cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some properties of the two-dimensional pseudomedian filter

The pseudomedian filter was designed to be a computationally efficient alternative to the median filter. The output of the pseudomedian filter is the average of two values obtained by maximum and minimum operations performed on selected subwindows within the filter window. Although the response of the pseudomedian filter resembles that of the median filter in many ways, there are important differences. The pseudomedian filter is more susceptible to impulse-like noise in images, but the square-shaped 2D pseudomedian filter does not round off sharp corners as much as the square-shaped 2D median filter does. The psuedomedian filter also removes high- frequency periodic elements from images. The pseudomedian filter exhibits a more 'center-weighted' response than the median filter. Thus, fine details that are completely removed by the median filter usually remain visible in pseudomedian- filtered images. Images filtered by a square-shaped 2D pseudomedian filter often have a 'blocky' appearance caused by the square shape of the filter subwindows. These properties of the pseudomedian filter indicate that it may be more appropriate than the median filter for processing images with sharp corners or fine details.
Identification of Amino Acid Residues within the C Terminus of the Glut4 Glucose Transporter That Are Essential for Insulin-stimulated Redistribution to the Plasma Membrane

The Glut4 glucose transporter undergoes complex insulin-regulated subcellular trafficking in adipocytes. Much effort has been expended in an attempt to identify targeting motifs within Glut4 that direct its subcellular trafficking, but an amino acid motif responsible for the targeting of the transporter to insulin-responsive intracellular compartments in the basal state or that is directly responsible for its insulin-stimulated redistribution to the plasma membrane has not yet been delineated. In this study we define amino acid residues within the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of Glut4 that are essential for its insulin-stimulated translocation to the plasma membrane. The residues were identified based on sequence similarity (LXXLXPDEXD) between cytoplasmic domains of Glut4 and the insulin-responsive aminopeptidase (IRAP). Alteration of this putative targeting motif (IRM, insulin-responsive motif) resulted in the targeting of the bulk of the mutant Glut4 molecules to dispersed membrane vesicles that lacked detectable levels of wild-type Glut4 in either the basal or insulin-stimulated states and completely abolished the insulin-stimulated translocation of the mutant Glut4 to the plasma membrane in 3T3L1 adipocytes. The bulk of the dispersed membrane vesicles containing the IRM mutant did not contain detectable levels of any subcellular marker tested. A fraction of the total IRM mutant was also detected in a wild-type Glut4/Syntaxin 6-containing perinuclear compartment. Interestingly, mutation of the IRM sequence did not appreciably alter the subcellular trafficking of IRAP. We conclude that residues within the IRM are critical for the targeting of Glut4, but not of IRAP, to insulin-responsive intracellular membrane compartments in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Accuracy and bias in perceptions of spouses' life-sustaining medical treatment preferences

This research investigated accuracy, projection bias, and base-rate utilization in spouses' perceptions of end-stage renal disease patients' preferences for life-sustaining medical treatment in hypothetical conditions of declining health. Multilevel models revealed that spouses' perceptions were largely biased, determined by their own preferences for the patients' treatment (projection bias) and by typical treatment preferences (base-rate utilization). Both biases, however, served as indirect routes to a modest degree of accuracy. Moreover, spouses who overestimated patients' preferences for life-sustaining treatment and who perceived patients' preferences as consistent with their own reported higher levels of marital adjustment than did those who were less biased. Results suggest that spouses' biases in judgments of patients' treatment preferences may promote accuracy and marital adjustment functionally.
The lability of thiamine in certain purified rations.

SummaryThe “nervous syndrome” condition produced in rats after 10 weeks or longer on a low protein, niacin-free regimen has been shown to respond to thiamine supplementation. Complete protection from the convulsions was affected when sulfasuxidine was added to the ration. Analyses of the rations for thiamine showed that as much as 70% of the vitamin was destroyed in the non-sulfasuxidine ration, while very little destruction occurred in the ration containing the drug. The addition of 0.2% dl-phenylalanine did not increase the thiamine requirement.
Metaplastic sarcomatoid carcinoma of the breast appears more aggressive than other triple receptor-negative breast cancers

