cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The interaction of architecture and operating system in the designing of a scalable shared memory multiprocessor

This dissertation describes the implementation and evaluation of operating system design techniques that can be used to achieve scalability and to improve performance in large-scale shared memory multiprocessors with non-uniform memory hierarchies. We describe the implementation of SALSA, an operating system that incorporates these techniques and that executes on a commercially available processor. The contributions of this dissertation include the implementation of a technique that masks memory latency and increases processor utilization via rapid context switching, and a detailed study of the effects of cache organization and caching policy on latency hiding. The dissertation presents the relative performance of several alternatives for context caching on a register window architecture and shows that write-back, set-associative caches provide best latency hiding performance, especially with constructive cache interference. We have demonstrated significant improvements in program performance (120%) with latency hiding when cache miss latency is high, even with low cache miss rates (1-2%). We show that direct-mapped caches are unsuitable when operating system code is highly sensitive to cache misses, as in the case of context switching trap code. We also show that increased processor utilization can significantly increase contention on the underlying network. In architectures with non-uniform memory access behavior, the exploitation of thread and data placement by the operating system is mandatory for improved performance. The organization of the SALSA kernel exploits the underlying memory architecture. We describe a programming model that takes into account the clustering in the system, and provides primitives for hierarchical data placement and hierarchical thread scheduling. We show that proper data placement can double performance in a three-level memory hierarchy such as Willow. SALSA also provides user control over memory allocation for fine-tuning a program's memory requirements, which was shown to improve program performance by up to 20%. Although the techniques described in this dissertation have been evaluated on a hierarchical bus-based architecture similar to Willow, they are applicable to any large-scale multiprocessor characterized by non-uniform memory access behavior and large memory access latency.
Clinical Assessment Strategies: Evaluation of Language Comprehension and Production by Formal Test Batteries

Assessment of language may be conducted to further knowledge about a language disorder and underlying processes, but more commonly, testing is conducted for the patient’s benefit. In a patient-centered approach, the goals for testing include determining the normalcy of the patient’s language, and, if a language impairment exists, determining the cause of the language impairment. A patient- centered approach will also define the patient’s language deficits and ability to communicate in everyday situations. Age, sex, culture, languages spoken, and education have all been shown to affect test performance, and such factors need to be considered in the development of new tests and the collection of normative data.
Longitudinal Analysis of Patient Specific Predictors for Mortality in Sickle Cell Disease.

Introduction White Blood Cell (WBC) count, %HbF, and serum creatinine (Cr), have been identified as markers for increased mortality in sickle cell anemia (SCA) but no studies have examined the significance of longitudinal rate of change in these or other biomarkers for SCA individuals. Methods Clinical, demographic and laboratory data from SCA patients seen in 2002 by our hospital system were obtained. Those who were still followed in 2012 (survival cohort) were compared to those who had died in the interim (mortality cohort). Patients lost to follow-up were excluded. Age adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to assess hazard ratios of mortality risk associated with the direction and degree of change for each variable. Results 359 SCA patients were identified. Baseline higher levels of WBC, serum creatinine and hospital admissions were associated with increased mortality, as were alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransaminase levels. Lower baseline levels of %HbF were also associated with increased mortality. When longitudinal rates of change for individuals were assessed, increases in Hb or WBC over patient baseline values were associated with greater mortality risk (HR 1.54, p = 0.02 and HR 1.16, p = 0.01 with negative predictive values of 87.8 and 94.4 respectively), while increasing ED use was associated with decreased mortality (HR 0.84, p = 0.01). We did not detect any increased mortality risk for longitudinal changes in annual clinic visits or admissions, creatinine or %HbF. Conclusions Although initial steady state observations can help predict survival in SCA, the longitudinal course of a patient may give additional prognostic information.
Visions of Computer Science Education: Unpacking Arguments for and Projected Impacts of CS4All Initiatives

As momentum grows to expand K12 Computer Science (CS) education, associated public narratives often assume core questions about why CS should be taught to all students have been sufficiently answered. Having clarity around the core purposes that varied stakeholders are envisioning is critical to ensuring the coherence of CS4All initiatives. This study presents a framework examining the range of arguments for and projected impacts of CS education programs. Based on data drawn from a researcher- facilitated participatory knowledge building process involving 26 CS education stakeholders who articulated 161 arguments, we identify seven areas of impact present in arguments for universal CS education: (1) economic and workforce development, (2) equity and social justice, (3) competencies and literacies, (4) citizenship and civic life, (5) scientific, technological and social innovation, (6) school improvement and reform and (7) fun, fulfillment and personal agency. Findings show that individual arguments and visions for CS education often reference multiple impact areas. We intend for this framework to support reflection by CS education stakeholders to consider how their current initiatives index different ideologies about what CS4All projects are meant to achieve.
Complications of Ileal Conduit Diversion

