cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A behavioral scene graph for rule enforcement in interactive virtual assembly sequence planning

Abstract Most VR development toolkits are proprietary in nature, which make them difficult to interoperate across platforms. Interoperatibility involves synchronizing elements in addition to geometric data, such as object behavior and animation patterns. The commonly used method of data representation in virtual environment is by using a scenegraph structure. The scenegraph is not able to capture the manufacturing attributes and behavior of objects, such as rule enforcement and status information. This leads to the execution of infeasible operations in the virtual environment. A Virtual Manufacturing Lattice (VML) structure is described here to address the identified limitations of the scenegraph structure for application in virtual manufacturing. The VML is a multiple hierarchy structure, with each node in the hierarchy representing the objects in the virtual environment. The VML is used to augment the scenegraph structure to encapsulate object characteristics at the node level. The nodes are represented by a 4-tuple structure 〈C,R,T,E〉 where C is the composition element used to represent object geometry, location and material properties, R is the precedence relationship element used to describe precedence rules between other nodes, T is the trajectory element used to describe motion parameters and interfacing with external subsystems, and E is the event control list used to describe the state of the object. The R and E elements of the 4-tuple are used in enforcing the rules in virtual assembly planning and prohibit the execution infeasible operations in the virtual environment.
Seed conditioning and meadowfoam press oil quality

Abstract Meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) is a specialty oilseed crop that contains a high percentage of C20 and C22 fatty acids. Specialty oilseed crops require different processing conditions than commodity oilseeds. Meadowfoam seeds were conditioned at moisture levels of 4, 6, or 8%, and temperatures of 70, 90, or 110 °C prior to expelling to investigate the effects of conditioning on press oil properties. The quality and yield of the resulting press oils were evaluated. Increasing the moisture content and temperature of seeds prior to expelling increased the levels of free fatty acids (FFA) in the press oils, 0.51% at 70 °C and 4% moisture compared with 1.77% at 110 °C and 8% moisture. The oil yield and corresponding fatty acid profiles were not altered by the various treatment conditions.
Cardiopulmonary effects of nebulized sodium nitroprusside in term infants with hypoxic respiratory failure

Abstract Objective To study whether nebulized nitroprusside (neb-NP) improves oxygenation in term infants with hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF). Study design We studied 22 newborn term infants (gestational age, 39.7±0.4 weeks [mean±SEM]; birth weight, 3.6±0.1 kg) with hypoxia (Pao 2 i o 2 = 1.0). Sodium nitroprusside (5 mg followed by 25 mg) was nebulized into the inspiratory arm of the ventilator circuit. Vital signs and arterial blood gas values were recorded after 20 minutes at each dose and before and after initiation of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). Results Pao 2 increased significantly with 5 mg neb-NP (from 64.6±5.6 to 90.1±15.3 mm Hg, P = .04) and with 25 mg neb-NP (113.2±20.4 mm Hg, P = .009). Differences between mean Pao 2 at 5 mg versus 25 mg neb-NP were also statistically significant ( P = .03). When comparing the effect of neb-NP to iNO, the treatment-induced increases in Pao 2 were similar (52.1±18.7 vs 62.2±18.2 mm Hg, respectively, P = not significant). Conclusions Neb-NP causes a dose-dependent increase in oxygenation in term infants with HRF, similar in magnitude to iNO. Neb-NP may be beneficial in infants with HRF when iNO is not readily available.
Tungsten complex catalyzed dehydrative decarboxylation of 2,3-dihydroxycarboxylic acids

Abstract WOCl 4 catalyzes dehydrative decarboxylation of 2,3-dihydroxycarboxylic acids to enols, likely via β-lactone intermediates. Classical reagents for conversion of 3-hydroxycarboxylic acids to β-lactones fail with these substrates.
Low-cost propellant launch to LEO from a tethered balloon — ‘Propulsion depots’ not ‘propellant depots’

