cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sparse Feature Extraction for Pose-Tolerant Face Recognition

Automatic face recognition performance has been steadily improving over years of research, however it remains significantly affected by a number of factors such as illumination, pose, expression, resolution and other factors that can impact matching scores. The focus of this paper is the pose problem which remains largely overlooked in most real-world applications. Specifically, we focus on one-to-one matching scenarios where a query face image of a random pose is matched against a set of gallery images. We propose a method that relies on two fundamental components: (a) A 3D modeling step to geometrically correct the viewpoint of the face. For this purpose, we extend a recent technique for efficient synthesis of 3D face models called 3D Generic Elastic Model. (b) A sparse feature extraction step using subspace modeling and l1-minimization to induce pose-tolerance in coefficient space. This in return enables the synthesis of an equivalent frontal-looking face, which can be used towards recognition. We show significant performance improvements in verification rates compared to commercial matchers, and also demonstrate the resilience of the proposed method with respect to degrading input quality. We find that the proposed technique is able to match non-frontal images to other non-frontal images of varying angles.
Critical role of antigen-specific antibody in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by recombinant myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein.

The role of B cells and antibody in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) remains controversial. We previously demonstrated that B cells are required for EAE to be induced by the 120-amino acid extracellular domain of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). In the present study, the role of B cells in MOG-induced EAE was further characterized. Passive transfer of activated B cells or serum from MOG-primed wild-type (WT) mice was found to reconstitute the ability for clinical and histological EAE to be induced in MOG-immunized B cell-deficient mice. MOG-induced EAE did not occur with transfer of B cells that had been nonspecifically activated by lipopolysaccharide or isolated from naive or myelin basic protein (MBP)-primed WT mice. Likewise, MOG-primed serum, but not naive serum or serum from MBP-, Hen egg lysozyme-, or MOG(35-55)-primed mice, led to EAE in B cell-/- animals. While both MOG-primed B cells and serum reconstituted the ability for disease induction, MOG-primed serum was much more efficient, leading to clinical and histological EAE similar to that seen in the WT. Injection of MOG serum into healthy B cell-/- mice 30 days after MOG immunization led to rapid appearance of clinical signs and CNS inflammation, indicating that an antigen-specific factor is necessary for initiation of CNS inflammation,and not just demyelination. These data strongly suggest that MOG-specific antibody is critical to the initiation of MOG-induced murine EAE.
Training fully recurrent neural networks with complex weights

In this brief paper, the Real Time Recurrent Learning (RTRL) algorithm for training fully recurrent neural networks in real time, is extended for the case of a recurrent neural network whose inputs, outputs, weights and activation functions are complex. A practical definition of the complex activation function is adopted and the complex form of the conventional RTRL algorithm is derived. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated with an application in complex communication channel equalization. >
Cartesian Linguistics: A Chapter in the History of Rationalist Thought

In this extraordinarily original and profound work, Noam Chomsky discusses themes in the study of language and mind since the end of the sixteenth century in order to explain the motivations and methods that underlie his work in linguistics, the science of mind, and even politics. This edition includes a new and specially written introduction by James McGilvray, contextualising the work for the twenty-first century. It has been made more accessible to a larger audience; all the French and German in the original edition has been translated, and the notes and bibliography have been brought up to date. The relationship between the original edition (published in 1966) and contemporary biolinguistic work is also explained. This challenging volume is an important contribution to the study of language and mind, and to the history of these studies since the end of the sixteenth century.
Sartre's La Nausée: Roquentin and the Question of Identity

(2002). Sartre's La Nausee: Roquentin and the Question of Identity. Romance Quarterly: Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 249-259.
Steps in the population of the emitter in the bacterial luciferase reaction.

— The reaction of luciferase-bound flavin hydroperoxide with both I-1H and 1–2H decanal has been examined at 2°C in both low (0.01 M) and high (0.35 M) phosphate buffer, pH 7, where the kinetics and deuterium isotope effects are quite different. Upon reaction in both buffers there are rapid (<2 ms) increases in absorption at both 380 and W nm, followed by decay over the subsequent seconds and minutes. The changes at 380 nm exhibit a primary isotope effect and are rapid compared to bioluminescence, indicating that the scission of the aldehyde C — H bond occurs prior to the step responsible for populating the electronically excited state. However, the final absorbance change at 600 nm decays in parallel to bioluminescence under the several different conditions studied, suggesting the involvement of a long-wavelength absorbing flavin species in the production of, the excited state. Evidence is also presented indicating that under certain conditions there may be two (sequential) steps, each of which exhibits a primary isotope effect involving the same H atom.
Early cenozoic omomyidae and the evolutionary history of tarsiiform primates

