cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value Iteration

We survey value iteration algorithms on graphs. Such algorithms can be used for determining the existence of certain paths (model checking), the existence of certain strategies (game solving), and the probabilities of certain events (performance analysis). We classify the algorithms according to the value domain (boolean, probabilistic, or quantitative); according to the graph structure (nondeterministic, probabilistic, or multi-player); according to the desired property of paths (Borel level 1, 2, or 3); and according to the alternation depth and convergence rate of fixpoint computations.
CATHETER ABLATION OF VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIAS ORIGINATING FROM RIGHT VENTRICULAR SCAR IN A PATIENT WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

Sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients is uncommon. The pathophysiology behind the predilection of the right ventricle (RV) for SSc-associated scarring remains to be elucidated. A 68-year-old woman with advanced SSc was admitted with progressive dyspnea and
Propagation of Microscale Material Uncertainty in a Class of Hyperelastic Finite Deformation Stored Energy Functions

Whenever effective material responses are determined, there is a degree of microscale uncertainty. For example in the case of overall isotropic responses, we have uncertainties in the effective constitutive parameters, such as μ* + δμ* and κ* + δκ*. In this communication bounds on the resulting uncertainty in a class of polyconvex macroscale finite deformation stored energy functions, which employ the uncertain material parameters, are determined.
Surgical instrument standardization - A pilot cost consciousness curriculum for surgery residents.

Abstract Introduction Surgical cost is astronomical in the US and instrument standardization is one potential mechanism for cost savings. This study describes a core competency based, multidisciplinary curriculum and evaluates resident attitudes towards operating room equipment standardization. Materials and methods As part of a quality improvement initiative, surgery residents participated in an hour-long mixed curriculum consisting of brief didactics and small group exercises. Participants developed an equipment standardization plan for laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy. Participants also completed surveys to assess their attitudes towards 11 potential barriers to implementation as “improves, no change, or worsens”. Results Fifteen general surgery residents participated. In general, participants felt that standardization improves or does not change metrics including surgeon autonomy, resident training experience, and patient safety. Conclusion Our pilot curriculum addresses a gap in resident education about surgical cost. Residents generally regard equipment standardization as either improving or not changing hospital metrics.
Toward a more temporally explicit framework for community ecology

Author(s): Yang, LH | Abstract: Although ecologists have long understood the fundamentally dynamic nature of communities, ecology has until recently seemed to emphasize other aspects of ecological complexity, such as diversity and spatial structure, ahead of temporal variation. Climate change has made studies into the temporal dimensions of community ecology more immediate and urgent, and has exposed the limits of our general understanding about how species interactions change over time. Here, I suggest four specific ways to continue building toward a more temporally explicit understanding of community ecology: (a) by increasing the representation of temporal change in interaction networks, (b) by developing both specific and general insights into event-driven dynamics, (c) by developing and testing sequential hypotheses to describe proposed explanations that unfold over time and (d) by characterizing seasonal windows of opportunity. A great deal about the temporal dynamics of communities remains uncertain, but temporally explicit studies have the potential to improve our fundamental understanding of how communities function.
Fire Code Inspection and Compliance: A Game-Theoretic Model Between Fire Inspection Agencies and Building Owners

Fire-code inspection and compliance are among the highest priorities for fire-inspection agencies to reduce the loss of life and property that can result from fire incidents. Requirements for code ...
Seeking rights from the left: gender, sexuality, and the Latin American Pink Tide: edited by Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Durham, Duke University Press, 2018, xiv + 330 pp., index, $104.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-1-4780-0117-1; $28.95 (paper), ISBN 978-1-4780-0152-2

The beginning of the twenty-first century, Elisabeth Jay Friedman and Constanza Tabbush note in the introduction to Seeking Rights from the Left, saw an important transformation in Latin American p...
Randomized clinical trials in obstetrics-gynecology registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: Characteristics and factors associated with publication.

Abstract Objective To describe the characteristics of obstetrical and gynecological randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that were registered at a national database, and to identify factors associated with the publication among the completed trials. Study Design This was a cross-sectional study using data from ClinicalTrials.gov which was queried for all obstetrical and gynecological RCTs that were registered between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Poisson regression models were used to examine the factors associated with publication among the completed trials (using relative risk [RR] and 95 % confidence interval [CI]). Results During the 5-year study period, 1389 obstetrical and gynecological RCTs were registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: 31 % (n = 538) in obstetrics and 69 % (n = 851) in gynecology. Among all registered RCTs in obstetrics-gynecology, 59 % (n = 816) were completed and 29 % (n = 406) were published. Compared to registered trials that were unpublished, those that were published were more likely to be funded by NIH/US Federal Government (RR = 3.36, 95 % CI = 1.46−7.74) or other non-industry organizations (RR = 2.41, 95 % CI = 1.07−5.38), have a procedural intervention (RR = 1.52, 95 % CI = 1.12−2.06), or an enrollment of >150 (RR = 2.73, 95 % CI = 1.57−4.75). Conclusion Among the obstetrical and gynecological randomized controlled trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, less than two-third were completed, and only one-third were published.
Positive Predictors of Career Adaptability Among Diverse Community College Students

