cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality mesh smoothing via local surface fitting and optimum projection

The smoothness and angle quality of a surface mesh are two important indicators of the ''goodness'' of the mesh for downstream applications such as visualization and numerical simulation. We present in this paper a novel surface mesh processing method not only to reduce mesh noise but to improve angle quality as well. Our approach is based on the local surface fitting around each vertex using the least-square minimization technique. The new position of the vertex is obtained by finding the maximum inscribed circle (MIC) of the surrounding polygon and projecting the circle's center onto the analytically fitted surface. The procedure above repeats until the maximal vertex displacement is less than a pre-defined threshold. The mesh smoothness is improved by a combined idea of surface fitting and projection, while the angle quality is achieved by utilizing the MIC-based projection scheme. Results on a variety of geometric mesh models have demonstrated the effectiveness of our method.
Parameter spaces of Schubert varieties in hyperplane sections of Grassmannians

Linear sections of Grassmannians provide important examples of varieties. The geometry of these linear sections is closely tied to the spaces of Schubert varieties contained in them. In this paper, we describe the spaces of Schubert varieties contained in hyperplane sections of G(2,n). The group PGL(n) acts with finitely many orbits on the dual of the Plucker space P∗(⋀2V). The orbits are determined by the singular locus of H∩G(2,n). For H in each orbit, we describe the spaces of Schubert varieties contained in H∩G(2,n). We also discuss some generalizations to G(k,n).
Jacobi Polynomial Expansions

The differential operator generated by the Jacobi differential equation (1 − x2) y″ + [β − α − (α + β + 2)x]y′ + n(α + β + n + l) y = 0, x ∈ [− 1, 1]is considered for all α and β in both the right and left definite spaces. Shifted Jacobi operators when α − 1, when α > − 1, β − 1, β > − 1 are introduced. We show that all Jacobi operators are self-adjoint in both spaces. The spectral resolutions of shifted Jacobi differential operators are given by comparing them to the classical Jacobi polynomial expansion.
An empirical investigation of the effectiveness of an integrated service recovery system

Although service recovery has become an increasingly-studied topic in the operations management literature, robust theories and accompanying empirical studies have only begun to emerge. For example, while many authors have identified and measured the specific activities that are perceived by consumers as effective ways to recover from failure, much less attention has been directed at the systematic structuring of recovery efforts to consistently ensure customer satisfaction and achieve improved, long-term organizational outcomes. Building on recent research that identified the principal constructs of service recovery, this study seeks to explore the relative effectiveness of an integrated service recovery system. Data from 158 service organizations are used to explore the relationship between the system and its associated recovery outcomes. Results indicate that a complete recovery system defined by seven distinct dimensions (formalization, decentralization, comprehensiveness, accessibility, influence, human intensity, and system intensity,) significantly impacts internal capability improvements as well as externally-perceived outcomes (i.e., speed, employee empathy, and recovery effectiveness) while both of these outcomes have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and market performance attributed to service recovery
Max-consensus using the soft maximum

A distributed consensus algorithm for estimating the maximum and the minimum of the initial measurements in a sensor network is proposed. Estimating extrema is useful in many applications such as temperature control. In the absence of communication noise, max estimation can be done by updating the state value with the largest received measurements in every iteration at each sensor. In the presence of communication noise, however, the maximum estimate may incorrectly drift to a larger value at each iteration. As a result, a soft-max approach together with a consensus algorithm is introduced herein. Soft-min based algorithm is also described using the same approach. It is shown that for some distributions of the initial measurements, a modified soft-min consensus can also be used to calculate the max. A shifted non-linear bounded transmit function is also introduced to improve the convergence speed. A trade-off between power of the transmitted signal and the error in the estimate is described and simulation results are provided.
Assessing visual delays using pupil oscillations

Stark (1962) demonstrated vigorous pupil oscillations by illuminating the retina with a beam of light focussed to a small spot near the edge of the pupil. Small constrictions of the pupil then are sufficient to completely block the beam, amplifying the normal relationship between pupil area and retinal illuminance. In addition to this simple and elegant method, Stark also investigated more complex feedback systems using an electronic "clamping box" which provided arbitrary gain and phase delay between a measurement of pupil area and an electronically controlled light source. We have replicated Stark's results using a video-based pupillometer to control the luminance of a display monitor. Pupil oscillations were induced by imposing a linear relationship between pupil area and display luminance, with a variable delay. Slopes of the period-vs-delay function for 3 subjects are close to the predicted value of 2 (1.96-2.39), and the implied delays range from 254 to 376 508 to 652 milliseconds. Our setup allows us to extend Stark's work by investigating a broader class of stimuli.
On Becoming a Better Scientist

