietary (200 μg/day for 8 weeks) supplementation with Se (as sodium selenite) on the ability of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to respond to stimulation with antigen, develop into cytotoxic lymphocytes, and to destroy tumor cells. Sixteen male and six female volunteers were matched by age (mean age = 26.2 years; range = 23–37), sex, weight, and nutritional habits, and given selenite or placebo tablets. Lymphocytes (2.5 × 106), isolated prior to and 8 weeks following supplementation, were activated by allogeneic stimulation with 8.3 × 105 mitomycin C-treated Ragi cells for 5 days. Lymphocyte mediated tumor cytotoxicity was evaluated using a 4h-51Cr release assay and effector: target cell ratios of 1.25–20:1. The results indicated that supplementation with selenite in humans results in a significant (118%) increase in the ability of a given lymphocyte population to destroy a fixed number of tumor cells, i.e., 45.57 ± 5.96 vs. 20.87 ± 2.62% cytotoxicity at 20:1 ratio. While the cytotoxic efficiency of both lymphocyte populations remained the same, the number of lymphocytes required to destroy 2×105 tumor cells decreased significantly after supplementation (1.53 × 106 ± 1.98 × 105 vs. 7.10 × 105 ± 1.49 × 105). The results indicate that supplementation with Se in humans results in a significant increase in the number of cytotoxic lymphocytes within a cell population.
Dynamic characterization and model comparison of high frequency FET devices

A precision dynamic characterization, using fast pulses of varied amplitude with duration of 0.2 /spl mu/s, is performed on high frequency FET devices. The responsible parameters for large signal models are extracted and the models are developed for static and dynamic characteristics. The binning models for the Statz, TOM and Angelov models are developed in the ADS simulation tool and a comparative evaluation is presented.
Microsatellite variation among diverging populations of Drosophila mojavensis.

Divergence and speciation may occur by various means, depending on the particular history, selective environments, and genetic composition of populations. In Drosophila mojavensis, a good model of incipient speciation, understanding the population genetic structure within this group facilitates our ability to understand the context in which reproductive isolation among populations is developing. Here we report the genetic structure and relationships of D. mojavensis populations at nuclear loci. We surveyed 29 populations throughout the distribution of D. mojavensis for four microsatellite loci to differentiation among populations of this species. These loci reveal four distinct geographical regions of D. mojavensis populations in the south-western United States and north-western Mexico – (i) Baja California peninsula (Baja), (ii) Sonora, Mexico–southern Arizona, United States (Sonora), (iii) Mojave Desert and Grand Canyon (Mojave), and (iv) Santa Catalina Island (Catalina). While all regions show strong isolation, Mojave and Catalina are highly diverged from other regions. Within any region, populations are largely homogenous over broad geographical distances. Based on the population structure, we find clear geographical barriers to gene flow appear to have a strong effect in isolating populations across regions for this species.
Simulation of earthquake sequences

An earthquake sequence can be considered to be a complex extension of a shear crack in a viscoelastic medium under the influence of non-uniform stresses. Because of these inhomogeneous stresses, the crack grows rapidly at rates comparable to seismic body-wave velocities during some intervals of time; during other intervals, which punctuate the episodes of rapid expansion, the major mode of slip and growth is one of creep. Under suitable pre-stress and frictional conditions, the post-seismic creep phase of one earthquake may become the pre-seismic creep phase of a succeeding earthquake. Thus inhomogeneity of the pre-stress and/or the static and dynamic frictional stresses combined with viscoelasticity of the medium provides a mechanism that accounts for not only the pre-seismic and the post-seismic creep and the stopping of the crack, but also the various types of earthquake sequences that occur in nature. By increasing the amplitude of the fluctuations in the spatial distribution of these stresses, the type of earthquake sequence can be varied progressively from an ‘isolated earthquake', to a sequence with foreshocks, main shock and aftershocks, and finally, to an earthquake swarm. As the wavelengths of the fluctuations in the stresses decrease, the frequency of earthquake occurrence increases. The type of earthquake sequence is also controlled by the general level of the stresses. A silent earthquake or aseismic creep event will occur if the pre-stress is sufficiently high.
The child protective service worker: A profile of needs, attitudes, and utilization of professional resources

