cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Query Processing on Live Videos in Networks of Distributed Cameras

With the proliferation of inexpensive cameras and the availability of high-speed wired and wireless networks, systems of distributed cameras are becoming an enabling technology for a broad range of interdisciplinary applications in domains such as public safety and security, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare. Today's live video processing systems on networks of distributed cameras, however, are designed for specific classes of applications. To provide a generic query processing platform for applications of distributed camera networks, the authors designed and implemented a new class of general purpose database management systems, the live video database management system LVDBMS. The authors view networked video cameras as a special class of interconnected storage devices, and allow the user to formulate ad hoc queries expressed over real-time live video feeds. This paper introduces their system and presents the live video data model, the query language, and the query processing and optimization technique.
Stomach anatomy and use in defining systemic relationships of the cetacean family ziphiidae (beaked whales)

Members of the Cetacean family Ziphiidae (Beaked whales) exhibit surprising diversity in stomach anatomy, particularly in the number of connecting chambers between the main and pyloric stomachs. Sixty-one stomachs of five beaked whale species were examined, including Berardius, Hyperoodon, Mesoplodon, Tasmacetus, and Ziphius. Specimens were obtained post mortem from beach-stranded individuals, with the exception of 30 Berardius specimens that were taken at a whaling station in Japan. Most specimens were collected by the Marine Mammal Program of the National Museum of Natural History, with the exception of one specimen of Mesoplodon steinegeri, which from the Los Angeles County Museum and one specimen of Tasmacetus from the Museum of New Zealand. Additional data are included from published accounts. A single species was examined for all of the genera but Mesoplodon, where there was material for 7 of 13 known species. The sample of Berardius bairdii was sufficient (n = 30) to determine species-specific variation in compartment counts. Chamber anatomy was explored by means of manual palpation. Results indicate that ziphiid stomachs can be separated into at least three principal groups: generalized ziphiid stomach (one main stomach, one pyloric stomach), derived stomach type I (two main stomachs, one pyloric stomach), and derived stomach type II (two main stomachs, two pyloric stomachs). Generalized stomachs are found in Hyperoodon, Tasmacetus, Ziphius, Mesoplodon densirostris, M. perrini, and M. stejnegeri. Derived stomachs of type I are found in Berardius, and of type II are found in Mesoplodon bidens, M. europaeus, and M. mirus. The ziphiids clearly form a distinct group of cetaceans in their utilization of differences in stomach morphology. These anatomical differences may serve to elucidate systematic relationships among the ziphiids. Further study is necessary to establish whether these differences correlate with specialized adaptations related to an aquatic environment.
Hierarchical Bridging Between Ab Initio and Atomistic Level Computations: Calibrating the Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) Potential (Part A)

This article provides a sequential calibration methodology for correlating the Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) potential parameters to lower length scale calculation results or experimental data. We developed a graphical interactive MATLAB program called the MEAM Potential Calibration (MPC) tool that provides an interface with the large-scale atomistic/molecular massively parallel simulator. The MPC tool supports a rigorous yet fairly simple calibration methodology for determining the MEAM potential parameters. A pure aluminum system is used as an example to demonstrate the bridging methodology; however, the tool can be used for any material.
UOBPRM: A uniformly distributed obstacle-based PRM

This paper presents a new sampling method for motion planning that can generate configurations more uniformly distributed on C-obstacle surfaces than prior approaches. Here, roadmap nodes are generated from the intersections between C-obstacles and a set of uniformly distributed fixed-length segments in C-space. The results show that this new sampling method yields samples that are more uniformly distributed than previous obstacle-based methods such as OBPRM, Gaussian sampling, and Bridge test sampling. UOBPRM is shown to have nodes more uniformly distributed near C-obstacle surfaces and also requires the fewest nodes and edges to solve challenging motion planning problems with varying narrow passages.
Holy Terror : The Implications of Terrorism Motivated by a Religious Imperative

One of the distinguishing features of international terrorism the past fifteen years has been the resurgence and proliferation of terrorist groups motivated by a religious imperative. Such groups are far more lethal than their secular counterparts, regarding violence as a divine duty or sacramental act conveyed by sacred text and imparted by clerical authority. Moreover, religious terrorism is not restricted to Islamic terrorist groups exclusively in the Middle East. The same characteristics—the legitimization of violence based on religious precepts, the sense of profound alienation and isolation, and the attendant preoccupation with the elimination of a broadly defined category of “enemies”—are also apparent among American Christian white supremacists, among some radical Jewish messianic terrorist movements in Israel, and among radical Sikh movements in India. Finally, as many of these groups embrace strong millennialist or apocalyptic beliefs, we may be on the cusp of a new and potentially more dangerou...
Operant response suppression induced with systemic administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan is centrally mediated.