Omomyidae are a group of tarsiiform fossil primates that underwent its greatest diversification on northern continents during the Eocene and early Oligocene (c. 53–35 Ma). Three subfamilies of Omomyidae are known: primitive Anaptomorphinae are found in Europe, North America, and Asia, more advanced Microchoerinae are known from Europe, and Omomyinae are known with certainty only from North America. Morphologically Omomyidae, like living Tarsius, are characterized by pointed incisors, a mobile mandibular symphysis, tritubercular cheek teeth, some postorbital closure, a tubular ectotympanic, an elongated calcaneus and navicular, and a fused tibiafibula. Predicting body size from tooth size in Omomyidae is difficult, but it is clear that the principal evolutionary radiation of this group took place at small body size (between about 20 and 500 g), and consequently omomyids were probably obligate insectivores and frugivores. Omomyidae first appear in the fossil record of North America and Europe at the same time as lemuriform Adapidae and the first representatives of other modern orders of mammals. The timing of first appearance and some dental similarities suggest that omomyids may be more closely related to primitive Adapidae than they are to Paleocene plesiadapiform primates. Judging by its morphological similarity to Omomyidae, Tarsius almost certainly evolved from this group of Eocene primates. There is a much greater gap in morphology between Eocene Omomyidae and Oligocene Simiiform primates, and, judging from the fossil record, higher primates are more plausibly derived from lemuriform Adapidae than Omomyidae. This conclusion is at variance with current interpretations of a considerable literature on the comparative anatomy of living primates, and further comparative and paleontological research will be required to achieve a consensus. Attempts to arrange the accepted primate sub- or infraorders Plesiadapiformes, Tarsiiformes, Lemuriformes and Simiiformes into higher groups reflecting their phylogenetic relationships appear premature.
Electrical impedance myography in spinal muscular atrophy: a longitudinal study.

Introduction: New approaches for assessing disease progression in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are needed. In this study, we evaluate whether electrical impedance myography (EIM) can detect disease progression in SMA compared with a group of healthy children of similar age. Methods: Twenty-eight children with SMA and 20 normal children underwent repeated EIM testing in four muscles at regular intervals for up to 3 years. An average rate of change of EIM was calculated for each subject and normalized to subcutaneous fat thickness and muscle girth. Results: Multiple EIM parameters showed a change in normal subjects over a mean of 16.7 months; however, no change was found in SMA patients over this period. Conclusions: EIM could detect non–mass-dependent muscle maturation in healthy children. In contrast, the muscle in children with SMA, as measured by EIM, was virtually static, showing no evidence of growth or active deterioration. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Review of the carcinogenic potential of gasoline.

This review examines the animal, human, and mechanistic studies that precede the new studies reported in this volume. Wholly vaporized unleaded gasoline was found to produce a dose-dependent increa...
Entanglement Model of Antibody Viscosity

Antibody solutions are typically much more viscous than solutions of globular proteins at equivalent volume fraction. Here we propose that this is due to molecular entanglements that are caused by the elongated shape and intrinsic flexibility of antibody molecules. We present a simple theory in which the antibodies are modeled as linear polymers that can grow via reversible bonds between the antigen binding domains. This mechanism explains the observation that relatively subtle changes to the interparticle interaction can lead to large changes in the viscosity. The theory explains the presence of distinct power law regimes in the concentration dependence of the viscosity as well as the correlation between the viscosity and the charge on the variable domain in our antistreptavidin IgG1 model system.
Learning and promoting urban sustainability: environmental service learning in an undergraduate environmental studies curriculum

Sustainability education increasingly emphasizes experiential, high-impact learning practices, and the under- standing that changes in mind-sets, values, and lifestyles are required for the sustainability of a finite planet. In this essay, I discuss service learning as a sustainability education pedago- gy for teachers in higher education interested in teaching and promoting sustainability in an urban environment. I combine examples from scholarly literature with reflections from my students in an undergraduate mid-level environmental service learning course and argue that service learning contributes to teaching and learning about cities and sustainability by enriching students' understanding of urban political ecology. Service learning promotes at least three distinct goals: First, it helps students to explore intricate connections between eco- logical, social, and economic issues, including questions of race, gender, and class, through a real-world case study. Sec- ond, students actively participate in a democratic learning environment, where community stakeholders, students, and professors are invited to analyze, critique, and articulate what they have learned. Third, participation in service learning improvesstudents'senseofefficacytowardachievingsustain- ability goals.
Copal and rattan collecting in the Philippines

Minor forest products such as rattan and Manila copal have long been an important source of cash income for indigenous forest collectors in Southeast Asia. Focusing on the Tagbanua of Palawan Island in the Philippines, the history and economic significance of forest collecting in the region are described. The paper also documents the growing scarcity of forest products in Palawan and discusses several policy options intended to help preserve rattan and copal resources.
Mass spectral fragmentation patterns of heterocycles. IV . Tetracyclic phenothiazines. IX. Electron impact promoted mass spectral fragmentation of pyrrolo[3,2,1-kl]phenothiazine†

