cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Education in Restructuring Socialism: the Tanzanian case

Summary Tanzanian educators recognize the need to ally education more clearly to economic development, for they see in a revitalized economy the impetus for the growth of social services. The shortcomings in the educational system which must help accomplish this are clear. They realize that the ‘education for self‐reliance'policies have only slightly altered the nation's economy and have done little to create the ‘new’ socialist person. Teachers, their students, and parents do not yet possess the attitudes necessary to promote cooperation and service; and the majority of students do not attain the knowledge and skills necessary for an economy to prosper. The nation's educational bureaucracy must also be committed to dramatic change. To date, only cosmetic changes have occurred in the way schools are administered. While leadership at the top has been sincere, regional and local educational leaders often only pay lip service. Revolutionary change in Tanzanian education could come quickly through coercion an...
Regulation of reflex gain in the control of movement

The myotatic reflex, the simplest and fastest feedback loop of the motor system has not been demonstrated to possess a clear and simple physiological role in motor control. In this paper, we discuss two possible roles, load compensation and sensory-motor integration. Integral to both these roles is the idea that the gain of the closed-loop reflex arc is one of the regulated parameters of the system. Data supporting these roles and the hypothesis of gain control is presented and discussed.
A characterization of the minimum cycle mean in a digraph

Abstract Let C = (V,E) be a digraph with n vertices. Let f be a function from E into the real numbers, associating with each edge e ∈ E a weight ƒ(e) . Given any sequence of edges σ = e1,e2,…,ep define w(σ), the weight of σ, as ∑ i = 1 p ƒ(e i ) , and define m(σ), the mean weight of σ, as w(σ)⧸p. Let λ ∗ = min C m(C) where C ranges over all directed cycles in G; λ∗ is called the minimum cycle mean. We give a simple characterization of λ∗, as well as an algorithm for computing it efficiently.
Anatomy of shoots and tumors of in vitro habituated rhododendron ‘montego’ (Ericaceae) cultures with tissue proliferation

Tissue proliferation (TP) is characterized primarily by the formation of galls or tumors at the crown of container-grown rhododendrons that were initially propagated in vitro. In the cultivar ‘Montego’, TP 2like symptoms are first observed in vitro as shoot clusters with small leaves and nodal tumors. In addition, unlike the normal in vitro non-TP (TP2) shoots, in vitro TP (TP1) shoots proliferate rapidly without the presence of the plant growth regulator cytokinin in the tissue culture medium. Comparisons of the anatomy of TP1 and TP2 shoot tips showed that TP1 shoots had a less developed vascular system, longer cells in the pith and cortex, and altered internodal elongation at the shoot apex. In addition, TP 1 axillary buds were abnormal in that they were displaced onto the stem above the leaf axil, and a small group of proliferating cells replaced the shell zone at the base of the bud. Initiation of tumor formation began with the expansion of this region of cell proliferation (RCP) and shoot growth from the abnormal axillary bud (tumor bud). Organization of the tumor bud and extension of the RCP characterized the further development of two types of tumors. In polar shoot tumors, shoot growth continued from the persistent tumor bud and the tumor at the base of the shoot remained small in size. The RCP extends downward to the vascular junction of the subtending leaf and the stem of the TP 1 shoot. In nonpolar tumors, continuous de novo meristem formation led to the development of large tumors with or without shoots. The RCP is present throughout the tumor and is associated with de novo meristem formation. Comparisons to the anatomy of other tumor-like structures showed that TP tumors of Rhododendron ‘Montego’ are most similar to tobacco genetic tumors.
Sage as a condiment in the graeco-roman era

Several species of Salvia contributed to this flavorinǵ and preservinǵ adjunct of food in classical times.
Cardiac imaging 2006.

Primum Non Nocere (First Do No Harm): The Safe and Efficient Performance of Cardiac Imaging The application of strong magnetic fields and radiation requires optimal technique applications. Abada and colleagues [1] offer reduced cardiac CT angiography (CTA) patient radiation dose by applying an automatic modulation technique (ECG-pulsed tube current modulation) at a reduced kilovoltage setting (80 kV) for coronary CT. Radiation dose exposure can be reduced by up to 88% for slim patients without impairing image quality. Abada et al. estimate that this ECG-pulsed tube current modulation technique produces a reduced radiation exposure of 2 mSV, which is similar to or less than that of conventional coronary angiography [2]. Cardiac imagers administer a variety of pharmacologic interventional agents before and during imaging. These range from the harmless radiopharmaceuticals and gadolinium chelates to the tricky but relatively safe βblockers, dipyridamole, adenosine, and nitroglycerine, and to the more challenging dobutamine. In spite of all of the potential side effects of these agents, the most treacherous cardiac imaging intervention—the iodinated contrast agent—is well known to radiologists. Just as radiologists have developed a relative comfort level with iodinated contrast agents, so must we learn to work with adenosine and β-blockers [3]. Pannu et al. [4] tell us how radiologists can implement a protocol so that β−blockers can be safely given, orally or IV, to most patients to lower the heart rate for cardiac CT. Patients can be screened for certain contraindications: heart rate less than 60 bpm, systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg, decompensated cardiac failure, allergy to β-blockers, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a β2-agonist inhaler, active bronchospasm, and secondor third-degree atrioventricular block. Perhaps the authors might have added a potential option for patients with COPD, active bronchospasm, or β-blocker allergy: 60–90 mg of diltiazem orally 1 hour before scanning can be a safe and efficacious alternative to βblockers [5]. Pannu et al. go on to add [4]:
Cost Effectiveness of Hepatitis B Immunisation Strategies