Abstract Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of selective serotonergic agents was used to examine the extent of central mediation of 5-HTP-induced operant response suppression in rats. ICV administration of LY53857 (1.0, 3.75, or 7.5 μg/5 μl/5 min) dose dependently blocked response suppression induced with systemically administered 5-HTP (25 mg/kg, IP), whereas ICV 0.9% saline (5 μl over 5 min) had no significant effect on 5-HTP-induced response suppression. ICV ketanserin (7.5 μg/5 μl/5 min) also blocked response suppression induced with systemically administered 5-HTP. ICV administration of the 5- HT 2 A 2 C receptor agonist DOI (80 μg/5 μl/5 min) induced significant periods of response suppression in this model, which was blocked with LY53857 (1.0 mg/kg, IP) pretreatment. These data demonstrate that central administration of 5- HT 2 A 2 C antagonists potently attenuate operant response suppression induced with systemically administered 5-HTP or DOI and are in agreement with previous findings suggesting central mediation of 5-HTP-induced operant response suppression.
Application of the spectral stochastic finite element method for performance prediction of composite structures

This paper demonstrates an application of the spectral stochastic finite element method (SSFEM) for predicting the performance of a composite structure with variable material constitutive properties. The SSFEM can provide an efficient means of calculating statistical moments (e.g. mean and variance) and probability distributions associated with the probabilistic behaviour of a structure, and should therefore be suitable as an alternative to Monte Carlo Simulation for assessing structural reliability. A summary of the SSFEM theory is given, and it is shown how the method can be used to calculate the variability of strain and stress in a composite structure with variable material properties. An example is presented to demonstrate application of the method, and solutions are compared with results from other methods of analysis.
Further screening of the rhodopsin gene in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

Here the authors report 8 novel mutations and 8 previously reported mutations found from further analysis of the rhodopsin gene in a large set of additional patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Leukocyte DNA was purified from 122 unrelated patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa who were not included in previous analyses. The coding region and splice donor and acceptor sites of the rhodopsin gene were screened for mutations using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and direct genomic sequencing. They found 29 patients with varient bands that were due to mutations. Sequence analysis showed that 20 cases each had 1 of 9 previously published mutations: Pro23His, Thr58Arg, Gly89Asp, Pro171Leu, Glu181Lys, Pro347Leu, Phe45Leu, Arg135Trp, and Lys296Glu. In 9 other cases, they found 8 novel mutations. One was a 3-bp deletion (Cys264-del), and the rest were point mutations resulting in an altered amino acid: Gly51Arg (GGC [yields] CGC), Cys110Tyr (TCG [yields] TAC), Gly114Asp (GGC [yields] GAC), Ala164Glu (GCG [yields] GAG), Pro171Ser (CCA [yields] TCA), Val345Leu (GTG [yields] CTG), and Pro347Gln (CCG [yields] CAG). Each of these novel mutations was found in only one family except for Gly51Arg, which was found in two. In every family tested, the mutation cosegregated with the disease. However,more » in pedigree D865 only one affected member was available for analysis. About two-thirds of the mutations affect amino acids in transmembrane domains, yet only one-half of opsin's residues are in these regions. One-third of the mutations alter residues in the extracellular/intradiscal space, which includes only 25% of the protein.« less
Factors affecting fatty acid oxidation in bovine mammary tissue.

Oxidation of fatty acids was studied in bovine mammary tissue slices in order to evaluate their potential contribution to energy metabolism. Rates of fatty acid oxidation decreased with increasing chain length: acetate>octanoate>palmitate or oleate. Rates of oxidation of long chain, but not short chain, fatty acids increased over time, which could not be explained by carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity. This phenomenon is not an artifact of the incubation system or caused by substrate solubility, as rates of palmitate oxidation were constant in rat kidney cortex slices. Preincubating mammary tissue with or without unlabeled palmitate showed that increasing rates of palmitate oxidation is not caused by use of endogenous fatty acids. Palmitate at 0.26 mM, equivalent to arterial fatty acid concentration, gave maximal rates of oxidation. The β-oxidation enzymes may restrict fatty acid oxidation as oxidation of [1-14C] palmitate exceeded that of [U-14C] palmitate. Acetate inhibited palmitate oxidation (75%) but not esterification, suggesting that acetate inhibits palmitate oxidation by substrate competition at the mitochondrial level or via malonyl-CoA inhibition of CPT. Glucose inhibited palmitate oxidation (67%) and stimulated esterification. Low palmitoyl-CoA levels would favor glyceride synthesis over oxidation, since the apparent Km for palmitoyl-CoA, of the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases is lower than that for CPT. Thus, glucose presumably diverts palmitate from oxidation to glycerolipids. Clofenapate, a glyceride synthesis inhibitor, decreased triacylglycerol formation, and marginally increased palmitate oxidation. We estimated that long chain fatty acids can potentially account for 6–10% of the oxidative metabolism of mammary tissue.
Virtual photon spectrum in second-order Born approximation

