cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Estimation of All the Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of Matrices Associated With Strongly Connected Digraphs

This letter considers the problem of estimating all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of an irreducible matrix, corresponding to a strongly connected digraph, in the absence of knowledge on the global network topology. To this end, we propose a unified distributed strategy performed by each node in the network and relies only on the local information. The key idea is to transform the nonlinear problem of computing both the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of an irreducible matrix into a linear one. Specifically, we first transform distributively the irreducible matrix into a nonsingular irreducible matrix. Each node in the network then estimates in a distributed fashion the inverse of the nonsingular matrix by solving a set of linear equations based on a consensus-type algorithm. The eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenvectors are finally computed by exploiting the relations between the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of both the inverse and the original irreducible matrices. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed strategy.
Intrapersonal and Environmental Correlates of Bicycling in U.S. Adults.

Introduction Bicycling is a health-promoting physical activity, but little is known about the factors that influence this behavior in the U.S. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to identify multilevel ecologic correlates of bicycling behaviors in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Methods This analysis, conducted in 2016–2017, utilized data from the 2012 National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behaviors (n=7,509; N=246,155,593). Weighted logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between intrapersonal, perceived environment, and objective environment variables and total, recreation, and transportation bicycling. Results Significant differences were identified when bicyclists were compared with non-bicyclists. Respondents whose most recent ride was for recreation had significantly higher odds of being male, younger, white, and college educated, and significantly lower odds of being retired or a homemaker. Respondents who reported that their most recent ride was for transportation had significantly higher odds of being male, younger, and a student, and had significantly lower odds of being a high school graduate. Transportation riders also had significantly higher odds of perceived presence of a bike lane or path within one-quarter mile of their residence, and living in a more rural area. Conclusions In the U.S., recreation bicycling is a choice-based behavior, whereas transportation bicycling may be more influenced by the perceived and objective built environment. Interventions should consider how to make recreation and transportation bicycling more accessible and affordable to all individuals.
Microaneurysm detection in fundus images using small image patches and machine learning methods

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an eye abnormality caused by long term diabetes and it is the most common cause of blindness before the age of 50. Microaneurysms (MAs), resulting from leakage from retinal blood vessels, are early indicators of DR, yielding a large body of diagnostic work focused on automatic detection of MA. However, automated detection of MAs is difficult because (1) the small size of MA lesions and low contrast between the lesion and its retinal background, (2) the large variations in color, brightness and contrast of fundus images, and (3) the high prevalence of false positives in regions with similar intensity values such as blood vessels, noises and non-homogenous background. In this paper, we analyzed MA detectability using small 25 by 25 pixel patches extracted from fundus images in the DIAbetic RETinopathy DataBase — Calibration Level 1 (DIARETDB1). Raw pixel intensities of extracted patches served directly as inputs into the following classifiers: a random forest (RF), a neural network (NN), and a support vector machine (SVM). We also explored the use of two techniques (principal component analysis and random forest feature importance) for input dimensionality. With traditional machine learning methods and leave-10-patients-out cross-validation, our method outperformed a deep learning based MA detection method [1], with AUC performance improved from 0.962 to 0.985 and F-measure improved from 0.913 to 0.926, using the same DIARETDB1 database.
Flavor-specific scalar mediators

New singlet scalar bosons have broad phenomenological utility and feature prominently in many extensions of the standard model. Such scalars are often taken to have Higgs-like couplings to SM fermions in order to evade stringent flavor bounds, e.g., by assuming minimal flavor violation (MFV), which leads to a rather characteristic phenomenology. Here, we describe an alternative approach, based on an effective field theory framework, for a new scalar that dominantly couples to one specific SM fermion mass eigenstate. A simple flavor hypothesis ensures adequate suppression of new flavor changing neutral currents. We consider radiatively generated flavor changing neutral currents and scalar potential terms in such theories, demonstrating that they are often suppressed by small Yukawa couplings, and also describe the role of $CP$ symmetry. We further demonstrate that such scalars can have masses that are significantly below the electroweak scale while still being natural, provided they are sufficiently weakly coupled to ordinary matter. In comparison to other flavor scenarios, our framework is rather versatile since a single (or a few) desired scalar couplings may be investigated in isolation. We illustrate this by discussing in detail the examples of an up-specific scalar mediator to dark matter and a muon-specific scalar that may address the $\ensuremath{\sim}3\ensuremath{\sigma}$ muon anomalous magnetic moment discrepancy.
EchoBot: Facilitating data collection for robot learning with the Amazon echo