AllilOUgh a safe and effective vaccine to prevenl infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) was introduced as early as 1981, HB V today remains the world's most common blood-borne virus, chronically infecting morc than 200 million people worldwide in growing numbers. In the US, for example, the incidence of HBV has increased by 37% in the last 10 years. with approximately 300 000 additional Americans becoming infected with the virus annually. Serological evidence indicates that 4.8% of the US population has been infected with HBV at some point, reflecting the challenges that stand between the scientific development of a powerful preventative measure and its implementation to achieve desired individual and social benefits. Hepatitis B is responsible for substantial morbidity and monality including a spectrum of acute disease, as well as chronic outcomes such as chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis.
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE IN NEW YORK CITY

THE RECORD OF REAL ESTATE investment experience in New York City is an extraordinary one in many respects. It runs counter to widely accepted notions of the profitability of real estate investment-to what may be called the folklore of real estate investment. The record is at variance with the traditional belief that real estate values in the long run are inevitably increasing. It discloses so sharp a break in the investment experience of two succeeding generations-before and after 1930-that there seems to be more involved than the vicissitudes of cycles. These generalized statements hold more or less for every one of the numerous groups of properties analyzed in the study, but the findings show at the same time such great variation of experience as to limit consideration of urban real estate as a homogeneous class of investment. Not only do the results differ for various types of structure, but the outcome is largely determined by the timing of investment-apparently much more so than in the case of bonds or urban mortgage loans. Generally, net returns on long-term investments in the properties included in the study have been lower than one would expect considering the risks involved in real estate investment: the instability of gross and particularly of net earnings; the factors normally subsumed under depreciation and obsolescence including what may be called locational obsolescence; the exposure to specific taxes on real estate; and the hazards of other public policies exemplified by the often capricious effects of rent control. This impression is strengthened by a comparison of net returns
Understanding database design expertise

Database design is a complex and time-consuming process. In order to automate database design, an understanding of the nature of expertise that goes into the design process is needed. Although a number of expert systems have been developed to assist or replace a database designer, database design expertise has not been examined in any detail. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for explaining this type of expertise. The components of the framework are applied to each phase of the design process and used to provide guidelines for the level of expertise developers might strive to obtain. Several representative systems are analyzed, based on the framework, to explore the degree to which expertise is being captured. Implications for the future development of database design expert systems are discussed.
Microscopic analysis of early histopathological spinal cord alterations following trauma in normal and catecholamine-depleted cats

The progressive histopathological sequence over the first 3 hr after a 400 g-cm blunt injury to the spinal cord of catecholamine (CA)-intact and CA-depleted cats is described. Norepinephrine levels were measured in all animals. The experiments were designed to determine the role of CA in progressive hemorrhagic necrosis of the spinal cord by removing CA from one group of animals prior to trauma. A second group of CA-intact animals was subjected to identical experimentally-induced trauma. Upon analysis of the histopathological changes, it appears that the sequential nature of the development of hemorrhagic necrosis is both qualitatively and quantitatively similar in both experimental groups. The general conclusion is drawn that catecholamines in greater than normal amounts are present at the lesion site after trauma, but these catecholamines are probably not involved in the process of central hemorrhagic necrosis.
Ritual, strategy, and deep culture in the Chechen national movement

This paper probes the dichotomy between strategic performance of cultural text and a strong approach to culture that sees fundamental texts as encompassing and determining social action. The central question posed is whether the paradigmatic emphasis on strategy in cultural analysis of protest and social movements misses the compelling influences that cultural texts may exert under certain conditions. Regarding protest movements and political contention, I am especially interested in the ‘deep textual grammar’ of the conflict, which can strongly constrain and guide social action. By identifying and analysing the deep cultural text of the Chechen nationalist movement for the period 1989–1999, this study shows that, in addition to strategic decisions, movement trajectories are sometimes strongly – almost ritualistically – culturally determined. As a first step towards reconceptualising the role of culture in social movements and to spur further investigation, this paper offers several propositions derived f...
U.S. foreign policies of presidents Bush and Clinton: The influence of China's most favored nation status upon human rights issues