Good scientific research yields insights that are important and general. But the process of learning to do good science is far from simple, and the inherent challenges are often more motivational than scientific. I review various ways that may help scientists (especially young ones) to do better research. Perhaps the most important is to spend time with people who are smart, productive, and enjoy what they are doing: motivation and success are infectious. Trying some risky projects, for which success is not guaranteed, can enhance motivation. Before tackling risky projects, however, seek advice from those with experience; but make your own decision. Always be as self-directed as possible (and as political): actively seek opportunities and don't wait for them to come to you. If you have to learn a skill that is challenging or unpleasant, try to convince yourself that you look forward to learning it. Similarly, develop a high tolerance for repetitive tasks, which are inevitable components of science. In par...
Logic versus mathematics in computer science education

Informal mathematical proofs admit and require interpretation while formal logic proofs suppress (abstract from) meanings. The former is closely related to problem solving and computer programming. The latter, which is commonly used for proving program correctness, complicates this procedure because it separates problem solving from programming. A constructive mathematical proof in finite discrete mathematics of an existential theorem is a computer program if the pertinent data structures and functions are expressed in a programming language. Several detailed examples of graph theoretical problems and theorems are presented along with their constructive proofs and corresponding programs.
Instrumental activities of daily living performance among people with Parkinson's disease without dementia.

Objective To investigate the performance of cognitively demanding instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) among people with Parkinson's disease (PD) without dementia. Method Seventy-seven participants with PD and 57 participants without PD underwent standardized, performance-based IADL evaluation using the Performance Assessment of Self-care Skills. Activity performance was rated for independence, adequacy, and safety. Results The PD group had lower independence and adequacy scores than the non-PD group for almost every activity. Medication management, shopping, and sharp utensil use were the activities most sensitive to group differences. In the PD group, older age, lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores, and decreased motor function were associated with poorer IADL performance. Conclusions People with relatively early and mild PD demonstrated measurable deficits in the performance of cognitively demanding IADLs. This work highlights the importance of using objective assessments of IADL function to detect early functional changes in people with PD.
Application of Three-Dimensional Filtering to Moving Target Detection

The standard approach to the detection of a stationary target immersed within an optically observed scene is to use integration to separate the target energy from the background clutter. When the target is nonstationary and moves with fixed velocity relative to the clutter, the procedure for integrating the target signal is no longer obvious. In this paper it is shown that the problem of tracking a target having a fixed velocity can be cast into a general framework of three-dimensional filter theory. From this point of view, the target detection problem reduces to the problem of finding optimal three-dimensional filters in the three-dimensional transform domain and processing the observed scene via this filtering. The design of these filters is presented, taking into account the target, clutter, and optical detection models. Performance is computed for a basic clutter model, showing the effective increase in detectability as a function of the target velocity. The three-dimensional transform approach is readily compatible with VLSI array processing technology.
Neonatal maternal separation alters immune, endocrine, and behavioral responses to acute Theiler's virus infection in adult mice

Previous studies have established a link between adverse early life events and subsequent disease vulnerability. The present study assessed the long-term effects of neonatal maternal separation on the response to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection, a model of multiple sclerosis. Balb/cJ mouse pups were separated from their dam for 180-min/day (180-min MS), 15-min/day (15-min MS), or left undisturbed from postnatal days 2-14. During adolescence, mice were infected with Theiler's virus and sacrificed at days 14, 21, or 35 post-infection. Prolonged 180-min MS increased viral load and delayed viral clearance in the spinal cords of males and females, whereas brief 15-min MS increased the rate of viral clearance in females. The 15-min and 180-min MS mice exhibited blunted corticosterone responses during infection, suggesting that reduced HPA sensitivity may have altered the immune response to infection. These findings demonstrate that early life events alter vulnerability to CNS infection later in life. Therefore, this model could be used to study gene-environment interactions that contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to infectious and autoimmune diseases of the CNS.
DEVELOPMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS: ROLE OF MILK ELECTROLYTES

Summary 1. Milk samples were collected from lactating spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive females at 8, 14 or 18 days postpartum. 2. Milk samples were later analysed for content of calcium (Ca++), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (CI-) and total protein. 3. Milk samples from SHR females had significantly higher concentrations of Na+ (at 8 and 14 days) and CI- and significantly lower concentrations of Ca++, K+ (at 8 and 14 days) and total protein compared to milk samples from WKY females. 4. Preweanling dietary content of several electrolytes implicated in the development of hypertension differred dramatically between SHR and WKY strains. This altered diet early in life may serve as an environmental trigger for progressive age-related increases in arterial pressure in SHR.
Reconceptualizing Resistance: Residuals of the State and Democratic Radical Pluralism