Metaplastic sarcomatoid carcinoma (MSC) of the breast is usually triple receptor (ER, PR, and HER2) negative and is not currently recognized as being more aggressive than other triple receptor-negative breast cancers. We reviewed archival tissue sections from surgical resection specimens of 47 patients with MSC of the breast and evaluated the association between various clinicopathologic features and patient survival. We also evaluated the clinical outcome of MSC patients compared to a control group of patients with triple receptor-negative invasive breast carcinoma matched for patient age, clinical stage, tumor grade, treatment with chemotherapy, and treatment with radiation therapy. Factors independently associated with decreased disease-free survival among patients with stage I–III MSC of the breast were patient age > 50 years (P = 0.029) and the presence of nodal macrometastases (P = 0.003). In early-stage (stage I–II) MSC, decreased disease-free survival was observed for patients with a sarcomatoid component comprising ≥95% of the tumor (P = 0.032), but tumor size was the only independent adverse prognostic factor in early-stage patients (P = 0.043). Compared to a control group of triple receptor-negative patients, patients with stage I–III MSC had decreased disease-free survival (two-sided log rank, P = 0.018). Five-year disease-free survival was 44 ± 8% versus 74 ± 7% for patients with MSC versus triple receptor-negative breast cancer, respectively. We conclude that MSC of the breast appears more aggressive than other triple receptor-negative breast cancers.
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING: CROSS-DWELLING AND THE REWORKING OF FEMALE POETIC AUTHORITY

IN A WELL-KNOWN LETTER EXCHANGE of 1861, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, then aged fifty-five, responded to William Makepeace Thackeray’s rejection of one of her poems. In his capacity as Editor of the Cornhill magazine, the famous novelist and man of letters had seen fit to exercise his censorship prerogatives on material he considered highly inappropriate for his audience. This letter exchange, which may serve as a metonymy for the ideological crises in which Barrett Browning’s career was positioned from beginning to end, forcefully exposes not just literary values in crisis, but also authorship in crisis. In particular, the exchange exposes an enforced split between roles of the analytical poet and the domestic lady, a separation of roles which Barrett Browning’s career both publicly exposed and dramatically reworked, but could not entirely evade.1
Evaluation methods in SARA—the graph model simulator

The supported methodology evolving in the SARA (System ARchitects' Apprentice) system creates a design frame-work on which increasingly powerful analytical tools are to be grafted. Control flow analyses and program verification tools have shown promise. However, in the realm of the complex systems which interest us there is a great deal of research and development to be done before we can count on the use of such powerful tools. We must always be prepared to resort to experiments for evaluation of proposed designs.This paper describes a fundamental SARA tool, the graph model simulator. During top-down refinement of a design, the simulator is used to test consistency between the levels of abstraction. During composition, known building blocks are linked together and the composite graph model is tested relative to the lowest top-down model. Design of test environments is integrated with the multilevel design process. The SARA methodology is exemplified through design of a higher level building block to do a simple FFT.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis: MR imaging findings with pathologic correlation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate MR imaging findings of primary sclerosing cholangitis, to compare them with histopathologic findings, and to determine if these findings help differentiate primary sclerosing cholangitis from other disorders that result in end-stage liver disease.MR imaging was performed in 40 patients (27 men, 13 women; age range, 13-72 years; mean, 47 years) with primary sclerosing cholangitis over a 9-year period. In 16 patients who underwent orthotopic hepatic transplantation and in seven patients who underwent needle biopsy, correlation was made between MR imaging and pathologic findings.Focal signal changes in the liver parenchyma were seen on T2-weighted images as peripheral wedge-shaped zones of increased signal intensity in 29 patients (72%), as a reticular pattern in 15 patients (38%), and as periportal edema in 16 patients (40%). Lobar atrophy involved the right lobe in three patients (8%) and the left lobe in 11 patients (28%); hypertrophy of the caudate lobe was seen ...
Benthic recycling of biogenic debris in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Distributions of pore water O2, NO−2, NO−3, NH+4, Si(OH)4, PO3−4, Mn2+, F−, and T.A. were determined at 15 stations in the eastern equatorial Atlantic. While overall profile characteristics are consistent with previous models of organic matter diagenesis, profile shapes suggest that a deep reaction layer, rich in organic C, is also present at many sites. While it is unlikely that the oxidation of organic C in this layer has had a major effect on the ocean C cycle, pore water profile shapes are significantly altered. Despite exposure to seawater SO2−4 concentrations for > 1000 years, decomposition of the organic matter in the layer appears to be restricted to oxic and suboxic processes. These results suggest major differences in organic carbon decomposition and preservation under oxic/suboxic and anoxic conditions. Present-day benthic fluxes are largest adjacent to the eastern boundary coastal upwelling region and similar in magnitude to values reported for the eastern Pacific. Preliminary estimates suggest that the benthic respiration in the eastern 1 3 of the North Atlantic south of 20°N may alone account for >20% of the total deep North Atlantic respiration. Combining these results with estimates of organic C burial and deep water-column decomposition suggests that this region is a major location of organic C input into the deep sea.
Predicting Success in Collegiate Accounting Courses

Abstract This study examined the relationship between selected variables and successful performance in an accounting program at a large midwestern university. Successful performance was defined more broadly than in previous studies. The study analyzed two groups of students, 192 students admitted during 1987 and 175 students admitted during 1988. The stepwise regression results indicate that admission test scores, together with grade point averages, can be used to predict success in future accounting courses. Model R 2 values ranged from .35 in models predicting success in three accounting courses to .45 in models predicting success in seven accounting courses.
Amnesia due to Fornix Infarction

