cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing an Internet Traffic Predictive Model by Applying a Signal Processing Method

Detection of abnormal internet traffic has become a significant area of research in network security. Due to its importance, many predictive models are designed by utilizing machine learning algorithms. The models are well designed to show high performances in detecting abnormal internet traffic behaviors. However, they may not guarantee reliable detection performances for new incoming abnormal internet traffic because they are designed using raw features from imbalanced internet traffic data. Since internet traffic is non-stationary time-series data, it is difficult to identify abnormal internet traffic with the raw features. In this study, we propose a new approach to detecting abnormal internet traffic. Our approach begins with extracting hidden, but important, features by utilizing discrete wavelet transformation. Then, statistical analysis is performed to filter out irrelevant and less important features. Only statistically significant features are used to design a reliable predictive model with logistic regression. A comparative analysis is conducted to determine the importance of our approach by measuring accuracy, sensitivity, and the Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve. From the analysis, we found that our model detects abnormal internet traffic successfully with high accuracy.
Testosterone manipulations: effects on ranacide aggression and brain monoamines in the adult female rat.

Abstract The effect of testosterone propionate on ranacide (frog-killing) behavior and brain norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) levels was determined in 40 female Wistar rats. Adult rats were screened for frog killing behavior on the basis of a single 30 min testing session. Aggressors were defined as animals which attacked or killed during this session while nonaggressors failed to do so. Using either aggressors or nonaggressors, testosterone and sesame oil equally aggressive behavior as measured in a second 30 min testing session. Biochemical analyses indicated that testosterone treated animals had significantly higher brain NE and NE/5-HT levels. Aggressors, testosterone or sesame treated had higher NE/5-HT ratios. Whole-brain levels of DA and 5-HT and the DA/5-HT ratios were unaffected. It is concluded that the elicitation of ranacide in the adult female rat is not androgen dependent nor is this behavior functionally related to the observed differences in brain noradrenergic/serotonergic levels. This study provides additional evidence that ranacide is a type of predatory aggression and yet presents data which may be at variance with the classic monoaminergic theory of aggressive behaviors.
Community Development Corporations, Participation, and Accountability: The Harlem Urban Development Corporation and the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation:

This article suggests that evaluating the success or failure of community development corporations (CDCs) can be aided by understanding the political and historical contingencies that surrounded the founding of CDCs. Taking early politics and history into account, furthermore, allows one to see how issues like community accountability are balanced with other demands on the organization. The article uses this kind of examination to make a general assessment about the impact of CDCs on community development and neighborhood improvement. This article is a case study of the early history of two “first-wave” CDCs in New York City: the Harlem Urban Development Corporation and the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. The discussion covers the early period of each organization from the mid-1960s to the 1980s.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF SELECTED FLAVOR COMPOUNDS TO THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF MAPLE SYRUP

. A base syrup formulation containing nonvolatile flavor compounds was used to systematically evaluate the sensory contributions of selected volatile compounds (Furaneol, 2,5–dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone; sugar furanone, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone; guaiacol, 2-methoxy phenol; vanillin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzaldehyde) to maple syrup flavor. Descriptive sensory panels showed that all compounds contributed to maple flavor intensity, but sugar furanone was an exceptionally important determinant. Medium and dark amber syrups contained generally higher concentrations of the selected flavor compounds than the light amber syrup. 5′-Inosine monophosphate was tentatively identified in maple syrup by HPLC analysis, and was found to contribute important taste characteristics to maple syrup. Consumer studies showed that more flavorful, darker grade A syrups were preferred over light amber grade A syrup.
Effect of inoculum on the size and location of Fasciola hepatica subsequently recovered from the livers of rats

Two outbred strains of Sprague-Dawley rats were given, by intraperitoneal injection, 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50 newly excysted juvenile (NEJ) Fasciola hepatica. Ninety days post-infection all rats were killed and their livers teased apart under 10 × magnification for quantitation of the flukes present. There was no significant difference in worm numbers between the rat strains. However, several significant differences (P<0.05) between the various infection groups were observed. As the size of the infective dose were increased from 5 to 50 NEJ, the percentage of the infective dose recovered from the livers of the infected rats decreased from 36.7 to 12.1%. With the 5 and 10 NEJ infective doses, the worms recovered were large mature flukes (1.52 and 1.68 cnm respectively) and were found in the common bile ducts. In the rast receiving infections of 30 and 50 NEJ, the flukes were smaller (0.88 and 0.55 cm, respectively), immature, and were primarily located in the liver parenchyma. These findings are important in light of previous studies on the development of resistance in the rat to challenge infections in which immunity was based on both the size and the location of the flukes recovered. The results from our study indicate that in a primary infection of 20 or greater NEJ, many small immature flukes remain in the liver parnchyma, even after several months. When testing for resistance to F. hepatica in rats, these flukes may erroneously be thought to comprise a portion of the challenge infection.
Bistable Magnetoresistance Switching in Exchange-Coupled CoFe2O4–Fe3O4 Binary Nanocrystal Superlattices by Self-Assembly and Thermal Annealing

