cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glyphosate-resistant crops: adoption, use and future considerations.

BACKGROUND: Glyphosate-resistant crops (GRCs) were first introduced in the United States in soybeans in 1996. Adoption has been very rapid in soybeans and cotton since introduction and has grown significantly in maize in recent years. GRCs have grown to over 74million hectares in five crop species in 13 countries. The intent of this paper is to update the hectares planted and the use patterns of GRC globally, and to discuss briefly future applications and uses of the technology. RESULTS: The largest land areas of GRCs are occupied by soybean (54.2million ha), maize (13.2million ha), cotton (5.1million ha), canola (2.3million ha) and alfalfa (0.1million ha). Currently, the USA, Argentina, Brazil and Canada have the largest plantings of GRCs. Herbicide use patterns would indicate that over 50% of glyphosateresistant (GR) maize hectares and 70% of GR cotton hectares receive alternative mode-of-action treatments, while approximately 25% of GR soybeans receive such a treatment in the USA. Alternative herbicide use is likely driven by both agronomic need and herbicide resistance limitations in certain GR crops such as current GR cotton. Tillage practices in the USA indicate that >65% of GR maize hectares, 70% of GR cotton hectares and 50% of GR soybean hectares received some tillage in the production system. Tillage was likely used for multiple purposes ranging from seed-bed preparation to weed management. CONCLUSION: GRCs represent one of the more rapidly adopted weed management technologies in recent history. Current use patterns would indicate that GRCs will likely continue to be a popular weed management choice that may also include the use of other herbicides to complement glyphosate. Stacking with other biotechnology traits will also give farmers the benefits and convenience of multiple pest control and quality trait technologies within a single seed.  2007 Society of Chemical Industry
The influence of individual and firm level social capital of marketing managers in a firm's global network

Firm success is dependent, to a degree, on a marketing manager’s ability to develop social capital within the firm’s global network. A model is developed employing individual social capital (both internal and external) as the foundation for three types of firm level social capital (i.e., customer, business partner and governing agency) resident in a firm’s global network. It is theorized that customer, business partner and governing agency social capital provide a basis for enhancing customer value delivery and thus firm performance. Specific marketing management strategies necessary for the development of each type of firm level social capital, as well as the benefits derived from each type of social capital are presented. This analysis raises a number of previously unexplored research issues concerning the nature and scope of social capital in a firm’s global network and how social capital can be employed in a global marketplace.
Location of models in multiple-model based adaptive control for improved performance

Adaptive control using multiple identification models is currently well established. Switching, tuning, and switching and tuning in such systems have been extensively investigated, and their stability properties have been established [1]. If the number of models is sufficiently large, and is uniformly distributed in parameter space, the method results in fast and accurate response. In practice, even for reasonably complex dynamical systems, the number of models needed for improved performance may be quite large. The paper attempts to propose a general methodology for achieving comparable response using significantly smaller number of models. The principal idea is to either redistribute available fixed and adaptive models even as the system is in operation, or utilize adaptive models more efficiently. Several different approaches are described and in each case the theoretical and practical questions that arise are discussed. Simulation results are included to demonstrate the improvement in performance using the methods proposed.
k gaps for surface polaritons on gratings.

On montre que des bandes interdites k peuvent apparaitre dans les courbes de dispersion des polaritons de surface sur des reseaux metalliques, ainsi que determine par des mesures de reflectivite en polarisation p. On presente des calculs exacts de la reflectivite d'une dent de scie symetrique sur Ag, et obtient des expressions analytiques expliquant le comportement observe
Cross-tolerance between morphine- and bombesin-induced inhibition of intestinal transit in rats

Abstract Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of either morphine or bombesin to rats inhibits intestinal transit of an intraduodenally administered radiochromium marker. In this work, we show that tolerance develops to this effect of bombesin after i.c.v. infusion of the peptide (0.5 μg/h for 4 days via an s.c. implanted Alzet 2001 osmotic minipump). Tolerance also develops to the inhibition of intestinal transit associated with i.c.v. morphine after s.c. injections of morphine. Bombesin-induced delay of transit is not attenuated by naltrexone (10 mg/kg, s.c.), a standard narcotic antagonist. Nevertheless, two-way cross-tolerance develops between bombesin and morphine in this system. This is a surprising result since both bombesin and morphine are believed to act on different receptors and cause opposite effects on intestinal motility in rats.
Making waves in cancer research: new models in the zebrafish