In 1950 Bricker described the use of ileum for “bladder substitution” after pelvic exenteration [1], and to date it remains the most common form of urinary reconstruction after radical cystectomy [2] due to its simplicity and ease of construction. Despite six decades of experience and numerous advancements in surgical technique, ileal conduit urinary diversion remains associated with significant medical and surgical complications. In this chapter, we review the management of complications associated with ileal conduit urinary diversion.
CX3CR1 + monocytes modulate learning and learning-dependent dendritic spine remodeling via TNF-α

Impaired learning and cognitive function often occurs during systemic infection or inflammation. Although activation of the innate immune system has been linked to the behavioral and cognitive effects that are associated with infection, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we mimicked viral immune activation with poly(I:C), a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA, and longitudinally imaged postsynaptic dendritic spines of layer V pyramidal neurons in the mouse primary motor cortex using two-photon microscopy. We found that peripheral immune activation caused dendritic spine loss, impairments in learning-dependent dendritic spine formation and deficits in multiple learning tasks in mice. These observed synaptic alterations in the cortex were mediated by peripheral-monocyte-derived cells and did not require microglial function in the central nervous system. Furthermore, activation of CX3CR1highLy6Clow monocytes impaired motor learning and learning-related dendritic spine plasticity through tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-dependent mechanisms. Taken together, our results highlight CX3CR1high monocytes and TNF-α as potential therapeutic targets for preventing infection-induced cognitive dysfunction.
Emission Control Management of Volkswagen FSI Fuel Stratified Injection Engines

Abstract Due to high lean NOx emissions of direct injection gasoline engines, NOx storage reduction catalysts are being implemented to meet european step 4 emission standards. In contrast to japanese applications, high sulphur concentrations in european fuel make means for active desulphation inevitable. Volkswagen has developed a new emission control management system which uses for the fIrst time NOx-sensor signals. The presentation gives a general overview of the Volkswagen emission control strategy of fuel stratified injection engines.
Custom-fit Parenting: How Low- and Well-Accepted Young Adolescents Benefit from Peer-related Parenting.

SYNOPSISObjective. The present study investigated whether longitudinal associations between peer-related parenting behaviors (facilitation of peer interactions, social coaching about peer problems) and peer adjustment were moderated by young adolescents’ peer status. Design. Participants included 123 young adolescents (mean age = 12.03 years; 50% boys; 58.5% European American) at Time 1. At Time 1 (summer before the middle school transition), parents reported on their facilitation of peer interaction opportunities and coaching strategies to a hypothetical peer exclusion situation; teachers reported on youth peer acceptance. At Times 1 and 2 (spring after the middle school transition), youth reported on peer adjustment (friendship quality, loneliness, peer victimization). Results. Peer acceptance (pre-middle school transition) moderated prospective associations between peer-related parenting and peer adjustment, yielding two patterns of associations. Parental facilitation predicted better friendship qualit...
Response-cue interval effects in extended-runs task switching: memory, or monitoring?

This study investigated effects of manipulating the response–cue interval (RCI) in the extended-runs task-switching procedure. In this procedure, a task cue is presented at the start of a run of trials and then withdrawn, such that the task has to be stored in memory to guide performance until the next task cue is presented. The effects of the RCI manipulation were not as predicted by an existing model of memory processes in task switching (Altmann and Gray, Psychol Rev 115:602–639, 2008), suggesting that either the model is incorrect or the RCI manipulation did not have the intended effect. The manipulation did produce a theoretically meaningful pattern, in the form of a main effect on response time that was not accompanied by a similar effect on the error rate. This pattern, which replicated across two experiments, is interpreted here in terms of a process that monitors for the next task cue, with a longer RCI acting as a stronger signal that a cue is about to appear. The results have implications for the human factors of dynamic task environments in which critical events occur unpredictably.
Active stabilization of line-regulating converters with constant power loads

