cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Content based retrieval of images for planetary exploration

Planetary missions generate a large quantity of image data. In flight operations or on servers such as Planetary Data Systems (PDS) these data products are only searchable by keys such as the Sol, spacecraft clock, or rover motion counter index, with little connection to the semantic content of the images. During mission science operations the science team typically pores over each and every data product returned, which may not require more sophisticated organization and search tools. However, for analyzing existing image databases with thousands or millions of images, manual searching, matching, or classification is intractable. In this paper, we present a method for matching images based on similarities in visual texture. For every image in a database, a series of filters are used to compute the response to localized frequencies and orientations. Filter responses are turned into a low dimensional descriptor vector, generating a 37 dimensional fingerprint. At query time, fingerprints are quickly matched to find images with similar appearance. Image databases containing several thousand images are pre-processed offline in a matter of hours. Image matches from the database are found in a matter of seconds. We have demonstrated this image matching technique using three sources of data and carried out user tests to evaluate matching performance by hand labeling results. User tests verify approximately 40 % false positive rate within the top 14 matches. This represents a powerful search tool for databases of thousands of images where the a priori match probability for an image might be less than 1%.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators confer survival benefit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The prophylactic use of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been shown to decrease mortality in patients with depressed left ventricular ejection function (LVEF ≤ 35%). Whether this beneficial effect persists in the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not established. Methods: We examined the medical records of patients with LVEF ≤ 35% and COPD and analyzed the data for total mortality by ICD status. Each ICD patient was matched by age and LVEF with two to three controls. The Charlson comorbidity index and propensity score were used to correct for differences in comorbidities and biases between the study groups. Results: A total of 100 patients (30 with ICD and 70 controls) were included in this analysis. The overall cohort had a mean age of 65 ± 15 years with a predominance of white (79%) men (72%). Compared to controls, ICD patients had a wider QRS complex (150 ± 32 ms vs 110 ± 24 ms, P < 0.001) and were less likely to be on steroid therapy (10% vs 31%, P = 0.018) for COPD. At a mean follow-up of 3.1 ± 2.7 years, ICD patient had a lower total mortality (2-year survival of 88% in the ICD group vs 59% in the controls, P = 0.016). The lower death rate in the ICD group persisted after correcting for differences in the QRS interval and for discrepancies race and in the incidence of steroid use in a multivariate Cox regression model (odds ratio = 0.300, adjusted P = 0.016). Conclusion: Patients with COPD extract survival benefit from the ICD and should therefore not be denied this life-saving therapy. (PACE 2010; 33:1125–1130)
BulkSMT: Designing SMT processors for atomic-block execution

Multiprocessor architectures that continuously execute atomic blocks (or chunks) of instructions can improve performance and software productivity. However, all of the prior proposals for such architectures assume single-context cores as building blocks — rather than the widely-used Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) cores. As a result, they are underutilizing hardware resources. This paper presents the first SMT design that supports continuous chunked (or transactional) execution of its contexts. Our design, called BulkSMT, can be used either in a single-core processor or in a multicore of SMTs. We present a set of BulkSMT configurations with different cost and performance. We also describe the architectural primitives that enable chunked execution in an SMT core and in a multicore of SMTs. Our results, based on simulations of SPLASH-2 and PARSEC codes, show that BulkSMT supports chunked execution cost-effectively. In a 4-core multicore with eager chunked execution, BulkSMT reduces the execution time of the applications by an average of 26% compared to running on single-context cores. In a single core, the average reduction is 32%.
Real-time vision-based tracking control of an unmanned vehicle

Recent advances in manufacturing automation have motivated vision-based control of autonomous vehicles operated in unattended factories, material handling processes, warehouse operations, and hazardous environment explorations. Existing vision-based tracking control systems of autonomous vehicles, however, have been limited in real-time applications due to slow and/or expensive visual feedback and complicated dynamics and control with nonholonomic constraints. This paper presents a practical real-time vision-based tracking control system of an unmanned vehicle, ViTra. Unlike the conventional RS170 video-based machine vision systems, ViTra uses a DSP-based flexible integrated vision system (FIVS) which is characterized by low cost, computational efficiency, control flexibility, and a friendly user interface. In particular, this paper focuses on developing a framework for vision tracking systems, designing generic fiducial patterns, and applying real-time vision systems to tracking control of autonomous vehicles. A laboratory prototype vision-based tracking system developed at Georgia Institute of Technology permits the uniquely designed fiducial landmarks to be evaluated experimentally, the control strategy and the path planning algorithm derived in the paper to be validated in real-time, and the issues of simplifying nonlinear dynamics and dealing with nonholonomic constraints to be addressed in practice. Experimental results reveal interesting insights into the design, manufacture, modeling, and control of vision-based tracking control systems of autonomous vehicles.
Potential Effects of Long-Lead Hydrologic Predictability on Missouri River Main-Stem Reservoirs*