Career Construction Theory (CCT) posits that an individual’s vocational development occurs as a product of their readiness, resources, and responses to the environment in which they are situated. T...
The 2d Nonlinear Fully Hyperbolic Inviscid Shallow Water Equations in a Rectangle

We continue our study of the inviscid shallow water equations (SWE) in a rectangle. In an earlier work (Huang and Temam in Arch Ration Mech Anal 211(3):1027–1063, 2014) we studied the well-posedness for all time of the linearized inviscid SWE in a non-smooth domain. We defined and classified the different sets of boundary conditions which make these equations well-posed for all time and showed the existence and uniqueness of solutions. As we show below totally different boundary conditions are needed in the full nonlinear cases. The case of supercritical flows was investigated in Huang et al. (Asymptot Anal 93:187–218, 2015), and the case of subcritical flows in a channel was studied in Huang and Temam (Commun Pure Appl Anal 13(5):2005–2038, 2014). We continue here and study subcritical flows in a rectangle which raises the additional issue of the compatibility of the boundary and initial conditions at \(t=0\) and of the boundary conditions between them at the corners of the rectangle.
Rare PTA variant (Saltzman type IIIa) associated with multiple cerebral aneurysms.

A 68-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and 10 pack-year smoking history presented with sudden onset of the worst headache of her life. She denied any family history of brain aneurysms. CT angiography (CTA) revealed a subarachnoid haemorrhage due to a ruptured right
Chronological age does not predict postoperative outcomes following transversus abdominis release (TAR)

BACKGROUND Transversus abdominis release (TAR) is an effective procedure for the repair of complex ventral hernias. However, TAR is not a low risk operation, particularly in older adults who are disproportionately affected by multiple age-related risk factors. While past studies have suggested that age alone inconsistently predicts patient outcomes, data regarding age's effect on postoperative outcomes and wound complications following a TAR are lacking. METHODS Patients who underwent either an open or robotic bilateral TAR from 1/2018 to 9/2020 were eligible for the study. Patients were stratified by age groups (≥ 60 years vs. < 60 years and < 60, 60-70, and ≥ 70) and by both age and operative approach. The rates of key postoperative outcomes and wound morbidity were compared between the various cohorts. RESULTS A total of 300 patients were included: 165 patients were ≥ 60 and 135 patients were < 60. Cohorts stratified by age were well-matched for important hernia factors: defect size (p = 0.31), BMI ≥ 30 (p = 0.46), OR time (p = 0.25), percent open TAR (p = 0.42), diabetes (p = 0.45) and history of prior surgical site infection (p = 0.40). The older cohort had significantly higher rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and COPD. On univariate analysis, cohorts stratified by age had similar rates of key postoperative and wound complications including in-hospital complications (p = 0.62), length of stay (p = 0.47), readmissions (p = 0.66), and surgical site occurrences (p = 0.68). Additionally, cohorts stratified by both age and operative approach also had similar outcomes. Multivariate analysis showed that chronological age was not independently associated with surgical site occurrences (p = 0.22), readmissions (p = 0.99), in-hospital complications (p = 0.15), or severe complications (p = 0.79). CONCLUSION Open and robotic TARs can be safely performed in older adults and chronological age alone is a poor predictor of patient morbidity following TAR. Further investigation of alternative preoperative screening tools that do not rely solely on age are needed to better optimize surgical outcomes in older adults following TAR.
Use of an Accessory Anteromedial Portal to Facilitate Repair of Mid-Body Radial Tears of the Lateral Meniscus in Children and Adolescents

Abstract Meniscal tears in adolescent patients are commonly treated with repair to preserve meniscal tissue and prevent future degenerative changes. Historically, meniscal tears best suited for repair are acute vertical tears in patients aged 1 cm and
Inorganic Cl cycling in the marine boundary layer: a review