As we have previously reported [1–4], it may be possible to launch payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO) at a per-kilogram cost that is one to two orders of magnitude lower than current launch systems. The capital investment required would be relatively small, comparable to a single large present-day launch. 1 2 An attractive payload would be large quantities of high-performance chemical rocket propellant (e.g. Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen (LO 2 /LH 2 )) that would greatly facilitate, if not enable, extensive exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond. The concept is to use small, mass-produced, two-stage, LO 2 /LH 2 , pressure-fed rockets (without pumps or other complex mechanisms). These small rockets can reach orbit with modest atmospheric drag losses because they are launched from very high altitude (e.g., 22 km). They would reach this altitude by being winched up a tether to a balloon that would be permanently stationed there. The drag losses on a rocket are strongly related to the ratio of the rocket launch mass to the mass of the atmospheric column that is displaced as the vehicle ascends from launch to orbit. By reducing the mass of this atmospheric column to a few percent of what it would be if launched from sea level, the mass of the rocket could be proportionately reduced while maintaining drag loss at an acceptably small level. The system concept is that one or more small rockets would be launched to rendezvous on every orbit of a propellant depot in LEO. There is only one orbital plane where a depot would pass over the launch site on every orbit - the equator. Fortunately, the U.S. has two small islands virtually on the equator in the mid-Pacific (Baker and Jarvis Islands). Launching one on every orbit, approximately 5,500 rockets would be launched every year, which is a manufacturing rate that would allow significantly reduced manufacturing costs, especially when combined with multi year production contracts, giving a projected propellant cost in LEO of $400/kg or less. This paper provides new analysis and discussion of a configuration for the payload modules to eliminate the need for propellant transfer on-orbit. Instead of being a “propellant depot”, they constitute a “propulsion depot”, where propulsion modules would be available, to be discarded after use. The key observation here is that the only way cryo-propellant can get to orbit is by already being in a tank with a rocket engine, and that careful system engineering could ensure that that same tank and engine would be useful to provide the needed rocket impulse for the final application. Long “arms” of these propulsion modules, docked side-by-side, could boost large payloads out of LEO for relatively low-cost human exploration of the solar system.
Parents' and teachers' perceptions of adolescent storm and stress: relations with parenting and teaching styles

The purpose of this study was to determine if parents and teachers differed in their views of adolescent storm and stress, and to examine the relations of these reported perceptions with parenting and teaching behaviors. Subjects were parents and teachers of middle and high school students in three school districts in the Midwest. Storm and stress beliefs were identified as parents' and teachers' perceptions of conflict, moodiness, and risk-taking behavior. Scales assessing classic/conforming and positive adolescent behaviors also were included. Self-report assessments of parenting and teaching were administered as well. Results indicated that whereas both parents and teachers held storm and stress beliefs, teachers maintained stronger perceptions than parents. Teachers also endorsed higher classic/conforming and lower positive behaviors than did parents. The results further indicated that parents' perceptions of storm and stress were related to their degree of parental responsiveness; but teachers' perceptions were not related to their teaching style. These results suggest that stereotypic beliefs of the adolescent period continue to be maintained, and that these may influence how adults interact with adolescents.
Campylobacter fetus ss. jejuni: A cause of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Abstract A patient is described with Campylobacter enteritis complicated by massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding from multiple mucosal ulcers in the terminal ileum and at the ileocecal valve. Repeated stool cultures and antibiotic therapy may be indicated in certain patients to diminish the morbidity arising from what may seem to be mild disease. In patients who suffer bleeding complications, arteriography before surgery is necessary to demonstrate an otherwise grossly indefinable source of bleeding.
Increasing Burden of Cardiovascular Disease: Current Knowledge and Future Directions for Research on Risk Factors

Lewis A. Conner was the first president of the American Heart Association and founding editor of the American Heart Journal . In the inaugural issue of that journal, in October 1925, Dr Conner wrote that the “newly awakened interest in disorders of the cardiovascular system” has rapidly led to the recognition of heart disease as a significant public health problem that “can no longer be disregarded.”1 In the ensuing years, the United States first experienced a 40-year increasing epidemic of cardiovascular disease, followed by remarkable gains in prevention and treatment that led to a dramatic 30-year decline in mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. At present, however, heart disease remains far and away the leading cause of mortality in the United States, responsible for about one of every three deaths. Stroke accounts for 6% to 7% of all deaths, so overall cardiovascular disease remains responsible for about 40% of all US deaths.2 Further gains in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease will require concerted efforts—and the necessary allocation of resources—on at least two major fronts. First, public policy and health efforts must vigorously promote those measures in prevention and treatment for which abundant evidence of clear benefits already exists. Second, funding must be provided for current research to evaluate new possible preventive and therapeutic interventions and to expand frontiers in genetic, thrombotic, atherogenic, and inflammatory markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Advances in knowledge proceed on several fronts, optimally simultaneously. Basic researchers provide biological mechanisms and answer the crucial question of why an agent or intervention reduces premature death. Clinicians are providing enormous benefits to affected patients through advances in diagnosis and treatment and formulate hypotheses from their clinical experiences in case reports and case series. Clinical investigators address the relevance of basic research findings to …
"X" Direction Filament-Wrapped Yarn

