cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The sum of the Betti numbers of smooth Hilbert schemes

Recently, Skjelnes and Smith classified which Hilbert schemes on projective space are smooth in terms of integer partitions $$\lambda = (\lambda _1,\ldots ,\lambda _{r})$$ with $$r=0$$ , $$\lambda =(n+1)$$ , or $$n\geqslant \lambda _1\geqslant \cdots \geqslant \lambda _r \geqslant 1$$ . In particular, they found there to be seven families of smooth Hilbert schemes: one with $$r=0$$ or $$\lambda =(n+1)$$ , one with Hilbert schemes on the projective line or plane, 4 families with $$\lambda _r=1$$ , and one with $$\lambda _r\geqslant 2$$ . In this paper, we compute the sum of the Betti numbers for all of these families of smooth Hilbert schemes over projective space except the case $$\lambda _r\geqslant 2$$ .
Learning Reactive and Predictive Differentiable Controllers for Switching Linear Dynamical Models

Humans leverage the dynamics of the environment and their own bodies to accomplish challenging tasks such as grasping an object while walking past it or pushing off a wall to turn a corner. Such tasks often involve switching dynamics as the robot makes and breaks contact. Learning these dynamics is a challenging problem and prone to model inaccuracies, especially near contact regions. In this work, we present a framework for learning composite dynamical behaviors from expert demonstrations. We learn a switching linear dynamical model with contacts encoded in switching conditions as a close approximation of our system dynamics. We then use discrete-time LQR as the differentiable policy class for data-efficient learning of control to develop a control strategy that operates over multiple dynamical modes and takes into account discontinuities due to contact. In addition to predicting interactions with the environment, our policy effectively reacts to inaccurate predictions such as unanticipated contacts. Through simulation and real world experiments, we demonstrate generalization of learned behaviors to different scenarios and robustness to model inaccuracies during execution.
Contact Localization for Robot Arms in Motion without Torque Sensing

Detecting and localizing contacts is essential for robot manipulators to perform contact-rich tasks in unstructured environments. While robot skins can localize contacts on the surface of robot arms, these sensors are not yet robust or easily accessible. As such, prior works have explored using proprioceptive observations, such as joint velocities and torques, to perform contact localization. Many past approaches assume the robot is static during contact incident, a single contact is made at a time, or having access to accurate dynamics models and joint torque sensing. In this work, we relax these assumptions and propose using Domain Randomization to train a neural network to localize contacts of robot arms in motion without joint torque observations. Our method uses a novel cylindrical projection encoding of the robot arm surface, which allows the network to use convolution layers to process input features and transposed convolution layers to predict contacts. The trained network achieves a contact detection accuracy of 91.5% and a mean contact localization error of 3.0cm. We further demonstrate an application of the contact localization model in an obstacle mapping task, evaluated in both simulation and the real world.
Extrinsic Contact Sensing with Relative-Motion Tracking from Distributed Tactile Measurements

This paper addresses the localization of contacts of an unknown grasped rigid object with its environment, i.e., extrinsic to the robot. We explore the key role that distributed tactile sensing plays in localizing contacts external to the robot, in contrast to the role that aggregated force/torque measurements traditionally play in localizing contacts on the robot. When in contact with the environment, an object will move in accordance with the kinematic and possibly frictional constraints imposed by that contact. Small motions of the object, which are observable with tactile sensors, indirectly encode those constraints and the geometry that defines them.We formulate the extrinsic contact sensing problem as a constraint-based estimation problem. The estimation is subject to the kinematic constraints imposed by the tactile measurements of object motion, as well as the kinematic (e.g., non-penetration) and possibly frictional (e.g., sticking) constraints imposed by rigid-body mechanics. We validate the approach in simulation and with real experiments on the case studies of fixed point and line contacts.This paper discusses the theoretical basis for the value of distributed tactile sensing in contrast to aggregated force/torque measurements. It also provides an estimation framework for localizing environmental contacts with potential impact in contact-rich manipulation scenarios such as assembling or packing.
Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Vaccines that induce potent neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are essential for combating the coronavir...
Nonequilibrium Stagnation-Line Radiative Heating for Fire II