A control design procedure is described for line-regulating converters in dc microgrids and distribution systems with constant power loads. The controller is stabilized using the backpropagation through time algorithm with truncated state trajectories. A method of model discretization based on 4th order Runge-Kutta numerical integration is used to convert the nonlinear converter model into a representation the meets the requirements of the training algorithm. Simulation experiments are performed to demonstrate the controller performance in a variety of ideal and nonideal conditions.
Graphene-based neurotechnologies for advanced neural interfaces

Abstract Understanding how neuron populations transform activities of individual neurons into complex behaviors is one of the biggest challenges of neuroscience research. However, current neural monitoring and controlling technologies provide insufficient spatiotemporal resolution to unravel neural circuit functions. To this end, multifunctional neurotechnologies combining electrical, optical and chemical sensing and stimulation modalities have been proposed to overcome resolution limits. Research in multifunctional probes has fueled the demand for new materials to build minimally invasive chronic interfaces to the brain. Graphene has recently emerged as a neural interface material offering several outstanding properties, such as optical transparency, flexibility, high conductivity, functionalization and biocompatibility. The unique combination of these properties in a single material system makes graphene an attractive choice for multi-modal probing of neural activity. In this review, we discuss recent advances in graphene-based neurotechnologies, highlight different approaches and consider emerging directions inspired by unique characteristics of graphene.
Data warehouse and SSIS

This tutorial will focus on Data Warehouse and Microsoft's SSIS - Business Intelligence Tools. It will use a Data Warehouse Stock Market example to introduce Data Warehouse Design (Facts and Dimension Tables), Extract Transform and Load (ETL) manually, semi-automatic, and automatically using SSIS. Finally, it will demonstrate how the Data Warehouse material is being incorporated in the redesign of a widely used Database Courseware that is freely available at adbc.kennesaw.edu.
Effects of Turmeric and Curcumin Dietary Supplementation on Human Gut Microbiota: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

Background.Curcuma longa (common name: turmeric) and one of its biologically active constituents, curcumin, have received increased clinical attention. Insufficient data exist on the effects of cur...
Auditory Nomenclature: Combining Name Recognition With Anatomical Description.

The inner ear and its two subsystems, the vestibular and the auditory system, exemplify how the identification of distinct cellular or anatomical elements ahead of elucidating their function, leads to a medley of anatomically defined and recognition oriented names that confused generations of students. Past attempts to clarify this unyielding nomenclature had incomplete success, as they could not yet generate an explanatory nomenclature. Building on these past efforts, we propose a somewhat revised nomenclature that keeps most of the past nomenclature as proposed and follows a simple rule: Anatomical and explanatory terms are combined followed, in brackets, by the name of the discoverer (see Table 1). For example, the ‘organ of Corti’ will turn into the spiral auditory organ (of Corti). This revised nomenclature build as much as possible on existing terms that have explanatory value while keeping the recognition of discoverers alive to allow a transition for those used to the eponyms. Once implements, the proposed terminology should help future generations in learning the structure-function correlates of the ear more easily. To facilitate future understanding, leading genetic identifiers for a given structure have been added wherever possible.
AB1485-PARE Reumanifest: joining forces for political urgency

Background In 2012, health insurance provisions for people with RMDs were cut drastically when reimbursement of physical therapy under the Dutch basic health insurance package was scrapped for reasons including lack of scientific evidence, the economic crisis and rising healthcare costs. The effect has been counterproductive. Costs have gone up as more patients use more medication and visit their rheumatologist and other specialists more often. It has also led to patients not getting the care they need. Because the Dutch Arthritis Foundation(DAF) believes that patients with RMDs should have access to the care they need, it launched a lobby to influence key governmental and political stakeholders. Objectives According to the DAF, patients with RMDs need access to the physical therapy they need. Efforts made in this area, such as the introduction of a registration point and impact research to demonstrate the effect of decreased accessibility, remained unsuccessful. We needed to adopt a different approach to instil in the government and political stakeholders a sense of urgency and to raise general awareness of the issue. Methods Parties in the field of RMD have now joined forces by: - consulting patients and care providers in a national survey: “Why is physiotherapy important to you?” - drafting a Reumanifest in which patients, doctors and researchers lobby for reinstatement of physiotherapy in the basic medical insurance package. - having the Reumanifest signed by patients, caregivers, professional organisations, professors, and other patient organisations (more than 25 000 responses). Results The Reumanifest was presented to political parties as a petition, and appeared in newspapers as an advertisement. This led to critical questions being asked to the Dutch Minister of Health, and put the issue and its urgency firmly back on the political agenda. With renewed political pressure on the issue, we expect that this will eventually lead to a solution for people with RMDs who need physiotherapy, but who now have to pay for this privately. The campaign has increased awareness among the cabinet and other political stakeholders. Conclusions By joining forces, you can make your voice heard in politics, as support from various perspectives lends credibility and relevance to the urgency. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Exposure to Flame Retardants via Dust