A new filament wrap yarn, the X-wrap, is presented, as well as a procedure and device for producing the new yarn. The theoretical aspect of the X-wrap yarn is also presented. The strength and elongation of the new yarn, which are superior to con ventionally wrapped yarn, are discussed and compared.
Document imaging security and forensics ecosystem considerations

Much of the focus in document security tends to be on the deterrent -- the physical (printed, manufactured) item placed on a document, often used for routing in addition to security purposes. Hybrid (multiple) deterrents are not always reliably read by a single imaging device, and so a single device generally cannot simultaneously provide overall document security. We herein show how a relatively simple deterrent can be used in combination with multiple imaging devices to provide document security. In this paper, we show how these devices can be used to classify the printing technology used, a subject of importance for counterfeiter identification as well as printer quality control. Forensic-level imaging is also useful in preventing repudiation and forging, while mobile and/or simple scanning can be used to prevent tampering -- propitiously in addition to providing useful, non-security related, capabilities such as document routing (track and trace) and workflow association.
Vertical integration after stacking (ViaS) process for low-cost and low-stress 3D silicon integration

A low-cost assembly method is necessary for widespread use of 3D silicon integration. We have been proposing a vertical Si integration process, called Vertical integration after Stacking (ViaS), intended to lower costs, lower stress, and increase yields. The ViaS process uses a polymer insulator and a solder filling technique instead of a SiO 2 insulator and Cu plating. Different from conventional processes, each vertical electrical conductor is continuous from the bottom to the top through the silicon stack and the conductor is surrounded with polymer insulators with a low-Young's modulus. As a result, this ViaS process will greatly decrease the stress in vertical conductors and silicon substrates and increase reliability. In this paper, we present prototyped Si stacks with the ViaS process and the analyzed results on their stress characteristics. The results obtained show significant stress reductions at vertical connections between the layers, which would increase the reliability. These features of 3D stacks by the ViaS process will significantly contribute to expanding the range of 3D-integrated device applications.
Catheter-based intraaccess blood flow measurement as a problem-solving tool in hemodialysis access intervention.

Abstract Purpose To investigate retrospectively the use of catheter-based intraaccess blood flow measurements as an adjunct to physical examination and fistulography in hemodialysis access interventions. Materials and Methods Among 1,540 dialysis interventions performed at a single institution in a 2.5-year period, 104 qualifying catheter-based flow measurements were made in 70 mature native fistula interventions in 55 patients and 34 graft interventions in 31 patients. The flow rate threshold prompting intervention was generally 600 mL/min, but some variation existed depending on the clinical setting. Results The most common indication for measurement of blood flow was to determine the hemodynamic significance of a fistula inflow stenosis (n = 25), of which only four had subsequent intervention. Other common indications included decision-making resulting in further angioplasty or stent implantation of noninflow lesions (fistulas, n = 10; grafts, n = 23) versus termination of the procedure (n = 23), problem-solving in cases in which there was no visible lesion to explain the clinical indicator of access failure (n = 17), evaluation for high-flow–related cardiac risk in aneurysmal fistulas (n = 13), suboptimal evaluation of the inflow (n = 8), and suboptimal physical examination (n = 6). Overall, flow measurements supported a decision to perform angioplasty (n = 11) or stent placement (n = 3) in 17% of fistula interventions and 35% of graft interventions. Conclusions The major benefit of flow measurement was to support a decision to withhold further angioplasty or stent placement.
Transformation theory and translation factors in inelastic atomic collisions

It is shown through the use of transformation theory that unique semiclassical atomic scattering states which obey the asymptotic conditions of formal scattering theory can be derived by transforming 'nontraveling' atomic states, ie., states whose coordinate variables are referred to a stationary origin, to frames at rest with respect to the incoming or outgoing particles. An overview of the problem of properly defining such scattering states is presented. The operator which carries out the necessary transformation from inertial to noninertial frames is derived and its properties are discussed. The relation of this transformation operator to the 'translation factor' discussed in the literature is presented. The application of this operator to transform the time-dependent Schroedinger equation from an inertial to a noninertial frame is presented and shown to introduce new terms in the resulting equation. The implications of these new terms to scattering problems are discussed.
Magnitude of anomalies in the vertical gradient of gravity

The maximum gradient which can be caused by a simple mass is that of a spherical body. The equation for the vertical gradient at the point P above the center of a spherical mass of density contrast σ (see insert on Figure 1) can be written in the form ∂g∂h=-(8/3)πGσ/(1+h/R)3, where G is the universal gravity constant 6.672×10-8cgs. Expressing the gradient in the Eotvos units, we have ∂g∂h=-559σ/(1+h/R)3E°. In terms of percentage of the earth’s normal vertical gradient, the anomaly is ∂g∂h=18.11σ/(1+h/R)3% of 3086 E°. At the surface of the sphere (h = 0), we have the maximum value ∂g∂h=18.11σ% of 3086 E° which is independent of the radius R.
Italia barbara: Italian primitives from Piero to Pasolini