Abstract County child protection units throughout the United States were surveyed to (1) profile the attributes of child protection workers, (2) determine their prevailing attitudes and needs, and (3) assess their access to and utilization of professional literature and consultation resources. Responses were received from 301 child protection workers employed in 33 different states. Respondents were generally depressed about their working conditions, the burden of huge caseloads, and unrealistic expectations of them. Job dissatisfaction was especially prevalent among workers who had been in the field for longer periods of time. Many workers had developed attitudes of resignation to their inability to help clients and had a tendency to avoid client contact. Workers reported doing very little professional reading due to the service requirements of their large caseloads and inaccessibility to journals and other meaningful literature pertinent to the field of child abuse and neglect. The availability of consultation in major specialty areas related to the performance of their child protective duties was frequently inadequate to meet their needs. Participation in formal training prior to first case involvement promoted professional reading and worker confidence in the quality of service provided. Worker job satisfaction and self-perceived professional skills were enchanced by membership in professional associations or societies and membership in or use of multidisciplinary teams. These results suggest the need to further develop national and regional resource centers in support of the practice of child protective service (CPS) workers.
Using Hopfield networks to solve traveling salesman problems based on stable state analysis technique

We have elsewhere developed a general method called the stable state analysis technique to determine constraints that the weights in the Hopfield energy function must satisfy so that valid solutions of high quality can be always obtained. In this paper, the effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through a reinvestigation of the capability of the Hopfield neural net (HNN) to solve the traveling salesman problem (TSP). A large number of experiments on 10-city TSPs demonstrate the proposed method can obtain results comparable to those obtained using simulated annealing, while the mean error of achieved solutions to a 51-city TSP is about 15% longer than the optimal tour, which is much better than that of solutions obtained through other HNN-based methods.
The enduring effects of a United World College education as seen through a graduate’s eyes

This article describes a study that examined evidence of the enduring effects of United World Colleges (UWC) education, arguably the only purely ideology-driven international education model. The s...
A system for automatic animation of piano performances

Playing the piano requires one to precisely position one’s hand in order to strike particular combinations of keys at specific moments in time. This paper presents the first system for automatically generating three-dimensional animations of piano performance, given an input midi music file. A graph theory-based motion planning method is used to decide which set of fingers should strike the piano keys for each chord. As the progression of the music is anticipated, the positions of unused fingers are calculated to make possible efficient fingering of future notes. Initial key poses of the hands, including those for complex piano techniques such as crossovers and arpeggio, are determined on the basis of the finger positions and piano theory. An optimization method is used to refine these poses, producing a natural and minimal energy pose sequence. Motion transitions between poses are generated using a combination of sampled piano playing motion and music features, allowing the system to support different playing styles. Our approach is validated through direct comparison with actual piano playing and simulation of a complete music piece requiring various playing skills. Extensions of our system are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is There an Immunological Cost to Carotenoid-Based Ornamental Coloration?