Background: PBDEs and their replacements are semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) added to consumer products as flame retardants (FRs). They are widely found in indoor dust and in human biomonit...
Evaluation of Tall Fescue Cultivars

Stand frequency in spring 2014 was higher for ‘AU Triumph’ than for ‘AGRFA-111’ and ‘BarOptima Plus E34.’ Spring 2014 yield was higher for ‘Jesup MaxQ’ and ‘Texoma MaxQ II’ than for 10 of the 17 other entries. Fall production was greater for ‘AGRFA111’ and ‘Bar FA80 DH’ than for 13 other entries. Total 2014 production was higher for ‘Texoma MaxQ II’ than for five other cultivars. Total 4-year forage production was greater for ‘Texoma MaxQ II’ and ‘Martin 2 647’ than for the seven below-average entries. ‘Bariane’ and ‘AGRFA-179’ were lower than for six of the highest-yielding entries.
The Case of the Missing Post-Racial Election

In 2004 Sen. Barack Obama captured the nation’s attention. He called for an end to the politics of racial division: “There’s not a Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.” As Election Day nears and political differences are magnified, it is important to remind Americans, Democrat and Republican, of those unifying sentiments.Soon Americans will determine who will serve as the next president. In the last election, a majority voted for Obama, making him the first minority Commander in Chief. Obama’s historic victory caused many to wonder if America had entered a post-racial period where color would be irrelevant. Recent events suggest that America remains far from that imagined utopia.
Effect of Feedback on Users’ Immediate Emotions: Analysis of Facial Expressions during a Simulated Target Detection Task

Safety-critical systems (e.g., UAV systems) often incorporate warning modules that alert users regarding imminent hazards (e.g., system failures). However, these warning systems are often not perfect, and trigger false alarms, which can lead to negative emotions and affect subsequent system usage. Although various feedback mechanisms have been studied in the past to counter the possible negative effects of system errors, the effect of such feedback mechanisms and system errors on users’ immediate emotions and task performance is not clear. To investigate the influence of affective feedback on participants’ immediate emotions, we designed a 2 (warning reliability: high/low) × 2 (feedback: present/absent) between-group study where participants interacted with a simulated UAV system to identify and neutralize enemy vehicles under time constraint. Task performance along with participants’ facial expressions were analyzed. Results indicated that giving feedback decreased fear emotions during the task whereas warning increased frustration for high reliability groups compared to low reliability groups. Finally, feedback was found not to affect task performance.
Hematite fault rock thermochronometry and textures inform fault zone processes

Abstract Minerals on fault surfaces record fluid-rock interaction, strain, and/or heat during fault slip. Fault-hosted hematite is amenable to (U–Th)/He (He) thermochronometry. Hematite He dates reflect fault-related processes or exhumation, depending on hematite growth above or below the grain-size controlled closure temperature and processes that promote open system behavior. Deconvolving these phenomena requires multi-scale hematite textural characterization and constraints on the ambient thermal history from conventional thermochronometry. Two examples of this approach include investigations of hematite-coated fault surfaces from exhumed damage zones in the seismically active Wasatch fault zone (WFZ), UT, and Painted Canyon fault (PCF) paralleling the southern San Andreas fault, Mecca Hills, CA. WFZ fault mirrors preserve sub-μm-scale polygonal grain textures and hematite He data patterns that, together with host-rock apatite He data, are consistent with localized friction-generated heat, hematite He loss, and hematite recrystallization during damage zone seismicity
8.4 M Deep Space Habitat– Medical Bay Concept Design and Human Factors Engineering Analysis

Maintaining crew health throughout long duration deep space missions presents significant new design challenges. Since communication with Earth will be limited and it is not possible to return in the event of a medical emergency it is critical that medical care on a deep space mission be as autonomous as possible. The goal of this project was to design and assess a medical system concept for the Deep Space Habitat Concept Demonstrator derived from the core stage of the Space Launch System. The Medical Bay was designed as a primary location to support the medical care of 4 crew members on a 1000 day mission. It includes workspace, stowage, and direct access to all necessary medical equipment and supplies. A Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Analysis was conducted to test ergonomic effectiveness and system requirement compliance. This initial design will continue to be used by the HFE Team and the Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC) for further demonstration, analysis, and design conception for deep space travel.
Timing of Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis by Maternal Obesity Status: Impact on Gestational Weight Gain in a Diverse Population.