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the shock-layer radiative heating to the Fire II vehicle using a new air radiation model and a viscous shock-layer flowfield model. This new air radiation model contains the most up-to-date properties for modeling the atomic-line, atomic photoionization, molecular band, and non-Boltzmann processes. The applied viscous shock-layer flowfield analysis contains the same thermophysical properties and nonequilibrium models as the LAURA Navier-Stokes code. Radiation-flowfield coupling, or radiation cooling, is accounted for in detail in this study. It is shown to reduce the radiative heating by about 30% for the peak radiative heating points, while reducing the convective heating only slightly. A detailed review of past Fire II radiative heating studies is presented. It is observed that the scatter in the radiation predicted by these past studies is mostly a result of the different flowfield chemistry models and the treatment of the electronic state populations. The present predictions provide, on average throughout the trajectory, a better comparison with Fire II flight data than any previous study. The magnitude of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) contribution to the radiative flux is estimated from the calorimeter measurements. This is achieved using the radiometer measurements and the predicted convective heating. The VUV radiation predicted by the present model agrees well with the VUV contribution inferred from the Fire II calorimeter measurement, although only when radiation-flowfield coupling is accounted for. This agreement provides evidence that the present model accurately models the VUV radiation, which is shown to contribute significantly to the Fire II radiative heating.
Online Learning and Optimization of (Some) Cyclic Pricing Policies in the Presence of Patient Customers

Problem definition: We consider the problem of joint learning and optimization of cyclic pricing policies in the presence of patient customers. In our problem, some customers are patient, and they ...
Polymer thin films as universal substrates for extreme ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy of molecular transition metal complexes.

Polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride thin films are explored as sample supports for extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy of molecular transition metal complexes. Thin polymer films prepared by slip-coating are flat and smooth, and transmit much more XUV light than silicon nitride windows. Analytes can be directly cast onto the polymer surface or co-deposited within it. The M-edge XANES spectra (40-90 eV) of eight archetypal transition metal complexes (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) are presented to demonstrate the versatility of this method. The films are suitable for pump/probe transient absorption spectroscopy, as shown by the excited-state spectra of Fe(bpy)32+ in two different polymer supports.
Local thermal environment and warming influence supercooling and drive widespread shifts in the metabolome of diapausing Pieris rapae butterflies.

Global climate change has the potential to negatively impact biological systems as organisms are exposed to novel temperature regimes. Increases in annual mean temperature have been accompanied by disproportionate rates of change in temperature across seasons, and winter is the season warming most rapidly. Yet, we know relatively little about how warming will alter the physiology of overwintering organisms. Here, we simulated future warming conditions by comparing diapausing Pieris rapae butterfly pupae collected from disparate thermal environments and by exposing P. rapae pupae to acute and chronic increases in temperature. First, we compared internal freezing temperatures (supercooling points) of diapausing pupae that were developed in common-garden conditions but whose parents were collected from northern Vermont, USA, or North Carolina, USA. Matching the warmer winter climate of North Carolina, North Carolina pupae had significantly higher supercooling points than Vermont pupae. Next, we measured the effects of acute and chronic warming exposure in Vermont pupae and found that warming induced higher supercooling points. We further characterized the effects of chronic warming by profiling the metabolomes of Vermont pupae via untargeted LC-MS metabolomics. Warming caused significant changes in abundance of hundreds of metabolites across the metabolome. Notably, there were warming-induced shifts in key biochemical pathways, such as pyruvate metabolism, fructose and mannose metabolism, and beta-alanine metabolism, suggesting shifts in energy metabolism and cryoprotection. These results suggest that warming affects various aspects of overwintering physiology in P. rapae and may be detrimental depending on the frequency and variation of winter warming events. Future research is needed to ascertain the extent to which the effects of warming are felt among a broader set of populations of P. rapae, and among other species, in order to better predict how insects may respond to changes in winter thermal environments.
The decoy SNARE Tomosyn sets tonic versus phasic release properties and is required for homeostatic synaptic plasticity.

Synaptic vesicle (SV) release probability (Pr) is a key presynaptic determinant of synaptic strength established by cell-intrinsic properties and further refined by plasticity. To characterize mechanisms that generate Pr heterogeneity between distinct neuronal populations, we examined glutamatergic tonic (Ib) and phasic (Is) motoneurons in Drosophila with stereotyped differences in Pr and synaptic plasticity. We found the decoy soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) Tomosyn is differentially expressed between these motoneuron subclasses and contributes to intrinsic differences in their synaptic output. Tomosyn expression enables tonic release in Ib motoneurons by reducing SNARE complex formation and suppressing Pr to generate decreased levels of SV fusion and enhanced resistance to synaptic fatigue. In contrast, phasic release dominates when Tomosyn expression is low, enabling high intrinsic Pr at Is terminals at the expense of sustained release and robust presynaptic potentiation. In addition, loss of Tomosyn disrupts the ability of tonic synapses to undergo presynaptic homeostatic potentiation.
Seeds of SEED: A Side-Channel Resilient Cache Skewed by a Linear Function over a Galois Field