Originally it was proposed that dietary access alone might explain variation in expression of carotenoid pigmentation (Endler 1980; Kodric-Brown 1985; Hill 1990). By this idea, carotenoids are scarce in the environment, and only those individuals in the best condition gain access to sufficient carotenoids for maximum ornament display. To this idea of limited access was added the idea that parasites might negatively impact expression of carotenoid pigmentation (Milinski and Bakker 1990; Houde and Torio 1992; Zuk 1992). Indeed, from studies with poultry it is well established that coccidia (protozoan gut parasites) directly inhibit carotenoid absorption (Ruff et al. 1974; Augustine and Ruff 1983; Allen 1987, 1992; Tyczkowski et al. 1991). In several studies with species that have carotenoid-based ornamental display, it has been shown that parasites, including particularly coccidia, inhibit expression of carotenoid pigmentation (Milinski and Bakker 1990; Houde and Torio 1992; Brawner 1997; Thompson et al. 1997). It seems likely that parasite load and limited access to dietary carotenoids combine to determine color expression in many species of animals (Hill 1999). Carotenoids are used for more than integumentary colorants in animals. Some carotenoids, particularly betacarotene and related molecules, function as vitamin A precursors (Bauernfeind 1972). In addition, a variety of carotenoids, including both carotenoids that serve as vitamin A precursors and carotenoids that do not serve as vitamin A precursors, have been found to reduce the risk of infection in mammals (Bendich 1989, 1993, 1996; Chew 1993) and help prevent the onset of cancer (Peto et al. 1981; Krinsky 1989; Ziegler 1989). Both of these immu-
The Stone-Čech Compactification

Among the major achievements in the theory of rings of continuous functions are the characterizations of the maximal ideals in C(X) and in C*(X). We have already succeeded in obtaining characterizations in case X is compact—by attaching each maximal ideal to a point of the space (see 4.9(a)). The next step in our program is to extend this result, somehow, to the case of arbitrary (completely regular) X. In the general situation—when X is not pseudocompact— we will be faced with two distinct problems: that of C, and that of C*.
Association Measures and Aggregation Functions

The concept of association measure generalizing the Pearson correlation coefficient is introduced. The methods of generation of association measures by means of pseudo-difference associated to some t-conorm and by similarity measures are proposed. The association measure can be introduced on any set with involutive reflection operation and suitably defined similarity measure. The methods of construction of association measures by Minkowski metric and data standardization using the aggregation functions are considered. The cosine similarity and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient are obtained as partial cases of the proposed general methods.
Creating New Management Practice Through Innovation Action Research

Much research in social science and management develops and tests theories about existing phenomena and practice. Researchers who believe that existing practices can be improved, however, can attempt to develop and implement entirely new approaches. Action research engages the researcher in an explicit program to develop new solutions that alter existing practice and then test the feasibility and properties of the innovation. In developing two new management accounting approaches activity-based costing and the balanced scorecard - my colleagues and I used a particular form of action research, referred to as innovation action research." In this mode, we initially documented a major limitation in contemporary practice, then identified a new concept to overcome this limitation, and continued to apply and improve the concept through publication, teaching, and active intervention in companies. In this innovation action research cycle, the researcher enhances the underlying theory and, in the process, also becomes a skilled implementer of the new concept.
FLUID BALANCE IN THE LUNG

Airway edema is a very common occurrence in patients with heart failure and also in different forms of lung inflammation (sepsis). The lung's circulation, airways, and alveoli have tremendous surface areas and can fully oxygenate the venous blood returning from the body into the right atrium and also rid the body of the high amounts of CO2 contained in the venous blood. However, the large gas-exchanging areas in the lungs can also create a problem when left-sided heart failure is present. During pathology, the pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure (PPC) increases in the lung's circulation and fluid leaves the circulation (JV) to enter the lung's interstitium. This is opposed by the protein osmotic pressure in the plasma (πP). The lymph flow increases (JL) and removes a large amount of this fluid. The interstitial protein osmotic pressure (πT) will also decrease as proteins are removed by lymph flow and diluted by protein-free fluid entering the lung's interstitium. Interstitial fluid pressure (PT) also increases, which opposes the increased microvascular pressure. Increases in PT and JL coupled with the decreased interstitial protein osmotic pressure (πT) have been defined as edema safety factors because they provide a substantial protective effect against alveolar edema formation. When PPC increases, the sum of these forces can provide a safety factor of approximately 23 mmHg before the lung tissues fill with edema fluid.
The role of pharmacogenetics and advances in gene therapy in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its complications such as diabetic macular edema continue to remain a major cause for legal blindness in the developed world. While the introduction of anti-tVEGF agents has significantly improved visual outcomes of patients with DR, unpredictable response, largely due to genetic polymorphisms, appears to be a challenge with this therapy. With advances in identification of various genetic biomarkers, novel therapeutic strategies consisting of gene transfer are being developed and tested for patients with DR. Application of pharmacogenetic principles appears to be a promising futuristic strategy to attenuate diabetes-mediated retinal vasculopathy. In this comprehensive review, data from recent studies in the field of pharmacogenomics for the treatment of DR have been provided.
Inhibition of postheparin lipolytic activity in uremia and its relationship to hypertriglyceridemia.