The Amazon Echo and Google Home exemplify a new class of home automation platforms that provide intuitive, low-cost, cloud-based speech interfaces. We present EchoBot, a system that interfaces the Amazon Echo to the ABB YuMi industrial robot to facilitate human-robot data collection for Learning from Demonstration (LfD). EchoBot uses the computation power of the Amazon cloud to robustly convert speech to text and provides continuous speech explanations to the user of the robot during operation. We study performance with two tasks, grasping and “Tower of Hanoi” ring stacking, with four input and output interface combinations. Our experiments vary speech and keyboard as input interfaces, and speech and monitor as output interfaces. We evaluate the effectiveness of EchoBot when collecting infrequent data in the first task, and evaluate EchoBot's effectiveness with frequent data input in the second task. Results suggest that speech has potential to provide significant improvements in demonstration times and reliability over keyboards and monitors, and we observed a 57% decrease in average time to complete a task that required two hands and frequent human input over 22 trials.
Physical Activity and Related Psychosocial Outcomes from a Pilot Randomized Trial of an Interactive Voice Response System-Supported Intervention in the Deep South.

Background. Physical activity exerts cancer-protective effects, yet most Americans are inactive, especially in the South, where cancer incidence rates are generally higher. Telephone-based approach...
Culture and Ecology

Ecological psychology has boomed from a rare form of psychology to a flourishing field, including psychologists, sociologists, and economists. We review the development of the field from early studies to more recent advances in subsistence theories, environmental challenges, human environments, economic environments, and political environments. We also discuss frequent challenges in ecological psychology, such as reverse causality and ecological determinism, as well as ways to address these challenges. Finally, we outline paths forward including understudied regions and micro cultures.
Introduction to the Qualitative Inquiry Award

The Qualitative Inquiry Award began one afternoon when Robert deKieffer and Andrew Yeaman were discussing the current state of scholarship. Bob was the President of the Educational Communications and Technology (ECT) Foundation and Andrew had been chairing the Young Researcher Award for a couple of years. The ECT Foundation is a non-profit organization for charitable and educational purposes that has made a substantial commitment in support of Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT). These purposes reflect the belief that instruction can be improved with new systems for learning and with assessment of techniques for the communication of information. The Foundation funds leadership-training programs for AECT in addition to awarding scholarships, internships, and fellowships. The ECT Foundation’s Young Researcher Award is presented to the best paper reporting on a quantitative or qualitative study addressing a question related to educational technology. The winning paper receives special consideration for publication in Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR&D), the refereed scholarly research journal published by the AECT. However, a need had become apparent for recognizing and rewarding scholarship apart from quantitative research based in experimental psychology, which is what was being submitted for the Young Researcher Award at the time.
"Writing in neuroscience": a course designed for neuroscience undergraduate students.

Although neuroscience students may learn to write in a generic fashion through university writing courses, they receive little training in writing in their field. Here I describe a course that was created at the request of a Neuroscience Department with the intent to teach neuroscience students how to write well in their discipline. I explain the purpose for creating the “Writing in Neuroscience” course and offer a brief overview of the course curriculum, including pertinent pedagogical outcomes for such a course. I describe in depth the major assignment for the course, the literature review, and provide examples of paper titles that students wrote to fulfill the assignment. I briefly describe other relevant course assignments. I evaluate the course and include an overview of who should teach such a course, what support might be helpful, and what can be learned from formative assessment of the course. Using these insights can help others determine whether such a course is a good fit for them.
An Overview of Behavioral Medicine

Psychological treatment has a long past. In the days of Plato and Aristotle, psychological treatment was the province of the philosopher. Philosophers were the experts in the realm of words and thoughts. Individuals who suffered from mental or emotional problems caused by disordered thoughts were helped by philosophers who cured through rational argument and persuasion (Pivnicki, 1969). The first known psychotherapist was Antiphon, a contemporary of Socrates. Antiphon was a sophist who is reported by Plutarch to have had a door plate on his home in Corinth indicating that he was qualified to heal, by words, those who suffered from grief and melancholy. Antiphon claimed to know the art of combating sorrow. No transcripts of Antiphon–s therapy sessions are extant, but it is quite possible that they would bear a resemblance to modern day cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression. Certainly Socrates’ belief that the answer to all questions was inside the person and only needed to be elicited by skillful questioning is compatible with modern concepts of the process of psychotherapy. Numerous other philosophers of the time were also known for their ability to counsel those in distress. Some used exhortation or “beautiful speeches” as well as rational argument.
Protein and Pregnancy

From the 1950s to the 1970s, during the heyday of the “great protein fiasco,” public health officials, concerned about health and nutrition in America’s urban ghettos, routinely recommended high-protein supplements, sometimes together with restricted calorie intakes, for undernourished pregnant women in order to improve birth outcome (i.e., birth weight, perinatal mortality and morbidity, and cognitive development). Such programs went on for years with few systematic attempts to evaluate their effectiveness or consequences.
Simultaneous immunofluorescent imaging of gliadins, low molecular weight glutenins, and high molecular weight glutenins in wheat flour dough with antibody-quantum dot complexes.