The mass spectral fragmentation patterns of pyrrolo[3, 2, 1-kl]phenothiazine (1) and its 1, 10-dideuterioderi-vative [2] are reported. The site of deuterium substitution in 2 was established by examination of its 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum. The heteroaromatic stability of 1 to electron impact is exemplified by the occurrence of the molecular ion as the base peak and the formation of a reasonably intense M2+ ion. An intense M-1 ion is also observed. The more abundant fragment ions appear to result from sulfur ionization. Fragment ions arising from ionization of the nitrogen constitute only a small fraction of the total ion current. Proposed fragmentation pathways of 1 are supported by the detection of appropriate metastable ions, exact mass measurements, and electron impact spectrum of 2.
Effect of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Antagonist SR141714A and CB1 Receptor Knockout on Cue-Induced Reinstatement of Ensure ® and Corn-Oil Seeking in Mice

The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A decreases cue-induced reinstatement of sucrose and drug seeking in rats. Reinstatement behavior is not well characterized in C57Bl/6 mice, including CB1 receptor knockout mice generated on a C57Bl/6 background. In the present study, male C57Bl/6, CB1 knockout (CB1 KO), and wild-type littermate (WT) mice were trained to respond for the sweet reinforcer Ensure or corn oil. Responding was maintained on a fixed ratio 1 (FR1) schedule of reinforcement for 10 days, and then extinguished by the removal of the reinforcer and associated cues. Subsequently, the effect of either pretreatment with SR141716A or CB1 receptor knockout on cue-induced reinstatement of Ensure or corn-oil seeking was assessed. Both 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg SR141716A decreased reinstatement of Ensure seeking in C57Bl/6 mice. A tenfold higher dose of SR141716A (10.0 mg/kg) was required to attenuate reinstatement behavior in C57Bl/6 mice responding for corn oil, suggesting that CB1 receptors may be selectively involved in the neurobiology underlying reinstatement of responding for some food reinforcers but not others. Whereas CB1 receptor antagonism selectively attenuated reinstatement of responding for Ensure, genetic deletion of the CB1 receptor produced only a trend in decreasing reinstatement of Ensure seeking, and did not attenuate reinstatement of corn-oil seeking. Baseline differences in levels of operant responding were also observed in WT vs CB1 KO mice maintained by Ensure and corn oil. This and other possible reasons for the observed discrepancy between pharmacological blockade vs genetic invalidation of the CB1 receptor on reinstatement of Ensure seeking are discussed.
Angiogenesis in diabetes and obesity

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and obesity continues to increase globally. Diabetic vascular complications are the main chronic diabetic complications and associated with mortality and disability. Angiogenesis is a key pathological characteristic of diabetic microvascular complications. However, there are two tissue-specific paradoxical changes in the angiogenesis in diabetic microvascular complications: an excessive uncontrolled formation of premature blood vessels in some tissues, such as the retina, and a deficiency in the formation of small blood vessels in peripheral tissues, such as the skin. This review will discuss the paradoxical phenomena of angiogenesis and its underlying mechanism in obesity, diabetes and diabetic complications.
Handling Planning Failures with Virtual Actions

Artificial intelligence (AI) planners have been widely used in many fields, such as intelligent agents, autonomous robots, web service compositions, etc. However, existing AI planners share a common problem: When given a problem to solve, they either return a solution if one exists or report that no solution is found. However, simply reporting failure leaves no clues for people to trace the causes of the planning failure. In this paper, we present a novel approach that can propose virtual actions in the event of planning failure. Virtual actions enable traditional planners to succeed and hence return an incomplete plan instead of merely an error message. More importantly, the specifications of the virtual actions suggest what the missing parts may contain, thus providing important clues to users as to the nature of the failure. Experimental results show that our approach constantly returns useful and comprehensible information for humans, thus making AI planning more practical when solving real-world problems.
Computerized estimation of lactate threshold

Traditional approaches to estimating a lactate threshold during a progressive exercise test have utilized visual inspection of the data. We describe a computerized approach which utilizes a log-log transformation to yield two approximately linear segments. Linear regression lines are fit to these segments and the intersection of the two lines yields an estimate of the lactate threshold. An approximate 95% confidence interval is also generated.
Ethanol-induced alterations of neurotrophin receptor expression on Purkinje cells in the neonatal rat cerebellum.