Self-assembly of multicomponent nanocrystal superlattices provides a modular approach to the design of metamaterials by choosing constituent nanocrystal building blocks with desired physical properties and engineering the interparticle coupling. In this work, we report the self-assembly of binary nanocrystal superlattices composed of magnetically hard CoFe2O4 nanocrystals and magnetically soft Fe3O4 nanocrystals. Both NaZn13- and MgZn2-type CoFe2O4–Fe3O4 binary nanocrystal superlattices have been formed by the liquid–air interfacial assembly approach. Exchange coupling is achieved in both types of binary superlattices after thermal annealing under vacuum at 400 °C. The exchange-coupled CoFe2O4–Fe3O4 binary nanocrystal superlattices show single-phase magnetization switching behavior and magnetoresistance switching behavior below 200 K. The NaZn13-type CoFe2O4–Fe3O4 binary nanocrystal superlattices annealed at 500 °C even exhibit bistable magnetoresistance switching behavior at room temperature constituting...
Infectious syphilis of the anal canal.

Infectious syphilis is being reported in increasing numbers and the prevalence of homosexuality in males is one reason for its increase. An improved awareness of the possibility that syphilis may be the cause of anal infections is necessary. Eleven cases of infectious syphilis of the anal canal are presented.
Spatiotemporal Disaggregation of Remotely Sensed Precipitation for Ensemble Hydrologic Modeling and Data Assimilation

Abstract Historically, estimates of precipitation for hydrologic applications have largely been obtained using ground-based rain gauges despite the fact that they can contain significant measurement and sampling errors. Remotely sensed precipitation products provide the ability to overcome spatial coverage limitations, but the direct use of these products generally suffers from their relatively coarse spatial and temporal resolution and inherent retrieval errors. A simple ensemble-based disaggregation scheme is proposed as a general framework for using remotely sensed precipitation data in hydrologic applications. The scheme generates fine-scale precipitation realizations that are conditioned on large-scale precipitation measurements. The ensemble approach allows for uncertainty related to the complex error characteristics of the remotely sensed precipitation (undetected events, nonzero false alarm rate, etc.) to be taken into account. The methodology is applied through several synthetic experiments over ...
Gravity Modeling for Variable Fidelity Environments

Aerospace simulations can model worlds, such as the Earth, with differing levels of fidelity. The simulation may represent the world as a plane, a sphere, an ellipsoid, or a high-order closed surface. The world may or may not rotate. The user may select lower fidelity models based on computational limits, a need for simplified analysis, or comparison to other data. However, the user will also wish to retain a close semblance of behavior to the real world. The effects of gravity on objects are an important component of modeling real-world behavior. Engineers generally equate the term gravity with the observed free-fall acceleration. However, free-fall acceleration is not equal to all observers. To observers on the sur-face of a rotating world, free-fall acceleration is the sum of gravitational attraction and the centrifugal acceleration due to the world's rotation. On the other hand, free-fall acceleration equals gravitational attraction to an observer in inertial space. Surface-observed simulations (e.g. aircraft), which use non-rotating world models, may choose to model observed free fall acceleration as the gravity term; such a model actually combines gravitational at-traction with centrifugal acceleration due to the Earth s rotation. However, this modeling choice invites confusion as one evolves the simulation to higher fidelity world models or adds inertial observers. Care must be taken to model gravity in concert with the world model to avoid denigrating the fidelity of modeling observed free fall. The paper will go into greater depth on gravity modeling and the physical disparities and synergies that arise when coupling specific gravity models with world models.
Seeing the project: mapping patterns of intra-team communication events

This paper reports the results of a qualitative study of the communication patterns of two student teams engaged in a design and documentation task. All communication events for each team are recorded and analyzed to produce displays that show how well-coordinated each team was throughout the project. The sorting and mapping methods presented suggest a new class of features for groupware applications, features designed to allow members of collaborative teams to monitor and adjust their communication patterns during the lifecycle of a project.
Evaluation of real-time imaging using a laparoscopic ultrasound probe during operative endoscopic procedures.