Abstract Understanding the links between remote conditions, such as tropical sea surface temperatures, and regional climate has the potential to improve streamflow predictions, with associated economic benefits for reservoir operation. Better definition of land surface moisture states (soil moisture and snow water storage) at the beginning of the forecast period provides an additional source of streamflow predictability. The value of long-lead predictive skill added by climate forecast information and land surface moisture states in the Missouri River basin is examined. Forecasted flows were generated that represent predictability achievable through knowledge of climate, snow, and soil moisture states. For the current main-stem reservoirs (90 × 109 m3 storage volume) only a 1.8% improvement in hydropower benefits could be achieved with perfect forecasts for lead times up to one year. This low value of prediction skill is due to the system's large storage capacity relative to annual inflow. To evaluate the...
778.1-Pos Board # B363.1 – Effects of Ca2+ and Temperature on the Force-generating Transition in Cardiac Muscle Studied by Photolysis of Caged-phosphate

We have shown that below 20°C the step determining kPi in skinned guinea pig trabeculae may shift from the force generating transition to a different step, perhaps cross-bridge formation (Biophys J. 80:586a, 2001) implying kPi should be calcium sensitive at lower temperatures. To test this hypothesis, we have measured kPi at a fixed final [Pi] (initial + photoreleased @ 1.4 mM) at different [Ca2+] and at either 24° or 14°C. At 14°C and full activation (pCa 4.5) kPi was 5.87 ± 0.54 sec−1 (mean ± sem, n = 9) decreasing ∼40% to 3.42 ± 0.92 sec−1 at pCa 5.34 (P/Po∼0.4). At 24°C pCa 5.93 (P/Po∼0.4) kPi was not significantly different than kPi at full activation (26.30 ± 3.9 sec−1 at pCa 5.93 vs. 28.4 ± 2.87 sec−1 at pCa 4.5). This suggests that Ca2+ control of cross-bridge kinetics differs at the two temperatures: at higher temperatures the force-generating transition is Ca2+-insensitive, while both cross-bridge formation and the force-generating transition are Ca2+-sensitive at lower temperatures. Alternatively, Ca2+ control is exerted at the cross-bridge formation step at both temperatures, but at 14°C, kPi is governed by a force generating transition that is slow compared to a Ca2+-sensitive equilibrium at the cross-bridge formation step and therefore sensitive to it.
Spread F bubbles: Nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor mode in two dimensions

The paper discusses long-wavelength developed bottomside spread F which has been attributed to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The nonlinear saturation amplitude and the k spectrum of the inertia-dominated Rayleigh-Taylor instability is found in two directions: east-west and vertical. As in the collisional case (Chaturvedi and Ossakow, 1977), the dominant nonlinearity is found to be two-dimensional. It is found that the linearly most unstable modes, which are primarily horizontal, saturate by the nonlinear generation of vertical spatial harmonics. The harmonics are damped by diffusion or recombination. The resulting amplitude spectrum indicates that bubbles are vertically elongated in both inertial and collisional regimes.
Class III Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Gene Family Members Have Overlapping, Antagonistic, and Distinct Roles in Arabidopsis Development

The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains five class III homeodomain-leucine zipper genes. We have isolated loss-of-function alleles for each family member for use in genetic analysis. This gene family regulates apical embryo patterning, embryonic shoot meristem formation, organ polarity, vascular development, and meristem function. Genetic analyses revealed a complex pattern of overlapping functions, some of which are not readily inferred by phylogenetic relationships or by gene expression patterns. The PHABULOSA and PHAVOLUTA genes perform overlapping functions with REVOLUTA, whereas the PHABULOSA, PHAVOLUTA, and CORONA/ATHB15 genes perform overlapping functions distinct from REVOLUTA. Furthermore, ATHB8 and CORONA encode functions that are both antagonistic to those of REVOLUTA within certain tissues and overlapping with REVOLUTA in other tissues. Differences in expression patterns explain some of these genetic interactions, whereas other interactions are likely attributable to differences in protein function as indicated by cross-complementation studies.
Responses of two parasitoid wasps to nectar odors as a function of experience

Adult parasitoid wasps can learn to recognize specific resource-based cues, making them adept at locating essential resources within their native habitats. However, relatively little is known about their ability to recognize the odors emitted by flowers and extra-floral nectar glands. A novel test arena mimicking the distribution of nectaries within an umbelliferous inflorescence was developed to measure and compare the responses of two eulophid wasps, Edovum puttleri and Pediobius foveolatus, to nectar-based odors. Although both parasitoid species were able to associate nectar location with the odors emitted by both real nectaries (dill flowers and snap bean stipules) and artificial nectars ( 1 M sucrose solution scented with banana or lemon food flavoring), the responses of inexperienced wasps to nectary odors differed. While inexperienced E. puttleri displayed little attraction to the odor of either dill flowers or snap bean stipules, inexperienced P. foveolatus displayed a strong attraction to odors of both types of nectaries. However, once it had experienced foraging on either dill or snap bean nectar, E. puttleri responded to those nectary odors as strongly as did P foveolatus. The responsiveness of both wasp species to the odor of artificial nectar greatly increased after they foraged on sugar solution scented with either banana or lemon odor. That parasitoid wasp species can differ in their ability to recognize food-based cues is of fundamental and applied importance.
Factor Structure of the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form

The Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) was subjected to a factor analysis with image extraction and direct oblimin (oblique) rotation. Four samples of male federal offenders with a total N of 400 served as subjects for this study. The results implied the presence of a four-factor solution -antisocial identity, intrusiveness of the confining offense, family/interpersonal conflict, and poor school/work adjustment. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Outcomes of open and endovascular repair for ruptured and nonruptured internal iliac artery aneurysms.

Objective To evaluate outcomes of open (OR) and endovascular repair (II-EVAR) of internal iliac artery aneurysms (IIAAs) with or without preservation of internal iliac artery (IIA) flow. Methods We reviewed the clinical data of consecutive patients treated for IIAAs between 2001 and 2012. End-points were morbidity, mortality, graft patency, and freedom from pelvic ischemic symptoms (buttock claudication, ischemic colitis, and spinal cord injury). Results There were 97 patients, 87 male and 10 female, with mean age of 74 ± 8 years. A total of 125 IIAAs (71 unilateral and 27 bilateral) with mean diameter of 3.6 ± 2 cm were treated. Eighty-two patients (86%) had elective repair and 15 (14%) required emergent repair (mean size, 6.7 ± 2.4 cm; range, 3.6-10 cm). OR in 60 patients (62%; 49 elective, 11 emergent) included IIA bypass in 36 (60%) patients and endoaneurysmorrhaphy in 24 (40%). II-EVAR in 37 patients (38%; 30 elective, 4 emergent) required IIA embolization in 29, iliac branch device in five or open IIA bypass in three, combined with bifurcated aortic stent grafts in 17. Early mortality was 1% for elective (1/49 open, 0/33 endovascular) and 7% for emergent repair (1/11 open, 0/4 endovascular). Early morbidity (43% vs 8%; P P P = .002). Freedom from buttock claudication was higher after OR than after II-EVAR (79% vs 59%; P = .05). Primary and secondary patency rates of IIAA bypasses were 95%, and 80% at 1 and 3 years, respectively. Conclusions II-EVAR of IIAAs is associated with fewer complications and shorter hospital stay compared with OR. Open and endovascular IIA reconstructions have very good long-term patency, and preservation of IIA flow is associated with higher freedom from buttock claudication.
Immune response of young children using ATP-based Cylex® assay: A brief report

Jayaram A, Zeevi A, Bentlejewski C, Lin Y, Michaels MG. Immune response of young children using ATP-based Cylex® assay: A brief report. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 14:664–666. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Data on immune responses of young children using ATP release–based Cylex assay are insufficient. This study measured the immune response of healthy children less than three years of age to mitogens, PHA and Con-A. Blood was obtained from children attending routine health care visits. The Cylex® assay was used to measure ATP production by CD4+ and CD3+ cells in response to PHA and Con-A, respectively. Samples from 20 children less than three years (range 10–27 months) were evaluated. The mean ATP production by CD4+ lymphocytes following PHA stimulation was 376 ng/mL (95% CI 17.1–735), which was similar to the response of older children in Hooper et al.’s (Clin Transplant 2005;19:834) study (p-value 0.28). The mean and median ATP production by CD3+ cells following Con-A stimulation were 114 ng/mL and 93.3 ng/mL, respectively (95% CI for median 45.2,148.6). The data suggest that although the immune system of young infants and toddlers is evolving, they are still able to respond to mitogen stimulation similar to older children.
Reducing service points in the academic library: How to provide quality customer service in the face of budget cuts

Article on providing quality customer service in the face of budget cuts and reducing service points in the academic library.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Community: Symptom Subgroups, Risk Factors, and Health Care Utilization

The clinical relevance of subdividing the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) into subgroups based on bowel habit is largely unknown. We therefore obtained an age- and sex-stratified random sample of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 20-95 years. All subjects were mailed a valid self-report questionnaire during the years 1988-1993; the response rate was 74% (n = 3,022). Among subjects with IBS (n = 536), four symptom-based subgroups of similar size were identified: constipation predominant, diarrhea predominant, alternating constipation and diarrhea, and neither. The prevalence of IBS was significantly greater in females, primarily because of a higher prevalence of constipation-predominant IBS in women. Of persons > or = 60 years of age, 23% reported the initial onset of IBS in the previous year compared with 10% in younger subjects; the age at onset of IBS was similar among the subgroups. Marital status, education level, smoking, and alcohol use were not significantly different among the subgroups. Of those with IBS, 25% reported visiting a physician for abdominal pain or disturbed defecation in the prior year compared with only 8% of persons without IBS. Female sex, an increased number of Manning's symptom criteria, and the individual IBS subgroups were not associated with higher rates of physician visits. We conclude that the onset of IBS may not be limited to early adulthood and that subgroups of IBS based on bowel patterns may not identify clinically distinct entities.
Bone engineering by controlled delivery of osteoinductive molecules and cells