Ethanol causes loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum during the early stages of differentiation and maturation by a presently unknown mechanism. Neuronal vulnerability in the cerebellum parallels the prominent temporal and anatomical gradients of development (i.e. early to late interlobular and posterior to anterior, respectively). Development of Purkinje cells is known to require binding of the neurotrophins, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT3), to the tyrosine-kinase (Trk) receptors TrkB and TrkC, respectively. In addition, Purkinje cells are reported to experience a critical switch between BDNF dependence and NT3 dependence during the period of highest ethanol sensitivity between postnatal days (PN) 4-6. To test the hypothesis that ethanol alters neurotrophin signaling leading to Purkinje neuronal death, the immunohistochemical expression of TrkB and TrkC receptors on Purkinje cells of rat pups following a moderate dose of ethanol was determined at various times surrounding the period of postnatal ethanol vulnerability. Ethanol selectively decreased Purkinje cell expression of TrkB and TrkC receptors following exposures within the vulnerable period (PN4-6). These results suggest that ethanol may induce loss of Purkinje cells by alteration of neurotrophic regulation at this critical stage.
The development of low-temperature hardening silicone ceramer coatings for the corrosion protection of metals

The process parameters for the formulation of two different hybrid ceramic-polymer (ceramer), barrier-type coatings for the corrosion protection of metals are discussed. The coating formulations were characterized in the liquid, gel, and solid phases using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS), respectively. The coatings were applied to 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, hardened in ambient conditions, and analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thermal stability of the coatings was analyzed in inert and oxidative atmosphere using thermogravimertic analysis. The final surface morphology was studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The nanoindentation technique supported by SEM revealed the nanomechanical properties of the coatings. The effectiveness as a barrier-type coating was studied using electrochemical polarization experiments and immersion experiments in saline solution.
Youth dietary intake and weight status: Healthful neighborhood food environments enhance the protective role of supportive family home environments

The aim of this study is to investigate individual and joint associations of the home environment and the neighborhood built environment with adolescent dietary patterns and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse adolescents (n=2682; 53.2% girls; mean age14.4 years) participating in the EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens) study completed height and weight measurements and surveys in Minnesota middle and high schools. Neighborhood variables were measured using Geographic Information Systems data. Multiple regressions of BMI z-score, fruit and vegetable intake, and fast food consumption were fit including home and neighborhood environmental variables as predictors and also including their interactions to test for effect modification. Supportive family environments (i.e., higher family functioning, frequent family meals, and parent modeling of healthful eating) were associated with higher adolescent fruit and vegetable intake, lower fast food consumption, and lower BMI z-score. Associations between the built environment and adolescent outcomes were fewer. Interaction results, although not all consistent, indicated that the relationship between a supportive family environment and adolescent fruit and vegetable intake and BMI was enhanced when the neighborhood was supportive of healthful behavior. Public health interventions that simultaneously improve both the home environment and the neighborhood environment of adolescents may have a greater impact on adolescent obesity prevention than interventions that address one of these environments alone.
Variation in Aggressiveness and Virulence Among Isolates of Cercospora arachidicola

Forty-three isolates of Cercospora arachidicola, incitant of early leaf spot of peanut, were collected from peanut fields in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Variation in aggressiveness among these isolates using the susceptible peanut cultivar Spanco was examined in greenhouse tests. Variation (P ≤ 0.05) among the isolates was observed for the parameters of incubation period (IP), the reciprocal of the latent period (an estimate of sporulation rate), and number of lesions per leaflet (LN). Additionally, as a group, the isolates from Texas were more aggressive in terms of having a shorter latent period and greater number of lesions per leaflet than isolates from other states. When a subset of eight isolates, which differed in aggressiveness based on IP and LN, were tested on Spanco and three early leaf spotresistant breeding lines (TX957910–5, TX957910–27, TX957910–68), the breeding lines were resistant to all isolates and, except for lesion diameter, no host genotype-by-isolate interaction was detected (P > 0.05). These observations suggest that success of efforts to identify resistance to early leaf spot can be affected by the aggressiveness of the pathogen isolate. Additionally, the resistance of the breeding lines tested is likely to be effective against a wide array of isolates of C. arachidicola.
A new substrate for porcine pepsin possessing cryptic fluorescence properties

A fluorescent substrate for porcine pepsin, 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-l-sulfonyl (Dns)-Ala-Ala-Phe-Phe-3-[4-(N-CH3)-pyridyl]propyl-1-oxy oster has been synthesized. It is stable, soluble from pH 1 to 7, and is readily hydrolyzed by pepsin with values of 288 (±40) s−1 for kcat, 0.039 mM (±0.005) for Km, and 7510 s−1 mM−1 (±500) for kcat/Km in sodium formate, pH 3.1. Kinetic studies were carried out by following the increased fluorescence (300-nm excitation, 525-nm emission) as hydrolysis occurred. The products of hydrolysis were identified and established that the peptide bond between the phenylalanine residues is cleaved by pepsin. The inhibition of pepsin catalysis by pepsinogen (1–12) activation peptide was studied in order to compare the inhibition of the reaction of pepsin with Dns-Ala-Ala-Phe-Phe-OP4P-CH3+ with that obtained by the standard milk-clotting assay. The inhibition results were comparable. Dns-Ala-Ala-Phe-Phe-OP4P-CH3+ should be a valuable tool for studies of pepsin because of its solubility over an extended pH range, its excellent turnover rate, and the ease with which the hydrolysis can be followed.
Radiation from a charge in a uniform circular motion