Abstract Gluten proteins and their impact in the quality of wheat based food products is well known. In order visualize the ‘in situ’ distribution of low molecular weight glutenins, high molecular weight glutenins, and gliadins simultaneously in wheat doughs we needed to overcome and eliminate dough auto-fluorescence, and to develop a reliable immunostaining procedure for their simultaneous detection in wheat doughs. We are studying different auto-fluorescence quenchers used in biological fluorescent imaging and their effect on dough auto-fluorescence removal, and the effect of different fixative mediums on the adhesion of wheat flours doughs onto microscope slides. We found that the best method to remove dough auto-fluorescence is removing it as background in the microscope detection system. We also found methanol to be the best fixative medium for dough samples. In this research, we are showing the first ‘in situ’ localization of these gluten subunits simultaneously in wheat flour dough.
Did Legalization of Sunday Alcohol Sales Increase Crime in the United States? Evidence From Seven States.

Objective:This study investigates the impact of the legalization of Sunday alcohol sales on several different types of criminal activity in the United States.Method:The 2000–2010 data from the Fede...
Deep learning for presumed probability density function models

Abstract In this work, we use machine learning (ML) techniques to develop presumed probability density function (PDF) models for large eddy simulations (LES) of reacting flows. The joint sub-filter PDF of mixture fraction and progress variable is modeled using various ML algorithms and commonly used analytical models. The ML algorithms evaluated in the work are representative of three major classes of ML techniques: traditional ensemble methods (random forests), deep learning (deep neural network (DNN)s), and generative learning (conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE)). The first two algorithms are supervised learning algorithms, and the third is an unsupervised learning algorithm. Data from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the low-swirl burner[1] are used to develop training data for sub-filter PDF models. Models are evaluated on predictions of the sub-filter PDF as well as predictions of the filtered reaction rate of the progress variable, computed through an integral of the product of the sub-filter PDF and the conditional means of the reaction rate. This a-priori modeling study demonstrates that deep learning models for presumed PDF modeling are three times more accurate than analytical β–β PDF models and linear regression models. These models are as accurate as random forest models while using five times fewer trainable parameters and being 25 times faster for inference. In this work, conditional unsupervised learning did not present additional advantages beyond supervised learning with a feed-forward neural network. We illustrate how models generalize to other regions of the flow and develop criteria based on the Jensen–Shannon divergence to quantify the performance of a model on new data.
Long-term cure of soft tissue sarcoma with pegylated-liposomal doxorubicin after doxorubicin and ifosfamide failure

Doxorubicin is one of the most active drugs available for the treatment of sarcoma. Pegylated-liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is a formulation of doxorubicin in which the doxorubicin is encapsulated in liposomes coated with methoxypoly (ethylene glycol); this formulation results in decreased uptake by the reticuloendothelial system, higher concentrations of drug in tumor, and less toxicity, including reduced cardiotoxicity, nausea, alopecia, and myelosuppression. No premedication is necessary. While PLD has a better toxicity profile than free doxorubicin, there is no consensus on the relative efficacy of PLD and free doxorubicin in sarcoma. In this report, we describe a patient with high-grade metastatic soft tissue sarcoma with rapid recurrence after adjuvant treatment with free doxorubicin, cisplatin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine. Second-line treatment with PLD resulted in long-term disease remission during a 20-year follow-up period. Mucositis and hand-foot syndrome were controlled by adjustment of dose and treatment interval. This case illustrates the curative potential of PLD after failure of free doxorubicin and the absence of long term cardiotoxicity with PLD. As with all drugs, individual adjustment of dose and treatment interval is important.
Epigenetic Modifications in Alzheimer's Neuropathology and Therapeutics

Transcriptional activation is a highly synchronized process in eukaryotes that requires a series of cis- and trans-acting elements at promoter regions. Epigenetic modifications, such as chromatin remodeling, histone acetylation/deacetylation, and methylation, have frequently been studied with regard to transcriptional regulation/dysregulation. Recently however, it has been determined that implications in epigenetic modification seem to expand into various neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. Impaired learning and memory deterioration are cognitive dysfunctions often associated with a plethora of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Through better understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms underlying these dysfunctions, new epigenomic therapeutic targets, such as histone deacetylases, are being explored. Here we review the intricate packaging of DNA in eukaryotic cells, and the various modifications in epigenetic mechanisms that are now linked to the neuropathology and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as potential therapeutic interventions.
Blaming an unusual suspect for endosomal traffic jams in Alzheimer’s disease