Background and Purpose—The fornix connects various structures involved in memory. We report a patient with anterograde amnesia after an acute ischemic infarct in the anterior fornix. Case Description—A 71-year-old female with acute-onset amnesia had neuroimaging studies showing ischemic infarction of both columns and the body of the fornix and the genu of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychological evaluation revealed anterograde amnesia without evidence of callosal disconnection. The patient showed marked improvement in her memory function on the follow-up visit. Conclusions—Amnesia in this case is likely due to infarction of the anterior fornix structures.
Phytoplankton succession affects the composition of Polynucleobacter subtypes in humic lakes

Summary Phytoplankton influence the composition of bacterial communities, but the taxonomic specificity of algal–bacterial interactions is unclear due to the aggregation of ecologically distinct bacterial populations by community characterization methods. Here we examine whether phytoplankton seasonal succession affects the composition of subtypes within the cosmopolitan freshwater bacterial genus Polynucleobacter. Changes in the composition of Polynucleobacter subtypes were characterized in samples collected weekly from May to August in 2003 and 2008 from three humic lakes using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of the protein-encoding cytochrome c oxidase ccoN gene. Changes in phytoplankton population abundances explained, on average, 30% of temporal variation in the composition of Polynucleobacter subtypes and the interaction between phytoplankton and the environment explained an additional 18% of temporal variation. The effect of phytoplankton on specific Polynucleobacter subtypes was experimentally confirmed by changes in Polynucleobacter subtype composition following incubation with different phytoplankton assemblages or a no-phytoplankton control. Phytoplankton-associated subtypes and differentiation in substrate use among subtypes likely contribute to the effects of phytoplankton on Polynucleobacter subtype composition. Interactions between unique Polynucleobacter populations and phytoplankton highlight the ecological significance and specificity of species interactions in freshwater communities.
Effects of sample size on the reliability of noise floor and DPOAE.

This study investigated the effects of sample size on the test-retest reliability of the amplitude of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) (2f1-f2) and on the noise floor. Four pairs of primary frequencies (fl and f2) with geometric means of 531, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz were presented to 55 normal-hearing women at intensity levels of 35, 45 and 55 dB SPL (L1 = L2). Sample sizes of 12, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 sweeps were averaged. The results revealed that sample size, frequency, and intensity had little effect on the standard error of measurement. Thus, the DPOAE data were combined across all conditions and yielded a standard error of measurement of 2.2 dB. To assess whether two DPOAE measurements are statistically significant (e.g. before and after drug administration), the standard error of measurement of the difference between two values was calculated (3.1 dB). Thus, by use of the 95% confidence interval, the difference between two DPOAE is statistically significant if it exceeds approximately 6 dB.
System safety as an emergent property in composite systems

Decomposition is used to manage system complexity, but is problematic for emergent properties such as system safety. Previously, we introduced Indirect Control Path Analysis (ICPA) for elaborating system safety goals in composite systems. We now provide mathematical definitions of emergent and composable system behaviors in the context of formal specifications and ICPA, and identify useful special cases in which partial decomposition of emergent safety goals is possible. We apply ICPA to a semi-autonomous automotive system to identify safety goals for key subsystems, and then monitor the system and subsystem goals at run-time in an implementation of the vehicle. Although false negatives at the subsystem level indicate the subgoals do not fully compose the original safety goal, some system-level go al violations are detected by subsystem monitors. In addition, monitoring at both the system and subsystem level has identified certain safety-related errors that may be imperceptible to system testers.
Adults Listen Selectively; Infants Do Not

Infants' auditory detection thresholds are higher than adult thresholds. Since adults listen selectively for an expected test tone frequency, and selective listening improves their detection performance, one hypothesis about why infant thresholds are high is that infants do not listen selectively. This hypothesis was tested by obtaining listening bands from adults and from 7- to 9-month-old infants. The results replicate earlier findings that adults listen selectively but indicate that infants do not. Lack of selective listening likely contributes to infants' high thresholds. Further, the finding that infants and adults have different listening strategies has implications for infants' auditory perception in general.
Learning to Teach Islam as a Non‐Muslim in the Twin Cities

