cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward context and preference-aware location-based services

The explosive growth of location-detection devices, wireless communications, and mobile databases has resulted in the realization of location-based services as commercial products and research prototypes. Unfortunately, current location-based applications (e.g., store finders) are rigid as they are completely isolated from various concepts of user "preferences" and/or "context". Such rigidness results in nonsuitable services (e.g., a vegetarian user may get a restaurant with non-vegetarian menu). In this paper, we introduce the system architecture of a Context and Preference-Aware Location-based Database Server (CareDB, for short), currently under development at University of Minnesota, that delivers personalized services to its customers based on the surrounding context. CareDB goes beyond the traditional scheme of "one size fits all" of existing location-aware database systems. Instead, CareDB tailors its functionalities and services based on the preference and context of each customer. Examples of services provided by CareDB include a restaurant finder application in which CareDB does not base its choice of restaurants solely on the user location. Instead, CareDB will base its choice on both the user location and surrounding context (e.g., user dietary restriction, user preferences, and road traffic conditions). Within the framework of CareDB, we discuss research challenges and directions towards an efficient and practical realization of context-aware location-based query processing. Namely, we discuss the challenges for designing user profiles, multi-objective query processing, context-aware query optimizers, context-aware query operators, and continuous queries.
Ankle fractures: Understanding the mechanism of injury is the key to analyzing the radiographs

Injuries to the ankle joint are common. Complete ligament ruptures and fractures of the malleoli and adjacent bones can affect the stability of the ankle joint. If fractures or ligament injuries are present on both sides of the joint, the ankle will usually be unstable. On the other hand, injuries confined to one side of the joint will usually be stable. Unstable ankle joints require operative fixation, whereas stable ankles do well with conservative treatment. Specific ligament injuries precede several fractures. Recognition of the various patterns of injury permits reliable prediction of these ligament injuries. Therefore, it is important for radiologists and others who interpret trauma radiographs to understand the common mechanisms of injury and to recognize these patterns. Correct classification of the injury mechanism should lead to prompt, appropriate diagnosis and treatment and should decrease long-term morbidity.
SEMI-GROUPS AND GRAPHS FOR SOFIC SYSTEMS

Sofic systems are examined using defining semi-groups. The algebraic properties of the semi-groups, the graph-theoretic properties of the transition matrices, and the dynamic properties of the sofic systems are found to have many strong connections.
Reduction in brain serotonin markers by α-ethyltryptamine (Monase)

alpha-Ethyltryptamine (Monase) is both an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase and a monoamine releasing agent. To determine whether alpha-ethyltryptamine induces serotonergic deficits similar to that of other monoamine releasing agents such as 3,4-methyl-enedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and para-chloroamphetamine (PCA), rats were given multiple doses (8 x 30 mg/kg s.c.) of alpha-ethyltryptamine acetate. Serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) levels and the number of 5-HT uptake sites (determined from [3H]paroxetine binding) were significantly decreased in frontal cortex samples at one week killing. A significant decrease in 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels was also observed in rat hippocampal samples. The results provide evidence that alpha-ethyltryptamine may induce serotonin neurotoxicity similar to that of MDMA and PCA.
Power and prospects for studying live cells using semiconductor quantum dots

The use of quantum dots to study and solve biological issues is bringing scientists and engineers into the realm of pure biology. Yet quantum dots are still a young technology that has not fulfilled all its immense promises. The prospects of using quantum dots in biology motivates a wealth of different studies that include the targeting of organisms in live cells and the characterization of the optical properties of the bioconjugates at the single molecule level. Here, I want to review some experiments using silanized quantum dots. In particular, I want to focus on the versatility of silanized quantum dots for bioconjugation and show how they can be programmed to target the nucleus of live cells. In parallel, silanized qdots are remarkable chromophores that can be used as FRET sensors. FRET efficiencies up to 100% can be reached by tuning the spectral properties of the donor and acceptor pairs.
Kinetics of regulated actin transitions measured by probes on tropomyosin.