Accumulation of β–C-terminal fragments, not β-amyloid, drives early endosomal alterations in familial Alzheimer’s disease human neurons.
Climate change adaptation in coastal cities of developing countries: characterizing types of vulnerability and adaptation options

Facing the increasingly adverse impacts of climate change, many coastal cities in developing and least-developed countries have shaped their climate adaptation plan. This study aims to unpack the state-of-the-art municipal adaptation planning in developing countries. The paper seeks to understand the types of vulnerability and explore planned adaptation options through a content analysis of adaptation planning documents in 45 selected coastal cities in developing countries. The result shows the complexity of vulnerabilities that are not only climate change impacts, but more importantly, the socio-economic sensitivity, the insufficient infrastructure system, and limited adaptive capacity. Adaptation responses, correspondingly, address primarily current vulnerabilities rather than future climate change impacts. Local climate change adaptation in developing countries, therefore, cannot separate from socio-economic development and capacity enhancement. A coordination mechanism for inter-policy is necessary to manage the trade-offs between multiple priorities.
I Still Suck at Everything: The Generality of Failure and Future Arrest

The generality of failure theory links arrest – a “failure” at crime – to other failures later on in life such as getting a sexually transmitted disease or losing a job. Yet, this theoretical orien...
Feasibility and Accuracy of Blood Pressure Measurement by Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD)

Purpose Blood pressure (BP) control reduces stroke in LVAD patients. Home monitoring is key for optimal control. Measurement by Doppler is the most reliable non-invasive method. No study assessed the feasibility of Doppler BP obtained by LVAD patients and caregivers. Methods From 3-11/2018, 12 ambulatory patients with Heartware HVAD were recruited and taught to measure BP in 7 steps (1: quiet sitting, 2: cuff placement, 3: find radial artery flow, 4: inflate cuff, 5: deflate cuff, 6: find BP, 7: record BP). All received manual cuffs and Dopplers to check BP up to 3 times/day for 6 weeks, and had weekly reminder phone calls. They were observed to check BP at routine visits, and completed a survey at end of study. We made no medication changes based on home BP. Results Seven patients (median age 57yrs [IQ 44-67], median VAD support 39 days [IQ 32-48], 1 on support for > 1yr) completed the study. Median number of recorded BP was 42 (IQ 22-78). At enrollment, 4 patients easily learned 7 steps, 2 needed reteaching for step 3 or 5, and 1 needed reteaching for both. At follow-up, all completed 7 steps and obtained BP that modestly agreed with BP measured by staff (κ=0.25, 31% agreement, p=0.0002). Diurnal variation (higher afternoon BP) was seen in 2 patients; the rest had no change from morning to evening (Figure). Reasons for BP check failure were “forgetfulness”, “too busy”, “too sick”, or “no help/did not seek help”. Of the 5 patients who dropped out (median age 38yrs, support duration > 9 months), 3 needed reteaching for steps 3-6. Of the 2 patients who easily learned the steps, 1 lost caregiver and was hospitalized too frequently, the other was non-compliant. No one completely failed BP education after reteaching. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated feasibility of home BP monitoring by Doppler in select patients. Those who failed to obtain daily BP checks tended to have poor social support or were not proficient in the 7-step method. Further data are needed to define and prognosticate diurnal BP variation in LVAD patients.
AMPed-up adolescents: The role of age in the abuse of amphetamines and its consequences on cognition and prefrontal cortex development

Adolescent use of amphetamine and its closely related, methylated version methamphetamine, is alarmingly high in those who use drugs for nonmedical purposes. This raises serious concerns about the potential for this drug use to have a long-lasting, detrimental impact on the normal development of the brain and behavior that is ongoing during adolescence. In this review, we explore recent findings from both human and laboratory animal studies that investigate the consequences of amphetamine and methamphetamine exposure during this stage of life. We highlight studies that assess sex differences in adolescence, as well as those that are designed specifically to address the potential unique effects of adolescent exposure by including groups at other life stages (typically young adulthood). We consider epidemiological studies on age and sex as vulnerability factors for developing problems with the use of amphetamines, as well as human and animal laboratory studies that tap into age differences in use, its short-term effects on behavior, and the long-lasting consequences of this exposure on cognition. We also focus on studies of drug effects in the prefrontal cortex, which is known to be critically important for cognition and is among the later maturing brain regions. Finally, we discuss important issues that should be addressed in future studies so that the field can further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying adolescent use of amphetamines and its outcomes on the developing brain and behavior.
Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Practice