The Schott equation for the power radiated by a charge moving uniformly in a circular path is derived for each harmonic of the frequency of revolution by computing the rate of work done on the electromagnetic field. A certain amount of simplicity is gained by the use of a Fourier transformation in the direction of the axis of the circular orbit.
Precision Temperature Control of High-Throughput Fluid Flows: Theoretical and Experimental Analysis

A precision method for attenuating temperature variations in a high-throughput control fluid stream is described and analyzed In contrast to earlier investigations, the present study emphasizes heat transfer analysis of the constituent control device and derives theoretical descriptions of system responses to time-varying fluid temperatures. Experiments demonstrate that the technique provides: (1) frequency-dependent attenuation which is several orders of magnitude greater than that obtained via a perfect mixing volume; (2) attenuation, over two decades of disturbance frequency, that reduces in-flow temperature variations by factors ranging from 10 to 10 4 ; (3) asymptotic attenuation greater than three orders of magnitude for spectral components having periods less than the device thermal equilibrium time; and (4) attenuation which is fully consistent with theoretical predictions. The model developed provides design criteria for tailoring system performance. In particular, it is shown that for a given control stream flow rate, the magnitude of maximal attenuation can be adjusted by varying the thermal resistance between the flow and attenuating medium, while the range of frequencies maximally attenuated can he adjusted by varying the product of thermal resistance and attenuating medium heat capacity. The analysis and design are general and should prove useful in the design and analysis of other high-throughput precision temperature control systems.
A dynamic model of friendly association networks

Abstract We propose a dynamic model of the formation and maintenance of large friendly association networks (FANs), which incorporates a theoretically based actor model and is implemented via computer simulation. We apply the dynamic model to 18 FANs, some with over 900 members, documented by James Coleman. Structural measures for these networks show them to share some, but not all, structural characteristics of other large networks. With appropriate settings of its parameters, the dynamic model generates networks with structural measures that fit closely those of the Coleman networks, which suggests the model provides a plausible explanation for their structure. The parameter settings in turn have implications for characteristics of friendship processes and the individuals in the empirical networks.
Experiencing the Death of My Mother A Daughter and Nurse’s Perspective

As a nurse, I have witnessed the miracle of birth and the sadness of death. The death of my mother was one of the most profound experiences I have ever encountered. The lessons I learned through this event made me more sensitive to the needs of patients and their families. The purpose of this story is to offer hope and encouragement to others who may be suffering the loss of a parent and to provide reminders and suggestions for nurses who attend to the needs of the dying with an emphasis on communication, presencing, and advocacy.
What is the relationship between the transobturator tape procedure and urethral mobility in women with SUI

What is the relationship between the transobturator tape procedure and urethral mobility in women with SUI?
Professional Development and Preschool Intervention Research: I Would Rather Have a Talking Frog

An old man walking down the road came across a frog. The frog exclaims: “I am really a fairy princess, and if you kiss me I will make all of your most passionate fantasies come true!” Without a word the old man picks up the frog, puts it in his pocket, and begins to walk away. “Didn't you hear what I said?” asked the incredulous frog, to which the old man replied: “At my age I would rather have a talking frog.”
Endoscopic endonasal anatomy of the nasopharynx in a cadaver model

Background Nasopharyngectomy is an accepted treatment for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma following radiation with or without chemotherapy. Traditionally, the nasopharynx has been approached through relatively invasive “open” techniques including transpalatal, maxillary swing, and trans-mandibular-pterygoid approaches. Contemporary management has included the use of endoscopic techniques to exenterate tumors in this location. The purpose of the present study is to describe the endoscopic anatomy of this region through cadaveric dissection and to characterize the technical limitations of the approach. Methods Five fresh cadaveric heads were dissected to study the endoscopic anatomy of the nasopharynx and associated structures. Results Endoscopic dissection of the nasopharynx was completed in all 5 specimens. Nasopharyngeal anatomy including the buccopharyngeal fascia, pharyngobasilar fascia, superior constrictor, longus capitus, longus coli, fossa of Rosenmuller, basisphenoid, auditory torus, and internal carotid artery were characterized. Conclusion Surgical access to the nasopharynx has posed significant challenges in the treatment of recurrent or persistent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This study demonstrated that endoscopic dissection of this region is feasible and has the potential to completely exenterate these lesions.
Particle Drifts and the First Adiabatic Invariant