We have evaluated expressions for E1 and M1 virtual photon spectra for relativistic electron scattering in second order Born approximation and included the effects of finite nuclear size and charge. The scattering amplitude can be evaluated analytically provided the elastic and inelastic form factors contain only poles. We have observed that the virtual photon spectrum is insensitive to details of both form factors over a wide range of electron energy and depends only on the nuclear rms radius and transition radius. The integral over the physical momentum transfer is performed numerically. We have evaluated spectra for electric dipole and magnetic dipole radiation for electron energies in the range 10--200 MeV and compared with distorted wave calculations. Except for low energy and high Z, our results compare well. A range-of-validity plot is given for each multipole, distinguishing regions of electron energy and mass number where the second order calculation is adequate and also those where the first order term alone would be sufficient and where the conventional long wavelength limit is applicable. Comparison with data on the excitation of the 16.3 MeV isobaric analog state in /sub 40//sup 90/Zr yields excellent agreement with no adjustable parameters.
Induction of hepatic tyrosine aminotransferase mediated by a cholinergic agent.

TYROSINE aminotransferase in the rat liver is subject to regulation by a number of hormones and amino-acids1–3. Recent work has indicated that the sympathetic neuro-transmitter norepinephrine suppresses the synthesis of tyrosine aminotransferase by forming a complex with the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate cofactor (refs. 4–6 and I. B. B., manuscript submitted for publication). Evidence suggesting mediation of this effect by peripheral autonomic nerves has been presented7. Because many of the physiological consequences of sympathetic stimulation are antagonized by parasympathetic discharge with acetylcholine release, the effect of cholinergic agents on enzyme regulation was examined. I report here that the cholinergic agent carbachol (carbamylcholine) induces hepatic tyrosine aminotransferase and that this induction is antagonized by the cholinergic blocking agent atropine.
Developing the psychological capital of resiliency

In these turbulent times, we propose the importance of developing the psychological capital dimension of resiliency. After providing the theoretical background and meaning of psychological capital in general and resiliency in particular, the authors present proactive and reactive human resource development (HRD) strategies for its development. The proactive HRD includes increasing psychological assets, decreasing risk factors, and facilitating processes that allow human resources to enhance their resilience. The reactive HRD largely draws from a broaden-and-build model of positive emotions and self-enhancement, external attribution, and hardiness. The article includes specific guidelines for HRD applications and an agenda for future needed research.
The analysis of high field magnetoresistance data

Abstract In magnetoresistance measurements on compensated metals, both maxima and minima have been observed as the magnetic field B becomes perpendicular to the open orbit direction. In this paper we show that this is a natural consequence of the transformation of well known magnetoresistance tensors to the appropriate set of axes. The condition for observing a maximum or minimum is derived. A similar analysis applied to uncompensated metals indicates that there will always be a maximum in the magnetoresistance for B in an open orbit direction, unless B approaches the longitudinal situation, when the presence of open orbits can not be observed in either compensated or uncompensated metals.
Symptoms as Solutions: Hypnosis and Biofeedback for Autonomic Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorders

The Autonomic Dysregulation Theory of autism posits that a phylogenetically early autonomic defect leads to overarousal and impairments in language and social engagement. Cognitive rigidity and repetitive behaviors manifest as mitigating efforts. Focusing on the implications of this premise may provide more productive therapeutic approaches than existing methods. It suggests that self-regulation therapy using hypnosis and biofeedback should be highly effective, especially for young people. Hypnotic strategies can utilize restrictive repetitive behaviors in trance as resources for comfort and control. Biofeedback training can be tailored to focus on autonomic regulation. The authors develop this theory and describe methods of integrating hypnosis and biofeedback that have been therapeutic for people with autism. Directions for future research to validate this approach are discussed.
HYDROLYSIS OF Z‐DISC ACTIN BY Ca2+‐ACTTVATED PROTEASE1

A 42,000 dalton protein has been identified in chicken breast muscle which differs from actin in that it is soluble at low ionic strength and insoluble in 1 MKI solutions. This protein is readily hydrolysed by Ca++-activated neutral protease from chicken breast muscle, and is not present in Ca++-activated neutral protease treated myofibrils. This protein may be involved in the integrity of the Z—disc in skeletal muscle.
Internal Mammary Vessels - Alternate Recipient Vessels in Microvascular Head and Neck Reconstruction