The experience of trauma and toxic stress is common and can profoundly impact the health and behavioral health of survivors long after exposure. Survivors of trauma are at risk for a range of co-occurring conditions that can lead to high morbidity and premature mortality, making screening, assessment, and treatment of trauma in routine health and behavioral health settings a priority. In this chapter, I explore the impact of trauma and adverse childhood events (ACEs) on health and well-being. This chapter includes epidemiological data on the prevalence of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and how the experiences of ACEs impact health. A definition and overview of trauma-informed care (TIC) practices, policies, and procedures will be provided, and a range of common screening and assessment instruments will be reviewed. The signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and an outline of trauma-informed and evidence-based strategies for assessing and treating trauma-impacted clients will also be provided that include prolonged exposure therapy, cognitive processing therapy (CPT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).
Tubo-Ovarian Abscess in Non-Sexually Active Adolescent Girls: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Abstract Study Objective We investigated risk factors and common causes of tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA) in non−sexually active females in order to aid in earlier diagnosis, treatment, and improved outcomes. Design This is a retrospective observational case series of all non−sexually active females younger than age 25 years who were diagnosed with TOA. Review of the existing literature was also performed. Setting Academic tertiary care children's hospital. Participants Ten patients meeting study inclusion criteria were identified for the study, and 33 other patients were identified in the literature. Results Average age at time of diagnosis was 14 years. Average body mass index was 24 kg/m2. Most presented with abdominal pain, often associated with fevers, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Seven of 10 patients were treated surgically with pelvic washout (4 primarily and 3 after failing empiric antibiotic therapy). Most frequently, anaerobic gut flora were isolated on culture. All patients received broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics, and were then discharged on a course of doxycycline and metronidazole or clindamycin. Three patients required additional admissions and multiple rounds of antibiotics due to persistent symptoms. The average length of stay was 3 days for patients treated with antibiotics only and 6 days for patients requiring surgical intervention. Six patients had complete resolution of symptoms and improvement on ultrasound within 2-4 weeks. The remainder were lost to follow-up. Conclusion These cases, in conjunction with previous case reports, emphasize the importance of considering TOA in patients with concerning imaging or examination findings despite lack of sexual activity. Given the large proportion of cases attributable to anaerobic gut flora, treatment with antibiotics with adequate anaerobic coverage is recommended. Surgical drainage is not always necessary, but is often needed for diagnostic purposes or in patients not clinically improving with conservative measures.
Hidden truncation in multivariate Pareto (II) data: properties and inference

In this follow up article of Arnold and Ghosh, we re-visit and study in details one of the two special cases of multivariate hidden truncation -(a) single variable truncation from above in a trivar...
Mobilizing Sophisticated Donors: What Candidate Facebook Posts Do Attract Intra- and Inter-District Donations?

Why do so many voters finance candidates, even out-of-district ones? We exploit two datasets from a candidate in the 2014 Taiwan City Mayor Election derived from 14838 detail donation records and the candidate’s 296 Facebook posts during the campaign. We replicate previous findings at the district level, indicating that donations are influenced both by physical proximity and ideology. The post-level analysis shows that the neighboring effect does not build as a spillover of public policy or administrative reforms. Instead, residents donate more merely because they are closer to a campaign. Meanwhile, a candidate’s ideological posts can successfully increase donations within a few hours from a district where there are more friendly voters.
Moiré Surface States and Enhanced Superconductivity in Topological Insulators

The moir\'e pattern formed on the surface of a topological insulator could lead to enhanced topological superconductivity.
Nonsense: Aspects of Intertextuality in Folklore and Literature

From a "comic strip" papyrus dating from Egypt's New Kingdom to the works of Stein, Joyce, and Barth, "nonsense" texts reveal a set of possibilities as rich and complex as the more conventional system of "making sense" from which they are derived. Examining palindromes, children's rhymes, puns, anagrams, code languages, and other texts, Susan Stewart explores the labyrinthine relationships between common sense and nonsense-- and presents an original contribution to the fields of folklore, literary theory, anthropology, and sociology by analyzing nonsense within an expansive context of the social manufacture of order and disorder.
American Media Portrayals of the Uighur Minority Pre and Post 9/11

The Muslim Uighur ethnic minority in China has long been repressed by the Chinese Central Government in a way not dissimilar from the Tibetan ethnic minority. While policy decisions, assimilation projects, and systematic restriction of freedoms support this claim, Americans with interest in the area have a more complex relationship with opinion on Uighurs. Americans have a history of supporting restive groups within Communist systems, but post 9/11 there has been a backlash against those groups that also can be identified as Muslim fundamentalists. Through observing American newspaper sources it is expected that a shift will be seen in the tone of articles related to Uighurs post 9/11. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol14/iss1/ 13
Feature Synthesis Using Genetic Programming for Face Expression Recognition