Abstract The United States must find a new direction in its efforts to curb China's human rights abuses. The change will be a slow and difficult one, with each step measured by countless sacrifices. Without such steps, however, tens of thousands will suffer. During the last two presidential administrations, focus on human rights issues has increased as a result of the Tiananmen Square massacre. With the recent signing of China's most favored nation (MFN) status, Clinton has succesfully separated the issues of human rights abuses and international economics. Although he may have hoped to curb such abuses early in his presidency, he fell victim to the growing complexity of Congress and the ability of special interest groups to influence legislators. A possible explanation for the support of the MFN status by both presidents may be evident in their previous experiences. Bush, a former ambassador to China and representative at the United Nations, had a strong foreign policy background. Clinton, however, with a weak foreign policy background and no military experience, relies heavily on Vice President Gore's military history—during the Vietnam War—as well as his strengths in foreign service.
Bend to Open

In this issue of Structure , Ludtke et al. (2005) report the 9.6 A structure of the ryanodine receptor (RyR1) closed state. The structure shows a bent inner helix and raises the question of whether inner helix deformation is really a conserved channel gating mechanism.
Examination of contraction-induced muscle pain as a behavioral correlate of physical activity in women with and without fibromyalgia.

AbstractPurpose: This study aimed to compare muscle pain intensity during a sustained isometric contraction in women with and without fibromyalgia (FM), and examine the association between muscle pain and self-reported levels of physical activity. Methods: Fourteen women with FM and 14 healthy women completed the study, where muscle pain ratings (MPRs) were obtained every 30 s during a 3 min isometric handgrip task at 25% maximal strength, and self-reported physical activity was quantified using the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Women with FM were less physically active than healthy controls. During the isometric contraction, MPR progressively increased in both groups at a comparable rate, but women with FM generally reported a greater intensity of muscle pain than healthy controls. Among all women, average MPR scores were inversely associated with self-reported physical activity levels. Conclusions: Women with FM exhibit augmented muscle pain during isometric contractions and reduced p...
Occurrence of unusual hexadecenoate fatty acids in hepatoma lipids

Cis-hexadecenoates isolated from rat liver and hepatoma 7288CTC lipids were analyzed for positional isomers by ozonolysis and capillary gas liquid chromatography. In addition to the Δ6, Δ7, Δ9 and Δ11 isomers found in both tissues, the hepatoma neutral and polar lipids contained relatively high percentages of Δ12 and Δ14 hexadecenoates that were virtually absent from liver. The occurrence of these unusual fatty acids may result from an error in lipid metabolism in the hepatoma.
Reaction-transport model for the pyrolysis of shrinking cellulose particles

Abstract A reaction-transport model is developed for the pyrolysis of cellulose particles. The model incorporates recently measured kinetic parameters, intra- and extra-particle heat transfer, and particle shrinkage as gaseous products are formed. Numerical predictions for measurable properties, including the temporal evolution of the residual mass and the final char yield, are validated through comparison to data from experiments, and strong agreement is found. Predicted char yields and effectiveness factors are presented for a wide range of parameters, and operating conditions are identified under which the process is transport- vs. reaction-controlled due to the limitations of intraparticle heat transport.
Defoliation effects on enzyme activities of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus granulatus in a Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) stand in Yellowstone National Park

Ectomycorrhizal (EM) basidiomycete fungi are obligate mutualists of pines and hardwoods that receive fixed C from the host tree. Though they often share most recent common ancestors with wood-rotting fungi, it is unclear to what extent EM fungi retain the ability to express enzymes that break down woody substrates. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the dominant EM fungus in a pure pine system retains the ability to produce enzymes that break down woody substrates in a natural setting, and that this ability is inducible by reduction of host photosynthetic potential via partial defoliation. To achieve this, pines in replicate blocks were defoliated 50% by needle removal, and enzyme activities were measured in individual EM root tips that had been treated with antibiotics to prevent possible bacterial activity. Results indicate that the dominant EM fungal species (Suillus granulatus) expressed all enzymes tested (endocellulase D-glucosidase, laccase, manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, phosphatase and protease), and that activities of these enzymes increased significantly (P < 0.001) in response to defoliation. Thus, this EM fungus (one of the more specialized mutualists of pine) has the potential to play a significant role in C, N and P cycling in this forested ecosystem. Therefore, many above-ground factors that reduce photosynthetic potential or divert fixed C from roots may have wide-reaching ecosystem effects.
Agrios: A hybrid approach to big array analytics