Bone regeneration can be enhanced or accelerated by the delivery of osteogenic signalling factors or bone forming cells. These factors have commonly provided benefit when retained at the defect site with a delivery vehicle formed from natural or synthetic materials. Growth factors can be directly delivered as recombinant proteins or expressed by genetically modified cells to induce bone formation. Furthermore, bone regeneration has been achieved with the transplantation of various cell types that can participate in bone healing. Carriers utilised for the delivery of osteoinductive material allow for a prolonged presentation at the repair site and the timing of presentation can be readily adjusted to correspond to the extent necessary for bone regeneration. This review examines some of the recent developments in delivery systems used to manage the presentation of these factors at the desired site. Moreover, the authors provide suggestions for continued progress in bone regeneration.
Isolation of an arbacia sperm fertilization antigen.

Antisperm antibody fragments (IFab) block sea urchin fertilization by inhibiting the acrosome reaction and consequently sperm-egg attachment. We describe here a 68,000 dalton MW glycoprotein which neutralizes the fertilization-inhibiting action of IFab. This glycoprotein is a minor component in SDS-polyacrylamide gels of sperm membranes, but is greatly enriched in lithium diio-dosalicylate extracts of the membranes. Final purification of the antigen was accomplished by elution from preparative SDS-polyacrylamide gels. This glycoprotein is evidently the sea urchin sperm receptor which interacts with the egg jelly coat and acts as a “trigger” for the acrosome reaction.
Empowerment: Reformulation of a Non-Rogerian Concept

The authors present a reformulation of empowerment based upon historical and current perspectives of empowerment and a synthesis of existing literature and Rogerian thought. Reformulation of non-Rogerian concepts familiar to nurses is proposed as a strategy to accelerate the mainstreaming of Rogerian thought into nursing practice and research. The reformulation of empowerment as a participatory process of well-being inherent among human beings may provide nurses with new insights for practice. This paper may also serve as a model for reformulating other non-Rogerian concepts and theories for wider dissemination across the discipline.
At the Dawn of Commercial Aviation: Inglis M. Uppercu and Aeromarine Airways

Only a few years before Juan Trippe of Pan American Airways successfully established an international commercial air carrier based upon the flying boat, Inglis M. Uppercu, with apparently ample financial and managerial resources, failed to do so. In telling why, Professor Leary demonstrates the overwhelming importance of timing and a knowledge of the exact nature of market opportunities in the entrepreneurial process.
Habitual variable sleep and Type A behavior

The responses to the Jenkins Activity Survey of groups of 40 short sleepers, 40 long sleepers, and 40 variable sleepers were compared. As predicted, it was found that the variable sleepers showed significantly less Type A behavior than either of the other two groups. These data further elaborate the possible role of sleep behavior in the management of stress.
Bayesian prediction for small areas using sur models

Sample surveys are usually designed and analyzed to produce estimates for larger areas and/or populations. Nevertheless, sample sizes are often not large enough to give adequate precision for small area estimates of interest. To circumvent such difficulties, borrowing strength from related small areas via modeling becomes essential. In line with this, we propose a hierarchical multivariate Bayes prediction method for small area estimation based on the seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) model. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated through simulation studies.
Monitoring North Pacific Heat Content Variability: An Indicator of Fish Quantity?

Fields of modeled sea surface heights and temperatures are used to develop an algorithm to monitor the low-frequency heat content variability of the North Pacific's midlatitudes associated with regime shifts in the circulation patterns of the Alaskan and the California Currents. Data from altimetric and infrared satellites are then used to apply the method using observational measurements. The model shows that the midlatitude Pacific subsurface circulation variability is primarily due to large, low-frequency horizontal north-south gyre movement. The changes may also be due to large- scale atmospheric changes in wind patterns, local mixing, as well as internal dynamics. It is proposed that this type of monitoring might be useful to help with understanding the variability in fisheries.
Pixelless imaging device using optical up-converter

A pixelless imaging device based on optical wavelength conversion was designed and fabricated. The up-converter consisted of an integrated InGaAs/InP PIN photodetector and an InGaAsP/InP light-emitting diode (LED) epitaxially grown on a single InP substrate. Incoming 1.5 /spl mu/m optical radiation was absorbed by the p-i-n detector and generated a photocurrent. The resultant photocurrent was used to bias the LED that emitted at 1 /spl mu/m, which could be detected by conventional silicon charge coupled device. Pixelless imaging by the device has been demonstrated at room temperature.
Relationships between beta-moments and gamma-moments