: Arguing that resistance to the state is too narrow a conceptualization of a political project that challenges neoliberalism, we posit that there are latent, residual apparatuses of the state which can be activated as part of a systematic progressive politics. We examine Massachusetts’“Dover amendment”, a legal framework which governs group home siting throughout the state. Dover offers a powerful tool with which to resist a neoliberal socio-spatial agenda, though it has been underutilized toward enabling an alternative landscape. We analyze how and why Dover has often remained latent as a tool for socio-spatial resistance, and consider a provocative case in Framingham, Massachusetts that suggests how residual state apparatuses may be leveraged in support of an explicitly resistive, progressive agenda.
Improving the Accuracy of Hemoglobin A 1c : Your Help Is Needed

Clinical laboratory personnel are important members of the diabetes treatment team, from the technical staff, to the supervisor, to the pathologist. The technicians and technologists measure glucose, hemoglobin A 1c (A1c), lipids, microalbumin, and liver function tests for diabetic patients to help those patients to decrease the risk of chronic complications. The laboratory staff and supervisors monitor quality control with a critical eye. The laboratory management brings in better instrumentation and methodology as soon as it is feasible. Questionable laboratory results are investigated and corrected. Quality assurance is not just a catchphrase, it is a way of life. So it is a cause for concern to all laboratory professionals that A1c results may be inaccurate, yet reported, in patients who have variant hemoglobins. The nature of the A1c inaccuracy, whether it is a spurious increase or decrease, is specific to the method used and to the variant hemoglobin (eg, HbS, HbC, HbE, HbF). An analysis of the capabilities of available methods is listed at a Web site maintained by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP). 1 The 2 major types of testing currently in use are high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and immunoassay. High-performance liquid chromatography has an advantage in that the latest generation of analyzers can resolve and identify several forms of hemoglobin, including most variants, and it provides a chromatogram that shows peaks where the forms have been resolved. High-performance liquid chromatography analyzers also provide quantitation of those peaks. Immunoassay accuracy may be affected by some variant hemoglobins, but there is no visual interpretation of the results other than a number to aid the laboratory professional in evaluating accuracy. Immunoassay analyzers are simpler to use and, as a result, are used as point-of-care tests (POCT) in physicians’ offices. This can be problematic as physicians may be unaware that a particular diabetic patient has a hemoglobinopathy. Hemoglobin electrophoresis is not a recommended laboratory test for a new diabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Medical Care. 2 Moreover, diabetic individuals may not be aware that they have a hemoglobinopathy or that a known hemoglobin variant can affect their A1c results. Diabetic patients with hemoglobinopathies may receive inaccurate A1c results several times before the error and cause is discovered. This is a serious quality issue for all laboratory professionals. This report will discuss this system error in A1c testing and recommend a method to eliminate it. The recommendation will ask you, the reader, to make it happen. Collective data on laboratory practices provided by you will be used to determine testing and reporting practices and be used
BiCEP: bimanual color exploration plugin

In this paper we describe a bimanual color exploration plugin (BiCEP) that allows a user to choose colors along three dimensions: hue, saturation, and brightness without mode switching between these dimensions. The plugin differs from other color selection tools by allowing users to simultaneously change all three dimensions utilizing a laptop trackpad with multi-touch tracking capabilities. We believe this methodology will improve the range of color exploration by allowing users to more easily explore a wider range of colors.
An incidental and uncommon pulmonary sequestration with an uncommon feeding artery.

INTRODUCTION Pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly and most intralobar sequestrations were located in lower lobes. There is little information on middle lobe intralobar sequestration.
SURVIVAL, METAMORPHOSIS AND GROWTH OF PENAEID SHRIMP LARVAE REARED ON A VARIETY OF ALGAL AND ANIMAL FOODS

Experiments conducted with Penaeus aztecus, P. setiferus and P. vannamei compared survival, metamorphosis and dry weight growth of larvae fed a variety of algal and animal food regimes. The major objectives were: (a) comparison of the nematode Panagrellus redivivus and the brine shrimp Artemia as animal food sources and (b) comparison of effects of feeding diatoms (Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros gracilis) vs phytoflagellates (Isochrysis sp. and Tetraselmis chuii) with nematodes or brine shrimp nauplii added to the diet starting at the protozoea-two or mysis-one substage. Specific feeding regimes were identified for each shrimp species tested which would allow for total or partial replacement of Artemia as the animal food source, without reducing production results. However, Panagrellus redivivus was found to be less versatile than Artemia nauplii in terms of overall nutritional value to the shrimp larvae. The superiority of using two diatom species vs two phytoflagellate species as an algal food source for penaeid shrimp larvae demonstrated in earlier experiments was confirmed. The results strongly suggest that evaluation of rearing regimes used for production of penaeid postlarvae should include growth in terms of dry weight, as well as survival and rate of metamorphosis.
Fishing in Peru between 10 000 and 3750 BP