Objectives To evaluate rigid and flexible ultrasound transducers introduced through a laparoscopic port to image pelvic anatomy during operative endoscopy as a means of mapping the pelvic anatomy, detecting pathology, and for real-time tracking of intra-uterine procedures. Design Prospective, descriptive, non-comparative. Materials and methods Laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and real-time, gray-scale ultrasonography were performed simultaneously in 36 patients. Laparoscopic ultrasound was performed using 10 mm diameter, 7.5 MHz gray-scale rigid and steerable transducers for imaging of the ovaries and uterus during operative endoscopy (Aloka, Wallingford, CT, USA). All patients underwent intra-operative evaluation using this probe to assess uterine and ovarian structures and to track instruments intra-operatively during complex intra-uterine hysteroscopic procedures and for intra-operative sonohysterography. Results Laparoscopic ultrasound provided visualization of structures and delineation of ovarian anatomy needle placement for tracking microscissors and intra-operative sonohysterography. The ultrasonography provided information useful for determining the configuration of normal anatomic structures, the localization of and more precise incision placement for anatomic abnormalities and for intra-operative guidance during hysteroscopic resection of intra-uterine adhesions. The imaging also provided details of intra-uterine anatomy through sonohysterography performed during chromotubation. However, no additional information regarding ovarian or uterine abnormalities was noted beyond that detected on pre-operative transvaginal ultrasonography. No technical problems were encountered. No additional operative time was required. Conclusions Real-time laparoscopic ultrasound imaging is useful in monitoring complex intra-uterine operative procedures and in detailing intra-uterine anatomy during intra-operative sonohysterography. However, it did not provide more enhanced imaging of ovarian anatomy beyond images obtained with pre-operative transvaginal imaging. This imaging technique may have broad application for a variety of endoscopic operative procedures with the potential to impact on operative decision-making and requires further evaluation.
Host Cell Proteins Bind Specifically to the Capsid-Cleaved 5' End of Leishmaniavirus RNA

Leishmaniavirus (LRV) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus that persistently infects some strains of the protozoan parasite, Leishmania. LRV generates a short transcript, corresponding to the 5' end of the positive-sense RNA (320 nt), via a cleavage event mediated by the viral capsid protein on the full-length positive sense RNA transcript. To address the possibility that the RNA cleavage represents a regulatory mechanism for maintaining persistent infection, the interactions between Leishmania cytoplasmic proteins and in vitro synthesized viral transcripts were studied. In gel mobility shift experiments, three specific RNA/protein complexes were formed between cellular proteins and the cleaved viral transcript, and three major proteins were labeled by UV cross-linking. No protein binding activity was observed for either the short (320 nt) or full-length RNA transcripts. However, the two cleavage reaction products were able to form stable RNA/RNA complexes. We present a model in which the virus is targeting its own transcript for cleavage to promote binding of host factors to cryptic domains inaccessible in the full-length transcript.
Interdependence of reabsorption and internal energy losses in luminescent solar concentrators

As a complementary device to photovoltaic (PV) cells, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) can reduce the cost of solar energy by replacing the expensive PV material with inexpensive energy-harvesting plastic or glass matrix. However, due to its low efficiency, LSCs are still not commercially viable. The low efficiency is due to the various losses associated with light harvesting and trapping. Most of these losses come from reabsorption and escape of reemitted energy from the LSC device. State-of-the-art LSC technology focuses on decreasing reabsorption loss by employing luminophores with a large Stokes shift. But these materials typically have low quantum yield. Increasing the Stokes shift of the luminophore reduces reabsorption but introduces substantial loss due to low quantum yield and the Stokes shift of the re-emitted photons. The interdependence of these losses is studied computationally using a ray-tracing model that accounts for reabsorption, Stokes shift, escape cone loss, and matrix loss. It is shown that using high Stokesshift luminophores does not give the highest energy efficiency. Higher energy efficiency is obtained by optimizing the Stokes shift. Even greater performance can be achieved by employing high-quantum-yield dyes with intermediate Stokes shift. LSC devices based on this approach could be nearly twice as efficient as those based on conventional luminophores, such as Rhodamine B.
CORTICOSTEROID-BINDING GLOBULIN IN THE RAT: POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE INITIATION OF LACTATION.

Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) activity of rat serum was determined by multiple equilibrium dialysis with 14C-labeled corticosteroids at 37 C. CBG and corticosterone levels of immature rats (3,12 or 21 days old) were found to be lower than those of mature animals (60 days); the values observed in the mature female rat were about 2.5 times higher than those in the male. CBG activity was similar in pregnant and nonpregnant animals, although in pregnancy resting corticosterone levels were 40% lower than in the nonpregnant state. On the 3rd day of lactation a precipitous decrease in CBG activity occurred, the resting corticosterone values increased to the virgin level, and a marked decrease in thymus weight indicated an increased concentration of free corticosterone. CBG levels during lactation were inversely related to the number of pups per litter. Four days after weaning, CBG activity returned to the virgin level, but thymus weight and resting corticosterone concentration did not reach virgin levels...
Fatigue of unidirectional SCS-6/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite containing a circular hole