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has proven to be a powerful vertebrate model system for the genetic analysis of developmental pathways and is only beginning to be exploited as a model for human disease and clinical research. The attributes that have led to the emergence of the zebrafish as a preeminent embryological model, including its capacity for forward and reverse genetic analyses, provides a unique opportunity to uncover novel insights into the molecular genetics of cancer. Some of the advantages of the zebrafish animal model system include fecundity, with each female capable of laying 200–300 eggs per week, external fertilization that permits manipulation of embryos ex utero, and rapid development of optically clear embryos, which allows the direct observation of developing internal organs and tissues in vivo. The zebrafish is amenable to transgenic and both forward and reverse genetic strategies that can be used to identify or generate zebrafish models of different types of cancer and may also present significant advantages for the discovery of tumor suppressor genes that promote tumorigenesis when mutationally inactivated. Importantly, the transparency and accessibility of the zebrafish embryo allows the unprecedented direct analysis of pathologic processes in vivo, including neoplastic cell transformation and tumorigenic progression. Ultimately, high-throughput modifier screens based on zebrafish cancer models can lead to the identification of chemicals or genes involved in the suppression or prevention of the malignant phenotype. The identification of small molecules or gene products through such screens will serve as ideal entry points for novel drug development for the treatment of cancer. This review focuses on the current technology that takes advantage of the zebrafish model system to further our understanding of the genetic basis of cancer and its treatment.
The Effects of Student Response Systems on Student Learning and Attitudes in Undergraduate Psychology Courses

Student response systems (SRSs) are reported to increase student interest, interaction, and engagement and result in “deeper” learning. However, the effects on learning are still suspect. Here, outcomes were compared for students in SRS and traditional sections of 200-level and 500-level psychology courses. Results showed SRS students reported more engagement, gave higher evaluations, and had fewer absences. There were also main effects of course and interaction effects of SRS and course on engagement and absenteeism. The SRS effect on student achievement varied by course. These findings add to our understanding that the effects of SRS are the result of a mix of learner, teaching, and course characteristics.
Chlorophyll a fluorescence of Gonyaulax polyedra grown on a light-dark cycle and after transfer to constant light.

— The chlorophyll a fluorescence properties of Gonyaulax polyedra cells before and after transfer from a lightdark cycle (LD) to constant dim light (LL) were investigated. The latter display a faster fluorescence transient from the level ‘I’ (intermediary peak) to ‘D’ (dip) to ‘P’ (peak) than the former (3 s as compared to 10 s), and a different pattern of decline in fluorescence from ‘I’ to ‘D’ and from ‘P’ to the steady state level with no clearly separable second wave of slow fluorescence change, referred to as ‘s' (quasi steady state)‘M’ (maximum) ‘T’ (terminal steady state). The above differences are constant features of cells in LD and LL, and are not dependent on the time of day. They are interpreted as evidence for a greater ratio of photosystem II/photosystem I activity in cells in LL. After an initial photoadaptive response following transfer from LD to LL, the cell absorbance at room temperature and fluorescence emission spectra at 77 K for cells in LL and LD are comparable. The major emission peak is at 685–688 nm (from an antenna Chl a 680, perhaps Chl a-c complex), but, unlike higher plants and other algae, the emission bands at 696–698 nm (from Chl aII complex, Chl a 685, close to reaction center II) and 710–720 nm (from Chl a1, complexes, Chl a 695, close to reaction center I) are very minor and could be observed only in the fluorescence emission difference spectra of LL minus LD cells and in the ratio spectra of DCMU-treated to non-treated cells. Comparison of emission spectra of cells in LL and LD suggested that, in LL, there is a slightly greater net excitation energy transfer from the light-harvesting peridinin-Chl a (Chl a 670) complex, fluorescing at 675 nm, to the other antenna chlorophyll a complex fluorescing at 685–688 nm, and from the Chl a., complex to the reaction center II. Comparison of excitation spectra of fluorescence of LL and LD cells, in the presence of DCMU, confirmed that cells in LL transfer energy more extensively from the peridinin-Chl a complex to other Chl a complexes than do cells in LD.
Learning control for a class of nonlinear systems

We present and analyze a learning control algorithm for a class of nonlinear systems with linear input action. Sufficient conditions for the convergence of the trajectories to the desired trajectory are given. These conditions suggest a way to design a learning operator given a model of the system and provide a measure of how close the model should be to the actual system to guarantee convergence.
Beyond Naturalism and Normativism: Reconceiving the \'Disease\' Debate

In considering the debate about the meaning of ‘disease', the positions are generally presented as falling into two categories: naturalist, e.g., Boorse, and normativist, e.g., Engelhardt and many others. This division is too coarse, and obscures much of what is going on in this debate. I therefore propose that accounts of the meaning of ‘disease' be assessed according to Hare's (1997) taxonomy of evaluative terms. Such an analysis will allow us to better understand both individual positions and their interrelationships. Most importantly, it will show that it is unlikely that there is a single unique disease-concept at issue. Rather, different authors are, for the most part, considering different concepts.
A Functional Connection Between the Pores of Distantly Related Ion Channels as Revealed by Mutant K^+ Channels

The overall sequence similarity between the voltage-activated K+ channels and cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels from retinal and olfactory neurons suggests that they arose from a common ancestor. On the basis of sequence comparisons, mutations were introduced into the pore of a voltage-activated K+ channel. These mutations confer the essential features of ion conduction in the cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels; the mutant K+ channels display little selectivity among monovalent cations and are blocked by divalent cations. The property of K+ selectivity is related to the presence of two amino acids that are absent from the pore-forming region of the cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. These data demonstrate that very small differences in the primary structure of an ion channel can account for extreme functional diversity, and they suggest a possible connection between the pore-forming regions of K+, Ca2+, and cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels.
Understanding satisfaction with supply chain management careers: an exploratory study