Archaeozoological data for the period of 10 000–5000 bp were rare for the southeastern Pacific coast, until recent work provided data from eight sites in Peru and Ecuador. These sites span the early to mid-Holocene period, during which time modern climatic conditions became established. Vertebrate faunal data from these sites provide an opportunity to explore the influence of mid-Holocene environmental changes on fishing in Peru during this time. With two exceptions, most faunal collections are dominated by marine animals, with virtually no terrestrial vertebrates. Many of the marine organisms are catholic species, tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions, rather than ones which clearly prefer warm–tropical or warm–temperate ones. Warm–tropical species are more common in the northern assemblages, as would be expected. There is a temporal pattern as well. Within three subdivisions of this area, warm–tropical animals diminish in abundance, and warm–temperate animals increase. These differences probably reflect cultural responses to mid-Holocene environmental change, in which coastal waters from southern Peru into Ecuador became cooler. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of hypoxia-inducible factors in breast cancer metastasis

Human breast tumors contain regions of hypoxia in which cells that are located far from a functional blood vessel have significantly reduced oxygen concentrations when compared with normal mammary tissue. Breast cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions by increasing levels of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which induce the expression of multiple genes involved in angiogenesis, glucose utilization, resistance to oxidative stress, cell proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, invasion and metastasis. Breast cancer patients with increased HIF expression levels in primary tumor biopsies are at increased risk of metastasis. This is an important finding since 90% of breast cancer deaths are the result of metastasis, primarily to the bone, lungs, liver, brain and regional lymph nodes. Although the prognostic significance of reduced oxygen levels in primary breast tumors of cancer patients is well recognized, the mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced, HIF-dependent breast cancer metastasis are just beginning to be uncovered. Recent studies have implicated HIF target genes in every step of the metastatic process. Drugs, such as digoxin, show the potential therapeutic effects of blocking HIF activity by decreasing primary tumor growth, vascularization, invasion and metastasis in animal models of breast cancer.
Conducting online course dialogue on the ethics of weapons design

ABET Engineering Criteria (EC) 2000 specify that engineering colleges and universities must ensure that all students understand their professional and ethical responsibilities upon graduation. While there are many ways that engineering educators and institutions can address this requirement, recently a one credit online engineering class was developed for the Virginia Tech Engineering Education department and piloted in 2001 and 2002. There were many lessons learned both in the development of the ethics and weapons lecture as well as the in the delivery of a course through a Web-based medium. Web-based course delivery technology, while making great improvements over the past few years, can add a layer of complexity for both students and instructors. Specific to the actual ethics and weapons development lecture, because of historical events and a changing global climate, a lecture on engineers and design of weapons need to include a discussion of ethical implications of terrorism as they relate to just war criteria and changes in technology. Lastly, a difficult but important area for future exploration would be the determination of how these engineering ethics modules come into conflict with other values implicitly or explicitly taught in other engineering courses.
Mutations in the Drosophila orthologs of the F-actin capping protein alpha- and beta-subunits cause actin accumulation and subsequent retinal degeneration.

The progression of several human neurodegenerative diseases is characterized by the appearance of intracellular inclusions or cytoskeletal abnormalities. An important question is whether these abnormalities actually contribute to the degenerative process or whether they are merely manifestations of cells that are already destined for degeneration. We have conducted a large screen in Drosophila for mutations that alter the growth or differentiation of cells during eye development. We have used mitotic recombination to generate patches of homozygous mutant cells. In our entire screen, mutations in only two different loci, burned (bnd) and scorched (scrd), resulted in eyes in which the mutant patches appeared black and the mutant tissue appeared to have undergone degeneration. In larval imaginal discs, growth and cell fate specification occur normally in mutant cells, but there is an accumulation of F-actin. Mutant cells degenerate much later during the pupal phase of development. burned mutations are allelic to mutations in the previously described cpb locus that encodes the β-subunit of the F-actin capping protein, while scorched mutations disrupt the gene encoding its α-subunit (cpa). The α/β-heterodimer caps the barbed ends of an actin filament and restricts its growth. In its absence, cells progressively accumulate actin filaments and eventually die. A possible role for their human orthologs in neurodegenerative disease merits further investigation.
Misophonia, Phonophobia, and "Exploding Head" Syndrome