The application of microvascular free tissue transfer for reconstruction of the head and neck is well established. Improved outcomes, as well as surgical and technologic advances, have broadened the applications of microvascular free flaps in these defects. Postoperative complications such as pharyngocutaneous fistulas, tracheal or esophageal stenoses, or recurrent pathology may occasionally require secondary or even tertiary reconstruction with free tissue transfers. The disrupted anatomy and fibrotic changes resulting from primary reconstruction, neck dissection, and irradiation present the surgeon with a high risk of provoking vascular or nervous injury when dissecting in previously operated or irradiated sites. This prompts a search for alternative recipient vessels for microvascular anastomosis. The transverse cervical, inferior thyroid, and thyrocervical trunk arteries have all been proposed as alternative recipient vessels. The internal mammary vessels (IMVs) have a proven record in breast reconstruction, but recently have been found to have an application in special circumstances in head and neck reconstruction. This investigation describes the advantages of the IMVs as suitable recipient vessels for head and neck reconstruction when access to traditional vasculature is unavailable.
Cortistatin modulates calcitonin gene-related peptide release from neuronal tissues of rat. Comparison with somatostatin

Cortistatin (CST) is an endogenous neuropeptide bearing strong structural and functional analogies with somatostatin (SST). Gene expression of CST and its putative receptor MrgX2 in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in man suggests the involvement of CST in pain transmission. In this study we have investigated the effects of CST and SST on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP, the main neuropeptide mediator of pain transmission) from primary cultures of rat trigeminal neurons. Moreover, here for the first time we used organotypic cultures of rat brainstem to investigate the release of CGRP form nucleus caudalis as a model of pre-synaptic peptide release. In both experimental paradigm CGRP release was evaluated in the presence of CST or SST, with or without the addition of known secretagogues (namely high KCl concentrations, veratridine and capsaicin). We found that CST and SST do not modify basal CGRP secretion from trigeminal neurons, but both peptides were able to inhibit in a concentration-dependent manner the release of CGRP stimulated by KCl, veratridine or capsaicin. Likewise, in brainstem organotypic cultures CST and SST did not modify baseline CGRP secretion. Of the secretagogues used, capsaicin proved to be most effective compared to KCl and veratridine (8-fold vs 2-fold increase, respectively). Thereafter, CST and SST were tested on capsaicin-stimulated CGPR release only. Under these conditions, CST but not SST was able to inhibit in a significant manner pre-synaptic CGRP release from the brainstem, providing further evidence in support of a role for CST in pain transmission.
Cumulative Abuse Experiences, Physical Health and Health Behaviors

Abstract PURPOSE: Our purpose was to investigate the complex relationship between a range of lifetime abuse experiences with current physical health and health behaviors. METHODS: Between October 1998 and May 1999, interviews were conducted with 557 ethnically diverse women seen at two urban primary care centers. Seven forms of abuse were measured: childhood physical and sexual abuse, past physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV), and recent emotional, physical, and sexual IPV. Severity was measured for six of these forms. Multiple non-specific physical symptoms were measured with a modified PRIME-MD, and four health behaviors were ascertained. RESULTS: Approximately 10% of women never experiencing abuse reported multiple non-specific physical symptoms, compared with 25.8% to 78.4% of women reporting a range of abuse experiences. Increases in recent IPV, past IPV, child abuse, and economic hardship were associated with increases in reported symptoms. Women who experienced IPV were more likely to report smoking cigarettes, binge drinking, and having poor nutritional habits. CONCLUSIONS: Recent IPV is associated with physical symptoms and risky health behaviors beyond the effects of child abuse, past IPV, and economic disadvantage. Understanding a person's IPV experiences may inform interventions for health behaviors, such as smoking cessation programs.
Echium oil reduces atherosclerosis in apoB100-only LDLrKO mice.

Abstract Introduction The anti-atherogenic and hypotriglyceridemic properties of fish oil are attributed to its enrichment in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5, n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6, n-3). Echium oil contains stearidonic acid (SDA; 18:4, n-3), which is metabolized to EPA in humans and mice, resulting in decreased plasma triglycerides. Objective We used apoB100 only, LDLrKO mice to investigate whether echium oil reduces atherosclerosis. Methods Mice were fed palm, echium, or fish oil-containing diets for 16 weeks and plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis were measured. Results Compared to palm oil, echium oil feeding resulted in significantly less plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and atherosclerosis, comparable to that of fish oil. Conclusion This is the first report that echium oil is anti-atherogenic, suggesting that it may be a botanical alternative to fish oil for atheroprotection.
Dynamic purity determinations. I. Location of the solidus by nuclear magnetic resonance

The error in purity determinations by differential scanning calorimetry has been studied on two different kinds of systems, metallic and organic, the latter with different types of impurities added. The organic systems have been corrected for solid-solubility error by a nuclear magnetic resonance technique.
Left-right asymmetry in the nervous system: the Caenorhabditis elegans model.