. In this essay I reflect on my experience thus far of teaching Islam as a non-Muslim at Metropolitan State University and at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. I begin by narrating a conversation about conversion that I had with one of my Muslim students. Then I introduce the theme of multiplicity as a way of being, teaching, and learning. The third section illustrates the theme of multiplicity pedagogically with reference to institutional identity, choice of textbooks, topical organization of the course, the “mosque visit” assignment, and class composition and student roles in the classroom. I conclude in the fourth section with personal reflections on multiplicity in relation to credibility and identity, politics and transformation. The essay was inspired by my realization that I embody multiple religious identities, and that one of my purposes is to build community inside and outside the classroom in an effort not only to transcend the tendency of our culture to adopt an essentialist view of Islam as suspect and alien, but also to recover Islam as a universal religion and to consider its agenda for world transformation alongside those of other religions.
The Site and Permeability of the Filtration Locus in the Crayfish Antennal Gland

1. Inulin (MW 5000) and two dextrans (MW 15,000-20,000 and 60,000-90,000) appear in the urine of crayfish after injection into the blood. All three compounds are more concentrated in the urine than in blood, indicating that water is reabsorbed from a filtrate formed within the antennal gland. 2. Inulin and the low molecular weight dextran seem to be handled in the same fashion since their urine/blood concentration ratios are about the same. However, the high-molecular-weight dextran is excreted only about 70% as effectively as the other pair. This suggests that filtration of polymers in the MW range 50,000-100,000 is restrained. 3. Excretion of human serum albumin occurs but it is even more severely restricted than the large dextran. Mammalian globulin (MW about 180,000) and crayfish blood protein are not excreted in the urine. 4. Blood protein becomes concentrated in the coelomosac. Localization of fluorescein-labelled mammalian globulin shows that the peritubular cells in the coelomosac are the main sites of protein accumulation. Concentration of blood protein in the coelomosac suggests that filtration occurs in this region, but the intracellular location suggests that the filtration mechanism differs from that in the vertebrate nephron.
A Self-Schema Approach to Healthy Eating

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States. This makes weight management an issue for all patient populations and especially for the psychiatric patient population because of the possibility of medication-induced weight gain. Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants can induce weight gain, potentially resulting in both health risks and nonadherence to psychotropic therapy. Screening and intervention to promote healthier eating habits are recommended. This article reviews the research on healthy eating and other self-schemas (i.e., personally important domain-specific self-definitions) to provide a framework for understanding how the way people define themselves in terms of their eating habits affects their thoughts and behavior. Finally, implications of a self-schema approach for effective screening and dietary intervention are outlined.
Social responsibility for living standards: Presidential address, association for social economics, 2007

Abstract This address presents a vision of economics—drawing upon social, institutional, and feminist economics—that supports the assertion that there should be social responsibility for living standards. Alternative definitions of what an economy is and what economics should study are related to three definitions of living standards presented in Amartya Sen's 1985 Tanner Lectures on the topic. A social provisioning approach to economic life emphasizes that provisioning needs to be organized to promote human flourishing. One contemporary challenge is to do this in a manner that sustains caring and promotes gender equity. 1 1 Following my Presidential Address and prior to publication, I have benefited from comments by Wilfred Dolfsma, Laurie Nisonoff, Nancy Folbre, Ellen Mutari, Martha Starr, and an anonymous reviewer.
A fast algorithm for signal subspace decomposition and its performance analysis

A fast signal-subspace decomposition (FSD) algorithm is presented for sample covariance matrices, which only needs O(M/sup 2/d) flops, where d( >
Temperature testing and analysis of PV modules PER ANSI/UL 1703 and IEC 61730 standards

The photovoltaic (PV) modules exposed to the sunlight under typical field conditions experience much higher temperatures than the ambient temperatures. In the hot climatic conditions such as Arizona, the module temperatures could reach as high as 85°C to 95°C depending on the mounting and operating configurations. In the worst case scenarios such as partial shading of PV cells of air gap free rooftop modules, some of the components might attain high enough temperatures that could compromise the safety and functionality requirements of the module and its components. Currently, two module safety standards are extensively used: IEC 61730-2 (international) and ANSI/UL 1703 (United States). These standards provide procedures to determine the maximum reference temperatures of various components and materials of a PV module. This paper presents and analyzes the temperature test results obtained on 9 different components of a PV module: front glass, substrate/backsheet (polymer), PV cell, j-box ambient, j-box surface, positive terminal, backsheet inside j-box, field wiring and diode. The temperature test results of about 140 crystalline silicon modules from a large number of manufacturers who tested modules between 2006 and 2009 at ASU/TUV-PTL are analyzed under three test conditions: short-circuit, open-circuit and short-circuit and shaded.
Impact of Morbidity in Finishing Beef Steers on Feedlot Average Daily Gain, Carcass Characteristics, and Carcass Value