The injection into the atmosphere of sea-salt aerosol generated by breaking waves on the ocean surface is the major global source of tropospheric chlorine. Most of this material remains in the aerosol and is redeposited to the ocean surface, but important fractions ranging from averages of 3% to 35% are released from the aerosol as inorganic Cl vapor. The nature of dechlorination mechanisms has important implications for tropospheric chemistry. HCl(g) produced by reaction H2SO4 and HNO3 with Cl- in deliquescent sea-salt aerosol is primarily lost from the marine boundary layer (MBL) by deposition to the surface. Although these acid-displacement reactions are widely assumed to be the principal source for volatile inorganic Cl in the MBL, recent evidence indicates that other chemical processes may also dechlorinate sea-salt aerosol. These processes generate highly reactive Cl gases that, during the daytime, undergo rapid photochemical conversion to HCl via Cl atoms. HCl is eventually scavenged by the aerosol. Modeling studies suggest that atomic Cl produced during the rapid multiphase cycling of Cl may be an important oxidant for dimethylsulfide and hydrocarbons in the MBL. Recent hydrocarbon data provide strong evidence of Cl chemistry in the Arctic MBL during polar sunrise. Processes involved in Cl cycling are very uncertain, however, partially because of the difficulties in reliably measuring principal reactant and product species. An improved understanding of inorganic Cl chemistry in the MBL is evidently needed because of its potential importance for global atmospheric chemistry.
Toward A More Perfect Union: Regulatory Analysis and Performance Management

Two separate but similar initiatives attempt to apply a scientific approach to improve government decision-making and results: performance management and regulatory analysis. Both initiatives seek to identify the nature of the problems government is trying to solve, develop alternative solutions, and evaluate the effectiveness and costs of the alternatives. Both require measurement of costs and outcomes. Both involve rigorous analysis to identify whether, and to what extent, government actions cause particular results to occur. Their analytical methods can be used ex ante, to evaluate alternative prospective courses of action, or ex post, to assess what consequences actually flowed from the alternative that was chosen and identify opportunities for improvement.Yet performance management and regulatory analysis rarely cross paths. Scholars who specialize in performance management tend to be in public administration or policy analysis departments; scholars who focus on regulatory analysis tend to be economists or lawyers. Ideologically, performance management is usually viewed as a means of making government more effective and customer-focused; regulatory analysis is often characterized as an attempt to throw sand in the gears of the regulatory state. For the U.S. government, the most prominent performance management directive is the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The principal source of regulatory analysis mandates is Executive Order 12,866. In federal agencies, the plans and reports mandated by GPRA are usually the responsibility of the chief financial officer or a senior official in charge of management. Regulatory analysis is usually the responsibility of a policy office that writes regulations or an economic analysis division. Even in the President's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which oversees both performance management and regulatory analysis, responsibility is divided. GPRA guidance and other performance-related initiatives are under OMB's deputy director for management. Regulatory analysis is overseen by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).Due to these divisions, there are significant unexploited synergies between regulatory analysis and performance management. GPRA, and the performance-oriented practices it spawned, provide a vehicle to improve the quality of regulatory analysis in both executive branch and independent agencies. Similarly, the theory and practice of regulatory analysis suggests some opportunities to strengthen federal performance management in ways that more fully implement the spirit of GPRA. This Article explores the actual and potential linkages between regulatory analysis and performance management in theory and in practice.
Xenophobic Rhetoric and Its Political Effects on Immigrants and Their Co‐Ethnics

Though political scientists generally understand the origins of native-born reactions to foreigners, less is known about how anti-immigrant contexts trigger a political response within immigrant groups. I address this question by studying the connection between xenophobic rhetoric and Latino politics. I claim that xenophobic rhetoric raises the salience of ethnic identity and impugns its worth. This identity threat leads high-identifying group members to engage in political efforts that assert their group's positive value, whereas low identifiers shun political opportunities to bolster their group's devaluation. I test these claims with an experiment embedded in a nationally representative opinion survey of Latino adults. In light of xenophobic rhetoric, I find that relative to low identifiers, high-identifying Latinos become less politically trusting, more ethnocentric, and increasingly supportive of policies that emphasize ingroup pride. These results clarify xenophobic rhetoric's role in amplifying the influence of ethnic identity on immigrant politics
In Memoriam: An Appreciation of Bob Good

August 13, 1920 - April 29, 2010 Robert J. Good, PhD, Philosopher and Mentor Robert J. Good, Ph.D, served as Professor of Chemical Engineering at State University of New York at Buffalo from 1964 t...
Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Association with Arch Intervention in Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Undergoing Hybrid Procedure