Abstract Historians of discourse formation have demonstrated how, in the decades following the Risorgimento, Italy was fashioned as the internal ‘other’ of a new, industrial civilization that had surpassed the Mediterranean one of old. In the geopolitical map of Western Europe, Italy occupied the most distant and different territory; its proximity to Africa and the Near East, its heterogeneous racial make-up, including ‘Arab blood’, and its predominantly unchanged rural economy confirmed its status as the primitive within. The essays gathered in this special issue of the Journal of Modern Italian Studies enrich the pervasive view of Italy's subaltern status by examining the ways in which the dichotomies of the progressive and backward, western and the non-western, northern and Mediterranean, were often reinforced, but also interrogated or collapsed by Italian ethnologists, artists, art historians and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Cointegration analysis and the choice of lag length

This article investigates the effects of the choice of lag length on the estimation of long run cointegration relationships using the Johansen estimation procedure. This issue is of particular interest to applied researchers using time series data, see for example Awokuse (2005), Bacchiocchi et al . (2005), Gallegati (2005), Gomes and Paz (2005), Hasan (2005) and Pieroni and Ricciarelli (2005), among many others. An empirical example is used to demonstrate some of the issues that applied researchers face when they wish to use cointegration analysis. First, the number of lags to include in the model must be determined. However, different lag length selection criteria often lead to a different conclusion regarding the optimal lag order that should be used. Second, as demonstrated in this article, the choice of lag length can drastically affect the results of the cointegration analysis.
Payout Policy under Heterogeneous Beliefs: A Theory of Dividends versus Stock Repurchases, Price Impact, and Long-Run Stock Returns

We analyze a firm’s choice between dividends and stock repurchases in an environment of heterogeneous beliefs and short sale constraints. We study a setting in which the insiders of a firm, owning a certain fraction of its equity and having a certain amount of cash to distribute to shareholders, choose between paying out cash dividends and buying back equity to shareholders, as well as the scale of investment in their firm’s new project. Outside equity holders in the firm have heterogeneous beliefs about the probability of success of the firm’s project and therefore its long-run prospects; they may also disagree with firm insiders about this probability. We show that, depending on the beliefs of firm insiders versus outsiders, the firm may distribute value through cash dividends alone; through a repurchase alone; or through a combination of a cash dividend and a stock repurchase. We also show that, in many situations, it is optimal for firm insiders to underinvest in the firm’s positive net present value project and undertake a stock repurchase with the amount of cash saved by underinvesting. We then analyze the price impact of a cash dividend versus a share repurchase, where the price impact is defined as the abnormal return to the firm’s equity upon the actual payment of a cash dividend or the implementation of a share repurchase respectively (rather than upon the announcement of these events). Finally, we analyze the long-run returns to a firm’s equity following dividend payments and stock repurchases. Our model generates a number of testable predictions different from asymmetric information models of a firm’s choice between dividends versus stock repurchases.
Platelet secretory products may contribute to neuronal injury.

We do not fully understand the mechanisms for neuronal damage following cerebral arterial occlusion by a thrombus that consists mainly of platelets. The view that certain endogenous substances, such as glutamate, may also contribute to neuronal injury is now reasonably well established. Blood platelets are known to contain and secrete a number of substances that have been associated with neuronal dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesize that a high concentration (approximately several thousand-fold higher than in plasma, in our estimation) of locally released platelet secretory products derived from the causative thrombus may contribute to neuronal injury and promote reactive gliosis.We have recently been able to report some direct support for this concept. When organotypic spinal cord cultures were exposed to platelet and platelet products, a significant reduction in the number and the size of the surviving neurons occurred in comparison with those in controls. We further observed that serotonin, a major p...
Candida albicans RFX2 Encodes a DNA Binding Protein Involved in DNA Damage Responses, Morphogenesis, and Virulence