The equation which describes the motion of a particle of charge q and relativistic mass m, in a given magnetic (induction) field B, under the action of an electric field E (external and induced) and an external non-electromagnetic force F, is given by $$ \frac{d}{{dt}}\left( {m\frac{{dr}}{{dt}}} \right) = q\left( {\frac{{dr}}{{dt}} \times B + E} \right) + F. $$ (1.1)
Neural network based skin color model for face detection

This paper presents a novel neural network based technique for face detection that eliminates limitations pertaining to the skin color variations among people. We propose to model the skin color in the three dimensional RGB space which is a color cube consisting of all the possible color combinations. Skin samples in images with varying lighting conditions, from the Old Dominion University skin database, are used for obtaining a skin color distribution. The primary color components of each plane of the color cube are fed to a three-layered network, trained using the backpropagation algorithm with the skin samples, to extract the skin regions from the planes and interpolate them so as to provide an optimum decision boundary and hence the positive skin samples for the skin classifier. The use of the color cube eliminates the difficulties of finding the non-skin part of training samples since the interpolated data is consider skin and rest of the color cube is consider non-skin. Subsequent face detection is aided by the color, geometry and motion information analyses of each frame in a video sequence. The performance of the new face detection technique has been tested with real-time data of size 320/spl times/240 frames from video sequences captured by a surveillance camera. It is observed that the network can differentiate skin and non-skin effectively while minimizing false detections to a large extent when compared with the existing techniques. In addition, it is seen that the network is capable of performing face detection in complex lighting and background environments.
Functional Responses and Prey-Stage Preferences of a Predatory Gall Midge and Two Predacious Mites with Twospotted Spider Mites, Tetranychus Urticae, as Host

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important pest of vegetables and other economically important crops. This study evaluated the functional responses and prey-stage preferences of three species of predators, a predatory gall midge, Feltiella acarisuga (Vallot) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and two predatory mite species, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Amblyseius swirskii (AnthiasHenriot), with T. urticae as the host, under laboratory conditions. The results showed that F. acarisuga was highly effective and the two species of predacious mites were moderately effective in feeding on T. urticae eggs. Logistic regression analysis suggested Type II (convex) functional responses for all three species. However, based on the estimates of the handling time and the attacking rates, the three predators had different predation capacities. Among the three species, F. acarisuga had the highest predation on T. urticae. The maximum daily predation by a larval F. acarisuga was 50 eggs/day, followed by a female N. californicus (25.6 eggs/day) and a female A. swirskii (15.1 eggs/day). A female N. californicus produced more eggs than a female A. swirskii did when they both fed on T. urticae eggs. In addition, all three predator species had no preystage preference for either prey eggs or nymphs. The findings from this study could help select better biological control agents for effective control of T. urticae and other pests in vegetable productions.
On Scheduling for Multiple-Antenna Wireless Networks Using Contention-Based Feedback

Multiuser diversity gain is an effective technique for improving the performance of wireless networks. This gain can be exploited by scheduling the users with the best current channel conditions. However, this kind of scheduling requires that the base station (or access point) knows some kind of channel quality indicator (CQI) information for every user in the system. When the wireless link lacks channel reciprocity, each user must feed back this CQI information to the base station. The required feedback load makes exploiting multiuser diversity extremely difficult when the number of users becomes large. To alleviate this problem, this paper considers a contention-based CQI feedback where only users whose channel gains are larger than a threshold are allowed to transmit their CQI information through a spread-spectrum based contention channel. Considering the capture effect in this contention channel, it is shown that i) the multiuser diversity gain can be exploited regardless of the number of transmit antennas at the base station and ii) the total system throughput exponentially approaches that of the full feedback scheme as the spreading code length of the contention channel linearly increases. In addition, it is also shown that multiuser diversity can be maintained with the feedback delay of time-variant channels. We also consider the issue of differentiated rate scheduling, in which the base station gives different rates to different subsets of mobiles. In this scenario, mobiles feed back their CQI with some access probability, and we show this technique causes only a negligible throughput loss compared to the case without supporting differentiated rate.
Oil spill sensor using multispectral infrared imaging via ℓ 1 minimization

Early detection of oil spill events is the key to environmental protection and disaster management. Current technology lacks the sensitivity and specificity in detecting the early onset of a small-scale oil spill event. Based on an infrared oil-water contrast model recently developed, we propose a novel non-scanning computational infrared sensor that has the potential to achieve unprecedented detection sensitivity. Such a system can be very low-cost and robust for automated outdoor operations, leading to massive offshore deployment. Taking advantage of the characteristic oil thickness multispectral signatures, we have streamlined an algorithm that incorporates 3D image reconstruction and classification in a single inversion step capitalizing on the benefits of l 1 minimization.
Lord Malvern (Sir Godfrey Huggins): A Reappraisal