Background Hybrid procedure is an alternative initial palliation for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). One major complication with this procedure is stenosis in the aortic arch isthmus possibly due to inflammation from the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stent. In adult studies, neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio has been used as a marker for increased inflammation and has been associated with increased risk for coronary artery stent stenosis. The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences in N/L ratio between patients with HLHS undergoing hybrid procedure that required an arch intervention (AI-Group) vs. those that did not require an intervention (NAI-Group). Methods Retrospective chart review was performed on patients with HLHS undergoing hybrid procedure between July 2002 and January 2013. Complete blood counts as well as differentials were recorded at four time periods: 1 day prehybrid palliation, one day posthybrid palliation, 1 week posthybrid palliation, and 3 weeks posthybrid palliation. Results One hundred six patients were evaluated (AI-Group = 38, NAI-Group = 68). AI-Group generally had a higher N/L ratio vs. NAI-group and this was significant immediately 1 day posthybrid palliation: AI-Group vs. NAI-Group, prehybrid (2.95 ± 2.62 vs. 2.44 ± 1.71), 1 day posthybrid (5.95 ± 4.16 vs. 4.34 ± 3.87, P < .05), 1 week posthybrid (2.72 ± 3.01 vs. 2.28 ± 2.12), and 3 weeks posthybrid (1.85 ± 1.24 vs. 1.45 ± 1.16), respectively. Lymphocyte percentage was significantly lower in the AI-Group vs. NAI-Group 3 weeks posthybrid palliation (33.00 + 11.30% vs. 40.65 + 16.82%). Conclusion Patients that required an arch intervention after hybrid palliation had a higher N/L ratio immediately after the procedure. This may signify increased inflammatory reaction that places these patients at risk for stenosis. Future studies are needed to determine if N/L ratio is a robust marker to risk stratify patients undergoing the hybrid procedure for arch complications.
The Female Condition in Africa: A Literary Exploration by Mariama Ba:

The emergence in recent years of a small but significant body of fiction by African women is indeed one of the most interesting developments in post-1970 literary activity in Africa. In a field for...
Information Flow to the Stock Market Over the Fiscal Year

This paper examines the relative informativeness of corporate announcements and other information flow to the stock market. I determine the most volatile portions of firm fiscal years, controlling for calendar cyclicality, by exploiting the variation in fiscal year ends. Not surprisingly, the most predictably volatile periods of the fiscal year surround quarterly earnings announcements. I also show that the first-quarter earnings announcement adds significantly more volatility to stocks than other announcements and that investors earn a premium for this extra risk. Using Zacks equity analyst forecast data, I find evidence to suggest that this first-quarter effect is at least partially due to analysts making forecast adjustments which account for information in both the 10-K report and first-quarter earnings announcement and/or first-quarter earnings being particularly poorly forecasted. While these fiscal- and calendar-year patterns are significant and stand up to several sensitivity checks, they explain only a trivial portion of the volatility in stock returns.
Family of Glucose-Transporter Genes: Implications for Glucose Homeostasis and Diabetes

Glucose transport by facilitated diffusion is mediated by a family of tissue-specific membrane glycoproteins. At least four members of this gene family have been identified by cDNA cloning. The HepG2-type transporter is the most widely distributed of these proteins. It provides many cells with their basal glucose requirement for ATP production and the biosynthesis of sugar-containing macromolecules. The liver-type transporter is expressed in tissues from which a net release of glucose can occur and in beta-cells of pancreatic islets. A genetic defect resulting in reduced activity of this transporter could hypothetically lead to the two principal features of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance and relative hypoinsulinemia. The adipocyte/muscle transporter is expressed exclusively in tissues that are insulin sensitive with respect to glucose uptake. This protein is an excellent candidate for a highly specific genetic defect predisposing to insulin resistance.
Cellular inactivation by ultrasound.

THE lethal effect of ultrasound (US) on mammalian cells has received relatively little attention. Understandably, potential genetic aspects of US have been of prime concern to physicians who use US as a diagnostic tool; at the average power densities involved (≪1 W cm−2) little, if any cell killing is to be expected. There have been sporadic attempts to use higher intensities (∼1W cm−2) as a treatment modality in cancer therapy1,2, but those experiments seem to have been based on inadequate cellular studies. The effects of US usually were evaluated in terms of morphological criteria rather than on quantitative determination of the loss of viability as measured by colony formation. There are few reports of the effects of US on survival of mammalian cells3,4, and none specifically examine hyperthermic interaction. With the increased interest in hyperthermia for tumour therapy, attention has been directed towards the use of ultrasound to achieve tumour heating. In preliminary experiments in which US was used to heat the EMT6 sarcoma and KHJJ carcinoma in mice, we found a high percentage of tumour cures with short (∼30min) treatments at temperatures (43–44 °C) where in vitro results of hyperthermia-induced cell killing5–7 would not have led to a prediction of any cures. We therefore initiated an investigation of the effects of US on survival of Chinese hamster cells to see if direct cell killing by US could explain our in vivo results, or, as in the case of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic heating, we would be forced to invoke host response8. In particular, we examined the thermal and non-thermal components of cellular inactivation by US. We report here that there is a definite non-thermal cytotoxic effect of US. Its relative contribution to cell killing is a highly nonlinear function of the temperature of the cellular milieu. The survival curves show clearly that, beyond an initial threshold, small changes in temperature and/or US intensity can give rise to impressive changes in survival values. The threshold nature of the data strongly suggests that by means of overlapping beams, ultrasound energy could be delivered to tumour tissue to achieve massive cell killings while sparing normal tissue outside the tumour volume to a degree far exceeding that of conventional techniques.
Accurate clock mesh sizing via sequential quadraticprogramming