In this paper a novel genetically-inspired learning method is proposed for face expression recognition (FER) in visible images. Unlike current research for FER that generally uses visually meaningful feature, we proposed a Genetic Programming based technique, which learns to discover composite operators and features that are evolved from combinations of primitive image processing operations. In this approach, the output of the learned composite operator is a feature vector that is used for FER. The experimental results show that our approach can find good composite operators to effectively extract useful features.
Peripheral neuropathy in Crohn's disease patients treated with metronidazole

Thirteen pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, aged 12-22 yr, were studied to assess the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy due to oral metronidazole. After 4-11 mo of therapy, 11 of 13 patients (85%) had a sensory peripheral neuropathy, determined by abnormal neurologic examinations or reduced nerve conduction velocities, or both. Only 6 of the 11 patients were symptomatic. Nine of 11 patients with peripheral neuropathy had their metronidazole discontinued and 2 had the dose reduced to less than 10 mg/kg X day. Follow-up evaluations of the 9 patients whose metronidazole had been discontinued 5.5-13 mo earlier demonstrated complete resolution of the peripheral neuropathy in 5, improvement in 3, and no change in 1. In the 2 patients whose metronidazole dose was reduced, 1 showed worsening and 1 showed complete resolution of the neuropathy after 10-12 mo of continued therapy.
Putting Storytelling into Practice: Narrativity in Five Sections of a Brief

The rhetoric of visualization is critical to client-centered legal practice. Visualization through storytelling connects all subject areas in the law, and extends far beyond the law to disciplines as varied as cognitive studies, brain science, and rhetoric and persuasion. Visual rhetoric is a growing topic of discussion and scholarship in the legal writing academy, as scholars and practitioners explore the potential of images as cognitive, communicative, and persuasive devices. Narrativity and storytelling skills are critical to client-centered legal practice. Storytelling connects all subject areas in the law, and extends far beyond the law to disciplines as varied as cognitive studies, brain science, and rhetoric and persuasion. Lawyers use stories as framing devices, organizational schema, and persuasive rhetorical methods to communicate the context and meaning of a client’s situation and to improve the communication, reception, and understanding of legal argument with a given audience. Most legal writing and advocacy study has focused on the facts section for narrativity and storytelling. This summary presentation of a work in progress will examine the use of client-centered narrative reasoning in five sections of legal briefs: questions presented; introduction or summary of the argument; statement of facts or statement of the case; explanation sections of the argument; and application sections of the argument.
Javelin 2.0: Java-Based Parallel Computing on the Internet

This paper presents Javelin 2.0. It presents architectural enhancements that facilitate aggregating larger sets of host processors. It then presents: a branch-and-bound computational model, the supporting architecture, a scalable task scheduler using distributed work stealing, a distributed eager scheduler implementing fault tolerance, and the results of performance experiments. Javelin 2.0 frees application developers from concerns about complex interprocessor communication and fault tolerance among Internetworked hosts. When all or part of their application can be cast as a piecework or a branch-and-bound computation, Javelin 2.0 allows developers to focus on the underlying application.
Intraocular Lymphoma: Diagnostic Approach and Immunophenotypic Findings in Vitrectomy Specimens

Abstract Context.—Diagnosis and classification of primary intraocular lymphoma can be challenging because of the sparse cellularity of the vitreous specimens. Objective.—To classify and clinically correlate intraocular lymphoma according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification by using vitrectomy specimens. Design.—Clinical history, cytologic preparations, flow cytometry reports, and outcome of 16 patients diagnosed with intraocular lymphoma were reviewed. Results.—The study group included 10 women and 6 men. The mean age of the patients was 63 years (range, 19–79 years). Eleven patients had central nervous system involvement and 6 patients had systemic involvement. All cases were adequately diagnosed and classified according to the WHO classification by using combination of cytologic preparations and 4-color flow cytometry with a limited panel of antibodies to CD19, CD20, CD5, CD10, and κ and λ light chains. The cases included 9 primary diffuse large B-cell lymphomas of the CNS type; 2 diff...
Expert pattern recognition assessment of image quality

The authors propose a method for objectively determining video transmission quality that is user-oriented and independent of coding/decoding and transmission technologies. The technique uses an expert pattern recognition system that operates on features of a received image with unknown transmission impairments. An example of a candidate feature is provided. The system provides quality classification on a minimum probability-of-error basis relative to subjective classification. The expert system uses statistical pattern recognition to perform low-level processing and an initial classification. Additional knowledge about subjective classification, visual perception, user requirements, and application bias can be applied by the expert system to refine the classification. >
Coupling Between Chromosome Completion and Cell Division in Escherichia coli