Purpose – Career shifts and talent shortages in supply chain management (SCM) are evident at most occupation levels and need further attention and understanding. The purpose of this paper is to present factors that shape SCM career expectations, choices, and satisfaction and to advance career theory and research that is currently absent in SCM literature.Design/methodology/approach – This study administered open‐ended surveys to individuals educated and working in SCM to elicit the satisfaction and dissatisfaction that professionals derive from various aspects of their SCM careers. Resulting data were content analyzed and categorized into major themes representing career satisfiers (likes) and dissatisfiers (dislikes).Findings – This exploratory study found evidence of traditional career components and the presences of objective and subjective components that transcend organizational boundaries. The results indicate an emergence of the boundaryless career concept in SCM, as the SCM career appears less dep...
Postdischarge complications are an important predictor of postoperative readmissions

Abstract Background Thirty-day readmissions are common in general surgery patients and affect long-term outcomes including mortality. We sought to determine the effect of complication timing on postoperative readmissions. Methods Patients from our institutional American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database who underwent general surgery procedures from 2006 to 2011 were included. The primary outcome of interest was 30-day hospital readmission. Results Patients diagnosed with postdischarge complications were significantly more likely to be readmitted (56%) compared with patients diagnosed with complications before discharge (7%, P Conclusions The development of complications after hospital discharge places patients at significant risk for readmission. Early identification and treatment of gastrointestinal complications and surgical site infections in the outpatient setting may decrease postoperative readmission rates.
A Regression-Based Energy Method for Estimating Engine Noise in the Automobile Passenger Compartment

A regression-based energy method is developed for estimating the overall interior noise (dBA) and Articulation Index (AI) in the automobile passenger-compartment for engine operation at idle, 2500 rpm, and wide-open-throttle speeds. The method is developed for use in the early vehicle design stage for evaluating the effect of different vehicle and powertrain architecture designs on engine noise performance. Regression analyses from a database of standard vehicle chassis dynamometer tests are used to estimate the effect of vehicle and powertrain architectures on the acoustic energy response and resulting interior noise. Comparisons of the estimated versus measured dBA and AI responses show reasonable agreement for different powertrain types. However, the inclusion of only limited architecture details somewhat underestimates the actual response for certain engines and operating conditions.Copyright © 2006 by General Motors Corporation
A modified technique for the radioallergosorbent test

A modification of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is described utilizing a multiple automated sample harvester. The technique increases the efficiency of the procedure by shortening the time required for its performance. A study is reported in which this method is compared to that recommended by the manufacturer.
Fault-tolerant tree architecture with improved reconfiguration capabilities

A new approach is presented for the reconfiguration of VLSI tree architectures. It is based on a process of logical displacement for accomplishing reconfiguration with the global availability of redundant cells (or spares). A new and simple switch structure is proposed which allows flexibity in routing and spare allocation to accomplish a double displacement in the reconfiguration process. The proposed switch structure also permits a fully global execution of the reconfiguration process as the reconfigured tree spans the whole structure, not only a subtree as in previous approaches. Overhead issues with respect to the number of spares and redundant links are addressed. The conditions for reconfigurability are fully analysed; it is proved that the ability to reconfigure in the presence of a double displacement results in an improvement in reconfigurability. Faults in basic cells, links and switching circuits are considered. A lower bound on the improvement of reconfigurability is established. Simulation re...
Cross-resistance and collateral sensitivity to natural product drugs in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant rat lymphoma and human ovarian carcinoma cells

The cytotoxicity of mitotic spindle poisons, vinca alkaloids and the anthracycline, adriamycin, against cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant rat lymphoma and human ovarian carcinoma cell lines was investigated. Interestingly, it was found that all cell lines were more sensitive to the mitotic spindle poisons, vincristine and vinblastine. Adriamycin was the least effective and taxol had intermediate activity. The Walker rat lymphoma cell line resistant to cisplatin (WR) exhibited the multiple drug resistance phenotype since it showed collateral resistance to all drugs (ranging from twofold to taxol, colcemid and colchicine and sixfold to the vinca alkaloids). Verapamil potentiated the cytotoxic activity of adriamycin and vincristine in a striking fashion with the Walker cells. P-glycoprotein was found to be present in the plasma membranes of the Walker cells with approximately a 2.5-fold increase in the WR as compared to the sensitive (WS) cells. Glutathione levels were elevated in all of the cisplatinresistant cell lines when compared to the cisplatin-sensitive parental cell lines. A profound effect of buthionine sulfoximine pretreatment on adriamycin cytotoxicity was observed. Glutathione S-transferase (π) was present in all the human cell lines but the WS cells had markedly lower levels (almost negligible) when compared to the WR cells. These observations imply that cisplatin-resistant cells may be more sensitive to mitotic spindle poisons and vinca alkaloids, irrespective of the mechanism of platinum resistance, and that the cytotoxicity of vinca alkaloids could be further modulated by verapamil, irrespective of the presence or absence of P-glycoprotein.
Dynamic optical interconnects: volume holograms as optical two-port operators