Abstract Theoretical relationships between beta-moments (beta-decay nuclear matrix elements) and corresponding gamma-moments are derived. Direct relationships for cases in which the parent states of beta and gamma decays are members of the same isomultiplets are generalized, and corrections for the effects which tend to destroy charge-independence are taken into account. The applications of the results to the available cases show that the contribution of the nuclear potential effect is negligible. The theoretical relations are used, instead of using the experimental values as done by Gell-Mann, for evaluating expectations from the conserved vector current theory. The results are in better agreement with the experiments than the previous predictions.
An Observational Study of the Intraseasonal Poleward Propagation of Zonal Mean Flow Anomalies

Abstract The poleward propagation of zonal-mean relative angular momentum (MR) anomalies is examined using NCEP–NCAR Reanalysis data for both the winter and summer seasons of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. This analysis is performed with a regression analysis using base latitudes in the subtropics, midlatitudes, and high latitudes. It is found that the poleward MR anomaly propagation occurs at all latitudes, with the propagation speed being greater in the subtropics and high latitudes, compared to midlatitudes. Other fields, such as eddy angular momentum flux convergence, eddy heat flux, friction torque, and 300-mb streamfunction, are regressed for the Northern Hemisphere winter and the Southern Hemisphere summer. The main finding is that in the subtropics and midlatitudes, the poleward MR anomaly propagation is primarily due to high-frequency (<10 day) transient eddy angular momentum flux convergence and in high latitudes the propagation is mostly due to the summation of cross-frequency and low-fr...
An Ancient Business Success and a Medieval Business Failure: Lessons in Ethics from Old Business Approaches and Practices

An early success in business through the foresight of a brilliant individual created the foundation of a city state under a newly founded democracy, and the brilliant “marriage” of private initiative to a state mechanism created a new form of a state which went on to become the foundation of western civilization. This early form of primitive socialism under the guidance of enlightened individuals further created the first notable sea empire in Europe; but its origins went back to the policies of an individual who achieved a successful formula balancing wisely private and state finances, which ensured the employment of most of the city state’s poor citizens by guaranteeing an annual state salary through the state employment of the free but financially underprivileged citizens in the business of the state. The dawn of the classical age was thus based on a happy balance between the private individual and state employment.
Finding Consensus in Multi-Agent Networks Using Heat Kernel Pagerank.

We present a new and efficient algorithm for determining a consensus value for a network of agents. Different from existing algorithms, our algorithm evaluates the consensus value for very large networks using heat kernel pagerank. We consider two frameworks for the consensus problem, a weighted average consensus among all agents, and consensus in a leader-following formation. Using a heat kernel pagerank approximation, we give consensus algorithms that run in time sublinear in the size of the network, and provide quantitative analysis of the tradeoff between performance guarantees and error estimates.
Let's Get Small: The Dynamics of (Small) Contention in Repressive States

This report builds upon the dynamics of contention approach to political mobilization by tracing the development of a type of contentious episode common to repressive states, here identified as resistant contention. This form of claim making targets the state but is distinct from the fully public and trangressive challenges against the state that are the focus of the dynamics of contention approach. This report traces how episodes of resistant contention track through two key processes-actor constitution and scale shift-as well as many mechanisms that combine in more public contention. Examples from Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Soviet Caucasus, and Spain are reviewed to trace, first, patterns of contentious speech; namely, "small" claim making and grievance articulation under conditions of risk. I argue that contentious political talk is fundamental to the process of actor constitution in repressive states. Then I trace how contentious speech is patterned in the form of intellectual circles, cultura...
A CMOS Broadband Distributed ${\rm N}$ -Path Tunable Bandpass Filter

A distributed CMOS N-path tunable band-pass filter (BPF) technique is introduced to lower the in-band insertion loss and increase the out-of-band rejection of the traditional N-path filter. Measurements from 0.3 to 1.6 GHz demonstrate a tunable BPF with 31 to 53 dB out-of-band rejection in a 65 nm process.
A Framework for Evaluating Consumer Information Regulation

A framework for evaluating alternative consumer information regulations is developed by integrating economic, consumer behavior, and legal theory. This “Remedies Continuum” which classifies regulat...
25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Fails to Prevent Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Broiler Chicks Raised in Battery Brooders