Background: We hypothesized that earlier gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis and treatment of high-risk women would reduce gestational weight gain (GWG) in the first trimester and overall...
In Vitro Susceptibility Testing of Omadacycline against Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.

Infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasing globally. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus complex are the most frequently encountered NTM, and oral treatment options are extremely limited for these pathogens, especially for the M. abscessus complex. In this study, the in vitro potency of omadacycline, a new tetracycline derivative, was tested against 111 isolates of NTM. MIC testing was performed as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute against 70 isolates of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), of which >90% were tetracycline resistant. These included M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (20 isolates), M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (3), Mycobacterium chelonae (15 isolates), Mycobacterium immunogenum (7 isolates), the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, including six doxycycline-resistant isolates (12 isolates), and the Mycobacterium mucogenicum group, including four doxycycline-resistant isolates (10 isolates). Forty-one isolates of slowly growing mycobacteria (SGM), including 16 isolates of MAC, were also tested. Omadacycline was active against all RGM species, with MIC50 ranges of 0.004 to 0.25 and 0.06 to 1 μg/ml for 80% and 100% inhibition, respectively. For M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, MIC50s were 0.06 and 0.12 μg/ml with 80% and 100% inhibition, respectively. There was considerable trailing of the omadacycline endpoint with the RGM. MICs of tigecycline exhibited no trailing and were generally within 1 to 2 dilutions of the 100% inhibition omadacycline MICs. While there was no trailing observed in SGM, omadacycline MICs were higher (MIC range, 8 to >16 μg/ml; n = 41), as previously noted with tigecycline. This study supports further research of omadacycline, including clinical trials, for the treatment of RGM infections, especially M. abscessus.
"Happy, Healthy, and Smart": Student Responses to the Walking Classroom Education Program Aimed to Enhance Physical Activity.

Background Over 1 in 3 children in US schools is overweight or obese; thus, most teachers believe physical education and activity are necessary K-12 components. One potential avenue to infuse physical activity (PA) in educational settings is integrating in classrooms based on learning objectives and academic outcomes. In this study, we examined student emotion through the use of the Walking Classroom (WC) learning platform. Methods Students from 9 fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms (N = 100) in 1 North Carolina county participated in 10 separate focus groups related to their engagement in an active education program. Discussions centered on how engaging in a short bout of PA during a WC podcast impacted students' overall educational experience. Data analysis included open in vivo manual coding methods resulting in major themes and visual word-clouds. Results Students reported feeling happy, healthy, educated, smart, and excited while walking and learning. Afterwards, students discussed feeling strong, relaxed, energized, happy, and alert. On days students were not able to do a walk, they reported feeling mad, bored, sad, sleepy, and tired. Conclusion Offering active learning appears to result in students feeling happier, healthier, and smarter.
Health Care in F Minor

If health care was a piano, acute care hospitals and their 14,400 different codes under the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth edition (“ICD-10”) practice C major scales on a regular basis. Psychiatric acute care hospitals and their few hundred codes set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (“DSM-V”) offer treatment that sounds like F minor, unless it includes the ten separate sub-classes of substance-related disorders, which may resemble the scale of D minor with its solitary flat note. Juxtapose ICD-10 and DSM-V even slightly and the result is dissonance, as health care rarely combines with grace matters of the mind and body. Life, however, does not exist in separated silos, so when the boundaries of treatment remain incompatible, patients suffer.
Parting Thoughts I

A new editorial team, a new tradition. With each issue, we wish to invoke thoughts and discussion with the use of an image. What are the meanings that are embedded in the image? What meanings could...
A study of Chicago O'Hare's March 2005 restrictions using an MIT analysis tool