We view a real-time volume holographic medium as a programmable two-port device that operates on an optical electric field. A photorefractive two-port operator can be used to establish the interconnects required by neural network models. The index grating that forms in the medium serves to fully interconnect two layers of processing units and at the same time sums the input signals to the output layer. The dynamics of grating formation in photorefractive media are used to indicate the time evolution of the two-port operator when the diffraction efficiency of the medium is small. We experimentally demonstrate a projection operator whereby we store and recall, in iron-doped lithium niobate, seven 1-D images. The image storage is done without the usual angle or spatial encoding of reference beams. A projection operator is used to recognize what features of an input belong to a space defined by a set of stored vectors. The two-port operator can also be used to perform the complementary function: to recognize what features of an input do not belong to this space.
Heterogeneous Transparent Optical Networking Based on Coded OAM Modulation

In this paper, we propose a coded orbital angular momentum (OAM)-based heterogeneous transparent optical networking scenario. The OAM is associated with the azimuthal phase dependence of the complex electric field. Because OAM eigenstates are orthogonal, they can be used as basis functions for multidimensional signal constellations. From Shannon's theory, we know that information capacity is a linear function of a number of dimensions and a logarithmic function of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Therefore, through multidimensional signal constellations, we can dramatically improve the overall aggregate data rate per single wavelength. The ability to generate the OAM modes, such as Bessel and Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes, in both multimode fibers (MMFs) and free-space optical (FSO) links will allow the realization of heterogeneous transparent FSO-fiber-optics communication networks, composed of MMF and FSO links, with ultrahigh bits-per-photon efficiencies. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed heterogeneous optical networking scenario. We demonstrate the high potential of the proposed network to solve high-bandwidth demands and interoperability problems simultaneously. Finally, we prove that a dramatic improvement in spectral efficiency is possible by employing this OAM-based multidimensional signaling scheme.
Tax Incentives and Business Climate Executive Perceptions From Incented and Nonincented Firms

Executive surveys ranking business climate factors have become commonplace in site selection publications. However, these rankings rarely examine if the surveyed firms are receiving economic development incentives and whether or not these incentives influence business climate perceptions. This research note examines the differences in business climate perceptions in North Carolina between executives in companies receiving tax credits for business investment and job creation activities and executives in companies not receiving tax credits. Both groups rank the availability of skilled labor as the primary factor influencing business climate. In addition, executives in both groups prefer overall tax reductions rather than select tax incentives to improve the state’s economy. Contrary to the belief among many economic development practitioners that tax credits are a motivating factor for firms to engage in economic development, only 30% of executives in incented companies were aware that their company had received a state economic development tax credit.
DeepTrans - a model-based approach to functional verification of address translation mechanisms

We present a new test case generation technology, specifically targeted at verifying systems that include address translation mechanisms. The ever-growing demand for performance makes these mechanisms more complex, thereby increasing the risk of bugs and increasing the need for such technology. DeepTrans is a package that provides model-based test generation capabilities to verify translation mechanisms based on a modeling language. The modeling language includes constructs for describing the address translation process, commonly used translation resources, and architecture rules related to translation. DeepTrans is currently used by two different IBM test generators.
Reservoir fluids and their migration into the South Eugene Island Block 330 reservoirs, offshore Louisiana

This study in the well-documented Pliocene-Pleistocene South Eugene Island Block 330 (SEI330) field, offshore Louisiana, unravels a complex petroleum system by evaluating both the inorganic and organic geochemical characteristics of reservoir fluids. The brines at SEI330 dissolved halite prior to entering the reservoirs and equilibrated with reservoir sediments, exchanging sodium for calcium, magnesium, and other cations. The systematically varying extent of brine sodium depletion in two reservoirs defines south to north flow in those sands. These sands were filled from a fault that bounds the reservoirs on the south. Oil compositional parameters also show north-south variation across these reservoirs. The SEI330 oils and gases each had different sources. In contrast to published Jurassic sources for oil, carbon isotope data indicate that SEI330 hydrocarbon gases probably sourced from early Tertiary or Cretaceous sediments, after oil had migrated through them. Distribution of biodegraded vs. unbiodegraded oils indicates the reservoirs filled much more recently than formation of the salt weld beneath the field. Oil compositions indicate that some SEI330 oils were partially stripped of low-molecular weight compounds by their dissolution in a mobile vapor phase (gas washed) by large volumes of gas several hundred meters below the deepest reservoir. Modeling of this gas-oil interaction aids in identifying deep potential targets in which gas washing occurred. Hydrocarbon distribution, combined with oil chemistry and reservoir pressures, indicate reservoirs filled from fault systems on both the north and south sides of the field. The fault feeders are wide (>100 m), structurally complex zones that can direct different types of fluids into different reservoirs.
Paradoxes of group life, by K. K. Smith and D. N. Berg, Jossey—Bass, San Francisco, 1987, 265 pp.