Hybrid systems for analyzing big data integrate an analytic tool and a dedicated data-management platform. The necessary movement of data between the components of a hybrid system can lead to performance problems, if that movement is not managed effectively. We present Agrios, a hybrid analytic system for array-structured data, integrating R and SciDB. Agrios minimizes data movement between the two components of the hybrid, using techniques repurposed from relational database query optimization.
Pulpal Responses to Ionomer Cements—Biological Characteristics

When glass ionomer cements were initially introduced, the pulpal responses were considered milder relative to other cements. However, the results mainly came from the application of glass ionomer cements as restorative materials. When ultimately tested with the basic laws of biocompatibility required of other cements, especially as luting agents, little difference has been shown. The judicious use o f calcium hydroxide is highly recommended.
Shear-wave speeds and elastic moduli for different liquids. Part 2. Experiments

Tables of values of shear-wave speeds, shear moduli and relaxation times for 18 new liquids are presented, supplementing the tables for 51 liquids given in Part 2. A brief discussion of errors and analysis of the oscilloscope traces is presented. The relation of the effective moduli measured on the wave-speed meter to independent measurements using phase-modulated birefringence and delayed die swell is discussed. A method of measuring wave speeds and rigidities for sheared media is proposed.
Two‐dimensional transverse‐magnetic time‐domain scattering using a predictor/corrector‐based Nyström method

The Nystrom method is used to numerically solve the time-domain integral equations of two-dimensional transverse-magnetic electromagnetic scattering. The kernels of the equations are temporally filtered to control aliasing and weaken the singularity. This filtering results in a noncausal kernel, so a simple predictor/corrector approach is used to recover the time-marching capability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 231–236, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20596
Labour, leisure, poverty and protest: the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign as a case study

Social movements exist in a liminal space between labour and leisure. Movements require an inordinate amount of work – mobilising communities, studying policy issues, raising funds, organising events and participating in direct action – but protesting can also be fun. Demonstrations engender community through singing, shouting, marching and confronting authority figures. Activists often pass up typical leisure activities and take time off of work to protest. This article examines the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) to understand how people engage in both labour and leisure when participating in social movements. During the summer of 1968, a racially, geographically and politically diverse coalition of poor people caravanned to Washington, DC, and built a temporary city where they lived in wooden A‐frame huts for over six weeks in an attempt to expose poverty. Volunteers provided participants with social services and basic necessities they lacked at home, while participants conducted daily protests at ne...
UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CONTENT DECISIONS: ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND AN APPLICATION TO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY*

In industrializing regions, foreign investments often generate spillovers through regional backward links. This situation may create a gap between private and social valuations of resources, resulting in a level of local content below what would be optimal for the economy. This situation creates an opportunity for the enactment of domestic content regulations. This paper presents a model to understand how these policies condition the decisions of the economic agents and affect economic welfare. Then, it simulates the model using a case study of the automotive sector. Results suggest that, in certain conditions, this local content regulation can be welfare enhancing.
Synthesis and Electrical Properties of Single Crystalline CrSi2 Nanowires

Free-standing CrSi2 nanowires are synthesized by a vapor transport based method for the first time. High-quality CrSi2 nanowires with a hexagonal cross section are produced by the reaction of a CrCl2 precursor and a Si substrate without using any metal catalyst. We have studied the crystal structure and electrical transport properties of CrSi2 nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies confirm the single-crystalline nature of the CrSi2 nanowires of a C40 type structure. Four-probe devices were fabricated by the focused ion beam equipped with a nanomanipulator. Measured resistivity of the nanowire is 0.012 Ω·cm, which is close to that of bulk single-crystalline CrSi2.
Effects of Methoxinine in the Mouse.

Conclusions1. In mice, methoxinine causes a reduction in the food consumption and a weight loss. 2. The toxic effects of methoxinine are alleviated by methionine. 3. Methoxinine is not lipotropic in mice, since the caloric restriction imposed by its toxicity can completely account for its “apparent” lipotropic activity.
Near-surface geophysical studies of Houston faults

More than 300 active gravity-driven faults intersect the Earth's surface in the Houston metropolitan area on the northern edge of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. These surface faults have caused damage to roads, pipelines, and buildings. Lidar has proved an effective tool for mapping fault scarps and topographic changes related to potential faults. Near-surface techniques such as seismic and GPR have proven effective in determining whether topographic features that resemble scarps are faults or related to some other natural or anthropogenic surface features.
Noninvasive Doppler color flow mapping for detection of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery and for evaluation of surgical repair