Although the overall architecture of the nervous system of most animals shows a large degree of bilateral symmetry, there are striking patterns of left–right (L–R) asymmetry in the brains of some species. Some structures show L–R-specific differences in size, whereas others show asymmetrical patterns of gene expression and have diversified at the functional level. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans offers a unique opportunity to address how symmetrical neuronal assemblies deviate to create functional lateralizations. Here, we provide a detailed cellular and molecular perspective on L–R asymmetry in the nervous system of C. elegans. We also give an overview of symmetry and asymmetry in the nervous systems of other organisms. We will relate these observations to general concepts of the mechanistic and phylogenetic origin of laterality.
Non-spatial reversal learning in chickens ☆

Abstract Eight White Leghorn hens were trained on 20 reversals of a non-spatial discrimination habit. A marked and statistically significant reduction of the number of errors committeed in attaining successive criteria was observed. This finding was construed as evidence that birds are more capable of rapid modifications in their behaviour than classical theories of comparative neurology suggest.
Autonomous Calibration of Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor

The vehicle cabin atmosphere monitor (VCAM) is designed to autonomously detect and identify trace organic species in the international space station (ISS) cabin air and monitor changes in species concentrations over time after chemical events. VCAM uses a gas chromatograph and quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer to separate chemical analytes and determine mass fractionation patterns of the chemical analytes. In order to obtain the desired mass resolution and dynamic range, several instrument parameters must be calibrated. We present our lessons learned developing a heuristic calibration procedure and translating the procedure into a procedure suitable for direct conversion to flight software. The heuristic procedure involves the detection of changes in signal trends that humans can easily recognize, but are not necessarily straightforward to codify in an algorithm. We developed an algorithm by working closely with instrument experts and designed several test cases and data sets to verify that the algorithm achieved the same as the original human heuristics.
Erbium Distribution in Single Crystal YAG Fibers Grown by Laser-Heated Pedestal Growth Technique

Single crystal (SC) yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG, Y 3 Al 5 O 12 ) as a host material has the ability to be doped with high concentrations of Er 3+ ions. We utilize this ability to grow a 50% Er 3+ doped YAG SC fiber, which was inserted into a SC YAG tube. This rod-in-tube was used as a preform in our laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) apparatus to grow a fiber with a radial distribution of Er 3+ ions. The work shows that there is a distribution of Er 3+ ions from their fluorescence and two different techniques were used to measure the index of refraction.
Band lineup in GaAs 1 − x Sb x /GaAs strained-layer multiple quantum wells grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

GaAs(1-x)Sbx/GaAs strained-layer multiple quantum wells have been grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and characterized by room-temperature photoreflectance (PR). The PR spectra denote that high-quality layers can be grown in the GaAs(1-x)Sbx/GaAs system. The method for determining the band offset Q(vh) is discussed in this strained-layer system.
The effect of 1 MHz ultrasound on the proliferation of synchronized Chinese hamster V-79 cells.

Abstract Mitotically synchronized Chinese hamster V-79 cells were exposed to continous wave 1 MHz ultrasound at a spatial peak intensity of 3 W/cm 2 at 37°C. A fraction of the cells was lysed immediately, and a second fraction was rendered nonviable. Many of these intact but nonviable cells appeared to be morphologically damaged. The remaining viable cells formed smaller colonies than did unexposed controls, apparently because of the death of one daughter cell at or shortly after the first division. There were no apparent effects on cells surviving beyond that period, and progression through the cell cycle was unperturbed.
Substance Abuse Associated with Elder Abuse in the United States

Background: Substance abuse by either victim or perpetrator has long been associated with violence and abuse. Sparse research is available regarding elder abuse and its association with substance abuse. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of state-reported domestic elder abuse with regional levels of substance abuse. Methods: Census demographic and elder abuse data were sorted into substate regions to align with the substance use treatment-planning regions for 2269 US counties. From the 2269 US counties there were 229 substate regions in which there were 213,444 investigations of abuse. For the other Ns (reports and substantiations) there were fewer counties and regions. See first sentence of data analyses and first sentence of results. Results: Elder abuse report rates ranged from .03 to .41% (80 regions), investigation rates .001 to .34% (229 regions), and substantiation rates 0 to .22% (184 regions). Elder abuse investigations and substantiations were associated with ...
A new iterative procedure for the numerical solution of coefficient inverse problems

A new iterative procedure for the numerical solution of constrained minimization problems within the framework of the sequential minimization method is presented. The method allows the construction of strictly convex objective functionals and provides the global convergence on a correctness set. The proposed procedure utilizes the contraction property of a map resulted from applying the sequential minimization method to an original inverse problem. The feasibility of the iterative procedure is demonstrated in computational experiments with a model inverse problem of magnetotelluric sounding of layered media.
Atomic Assembly of Giant Magnetoresistive Multilayers