Changes in the muscle regulatory protein complex, troponin, are important for modulation of activity and may occur as a result of disease-causing mutations. Both increases and decreases in the rate of ATP hydrolysis by myosin may occur as dictated by changes in the distribution of actin-tropomyosin-troponin among its different states. It is important to measure the rates of transition among these states to study physiological adaptation and disease processes. We show here that acrylodan or pyrene probes on tropomyosin can be used to monitor the transition from active to intermediate and inactive states of actin-tropomyosin-troponin. Transitions measured in the absence of calcium had two phases, as previously reported for some other probes on troponin and actin. The first step was a rapid equilibrium that favored the formation of the intermediate state and had an apparent rate constant less than that of S1-ATP dissociation. The second fluorescence transition was slower, with an apparent constant that increased from ∼5 to 80/s over a range of 1–37°C. Only the initial rapid transition was seen in the presence of saturating calcium. The acrylodan probe had the advantage of yielding a larger signal than the pyrene probe. Furthermore, the acrylodan signal decreased in going from the active state to the intermediate state, and then increased upon going to the inactive state.
Long-term study of tracheal growth after segmental resection in puppies☆

Abstract Techniques in neonatal respiratory care have improved dramatically. Infants are now surviving after prolonged periods of endotracheal intubation. This improvement in survival has produced an increased incidence of acquired tracheal stenosis 1–4 in a very young age group. A concern regarding growth and development may affect the decision to excise the stenosis. This experiment was designed to study some aspects of the long-term fate of the puppy trachea after resection and end-to-end anastomosis.
Effects of Intravenous and Intracoronary Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate as Compared With Adenosine on Coronary Flow and Pressure Dynamics

Background—Measurements of Doppler derived coronary flow reserve (CFR) and pressure derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) for coronary stenosis assessment depend on the induction of maximal hyperemia. Adenosine is the most widely used pharmacological agent but is expensive and poorly tolerated by some patients. Methods and Results—The objective of this study was to test the equivalency of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine in their ability to cause maximal hyperemia as compared with the hyperemic response of complete coronary occlusion in 6 canines. Intracoronary administration of either ATP or adenosine resulted in a significant increase in CFR (2.79±0.64 and 2.22±0.7 for 10 μg versus 4.65±1.22 and 4.25±0.78 for 100 μg for ATP and adenosine, respectively, P for trend <0.001) but not reaching the level of coronary occlusion (6.35±2.26). Additionally, FFR and CFR were measured in 35 different stenoses using ATP, adenosine, and coronary occlusion. There was an excellent linear correlation between ...
Sediment accumulation rates in time and space: Paleogene genetic stratigraphic sequences of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico basin

The Paleogene fill of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico basin consists of eight genetic stratigraphic sequences bounded by regional marine flooding surfaces. Calculation of sediment accumulation rates along dip profiles through four subbasins shows that regional changes in accumulation rate - and by inference, rate of sediment supply - of fivefold to tenfold repeatedly occurred over time spans of 1 to 3 m.y. Major sequences record episodes of high supply and accommodation-limited accumulation. Periods of declining and low supply were characterized by short-term over-accommodation and consequent transgressive flooding of the basin margin. Within sequences, depositional rates varied with position relative to the contemporaneous shelf margin, with type of depositional system, and between subbasins. Normal patterns of load-induced basin-margin subsidence and creation of accommodation space were modified by perturbation of the crustal stress regime.
The components of interest rate swap spreads: Theory and international evidence

This article contains both a theoretical and an empirical analysis of the components of interest rate swap spreads defined as the difference between the fixed swap rate and the risk-free rate of equal maturity. The components are determined by expected LIBOR spreads, default risk, and market structure. A model of the swap market incorporating debt market imperfections and corporate financing choices is used to explain participation by both swap buyers and sellers. The model also motivates an empirical relationship between swap spreads and the slope of the risk-free term structure. The article then provides empirical evidence on the cross-sectional and time-series variation of swap spreads in seven international markets. The evidence is consistent with the suggested components across both markets and swap maturities as well as over time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 23:347–387, 2003
A Ropy Milk Organism Isolated from the Finnish “Piima” or “Fiili”