Clock mesh is widely used in microprocessor designs for achieving low clock skew and high variation tolerance. Clock mesh optimization is a very difficult problem because it has highly-connected structure and requires accurate delay models which are computationally expensive. Existing methods on clock network optimization are either restricted to clock trees, which are easy to be separated into smaller problems, or naive heuristics based on crude delay models. In this paper, we propose a clock mesh sizing algorithm which is aimed to minimize mesh wire area with consideration of clock skew constraints. This algorithm is a systematic solution search through rigorous Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP). The SQP is guided by an efficient adjoint sensitivity analysis which has near-SPICE-level accuracy and faster-than-SPICE speed. Experimental results on various benchmark circuits indicate that our algorithm leads to significant wire area reduction while maintaining low clock skew.
The catalytic oxidation of propylene: IV. Preparation and characterization of α-bismuth molybdate

Abstract A coprecipitation method is described which results in the preparation of the α-phass bismuth molybdate catalyst in high purity and which is reproducible. This preparation is based on the known principles of isopolymolybdate and molybdate heteropoly chemistry. The existence of a bismuth-molybdate heteropoly precursor having a stoichiometric ratio of bismuth to molybdenum of 2 to 3 is postulated using both the solution chemistry of the molybdates as well as X-ray diffraction measurements on several air-dried and oven-dried samples of precipitates obtained from the coprecipitation procedure.
Surface structure and presupposition

Frequency of perceptual errors as a function of differential presupposition in descriptive sentences was measured. In Experiment I, subjects heard a cleft or pseudocleft sentence prior to tachistoscopic presentation of a picture in which the presupposed proposition or the focused proposition was misrepresented. The task was to decide if the sentence correctly described the picture. Results indicated that more errors occurred when the misrepresentation involved the presupposition than when it involved the focused proposition. Experiment II was conducted to determine if the frequency of errors was a function of the type of surface structure employed to mark the presupposition. Results indicated that several different surface structure features of English, employed in combination, increase the presuppositional strength of the sentence.
On the validity of recent phenomenological theories of the Ising model and superfluidity

Abstract We show explicitly that, the recent phenomenological theories of Wong (for the Ising model) and Mamaladze (for superfluid), are in conflict with exact theory or with experiment.
CNS activational responses to staphylococcal enterotoxin B: T-lymphocyte-dependent immune challenge effects on stress-related circuitry.

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a bacterial superantigen that engages the immune system in a T-lymphocyte-dependent manner and induces a cytokine profile distinct from that elicited by the better-studied bacterial pathogen analog, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Because of reports of SEB recruiting central nervous system (CNS) host defense mechanisms via pathways in common with LPS, we sought to further characterize central systems impacted by this agent. Rats were treated with SEB at doses of 50 –5,000 g/kg, and killed 0.5– 6 hours thereafter. SEB injection produced a discrete pattern of Fos induction in brain that peaked at 2–3 hours postinjection and whose strength was dose-related. Induced Fos expression was predominantly subcortical and focused in a set of interconnected central autonomic structures, including aspects of the bed n. of the stria terminalis, central amygdala and lateral parabrachial nuclei; functionally related (and LPS-responsive) cell groups in the n. solitary tract, ventrolateral medulla, and paraventricular hypothalamic n. (PVH) were, by contrast, weakly responsive. SEB also activated cell groups in the limbic forebrain (lateral septal n, medial prefrontal cortex) and hypothalamic GABAergic neurons, which could account for its failure to elicit reliable increases in Fos-ir or corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA in the PVH. SEB nevertheless did provoke reliable pituitary-adrenal secretory responses. The identification of subsets of central autonomic and limbic forebrain structures that are sensitive to SEB provides a basis for a systems-level understanding of the physiological and behavioral effects attributed to the superantigen. Core SEBresponsive cell groups exclude a medullary-PVH circuit implicated in pituitary-adrenal responses
Compositions of chondrites

A compilation of data on 78 elements in the nine groups of chondrites shows each to be isochemical with the exception of a few volatiles. With the exception of the most volatile elements, the groups have solar abundances to within a factor of two. The solar abundances and the chemical and physical properties of phases in the leastaltered chondrites indicate formation by grain agglomeration in the preplanetary nebula. Planets formed by the gradual growth of bodies in the solar nebula. Because there is no evidence for the formation of non-chondritic bodies in the nebula, the simplest model calls for the bulk compositions of the terrestrial planets to be chondritic. Mercury is enriched in metal, perhaps either because of high loss of silicates due to enhanced radial drag in the innermost part of the nebula, or because of enhanced accretion of metallic cores from disrupted asteroids. Chondritic compositions should be considered as boundary conditions for planetary models.
Detection of oranges from a color image of an orange tree