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of high levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-(OH)D3) in preventing tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in broilers obtained from a commercial hatchery and grown in batter-brooder cages to 17 days of age. Levels of 25-(OH)D3 ranging from 0 to 250 μg/kg were added to diets adequate (0.95%) or low (0.65%) in calcium. There was no effect on body weight, feed:gain, plasma calcium or phosphorus, or bone ash. 25-(OH)D3 did not affect the incidence of TD or the number of severe lesions in these experiments. Although there was a decrease in overall severity in Experiment 1 when 46 μg/kg was fed, there was no response to dietary 25-(OH)D3 when higher levels were fed in either experiment. There was no consistent effect of 25-(OH)D3 on phytate phosphorus utilization. The results of these experiments indicate that 25-(OH)D3 did not prevent TD in commercial broiler chicks raised in battery-brooder cages when fed at levels as high as 250 μg/kg.
Quality Control of Determination of Nitrite in Pickled Vegetables Products by Spectrophotometry

Objecttive:To determinate Nitrite contents in pickled vegetables Products with the Hydrochloric Acid Naphthalene Ethylenediamine spectrophotometry and its quality control.Methods:The nitrite contents of 5 kinds ,40 sorts of pickled vegetables sampled from the two urban districts of GuiYang were determinated by spectrophotometry as soon as the samples were collected,and the laboratory internal quality was controlled in determination.Results:the Nitrite contents ranges of of 5 kinds,40 sorts of pickled vegetables was 0.08～31.23mg/kg,the detection out rates was 57.5%,the rates of exceeding national standard was 8.0%.Conclusion:The results of Nitrite contents which were determinated with the Hydrochloric Acid Naphthalene Ethylenediamine spectrophotometry can be controlled in the demanding ranges of errors.
Organ Physiology of Aging

With improvements in medical care over the last several decades, individuals are living longer and, as a result, more surgical procedures will be performed in the geriatric patient. Normal physiologic aging is characterized by a gradual loss of reserve capacity. The effects of the aging process on various organ systems do not usually affect function in the normal state; however, during periods of stress (such as with a surgical procedure or illness), the elderly patient may not be able to meet the increased metabolic demand. This loss of reserve capacity is the single most important factor that decreases the elderly patient's ability to tolerate operations. It is imperative that the surgeon identify the elderly patient who is at increased risk for complications. Specific consideration must be given to proper management of fluid and electrolyte replacement, respiratory management to prevent atelectasis and pneumonia, and monitoring for possible cardiac complications.
Fluorinated pyrimidines. XXXVII. Effects of 5-trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxyuridine on the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid of mammalian cells in culture.

5-Trifluoromethyl-29-deoxyuridine (F3TdR), a thymidine analogue, is incorporated into the DNA of HeLa and leukemia L5178Y cells in culture. Under conditions of synchrony induced by the production of thymidine deficiency and rescue by thymidine or a thymidine analogue, the addition of F3TdR does not permit any cell division, in contrast to thymidine, 5-bromo-29-deoxyuridine, or 5-iodo-29-deoxyuridine, which support cell division. However, F3TdR is incorporated into the cellular DNA, but to only about one-fourth the extent of thymidine. Alkaline sucrose gradient sedimentation revealed that the molecules of DNA containing F3TdR are smaller than normal DNA, suggesting that the rate of growth or joining of chains of DNA is inhibited as a result of the incorporation of the analogue.
Purging murine leukemic marrow with alkyl-lysophospholipids

Autologous bone marrow transplantation is potentially curative in the treatment of acute leukemia if residual leukemic cells in the marrow can be eliminated prior to transplantation. We studied the purging effects of a synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipid (ALP) on marrow containing leukemic cells from a transplantable myelomonocytic leukemia (WEHI-3B) in BALB/c mice. Simulated remission bone marrow containing 2% leukemic cells treated in vitro with 20 and 100 micrograms/mL of ET-18- OCH3 (1-octadecyl-2-methyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine) significantly prolonged survival of lethally irradiated transplanted recipients. At a dose of 100 micrograms/mL, 88% of the mice survived for the duration of the experiment (approximately five months). Autopsies showed that 25% of these survivors had microscopic evidence of leukemia. Thus, in vitro treatment of marrow eliminated leukemic blasts and spared sufficient normal stem cells to allow hematologic reconstitution. The effect of ET- 18-OCH3 is not entirely selective for leukemic cells. A spleen colony assay showed that ALP has some cytotoxic effect on normal hematopoietic stem cells.
Adlayer structure dependent ultrafast desorption dynamics in carbon monoxide adsorbed on Pd (111)