Fatigue tests of notched unidirectional titanium aluminide composite, SCS-6/Ti-24Al-11Nb (at. pct), were performed to characterize the failure modes and mechanisms that control the life of this material. Using middle-hole specimens tested over a range of stress levels, fatigue damage was documented by optical photography, elastic compliance measurements, and electrical potential drop measurements. It was found that a few dominant cracks form near the notch root and propagate into the composite matrix. Chemical removal of the matrix material and metallographic sectioning of fatigue specimens examined prior to failure revealed that extensive fiber bridging of the matrix cracks dominated the fatigue life. A detailed description of the failure modes and mechanisms of damage initiating in the vicinity of a circular hole is presented, and the relative roles of crack initiation and crack growth are discussed.
A Colloidal Silver Method for Nerve Cells and Processes, Neuroglia and Microglia

A method is described whereby nerve cells and processes, neuroglia and microglia may be stained using colloidal silver solutions (argyrol, silvol, 10% and 20%).Fresh, unfixed brain tissue is stained in bulk in argyrol or silvol, and then dehydrated, embedded in low viscosity nitrocellulose, and sectioned. Before reduction the sections are treated with gold chloride to replace the silver. Sections are reduced in a formalin hydroquinone solution, fixed in sodium thiosulfate, dehydrated, and mounted in euparal. A method is described for removing the nitrocellulose before mounting.No variation in the method was found to be necessary for the various species tested (rat, guinea pig, rabbit, and dog).
Disgust Propensity as a Predictor of Intrusive Cognitions Following a Distressing Film

Although extant research examining predictors of development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have focused primarily on fear and anxiety, recent research suggests that a range of different emotional reactions may occur in response to traumatic events. For example, specific aspects of traumatic exposure frequently include either experiencing or witnessing events that may elicit disgust, including injury, death, or sexual assault (e.g., Dalgleish and Power in Behav Res Ther Spec Issue Festschrift Spec Issue John Teasdale 42(9):1069–1088, 2004); McNally in J Anxiety Disord 16(5):561–566, 2002). However, no published research has specifically examined the role of disgust propensity in the development and maintenance of PTSD. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between disgust propensity and intrusive symptoms. To this end, 30 undergraduates without symptoms of PTSD were recruited to participate in a distressing film paradigm (for a review of this paradigm see Holmes and Bourne in Acta Psychol 127(3):553–566, 2008). Anxiety, depression, and trait disgust scores were entered hierarchically into a regression equation to predict the number of intrusions during a post-film thought monitoring period. Results indicated that disgust propensity predicted intrusions independent of anxiety and depression. Although still preliminary, results suggest that disgust propensity may be one factor that predicts frequency of intrusive memories after witnessing injury or bodily harm.
Perceived Family Environment of Black Adolescent Alcohol Users and Nonusers

The purpose of this study was to examine Black American adolescents' substance use (alcohol) and their perceptions of their family environments. Eighty-six participants between ages 12 and 19 from a large mid-Atlantic medical facility who reported exposure to alcohol use were asked to complete Moos' Family Environment Scale (FES). The participants were divided into users and nonusers. Users were described as those who drank at least once a week and used at least medium amounts per occasion. Nonusers were defined as those who did not drink or used less than once a year. Substance users were hypothesized to perceive family environment less favorably than nonusers. A t-test was conducted to compare means of groups on each subscale of the FES. The independent variable was alcohol use (yes/no). Dependent variables were the scores on the FES subscales. Analyses of the data indicated that users and nonusers differed significantly (p<.05) on five of the ten subscales, specifically Cohesion, Conflict, Achievement,...
Normalization and noise reduction for single cell RNA-seq experiments

A major roadblock towards accurate interpretation of single cell RNA-seq data is large technical noise resulted from small amount of input materials. The existing methods mainly aim to find differentially expressed genes rather than directly de-noise the single cell data. We present here a powerful but simple method to remove technical noise and explicitly compute the true gene expression levels based on spike-in ERCC molecules. Availability and implementation: The software is implemented by R and the download version is available at http://wanglab.ucsd.edu/star/GRM. Contact: ude.dscu@gnaw-iew Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Darwin's last child: mental retardation and the need for a romantic science.