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare but important cause of congestive heart failure in infancy and of sudden death at all ages. Diagnosis is often missed when based solely on physical examination and noninvasive methods. A 4 year old patient is presented in whom mitral regurgitation was noted by a referring physician and an anomalous left coronary artery was found by Doppler color flow mapping upon referral and verified at cardiac catheterization. Doppler color flow mapping was also used intraoperatively using a gas-sterilized transducer to further clarify the hemodynamics and assess the surgical result. After creation of an intrapulmonary artery tunnel from the ostium of the left coronary artery to the aorta, anterograde coronary artery flow and absence of a residual left to right pulmonary artery shunt were verified during surgery by Doppler flow mapping. Postoperatively, residual mitral regurgitation and patency of the left coronary artery graft have been followed up serially by Doppler flow mapping. Therefore, Doppler color flow mapping is useful in the diagnosis and intraoperative and postoperative management of this important and potentially life-threatening abnormality.
Blocking-aware private record linkage

In this paper, the problem of quickly matching records (i.e., record linkage problem) from two autonomous sources without revealing privacy to the other parties is considered. In particular, our focus is to devise secure blocking scheme to improve the performance of record linkage significantly while being secure. Although there have been works on private record linkage, none has considered adopting the blocking framework. Therefore, our proposed blocking-aware private record linkage can perform large-scale record linkage without revealing privacy. Preliminary experimental results showing the potential of the proposal are reported.
Feline Endomyocarditis and Left Ventricular Endocardial Fibrosis

A retrospective study was conducted of all feline necropsies over a 7-year period. Of a total of 1,472 necropsies, 37 cases of endomyocarditis (EMC) and 25 cases of left ventricular endocardial fibrosis (LVEF) (previously called restrictive or intermediate cardiomyopathy) were identified. There was a subset of four cats with EMC that had histologic features of both diseases. Interstitial pneumonia was seen in 25 of 35 cats (71%) with EMC but in only seven of 25 cats (28%) with LVEF. Thrombi or thromboemboli were seen in 14 of 25 cats (56%) with LVEF but in only six of 37 of cats (16%) with EMC. In both LVEF and EMC, thromboemboli were located in the abdominal aorta, left atrium and ventricle of the heart, femoral artery, cranial mesenteric artery, liver, pulmonary artery, jugular vein, or a meningeal vessel. Each cat had a single thrombus/thromboembolus, except for four cats with LVEF that had more than one. The histologic and clinical findings suggest that EMC and LVEF represent temporally different manifestations of a single disease entity.
Exploring the genetic architecture of alcohol dependence in African-Americans via analysis of a genomewide set of common variants.

Alcohol dependence (AD) is a complex psychiatric disorder that affects about 12.5 % of US adults. Genetic factors play a major role in the development of AD. We conducted a genomewide association study in 2,875 African-Americans including 1,719 AD cases and 1,156 controls. We used the Illumina Omni 1-Quad microarray, which yielded 769,498 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) after quality control. To explore the genetic architecture of AD, we estimated the variance that could be explained by all SNPs and subsets of SNPs using two different approaches to genome partitioning. We found that 23.9 % (s.e. 9.3 %) of the phenotypic variance could be explained by using all of the common SNPs on the array. We also found a significant linear relationship between the proportion of the top SNPs used and the phenotypic variance explained by them. Based on genome partitioning of common variants, we also observed a significant linear relationship between the variance explained by a chromosome and its length. Chromosome 4, known to contain several AD risk genes, accounted for excess risk in proportion to its length. By functional partitioning, we found that the genetic variants within 20 kb of genes explained 17.5 % (s.e. 11.4 %) of the phenotypic variance. Our findings are consistent with the generally accepted view that AD is a highly polygenic trait, i.e., the genetic risk in AD appears to be conferred by multiple variants, each of which may have a small or moderate effect.
Present at the creation.

The spliceosome was in its heyday … the ribosome not yet proven to be a ribozyme … microRNAs, lncRNAs, et al. lurking out of sight. The survivors of previous RNA processing get-togethers (starting in 1974 at Brookhaven), gathering in Keystone in 1994, speculated that since there was a (financially successful and media-savvy) Protein Society, why not RNA? And if an RNA Society, why not an RNA journal? Key to the journal's success was getting buy-in from the RNA community at large to serve on its Editorial Board and agreeing to a high set of standards for manuscript acceptance. We prided ourselves on being a cooperative and collaborative group (in contrast to others that we could—and frequently did—name) and especially encouraged the participation of our young colleagues. In the ensuing years, the Society and the journal have flourished. With the discovery of vast new repertoires of non-coding RNAs, even folks who previously lived their lives outside of the RNA World suddenly wanted in. The crystal structure of the ribosome galvanized a brand new era of hypothesis-driven experiments to interrogate function. The spliceosome, whose dynamic construction has long thwarted traditional structural approaches, is proving to be amenable to sophisticated single-molecule techniques; these promise to illuminate new principles of RNP design, especially as new technical advances allow us to look inside single cells in real time. While much excitement inevitably awaits us, these past 20 years have witnessed a spectacular proliferation of RNA-centric themes in biology. May the journey continue!
Neuromorphic aVLSI circuit of lamprey unit pattern generator