The progress of robotic and machine vision technology has increased the demand for sophisticated methods for performing automatic harvesting of fruit. The harvesting of fruit, until recently, has been performed manually and is quite labor intensive. An automatic robot harvesting system that uses machine vision to locate and extract the fruit would free the agricultural industry from the ups and downs of the labor market. The environment in which robotic fruit harvesters must work presents many challenges due to the inherent variability from one location to the next. This paper takes a step towards this goal by outlining a machine vision algorithm that detects and accurately locates oranges from a color image of an orange tree. Previous work in this area has focused on differentiating the orange regions from the rest of the picture and not locating the actual oranges themselves. Failure to locate the oranges, however, leads to a reduced number of successful pick attempts. This paper presents a new approach for orange region segmentation in which the circumference of the individual oranges as well as partially occluded oranges are located. Accurately defining the circumference of each orange allows a robotic harvester to cut the stem of the orange by either scanning the top of the orange with a laser or by directing a robotic arm towards the stem to automatically cut it. A modified version of the K- means algorithm is used to initially segment the oranges from the canopy of the orange tree. Morphological processing is then used to locate occluded oranges and an iterative circle finding algorithm is used to define the circumference of the segmented oranges.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
DIE-SWELL OF ANTIMISTING KEROSENE: PART 2. REAL-TIME QUALITY CONTROL OF ANTIMISTING KEROSENE (AMK) RHEOLOGY BY DIE-SWELL MEASUREMENTS

Experiments are described in which an improved die-swell rheometer has been developed for real-time quality control of AMK. This improved apparatus includes the use of differential pressure taps that make it unnecessary to correct for end effects and an optical probe that measures the die-swell automatically. In the range of 0.25 to 0.35 wt% FM-9, changes in polymer concentration had a small but measurable effect on die-swell. However, normal stresses calculated from die-swell and expressed as a function of the wall shear rate showed no dependency on polymer concentration. Consequently, normal stresses calculated in this manner are of little use for quality control purposes. The reason for this failure is thought to be associated with several of the assumptions used in the analysis of die-swell in terms of normal stresses. Nevertheless, die-swell itself is a viscoelastic phenomenon that can be used for quality control of AMK. The sensitivity of die-swell to polymer concentration can be improved by conduct...
A comparison of novel techniques for rapid speaker adaptation

Abstract This paper introduces two novel techniques for rapid speaker adaptation, reference speaker weighting and consistency modeling . Also presented is an adaptation technique called speaker cluster weighting (SCW) which provides a means for improving upon generic hierarchical speaker clustering techniques. Each of these adaptation methods attempts to utilize the underlying within-speaker correlations that are present between the acoustic realizations of different phones. By accounting for these correlations, a limited amount of adaptation data can be used to adapt the models of every phonetic acoustic model, including those for phones which have not been observed in the adaptation data. Results were obtained using the DARPA Resource Management corpus for a set of rapid adaptation experiments where single test utterances were used for adaptation and recognition simultaneously. Using the new adaptation techniques relative word error rate reductions ranging from 4.9% to 8.4% were obtained under various conditions. Using a combination of hierarchical speaker clustering techniques and the novel adaptation techniques, a word error rate reduction of 20% has been achieved from the baseline speaker independent (SI) recognition system.
Flammability Limits of Coal-Derived Low-BTU Gas Mixtures Containing Large Amounts of Inert Gases

Abstract Experimental composition and flammabiliiy-limit data at one atmosphere for samples of dry low-Btu gases containing the major constituents CO, H2, CH4, N2, and CO2, from an actual in-siut coal gasification test are given. Also shown are composition and flammability-limit data for a synthetic low-Btu gas (simulating a type derived from coalrpar; to which CO2 and N2 were systematically added until the upper and lower flammability limits nearly converged. The flammability limits can be approximated by application of Le Chatelier's law, although it is more inaccurate than previously described in the literature. Fuel concentrations at both the upper and lower limits of the mixtures tested arc consistently leaner than predicted
An algorithm for the reconstruction of consensus sequences of ancient segmental duplications and transposon copies in eukaryotic genomes

Interspersed repeats, mostly resulting from the activity and accumulation of transposable elements, occupy a significant fraction of many eukaryotic genomes. More than half of human genomic sequence consists of known repeats, however a very large part has not yet been associated with neither repetitive structures nor functional units. We have postulated that most of the seemingly unique content of mammalian genomes is also a result of transposon activity, written software to look for weak signals which would help us reconstruct the ancient elements with substantially mutated copies, and integrated it into a system for de novo identification and classification of interspersed repeats. In this manuscript we describe our approach, and report on our methods for building the consensus sequences of these transposons.
Understanding the importance of reconstructive surgery on quality of life