ABSTRACT Records of 813 steers enrolled in the New Mexico Ranch to Rail Program from 2000 to 2003 were used to evaluate the impact of feedlot morbidity on feedlot ADG, carcass characteristics and carcass value. Steers were classified based on the number of medical treatments during the feeding period. Morbidity categories were zero medical treatment (healthy), 1 medical treatment (ONE), and 2 or more (TWO+) medical treatments. Initial weight, initial price, and total initial value were not different between healthy and ONE and TWO+ steers combined (treated; P ≥ 0.12) or between ONE and TWO+ steers (P ≥ 0.57). The healthy steers had greater (P
Determination of Geomagnetic Palaeointensities in Vacuum

Summary Specimens with low and intermediate Curie points from six Hawaiian historic basalt flows were used for the determination of the intensity of the historic geomagnetic field by the Thelliers’ method. The specimens were heated either in air or in a vacuum of lo-’ torr. The regional intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field at the time of extrusion of these rocks is known from direct observations. The palaeointensities determined in vacuum from four low and intermediate Curie point flows are correct within the uncertainty caused by the local field anomalies, whereas those determined in air from the same four flows are of lesser quality and accuracy. Unaltered submarine basalts have similarly low Curie points and thus may also be amenable to palaeointensity determination in vacuum. The behaviour of the remaining two flows, which had higher Curie points, was more erratic, and they yielded less accurate palaeointensities regardless of whether they were determined in air or vacuum. The Thelliers’ technique (Thellier & Thellier 1959) is one of the most widely used methods for the determination of palaeointensities of the Earth‘s magnetic field from rocks. It consists of comparing the thermal spectrum of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of an igneous rock with that of an artifically induced thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) in the same specimen. It is assumed that the NRM is a TRM acquired during the initial cooling of the rock and that its original thermal spectrum remained unchanged throughout the history of the rock. In practice these conditions are not easily met because of two reasons. First, the NRM acquired by the rock at the time of its formation may be different from that measured in the laboratory because of viscous decay or the superimposition on the NRM of secondary components of magnetization. In some cases, however, this problem may be overcome by thermal cleaning which is an integral part of this technique. Second, when rocks are heated they undergo alterations which affect the chemical composition, size, and shape of their magnetic mineral grains. The effect of these changes may be such that the NRM and TRM are produced in two magnetically different materials, thus rendering the determination of palaeointensity unreliable. Because oxidation is the change most likely to occur when heating is carried out in air, many authors have recommended the use of high Curie temperature rocks, which,
Cybersexuality in MMORPGs: Virtual Sexual Revolution Untapped

This study explores the mechanics and perceptions of cybersex interactions in massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) and examines the potential for cybersex in gaming to revolutionize sexuality politics. Drawing on ethnographic and in-depth interview data with fifty MMORPG players, the author examines how cybersex interactions are performed, the context in which they are allowed, and the assessments players make about the utility of cybersex. The author suggests that cybersex has yet to embrace a broader spectrum of sexuality even in strictly virtual interactions.
Facial Cushioning during Prolonged Surgery in the Upper Torso.

Safe patient positioning is a basic tenet of surgical preparation. Numerous publications describe the principles of protecting areas of the body that may be prone to injury from pressure or stretch [1,2,3,4]. Undoubtedly, many surgeons and anesthesiologists have developed their own modifications to accommodate for their particular needs and comfort, while maintaining the fundamental elements necessary to provide for a safe surgical environment. We herein describe a simple method to guard the face from direct pressure during surgery of the upper torso. The need arose performing autologous breast reconstruction that required prolonged operating in the upper chest. This incurs the risk of the operating surgeon and assistant to inadvertently rest their elbows on the patient face, risking displacement of the endotracheal tube and potentially injuring the eyes, nose, and mouth. The Devon Whole-in-One (Kendall) headrest is typically used to cushion the patient's head in the supine position. It is made of non-toxic, latex-free foam, and can be adjusted to fit by removing portion of the foam as needed. We use the foam to pad the patient's face during surgery in the technique described below. Other headrests and foam (such as "egg crates") tend to be bulky and may impede surgical access by partially obstructing the surgical field. The headrest is comprised of four circular components of varying thicknesses. The inner core is discarded. The outer ring is torn in half and used to cover the eyes like sunglasses. The second layer is cut and placed over the nose, with a slit made to accommodate for the endotracheal tube. The third layer is split and placed over the chin (Figs. 1, ​,22). Fig. 1 The Devon Whole-in-One (Kendall) headrest (A) and (B) bthe headrest disassembled into its components as described in the text. Fig. 2 The headrest components separated and placed on the patient's face during surgery. The retail cost of a box of 36 units ranges between $70 and $80, or roughly $2 per headrest. The low cost, ease of use, malleability and high availability of this device makes it an ideal solution for a common problem.
Genitourinary Cancer Predisposition Syndromes