We have designed, built, and tested a neuromorphic model of the lamprey unit pattern generator using analog VLSI CMOS circuits. The lamprey is an eel-like fish with 100 segments in the spinal cord. Our neuromorphic single-segment model utilizes 6 neurons, 4 excitatory synapses, 8 inhibitory synapses, and 6 tonic synapses with simplified biophysical properties. The chip exhibits fixed point and oscillatory behaviors similar to the numerical model of the biological spinal cord.
Late recovery in peripartum cardiomyopathy

Full recovery occurred after 15 months of severe congestive heart failure in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Clinical improvement was noted when propranolol was added to conventional therapy.
Estimating piecewise-smooth optical flow with global matching and graduated optimization

This paper presents a new method for estimating piecewise-smooth optical flow. We propose a global optimization formulation with three-frame matching and local variation and develop an efficient technique to minimize the resultant global energy. This technique takes advantage of local gradient, global gradient, and global matching methods and alleviates their limitations. Experiments on various synthetic and real data show that this method achieves highly competitive accuracy.
Off-Season Spawning of Black Crappie in a North-Central Florida Lake

Abstract Black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus less than 60 mm total length were observed in December in Orange Lake, Florida, during fishery investigations. Sagittal otoliths were examined for daily growth rings to estimate hatch date. Hatch date ranged from 9 to 29 October 2001; mean hatch date was 20 October, which is the first published occurrence of off-season spawning of black crappies. Fishery managers should be aware of potential seasonal spawning variability when estimating growth.
Numerical Simulation of Nose Bluntness Effects on Hypersonic Boundary Layer Receptivity to Freestream Disturbances

The accurate prediction of laminar-turbulent transition in hypersonic boundary layers is a critical part of the aerodynamic heating analyses on hypersonic vehicles. Since 1950s, extensive wind-tunnel and flight-test experiments on boundary layer transition and a number of stability experiments have been conducted for hypersonic flows over circular cones [1, 2]. Schneider [1, 2] did an extensive review of the existing literature on these experiments for both flight test and wind tunnel experiments. Though many of these experiments did not measure transition mechanisms and were carried out in noisy wind tunnels, the experimental studies have led to better understanding of the effects on transition of many parameters, including nose bluntness, Mach number, freestream noise, surface and stagnation temperatures, freestream unit Reynolds numbers, cone half angles, angles of attack, and surface roughness, etc. Nevertheless, so far, the effects of many of these parameters on transition are still not well understood.
Finite-dimensional dynamical system modeling thermal instabilities

We describe a three-dimensional dynamical system, which is obtained as a pseudo-spectral approximation to a free boundary problem modeling solid combustion and rapid solidification, and is capable of generating its major dynamical patterns. These patterns include a Hopf bifurcation followed by a sequence of secondary period doubling and a transition to chaos, reverse sequences, and sequences followed by Shilnikov type trajectories. A computer-assisted bifurcation analysis uncovers some novel mechanisms of stability exchange. The most striking of them is an infinite period bifurcation which resembles the classical Shilnikov bifurcation, but instead of a funnel-shaped spiral along which the period is continually increasing, the continuation produced a series of isolas. Each isola is a closed branch of solutions of roughly the same period, and with the same number of oscillations. The isolas corresponding to consecutive numbers of low amplitude oscillations about the equilibrium are adjacent to each other, and appear to accumulate on a saddle-focus homoclinic connection of Shilnikov type. ©2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Architectural Design of an Automated Software Tool

The paper presents the preliminary architectural design of an automated boundary value testing tool for applicable 3-variable functions [1]. Specifically, this paper will discuss aspects of boundary value analysis test case generation and execution. A preliminary architectural design and a detailed design description are included.
Deconstructing complex fractionated atrial electrograms: just how complex and fractionated are they?