Consider a set-associative cache with pn sets and pn ways where p is prime and n > 0. Furthermore, assume that the cache may be shared among pn mutually distrusting principals that may use the Prime+Probe side-channel attack against one another; architecturally, these principals occupy separate security domains (for example, separate processes, virtual machines, sandboxes, etc.). This paper shows that there exists a linear skewing of cache sets over the Galois field G p n that exhibits the following property: each cache set of each security domain intersects every cache set of every other security domain exactly once. Therefore, a random eviction from a single cache set in security domain A may be observed via Prime+Probe in any of security domain B’s cache sets. This paper characterizes this linear skewing and describes how it can be implemented efficiently in hardware.
A Simple and Effective Positional Encoding for Transformers

Transformer models are permutation equivariant. To supply the order and type information of the input tokens, position and segment embeddings are usually added to the input. Recent works proposed variations of positional encodings with relative position encodings achieving better performance. Our analysis shows that the gain actually comes from moving positional information to attention layer from the input. Motivated by this, we introduce Decoupled Positional Attention for Transformers (DIET), a simple yet effective mechanism to encode position and segment information into the Transformer models. The proposed method has faster training and inference time, while achieving competitive performance on GLUE, XTREME and WMT benchmarks. We further generalize our method to long-range transformers and show performance gain.
Numerical Performance of Different Formulations for Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow

Alternating current optimal power flow (ACOPF) problems are nonconvex and nonlinear optimization problems. Utilities and independent service operators (ISO) require ACOPF to be solved in almost real time. Interior point methods (IPMs) are one of the powerful methods for solving large-scale nonlinear optimization problems and are a suitable approach for solving ACOPF with large-scale real-world transmission networks. Moreover, the choice of the formulation is as important as choosing the algorithm for solving an ACOPF problem. In this paper, different ACOPF formulations with various linear solvers and the impact of employing box constraints are evaluated for computational viability and best performance when using IPMs. Different optimization structures are used in these formulations to model the ACOPF problem representing a range of sparsity. The numerical experiments suggest that the least sparse ACOPF formulations with polar voltages yield the best computational results. Additionally, nodal injected models and current-based branch flow models are improved by enforcing box constraints. A wide range of test cases, ranging from 500-bus systems to 9591-bus systems, are used to verify the test results.
A decentralized primal-dual method for constrained minimization of a strongly convex function

We propose decentralized primal-dual methods for cooperative multi-agent consensus optimization problems over both static and time-varying communication networks, where only local communications are allowed. The objective is to minimize the sum of agent-specific convex functions over conic constraint sets defined by agent-specific nonlinear functions; hence, the optimal consensus decision should lie in the intersection of these private sets. Under the strong convexity assumption, we provide convergence rates for sub-optimality, infeasibility and consensus violation in terms of the number of communications required; examine the effect of underlying network topology on the convergence rates
Nanosafety: Exposure, Measurement, and Toxicology

Ultrafine particles of Nanoscale dimensions have potential toxic effects, both at the cellular, organ level including cellular regeneration and DNA repair. Most of the early work has focused on ultrafine particles related to Carbon , or silica or metals such as titania, silver, and copper. This is primarily due to their catalytic properties in their chemical ability to facilitate chemical transformation of epitopes. Silver nanoparticles have been utilized as antimicrobial agents and in wound healing and are known to cause side effects. Recent advances in engineered surfaces like zeolites or metal–organic frameworks are potentially cytotoxic, due to their ultrahigh surface area and potential for reactive oxygen species generation and/or modification of lipids, membranes, and amino acids. More standard procedures are required, similar to common drug testing protocols to properly classify, evaluate, and protect against these materials, particularly after “end of service” use, when these types of materials are disposed in landfills.
Does Marriage after Migration Lead to Better Labor-Market Outcomes?

Do women who marry after migration have a greater chance of finding a job than do women who marry before migration? Do women who marry after migration earn more, or have greater returns on their education, than do women who marry before migration? Do their husbands earn higher wages than those of women who marry before migration? These questions address a major question in immigration policy: Should that policy be based on family reunification? Some researchers believe that women who marry after migration are more independent and more successful in the job market. This belief may lead policymakers to curtail policies designed to reunite immigrant families.
Calorimetry, excess heat, and Faraday efficiency in Ni-H2O electrolytic cells

AbstractApparent excess heat is observed in light water electrolytic cells containing a variety of nickel cathodes, a platinum anode, and an electrolyte of K2CO3 in H2O. High-accuracy calorimetric ...
Epidermoid cysts of the ovary: A report of five cases with histogenetic considerations and ultrastructural findings

Abstract Five cases of epidermoid cysts of the ovary are added to the two reported in the literature. This rare lesion was uniformly an incidental finding in the study of hysterectomy specimens. Its main interest is in its histogenesis, which is suggested to involve metaplasia of the coelomic surface epithelium of the ovary. Ultrastructural evidence is one case strongly favors this possibility, thus adding another line of differentiation to those already established for the multipotent coelomic epithelium. However, some cases may be teratoid in origin, as has been suggested for the analogous lesion in the testis.
Commentary on De Jong