A bottle of milk, decidedly ropy in character, was brought to our laboratory by a Finnish student. It has not been possible to obtain a complete history of the beverage, but we were informed that some relative of a grocery man, who dispensed it, had sent to him through the mail from Finland, a culture absorbed in ordinary blotting paper. The beverage is known to these people as "Frill" or "Piima." A search of the literature has failed to reveal any reference to this particular type of ropy milk. Inquiries made among investigators in this country have not yielded any information regarding it. Others have been consulted, among them editors of Finnish papers, but no scientific data was available. An attempt was made to isolate the organism or group of organisms, responsible for the condition. A fresh twenty-four hour propogation was plated on "milk powder agar A" (Ayers and Mudge, Jour. Bact., v, 6, 565) with excellent results. Mter five days incubation at 20°C., besides a variety of organisms, there appeared colonies closely resembling the common Bact. lactis acidi colonies, which when penetrated by the platinum loop were found to be soft and viscid. As the loop was withdrawn, a threadlike attachment followed. This could be drawn several inches from the plate. Inoculations made from these colonies into sterile milk led to a decided ropiness of the milk after twelve to fifteen hours, both at 20 and 37°C., although more pronounced in the former. The organism isolated in pure culture was studied in detail with the following results:
Low‐dose omeprazole plus clarithromycin and either tinidazole or amoxycillin for Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to compare two 1-week, low-dose triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients, suffering from dyspeptic symptoms with H. pylori infection, were randomly allocated to 7 days of treatment with omeprazole 20 mg o.m. plus clarithromycin 250 mg b.d. and either tinidazole 500 mg b.d. (group A: n = 50, 19 with peptic ulcer) or amoxycillin 1000 mg b.d. (group B: n = 50, 20 with peptic ulcer). H. pylori-status was evaluated by means of histology, culture and urease test, at entry and 8 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Three patients did not complete the treatment. H. pylori eradication was obtained in 35 patients from group A (73%) (95% CI, 55-82%) and in 40 patients from group B (82%) (95% CI, 66-90%). On intention-to-treat analysis, the rates of eradication were similar. Side-effects occurred in seven patients from group A (14.58%) and in four patients from group B (8.33%), but none discontinued therapy because of side-effects. CONCLUSION: Both triple 1-week, low-dose omeprazole therapies gave good eradication rates with infrequent side-effects.
On the complexity of integer programming

A simple proof that integer programming ts in X~ ~s given. The proof also estabhshes that there ~s a pseudopolynomial-tune algorithm for integer programmmg with any (fixed) number of constraints.
Induction and Inhibition of Type I Interferon Responses by Distinct Components of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

Type I interferons (IFNs) play a critical role in the host defense against viruses. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection induces robust type I IFN production in its natural host, the mouse. However, the mechanisms underlying the induction of type I IFNs in response to LCMV infection have not yet been clearly defined. In the present study, we demonstrate that IRF7 is required for both the early phase (day 1 postinfection) and the late phase (day 2 postinfection) of the type I IFN response to LCMV, and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)/mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) signaling is crucial for the late phase of the type I IFN response to LCMV. We further demonstrate that LCMV genomic RNA itself (without other LCMV components) is able to induce type I IFN responses in various cell types by activation of the RNA helicases retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and MDA5. We also show that expression of the LCMV nucleoprotein (NP) inhibits the type I IFN response induced by LCMV RNA and other RIG-I/MDA5 ligands. These virus-host interactions may play important roles in the pathogeneses of LCMV and other human arenavirus diseases.
Health Locus of Control and Health Value in the Prediction of Smoking Reduction

Thirty-five participants in a smoking cessation program met weekly for seven weeks in small groups and then were assigned to one of four follow-up procedures for an additional eight weeks. Information on smoking levels was obtained at the beginning of the program, at the end of the seven-week treatment period, at the end of the two-month follow- up period, and during an additional five-month extended follow-up period. As hypothesized from social learning theory, individuals who held internally-oriented health locus of control beliefs and who valued health highly were most successful in achieving and maintaining changes in their smoking behavior. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the problem of maintenance of behavior changes achieved by smoking cessation programs.
Evaluating the impact of dynamic binary translation systems on hardware cache performance

Dynamic binary translation systems enable a wide range of applications such as program instrumentation, optimization, and security. DBTs use a software code cache to store previously translated instructions. The code layout in the code cache greatly differs from the code layout of the original program. This paper provides an exhaustive analysis of the performance of the instruction/trace cache and other structures of the micro-architecture while executing DBTs that focus on program instrumentation, such as DynamoRIO and Pin. We performed our evaluation along two axes. First, we directly accessed the hardware performance counters to determine actual cache miss counts. Second, we used simulation to analyze the spatial locality of the translated application. Our results show that when executing an application under the control of Pin or DynamoRIO, the icache miss counts actually increase over 2X. Surprisingly, the L2 cache and the L1 data cache show a much lower performance degradation or even break even with the native application. We also found that overall performance degradations are due to the instructions added by the DBT itself, and that these extra instructions outweigh any possible spatial locality benefits exhibited in the code cache. Our observations held regardless of the trace length, code cache size, or the presence of a hardware trace cache. These results provide a better understanding of the efficiency of current instrumentation tools and their effects on instruction/trace cache performance and other structures of the microarchitecture.
What I Really Believe About Family Therapy

Abstract Family therapy is the success story of the past century but in this century it faces great many challenges to prove its usefulness within a larger context of drastic societal and cultural changes. To meet these challenges and widen its applicability to larger numbers of troubled families, family therapists need to expand their repertoires traditionally based on face-to-face talk to include “compass sentences,” and increased frequency of homework assignments with greater reliance on distance writing, and inclusion of low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health.
Quantifying the complexity of neural network output using entropy measures