Few topics in clinical electrophysiology evoke as much controversy as that of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs). The original description by Nademanee et al 1 offered electrophysiologists a tool by which to map and ablate the atrial “substrate” in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Subsequent studies have reached disparate conclusions, with some suggesting that ablation of CFAEs has a role in patients with persistent AF 2,3 and others not. 4 Apart from the lack of consensus in the literature, there is no universal definition of what constitutes a CFAE. Furthermore, a CFAE may be generated by a variety of mechanisms, all of which may not be critical to the fibrillatory process. These complex electrograms may be found at areas of slow conduction, 5 pivot point of turning wavelets, wave collision, fibrillatory conduction, 6 rotor meandering, 7 or autonomic activation. 8 Currently it is not possible to predict prior to ablation whether a given CFAE is being generated by a driver source versus a bystander site. This is an important point because excessive ablation not only is time consuming but also may be associated with acute and longterm complications such as atrial scarring 9 and impairment of atrial mechanical function. To add to this conundrum, a recent study questioned the validity of sequential mapping of CFAEs on the basis of their temporal variability. 10 It is in this murky context that we receive an illuminating offering by Narayan et al 11 in this issue of Heart Rhythm. The investigators sought to classify various types of CFAEs using monophasic action potential (MAP) recordings in patients undergoing catheter ablation of AF. MAP recordings have been used in clinical electrophysiology in order to define local myocardial activation and repolarization. 12 In doing so, MAPs allow us to discern whether a given electrogram is being generated by local or nonlocal activity. The authors classified their findings into four patterns based on MAP recordings and activation data. Type I CFAEs were considered to represent areas of localized sources of AF in that they showed rapid, discrete MAPs, and activation mapping showed that tissue adjacent to the MAP site accounted for majority of the AF cycle length. Despite high-grade fractionation at these sites, the adjacent MAPs were distinct. Interestingly, analysis of adjacent sites showed that there was a decrement in rate and organization, consistent with the rotor phenomenon observed in experimental studies. 13 It is important to note that only 8% of CFAE sites could be classified as type I. Type II CFAEs emerged upon abrupt shortening of the AF cycle length. The authors hypothesized that such patterns may be due to fibrillatory conduction, which in the parlance of the rotor hypothesis is thought to occur at the periphery of a rapidly activating source, 13 oscillations in the action potential duration, or autonomic activation. The prevalence of type II CFAEs was also 8%. Type III CFAEs were shown to be due to far-field acti
Injury-Induced Reorganization of Somatosensory Cortex Is Accompanied by Reductions in GABA Staining

When a portion of primary somatosensory cortex is deprived of its normal inputs by peripheral nerve transection, intact skin surfaces represented in surrounding cortex come to activate the deprived zone within 2 months. We found that this cortical reorganization was accompanied by a marked decrease in the antibody staining of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) within the deprived sector of cortex in monkeys surviving nerve injury for 2-5 months. In contrast, there were no apparent changes in cytochrome oxidase reactivity in the deprived cortex of these same monkeys. Reduced levels of inhibition could allow previously unexpressed connections to become potent. Thus, the regulation of the expression of GABA appears to be one mechanism for maintaining and altering cortical representations.
Prognosis in rupture of the ventricular septum after acute myocardial infarction and role of early surgical intervention.

Abstract Since 1944, 91 patients (50 men and 41 women, mean age 68 years [range 39 to 86]) with ventricular septal rupture after acute myocardial infarction were seen at the Mayo Clinic. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to therapy and timing of surgical intervention. Fourteen patients seen before 1965, when surgery was not performed for such a complication or not readily available, were excluded from the analysis. Group 1 (n = 22) had surgery within 48 hours of septal rupture, group 2 (n = 6) underwent operation between 2 and 14 days, group 3 (n = 24) had surgery after 14 days, and group 4 (n = 25) only received medical treatment. Short-term (30 days) survivors (45%, 35 of 77 patients) were compared with nonsurvivors. Using logistic regression, by univariate analysis, 3 variables were significantly associated with outcome: age (p In patients with cardiogenic shock after septal rupture, the prognosis was uniformly fatal unless patients undergo early surgery. None of the 23 patients in groups 2, 3 or 4 survived, whereas 5 of 13 patients (38%) who had surgery within 48 hours of septal rupture survived. In patients with congestive heart failure, the long-term outcome was similar among patients who underwent early surgery; 3 of 6 patients (50%) survived compared with 8 of 15 patients (53%) in whom surgery was delayed. In group 4 patients (no surgery), 12 of the 19 patients who were nonsurvivors were in cardiogenic shock and died within 48 hours of septal rupture, but in the remaining 7 patients, death occurred between 3 and 9 days in 5 patients, and at 20 and 30 days in 2 others. Thus, in patients with cardiogenic shock after septal rupture, only those who underwent operation within 48 hours survived; the potential for rapid and unpredictable deterioration in the nonsurgical group and the good surgical results warrant early repair for most patients with ventricular septal defect after acute myocardial infarction.
Test of fundamental symmetries via the Primakoff effect