The emergence of metal multilayers that exhibit giant magnetoresistance (GMR) has led to new magnetic field sensors, and approaches for nonvolatile random access memories. Controlling the atomic scale structure across the many interfaces within these multilayers is central to improve the performance of these devices. However, the ability to manipulate atomic arrangements at this scale requires an understanding of the mechanisms that control heterometal film growth during vapor deposition. It is important to develop methods that enable prediction of the effects of deposition conditions upon this structure. Atomistic simulation approaches have been combined with deposition reactor models to achieve this. We have applied these approaches to analyze the atomic scale structure of sputter deposited CoFe/Cu/CoFe giant magnetoresistive multilayers similar to those used for magnetic field sensing. Significant intermixing is revealed at the CoFe-on-Cu interface, but not at the Cu-on-CoFe interface. Recent experiments verified these predictions. The insights provide a basis for the development of processes that inhibit thermally activated atomic diffusion while allowing the controlled use of the metal atom impact energy and inert gas ions to manipulate the structure of interfaces. BACKGROUND About 13 years ago Fe/Cr/Fe multilayers with nanoscale layer thickness were discovered to exhibit very large (5-25%) drops in their electrical resistance when a moderate magnetic field was applied [1] . These “giant” magnetoresistive (GMR) materials soon became the subject of very intensive research because they appeared well suited for sensing small magnetic fields. Many multilayer systems composed of ferromagnetic metal layers separated by nonferromagnetic conductive metal layers have since been found to possess this property. The most frequently studied systems include Co/Cu/Cu [2,3] and NiFe(Co)/Cu/NiFe(Co) [4,5] . Rapid progress has resulted in the development of sensors for the readheads of hard disk drives. This contributed to the very large recent increases in the hard drive storage capacity [6] . These sensor applications are driving the development of materials that possess larger magnetoresistance. Many groups are now also exploring the application of this technology to create magnetic random access memory (MRAM) [6] . This MRAM appears to offer nonvolatility in addition to a similar functionality to state of the art dynamic random access memory. Two device approaches are being explored. One utilizes all metal multilayers and exploits electron spin dependent scattering. The second seeks to exploit changes in the tunneling conductance across dielectric barrier sandwiched between magnetic multilayers [6] . Both the sensor and MRAM applications of GMR materials are greatly improved by increasing the magnitude of the resistance change when a magnetic field is applied. This property is quantified by the GMR ratio (defined as the maximum resistance change divided by the resistance at magnetic saturation). In the metal multilayers, it has now been established that
Optimization of stent implantation using a high pressure inflation protocol.

Background High-pressure inflation is the universal standard for stent deployment but a specific protocol for its use is lacking. We developed a standardized “pressure optimization protocol” (POP) using time to inflation pressure stability as an endpoint for determining the required duration of stent inflation. Objectives: The primary study purpose was to determine the stent inflation time (IT) in a large patient cohort using the standardized inflation protocol, to correlate various patient and lesion characteristics with IT, and ascertain in an in vitro study the time for pressure accommodation within an inflation system. Methods Six hundred fifteen stent implants in 435 patients were studied. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine predictors of longer ITs. In an in vitro study, various stents and balloons were inflated in air to determine the pressure accommodation time of the inflation system. Results The mean stent IT was 104 ± 41 sec (range 30–380 sec). Stent length was the only predictor of prolonged stent inflation. The “accommodation time” in vitro of the stent inflation system itself was 33 ± 24 sec. The protocol was safe requiring premature inflation termination in <3% of stent implants. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions Achieving stable inflation pressure requires on average over 100 sec and may require several minutes in individual cases. Stent length increases IT. These results suggest that the widespread practice of rapid inflation/deflation may not be sufficient to fully expand the stent and that the use of a pressure stability protocol will allow for safe, predictable, and more complete stent deployment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The genus Triozocera Pierce, 1909 (Insecta: Strepsiptera: Corioxenidae) in South America.