We previously showed that Candida albicans orf19.4590, which we have renamed RFX2, expresses a protein that is reactive with antibodies in persons with candidiasis. In this study, we demonstrate that C. albicans RFX2 shares some functional redundancy with Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFX1. Complementation of an S. cerevisiae rfx1 mutant with C. albicans RFX2 partially restored UV susceptibility and the repression of DNA damage response genes. DNA damage- and UV-induced genes RAD6 and DDR48 were derepressed in a C. albicans rfx2 null mutant strain under basal conditions, and the mutant was significantly more resistant to UV irradiation, heat shock, and ethanol than wild-type strain SC5314. The rfx2 mutant was hyperfilamentous on solid media and constitutively expressed hypha-specific genes HWP1, ALS3, HYR1, ECE1, and CEK1. The mutant also demonstrated increased invasion of solid agar and significantly increased adherence to human buccal epithelial cells. During hematogenously disseminated candidiasis, mice infected with the mutant had a significantly delayed time to death compared to the wild type. During oropharyngeal candidiasis, mice infected with the mutant had significantly lower tissue burdens in the oral cavity and esophagus at 7 days and they were less likely to develop disseminated infections because of mucosal translocation. The data demonstrate that C. albicans Rfx2p regulates DNA damage responses, morphogenesis, and virulence.
A hierarchial CPU scheduler for multimedia operating systems

The need for supporting variety of hard and soft real-time as well as best effort applications in a multimedia computing environment requires an operating system framework that: (1) enables different schedulers to be employed for different application classes, and (2) provides protection between the various classes of applications. We argue that these objectives can be achieved by hierarchical partitioning of CPU bandwidth, in which an operating system partitions the CPU bandwidth among various application classes, and each application class, in turn, partitions its allocation (potentially using a different scheduling algorithm) among its sub-classes or applications. We present Start-time Fair Queuing (SFQ) algorithm, which enables such hierarchical partitioning. We have implemented a hierarchical scheduler in Solaris 2.4. We describe our implementation, and demonstrate its suitability for multimedia operating systems.
ARCHAEOCYATHS—A HISTORY OF PHYLOGENETIC INTERPRETATION

Archaeocyaths are calcareous, conical, Cambrian fossils with a long history of phylogenetic uncertainty and changing interpretations. The history of phylogenetic interpretation of archaeocyaths reveals five distinct schools of thought: the coelenterate school, the sponge school, the algae school, the Phylum Archaeocyatha school, and the Kingdom Archaeata school. Late nineteenth century and early twentieth century paleontologists worked within a paradigm of inexorably increasing diversity through time, and they did not believe in the concept of extinct phyla. Consequently, prior to about 1950, archaeocyaths were bounced around from coelenterates to sponges, to algae. By the 1930s, after considerable study, all workers agreed that archaeocyaths were sponges of one type or another. In the mid-twentieth century a significant paradigm shift occurred in paleontology, allowing the viability of the concept of a phylum with no extant species. Correspondingly, two new schools of thought emerged regarding archaeocyathan taxonomy. The Phylum Archaeocyatha school placed them in their own phylum, which was inferred to be closely related to Phylum Porifera within Subkingdom Parazoa. A second new school removed archaeocyaths and some other Paleozoic problematica from the animal kingdom and placed them in Kingdom Archaeata (later Kingdom Inferibionta). The Phylum Archaeocyatha school was the mainstream interpretation from the 1950s through the 1980s. However, the widespread use of SCUBA beginning in the 1960s ultimately led to the rejection of the interpretation that archaeocyaths belong in a separate phylum. SCUBA allowed biologists to study deep fore-reef and submarine cave environments, leading to the discovery of living calcareous sponges, including one aspiculate species that is morphologically similar to archaeocyaths. These discoveries in the 1960s and 1970s stimulated a re-examination of sponge phylogeny generally, and comparisons between archaeocyaths and sponges in particular. The result was the abandonment of the Phylum Archaeocyatha school in the 1990s. Present consensus is that archaeocyaths represent both a clade and a grade—Class Archaeocyatha and the archaeocyathan morphological grade—within Phylum Porifera.
SIMON: an object-oriented information system for coordinating strategies and operations

It is argued that successful future organizations must possess information processing capabilities oriented toward actively supporting organizational strategies. Such an information system would support organizationally intelligent behavior, since the system would facilitate purposeful, goal-oriented operations. An information system needs at least three characteristics to map organizational strategies into operational transaction processing: it must model various organizational levels, it must support information processing across organizational levels, and it must support information processing across functional levels. A computer-based information system designed with these characteristics has the potential to take an active role in supporting organizational decision-making activities. The concepts of an intelligent organization and the information system required to support it are presented. An object-oriented prototype that implements key components for supporting organizationally intelligent behavior is described. The advantages of this design are discussed, along with issues yet to be resolved. >
Size does matter: donor renal volume predicts recipient function following live donor renal transplantation.