The writer discusses how Charles Darwin's deep love for his youngest child, who had mental retardation, contrasted with his theory that people with mental retardation were evolutionary mistakes.
Behenic acid is a cholesterol-raising saturated fatty acid in humans

Background Dietary behenic acid (22:0) is poorly absorbed. Because of its low bioavailability compared with other fatty acids and because of its very long chain length, the effect of dietary behenic acid (behenate) on serum lipid concentrations in humans is assumed to be neutral. Objective The objective was to establish the cholesterol-raising potential of behenic acid by comparing the effects on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations of a specially formulated fat enriched with behenic acid with those of palm oil (rich in palmitic acid; 16:0) and high-oleic acid sunflower oil (rich in cis oleic acid; 18:1). Design In a randomized, crossover, metabolic-ward study, 7 mildly hypercholesterolemic men were fed 3 natural-food diets supplemented with behenate oil, palm oil, or high-oleic acid sunflower oil. Mean serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and plasma triacylglycerol fatty acid composition were determined from fasting blood drawn during the final 4 d of each 3-wk diet period. Results Behenate oil produced mean concentrations of total cholesterol (5.87+/-0.8 mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol (4.40+/-0.8 mmol/L) not significantly different from those produced by palm oil (5.84+/-0.7 and 4.42+/-0.7 mmol/L, respectively) but significantly higher than those produced by high-oleic acid sunflower oil (5.12+/-0.5 and 3.70+/-0.6 mmol/L, respectively). There were no significant differences in triacylglycerol or HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Conclusions Despite its low bioavailability compared with oleic acid, behenic acid is a cholesterol-raising fatty acid in humans and is therefore not a suitable substitute for palmitic acid in manufactured triacylglycerols.
Prior heavy knee extension exercise does not affect $$\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}$$ kinetics during subsequent heavy cycling exercise

This study examined the magnitude of the oxygen uptake slow component \((\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\; \hbox{SC})\) during heavy exercise when preceded by heavy knee extension (KE) exercise. Nine males (26.6 ± 1.7 years, ±SE) performed repeated bouts of heavy exercise, each lasting 6 min with 6 min of recovery. Cycling–cycling trials (CYC1, CYC2) involved step transitions to a workrate corresponding to 50% of the difference between peak \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) and the lactate threshold (Δ 50%). During bilateral KE-cycling trails (KE, CYC3), KE was performed at an intensity requiring twofold greater muscle activation relative to CYC1 followed by a cycling transition to Δ 50%. \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) was measured breath-by-breath and was modeled using three exponentials to determinate the amplitudes (A2′, A3′) and time constants (τ2, τ3) of the primary phase and \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) SC. Electromyography (EMG) recorded from the vastus lateralis and medialis was averaged and reported relative to maximal voluntary contraction (%MVC). EMG was higher (p < 0.05) during KE (37.6 ± 8.1 %MVC) than CYC1 (20.8 ± 1.9 %MVC), CYC2 (21.6 ± 5.7 %MVC) and CYC3 (19.8 ± 6.3 %MVC). The amplitude of the \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) SC was lower (p < 0.05) in CYC2 (197 ± 120 ml min−1) and CYC3 (163 ± 51 ml min−1) compared to CYC1 (325 ± 126 ml min−1). No difference in \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) SC was observed between CYC2 and CYC3. Although the activation of additional motor units during KE exercise reduced the amplitude of the \(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) SC, the decrease was similar to that observed following heavy cycling exercise. Thus, the activation of motor units in excess of those required for the activity does not alter the\(\dot{V}\hbox{O}_{2}\) response during a subsequent bout of exercise.
Advances in hands-on experiments and simulations for an introductory Dynamics Course

The Mechanical Engineering faculty of Rose- Hulman Institute of Technology have devised a series of virtual and hardware experiments designed to enhance student confidence in kinematic and kinetic models, to reduce reliance on intuition, and to show the strengths and weaknesses of computer based models. By leveraging precisely instrumented mechanical systems intended for controls education, we are able to provide brief but significant experiences in experimental mechanics. In this paper, these laboratory experiences will be described, and assessment results will be presented.
Analysis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Genome Structure Using Large‐Scale Sequencing of Regions on Linkage Groups I and III

Abstract Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular green alga that has been used as a model organism for the study of flagella and basal bodies as well as photosynthesis. This report analyzes finished genomic DNA sequence for 0.5% of the nuclear genome. We have used three gene prediction programs as well as EST and protein homology data to estimate the total number of genes in Chlamydomonas to be between 12,000 and 16,400. Chlamydomonas appears to have many more genes than any other unicellular organism sequenced to date. Twenty-seven percent of the predicted genes have significant identity to both ESTs and to known proteins in other organisms, 32% of the predicted genes have significant identity to ESTs alone, and 14% have significant similarity to known proteins in other organisms. For gene prediction in Chlamydomonas, GreenGenie appeared to have the highest sensitivity and specificity at the exon level, scoring 71% and 82%, respectively. Two new alternative splicing events were predicted by aligning C...
Medical specialists prefer to withdraw familiar technologies when discontinuing life support

OBJECTIVE: To assess how members of different specialties vary in their decisions about which form of life support to withdraw. The hypothesis was that each specialty would be more comfortable withdrawing its “own” form of life support relative to other forms and other specialties.
Valproic Acid Prenatal Exposure Association With Lipomyelomeningocele