Introduction Countless methods exist to quantify neurophysiological signals yet determining the most appropriate tool for extracting features is a daunting task. A growing body of literature has investigated the use of entropy for measuring "complexity" in signals. We present the application of a suite of entropy measures on neural network outputs to compare and constrast their ability to identify signal characteristics not captured by variance based measures of regularity. Our previous work [1] has shown that modifications to exisiting algorithms may be necessary to accurately capture nonlinear signal components. We have built upon this work, revealed interesting features in a commonly used preparation and hypothesize our entropy tools as being useful for a wide variety of scientists.
Fabrication and Transport Properties of Te-Doped Bi Nanowire Arrays

Te-doped Bi nanowires with a 40 nm wire diameter have been successfully synthesized in anodic alumina templates by the pressure injection technique. Due to the unique semimetal-semiconductor transition that occurs in Bi nanowires, these systems exhibit a rather different temperature dependence in transport properties from their bulk counterparts. An improved theoretical model of this unique 1D nanowire system is developed based on the band structure of bulk bismuth. The temperature dependence of resistance for Bi nanowire arrays have been studied experimentally for various Te dopant concentrations and the results are compared with theoretical predictions.
A Review of: “Roy J. Harris Jr. Pulitzer's Gold: Behind the Prize for Public-Service Journalism.”

Survey of 7,000 Students in 36 Institutions Discloses Vast Fund of Misinformation On Many Basic Facts — Headline on story that helped the New York Times win the Gold Medal for Public Service in 194...
Large signal response and harmonic distortion in piezoelectrics for SONAR transducers

Nonlinearity in the piezoelectric response limits the operating conditions of underwater transducers. In this work, the nonlinear effects are evaluated in terms of electrical current and induced strain as a function of drive level. Nonlinearity is further quantified within the active transduction material by evaluating the total harmonic distortion (THD) in the electromechanical response. Modified single crystals based on the binary lead magnesium niobate—lead titanate system were investigated. It is shown that single crystals show greater mechanical response and reduced THD, enabling operation at higher power levels. The performance of these single crystals is also compared to conventional high power lead zirconate titanate ceramics.
Adult Grandchildren's Perceptions of Emotional Closeness and Consensus With Their Maternal and Paternal Grandparents

Increasingly, grandchildren and grandparents have opportunities to share family experiences as life expectancy of older adults increases. Along with this extension of life expectancy is the increased chance of grandparents' seeing their grandchildren grow into adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine young adult grandchildren's perceptions of affectual and consensual solidarity with their grandparents. In a convenience sample of 300 college-aged grandchildren, the results of ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression analyses show that a grandparent's kin position relative to the grandchild is an important factor in grandchildren's perceptions of solidarity with their grandparents. Results also show that personal factors (demographics) alone were weak predictors. However, structural characteristics were more strongly associated with grandchildren's higher levels of emotional closeness and perceived intergenerational consensus. Future research should examine the association between intergenera...
Mesh Generation Using Unstructured Computational Meshes and Elliptic Partial Differential Equation Smoothing

A novel appro ach for generating unstructured meshes using elliptic smoothing is presented. Like structured mesh generation methods, the approach begins with the construction of a computational mesh. The computational mesh is used to solve elliptic partial differential equations that control grid point distributions and improve mesh quality. Two types of elliptic partial differential equations are employed; modified linear -elastic theory and Winslow equation s, with or without forcing functions . Results are included to il lustrate the use of these methods for unstructured mesh generation, mesh boundary shape modification, mesh untangling and mesh movement.
A Gallium Nitride switched-capacitor power inverter for photovoltaic applications

A Gallium Nitride (GaN) based switched-capacitor module integrated inverter (MII) is presented in this paper. This two stage solution first employs a dc/dc quadrupler that utilizes an interleaving charging scheme. This strategy not only reduces the high frequency current ripple subjected to the photovoltaic panel, but also decreases the voltage ripple on the DC link between the two stages. The second stage is a five-level boost inverter that is responsible for both maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and minimizing reactive power flow. Both stages utilize a resonant soft-switching scheme in the capacitor charging current loops to increase the MII's efficiency. Basic theoretical analysis and experimental results for the individual stages are included.
MIKE BAYNHAM AND ANNA DE FINA (eds.), Dislocations/relocations: Narratives of displacement