Purpose: With the now routine use of computerized tomography angiography with 3-dimensional reconstruction in the donor evaluation, renal volume can be easily determined using volume calculating software. We evaluated whether donor renal volume could predict recipient renal function.Materials and Methods: Clinical data of all donor and recipient pairs undergoing live donor kidney transplantation at our institution between January 2006 and October 2009 were reviewed. The volume of the kidney selected for transplant was determined using volume calculating software, and correlated to transplant recipient nadir and 1-year serum creatinine. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to adjust for demographic and clinical variables.Results: During the study period 114 patients underwent live donor renal transplantation. Recipient nadir and 1-year serum creatinine levels were significantly correlated with the volume of donated kidney even after adjusting for age, body mass index, body surface area and donor ...
Analysis of Optical Properties of Saharan Dust Derived From Dual-Wavelength Aerosol Retrievals From CALIPSO Observations

Since its first collection of data in June of 2006, the Cloud and Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar instrument aboard the CALIPSO satellite has observed numerous Saharan dust events over West Africa and the Atlantic, predominantly from late May through early September. Due to CALIOP's sensitivity to polarization at 532 nm, the depolarization arising from scattering from the nonspherical dust particles serves as an independent means of discrimination between dust and other aerosol species. In addition to being an important and frequently observed class of aerosol, the Saharan dust provides an excellent basis for the evaluation of elastic-scatter lidar retrieval techniques. The Constrained Ratio Aerosol Model-fit (CRAM) method is one such technique, which applies aerosol modeling constraints in order to limit the ambiguity inherent in aerosol retrievals from elastic-scatter lidar. This letter, in addition to investigating the overall scattering properties of Saharan dust, highlights various retrieval approaches useful in determining the scattering properties of aerosols, as observed by the CALIOP instrument. Herein, we attempt to arrive at an improvement in the dust aerosol model used within CRAM.
Gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging for staging ureteral carcinoma: correlation with histopathology.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images with histopathologic findings in ureteral carcinoma to develop accurate preoperative MR criteria for T staging.CONCLUSION. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images can be used to distinguish thickened noncarcinomatous ureteral walls, which occur due to the proliferation of fibrous tissue, from ureteral carcinoma because fibrous tissue enhances more intensely on MRI than ureteral carcinoma. We also observed that when ureteral carcinomas had invaded periureteral fat tissue, a disruption or fragmentation of the intensely enhancing ureteral wall was seen. Using the MR criteria for T staging that we developed on the basis of these findings, we were able to accurately determine whether a carcinoma had invaded periureteral fat tissue in all of our patients.
Military Coups and Political Development: Some Lessons From Ghana and Nigeria

Are the military coups that have shaken Africa recently simply a working-out of personal animosities, are they due to chance, or are they the result of something inherent in the very nature of present-day African political systems? It is to questions such as these that this article is addressed, and to which it seeks to provide tentative answers. Further, if, as will be argued here, the African coups result from something inherently systemic, what conclusions can be drawn at present about Africa's future political development?
Parallel computing and the OS

Frans Kaashoek's talk divided research on parallelism in operating systems in 4 periods. Around the first SOSP, the OS community introduced foundational ideas for parallel programming, covering three types of parallelism in operating systems: user-generated parallelism, I/O parallelism, and processor parallelism. With the advent of distributed computing, the OS community focused its attention to make it easy for server programmers to exploit parallelism, in particular I/O parallelism. With the arrival of commodity small-scale multiprocessors, the OS community "rediscovered" the importance of processor parallelism and contributed techniques to scale operating systems to large number of processors. These techniques found their way in today's main-stream operating systems because today's processors contain by default several cores. Because software must be parallel to exploit multicore processors, the OS community is going through a "rebirth" of research in parallel computing.
Geometric Issue and Sector Selection for Performance Attribution

This paper represents an overview of the fully geometric approach to performance attribution developed by Menchero of Vestek. In addition to providing further insights into the subtleties involved with geometric attribution, two new fully geometric approaches to attributions are provided. The first represents a slight extension of that provided by Menchero. The second constitutes a slight extension of the exponential approach developed by Carino of the Frank Russell Company. The advantages of the extended exponential approach include absolute transparency in interpretation of the results as well as a direct parallel to the algebraic approach.
DNA Polymerase and Carbohydrate Metabolizing Enzyme Content of Normal and Leukemic Glass Column Separated Leukocytes