Publisher Summary The results of De Jong's first set of studies argue that when people are unsure about whether a compatible or incompatible spatial mapping will be used, they are forced to inhibit the compatible mapping. This is, as he notes, broadly compatible with the dual-route analyses of S–R compatibility favored by Shaffer. The final set of studies described by De Jong address a very fundamental question: the central demands imposed by switching task set. As per De Jong, with sufficiently compatible cues, switches in task set for a second task can occur while a first task is being carried out. De Jong had explored the role of ideomotor or S–R compatibility in the double-step performance and finds that people respond promptly to stimulus change in a variety of different tasks.
Breast tumor immunophenotype of BRCA1-mutation carriers is influenced by age at diagnosis.

Purpose : Breast tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers and those of early onset breast cancer cases share similar histological features, being generally high-grade, highly proliferative, aneuploid tumors that are predominantly estrogen- and progesterone-receptor negative. Because histological features of tumors of premenopausal women differ from those of tumors of older women, we sought to determine whether the immunophenotype of breast tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers was influenced by age at diagnosis. Experimental Design : We examined 31 breast tumors from BRCA1 mutation carriers and compared them with 81 tumors of age-matched (plus or minus 5 years) breast cancer patients unselected for family history. Tumors were further matched for histology, grade, and size. Paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were examined for protein expression of estrogen receptor (ER), PR, Ki-67, cyclin D1, TP53, HER2, β-catenin, and cyclin E using immunohistochemical approaches. Results : ER ( P = 0.01), PR ( P = 0.06), and cyclin D1 ( P = 0.002) were less frequently expressed and Ki-67 ( P = 0.01) and β-catenin ( P = 0.04) were more frequently expressed in tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers than controls. After age stratification, we found a significant difference in the frequency of tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers diagnosed before 50 years of age compared with age-matched controls that stained positive for ER ( P = 0.01), PR ( P = 0.03), Ki-67 ( P = 0.008), cyclin D1 ( P P = 0.04), and β-catenin ( P = 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers diagnosed at age 50 or older compared with age-matched controls. Conclusions : These data suggest that age at diagnosis, possibly related to menopausal status, may be an important factor in the expression of specific proteins in breast tumors of BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Quasi-free derivations on the Canonical Anticommutation Relation algebra

An unbounded ∗-derivation δ on a C∗-algebra U is called approximately bounded if there is an increasing sequence of full matrix subalgebras {Un} whose union is dense in the domain of U and a sequence {hn} of self-adjoint elements of U such that hn implements δ on Un for every n, and {∥hn − Qn(hn)∥} is a bounded sequence where Qn is the canonical conditional expectation of U onto Un. We prove that a quasi-free derivation on the Canonical Anticommutation Relation algebra is approximately bounded if the self-adjoint operator from which it arises is of finite multiplicity and bounded. We conjecture that all quasi-free derivations are approximately bounded. We also prove that a quasi-free derivation is bounded if and only if the self-adjoint operator from which it arises is of the trace class.
SCREENING FOR GYNECOLOGIC CANCER

Gynecologic cancers are among the most common malignancies in women. In 1998, an estimated 27,100 women died from genital tract cancers, and as with most cancers, early diagnosis of these tumors would have saved many lives. 11 Although implementing screening programs for all gynecologic malignancies seems desirable, a critical evaluation of both cost and efficacy is necessary. For screening to be appropriate, certain principles relating to both the biology of the cancer or its precursor and the efficacy of the tests available for screening need to be considered. 70 First, the disease should be common and serious. In addition, it should also have a recognizable presymptomatic latent stage, and treatment at this stage should favorably influence prognosis. Finally, for screening to be practical and effective, the tests applied for population-based screening should be inexpensive, sensitive, specific, and risk-free. This article discusses these screening principles as they apply to the most common of the gynecologic malignancies: cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer.
Transactional Read-Modify-Write Without Aborts

Language-level transactions are said to provide “atomicity,” implying that the order of operations within a transaction should be invisible to concurrent transactions and thus that independent operations within a transaction should be safe to execute in any order. In this article, we present a mechanism for dynamically reordering memory operations within a transaction so that read-modify-write operations on highly contended locations can be delayed until the very end of the transaction. When integrated with traditional transactional conflict detection mechanisms, our approach reduces aborts on hot memory locations, such as statistics counters, thereby improving throughput and reducing wasted work. We present three algorithms for delaying highly contended read-modify-write operations within transactions, and we evaluate their impact on throughput for eager and lazy transactional systems across multiple workloads. We also discuss complications that arise from the interaction between our mechanism and the need for strong language-level semantics, and we propose algorithmic extensions that prevent errors from occurring when accesses are aggressively reordered in a transactional memory implementation with weak semantics.
Interchain electron-electron scattering in a one-dimensional charge-transfer conductor