Despite epidemiologic data supporting a significant genetic contribution to the cause of genitourinary malignancies, their diagnosis rarely results in clinical genetics referral and the heritability of prostate, bladder, kidney, and testicular cancer remains poorly understood. Little of this inheritance has been explained by rare, high-penetrance predisposition syndromes and, although rare genetic variation may explain some of the remaining familial predisposition, recent genome-wide association studies support an important causal role for more common genomic variation and other structural variants. Susceptibility loci associated with risk of prostate, bladder, and testicular cancer have been identified that may improve our understanding of the cause and natural history of these malignancies. It remains to be seen whether this emerging knowledge of genetic predisposition can meaningfully contribute to the clinical management of genitourinary malignancies.
A System for Characterizing Reproductive and Diapause Morphology in the Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Diapause in the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, has been extensively studied, but remains poorly understood. In particular, results of diapause induction studies have been inconsistent, and the body of published literature does not clearly indicate the factors or cues responsible for induction. A likely contributor to this variability may be the differences among studies in the criteria used to distinguish diapause. We present illustrated descriptions of the stages of male and female reproductive development, and of the fat body types and conditions associated with reproductive and diapausing weevils. These descriptions provide clearer and more extensive guidelines for the classification of reproductive and diapausing boll weevils than were previously available. We also propose criteria for distinguishing diapause based on specific characters of the fat body and male and female reproductive organs. These criteria provide a means of standardizing diapause assessments in future studies, or at least a baseline for comparison when describing alternate criteria, and should serve to clarify these descriptions in future reports.
New Developments in the Synthesis and Doping of Polyacetylene and Polyaniline

A study of cis-rich N-(CH)x and ARA-(CH)x forms of B.A.S.F. polyacetylene involving elemental analysis of the pristine polymer and conductivities of the I2/CCl4 doped polymer are reported. Even though significant quantities of catalyst residue are present, the conductivity of the doped polymer is comparable to that of doped Shirakawa (CH)x. The synthesis of polyaniline in its fully oxidized, fully reduced and selected average intermediate oxidation states is described. The processing of polyaniline films and fibers by thermal stretching to give conductivities up to ~100 S/cm is reported. Both doped and undoped polyaniline fibers have tensile strengths approaching those of commercial polymers.
Do Stock Markets in South Asia Respond to Economic Policy Uncertainty in the United States

This paper examines if stock markets in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) respond to the changes in economic policy uncertainty in the United States. Based on the analysis of monthly returns on the stock market indices in Bangladesh from 1990:1 to 2009:4, India and Pakistan from 1985:2 to 2012:5, Nepal from 1996:1 to 2012:5, and Sri Lanka from 1993:1 to 2012:5, the results show that stock markets in India and Pakistan negatively and significantly respond to the changes in economic policy uncertainty in the U.S. While stock markets in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka negatively respond to the changes in economic policy uncertainty in the U.S., this response is not significant. The findings provide empirical evidence of the effect of economic policy uncertainty in the U.S. on the performance of stock markets in South Asia. This study provides an important implication for equity investment and risk management.
An Introduction to VHDL

VHDL is a comprehensive language for digital system design and documentation, encompassing system to gate levels of abstraction. This introduction to the language first provides a short history of the language, concentrating on the needs identified by the developers and on the principles behind the its design. Then, an overview of the language’s semantic model is discussed; finally, features introduced in the latest version of the language are briefly explored.
Evaluation of Breast Ductal Networks Using Ramification Matrices

We evaluated the use of ramification (R-) matrices in analysis and modeling of breast ducts. The elements of an R-matrix are the branching probabilities at different tree levels. The analysis was performed on 10 normal and 13 benign galactograms. The ductal trees were manually segmented from the galactograms and corresponding R-matrices were inferred. Effects of segmentation were tested by successively removing each of the terminal branches and computing the corresponding matrices on the clinical galactograms and a large number of synthetically generated ductal trees. We also examined a classification scheme to distinguish between normal and benign galactograms based upon the matrix coefficients. The classification using the r3,3 coefficient performed correctly for 90% of normal and 62% of benign cases (p=0.027).
INTERLEUKIN33 IS CRITICAL FOR CONTROLLING TISSUE OXIDATIVE STRESS AND AGING THROUGH REGULATION OF DISPOSAL OF UNWANTED CELLS