Mike Baynham and Anna de Fina (eds.), Dislocations/relocations: Narratives of displacement. Manchester, UK & Northampton, MA: St. Jerome, 2005. Pp. 262. Pb. £19.99.Clearly announced in the title, the topic of this collection of essays is the experience of spatial displacement conveyed through narrative by the individuals who undergo it. The authors approach it as a theoretical and methodological problem in narrative studies, as well as an opportunity for reflecting on a social and political phenomenon – the (forced or freely chosen) movement of people – that has come to be seen as central to the experience of modernity (2). The project is very ambitious. It not only seeks to make a conceptual contribution to the already vast and multidisciplinary literature on narrative, but also hopes to address enough instances of discursive practices that involve migrants and minorities around the world to be able to claim that it sheds light on the general phenomenon of displacement. Overall, the book is stronger when it addresses its second objective, and it offers a multi-layered and comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of dislocation as captured through narrative practices. What contributes to the success of the book are, in addition to the quality of the individual contributions, its rigorous organization in parts that cohere conceptually and thematically, the clear justification of the project offered by the two editors in an excellent introduction, and the concluding remarks by James Collins, which leave the reader with a sense of a consistent intellectual product.
Changing pattern of ventilator settings in patients without acute lung injury: changes over 11 years in a single institution.

Study objectives: To determine whether the widely accepted concept of using lower tidal volume (V t ) values in patients with ARDS or obstructive lung disease has affected the pattern of ventilator settings in mechanically ventilated patients who do not have one of these conditions. Design and patients: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients who had experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and had received ventilatory support for ≥ 1 day at a university-affiliated county hospital during the years 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Results: In 139 such patients, the mean final V t values used on the first day of mechanical ventilation were 11.7, 12.4, 11.3, 9.6, 9.7, 9.2, and 9.8 mL/kg in those years, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that increasing year (β-coefficient = −0.24; p = 0.001) and the presence of pulmonary edema (β-coefficient = −1.2; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of the use of lower V t values. Patients managed with a low V t ( ie , t , 8.4 ± 1.3 mL/kg) had a significantly higher incidence of atelectasis than the patients who were managed with traditional, larger V t values ( ie , ≥ 10 mL/kg; mean V t , 11.8 ± 1.5 mL/kg) [61.1% vs 36.7%, respectively; p = 0.02]. Multivariate analysis revealed that the mean V t used on days 1, 2, and 3 ( o 2 /fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, or respiratory system compliance between the low V t group and the traditional V t group. Conclusion: Currently, physicians at our hospital use lower V t values than they have in the past. This is associated with the increase in the incidence of atelectasis in the patients who received ventilation using low V t values.
A note on Arc tolerances in sparse shortest-path and network flow problems

In the article “Arc Tolerances in Shortest-Path and Network Flow Problems” by D. R. Shier and C. Witzgall, several methods were described to compute, relative to a given tree T, the “arc tolerance” of each arc in a graph G of n nodes and A arcs. One method, the “dead-end retraction” method was shown to take O(n2) time and O(n2) space, and another method, the “cycle-tracing” method was shown to take O(nA) time but only O(A) space. For the important case of large sparse graphs, these methods either require excessive time, or excessive space. In this note implementations of both of the above methods are described which require O(A) space and O(A) log n) time. In the cycle-tracing method this is a strict improvement even for the dense case.
Wisdom and Life Satisfaction in Old Age

According to previous research findings, objective life conditions such as physical health, socioeconomic status, financial situation, the physical environment, and social involvement cannot fully explain the well-being of older persons. Instead, personality characteristics and developmental influences appear to have a stronger impact. This study combines personality and individual development by introducing the ancient but neglected concept of wisdom as a predictor of life satisfaction. Using a sample of 120 elderly women and men from the 1968/69 Berkeley Guidance Study, structural equation models with latent variables show that wisdom (defined aa a composite of cognitive, reflective, and effective qualities) has a profoundly positive influence on life satisfaction independent of objective circumstances. The inclusion of wisdom as an additional predictor of subjective well-being increases the explanatory power of the model considerably. Gender differences in predictors of life satisfaction are discussed.
Applying perceptual learning to achieve practical changes in vision