Managing Projects in Organizations, by J. Davidson Frame, Jossey—Bass, San Francisco, 1987, 229 pp.
A Multiscale Parametric Background Model for Stationary Foreground Object Detection

Detection of stationary foreground objects within a dynamic scene is one of the goals of a video surveillance system. A parametric background maintenance and updating scheme, based on a multiple Gaussian mixture model that operates on multiple time scales, is proposed. Each color cluster in the proposed model is assigned a weight which measures the time duration and temporal recurrence frequency of the cluster. Sudden illumination changes are handled by using an adaptive histogram template whereas gradual illumination changes are automatically resolved with the adaptive background model. Stationary foreground objects are detected by maintaining their temporal history in the dynamic scene at multiple time scales. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme performs well in three distinct real-world settings.
Patronage in Illinois: The Political Subjugation of Public Administration:

A series of court cases banned patronage except for leadership and confidential positions. In Cook County and Chicago, the Shakman Decree required the establishment of an antipatronage staffing sys...
Office urologic ultrasound

Until the introduction of cystoscopy and radiography in the late 1800s, sounding the bladder was one of the few methods of diagnosing a bladder stone. An office-based procedure, the bladder sound is introduced into a bladder filled with approximately 3 ounces of fluid [1]. Performing various manipulations of the sound, an entire bladder can be palpated, using the sound much the way a blind man uses his cane. When the sound discovers a stone, an audible click is heard. Although by no means flawless, sounding the bladder was one of the early ancestors of ultrasound (US) in urology. With US, a sound wave is emitted from the probe and travels into the body, where it encounters various surfaces and is reflected back to the US receiver, where that information is converted into a visual image. The US machine is as integral to urologists’ office at the dawn of the twenty-first century as the bladder sound was throughout the nineteenth century. Modern US machines are compact and portable and can be brought easily to the bedside, clinic, or operating room. Images are created in real time. Interpretation and diagnosis occur as the images are created. For these reasons, combined with the fact that US is completely noninvasive and without harmful side effects, US has been liberally adopted by urologists for its diagnostic and procedural capabilities. To obtain optimal images and make accurate clinical decisions, urologists must be trained in the use of basic US equipment and in US interpretation. This article reviews the basic physics behind US technology, optimal use of the equipment, and, finally, some of the more common uses of US in urology clinics. Physics
The Ternary Systems Leucite—Corundum—Spinel and Leucite—Forsterite—Spinel

These ternary systems are limiting faces, respectively, of the volumes leucite-corundum-spinel-silica and leucite-forsterite-spinel-silica in the quaternary system K2O–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2. The results of quenching experiments on these two ternary systems and on the binary system spinel-leucite are given here. The relation of the system leucite-corundum-spinel to the volume leucite-corundum-spinel-K2O·Al2O3·2SiO2 is indicated. The data presented are of general interest to the geologist and provide basic information which can be applied to refractories and slags by the ceramist and metallurgist. Some observations are made on the refractoriness and changes in refractoriness of certain mixtures of ceramic materials.
Resurgence of Cucurbit Downy Mildew in the United States: A Watershed Event for Research and Extension

In 2004, an outbreak of cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) caused by the oomycete Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Rostovzev resulted in an epidemic that stunned the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) industry in the eastern United States. The disease affects all major cucurbit crops, including cucumber, muskmelon, squashes, and watermelon. Although the 2004 epidemic began in North Carolina, the cucumber crop from Florida to the northern growing regions in the United States was devastated, resulting in complete crop loss in several areas. Many cucumber fields were abandoned prior to harvest. The rapid spread of the disease coupled with the failure of fungicide control programs surprised growers, crop consultants, and extension specialists. The epidemic raised several fundamental questions about the potential causes for the resurgence of the disease. Some of these questions revolved around whether the epidemic would recur in subsequent years and the possible roles that changes in the host, pathogen, and environment may have played in the epidemic.
Two-dimensional gap solitons in a nonlinear periodic slab waveguide

We present a three-dimensional analysis of counterpropagating waves in a periodic nonlinear slab waveguide. The analysis reveals the existence of two-dimensional gap solitons, whose stability depends on their total power’s being above (unstable) or below (stable) a critical power. Numerical experiments validate the analytical results.
On the BCJR trellis for linear block codes

In this semi-tutorial paper, we will investigate the computational complexity of an abstract version of the Viterbi algorithm on a trellis, and show that if the trellis has e edges, the complexity of the Viterbi algorithm is /spl Theta/(e). This result suggests that the "best" trellis representation for a given linear block code is the one with the fewest edges. We will then show that, among all trellises that represent a given code, the original trellis introduced by Bahl, Cocke, Jelinek, and Raviv in 1974, and later rediscovered by Wolf (1978), Massey (1978), and Forney (1988), uniquely minimizes the edge count, as well as several other figures of merit. Following Forney and Kschischang and Sorokine (1995), we will also discuss "trellis-oriented" or "minimal-span" generator matrices, which facilitate the calculation of the size of the BCJR trellis, as well as the actual construction of it.
Characterization of the Starch of Spirodela polyrrhiza