AbstractWithin plastic surgery, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is not the only area that may positively influence the course of a patient's suffering. Documentation of significant improvements in psychosocial well-being and the relief of patient suffering helps physicians and health policy leaders advocate for third-party coverage of reconstructive procedures. Future research efforts must continue to document quality-of-life outcomes associated with reconstructive plastic surgery.
A WENO algorithm for the growth of ionized regions at the reionization epoch

Abstract We investigate the volume growth of ionized regions around UV photon sources with the WENO algorithm, which is an effective solver of photon kinetics in the phase space described by the radiative transfer equation. We show that the volume growth rate, either of isolated ionized regions or of clustered regions in merging, generally consists of three phases: fast or relativistic growth phase at the early stage, slow growth phase at the later stage, and a transition phase between the fast and slow phases. The growth rate can be characterized by a time scale t c of the transition phase, which is approximately proportional to E ˙ 1 / 2 , E ˙ being the intensity of the ionizing source. The larger the time scale t c , the longer the photons to postpone their contribution to the ionization. For strong sources, like E ˙ ⩾ 10 45 erg s - 1 , t c can be as large as a few Myrs, which could even be larger than the lifetime of the sources. Consequently, most photons from these sources contribute to the reionization only when these sources already ceased. We also show that the volume growth of ionized regions around clustered sources with intensity E ˙ i ( i = 1 , 2 , … ) would have the same behavior as a single source with intensity E ˙ = ∑ i E ˙ i , if all the distances between nearest neighbor sources i and j are smaller than c ( t c i + t c j ) , t c i being the time scale t c of source i . Therefore, a tightly clustered UV photon sources would lead to a slow growth of ionized volume. This effect would be important for studying the redshift-dependence of 21 cm signals from the reionization epoch. We also developed, in this paper, the method of using WENO scheme to solve radiative transfer equation beyond one physical dimension. This method can be used for high dimensional problems in general as well.
EUVL masks: paving the path for commercialization

Optical projection lithography has been the principal vehicle of semiconductor manufacturing for more than 20 years and is marching aggressively to satisfy the needs of semiconductor manufacturers for 100nm devices. However, the complexity of optical lithography continues to increase as wavelength reduction continues to 157nm. Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL), with wavelength from 13-14 nm, is evolving as a leading next generation lithography option for semiconductor industry to stay on the path laid by Moore's Law. Masks are a critical part of the success of any technology and are considered to be high risk both for optical lithography and NGL technologies for sub-100nm lithography. Two key areas of EUV mask fabrication are reflective multilayer deposition and absorber patterning. In the case of reflective multilayers, delivering defect free multilayers for mask blanks is the biggest challenge. Defect mitigation is being explored as a possible option to smooth the multilayer defects in addition to optimization of the deposition process to reduce defect density. The mask patterning process needs focus on the defect-free absorber stack patterning process, mask cleaning, inspection and repair. In addition, there is considerable effort to understand by simulations, the defect printability, thermal and mechanical distortions, and non-telecentric illumination, to mention a few. To protect the finished mask from defects added during use, a removable pellicle strategy combined with thermophoretic protection during exposure is being developed. Recent migration to square form factor using low thermal expansion material (LTEM) is advantageous as historical developments in optical masks can be applied to EUV mask patterning. This paper addresses recent developments in the EUV mask patterning and highlights critical manufacturing process controls needed to fabricate defect-free full field masks with CD and image placement specifications for sub-70nm node lithography. No technology can be implemented without establishing the commercial infrastructure. The rising cost seems to be a major issue affecting the technology development. With respect to mask fabrication for commercial availability, a virtual mask shop analysis is presented that indicates that the process cost for EUVL masks are comparable to the high end optical mask with a reasonable yield. However, the cost for setting up a new mask facility is considerably high.
Ins-4 and daf-28 function redundantly to regulate C. elegans L1 arrest.

Caenorhabditis elegans larvae reversibly arrest development in the first larval stage in response to starvation (L1 arrest or L1 diapause). Insulin-like signaling is a critical regulator of L1 arrest. However, the C. elegans genome encodes 40 insulin-like peptides, and it is unknown which peptides participate in nutritional control of L1 development. Work in other contexts has revealed that insulin-like genes can promote development (“agonists”) or developmental arrest (“antagonists”), suggesting that such agonists promote L1 development in response to feeding. We measured mRNA expression dynamics with high temporal resolution for all 40 insulin-like genes during entry into and recovery from L1 arrest. Nutrient availability influences expression of the majority of insulin-like genes, with variable dynamics suggesting complex regulation. We identified thirteen candidate agonists and eight candidate antagonists based on expression in response to nutrient availability. We selected ten candidate agonists (daf-28, ins-3, ins-4, ins-5, ins-6, ins-7, ins-9, ins-26, ins-33 and ins-35) for further characterization in L1 stage larvae. We used destabilized reporter genes to determine spatial expression patterns. Expression of candidate agonists is largely overlapping in L1 stage larvae, suggesting a role of the intestine, chemosensory neurons ASI and ASJ, and the interneuron PVT in control of L1 development. Transcriptional regulation of candidate agonists is most significant in the intestine, as if internal nutrient status is a more important influence on transcription than sensory perception. Phenotypic analysis of single and compound deletion mutants did not reveal effects on L1 developmental dynamics, though simultaneous disruption of ins-4 and daf-28 increases survival of L1 arrest. Furthermore, overexpression of ins-4, ins-6 or daf-28 alone decreases survival and promotes cell division during starvation. These results suggest extensive functional overlap among insulin-like genes in nutritional control of L1 development while highlighting the role of ins-4, daf-28 and to a lesser extent ins-6.
DNA copy number alterations in prostate cancers: a combined analysis of published CGH studies.