Research of visual perceptual learning has illuminated the flexibility of processing in the visual system and provides insights into therapeutic approaches to remediating some components of low vision. A key observation from research of perceptual learning is that effects of training are often highly specific to the attributes of the trained stimuli. This observation has been a blessing to basic research, providing important constraints to models of learning, but is a curse to translational research, which has the goal of creating therapies that generalize widely across visual tasks and stimuli. Here we suggest that the curse of specificity can be overcome by adopting a different experimental framework than is standard in the field. Namely, translational studies should integrate many approaches together and sacrifice mechanistic understanding to gain clinical relevance. To validate this argument, we review research from our lab and others, and also present new data, that together shows how perceptual learning on basic stimuli can lead to improvements on standard vision tests as well as real world vision use such as improved reading and even improved sports performance. Furthermore, we show evidence that this integrative approach to perceptual learning can ameliorate effects of presbyopia and provides promise to improve visual function for individuals suffering from low vision.
Discrete time modeling of mean-reverting stochastic processes for real option valuation

Abstract In this paper the recombining binomial lattice approach for modeling real options and valuing managerial flexibility is generalized to address a common issue in many practical applications, underlying stochastic processes that are mean-reverting. Binomial lattices were first introduced to approximate stochastic processes for valuation of financial options, and they provide a convenient framework for numerical analysis. Unfortunately, the standard approach to constructing binomial lattices can result in invalid probabilities of up and down moves in the lattice when a mean-reverting stochastic process is to be approximated. There have been several alternative methods introduced for modeling mean-reverting processes, including simulation-based approaches and trinomial trees, however they unfortunately complicate the numerical analysis of valuation problems. The approach developed in this paper utilizes a more general binomial approximation methodology from the existing literature to model simple homoskedastic mean-reverting stochastic processes as recombining lattices. This approach is then extended to model dual correlated one-factor mean-reverting processes. These models facilitate the evaluation of options with early-exercise characteristics, as well as multiple concurrent options. The models we develop in this paper are tested by implementing the lattice in binomial decision tree format and applying to a real application by solving for the value of an oil and gas switching option which requires a binomial model of two correlated one-factor commodity price models. For cases where the number of discrete time periods becomes too large to be solved using common decision tree software, we describe how recursive dynamic programming algorithms can be developed to generate solutions.
Diversity Order of MMSE Single-Carrier Frequency Domain Linear Equalization

In this paper we investigate the diversity order of single-carrier frequency domain equalizers (SC-FDE). Specifically, we look at minimum mean square error (MMSE) linear equalizers utilizing block-transmission and cyclic prefix. It is shown that the diversity order in these systems depends on data transmission rate, channel memory length, as well as transmission block length. Analyses reveal that with memory length v and transmission block length L, for the rates Rleslog L/v full diversity of v+1 is achievable. For higher rates the achievable diversity order is degraded and is equal to [2-R L]+1. Therefore MMSE SC-FDE has a diversity that varies between 1 and v+1, and achieves full diversity only for a limited range of data rates.
RNA Testing Now Automated

From the viewpoint of the clinical laboratory, the consolidation of as many assays and types of assays as possible onto a single and existing automated analyzer (platform) is desirable. Such consolidation, which reduces the complexity and overall cost of a laboratory operation, is exemplified by the implementation of nonseparation (homogeneous) immunoassays such as enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT),2 cloned enzyme donor immunoassay (CEDIA), and luminescent oxygen channeling immunoassay (LOCI) onto routine automated clinical chemistry analyzers (1). For relatively complex nucleic acid assays, automation of all or part of the assay has also been accomplished on dedicated analyzers but with relatively limited menus (2). Now there is the prospect of implementing nucleic acid assays on a routine immunoassay analyzer. An article in this issue of Clinical Chemistry addresses the problem of the compatibility of nucleic acid testing with high-throughput clinical laboratory workflows and describes the adaptation of nonamplification microRNA (miRNA) assays to a standard commercial immunoassay analyzer (3). miRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs, 19–25 nucleotides in length, that function as posttranscriptional regulators of up to half of all protein-encoding genes. Their utility as biomarkers derives from their important regulatory roles in most cellular and developmental processes, and from their remarkable stability, even in body fluids such as …
Omega-shaped (Ω) incision design to enhance gingival esthetics for adjacent implant placement in the anterior region.

It is well accepted that achieving an optimal interdental papilla between adjacent implants is esthetically challenging in implant dentistry. In general, there are 2 kinds of interproximal soft tissues that can be present between adjacent implants. One is the true anatomic interdental papilla and the other is a “papilla-like” tissue created by surgical intervention and prosthetic contouring of the tissues. The former is challenging to preserve, and the latter is difficult to create. Multiple techniques have been suggested to create and preserve this volume of interproximal soft tissue between adjacent implants. This article describes another technique to achieve a papilla-like tissue using an omega-shaped (Ω) incision design when implants are placed adjacent to each other in partially edentulous ridges. This incision design is intended to spare an area of soft tissue of approximately 4 mm × 4 mm between the anticipated positions of the adjacent implants. The area of soft tissue that is free from surgical insult later helps in the creation of a papilla-like tissue through interim restorations. Case reports of this technique on long-term partially edentulous ridges are described, with a follow-up period of 3 to 4 years. The technique is relatively simple and does not involve additional surgeries or additional time for healing.
Towards Practical Gradual Typing