The three neutral pseudoscalar mesons, pi^0, eta and eta', represent one of the most interesting systems in strong interaction physics. A study of the electromagnetic properties of these mesons provides a sensitive probe of the symmetry structure of QCD at low energy. A comprehensive experimental program at Jefferson Laboratory (Jlab) is aimed at gathering high precision measurements on the two-photon decay widths and transition form factors at low Q^2 of pi^0, eta and eta' via the Primakoff effect. The completed experiments on the pi^0 radiative decay width at Jlab 6 GeV, and other planned measurements at Jlab 12 GeV will provide a rich laboratory to test the chiral anomaly and to study the origin and dynamics of chiral symmetry breaking at the confinement scale of QCD.
Convergence and application of online active sampling using orthogonal pillar vectors

The analysis of convergence and its application is shown for the Active Sampling-at-the-Boundary method applied to multidimensional space using orthogonal pillar vectors. Active learning method facilitates identifying an optimal decision boundary for pattern classification in machine learning. The result of this method is compared with the standard active learning method that uses random sampling on the decision boundary hyperplane. The comparison is done through simulation and application to the real-world data from the UCI benchmark data set. The boundary is modeled as a nonseparable linear decision hyperplane in multidimensional space with a stochastic oracle.
Relationship of a Physician's Well-Being to Interactions with Patients: Practices of the Highest Performing Physicians on the Art of Medicine Patient Survey.

In 2001, a pilot study was conducted in Portland, OR to explore the communication practices of physicians who scored highest on the Art of Medicine (AOM) Patient Survey (see Sidebar: Art of Medicine Attributes), five years post implementation. The 2002 published report cited five core practices that emerged from 21 top-performing physicians: courtesy and regard, atten-tion, listening, presence, and caring.
Integrity and Honesty Testing: What Do We Know? How Do We Use It?

This selective review of integrity and honesty testing addresses two primary questions: ‘What do we know about honesty testing?’ and ‘How do we use what we know?’ Up-to-date information about test reliability, validity, and construct definition from recent reviews of the research literature in the USA is presented and interpreted. Relationships to other selection devices and personality measures are discussed, as well as how integrity tests fit into a multiple assessment selection system.
Using microfabrication and electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technologies to improve the growth and alignment of smooth muscle cells

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were cultured on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based cell culture substrates. Two types of experiments were performed to address the cell behaviors on these substrates. One was culturing smooth muscle cells on bare PDMS flat surfaces and gelatin coated PDMS flat surfaces deposited using electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technology. The other was culturing smooth muscle cells on two microstructured PDMS microchannel substrates and PDMS flat surface substrates. The microchannels are 5-/spl mu/m channels (line width = 5 /spl mu/m, spacing width = 5 /spl mu/m, depth = 5 /spl mu/m) and 100-/spl mu/m channels (line width = 100 /spl mu/m, spacing width = 100 /spl mu/m, depth = 50 /spl mu/m) respectively. All substrates were coated with multilayers (50 nm in thickness) of gelatin using electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technology in order to improve the attachment of the cells. We concluded that surface treatment, such as gelatin coating, is able to help smooth muscle cells attach on PDMS substrates. Accordingly, it will increase the potential growth of cells on the engineered PDMS substrates. Second, smooth muscle cells showed a clear preference of alignment long the channel sidewall on the 100-/spl mu/m channel substrate as compared to that on the flat surface substrate. Microchannels are able to align the growth of smooth muscle cells, and the ability of controlling the alignment depends on the dimension of the microstructures, as well as the surface treatment for increasing cell attachment. Microfabrication and electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technologies have significant potential for application in the field of tissue engineering.
Beneficiary profile: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The distribution of the population in the United States has shifted with considerable rapidity in both the number and proportion of the population 65 years of age or over. This population group has grown and will continue to grow at a rapid rate for the remainder of the 20th century and is expected to increase well into the next century. In the 50-year period 1940-90, the elderly population grew twice as fast as the population under 65 years of age. The U.S. Bureau of the Census (1993) projects that a similar differential rate of growth for the elderly population will continue in the next 50-year period, 1990-2040. At the turn of the century, there were only 3.1 million elderly people, 4.0 percent of the total population (Table 1). Forty years later the number of elderly had tripled to 9 million, as the proportion increased to 6.8 percent. By 1994 the elderly population had more than tripled again, to 33.2 million persons, comprising 12.7 percent of the total population. The growth of the elderly population is attributable to the increased survival of the large generations of Americans born during the first quarter of this century, when birth rates were higher than they are today. The aging of the 19 million immigrants who entered the United States in the first three decades of
Age of disease onset influences cognition in Parkinson's disease

It is controversial whether age of disease onset is related to cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD). We administered 7 cognitive measures assessing visuospatial skills, memory, and executive functions to 222 patients with idiopathic PD and 108 normal control participants. Regression analyses demonstrated that older age of disease onset consistently predicted cognitive decline above and beyond normative aging and duration of illness. These findings suggest that older age of disease onset is a critical determinant of cognitive deterioration in PD.