Background: Abnormal disposal of unwanted cells or substances generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accelerate tissue aging. We previously discovered consecutive expression of interleukin33 (IL33) in many tissues (1). We aimed to determine if IL33 was involved in disposal of unwanted cells or tissue wastes. Methodology: Tissue aging process in Il33-/- mice was compared to those in wild or Il33+/- mice (2). We focused on ovaries, because 99% of follicles/oocytes are discarded during atresia (3). Results: Il33-/- mice showed impaired disposal of atretic follicles/oocytes, leading to accumulation of massive ROS and elevation of oxidative stress (OS) in ovaries. Thus, Il33-/- female showed an accelerated decline in oocyte reservoir at young ages and much shorter reproductive lifespan. Further study revealed a cascade for how IL33 regulated disposal of unwanted cells. First, unwanted cells signal the endothelia of surrounding vein to release IL33. Second, IL33 recruits MHC-II+ macrophages into the tissues. Third, invading macrophages induce autophagy in the unwanted cells followed by invasion of scavenger macrophages, which cleanup minimally left cell debris; disposal of unwanted follicles/oocytes was completed. In addition, deletion of IL33 gene was associated with decreased autophagy activities in CNS. Conclusion: IL33 regulates a mechanism for disposal of unwanted cells or tissue wastes to eliminate tissue OS.
Images in Anesthesia: Ex utero intrapartum treatment (exit procedure): fetal airway management.

tal malformations (including the airway) have led to the development of ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedures on the fetus (including management of the potentially difficult fetal airway) before severing the umbilical cord.1 These very rare procedures are also known as fetal intrapartum operations on placental support (OOPS).2 The EXIT procedures are performed in conjunction with elective Cesarean delivery. The anesthetic management (general anesthesia) of parturients undergoing EXIT procedures is very different from standard Cesarean deliveries. First, unlike a standard Cesarean delivery, there is no need to limit induction of anesthesia to delivery time. Second, deep inhalational anesthesia (exceeding 2 MAC end-tidal concentration) with sevoflurane or isoflurane (often in combination with continuous iv infusion of nitroglycerine) is required to maintain full uterine relaxation. Third, maintenance of maternal intraoperative blood pressure and cardiac output might at times necessitate continuous iv infusions of dopamine. The fetus is only partially delivered from the uterus with maintenance of placental support for the duration of time needed to establish the fetal airway. At the University of California, San Diego we recently performed an EXIT procedure on a healthy parturient carrying a fetus with Treacher Collins syndrome. The fetal airway was established with orotracheal intubation while on placental support (Figure, Panels A and B).
America’s Road to “Post Familialism”

This review essay examines and compares the cultural, sociological and economic factors affecting changes in family formation, structure and single-person lifestyles based upon four new and recent books on these topics: Andrew Cherlin’s Labor’s Love Lost (2014), Isabel Sawhill’s Generation Unbound (2014), Jonathan Last’s What to Expect When No One’s Expecting (2013) and Eric Klinenberg’s Going Solo (2012).
A Study of Electrocardiograms from Intact Male and Female House Flies

A temperature-control unit, recording electrodes, pre-amplifiers, and audio and oscilloscopic equipment for recording insect heart potentials are described. Using this apparatus, the heart potentials from intact male and female house flies, Musca domestica L., were recorded. The pattern was variable in both sexes and consisted of a slow systolic wave with spikes appearing before or super-imposed upon it, or both. The female systolic wave had a greater average output and duration but a lower frequency than the male. Possible significance of the spikes associated with the slow potential is discussed.
Synthesis and Modeling of Hollow Intermetallic Ni–Zn Nanoparticles Formed by the Kirkendall Effect

Intermetallic Ni–Zn nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via the chemical conversion of nickel NPs using a zerovalent organometallic zinc precursor. After the injection of a diethylzinc solution, Ni NPs progressively transformed from a solid to a hollow Ni–Zn intermetallic structure with time. During the transformation of Ni NPs to intermetallic structures, they retained their overall spherical morphology. The growth mechanism for the solid-to-hollow nanoparticle transformation is ascribed to the nanoscale Kirkendall effect due to unequal diffusion rates of Ni and Zn. We develop a diffusion model for nonreactive, homogeneous, diffusion-controlled intermetallic hollow NP formation including moving boundaries at the interfaces of void–solid and solid–bulk solutions. Apparent diffusion coefficients for both metals and vacancy were evaluated from modeling the time-dependent growth of the void. The apparent diffusion coefficients obtained in this system compared favorably with results from measurement at grain...
Other Useful Methods

THIS FINAL CHAPTER provides a collection of useful multivariate methods that do not fit into any of the previous chapters. The Bradley–Terry model gives a way to rank a set of objects that are subjected to pairwise comparisons. Such examples include sports teams that play against each other. Canonical correlations generalize the definition of correlation of a pair of scalar-valued variates to two groups of several variables that are considered jointly. The study of extremes allows us to examine several of the largest values in a collection of data.
TSH-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma

TSH-producing pituitary adenoma is a rare cause of thyrotoxicosis, and the rarest of all types of secretory pituitary adenomas. We present a case of a 55-year-old man who, after 6 years of therapy for presumed hypothyroidism, was diagnosed with a TSH-producing pituitary adenoma. He was lost to follow-up after that, to present again with thyrotoxicosis and atrial flutter 10 years later. We review the presentation, evaluation, treatment, and differential diagnosis of TSH-producing adenomas.
An investigation on epidemic focus of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Dongling Mountain area of Beijing