Over the past 20 years, programmers have embraced dynamically-typed programming languages. By now, they have also come to realize that programs in these languages lack reliable type information for software engineering purposes. Gradual typing addresses this problem; it empowers programmers to annotate an existing system with sound type information on a piecemeal basis. This paper presents an implementation of a gradual type system for a full-featured class-based language as well as a novel performance evaluation framework for gradual typing.
Linehaul-Backhaul: Solutions with Spacefilling Curves

Since the deregulation of the trucking industry in the U.S. the importance of simultaneously scheduling delivery and pick-up routes has increased.
Methods for fast, reliable growth of Sn whiskers

Abstract We report several methods to reliably grow dense fields of high-aspect ratio tin whiskers for research purposes in a period of days to weeks. The techniques offer marked improvements over previous means to grow whiskers, which have struggled against the highly variable incubation period of tin whiskers and slow growth rate. Control of the film stress is the key to fast-growing whiskers, owing to the fact that whisker incubation and growth are fundamentally a stress-relief phenomenon. The ability to grow high-density fields of whiskers (103–106/cm2) in a reasonable period of time (days, weeks) has accelerated progress in whisker growth and aided in development of whisker mitigation strategies.
Some Results for the Generalized Lototsky Transform

Let A = (ank) and x = {sn} (n,k = 0,1,2, … ) be a matrix and a sequence of complex numbers, respectively. We write formally (1.1) and say that the sequence x is summable A to the sum t or that the A matrix sums the sequence x to the value t if the series in (1.1) converges and exists and equals t. We say that the matrix A is regular provided it sums every convergent sequence to its limit.
Trade and interaction during the era of the Uruk expansion: Recent insights from archaeometric analyses

Abstract The papers in this special issue apply archaeometric methods to one of the perplexing problems of prehistory: the spread of material culture out of Lower Mesopotamia into the surrounding plains and highlands ca. 3500–3100 BCE. Although archaeologists debate the cultural and historical processes underlying this spread, one influential model, Algaze's Uruk Expansion hypothesis, suggests that the widespread appearance of Uruk and Uruk-related material culture represents both movements of people and the extensive exchange of goods throughout greater Mesopotamia and into neighboring regions in Anatolia and Iran. Here we utilize robust methods of provenance determination, including trace-element and isotopic characterization, to examine the possible movement of basic commodities such as pottery, bitumen, and sealed containers among key Uruk and contemporaneous Iranian Proto-Elamite sites. As a group these papers provide significant new data regarding the types of interactions and contacts that did – and did not – take place in the Late Uruk and Proto-Elamite world.
Early Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Thoraco-abdominal Injuries

Objective: To analyze and summarize the experiences of early diagnosis and surgical treatment of thoraco-abdominal injuries. Method The clinical materials of 61 cases of thoraco-abdominal injuries were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Among 61 cases, there were 35 cases with blunt injury and 26 cases with penetrating injury. 58 cases had been found preoperatively. 52 cases were cured and 9 cases died, including 4 cases dead of hypovolemic shock, 3 cases of MOF and 2 cases of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Conclusion: The thoraco-abdominal injuries is a kind of critical illness. Early diagnosis, active perioperative treatment and postoperative complication prevention are the key factors to increase therapeutic effect and lower mortality.
16 TREATMENT OF INCREASED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE WITH ETOMIDATE IN A PEDIATRIC PATIENT.