The contribution of donor-acceptor interchain electron-electron scattering to the dc resistivity is calculated for one-dimensional charge-transfer metallic conductors. The interchain electron-electron interaction is due to Coulombic or phonon-exchange interactions. The resistivity arises from $U$ processes when the relative signs of the slopes of the donor and acceptor bands are the same and from $N$ processes when they are opposite. The results predict an upper bound for the strength of interchain and possibly on-site Coulomb interactions. Application of the model to TTF-TCNQ (tetrathiafulvalenium tetracyanoquinodimethanide) is discussed.
Theophylline induced variations in cyclic AMP content of the superovulated preimplantation mouse embryo.

In order to investigate the role of cyclic AMP (cAMP) during early mammalian embryogenesis. the endogenous cAMP levels were determined on preimplantation mouse embryos using Oilman’s assay procedure and compared with levels of embryos cultivated in defined medium containing various concentrations of theophylline. Embryos were obtained by superovulation and oviductal flushing at day 2 of development. The LD,, (50 percent mortality corrected for natural mortality) level of embryo cultivation in theophylline for 48 h was 0.91 ± 0.06 mM. The LD40 for 72 h cultivation in theophylline was 0.84 * 0.10 mM. At the conclusion of the 48 h cultivation period at 1.0mM, the embryos appeared retarded in development and cAMP levels were raised significantly from the control level of 12.8 ± 4.1 p moles/ 1000 embryos to 419.3 ± 93.2 p moles/ 1000 embryos. If the embryos, which were cultured in various amounts of theophylline, were washed and cultured in control medium for an additional 24: h, the LD.0 significantly changed to 1.36 * 0.14mM theophylline and the cAMP level dropped to normal at a measured 12.5 ± 6.3 p moles/ 1000 embryos. The interrelationship of theophylline effects and elevated cAMP levels are discussed.
Purification and characterization of highly purified cytochrome b from complex III of baker's yeast.

Abstract A simple, high-yield purification procedure for cytochrome b from yeast Complex III has been developed. This procedure involves solubilization using chemical modification of the lysine residues with 3,4,5,5-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride followed by hydroxyapatite column chromatography. This purified cytochrome b has a heme content of 37.0 nmol cytochrome b /mg and a molecular weight on SDS gels of 25000–26000. Amino acid analysis indicates high hydrophobicity and is very comparable to the composition deduced from the gene sequence (Nobrega, F.G. and Tzagoloff, A. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 9828–9837). The latter data indicate a molecular weight of 42000 for the polypeptide; our heme analyses thus imply the presence of two hemes per polypeptide chain. Optical and MCD spectra are typical of a low-spin b -type cytochrome. MCD-potentiometric titration indicates a one-electron carrier with a single midpoint potential of −44 mV at pH 7.4 and 25°C. The EPR spectrum of isolated cytochrome b has only one g z signal at 3.70, indicating that the ‘strained’ heme structure (Carter, K., T'sai, A. and Palmer, G. (1981) FEBS Lett. 132, 243–246) is still maintained. No indication of antimycin binding was demonstrated either by the direct-fluorescence method or binding-precipitation method although stoichiometric binding to the parent Complex III was readily demonstrated.
CYTOKINE-MODIFIED TUMOR VACCINES : AN ANTITUMOR STRATEGY REVISITED IN THE AGE OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE

Technological advances and improved understanding of the biology of the immune response have resulted in a resurgence of interest in the use of tumor vaccination as a means to control cancer. Tumor vaccines genetically modified with cytokine genes comprise the greatest proportion of gene therapy approaches to cancer. Tumor cells obtained at resection of the primary tumor are grown in tissue culture and genetically modified with cytokine genes such that the vaccine cells, after injection, may stimulate immune recognition of tumor cells and generate immunologic memory to prevent future tumor recurrence. There are many unanswered questions regarding tumor vaccination including the optimal dose, optimal cytokine, injection technique including route and site of vaccine delivery, and methods of evaluating the immune response. Oncology nurses have an integral role in these areas as well as in evaluating patients for as yet undetermined side effects. As tumor vaccines receive increasing attention by the lay media, oncology nurses, especially those in the clinical research setting, must learn new terminology and concepts relevant to this new treatment approach in order to effectively translate the information to patients.
Autism and the African American Community