SUMMARY Starch was extracted from Spirodela polyrrhiza (L.) Schleid. and characterized as to shape, granule size and weight distribution, amylose content, temperature of gelatinization, and viscosity in relation to temperature. The highest percent of starch for S. polyrrhisa was found in the sample collected after 14 hr of illumination in an atmosphere at 5% CO2. The added CO2 did not affect the starch content significantly, but did give more luxuriant growth. The starch was found to have simple, centric granules, spherical to slightly ovoid. The granules ranged from 1 to 8 μ, average diameter 3.85 μ. The weight average diameter was 4.86 μ. A dilute suspension of the starch gave a blue color with iodine. The amylose content was found to be 21%. The gelatinization temperature for starch of this size and amylose content was high. The gelatinization range was 94–98°C. The curves obtained from temperature vs. viscosity measurements were typical of those for other starches of similar size and amylose content.
The clinical features of psychogenic movement disorders resembling tics

Background Psychogenic movement disorders (PMDs) may be difficult to differentiate from organic abnormal movements. Methods We aimed to characterise the prevalence and clinical features of PMDs resembling tics during the last 3.5 years in our centre. Results We studied 9 patients (five females) with psychogenic tics representing 4.9% of all 184 patients first evaluated for a PMD during the study period. The mean age at onset was 34.1 years. Lack of premonitory sensations, absence childhood and family history of tics, inability to suppress the movements and coexistence with other PMDs and pseudoseizures were common in our patients. Compared with 273 patients with Tourette syndrome, those with PMDs resembling tics were older: 36.3 versus 18.7 years (p=0.014) at presentation and more frequently female (p=0.030). Conclusions Movements resembling tics are observed in a small proportion of patients with PMDs. Clinical features can help to differentiate them from organic tics.
Historical Trends in Abundance of American Shad and River Herring in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina

Abstract The Albemarle Sound basin once supported large fisheries for American shad Alosa sapidissima and river herring (alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and blueback herring Alosa aestivalis combined); however, current landings of both stocks are extremely low. We used catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data from an 1845–1907 haul-seine fishery to estimate the historical abundance and productivity of these stocks. These historical data are valuable because we can measure (1) the response of the stocks to a period of no fishing during the Civil War and (2) stock productivity before significant changes in water quality and habitat. We found that biomass-based models fitted the historical haul-seine CPUE data reasonably well, but the models appeared to be unreliable for forecasting. For river herring, an analysis that included 1977–1993 pound-net CPUE data appeared to provide better management advice. Estimates of the population growth rate (r) ranged from 0.5 to 0.9 for American shad and 0.3 to 0.5 for river herring...
The association between discharge before noon and length of stay in medical and surgical patients.

BACKGROUND Discharging patients before noon is a key approach to improving bed utilization. Few data exist to describe whether patients are discharged earlier or their stay is extended to allow for an early discharge the next day. OBJECTIVE To determine if a discharge before noon (DCBN) is associated with length of stay (LOS). DESIGN/SETTINGS/PATIENTS Retrospective analysis of data from adult medical and surgical discharges from a single academic center from July 2012 through April 2015. We used a multivariable generalized linear model to evaluate the association between DCBN and LOS. RESULTS Of 38,365 hospitalizations, 6484 (16.9%) were discharged before noon, and the median LOS was 3.7 days. After adjustment, DCBN was associated with a longer LOS (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.043, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.003-1.086). The association between longer LOS and DCBN was more pronounced in patients admitted emergently (n = 14,192, 37%) (adjusted OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.033-1.249). CONCLUSIONS Although we cannot discern whether discharges were delayed to achieve discharge before noon, earlier discharge was associated with a longer LOS, particularly among emergent admissions. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;11:859-861. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Die Pathologie des Karzinoidsyndroms und seiner Grenzgebiete

Die pathologisch-anatomischen Grundlagen vieler durch Gewebshormone bedingter Erkrankungen sind noch recht unklar. Zwar sind gerade von morphologischer Seite verschiedene Anregungen ausgegangen. Ich denke hier vor allem an das Karzinoidsyndrom und an die Beitrage von Feyrter (13) uber die peripheren endokrinen Drusen. Bei zahlreichen Gewebshormonen kennen wir aber heute noch nicht einmal die groben Umrisse der Hormonbildungsstatten, geschweige denn die feineren morphologischen Einzelheiten normaler und krankhafter Zustande. Eindeutige Unterfunktionssymptome sind bisher nicht beobachtet worden. Moglicherweise kommen sie bei den im Organismus weit verbreiteten Bildungssorten einzelner Gewebshormone gar nicht vor. Vorlaufig sind es vor allem die Zeichen einer ubermasigen Hormonproduktion, recht haufig die Folgen endokrin aktiver Tumoren, die unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf die Gewebshormone lenken.
Guarantees, Subsidies, or Paying for Success? Choosing the Right Instrument to Catalyze Private Investment in Developing Countries