1. Enzymes of normal and leukemic glass column separated leukocytes were assayed with fluorometric (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and isocitric dehydrogenase) and radioisotope (DNA polymerase) micromethods. 2. Most results were obtained by direct assay of the specific cell type. Some required simple calculation. It was demonstrated that the enzyme activity of mixed cell suspensions was the sum of the enzyme content of the component cells, at least for the enzymes studied. 3. Assays of mixed cell suspensions may give an erroneous picture. Thus changes in differential cell counts, as well as alterations in enzyme content of individual cells, must be taken into account for correct interpretation. 4. Changes in enzyme content of mixed cell suspensions after therapy were due chiefly to alterations in the differential cell count rather than to changes in the enzyme content of individual cell types. 5. The patterns of assays of the carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes studied, except isocitric dehydrogenase, paralleled each other. Highest values were found in mature PMN leukocytes and lowest in blasts. With isocitric dehydrogenase absolute values were much lower, while the highest assays were found in myelocytes. 6. DNA polymerase content correlated well with the ability of a cell to divide. It was highest in blasts and lowest in mature PMN leukocytes.
Path splicing

We present path splicing, a new routing primitive that allows network paths to be constructed by combining multiple routing trees ("slices") to each destination over a single network topology. Path splicing allows traffic to switch trees at any hop en route to the destination. End systems can change the path on which traffic is forwarded by changing a small number of additional bits in the packet header. We evaluate path splicing for intradomain routing using slices generated from perturbed link weights and find that splicing achieves reliability that approaches the best possible using a small number of slices, for only a small increase in latency and no adverse effects on traffic in the network. In the case of interdomain routing, where splicing derives multiple trees from edges in alternate backup routes, path splicing achieves near-optimal reliability and can provide significant benefits even when only a fraction of ASes deploy it. We also describe several other applications of path splicing, as well as various possible deployment paths.
Microstructural characterization of a SiC Whisker-Reinforced HIPped Reaction-Bonded Si3N4

A SiC whisker reinforced HIPped RBSN material fabricated with a Y2O3 sintering aid was characterized using TEM. The matrix is > 90% β-Si3 N4 with a Y-Si-O-N glassy phase at the Si3 N4 grain boundaries and about the SiC whiskers. The SiC whisiers are heavily faulted and have a well defined core. Si3 N4 precipitates are observed in the core region after composite fabrication. A preliminary mechanism for the growth of the SiC whisker, based on the VLS mechanism is proposed.
Mass Transport of He 4 Films Adsorbed on Graphite

Flow of ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ films adsorbed on graphite is qualitatively different from flow on other substrates. We observe two distinct types of "onset" phenomena. Type $A$ appears for films thicker than 2 layers at temperatures ${T}_{A}$ within 20 mK of ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. In thicker films there is an additional more dramatic increase (onset $B$) at lower $T$. ${T}_{B}$ varies with $\frac{P}{{P}_{0}}$, and is higher than temperatures of "superfluid onset" reported previously.
X-ray spectrum estimation from transmission measurements by an exponential of a polynomial model

There has been much recent research effort directed toward spectral computed tomography (CT). An important step in realizing spectral CT is determining the spectral response of the scanning system so that the relation between material thicknesses and X-ray transmission intensity is known. We propose a few parameter spectrum model that can accurately model the X-ray transmission curves and has a form which is amenable to simultaneous spectral CT image reconstruction and CT system spectrum calibration. While the goal is to eventually realize the simultaneous image reconstruction/spectrum estimation algorithm, in this work we investigate the effectiveness of the model on spectrum estimation from simulated transmission measurements through known thicknesses of known materials. The simulated transmission measurements employ a typical X-ray spectrum used for CT and contain noise due to the randomness in detecting finite numbers of photons. The proposed model writes the X-ray spectrum as the exponential of a polynomial (EP) expansion. The model parameters are obtained by use of a standard software implementation of the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm. The performance of the model is measured by the relative error between the predicted and simulated transmission curves. The estimated spectrum is also compared with the model X-ray spectrum. For reference, we also employ a polynomial (P) spectrum model and show performance relative to the proposed EP model.
The evolution of clutch size : a reply to Wootton, Young, and Winkler