SummaryThe pathogenesis of hypertriglyceridemia associated with renal failure was studied in 10 non-nephrotic uremic patients undergoing twice-weekly hemodialysis. Fasting plasma triglyceride levels, lipoprotein electrophoretic patterns, and postheparin lipolytic activity (PHLA), using both Ediol and rat chylomicrons as substrate, were determined in each patient. Although PHLA activity was reduced in all patients, serum triglyceride levels were elevated to over 190 mg/100 ml in only six. Plasma from the 10 uremic patients usually inhibited PHLA from normal subjects, but often the degree of inhibition was small and did not correlate with the degree of impairment of PHLA. These results suggest that reduced PHLA may be related in part to a circulating plasma inhibitor, but that factors other than plasma clearance of triglyceride are more important in the development of the hyperlipemia seen in chronic uremia.
High-frame-rate, high-resolution Cinematographic Particle Image Velocimetry

We present our progress in the development of a high-frame-rate, high-resolution Cinematographic Particle Image Velocimetry (CPIV) system, addressing the development of hardware as well as image processing algorithms. A rotating prism, 16mm film camera is used with frame rates up to 10,000 fps and equivalent pixel resolution of each frame, on the order of 1400 x 1000. A computerized digitization station for automated digitization of entire film rolls was developed. For flow illumination, a high power, noncoherent illumination system was implemented. In terms of image processing algorithms, new techniques are proposed with improved spatial resolution and reliability over existing methods. Emphasis is placed on a new wavelet-based cross-correlation approach. Finally, hardware and software performance are demonstrated via sample water tunnel experiments. (Author)
Cesarean birth and neonatal mortality in very low birth weight infants

The authors attempted to relate neonatal mortality to method of delivery in a series of 345 infants, weighing 700 to 1500 g, who were born in King County, Washington, from 1977 to 1979. Overall, 38% of infants delivered vaginally died as opposed to 32% of those with cesarean births. However, after adjustment for birth weight, presentation, and place of delivery, cesarean birth was not associated with reduction in mortality. Even among those infants with a breech presentation, a group believed (on the basis of previous studies) to particularly benefit from cesarean birth, the data failed to show any mortality reduction. Based on the results of this study of very low birth weight singleton infants, it appears that the reduced neonatal mortality associated with cesarean birth, if present at all, is small in magnitude.
Sexual Dimorphism in Stem Cell–Based Therapies for the Musculoskeletal System

Abstract Musculoskeletal health is one of the areas of medicine in which the differences between males and females are most striking. Differences in disease prevalence, pain sensation, drug handling, and healing responses between individuals have known biologic bases; however, the impact of sex on these biologic processes is unclear. In skeletal muscle tissues, stem cells and progenitor cells are known to persist throughout life and contribute to the ongoing process of repair and regeneration. However, currently, there is a paucity of literature that describes the sex-related differences in satellite cells and other muscle stem cell populations that may have an influence on future stem cell applications. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the sex-related differences in the biology of skeletal muscle and its resident stem cell populations would greatly enhance our ability to devise new individualized treatment strategies for tissue regeneration in many pathologic and non-pathologic conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.
Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a 15-year-old male