1. Misophonia, phonophobia, and “exploding head” syndrome have symptoms that may occur together with some forms of tinnitus or they can occur alone. 2. These sensations are different from hyperacusis which is a lowered tolerance to most kinds of sounds. 3. Misophonia is a dislike of specific kinds of sounds. 4. Attempts have been made to treat misophonia using the same methods as used for treating tinnitus. 5. Phonophobia is a fear of specific sounds related to the implication of the sounds. 6. The non-classical auditory pathways providing a subcortical route to the amygdala may be involved in phonophobia. 7. The “exploding head” syndrome is the experience of a very loud and sudden noise that seems to originate from within the head. It often occurs during sleep and wakes up the individual. 8. The “exploding head” syndrome may have similarities with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).
Convergence in the physical appearance of spouses

This study attempted to determine whether people who live with each other for a long period of time grow physically similar in their facial features. Photographs of couples when they were first married and 25 years later were judged for physical similarity and for the likelihood that they were married. The results showed that there is indeed an increase in apparent similarity after 25 years of cohabitation. Moreover, increase in resemblance was associated with greater reported marital happiness. Among the explanations of this phenomenon that were examined, one based on a theory of emotional efference emerged as promising. This theory proposes that emotional processes produce vascular changes that are, in part, regulated by facial musculature. The facial muscles are said to act as ligatures on veins and arteries, and they thereby are able to divert blood from, or direct blood to, the brain. An implication of the vascular theory of emotional efference is that habitual use of facial musculature may permanently affect the physical features of the face. The implication holds further that two people who live with each other for a longer period of time, by virtue of repeated empathic mimicry, wouM grow physically similar in their facial features. Kin resemblance, therefore, may not be simply a matter of common genes but also a matter of prolonged social contact.
Amantadine reduces haloperidol-induced dopamine receptor hypertensitivity in the striatum

In this report evidence is presented that amantadine hydrochloride greatly reduced the development of dopaminergic receptor hypersensitivity in the striatum, which normally results following chronic haloperidol administration using both a stereotyped behavior bioassay and a [3H]spiroperidol receptor binding assay. Amantadine prophylaxis reduced maximal ligand binding to near control levels and also significantly reduced apomorphine induced stereotypy. These results clearly demonstrate that amantadine greatly reduced haloperidol-induced striatal dopamine receptor hypersensitivity and support the hypothesis that amantadine given concurrently with neuroleptic agents might serve to prevent the development of human tardive dyskinesia.
Performance evaluation of communicating processes

This paper concerns the performance evaluation of an operating system based on communicating processes. Processes communicate via messages and there is no shared data.Execution of a program is abstracted as a sequence of events to denote significant computational steps. A finite state machine model of computation is used for the specifications of abstract computational properties and, thereafter, for the selective analysis of measurement data.A set of conventions is developed to characterize the performance of communicating processes. A hierarchical layering technique is used to concisely describe the characteristics of large systems.A performance monitoring system was implemented and applied to the analysis of RIG, a message-based operating system.
Competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Regulated by the Rate of Ribosomal Decoding Errors

Competence for genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae develops in response to accumulation of a se- creted peptide pheromone and was one of the initial examples of bacterial quorum sensing. Activation of this signaling system induces not only expression of the proteins required for transformation but also the production of cellular chaperones and pro- teases. We have shown here that activity of this pathway is sensitively responsive to changes in the accuracy of protein synthesis that are triggered by either mutations in ribosomal proteins or exposure to antibiotics. Increasing the error rate during ribo- somal decoding promoted competence, while reducing the error rate below the baseline level repressed the development of both spontaneous and antibiotic-induced competence. This pattern of regulation was promoted by the bacterial HtrA serine protease. Analysis of strains with the htrA(S234A) catalytic site mutation showed that the proteolytic activity of HtrA selectively repressed competence when translationalfidelity was high but not when accuracy was low. Thesefindings redefine the pneumococcal com- petence pathway as a response to errors during protein synthesis. This response has the capacity to address the immediate chal- lenge of misfolded proteins through production of chaperones and proteases and may also be able to address, through genetic exchange, upstream coding errors that cause intrinsic protein folding defects. The competence pathway may thereby represent a strategy for dealing with lesions that impair proper protein coding and for maintaining the coding integrity of the genome. IMPORTANCE The signaling pathway that governs competence in the human respiratory tract pathogen Streptococcus pneu- moniaeregulates both genetic transformation and the production of cellular chaperones and proteases. The current study shows that this pathway is sensitively controlled in response to changes in the accuracy of protein synthesis. Increasing the error rate during ribosomal decoding induced competence, while decreasing the error rate repressed competence. This pattern of regula- tion was promoted by the HtrA protease, which selectively repressed competence when translationalfidelity was high but not when accuracy was low. Ourfindings demonstrate that this organism is able to monitor the accuracy of information used for protein biosynthesis and suggest that errors trigger a response addressing both the immediate challenge of misfolded proteins and, through genetic exchange, upstream coding errors that may underlie protein folding defects. This pathway may represent an evolutionary strategy for maintaining the coding integrity of the genome.
Polysaccharide biosynthesis locus required for virulence of Bacteroides fragilis.