The relationship between termination of chromosome replication and cell division was investigated in Escherichia coli B/r. Synchronous cultures of E. coli B/r growing in glucose minimal medium or subjected to a nutritional shift-up were exposed to chloramphenicol, rifampin, mitomycin C, or nalidixic acid, and the ability of cells to divide in the presence of the inhibitors was measured. It was found that cell division became resistant to inhibitors of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis at approximately the same stage in the division cycle in all situations investigated. When the synchronous glucose-grown cultures were temporarily exposed to chloramphenicol early in the division cycle and then exposed to mitomycin C or nalidixic acid immediately after removal of chloramphenicol, the cells did not divide. In contrast, when DNA synthesis was inhibited by thymine starvation immediately after temporary exposure to chloramphenicol, cells divided. The results suggest that DNA chain elongation is completed in some cells in the absence of protein synthesis, but that additional steps involving specific RNA or protein synthesis, or both, may be required for processing the chromosomal structures to the form which is necessary for division. This processing, which normally occurs concurrent with DNA synthesis and is prevented by inhibitors of DNA synthesis, may trigger division. Alternatively, in the absence of protein synthesis, all aspects of chromosome formation may be completed, but final transcriptional events which are essential for division cannot take place until the complete synthesis of a critical amount of specific proteins.
The currency of procurement cost.

As the number of instrtumental responses required to procure access to food is increased, animals decrease the frequency of initiating meals and increase meal size, conserving total intake while limiting the increase in the overall cost of feeding. In two studies, one using wheel turns and one using bar presses as the instrumental response, we asked whether freely feeding laboratory rats measure cost according to the energy or the time they expend. In each study we varied both the price (i.e., number of wheel turns or bar presses) and the force required to make a response (i.e., torque on the wheel or weight of the bar). Price affected both procurement time (from the first to the last procurement response) and procurement work, whereas torque and bar weight affected work without altering time in most cases. Meal patterns were altered by all manipulations of price, but changes in torque and bar weight had little effect on meal patterns, except in the conditions in which they altered procurement time. These results suggest that time is a critical currency of procurement cost in rats.
Equilibria and comparative statics in two-player contests

Abstract We analyze two-player contests in which each player exerts effort to influence his probability of winning the prize. Assuming the contest success function is homogeneous of degree zero, we characterize Nash equilibria, provide conditions for existence of a pure-strategy equilibrium, and present comparative statics results. For comparative statics, we consider the dependence of equilibrium efforts, success probabilities, and expected payoffs on players' values for the prize. We also analyze the effects on the comparative statics of relaxing the homogeneity assumption. These findings extend previous results based on more restricted forms of the contest success function.
Clearing the Smoke: Parental Influences on Non-smokers’ Attentional Biases to Smoking-Related Cues

Children who have a parent who smokes are more likely to begin smoking than their peers who do not have a family history of smoking behavior. The goal of this study was to explore a potential mechanism to explain this relationship. It was hypothesized that college-age nonsmokers who have smoking parents would express an attentional bias for smoking-related cues relative to those without smoking parents. Participants were grouped according to whether one or both of their parents smoked (n 32) or neither parent smoked (n 31). A dot-probe paradigm was used in which picture pairs that consisted of a smoking-related picture and a nonsmoking control picture were displayed for either 500 or 2,000 ms. Each picture pair contained either human elements or objects alone. Attentional bias was calculated by subtracting reaction times to the smoking stimuli from nonsmoking stimuli as a function of content and presentation time. Participants with at least one smoking parent demonstrated an attentional bias to smoking-related pictures relative to control pictures when displayed for 2,000 ms, but only when they did not contain human content. Participants without a smoking parent showed no attentional bias. These results suggest that college-age nonsmokers who have smoking parents may be at-risk for late-onset smoking initiation because of their enhanced attention to smoking-related cues.
On the gell-mann-okubo rule as a consequence of eightfoldedness

A qualitative explanation is given for the tendency ofSU3 symmetry-breaking calculations to favor symmetry-breaking terms transforming as anSU3 representation of relatively low dimensionN. Upper bounds falling off asN−1/2 are derived for the norms of the factors containing theN-dependence in such calculations. Since small factors correlate with small symmetry violation, terms withN=8 are favored. Octuplet dominance is only favored, not guaranteed by this result, because it is only an upper bound. A general discussion is given of methods for putting upper bounds on invariant sums over products of Clebsch-Gordan coefficients (i.e. on the analogs for higher groups of the 3n-J symbols forSU2).
Effect of thermal and residual stresses on the J-integral elastic-plastic fracture analysis