Abstract We present the case of a fifteen-year-old male with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) thought to have originated in early infancy when chronic non-bilious emesis, early satiety and failure to thrive were evident. He developed two episodes of perforated pre-pyloric ulcer at ages 12- and 14-years. Work up for chronic Helicobacter pylori and Zollinger Ellison syndrome were negative. An upper GI study revealed a massively enlarged stomach and delayed gastric emptying. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed a thickened pylorus and a narrow pyloric canal. Electrogastrogram and antroduodenal motility studies supported a mechanical gastric outlet obstruction. A distal gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction was performed. One year after surgery, the patient's symptoms resolved and he had gained 14.5 kg in weight. This is a very rare case of HPS presenting after infancy and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis of HPS to prevent long term complications including failure to thrive and death.
Plausible values of latent variables: A useful approach of data reduction for psychiatric measures

A challenge in application of psychiatric measures is there are too many variables/items in a scale (e.g., depression, anxiety). The often used data reduction approaches are to generate total scale scores or estimated factor scores. The former is simply to sum item scores and the latter is to estimate factor scores from factor analysis model. However, the problems are: the total score does not take into account of measurement errors; and using factor scores or IRT scores as dependent variables in further analysis gives biased slopes. Such biases can be alleviated by using a recently developed technique plausible values of latent variables that are a set of generated values of factor scores using MCMC Bayesian approach. The plausible values can be estimated not only for continuous latent variables (e.g., factors), but also for categorical latent variables (e.g., latent classes). The plausible values of factors or latent class membership can be used as observed variables for further analysis and provide more accurate parameter estimates, compared with the traditional estimates of latent variables (e.g., factor scores or IRT scores). When the plausible values are used in subsequent analysis, multiple imputed plausible value data sets are used and analyzed just like multiple imputations (MI) data sets, i.e., by combining the results across the imputations using Rubin's (1987) method. This presentation will demonstrate how to estimate and apply plausible values of depression and anxiety scales using real-world research data.
Auto-score system to optimize OPC recipe parameters using genetic algorithm

The ever increasing pattern densities and design complexities make the tuning of optical proximity correction (OPC) recipes more challenging. There are various recipe tuning methods to meet the challenge, such as genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing, and OPC software vendor provided recipe optimizers. However, these methodologies usually only consider edge placement errors (EPEs). Therefore, these techniques may not provide adequate freedom to solve unique problems at special geometries, for example bridge, pinch, and process variation band related violations at complex 2D geometries. This paper introduces a general methodology to fix specific problems identified at the OPC verification stage and demonstrates its successful application to two test-cases. The algorithm and method of the automatic scoring system is introduced in order to identify and prioritize the problems that need to be fixed based on severity, with the POR recipe score used as the baseline reference. A GA optimizer, whose objective function is based on the scoring system, is applied to tune the OPC recipe parameters to optimum condition after generations of selections. The GA optimized recipe would be compared to existing recipe to quantify the amount of improvement. This technique was subsequently applied to eliminate certain chronic OPC verification problems which were encountered in the past. Though the benefits have been demonstrated for limited test cases, employing this technique more universally will enable users to efficiently reduce the number of OPC verification violations and provide robust OPC solutions.
Digital Predistortion Using Lookup Tables With Linear Interpolation and Extrapolation: Direct Least Squares Coefficient Adaptation

In this paper, we present a method to implement digital predistortion (DPD) memory models using lookup tables (LUTs) with linear interpolation and extrapolation. We introduce the required set of basis functions to describe this model. The DPD output is expressed as a linear combination of these basis functions and we show how to directly estimate the LUT entries using least squares. We show how this model achieves lower complexity at similar or better performance compared to polynomial models translated to LUTs with interpolation or models based on LUTs without interpolation whose coefficients are adapted directly. We refer to this model as the direct adaptation of LUTs with interpolation/extrapolation (DLUTI). In this paper we also introduce the composite memory polynomial model: a new polynomial model which is a hybrid between the generalized memory polynomial and the dynamic deviation reduction models. This model is used as a starting point to generate the final LUT-based model.