Valproic acid is an anticonvulsant that has been associated with open neural tube defects. We report a family in which the maternal use of valproic acid, and other anticonvulsants, during pregnancy resulted in different malformations in two siblings, one of which had a lipomyelomeningocele. The association of valproic acid and closed neural tube defects has not previously been reported.A brief review of the teratogenic effects of valproic acid is included as well as the implications for early surgical management of lipomyelorneningocele.
Some comparisons of characteristics of alphabetic codes for the deaf-blind

Several alphabet codes for the deaf-blind were compared with respect to tactual discriminability and ease of code learning, utilizing subjects with normal vision and hearing. Results can suggest ways for improving codes used by the deaf-blind. Among raised-print codes (typically used for reading), Braille was found to be difficult both to learn and to discriminate tactually. The Moon code was found to be significantly less difficult than Braille. Although raised capital letters are difficult to recognize tactually, modifications of the letters can be made (NL code) that can make them much more easily recognized. Code size and direction of scan (vertical versus horizontal) were significant determinants of discriminability of raised-print symbols. Among hand-sent codes for person-to-person communication, hand-printed letters in the palm were well discriminated. For individuals with no experience with visual letter forms or who have trouble discriminating complex tactual symbols, a simple tactual finger code...
Reading the Rwandan Genocide

There has been an explosion of scholarly writing on Rwanda since the genocide in 1994. Until then, the country appeared to be unknown or ignored by scholars. This essay attempts to critically synthesize some of this new scholarship by focusing on primarily two issues: the types of explanatory models developed to explain the genocide and the positions authors have taken regarding the role of the international community. Within this focus, the essay also considers the shortcomings of the new scholarship. The huge amount of documentation generated by the International Criminal Tribunal has been largely inaccessible to scholars. Moreover, these microlevel data tend to be without scientific hypothesis. Yet theory-informed macrolevel analysis has been limited to mostly young scholars who happened to be in Rwanda just before the genocide. The predominantly case-study focus on the genocide neglects postgenocide Rwanda, whose ongoing political, social, and economic dynamics also merit more in-depth research.
Rosé Wine Color Preference and Preference Stability by an Experienced and an Inexperienced Panel

SUMMARY— A comparison was made between an experienced and an inexperienced panel for their ability to form preferences for five rose wines of differing color characteristics and to maintain the preferences over a period of several months. A definite preference pattern for certain hues and brightnesses were established by comparison of the patterns to measured tristimulus color values. The inexperienced subjects were less consistent among themselves as to color preferences at the first testing but became more consistent at the second testing. The experienced panel had significantly more stable preferences than did the inexperienced group. Both groups showed similar preference patterns.
The Influence of Phototrophic Biomass on Fe and S Redox Cycling in an Acid Mine Drainage-Impacted System

We examined the effects of organic carbon from oxygenic photosynthetic algal biomass on the redox cycling of Fe and S in an acid mine drainage (AMD)-impacted system. Fe(III)-rich sediments from the field site with abundant algae contained fewer Fe(II) oxidizing bacteria and lower rates of Fe(II) oxidation compared to sediments that did not contain abundant algae. The addition of algal biomass to sediments that did not previously contain abundant algae inhibited microbiological Fe(II) oxidation and enhanced microbiological Fe(III) and sulfate reduction. As Fe(III) reduction proceeded, sulfate was released into solution due to the reductive solubilization of Fe(III) (hydr)oxy-sulfate phases. Our results indicate that in systems where oxidative precipitation of Fe is exploited as an AMD treatment strategy, the abundant organic carbon provided by photosynthetic organisms may inhibit or reverse Fe(II) oxidation.
High-Risk Sexual Activity in the House and Ball Community: Influence of Social Networks

Objectives. We investigated the roles of House membership and the influence of social and sexual network members on the sexual risk behavior of men in the Los Angeles House and Ball community.Methods. From February 2009 to January 2010, male participants (n = 233) completed interviewer-assisted surveys during a House meeting or Ball event. We used logistic regression to model the effects of sexual network size, influence of sexual network members, House membership status, and their interactions on high-risk sex.Results. Significant predictors of high-risk sex included number of sexual partners in the nominated social network, multiethnicity, and previous diagnosis of sexually transmitted infection. House membership was protective against high-risk sex. Additionally, a 3-way interaction emerged between number of sexual partners in the network, influence, and network members’ House membership.Conclusions. Future research should assess network members’ attitudes and behavior in detail to provide a greater un...
Dam and Sire Effects on Sperm Penetration of the Perivitelline Layer and Resulting Fecundity of Different Lines of Turkeys