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive finite element study using the ADINA code with an objective towards developing a procedure for incorporating the effect of thermal/residual stresses in the J-integral elastic-plastic estimation method. Thermal-elastic-plastic finite element studies have been carried out for several two-dimensional crack geometries including the center-cracked plate, single-edge cracked plate and cylinders containing axial and circumferential flaws. Analyses are based on the J2 flow theory of plasticity and include material strain hardening. Results are obtained for various fracture parameters of interest such as J, COD and mouth-opening displacement (MOD). The J-integral is calculated by a virtual crack extention method, modified for thermal-elastic-plastic crack problems. It is shown that the effect of thermal/residual stresses is negligibly small when fully plastic conditions are achieved. Based upon these observations and using the superposition principle for the stress intensity factor K1 under small-scale yielding, a modified procedure for estimating fracture parameters under thermal-elastic-plastic conditions is formulated. The results thus obtained are compared against detailed finite element calculations, with an observed excellent agreement between the two sets of results. Various aspects of the crack-tip behavior under the conditions of thermal-elastic-plastic deformation are also discussed.
Film Awards as Indicators of Cinematic Creativity and Achievement: A Quantitative Comparison of the Oscars and Six Alternatives

Although film awards are often taken as indicating the creative achievements that underlie outstanding motion pictures, critics have questioned whether such honors represent a consensus regarding cinematic contributions. Nevertheless, a strong agreement was demonstrated by investigating 1,132films released between 1975 and 2002 that had received at least 1 award or award nomination from 7 distinct sources (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association). The results indicated that (a) almost all award categories exhibited a conspicuous consensus, the Oscars providing the best single indicator of that agreement; (b) Oscar awards provided meaningful information about cinematic creativity and achievement beyond that provided by Oscar nominations alone; (c) awards bestowed by the 7 organizations corresponded with more specialized awards granted by guilds and societies, with the Oscars usually providing the best correspondence; and (d) awards correlated positively with later movie guide ratings, the correlations being especially large in the categories of picture, direction, screenplay, and acting. The findings Were discussed in terms of whether the awards can be considered to be indicative of cinematic creativity.
Radio frequency dual-spectra analysis of regional myocardial perfusion: Comparison with harmonic densitometric method

Abstract Our objective was to compare harmonic-to-fundamental frequency ratio peak (HFRp) analysis with conventional harmonic gray-scale densitometric analysis on the basis of ability to eliminate heterogeneity in ultrasound signals. Broadband radio frequency and harmonic data were obtained by using intermittent short-axis scans in 10 open-chest pigs before and during infusion of contrast microbubbles. HFRp and gray-scale intensity values were measured in 6 segments of left ventricular myocardium. In baseline images, the influence of anisotropy on HFRp values was significantly less than that in gray-scale intensities. In perfusion assessment with subtraction, contrast heterogeneity in HFRp values was significantly smaller than that in gray-scale intensities. The increase in HFRp values after subtraction was significantly greater than that in gray-scale intensities in lateral ( P P P (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:1277-84.)
Cooperative Relaying in Next-Generation Mobile WiMAX Networks

Distributed space-time coding (DSTC) is a key physical (PHY) layer technique to enable cooperative relaying in wireless networks. Compared with direct transmission and single-relay cooperation, DSTC exploits spatial diversity gain and achieves a higher end-to-end throughput performance. In particular, a novel variation of DSTC, which is called randomized DSTC (R-DSTC), further enhances the performance of conventional DSTC in a mobile environment due to its decentralized relay recruitment. This paper presents a medium access control (MAC) protocol, which is called CoopMAX, for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems to provide cooperative relaying with DSTC and R-DSTC techniques by the use of fixed and mobile relays. CoopMAX explores a joint PHY layer and MAC layer optimization for rate adaptation. The efficiency of CoopMAX is investigated, showing pronounced advantages, such as a doubling of throughput as compared with conventional WiMAX protocols in some typical scenarios.
Rydberg series of NO converging to the ionic states b3Π, A1Π, and w3Δ

Abstract Rydberg series of NO in the 600–1000-Aregion were investigated by using a 6.65-m high-dispersion vacuum spectrograph. The previous β, γ ( v = 0), and γ ( v = 1) Rydberg series were extended up to n = 31, 31, and 28, respectively. From the analysis of these Rydberg series, accurate ionization energies were obtained: 133 565 ± 3 (16.5596 eV) for b 3 Π ( v = 0); 147 811 ± 3 (18.3258 eV) for A 1 Π ( v = 0); 149 372 ± 3 cm −1 (18.5193 eV) for A 1 Π ( v = 1) of NO + . A new Rydberg series converging to one of the triplet components in b 3 Π was identified, and the coupling constant of b 3 Π was estimated to be 35 ± 8 cm −1 . Higher members of two Rydberg series were newly observed in the 700–725-Aregion. From their series limits, 139 926 ± 3 and 141 160 ± 3 cm −1 , they were assigned to be the Rydberg series converging to the v = 3 and 4 levels of ω 3 Δ in NO + .