A new species of Triozocera from the Brazilian Amazon basin was found in a sample of male Strepsiptera from the collection of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA—Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil). Triozocera buehrheimi sp.n. is described and the status of T. paulistana Kogan, 1958, the first strepsipteran described from Brazil, is reviewed, with additional diagnostic characters used to reinstate the species based on comparative analyses to the other three species occurring in southern US, Mexico, and Central America: T. mexicana Pierce, 1909, T. tecpanensis Brailowsky and Marquez, 1974, and T. vernalis Kifune and Brailowsky, 1987. A key to those species is included.
Disfluencies signal theee, um, new information

Speakers are often disfluent, for example, saying "theee uh candle" instead of "the candle." Production data show that disfluencies occur more often during references to things that are discourse-new, rather than given. An eyetracking experiment shows that this correlation between disfluency and discourse status affects speech comprehensions. Subjects viewed scenes containing four objects, including two cohort competitors (e.g., camel, candle), and followed spoken instructions to move the objects. The first instruction established one cohort as discourse-given; the other was discourse-new. The second instruction was either fluent or disfluent, and referred to either the given or new cohort. Fluent instructions led to more initial fixations on the given cohort object (replicating Dahan et al., 2002). By contrast, disfluent instructions resulted in more fixations on the new cohort. This shows that discourse-new information can be accessible under some circumstances. More generally, it suggests that disfluency affects core language comprehension processes.
Biomechanics of Cardiac Function

The heart pumps blood to maintain circulation and ensure the delivery of oxygenated blood to all the organs of the body. Mechanics play a critical role in governing and regulating heart function under both normal and pathological conditions. Biological processes and mechanical stress are coupled together in regulating myocyte function and extracellular matrix structure thus controlling heart function. Here, we offer a brief introduction to the biomechanics of left ventricular function and then summarize recent progress in the study of the effects of mechanical stress on ventricular wall remodeling and cardiac function as well as the effects of wall mechanical properties on cardiac function in normal and dysfunctional hearts. Various mechanical models to determine wall stress and cardiac function in normal and diseased hearts with both systolic and diastolic dysfunction are discussed. The results of these studies have enhanced our understanding of the biomechanical mechanism in the development and remodeling of normal and dysfunctional hearts. Biomechanics provide a tool to understand the mechanism of left ventricular remodeling in diastolic and systolic dysfunction and guidance in designing and developing new treatments.
Lendo Graciliano Ramos nos Estados Unidos

Os estudos sobre a obra de Graciliano Ramos tem abordado numerosos aspectos, e nao ha duvida de que seus livros despertam interesse permanente entre os criticos norte-americanos. Contudo, apesar do volume substancial de ensaios academicos sobre a obra do autor alagoano, nao existe um estudo centrado na historia de sua recepcao critica nos Estados Unidos - assunto de que trata o presente ensaio. Tal discussao revela momentos historicos definidores, bem como tendencias ideologicas e formacoes culturais que tem influenciado a maneira pela qual a critica daquele pais seleciona, le e escreve sobre a literatura de outras regioes.
Keeping in Tune with the Times—Praise & Worship Music as Today's Evangelical Hymnody1 in North America

Abstract: In the heated discussion about different church music styles, one aspect often gets overlooked: the similarities between traditional hymns and the modern or contemporary Praise and Worship music (P&W). Aiming at unfolding some of these similarities, this article contemplates technological, sociological, and theological perspectives to reveal parallels between the two practices and postulates P&W as today's evangelical hymnody in North America.
Systemic responses to inhaled ozone in mice: cachexia and down-regulation of liver xenobiotic metabolizing genes.

Rats or mice acutely exposed to high concentrations of ozone show an immediate and significant weight loss, even when allowed free access to food and water. The mechanisms underlying this systemic response to ozone have not been previously elucidated. We have applied the technique of global gene expression analysis to the livers of C57BL mice acutely exposed to ozone. Mice lost up to 14% of their original body weight, with a 42% decrease in total food consumption. We previously had found significant up-regulation of genes encoding proliferative enzymes, proteins related to acute phase reactions and cytoskeletal functions, and other biomarkers of a cachexia-like inflammatory state in lungs of mice exposed to ozone. These results are consistent with a general up-regulation of different gene families responsive to NF-κB in the lungs of the exposed mice. In the present study, we observed significant down-regulation of different families of mRNAs in the livers of the exposed mice, including genes related to lipid and fatty acid metabolism, and to carbohydrate metabolism in this tissue, consistent with a systemic cachexic response. Several interferon-dependent genes were down-regulated in the liver, suggesting a possible role for interferon as a signaling molecule between lung and liver. In addition, transcription of several mRNAs encoding enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism in the livers of mice exposed to ozone was decreased, suggesting cytokine-mediated suppression of cytochrome P450 expression. This finding may explain a previously controversial report from other investigators more than 20 years ago of prolongation of pentobarbital sleeping time in mice exposed to ozone.
Anthropogenic resource subsidies decouple predator–prey relationships