Governments, donors, and public sector agencies are seeking productive ways to ‘crowd in’ private sector involvement and capital to tackle international development challenges. The financial instruments that are used to create incentives for private sector involvement are typically those that lower an investment’s risk (such as credit guarantees) or those that lower the costs of various inputs (such as concessional loans, which subsidise borrowing). We argue that the public sector is unlikely to have better information about risk and reward than the private sector, so using either instrument shifts downside risk from private firms to taxpayers. We propose a better contract to support private sector investment by enhancing the returns to the private sector, linking payments to specific, measurable, and agreed milestones or outputs. We argue that these contracts are less distortionary and produce better results for a lower expected cost than other incentive programmes. We motivate the argument with an economic and financial model and discuss political economy considerations that reinforce the current status quo in favour of generally suboptimal instruments such as guarantees and loan subsidies.
A Colorimetric Method for Determination of Sulfhydryl Groups in Tissue Homogenates by 1- (4-Ghloromercuriphenylazo) -Naphthol-2:

SummaryA colorimetric procedure was developed for the determination of -SH groups. The method involved the estimation of the amount of an organic mercury salt removed from its amyl acetate solution by shaking with tissue homogenates. The dye removed was found proportional to the -SH content of the sample analyzed.
The effects of antiinflammatory and antiallergic drugs on cytokine release after stimulation of human whole blood by lipopolysaccharide and zymosan A

IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6 and TNFα, derived from infiltrating leukocytes, are important mediators of inflammation in arthritic and allergic diseases. Heparinized human whole blood was evaluated as a model to study the effects of various classes of antiinflammatory drugs on cytokine release/biosynthesis from leukocytes. Whole blood was stimulated with zymosan A (1.5 mg/ml) or LPS (5 µg/ml) for 4h to induce cytokine release. Dexamethasone was the most potent inhibitor of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 release from LPS stimulated blood leukocytes (IC50s of 0.19, 0.11 µM, 0.16 and 0.07 respectively). In LPS stimulated blood, SKF-86002, a 5-lipoxygenase/cytooxygenasae inhibitor, and rolipram, a PDE IV inhibitor, also inhibited the release of TNFα (IC50s of 33 and 11µM, respectively), IL-1β (IC50s of 11 and 30µM, respectively), IL-6 (IC50s of 56 and > 30, respectively) and IL-8 (IC50s of 6.7 and 15, respectively), whereas isoproterenol (1 µM) inhibited significantly only TNFα release. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors and immuno-suppressive drugs were inactive at 30 µM against LPS and zymosan A stimulation of cytokine release. Using zymosan A as the stimulus, only SKF-86002 (30 µM) showed significant inhibition of IL-1β (−59%). This 4h human blood assay has the potential to identify novel inhibitors and sites of actions (e.g. transcription, post-transcriptional and secretion) of new antiinflammatory drugs.
Network and Ensemble Enabled Entity Extraction in Informal Text (NEEEEIT) final report

This SAND report summarizes the activities and outcomes of the Network and Ensemble Enabled Entity Extraction in Informal Text (NEEEEIT) LDRD project, which addressed improving the accuracy of conditional random fields for named entity recognition through the use of ensemble methods. Conditional random fields (CRFs) are powerful, flexible probabilistic graphical models often used in supervised machine learning prediction tasks associated with sequence data. Specifically, they are currently the best known option for named entity recognition (NER) in text. NER is the process of labeling words in sentences with semantic identifiers such as %E2%80%9Cperson%E2%80%9D, %E2%80%9Cdate%E2%80%9D, or %E2%80%9Corganization%E2%80%9D. Ensembles are a powerful statistical inference meta-method that can make most supervised machine learning methods more accurate, faster, or both. Ensemble methods are normally best suited to %E2%80%9Cunstable%E2%80%9D classification methods with high variance error. CRFs applied to NER are very stable classifiers, and as such, would initially seem to be resistant to the benefits of ensembles. The NEEEEIT project nonetheless worked out how to generalize ensemble methods to CRFs, demonstrated that accuracy can indeed be improved by proper use of ensemble techniques, and generated a new CRF code, %E2%80%9CpyCrust%E2%80%9D and a surrounding application environment, %E2%80%9CNEEEEIT%E2%80%9D, which implement those improvements. The summary practical advice thatmore » results from this work, then, is: When making use of CRFs for label prediction tasks in machine learning, use the pyCrust CRF base classifier with NEEEEIT's bagging ensemble implementation. (If those codes are not available, then de-stablize your CRF code via every means available, and generate the bagged training sets by hand.) If you have ample pre-processing computational time, do %E2%80%9Cforward feature selection%E2%80%9D to find and remove counter-productive feature classes. Conversely, if pre-processing time is limited, use NEEEEIT's %E2%80%9Cedited clone%E2%80%9D pyCrust mechanism, along with a more modest use of bagging, to generate ensembles much more quickly.« less
Preface: Water pollution: Trace organics