SUMMARY All birds studied thus far are able to store spermatozoa within their oviducts for periods that can vary from several days to weeks, depending upon the species. Turkeys have a relatively long storage period compared with chickens, an observation that leads to the suggestion that sperm residing within the oviduct may interact with sperm entering the oviduct from later inseminations. Multiple sources of sperm within the oviduct also lead to the hypothesis that sperm competition may be important for the maintenance of fertility and embryo livability in turkeys. The current study tested the hypothesis that selection for economically important traits in lines of turkeys may have an effecton sperm competition as measured bythe ability to hydrolyze holesin the perivitelline layer, fertilize, and produce viable offspring. Linesofturkeysselectedforeggproductionorrapidgrowthwerecomparedwiththeirrespective randombred control lines. Reciprocal crosses of dams and sires of the selected and control lines were made to determine inherent sire and dam roles in sperm competition. Selection for increased egg production increased hydrolysis of the perivitelline layer and improved fertility but decreased early embryo death while increasing embryo deaths at pipping compared with controls, and these effects were primarily determined by the dam. Selection for increased body weight has created an interaction between dams and sires for sperm hydrolysis of the inner perivitelline layer, fertility and embryo survival. Thus, we concluded that genetic selection for economically important traits may affect sperm hydrolysis of the perivitelline layer and the subsequent fertility, and embryo livability.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the Guanacaste tree, Enterolobium cyclocarpum.

We isolated nine microsatellite loci from the Guanacaste tree ( Enterolobium cyclocarpum ) and optimized them for future research on breeding populations of this species. Loci were screened across 53 individuals from one population and were shown to be variable with the number of alleles per locus ranging from five to 15. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.420 to 0.900 and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.547 to 0.906.
Recognition and Imitation of Facial Expressions A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Zambia and the United States

Six- to seven-year olds, nine- to ten-year olds, and college students from the United States and Zambia imitated happy, angry, afraid, and sad facial expressions depicted in photographs used extensively by Izard. Imitative efforts were less accurate when someone was present than when no one was present (social inhibition). The degree of social inhibition was the same at each age level for the Zambians but was significant only for the nine- to ten-year olds in the United States. Less accurate recognition by Zambians of the facial expressions shown in the photographs may have accounted for their less accurate imitative efforts. Other cross-cultural similarities and differences were reported and discussed.
Plant growth conditions alter phytolith carbon

Many plants, including grasses and some important human food sources, accumulate, and precipitate silica in their cells to form opaline phytoliths. These phytoliths contain small amounts of organic matter (OM) that are trapped during the process of silicification. Previous work has suggested that plant silica is associated with compounds such as proteins, lipids, lignin, and carbohydrate complexes. It is not known whether these compounds are cellular components passively encapsulated as the cell silicifies, polymers actively involved in the precipitation process or random compounds assimilated by the plant and discarded into a "glass wastebasket." Here, we used Raman spectroscopy to map the distribution of OM in phytoliths, and to analyze individual phytoliths isolated from Sorghum bicolor plants grown under different laboratory treatments. Using mapping, we showed that OM in phytoliths is distributed throughout the silica and is not related to dark spots visible in light microscopy, previously assumed to be the repository for phytolith OM. The Raman spectra exhibited common bands indicative of C-H stretching modes of general OM, and further more diagnostic bands consistent with carbohydrates, lignins, and other OM. These Raman spectra exhibited variability of spectral signatures and of relative intensities between sample treatments indicating that differing growth conditions altered the phytolith carbon. This may have strong implications for understanding the mechanism of phytolith formation, and for use of phytolith carbon isotope values in dating or paleoclimate reconstruction.
Comparing Postsecondary Marketing Student Performance on Computer-Based and Handwritten Essay Tests.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in postsecondary marketing student performance on essay tests based on test format (i.e., computer-based or handwritten). Specifically, the variables of performance, test completion time, and gender were explored for differences based on essay test format. Results of the study indicate that there was no significant difference in postsecondary marketing student scores based on test format. There was, however, a significant difference in test completion time based on essay format. Postsecondary marketing students completed the computer-based essay test significantly faster than they did the handwritten essay test. Implications for postsecondary marketing educator are also discussed.
False alarms and mine seismicity: An example from the Gentry Mountain Mining Region, Utah