It is estimated that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect 1 in 500 live births per year. However, due to varying techniques for diagnosis and treatment, the disability remains the subject of debate. African Americans tend to suffer disproportionate rates of disability and disease when compared to other racial and ethnic groups due to access to preventative and curative care. However, evidence demonstrates that although rates of diagnosis for autism occur at the same rates in all racial groups, diagnosis in African American children occurs later than in White children. As a result, African American children may require longer and more intensive intervention. This article examines the etiology of autism, diagnosis, and treatment strategies and its impact on African American families. A case method approach is utilized to describe the impact of autism on an African American family. Implications for future research and professional practice and policy are discussed. Understanding autism is important as it relates to the human genome.
Complex linear morphology for intensity- and distortion-invariant pattern recognition

Any desired diffraction pattern can be produced in the Fourier plane by specification of a corresponding input plane transparency. Complex-valued transmittance is generally required, but in practice, phase-only transmittance is used. Many design procedures use numerically intensive, constrained optimization. We, instead, use a noniterative procedure that directly translates the desired, but unavailable, complex transparency into an appropriate phase transparency. At each pixel the value of phase is pseudorandomly selected from a random distribution whose standard deviation is specified by the desired amplitude. We apply the pseudorandom phase-only encoding to hybrid composite filter design. These filters are used in a filter bank architecture to perform intensity- and distortion-invariant pattern recognition.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Family therapy and outcome: Relationships between therapist and family styles

This study examined therapeutic outcome for a group of 175 clinic families divided into levels of family competence and style, and, later, into seven clinical groupings. The division into these groups was based on the level of rated Competence and Style determined by using the Beavers Systems Model. Therapists also rated their level of Openness/Sharing Strategy, Power Differential, and Partnership with the family at the third session. Results indicate that more competent families who fared well in therapy had therapists who formed a partnership, disclosed strategy, and employed a minimal power differential with the family. The most disturbed families, and those with a Centrifugal style, did better with therapists employing a high power differential and lower levels of openness and partnership. The study also presented the distribution of individual diagnoses by family groups. Implications for family therapists, including the value of family assessment, are provided.
Some effects of sex steroids on the gonads of the starling.

DESPITE many studies, the effects and actions of sex steroids on the avian gonad are not understood clearly. Moore and Morgan (1942) and Lahr and Riddle (1944) have summarized much of the literature. A bird such as the starling offers advantages for study because by photoperiodic manipulations the testis can be placed at a desired level of spermatogenetic activity whereby the annual cycle can be studied in its individual parts. A previous study on the starling (Burger 1944) found that testosterone delayed the response of the initially inactive testis to the stimulation evoked by “long days.” This exogenous steroid did not effect spermatogenesis in testes which were already producing sperm. In the present study, some effects of estradiol and further effects of testosterone are reported. Of special interest is the response, novel for the bird, of the testis to estradiol. Table 1 records the various experimental treatments. Of the two light rations used, 14 hours daily light (long days) will induce complete ...
Clinical Observations and Medical Outcome in 149 Cases of Arsenate ant Killer Ingestion

AbstractOne hundred forty-nine (149) consecutive cases of arsenate-containing ant killer reported to the Minnesota Regional Poison Center over 4 1/2 months were retrospectively reviewed with a follow-up (1 week to 3 months) completed in 132 (89%) of the population studied. One hundred and forty eight (99%) of the ingestions were accidental. The majority of cases involved children 3 years of age and younger. Only three patients accidentally ingesting the product were symptomatic (mild episodes of vomiting and diarrhea which cleared in all patients within 12 hours). No patient was referred to a medical center for treatment and no patient reached on follow-up reported any additional ill effects as a result of the exposure. In addition to the 149 patients in this series, we describe two representative patients who accidentally ingested similar amounts of sodium arsenate-containing ant killer, resulting in urine arsenic of 3500 μg/24 h and 5819 μg/24 h. They required no chelation treatment and had no evident s...
Application of fractal encoding techniques for image segmentation

Fractal encoding is the first step in fractal based image compression techniques, but this technique can also be useful outside the image compression field. This paper discusses a fractal encoding technique and some of its variations adapted to the concept of segmenting anomalous regions within an image. The primary goal of this paper is to provide background information on fractal encoding and show application examples to equip the researcher with enough knowledge to apply this technique to other image segmentation applications. After a brief overview of the algorithm, important parameters for successful implementation of fractal encoding are discussed. Included in the discussion is the impact of image characteristics on various parameters or algorithm implementation choices in the context of two applications that have been successfully implemented.
Pro-proliferative Factor KLF5 Becomes Anti-proliferative in Epithelial Homeostasis upon Signaling-mediated Modification