Wootton et al. (1991) claim to have derived from the Lotka-Euler equation a clutch-size equation similar to the Murray-Nolan (M-N) clutch-size equation (Murray and Nolan, 1989) and that their equation tells us nothing about the evolution of clutch size. I agree. They claim further that these results indicate that neither my theory nor the M-N clutch-size equation (Murray, 1979, 1985, 1991a; Murray and Nolan, 1989) tells us anything about the evolution of clutch size. I disagree. My theory and the M-N equation cannot be fairly evaluated outside the philosophical, theoretical, and factual environment of which they are a part. (1) Philosophically, my hypothesis that selection favors those females that lay as few eggs as are necessary for replacement because they have the highest probability of surviving to breed again, their young have the highest probability of surviving to breed, or both (Murray, 1979, 1985, 1991a; Murray and Nolan, 1989) is an assumption of a hypothetico-deductive argument. Such assumptions are evaluated by comparing the predictions that follow from them with observation (see, for example, Newton, 1729; Popper, 1968, 1979). As Feynman (1985; p.1 0, original italics) points out, physicists have "leamed to realize that whether they like a theory or they don't like a theory is not the essential question. Rather, it is whether or not the theory gives predictions that agree with experiment." Wootton et al. (1991) do not question the predictions that I drew from the assumptions of my theory nor show that the predictions are contrary to fact. Nevertheless, they do not like my theory. (2) Wootton et al. (1991) claim that my clutch-size theory implicitly assumes that populations are neither increasing nor decreasing in size. This is not true. The dynamics of an evolving, genetically diverse population are complex. I think we have to sort through these complexities if we are interested in developing unifying, predictive theory. Let me try. (a) A more general form of the M-N equation, which will predict the clutch size (CS) of any genotype, whether increasing, decreasing, or in steady-state, is
Establishment of mouse models infected with human cytomegalovirus strain AD169

Objective To explore the feasibility of establishing mouse models infected with human cytomegalovirus( HCMV)strain AD169. Methods Thirty BALB /c inbred strain mice were randomly divided into virus infection group,immune inhibition and virus infection group,and normal control group. Mice were inoculated with HCMV strain AD169 by intraperitoneal injection. The characteristic manifestations of all mice were recorded each day. All mice's peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated,and then the early antigen of HCMV pp65 was detected using direct immunofluorescence. Pathological changes of all mice's major organs were detected by pathological methods. Results All the successfully established mouse models in virus infection group and immune inhibition and virus infection group demonstrated obvious unchanged body weight,growth retardation and fur rarefaction,and their organs and tissues,such as lung,intestine and salivary gland showed characteristic pathological damages.pp65 antigen positive cells were found in nucleated cells of the mice in the immune inhibition and virus infection group. Conclusions It is feasible to establish validated BALB /c inbred strain mouse model infected with HCMV strain AD169. HCMV can be actively infected in mice with immune inhibition.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation and shock. Multisystem crisis in the critically ill.

The appearance of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and shock in the critically ill patient provides a significant nursing management challenge. DIC, triggered by acute injury or illness, produces simultaneous thrombosis and hemorrhage and can lead to shock. Shock, as the primary condition, also can produce DIC. Knowledgeable assessment of the patient’s clinical presentation and laboratory alterations and implementation of the medical and nursing interventions are vitally important in improving the patient’s prognosis.
An aerodynamic characterization facility for micro air vehicle research

The Aerodynamic Characterization Facility is a unique facility located at the University of Florida’s Research and Engineering Education Facility designed with the intent to study complex low Reynolds number, unsteady aerodynamic phenomena. This facility includes an open jet, open return wind tunnel specifically designed to operate in the low Reynolds number regime where current research efforts are being tasked for Micro Air Vehicle flight platforms. Specifically, the wind tunnel operates with freestream velocities ranging from nominally 0 to 22 m/s with 0.1 m/s resolution provided by a variable frequency drive utilized to control the tunnel. The test section entrance is 1.07 m2 with a length of 4.6 m. Flow uniformity investigations at free stream velocities of 2 and 4 m/s demonstrate a uniform flow core throughout the test section of at least 50% of the 1.14 m2 contraction exit. Hot wire anemometry investigations present turbulence intensities less than 0.22% for free stream velocities greater than 1 m/...
‘The Death of the Lion’: James’s ‘Martyr of the Artistic Ideal’

In 1894 James published ‘The Death of the Lion’, the first of three stories about the literary life he wrote for Henry Harland’s new magazine, The Yellow Book.1 Over the years he came to think of it as a specific predecessor and companion piece of ‘The Next Time’. In both he presented a public ignorance and cruelty so great as to cause the exhaustion and death of the writer. These stories are companion pieces also in their portrayal of the contrasting efforts of their heroes, Neil Paraday and Ralph Limbert, to accommodate the limited intellect and sensibility of their audience. In ‘The Next Time’, Limbert withdraws before imaginatively transcending his fate. He removes himself intellectually (into an ill-fated effort to disguise his talent) and socially (from London life to the ‘Goose Green’, where he has the freedom to be poor). By contrast, Para-day in ‘The Death of the Lion’ attempts to embrace his audience, forgiving their ignorance and crudity and striving to repay their ostensible admiration. He dies of this effort at Prestidge, the home of his predatory hostess, Mrs Wimbush. As the narrator describes his fate, Paraday is the most ruthlessly exploited victim in James’s fiction about writers and critics.2