Objective To understand the distribution of rodents in Dongling Mountain area of Beijing and to determine whether there exists epidemic focuses of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS)and their distributional characteristics.Methods Rodent density was determined with trap-at-night method at three different sites with varied ecological landscapes and elevation above sea level from foothill to the summit of the mountain.Hantavirus antigen and antibody in rodent samples clamped were examined by immunofluorescence assay(IFA).Results Totally,287 rodents with 13 species were clamped,with an averaged density of 11.43 percent ranging from 9.13 percent to 14.69 percent at varied sites,and an average infection rate of hantavirus in rodents of 6.37 percent.Antigen or antibody of hantavirus could be detected in all Rattus confucianus,Apodemus agrarius and Apodemus peninsulae,but not in other species.Conclusion There does exist epidemic focus of HFRS in Dongling Mountain area of Beijing.
Grateful parents raising grateful children: Niche selection and the socialization of child gratitude

Given that children's exposure to gratitude-related activities may be one way that parents can socialize gratitude in their children, we examined whether parents' niche selection (i.e., tendency to choose perceived gratitude-inducing activities for their children) mediates the association between parents' reports of their own and their children's gratitude. Parent-child dyads (N =101; children aged 6-9; 52% girls; 80% Caucasian; 85% mothers) participated in a laboratory visit and parents also completed a seven-day online diary regarding children's gratitude. Decomposing specific indirect effects within a structural equation model, we found that parents high in gratitude were more likely to set goals to use niche selection as a gratitude socialization strategy, and thereby more likely to place their children in gratitude-related activities. Placement in these activities, in turn, was associated with more frequent expression of gratitude in children. We describe future directions for research on parents' role in socializing gratitude in their children.
Minimizing the Bayes risk of the protocol interference model in wireless Poisson networks

We study the application of the protocol interference model, in place of the more complex physical interference model, in order to evaluate transmission success/outage in wireless networks. Under the protocol model a transmission is successful if and only if there are no interferers within a specified guard zone around the receiver. We first recognize that the protocol model, parameterized by a guard zone radius, forms a family of decision rules for estimating the physical model feasibility of a typical transmission. We proceed to cast the problem using a binary hypothesis testing framework. For wireless Poisson networks, we employ stochastic geometry to determine the prior and posterior distributions associated with the estimation problem. We then develop expressions for false rejection (Type I) and false acceptance (Type II) rates associated with the protocol model, and investigate the optimal guard zone minimizing the total probability of error associated with the protocol model.
Prelude: Why Study Games?

This chapter discusses the mathematical study of computer games. It focuses on the determination of an unambiguous, domain-independent model of the static evaluation function. With the coming of the computer age, the marriage of games, as decision-making models, to computers, as decision-making machines, was swift and natural. The introduction of the random-play assumption suggests a radical rethinking of virtually every component of game-tree search. The resultant model of the game-tree is essentially probabilistic in nature, rather than deterministic. The redefinition of node values in game trees as probabilistic entities helps resolve one of the most basic and ambiguous components of two-player search systems by giving a general characterization of static evaluation.
The Best of Intentions: A Structural Analysis of the Association between Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Unintended Pregnancy in a Sample of Mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979)

Abstract Objectives Births to less educated women are more likely to be classified as unintended than other births. We question a common interpretation that this association reflects a lack of contraceptive knowledge or self-efficacy among less educated women. We theorize that differences in early life educational advantages structure pregnancy desires and the salience and opportunity costs of precise fertility timing. We hypothesize that net of covariates indicative of early educational disadvantage, mothers with less education are not more likely to report births as unintended compared with mothers who have attained higher levels of education before becoming mothers. Methods Using multivariate regression, we analyze a sample of women in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979) who had their first births by 1994. We test whether an index measure of educational advantage in youth predicts unintended first birth. Results Unadjusted results confirm well-documented associations between educational disadvantage and greater likelihood of unintended pregnancy. However, once covariates are controlled, those with high educational advantage in youth are more likely to report their first birth as mistimed (relative risk ratio, 1.57). Discussion Educational advantage captures expectations about how much education a young woman will obtain before giving birth and is a structural dynamic that precedes proximate factors related to family planning access and behaviors. Conclusions These findings highlight the need to incorporate structural factors that condition perceptions of pregnancy intention in the study of unintended pregnancy and to critically reevaluate the conceptualization and interpretation of pregnancy intention measures.
Video Recording: Responsibility and Liability

The use of photography and video recording is common place in healthcare. Before and after photos are necessities and required in plastic surgery, intraoperative videos of laparoscopic procedures are routinely used for teaching and seminars, families often record the birth of a child.