During epithelial homeostasis, stem cells divide to produce progenitor cells, which not only proliferate to generate the cell mass but also respond to cellular signaling to transition from a proliferative state to a differentiation state. Such a transition involves functional alterations of transcriptional factors, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Recent studies have implicated Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) including KLF5 in the renewal and maintenance of stem/progenitor cells. Here we demonstrate that the pro-proliferative factor KLF5 becomes anti-proliferative upon TGFβ-mediated acetylation in an in vitro model of epithelial homeostasis. In the HaCaT epidermal cell line treated with or without TGFβ, we found that KLF5 was not only essential for cell proliferation, it was also indispensable for TGFβ-induced anti-proliferation in these cells. KLF5 inhibited the expression of p15 (CDKN2B), a cell cycle inhibitor, without TGFβ, but became a coactivator in TGFβ-induced p15 expression in the same cells. Mechanistically, TGFβ recruited acetylase p300 to acetylate KLF5, and acetylation in turn altered the binding of KLF5 to p15 promoter, resulting in the reversal of KLF5 function. These studies not only demonstrate that a basic transcription factor can be both pro-proliferation and anti-proliferation in epithelial homeostasis, they also present a unique mechanism for how transcriptional regulation changes during the transition from proliferation to inhibition of proliferation. Furthermore, they establish KLF5 as an essential cofactor for TGFβ signaling.
Ultrasound investigation of fetal human upper respiratory anatomy.

Although the human upper respiratory—upper digestive tract is an area of vital importance, relatively little is known about either the structural or functional changes that occur in the region during the fetal period. While investigations in our laboratory have begun to chart these changes through the use of postmortem materials, in vivo studies have been rarely attempted. This study combines ultrasonography with new applications of video editing to examine aspects of prenatal upper respiratory development. Structures of the fetal upper respiratory—digestive tract and their movements were studied through the use of ultrasonography, and detailed frame-by-frame analysis. Twenty-five living fetuses, aged 18–36 weeks gestation, were studied in utero during routine diagnostic ultrasound examination. These real-time linear array sonograms were videotaped during each study. Videotapes were next analyzed for anatomical structures and movement patterns, played back through the ultrasound machine in normal speed, and then examined with a frame-by-frame video editor (FFVE) to identify structures and movements. Still images were photographed directly from the video monitor using a 35 mm camera. Results show that upper respiratory and digestive structures, as well as their movements, could be seen clearly during normal speed and repeat fram-by-frame analysis. Major structures that could be identified in the majority of subjects included trachea in 20 of 25 fetuses (80%); larynx, 76%; pharynx, 76%. Smaller structures were more variable, but were nevertheless observed on both sagittal and coronal section: piriform sinuses, 76%; thyroid cartilage, 36%; cricoid cartilage, 32%; and epiglottis, 16%. Movements of structures could also be seen and were those typically observed in connection with swallowing: fluttering tongue movements, changes in pharyngeal shape, and passage of a bolus via the piriform sinuses to esophagus. Fetal swallows had minimal laryngeal motion. This study represents the first time that the appearance of upper airway and digestive tract structures have been quantified in conjunction with their movemements in the living fetus.
Diffusion As A Function Of Aggregation I Colloidal Media

With the assumption that adsorption is a simple function of surface area, an analytical treatment is given for the dependence of the diffusion coefficient of an adsorbable solute upon the degree of aggregation of the adsorbing colloid. A simple relation is deduced after introducing some approximations. Some implications of the final diffusion equation are given.
Status and challenges of filovirus vaccines

Vaccines that could protect humans against the highly lethal Marburg and Ebola viruses have eluded scientists for decades. Classical approaches have been generally unsuccessful for Marburg and Ebola viruses and pose enormous safety concerns as well. Modern approaches, in particular those using vector-based approaches have met with success in nonhuman primate models although success against Ebola has been more difficult to achieve than Marburg. Despite these successes, more work remains to be done. For the vector-based vaccines, safety in humans and potency in the face of pre-existing anti-vector immunity may be critical thresholds for licensure. The immunological mechanism(s) by which these vaccines protect has not yet been convincingly determined. Licensure of these vaccines for natural outbreaks may be possible through clinical trials although this will be very difficult; licensure may also be possible by pivotal efficacy studies in animal models with an appropriate challenge. Nevertheless, nonhuman primate studies have shown that protection against Marburg and Ebola is possible and there is hope that one day a vaccine will be licensed for human use.
A Learning Progression for Feedback Loop Reasoning at Lower Elementary Level

This study examines to what extent elementary students use feedback loop reasoning, a key component of systems thinking, to reason about interactions among organisms in ecosystems. We conducted clinical interviews with 44 elementary students (1st through 4th grades). We asked students to explain how populations change in two contexts: a sustainable ecosystem and an ecosystem that is missing predators. We used an iterative process to develop a learning progression for feedback loop reasoning, and used the learning progression to code interview episodes. The study produces three findings. First, very few students recognised the cyclical relationships among populations in a sustainable ecosystem (Level 7). Second, very few students identified both reproduction and food as the factors affecting population in a context missing predators (Level 4). Finally, students’ reasoning was inconsistent across the two contexts. We also discuss the implication of these findings for teaching and learning of food webs at el...
International basis for uniform measurement.