ABSTRACT Bacteroides fragilis, though only a minor component of the human intestinal commensal flora, is the anaerobe most frequently isolated from intra-abdominal abscesses. B. fragilis 9343 expresses at least three capsular polysaccharides—polysaccharide A (PS A), PS B, and PS C. Purified PS A and PS B have been tested in animal models and are both able to induce the formation of intra-abdominal abscesses. Mutants unable to synthesize PS B or PS C still facilitate abscess formation at levels comparable to those of wild-type 9343. To determine the contribution of PS A to abscess formation in the context of the intact organism, the PS A biosynthesis region was cloned, sequenced, and deleted from 9343 to produce a PS A-negative mutant. Animal experiments demonstrate that the abscess-inducing capability of 9343 is severely attenuated when the organism cannot synthesize PS A, despite continued synthesis of the other capsular polysaccharides. The PS A of 9343 contains an unusual free amino sugar that is essential for abscess formation by this polymer. PCR analysis of the PS A biosynthesis loci of 50 B. fragilis isolates indicates that regions flanking each side of this locus are conserved in all strains. The downstream conserved region includes two terminal PS A biosynthesis genes that homology-based analyses predict are involved in the synthesis and transfer of the free amino sugar of PS A. Conservation of these genes suggests that this sugar is present in the PS A of all serotypes and may explain the abscessogenic nature of B. fragilis.
Capitalization and Home Values: An Introductory Explanation

This paper explains how property taxes, school quality, and other local conditions affect ("are capitalized in") home values within a community. Higher property taxes tend to reduce home values, and improvements in local schools and other local conditions usually raise home values within the community. Sections 1, 2, and 3 explain the concept of capitalization using words and a nontechnical arithmetic example. Section 4 and the appendix (section 9) explain the algebra of discounting future benefits and costs into capitalized values. Sections 5, 6, and 7 offer an intuitive explanation of how economists measure the extent of capitalization using regression analysis. Section 8 explores some implications of capitalization, the main one being that differences in property taxes between communities do not imply unequal fiscal burdens. The references in section 10 list studies demonstrating that taxes, public school quality, and other neighborhood and community conditions are capitalized in home values.
Inheritance and Geographical Distribution of Allozyme Polymorphisms in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Observation du polymorphisme des isozymes et de leur distribution dans differents pays en utilisant les systemes enzymatiques ACP, EST, MDH, ADH, PGD et PRX
Anemia and Red Blood Cell Indices Predict HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Impairment in the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Era

BACKGROUND Anemia has been linked to adverse human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outcomes, including dementia, in the era before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Milder forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remain common in HIV-infected persons, despite HAART, but whether anemia predicts HAND in the HAART era is unknown. METHODS We evaluated time-dependent associations of anemia and cross-sectional associations of red blood cell indices with neurocognitive impairment in a multicenter, HAART-era HIV cohort study (N = 1261), adjusting for potential confounders, including age, nadir CD4(+) T-cell count, zidovudine use, and comorbid conditions. Subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsychiatric and neuromedical assessments. RESULTS HAND, defined according to standardized criteria, occurred in 595 subjects (47%) at entry. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were positively associated with the global deficit score, a continuous measure of neurocognitive impairment (both P < .01), as well as with all HAND, milder forms of HAND, and HIV-associated dementia in multivariable analyses (all P < .05). Anemia independently predicted development of HAND during a median follow-up of 72 months (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.55; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Anemia and red blood cell indices predict HAND in the HAART era and may contribute to risk assessment. Future studies should address whether treating anemia may help to prevent HAND or improve cognitive function in HIV-infected persons.
Identification of a genetic variant associated with rotator cuff repair healing.