Introduction Severe increased intracranial pressure (ICP) requires multiple medications to balance ICP control with support of cerebral perfusion. Current therapies frequently decrease systemic blood pressure (SBP), resulting in decreased cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Etomidate is a sedative-hypnotic agent with minimal cardiovascular effects that is known to decrease cerebral edema. Case We present a previously healthy, 30 kg, 9-year-old female who suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident resulting in severe cerebral edema. ICP was measured by an Integra Neurosciences Camino (Plainsboro, NJ). Therapy included head positioning, mechanical ventilation with mild hyperventilation (average arterial pCO 2 = 30 mm Hg), and midazolam, fentanyl or morphine, and vecuronium continuous infusions. Hypertonic (3%) saline boluses and subsequent infusion at 20 cc/hr were administered within the first 24 hours. She had frequent increases in ICP > 20 cm H 2 O (spikes). Spikes were effectively treated with mannitol 12.5 g and boluses of 3% saline. However, midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) and fentanyl boluses (1 μg/kg) were minimally effective and produced decreases in SBP with each dose. On hospital day 3, she required a minimal dose dopamine drip to support SBP. She continued to have frequent spikes, but bolus therapy with 3% saline, midazolam, fentanyl, morphine, and doses of mannitol was no longer effective. Her SBP was negatively affected by propofol and thiopental. In an effort to treat ICP and preserve SBP (and CPP), intermittent etomidate therapy was initiated at 0.07-0.1 mg/kg IV as needed for ICP spikes. Etomidate was immediately effective, reducing ICP and preserving SBP. She received 37 doses of etomidate over 48 hours. Dopamine was discontinued in less than 24 hours of initiation of etomidate. Etomidate can induce adrenal suppression. A cortisol level (μg/dL) prior to etomidate therapy was 21.5. Forty-eight hours later, the cortisol level dropped to 3.3, and hydrocortisone therapy was initiated. Her cortisol level improved in 24 hours to 8. Six months after the accident, this child is cognitively normal and walking with assistance. Conclusion Therapy for patients with severe increased ICP typically involves pressor therapy to maintain CPP while treating cerebral edema with sedative and sedative-like medications. Intermittent etomidate was a very effective treatment of severe increased ICP and had positive effects on systemic blood pressure, allowing pressor therapy to be discontinued. Cortisol levels must be monitored and empiric hydrocortisone therapy considered until more information is known about etomidate and pediatric adrenal suppression in critically ill children.
STATISTICAL INFERENCES BASED ON SAMPLE QUANTILES AND JACKKNIFE

The problem of statistical inferences about functions of population quantiles is considered. The asymptotic distributions of functions of sample quantiles are normal.We propose estima tots of the variances and covariances of the asymptotic distribution by the jackknife method and establish their consistency.The results provide asymptotically valid procedures for statis- tical inferences.
The Birth of Nuclear Physics

The next reading selection, which is divided between the next two chapters of this volume, originally appeared in 1906 in the Philosophical Journal. Herein, Rutherford addresses the question: what is the identity of the newly-discovered α-particle? In order to answer this question, Rutherford first needed to determine the properties of the α-particle—specifically its speed and charge-to-mass ratio. After all, this is how his mentor, J.J. Thomson, characterized the unique properties of the electron a few years earlier. Rutherford was not the first to attempt such measurements on α-particles. What difficulties did previous researchers encounter? And how were Rutherford’s experiments different?
The prudential problem

Nuclear weapons give rise to a prudential problem as they give rise to a moral problem. When nuclear deterrence is assessed in terms of the traditional norms, morality and prudence are thrown into conflict, but when one seeks to go beyond these norms, other conflicts arise. The moral problem is the conflict between different moral approaches, represented by the moral dilemma. The prudential problem is the conflict between two arguments, one that nuclear deterrence is prudentially preferable to conventional deterrence and the other that it is not. But there is an important logical difference between the moral problem and the prudential problem. The moral problem is a conflict between two different assessment approaches, whereas the prudential problem is a conflict within a single assessment approach, that of maximizing the expected value of the consequences in terms of the nation's military security. So there is not the kind of obstacle to the solution to the prudential problem that there is to the solution to the moral problem. The prudential problem is solvable simply by determining whether the better consequences lie with nuclear deterrence or with conventional deterrence. There are practical difficulties in determining this, but no obstacles in principle. The nature of the prudential problem and the beginnings of a solution to it are developed in this chapter. The prudential problem, like the moral problem, can arise when one attempts to avoid the conflict between prudence and morality discussed in Chapter 1. The argument in Chapter 2 was an attempt to avoid the conflict through a broadening of the moral perspective beyond the norms of the just-war tradition.
Herpes Simplex Virus Infections in Preterm Infants

A retrospective review of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections within the first 30 days after birth in infants born at <37 weeks was conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Step Counts on Weekdays, Weekends, and During Physical Education of Navajo High School Students.

Background Understanding the physical activity patterns of youth is important for the implementation and evaluation of programming and interventions designed to change behavior. To date, little is known about the objectively measured physical activity patterns of Native American youth. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the step counts of Navajo youth during weekdays, weekend days, and physical education classes.
Polarized Wavelength-Tunable Narrow Linewidth Emission from a Diode-Pumped Mid-IR Microspherical Laser

We describe wavelength-tunable narrow linewidth (< 50pm) polarized mid-IR (2.7 μm) emission from a diode-pumped microspherical laser made from heavily-doped Er: ZBLAN glass.