(1978). Preface. Journal of Environmental Science and Health . Part A: Environmental Science and Engineering: Vol. 13, Water Pollution: Trace Organics, pp. 7-7.
An exercise in nostalgia: Nostalgia promotes health optimism and physical activity

Objective: Previous research has shown that nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, leads to greater feelings of optimism, with other work demonstrating that optimistic thinking (general & health-orientated) is associated with better physical and psychological health. Integrating these two lines of research, the current studies examined whether nostalgia-induced health optimism promotes attitudes and behaviours associated with better physical well-being.Methods: Participants, in three experiments, were randomly assigned to write about either a nostalgic or ordinary event. Following this, everyone completed a measure of health optimism (Studies 1–3), measures of health attitudes (Study 2) and had their physical activity monitored over the course of 2 weeks (Study 3).Results: The results revealed that, in comparison to control conditions, nostalgic reverie led to greater health optimism (Studies 1–3). Further, heightened health optimism following nostalgic reflection led to more positive health attit...
Object Modeling and Recognition from Sparse, Noisy Data via Voxel Depth Carving

In this work, we make the case for using volumetric information for shape reconstruction and recognition from noisy depth images for robotic manipulation. We provide an efficient algorithm, Voxel Depth Carving (a variant of Occupancy Grid Mapping) which accomplishes this goal. Real-world experiments with lasers, RGB-D cameras, and simulated sensors in both 2D and 3D verify the effectiveness of our algorithm in comparison to traditional point-cloud based methods.
SU-F-T-562: Validation of EPID-Based Dosimetry for FSRS Commissioning

Purpose: The prevailing approach to frameless SRS (fSRS) small field dosimetry is Gafchromic film. Though providing continuous information, its intrinsic uncertainties in fabrication, response, scan, and calibration often make film dosimetry subject to different interpretations. In this study, we explored the feasibility of using EPID portal dosimetry as a viable alternative to film for small field dosimetry. Methods: Plans prescribed a dose of 21 Gy were created on a flat solid water phantom with Eclipse V11 and iPlan for small static square fields (1.0 to 3.0 cm). In addition, two clinical test plans were computed by employing iPlan on a CIRS Kesler head phantom for target dimensions of 1.2cm and 2.0cm. Corresponding portal dosimetry plans were computed using the Eclipse TPS and delivered on a Varian TrueBeam machine. EBT-XD film dosimetry was performed as a reference. The isocenter doses were measured using EPID, OSLD, stereotactic diode, and CC01 ion chamber. Results: EPID doses at the center of the square field were higher than Eclipse TPS predicted portal doses, with the mean difference being 2.42±0.65%. Doses measured by EBT-XD film, OSLD, stereotactic diode, and CC01 ion chamber revealed smaller differences (except OSLDs), with mean differences being 0.36±3.11%, 4.12±4.13%, 1.7±2.76%, 1.45±2.37% for Eclipse and −1.36±0.85%, 2.38±4.2%, −0.03±0.50%, −0.27±0.78% for iPlan. The profiles measured by EPID and EBT-XD film resembled TPS (Eclipse and iPlan) predicted ones within 3.0%. For the two clinical test plans, the EPID mean doses at the center of field were 2.66±0.68% and 2.33±0.32% higher than TPS predicted doses. Conclusion: We found that results obtained with EPID portal dosimetry were slightly higher (∼2%) than those obtained with EBT-XD film, diode, and CC01 ion chamber with the exception of OSLDs, but well within IROC tolerance (5.0%). Therefore, EPID has the potential to become a viable real-time alternative method to film dosimetry.
ALCOHOLISM, FAMILY SIZE AND ORDINAL POSITION.

Schachter (12) assumed that alcoholics do not handle their anxiety by-affiliation, and found some indirect support for this contention in his analysis of data provided earlier by Bakan (1). However...
Physiological Basis for Creatine Supplementation in Skeletal Muscle

Creatine (methylguanidino acetic acid) is one of the safest, most extensively studied, and popular supplements in the sports science community. Its primary role is to improve bioenergetics; by mediating phosphagen metabolism, creatine improves the availability of ATP for the myosin motor and improves force and power production. With resistance training, creatine-loaded muscle allows for a higher quality of training (e.g., more reps at a given weight, higher power output) that leads to more rapid training performance gains and muscle fiber hypertrophy. Creatine has therefore allowed an enhancement of muscle function and more rapid training gains within the genetic capabilities of the individual. Its role in endurance exercise is not well described but shows potential benefits for increased exercise economy at submaximal intensities. Finally, creatine supplementation may have important implications for aging as well as for muscle wasting and insulin resistance.
Camera Techniques for Spot News

Astrange and ominous moaning calls Stephen Hooker from a troubled sleep. He has never slept here before. Through blurred and blinking eyes, consciousness takes hold as he looks up at yellow goal posts and crowds in the stands. Decades of victories and defeats have been decided right under Hooker's sleeping bag .