Background A familial and genetic predisposition for the development of rotator cuff tearing has been identified. The purpose of this study was to determine if a familial predisposition exists for healing after rotator cuff repair and if the reported significant association with a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ESRRB gene is present in patients who fail to heal. Materials and methods The study recruited 72 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for a full-thickness posterosuperior tear. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively (average, 2.6 years). Healing failures were classified as lateral or medial. Self-reported family history of rotator cuff tearing data and genome-wide genotypes were available. Characteristics of cases with and without a family history of rotator cuff tearing were compared, and a comparison of the frequency of SNP 1758384 (in ESRRB ) was performed between patients who healed and those who failed to heal. Results Of the rotator cuff repairs, 42% failed to heal; 42% of patients reported a family history of rotator cuff tear. Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant association between familiality and overall healing failure (medial and lateral failures) ( P = .036) and lateral failures independently ( P = .006). An increased risk for the presence of a rare allele for SNP rs17583842 was present in lateral failures compared with those that healed ( P = .005). Conclusions Individuals with a family history of rotator cuff tearing were more likely to have repair failures. Significant association of a SNP variant in the ESRRB gene was also observed with lateral failure.
Use of Reactive Species in Water for CO2 Mineralization

Various carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies have been developed to address the issues concerning climate changes associated with anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In the present work, possibilities of mineralizing CO2 with the reactive species, such as Mg2+ ions, present in nature, such as seawater and produced water, have been explored. Laboratory tests conducted with solutions containing 1400 ppm of Mg2+ ions showed that nesquehonite [Mg(OH)(HCO3)·2H2O] is formed upon CO2 injection to the solution at an atmospheric pressure. The results showed that, for mineralization to occur, the pH should be raised above 6.8, as predicted from thermodynamics. Kinetic studies conducted at different temperatures showed that the nesquehonite formation involves an activation energy of 66.7 kJ/mol, which can be overcome by increasing the mass- and heat-transfer efficiency as well as the operative temperature. On the basis of the kinetics data obtained at a low agitation speed, the number and volume of the miner...
The future of fisheries oceanography lies in the pursuit of multiple hypotheses

Fisheries oceanography is largely an applieddisciplinewith amajor goal of improving fisheriesmanagement andmarine conservation. Johan Hjort’s critical period hypothesis, and its decedents, remain a dominant theme and focuses on year-class success asmediated by prey availability and feeding. Bottom-up forcing, a related hypothesis, focuses on the sequential transfer of energy through the pelagic foodweb from primary productivity to fishery productivity. Another approach assumes that trophic interactions of adults determine abundance. Fisheries assessment andmanagement, however, is based on the hypothesis that fishery abundance is determined by time-varying fishing and yearclass success related to spawning-stock biomass. These approaches, their basic hypotheses, and underlying processes and mechanisms suggest very different dynamics for fishery populations. Other hypotheses challenge these traditional views: predation of early life stages, parental condition, shifting migration pathways, and physiological limits. Support for these other hypotheses is reviewed and the research needs are described to apply these hypotheses to fisheries assessment andmanagement. Some of these hypotheses were identified by Hjort (e.g. parental condition hypothesis) and others are relative new (e.g. early life stage predation hypothesis). Moving into the future, we should focus on Hjort’s approach: multi-hypothesis, integrative, and interdisciplinary. A range of hypotheses should be pursued with an emphasis on comparing and linkingmultiple hypotheses. The results thenmust be incorporated into fishery assessments andmanagement decisions to support the long-term sustainability of exploited species and the conservationof threatened and endangered species.
A Discussion of Some of the Factors Causing Variable Results with Flagella Stains

Most flagella stains would probably give more consistent results if they were of stable composition and more was known of the factors influencing the mechanism of their action. Many of the mordants that have been recommended change rapidly, both chemically and physically, after preparation.The reaction of some mordants, such as that of Loeffler, seems to be an important factor in their use. It is complicated, however, by temperature effects, oxidizing and reducing agents, the age of the bacterial cultures and variations in different species.Users of flagella stains will probably always have to select or alter methods to suit the cultures to be stained. Any method which makes use of a minimum of complicated solutions and operations is most likely to give consistently good results.No clearing or decolorizing agent tried changed poor preparations to good ones, but sometimes good ones can be improved by this treatment.
Eviota karaspila, a new gobiid fish from Fiji (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

A new species of goby, Eviota karaspila, most similar to E. melasma, is described from Fiji. It differs from E. melasma in having a larger eye and in live coloration and from E. smaragdus in having a more slender caudal peduncle, and in coloration.
Synthesis of the bacterial magnetosome: the making of a magnetic personality

Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize intracellular, enveloped, single magnetic domain crystals of magnetite (Fe3O4, Fe2+Fe2(3+)O4) and/or greigite (Fe3S4) called magnetosomes. The magnetosomes contain well-ordered crystals that have narrow size distributions and consistent species- and/or strain-specific morphologies. These characteristics are features of a process called biologically-controlled mineralization in which an organism exerts a great degree of crystallochemical control over the nucleation and growth of the mineral particle. Because of these features, the mineral particles have been used as biomarkers although not without controversy. These unique structures impart a permanent magnetic dipole moment to the cell causing it to align and swim along geomagnetic field lines, a behavior known as magnetotaxis. The apparent biological advantage of magnetotaxis is that it aids cells in more efficiently locating and maintaining position in vertical chemical gradients common in many natural aquatic environments.
Vaginal Cysts and Masses

This chapter discusses a variety of conditions presenting as a vaginal mass unrelated to prolapse. The patient can be asymptomatic or may have bowel or urinary symptoms related to the mass. Masses can be found by the patient herself, but many times they are seen on a routine pelvic examination. The patient can complain of vaginal discomfort, dyspareunia, incontinence of urine, or vaginal bleeding.
“When I Am a President of Guinea”: Resettled Refugees Traversing Education in Search of a Future

This article explores how resettled refugees’ aspirations cultivated through education collide with postschooling realities. We find that post-graduation barriers of financial insecurity, housing insecurity, violence and discrimination, and lack of critical awareness of unequal opportunity structures stand in the way of resettlement aspirations. We discuss how teachers and schools might be retooled to equip refugee students with more and different skills to navigate post-graduation situations.
EFFECT OF IMMOBILIZED PHOTOSENSITIZERS ON PHOTOISOMERIZATION OF NORBORNADIENE

ABSTRACT Novel immobilized photosensitizers were prepared and the effect of them on the photoisomerization of norbornadiene(NBD) to quadricyclene(QC) was studied in the heterogeneous phase. Chloromethylstyrene(ClMeST) was graft-polymerized by γ-ray irradiation onto polyethylene(PE) powders or crosslinked PE sponges which had been prepared so as to possess large surface areas. Then aromatic ketocarboxylic acids were combined on the grafted PE by ester linkage. The resultant insoluble photosensitizers were very effective for photoisomerization of NBD. When immobilized photosensitizers were used, the dependency of quantum yield for QC formation and byproduct formation on the wavelength was comparable to that obtained by low molecular weight aromatic ketones as homogeneous photosensitizers. The effect of the quantity of immobilized photosensitizers, the agitation technique, etc. on the quantum yield were also investigated.
A dynamic ensemble for estimating state-of-charge of interchangeable robot batteries

This paper presents a unique machine learning model that estimates battery state-of-charge (SOC) for robotic applications. Unlike earlier approaches, this study investigates the problem of estimating SOC for several interchangeable batteries that can be used to power a robot. Robots commonly have a reserve pool of batteries available to be swapped for the purpose of extending operational time, but swapping batteries complicates the SOC estimation problem due to parameter variation. The proposed state-based ensemble is novel in that it exceeds the accuracy of traditional ensemble methods by dynamically changing estimation algorithms and predictors based on a preliminary (i.e., rough) state estimate of the battery. Experimental results show statistically significant improvement, on average, of 4 percent for our proposed state-based ensemble.
Mentor-shape: exploring the mentoring relationships of Black women in doctoral programs

Using a Black Feminist Thought framework, this phenomenological study focused on lived experiences with mentoring relationships among 38 Black women in doctoral programs in multiple disciplines acr...
Mechanism for chelated sulfate formation from SO2 and bis (triphenylphosphine) platinum

Structure and energy surface calculations using the atom superposition and electron delocalization molecular orbital theory show that the first step in the reaction between SO2 and the dioxygen complex (PPh3)2PtO2 is the coordination of SO2 with one oxygen atom of the complex, followed by metal-oxygen bond breaking and reorientation, leading to a five-membered cyclic structure. This then rearranges to form the bidentate coordinated sulfate. Alternative pathways are considered and are found to be less favorable.
Engineering Approaches to Societal Systems

Publisher Summary There are two reasons why biomedical engineers are concerned with the analysis of social systems. The first relates to an operational definition of biomedical engineering, which identifies the profession with the solution of problems relating to health—the problems ranging from the analysis of normal and abnormal functions of biological systems through the development and application of a variety of technologies to the analysis and design of health care systems. Many of these problems cannot be treated outside the context of their socioeconomic environment. The second reason relates to similarities in organization and behavior between biological and social systems, which indicates that the competence and experience of biomedical engineers might be suitable for the analysis of problems that are relevant to societal needs. A system has been defined as the totality of elements in interaction with each other, the totality of objects together with their mutual interaction, unity consisting of mutually interacting parts, and a recognizable delimited aggregate of dynamic elements that are in some way interconnected and interdependent and that continue to operate together according to certain laws and in such a way as to produce some characteristic total effect.