The influence and importance of the International Bureau have never been greater than they are today and there seems little doubt that its position will be enhanced in the future. The rapid development of science and technological industry during recent decades has placed heavy demands on fundamental metrology to keep ahead of immediate needs. This trend is likely to increase. Other organizations also have an important role to play in measurement and its ultimate application. However, if the International Bureau conserves its competence, the fact that it has always envisaged its role as that of providing leadership in the development of an international scientific consensus rather than developing and imposing its own ideas, combined with the authority that is conferred only by international treaty, will assure its position as the international focus for world measurement. Inevitably this will call for expansion of the Bureau9s activities. Not all demands made on it will be legitimate or wise. It will be the responsibility of the International Committee to keep the situation under continuous study and bring imaginative yet prudent recommendations to the Conference.
Treibich-Verdier potentials and the stationary (m)KDV hierarchy.

Here .~(x) _= .~ (x ; col, co3) denotes the elliptic Weierstrass function with fundamental periods (f.p.) 2a~l, 2co3, Im(co3/wl)5 / 0 (see [1], Ch. 18). In the special case where col is real and co3 is purely imaginary the potential q is real-valued and Ince's striking result [31], in modern spectral theoretic terminology, yields the fact that the self-adjoint operator L associated with the differential expression d 2 + q in L2(IR) has a finite-gap spectrum of the type
Domestic Credit and Diversification of Manufactured Exports from Developing Countries

This article uses panel data to analyse the effect of domestic credit on the diversification of manufactured exports from developing countries. Given the evidence that export variety of manufactured goods affects productivity positively, the results imply that policy reforms that improve access to domestic credit for firms can raise productivity and hence economic growth in many poor countries. In addition, the results also show that building infrastructure and implementing reforms in governance that improve the quality of government regulations are important for encouraging diversification of manufactured export products in developing countries.
Prosthodontic laboratory and curriculum survey. Part IV: Fixed prosthodontic curriculum survey.

A fixed prosthodontic curriculum survey was mailed to 60 U.S. dental schools; 42 surveys were returned. The results were compared with those of Part III of the study. Comparisons and their implications were discussed.
Mean frequency of vocal vibrato relative to target frequency

Summary Six professional singers of early and contemporary music produced sustained vowel phonations at three pitch levels beginning with straight tone leading to either vibrato or to vibrato followed by exaggerated vibrato. Mean fundamental frequency (F 0 ) during the two vibrato conditions was compared with the target F 0 , which was measured during straight tone production. During usual vibrato production the preponderance of singers lowered their mean F 0 , and a lesser number maintained the straight tone mean. Only one subject elevated mean vibrato F 0 . During exaggerated vibrato phonation, there were four instances of elevated F 0 , but the same number of lowered F 0 as for usual vibrato.
Damage mechanisms, life prediction, and development of EB-PVD thermal barrier coatings for turbine airfoils

Abstract Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) must successfully resist damage from a variety of environmental and mechanical mechanisms to be viable on turbine airfoils. This paper reviews engine-operative TBC damage mechanisms and the requirements for life methods that enable a designer and engine operator to achieve acceptable TBCed component lives. Understanding TBC damage mechanisms facilitates development of advanced TBCs. The following damage mechanisms are discussed: • growth and cracking of the bond coating's thermally grown oxide and its interfaces • molten deposit (sulfate salt and calcia–magnesia–alumina–silicate) wicking into TBC • sintering shrinkage, particle impact, bond coating creep
On sensitivity analysis of low probability of intercept (LPI) capability

For operational purposes, the low probability of intercept (LPI) capability of a waveform is usually quantified by the area of being intercepted by a detector. The radius of a circular area equivalent to the vulnerable area, the Circular equivalent vulnerable radius (CEVR), is used to indicate the vulnerability. In this paper, we show that CEVR is a function of three sets of parameters-the interceptor performance, the emitter antenna pattern, and the geometric/link parameters. We investigate the impact of the interceptor performance and the emitter antenna pattern on CEVR. We show that it is appropriate to present CEVR as a function of the interceptor performance within a statistical context like confidence interval. The representation is able to capture the effect of the emitter antenna pattern and the link variation. We illustrate this sensitivity analysis framework through a numerical example, in which a frequency hopped DPSK waveform and a filter-bank combiner (FBC) interceptor are considered.