Thirty years ago, Sir Godfrey Huggins retired as Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The Queen raised him to the peerage as Viscount Malvern of Rhodesia and of Bexley in the county of Kent – his choice of title characteristically giving expression first of all to his old public school, then his country of adoption, and finally his birthplace in England. Great universities showered him with honorary doctorates and, quite surprisingly, David Low, the most distinguished of Labour political artists, creator of the archetypal figure Colonel Blimp, published a cartoon that showed Huggins proudly stepping into the pages of history, together with Sir Robert Walpole and Mackenzie King, the only English-speaking Prime Ministers to have shared his political longevity.
The Bradyrhizobium japonicum Proline Biosynthesis Gene proC Is Essential for Symbiosis

Plant host-derived proline is proposed to serve as an energy source for rhizobia in the rhizosphere and in symbiotic root nodules. The Bradyrhizobium japonicum proC gene was isolated, and a proC mutant strain that behaved as a strict proline auxotroph in culture was constructed. The proC strain elicited undeveloped nodules on soybeans that lacked nitrogen fixation activity and plant hemoglobin. We conclude that the proC gene is essential for symbiosis and suggest that the mutant does not obtain an exogenous supply of proline in association with soybeans sufficient to satisfy its auxotrophy.
Diet of the Mole Scalopus aquaticus from the Coastal Plain Region of South Carolina1

Abstract We examined the stomach contents of 374 eastern moles (Scalopus aquaticus) collected throughout the year from the Coastal Plain region of South Carolina. On average, stomach contents of males weighed significantly more than did those of females. Fifty-two different food items were recorded. The three most important foods were scarabaeid beetle larvae, ants and centipedes. Earthworms were observed in only 8.3% of the stomachs examined and represented only about 3% of the mean percent volume of the diet. Ants comprised 15.4% of the total volume. Twenty-nine species of ant were recorded; of these, four were taxa not previously reported to occur on the SRS. The imported red fire ant Solenopsis invicta was common within the study area; however, no individuals of this species were found in any of the mole stomachs.
Glutamate transport asymmetry in renal glutamine metabolism

d-Glutamate (Glu) was previously shown to block l-Glu uptake and accelerate glutaminase flux in cultured kidney cells [Welbourne, T. C., and D. Chevalier. Am. J. Physiol. 272 (Endocrinol. Metab. 35...
Surveillance and Early Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis Decreases Rate of Pulmonary Embolism in High-Risk Trauma Patients.

Background Venous duplex ultrasound (VDU) is the modality of choice for surveillance of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but there is controversy about its appropriate implementation as a screening method. We hypothesize that VDU surveillance in trauma patients at high risk for VTE decreases the rate of pulmonary embolism (PE). Study Design One thousand two hundred and eighty-two trauma ICU admissions were screened with Greenfield's Risk Assessment Profile from August 2011 to September 2014. Four hundred and two patients were identified as high risk for VTE (Risk Assessment Profile ≥10). Those who received weekly VDU to evaluate for deep vein thrombosis (n = 259 [64%]) were compared with those who did not (n = 143 [36%]). Parametric data are reported as mean ± SD and nonparametric data are reported as median (interquartile range). Statistical significance was determined at an α level of 0.05. Results The overall study population was 47 ± 19 years old and 75% were male, 78% of injuries were blunt mechanism, Injury Severity Score was 28 ± 13, Risk Assessment Profile was 14 ± 4, and mortality was 14.3%. Deep vein thrombosis rate was 11.6% (n = 30) in the surveillance group vs 2.1% (n = 3) in the non-surveillance group (p Conclusions Trauma patients at high risk for VTE and who received VDU surveillance and early management of deep vein thrombosis have decreased rates of pulmonary embolism.
Remorse, Retribution, and Restoration: Changing Minds, if not Hearts, about Reparations

What considerations do white Americans bring to bear when forming opinions about reparations? We argue that, because reparations involve concessions, both real and symbolic, whites are likely to view them through the lens of group conflict. An effort to secure reparations for race riots that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, however, may illustrate a way to interrupt this pattern of thinking and increase white support. Using evidence from a series of survey experiments, we demonstrate that whites, especially conservatives, are far more likely to support reparations when they can be framed as a matter of retributive, rather than restorative justice. This framing turns the pressures of individualism and responsibility, which often work against concessions toward blacks, on their head.
Re-stating Party Development in Central and Eastern Europe: A Response