BACKGROUND Identifying genomic regions that are commonly deleted or gained in neoplastic cells is an important approach to identify tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Studies in the last two decades have identified a number of common DNA copy number alterations in prostate cancer. However, because of various sample sizes, diverse tumor types and sources, as well as a variety of detection methods with various sensitivities and resolutions, it is difficult to summarize and fully interpret the overall results. METHODS We performed a combined analysis of all published comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) studies of prostate cancer and estimated the frequency of alterations across the genome for all tumors, as well as in advanced and localized tumors separately. A total of 41 studies examining 872 cancers were included in this study. RESULTS The frequency of deletions and gains were estimated in all tumors, as well as in advanced and localized tumors. Eight deleted and five gained regions were found in more than 10% of the prostate tumors. An additional six regions were commonly deleted and seven were commonly gained in advanced tumors. While 8p was the most common location of deletion, occurring in about a third of all tumors and about half of advanced tumors, 8q was the most commonly gained region, affecting about a quarter of all tumors and about half of all advanced tumors. CONCLUSIONS The large number of tumors examined in this combined analysis provides better estimates of the frequency of specific alterations in the prostate cancer cell genome, and offers important clues for prioritizing efforts to identify tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in these altered regions. Prostate 67: 692–700, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Role of Cytokines and Inflammatory Cells in Perinatal Brain Injury

Perinatal brain injury frequently complicates preterm birth and leads to significant long-term morbidity. Cytokines and inflammatory cells are mediators in the common pathways associated with perinatal brain injury induced by a variety of insults, such as hypoxic-ischemic injury, reperfusion injury, toxin-mediated injury, and infection. This paper examines our current knowledge regarding cytokine-related perinatal brain injury and specifically discusses strategies for attenuating cytokine-mediated brain damage.
Tensile properties of acid copper electrodeposits

For proprietary acid copper sulphate electroplating baths representing two major categories identified previously, deposit tensile properties are presented as functions of the bath additive and chloride concentrations. The effects of species that accumulate in the bath during circuit board plating and of variations in current density and the concentrations of copper sulphate and sulphuric acid are also discussed.
Comparison of innate EEG parameters in rat lines selected for ethanol preference

Abstract Through bidirectional selective breeding, lines of rats that differ greatly in their voluntary alcohol drinking behavior have been developed — namely, the alcohol-preferring (P) and high-alcohol-drinking (HAD) lines and the alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD) lines. The present experiments were designed to determine if an association exists between ethanol preference and features of the electroencephalogram (EEG) during various sleep-wake behaviors. Of the EEG parameters measured, only theta activity in the hippocampus revealed differences in the lines. However, these differences were not generally associated with ethanol preference. The peak frequency and distribution mean of hippocampal theta activity during REM sleep were significantly higher in NP rats than in P, HAD, and LAD rats. In addition, theta frequency during alert immobility tended to be higher in NP rats than in P, HAD, and LAD rats. A qualitative comparison of these data with published data from unselected rats further suggested that the NP rats are uniquely different with respect to theta frequency.
Comparison of stress singularities of kinked carbon and glass fibres weakening compressed unidirectional composites: a three-dimensional trimaterial junction stress singularity analysis

A three-dimensional eigenfunction expansion technique, based in part on separation of the thickness variable and partly utilizing a modified Frobenius-type series expansion in conjunction with the Eshelby–Stroh formalism, is used to compute the local stress singularity, in the vicinity of a kinked fibre/matrix trimaterial junction front, representing a measure of the degree of inherent flaw sensitivity of unidirectional carbon-fibre-reinforced composites under compression. Micro-kinking, more prominent in the misaligned regions of carbon fibres, is caused by crystallite disorientations, as detected by the Raman and X-ray measurements, as well as dislocation glide in crystallites and intra/intercrystallite disorders. The present analysis explains the test results relating to propagation of failure from such discontinuities in a unidirectional composite under compression. Numerical results presented include the effect of fibre wedge aperture angle on the strengths of the mode I and mode II singularities. Of...