As part of a large discrimination study in the western United States (Taylor et al. , 1989), one earthquake was consistently classified as an explosion. The magnitude ( M ) 3.5 disturbance occurred on 14 May 1981 and was conspicuous in its lack of Love waves, relative lack of high frequency energy, low Lg/Pg ratio, and high moment tensor. Additionally, a moment-tensor solution by Patton and Zandt (1991) indicated that the event had a large implosional component. The event occurred in the Gentry Mountain coal mining region in the eastern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Previous microearthquake studies in the region have demonstrated the existence of numerous small implosional events associated with the mining activities. The event is more comparable in appearance [at the broadband station at Kanab, Utah (KNB)] to the ATRISCO collapse at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) than to another double-couple event near the mining region. Using a simple source representation, we modeled the event as a tabular excavation collapse that occurred as a result of normal mining activities. This study raises the importance of having a good catalog of seismic data and information about mining activities from potential proliferant nations. This information will be critical in resolving potential false alarms that may be generated from natural mine seismicity.
Large-Scale Deep Learning For Building Intelligent Computer Systems

For the past five years, the Google Brain team has focused on conducting research in difficult problems in artificial intelligence, on building large-scale computer systems for machine learning research, and, in collaboration with many teams at Google, on applying our research and systems to dozens of Google products. Our group has recently open-sourced the TensorFlow system (tensorflow.org), a system designed to easily express machine ideas, and to quickly train, evaluate and deploy machine learning systems. In this talk, I'll highlight some of the design decisions we made in building TensorFlow, discuss research results produced within our group, and describe ways in which these ideas have been applied to a variety of problems in Google's products, usually in close collaboration with other teams. This talk describes joint work with many people at Google.
A procedure for management of acquired tracheoesophageal fistula in ventilator patients.

An operative technique is presented for acquired tracheoesophageal fistula including cervical esophagostomy, division and closure of the distal esophagus, and use of the cervical and thoracic esophageal segment as a patch to close the posterior trachea wall. Later coloesophagoplasty is used to establish gastrointestinal continuity. An external negative-pressure ventilator (Drinker-Collins iron lung) is used in combination with a conventional positive-pressure ventilator to diminish airway pressure after the tracheal repair.
Natural Epigenetic-Modifying Molecules in Medical Therapy

Abstract In the last decade, strong evidence has emerged on the link between diet and epigenetic mechanisms of diseases. Dietary bioactive molecules from vegetables, fruits, and some beverages have been shown to exhibit antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and anticancer activities through multiple mechanisms including epigenetic changes associated with DNA methylation, histone modifications, and modulation of microRNAs. The epigenetic molecular mechanisms that contribute to the chemopreventive nature of dietary polyphenols have been widely studied, particularly in cancer. In addition, immunosensitization and chemosensitization properties of dietary agents make them viable candidates for combinatorial strategies leading to synergistic beneficial effects. In this chapter, we summarize current knowledge on the most studied natural products, nutrients and food components and their effects on DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNAs in different diseases. We also provide a review on “epigenetic” clinical trials with dietary phytochemicals on disease susceptibility and their potential as epigenetic chemopreventive agents and epigenetic drugs of the future.
A Brief History of the T4 Radiation Law

Since the 1700s, natural philosophers understood that heat exchange between two bodies was not precisely linearly dependent on the temperature difference, and that at high temperatures the discrepancy became greater. Over the years, many models were developed with varying degrees of success. The lack of success was due to the difficulty obtaining accurate experimental data, and a lack of knowledge of the fundamental mechanisms underlying radiation heat exchange. Josef Stefan, of the University of Vienna, compiled data taken by a number of researchers who used various methods to obtain their data, and in 1879 proposed a unique relation to model the dependence of radiative heat exchange on the temperature: the T4 law. Stefan’s model was met with some skepticism and was not widely accepted by his colleagues. His former student, Ludwig Boltzmann, who by then had taken a position at the University of Graz in Austria, felt that there was some truth to the empirical model proposed by his mentor. Boltzmann proceeded to show in 1884, treating electromagnetic radiation as the working fluid in a Carnot cycle, that in fact the T4 law was correct. By the time that Boltzmann published his thermodynamic derivation of the radiation law, physicists became interested in the fundamental nature of electromagnetic radiation and its relation to energy, specifically determining the frequency distribution of blackbody radiation. Among this group of investigators was Wilhelm Wien, working at Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt in Charlottenburg, Berlin. He proposed a relation stating that the wavelength at which the maximum amount of radiation was emitted occurred when the product of the wavelength and the temperature was equal to a constant. This became known as Wien’s Displacement Law, which he deduced this by imagining an expanding and contracting cavity, filled with radiation. Later, he combined his Displacement Law with the T4 law to give a blackbody spectrum which was accurate over some ranges, but diverged in the far infrared. Max Planck, at the University of Berlin, built on Wien’s model but, as Planck himself stated, “the energy of radiation is distributed in a completely irregular manner among the individual partial vibrations...” This “irregular” or discrete treatment of the radiation became the basis for quantum mechanics and a revolution in physics. This paper will present brief biographies of the four pillars of the T4 radiation law, Stefan, Boltzmann, Wien and Planck, and outline the methodologies used to obtain their results.Copyright © 2009 by ASME