The extent to which resource subsidies affect food web dynamics is poorly understood in anthropogenic landscapes. To better understand how species interactions are influenced by subsidies, we studied breeding birds and nest predators along a rural-to-urban landscape gradient that varied in subsidies provided to generalist predators. We hypothesized that resource subsidies in urban landscapes would decouple predator-prey relationships, as predators switch from natural to anthropogenic foods. From 2004 to 2009, we surveyed nest predators and monitored 2942 nests of five songbird species breeding in 19 mature forest stands in Ohio, USA. Eighteen species were video-recorded depredating nests. Numbers of avian and mammalian nest predators were positively associated with the amount of urban development surrounding forests, with the exception of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Although nest survival strongly declined with detections of nest predators in rural landscapes, nest survival and predator numbers were unrelated in urban landscapes. Thus, the strength of interaction between breeding birds and nest predators diminished as landscapes surrounding forested parks became more urbanized. Our work suggests that decoupling of predator-prey relationships can arise when synanthropic predators are heavily subsidized by anthropogenic resources. In this way, human drivers can alter, and completely disarticulate, relationships among species that are well established in more natural systems.
Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Pancreatic Cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increasingly used for the staging of solid malignancies, including lung and esophagus. However, controversy still exists in relation to the application of PET in pancreatic cancer. The authors review seven studies (Abstracts #183, #189, #190, #254, #357, #375, #378) presented at the 2014 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium and discuss on the role of PET in this disease. As the limitations of the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) continue to become evident, FDG-PET may identify changes in the metabolic activity within pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and can provide both diagnostic and prognostic information. Image: Multiple metastases in the liver (Figure 1c)
Distributed virtual memory consistency protocols: design and performance

Choices, an object-oriented framework for the design of distributed virtual memory consistency protocols, is presented. It is shown that custom-designed protocols for different applications are easy to construct and use with this framework. Consistency protocols are shown to be useful in implementing atomic update and in controlling assignment of pages to processes. Experimental results are presented. >
Technology Clusters: Using Multidimensional Scaling to Evaluate and Structure Technology Clusters

Empirical evidence suggests that the ownership of related products that form a technology cluster is significantly better than the attributes of an innovation at predicting adoption. The treatment of technology clusters, however, has been ad hoc and study specific: Researchers often make a priori assumptions about the relationships between technologies and measure ownership using lists of functionally related technology, without any systematic reasoning. Hence, the authors set out to examine empirically the composition of technology clusters and the differences, if any, in clusters of technologies formed by adopters and nonadopters. Using the Galileo system of multidimensional scaling and the associational diffusion framework, the dissimilarities between 30 technology concepts were scored by adopters and nonadopters. Results indicate clear differences in conceptualization of clusters: Adopters tend to relate technologies based on their functional similarity; here, innovations are perceived to be complementary, and hence, adoption of one technology spurs the adoption of related technologies. On the other hand, nonadopters tend to relate technologies using a stricter ascendancy of association where the adoption of an innovation makes subsequent innovations redundant. The results question the measurement approaches and present an alternative methodology.
Timing of monitoring and control of CPM projects

The timing of monitoring and control of critical path method (CPM) projects is discussed. After describing the necessity for monitoring and controlling activity performance in a project and discussing issues related to monitoring and control of CPM projects, a simulation study is used to compare five different mechanisms for timing the updates of project schedules. Comparison is done with respect to the amount of overrun time, policies incurred, and the amount of crashing effort they require. The policies compared are the following: no monitoring and control, monitoring and control at equal intervals, end-loaded (which advocates a less intensive review in the early stages and more frequent review toward completion of the project), front-loaded (which assumes more frequent review at the beginning and less review toward completion), and completely random monitoring. The results indicate that although there were no significant differences among the policies in the amount of crashing effort spent, the end-loaded mechanism performs best in preventing time overruns. >
Provisioning algorithms in survivable optical networks with shared protection

The efficient use of network capacity strongly depends upon the path selection procedure. In this paper we propose and evaluate efficient path selection algorithms for survivable optical networks with shared protection. Two distributed path selection algorithms are presented. The first approach maintains global information on network resource usage to determine link sharability and compute the optimal shared paths. The second approach, however, only relies upon local information maintained at each node. Subsequently, we present an analytical model to evaluate the performance of these path selection algorithms and show its accuracy through numerical examples.
VLSI design of an algebraic-integer signal processor

A programmable 128-tap linear systolic FIR filter was implemented in VLSI with a throughput of 5 MHz. The design combines algebraic-integer quantization and residue number system (RNS) processing in order to add a second level of parallelism to integer RNS processing, generalizing the quadratic RNS concept. This 9-b processor performs equivalently to an integer processor with 20 b of dynamic range. >
Workshop on Secure Software Engineering Education a Training (WSSEET 2006)

The focus of this one-day workshop on April 18th, 2006 was the experience, current situation, and the future of education and training in software engineering of (more) secure software. The workshop was intended for those in education, government, and industry at all levels doing education or training in secure software engineering and for those who would like to  as well as others interested in the subject or the secure software engineering workforce.