I would like to begin by thanking Sean Hanley for his perceptive and stimulating reading of these books. For me, it is still surprising that two books that were conceived, researched, and written independently could speak so directly to each other in so many respects. There are divergences and differences of opinion, naturally, but as Hanley’s review skilfully shows, even the seeming disconnects between accounts may in many cases actually highlight cross-cutting dynamics in the complex and sprawling process of state-building. Perhaps, however, the dialogue between these books is not as surprising as it fi rst appears. Theorising about the development of the state was largely (and inexplicably) a neglected aspect of the monumental political and economic changes after the fall of communism. Analyses of the post-communist state were, for the most part, applied in nature, not comparative in a theory-building sense. In the past few years this has changed, with several new studies appearing besides the ones reviewed here [Ganev 2007; Kopecký 2007; Gehlbach 2008]. I expect the debates to continue and to deepen – which is for the good. This is how the fi eld moves forward. Hanley makes many trenchant and constructive observations, drawing connections that push both works in new research directions. Rather than focus point by point on Hanley’s remarks, however, I would prefer to address my response to a few broad themes that span both books.
Modulated excitation spectroscopy in hemoglobin.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the modulated excitement spectroscopy in hemoglobin (Hb). Modulated excitation is a kinetic perturbation method that uses frequency-domain techniques to observe small relaxations that may be partially masked by larger amplitude processes of lesser interest. Because it is basically a repetitive technique, it has found use thus far in reversible photolysis reactions, and there it has been used to study conformational change in Hb. This chapter also discusses the pulse methods to set the scope of the kinetic problems that are addressed by modulated excitation. Modulated excitation uses a beam that is repeatedly turned on and off, with observation of the accompanying optical changes. In this sense it is a means of performing the necessary averaging. Stability is assured by modulating a constant light output, rather than requiring pulse-to-pulse repetition. However, an unexpected bonus appears in the ability to adjust the phase of the detection system.
Confucius and Kautilya on Establishing Moral Order for Prevention of Government and Market Failures

The main objectives of this paper are of two kinds: first one may be described as historical in the sense of correcting more than two thousand years of misinterpretations of the ideas of Confucius and Kautilya on establishing a moral order and the nature of its relationship to the legalistic approach; the second one is to highlight the relevance of moral order not only to create peace and harmony but also enhance the creation and sharing of knowledge and lowering of transaction costs. Since both creation and sharing of knowledge depend on genuine trust, which flourishes only in an ethical environment, and not in a “culture of suspicion”. It is indicated that their insights or pearls of wisdom are actually more relevant to today’s knowledge-based economies than they were to economies during their own times. They would have emphasized the warming of hearts to each other to solve the problem of global warming.
Effects of Living Alone on Social Capital and Health Among Older Adults in China

Social capital has been connected with positive health outcomes across countries, including China. Given the rise in the number of seniors living alone, there is a need to examine the health benefits of social capital, accounting for living arrangements. Data from the 2005 Chinese General Social Survey were used to test research hypotheses. Controlling for demographics, elders living alone possessed similar level of social capital compared with elders living with others. While bonding and linking social capital were significant factors in urban areas and linking social capital was a significant factor in rural areas, the relationship between living alone and health did not differ based on the level of social capital possession. When the traditional intergenerational living arrangement has not been a valid option for many older adults in China, seeking new way of family caring, and developing appropriate social and institutional structures to assist elders living alone, becomes critical.
Integrated Vulnerability and Impacts Assessment for Natural and Engineered Water-Energy Systems in the Southwest and Southern Rocky Mountain Region

In the Southwest and Southern Rocky Mountains (SWSRM), energy production, energy resource extraction, and other high volume uses depend on water supply from systems that are highly vulnerable to extreme, coupled hydro-ecosystem-climate events including prolonged drought, flooding, degrading snow cover, forest die off, and wildfire. These vulnerabilities, which increase under climate change, present a challenge for energy and resource planners in the region with the highest population growth rate in the nation. Currently, analytical tools are designed to address individual aspects of these regional energy and water vulnerabilities. Further, these tools are not linked, severely limiting the effectiveness of each individual tool. Linking established tools, which have varying degrees of spatial and temporal resolution as well as modeling objectives, and developing next-generation capabilities where needed would provide a unique and replicable platform for regional analyses of climate-water-ecosystem-energy interactions, while leveraging prior investments and current expertise (both within DOE and across other Federal agencies).
DETECTION OF OFF-GAS COMPOUNDS BY CAVITY RING-DOWN SPECTROSCOPY

As part of a research program to exploit cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) for sensitive detection of off-gas compounds, we have performed experiments on the detection of nitrogen dioxide (N02) at visible wavelengths. We describe CRDS experiments performed in the 562-582 nm region. A linear calibration curve is obtained for CRDS signal vs. N02 concentration.
Gas Turbine Cycles for the Process Industry

The paper describes various gas turbine cycles which are practical from a process industry standpoint. Several cycles and their actual applications in the field have been dealt with in detail. These cycles should make the gas turbine a more competitive driver for the process industry.Copyright © 1976 by ASME