We report our ultrafast photoinduced desorption investigation of the coverage dependence of substrate–adsorbate energy transfer in carbon monoxide adlayers on the (111) surface of palladium. As the CO coverage is increased, the adsorption site population shifts from all threefold hollows (up to 0.33 ML), to bridge and near bridge (>0.5 to 0.6 ML) and finally to mixed threefold hollow plus top site (at saturation at 0.75 ML). We show that between 0.24 and 0.75 ML this progression of binding site motifs is accompanied by two remarkable features in the ultrafast photoinduced desorption of the adsorbates: (i) the desorption probability increases roughly two orders magnitude, and (ii) the adsorbate–substrate energy transfer rate observed in two-pulse correlation experiments varies nonmonotonically, having a minimum at intermediate coverages. Simulations using a phenomenological model to describe the adsorbate–substrate energy transfer in terms of frictional coupling indicate that these features are consistent with an adsorption-site dependent electron-mediated energy coupling strength, η el, that decreases with binding site in the order: three-fold hollow > bridge and near bridge > top site. This weakening of η el largely counterbalances the decrease in the desorption activation energy that accompanies this progression of adsorption site motifs, moderating what would otherwise be a rise of several orders of magnitude in the desorption probability. Within this framework, the observed energy transfer rate enhancement at saturation coverage is due to interadsorbate energy transfer from the copopulation of molecules bound in three-fold hollows to their top-site neighbors.
Coming of Age with Self-Managed Teams: Dealing with a Problem Employee

In the wake of documented success stories from organizations using self-managed teams, additional attention should be directed at factors that can enhance as well as diminish their success. The common characteristics of highly desirable team members are described as a setting for understanding performance problems that are created when individuals with co-dependent behaviors are introduced into a team structure. Although it is difficult to pinpoint accurately the number of individuals who are affected by co-dependency, estimates that reach as high as 95 million make discussion and recommendations for dealing with these individuals in a team setting especially useful.
Under Mesopotamian and Persian Domination

Attempts by Mesopotamian rulers to reach the Mediterranean began early and were repeated at intervals, but no serious formulation of the westward-push policy to seize the trade routes and their sea termini was made until the rise of the Assyrian empire. The time became opportune early in the eleventh century when both Egypt and Hittiteland had taken the precipitous downward course from which there seemed to be no return. The first to seize the opportunity was Tiglath-pileser I (1116–1093), who strengthened the base by extending his rule over the upper Euphrates and Babylonia.
Spatial Ecologies: Paul Virilio: Speed Space

After having lost the street in the nineteenth century, people are now also losing their voice. Paul Virilio Speed is not simply a matter of time. Speed is also space-time. It is an environment that is defined in equal measure by space and by time. Armitage (ed.), Virilio Live In his recent homage to Marc Auge, Paul Virilio asserts that the author of Non-Places has turned anthropology into a science responsible less for reconstituting traditional cultures than for scaffolding an art of premonition . The ethnologist of today can no longer study societies “without history” but, rather, the fragile state of a world in which chronological time has telescoped to the state of instantaneity. Space, like the wild ass's skin in Balzac's La Peau de chagrin , has shrunk beyond belief. Virilio, whose brilliantly delphic writings hover between the messianic and the titanic, finds in Auge a friend who senses the effects that the acceleration of information have on subjectivity. The supermodernity ( surmodernite ) of which Auge writes “is surely the combined effect of the acceleration of history and of a shrinkage of geographical space giving occasion […] to both ‘an individualization of destinies’ and to diverse destinations of action” (Virilio 2008: 100). The effect, he notes, is that individuals now owe their existential being to a condition of solitude. They find themselves in a state of accelerated delocalization, which is exactly what the anthropologist discovered in his own premonitions.
Un-American Acts

In a seminal 1997 article, David Labaree argued that the educational enterprise in America is instructed by three primary goals. The first goal, “democratic equality,” reflects society’s interest both in creating an informed and engaged citizenry and in promoting relative equality. A second goal, “social efficacy,” emphasizes the necessity in a market-based economy of having productive and innovative laborers. The third goal, “social mobility,” treats education as a commodity whose sole purpose is to advance individual standing in the hierarchy of social order.
An in vivo analysis of ultrasonic signals created by closing bileaflet mechanical heart valves

Closing dynamics and frequency spectra of 183 mechanical heart valves (MHV) implanted in 162 patients were evaluated by analyzing ultrasonic signals created during valve closing. Closing sounds were recorded with a system responsive to frequencies up to 400 kHz. All bileaflet MHV showed evidence of asynchronous leaflet closure that was independent of valve characteristics, but depended upon implant site and patient position. The time interval between leaflet impacts tended to remain stable over time in individual patients. Most of the closing sound energy was in the ultrasonic range with frequency characteristics that were independent of valve properties. The presence of these high energy ultrasonic signals has allowed the authors to develop a real-time system for the audio evaluation of MHV. Results obtained with this system have shown that both closing dynamics and frequency spectra of closing sounds of bileaflet MHV depend primarily upon local environment.
Hohfeldian Analysis, Liberalism and Adjudication (Some Tensions)

Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld’s 1913 article, “Fundamental Legal Conceptions as Applied in Judicial Reasoning,” is in some ways a stunning success. It has played an important role in shaping a variety of schools of thought — analytical jurisprudence, legal realism, law and economics, critical legal studies, and property theory. At the same time, Hohfeld’s platform, has been largely ignored among the judiciary and among those legal academics who embrace judicial or doctrinal discourse. In this chapter, I immediately put aside the easy and obvious explanations (without prejudice) for a deeper account — namely, the suggestion that there are ongoing tensions between the Hohfeldian platform on the one hand and liberalism as well as liberal forms of adjudication on the other. The Hohfeldian platform enables us see in liberalism and its forms of adjudication certain aspects that neither endeavor might otherwise want to recognize and address. The chapter closes with an entreaty that, in this particular moment of political and legal uncertainty, legal thinkers move beyond the cloistered comforts of liberal thought and consider the organization of state and civil society in broader, even if more challenging, theoretical terms.
Learning Word Embeddings in Parallel by Alignment

Distributed representations have become the de facto standard by which many modern neural network architectures deal with natural language processing tasks. In particular, the word2vec algorithm introduced by Mikolov, et al. popularized the use of distributed representations by demonstrating that learned embeddings capture semantic relationships geometrically. Though word2vec addresses some of the scaling issues of earlier approaches, it can still take days to complete the training process for very large data sets. Recently, researchers have tried to address this by proposing parallel variants of the word2vec algorithm. Note that in these approaches, the data set is partitioned among multiple processors that asynchronously update a shared model. We propose a parallel approach for word2vec that is based on instantiating multiple models and working with their own data sets. Our scheme transfers the learning between different models at discrete intervals (synchronously). The frequency with which we transfer the learning between different models is much less compared to the frequency of asynchronous updates in existing approaches. In our approach, we treat each of our instantiated word2vec instances as independent models. This implies that off the shelf implementations of word2vec can be used in our parallel approach. The key feature of our algorithm is in how we transfer the parameters between different models that have been independently trained using distinct partitions of a large data set. For this we propose a computationally inexpensive alignment and merge step. We validate our algorithm on a publicly available dataset using an implementation of word2vec in Google's tensorflow software. We evaluate our algorithm by comparing its runtime with the runtime of the sequential algorithm for a given training loss. Our results show that our parallel algorithm is able to achieve efficiency up to 57%.
Mechanical considerations for the syndesmosis screw. A cadaver study

The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanical necessity of using a syndesmosis screw to supplement rigid internal fixation of the fibula and medial malleolus in the treatment of pronation-external rotation fractures. The legs of thirty embalmed and five fresh cadavera were dissected and mounted through the tibia to a frame so that multiple radiographs could be made with a constant relationship between the specimen and the x-ray apparatus. A standardized pronation-external rotation load was applied to the foot, and widening of the syndesmosis was studied on mortise radiographs that were made after each experimental step. On the basis of previous investigations, we developed a model for pronation-external rotation injuries that included disruption of the syndesmosis and interosseous membrane up to the level of the fibular fracture. Accordingly, multiple repaired fibular fractures could be simulated at several levels in the same specimen by incremental proximal division of the interosseous membrane. Specimens were separated into two groups. Group I consisted of thirteen specimens in which the deltoid ligament, syndesmosis, and interosseous membrane were serially sectioned in 1.5-centimeter increments. Group II (ten sections) was subjected to the same protocol, except that the deltoid ligament was kept intact until the final step. The five fresh specimens were sectioned in the same way as those in Group I. In Group I, since the simulated pronation-external rotation injury included a deltoid tear, rigid medial fixation was not possible; accordingly, there was rigid fibular fixation only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transmission of information within transnational social networks: a field experiment

Several studies have shown a relationship between the stocks of migrants and country-level investment in the home country; however the mechanism through which this relationship operates is still unexplored. We use a field experiment in which participants who are recent immigrants send information about risky decisions to others in their social network in their home country. The results demonstrate how this information influences decisions in the home country. We find that the advice given by family members and decisions made by friends significantly affects an individual’s risky decision-making.
On exploiting spectral properties for solving MDP with large state space

A large number of systems are well-modeled by Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). In particular, certain wireless communication networks and biological networks admit such models. Herein, moderate complexity strategies are proposed for computing the optimal policy for a large state space with long run discounted cost MDP, by exploiting spectral properties of the probability transition matrices (PTM). Methods such as value iteration and policy iteration for such problems are computationally prohibitive for large state spaces. Reduced dimensional policy iteration can be achieved by projecting the value function on a proper subspace. However there is no clear method for determining the optimal subspace. To this end, Graph signal processing methods have the potential to provide a solution. In order to use spectral techniques, an appropriate positive semi-definite (PSD) matrix is generated from the PTM and the single stage cost vector. Low complexity computation of the value function is enabled by the bases of this dominant subspace. The proposed projections are combined with policy iteration to find the optimal policy. Finally, numerical results on a wireless system are provided to highlight the performances and trade-offs of these various algorithms, and we found that direct spectral decomposition of outer product of PTM gives us best performance in general.