In order to efficiently maximize airspace usage, one element that deserves observation is miles-in-trail (MIT) restrictions. MITs are issued by any facility that needs to constrain traffic flow into a region of airspace - such as a fix, sector or specific route - that is expected to have future demand exceeding its capacity. Typically, a facility will either issue an MIT restriction for flights internal to it, or will pass the restriction to other adjacent facilities that feed traffic to that restricted region. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) has developed an MIT analysis tool that will aid in the process of understanding how MITs are applied. This paper provides a description of the MIT analysis tool and provides a limited analysis of MIT restrictions affecting Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) over a one-month period. The application of the tool's results is supplemented with information about the background, purpose, usage, and limitations of the tool.
Review: Collaborative Information Literacy Assessments: Strategies for Evaluating Teaching and Learning

Mackey, Thomas P., and Trudi E. Jacobson, eds. Collaborative Information Literacy Assessments: Strategies for Evaluating Teaching and Learning . New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. 242 pgs. + Ill. ISBN: 9781555706937. Softcover $90.00
Self-adaptation in a middleware for processing data streams

Many stream-based applications share a common set of characteristics, which makes grid-based and adaptive processing desirable or even a necessity. We view the problem of flexible and adaptive processing of distributed data streams as a grid computing problem. We have been developing a middleware for processing of distributed data streams. Our system is referred to as GATES (grid-based adaptive execution on streams). It is designed to use the existing grid standards and tools to the extent possible. Because of the real-time requirements, there is a need for adapting the processing in such a distributed environment, and achieving the best accuracy of the results within the real-time constraint. For this purpose, our system flexibly achieves the best accuracy that is possible while maintaining the real-time constraint on the analysis. We have developed and implemented a self-adaptation algorithm. This paper focuses on describing and evaluating this algorithm.
In situ histochemical localization of type I interleukin-1 receptor messenger RNA in the central nervous system, pituitary, and adrenal gland of the mouse

The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) has a number of biologic activities, including pronounced effects on the nervous and neuroendocrine systems. In this study, in situ histochemical techniques were used to investigate the distribution of cells expressing type I IL-1 receptor mRNA in the CNS, pituitary, and adrenal gland of the mouse. Hybridization of 35S-labeled antisense cRNA probes derived from a murine T-cell IL-1 receptor cDNA revealed a distinct regional distribution of the type I IL-1 receptor, both in brain and in the pituitary gland. In the brain, an intense signal was observed over the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, over the entire midline raphe system, over the choroid plexus, and over endothelial cells of postcapillary venules throughout the neuraxis. A weak to moderate signal was observed over the pyramidal cell layer of the hilus and CA3 region of the hippocampus, over the anterodorsal thalamic nucleus, over Purkinje cells of the cerebellar cortex, and in scattered clusters over the external-most layer of the median eminence. In the pituitary gland, a dense and homogeneously distributed signal was observed over the entire anterior lobe. No autoradiographic signal above background was observed over the posterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary, or over the adrenal gland. This study therefore provides evidence for discrete receptor substrates subserving the central effects of IL-1, thus supporting the notion that IL-1 acts as a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in brain. It also supports studies suggesting that IL-1-mediated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis occurs primarily at the level of the brain and/or pituitary gland.
A Phase-Sensitive Technique for the Thermal Characterization of Dielectric Thin Films

A phase-sensitive measurement technique for determining two independent thermal properties of a thin dielectric film is presented. The technique involves measuring a specimen's front surface temperature response to a periodic heating signal over a range of frequencies. The phase shift of the temperature response is fit to an analytical model using thermal diffusivity and effusivity as fitting parameters, from which the thermal conductivity and specific heat can be calculated. The method has been applied to 1.72-μm thick films of SiO 2 thermally grown on a silicon substrate. Thermal properties were obtained through a temperature range from 25°C to 300°C. One interesting outcome stemming from analysis of the experimental data is the ability to extract both thermal conductivity and specific heat of thin film from phase information alone. The properties obtained with this method are slightly below the bulk values for fused silica with a measured room temperature (25°C) thermal conductivity of 1.28 ± 0.12 W/m-K.
Suppressing Dendritic Growth during Alkaline Zinc Electrodeposition using Polyethylenimine Additive

Abstract Dendritic morphology evolution during zinc electrodeposition is a major roadblock in the development of rechargeable zinc anodes in alkaline zinc batteries. In the present work, we report the use of branched polyethylenimine (PEI, M.W. = 800 g/mol) as an effective electrolyte additive for suppressing dendrite formation during zinc electrodeposition from typical alkaline electrolytes used in secondary zinc batteries. Dendrite suppression is characterized as a function of the PEI concentration via ‘live’ observation of the dendrite propagation using an in-situ optical microscopy setup. Steady-state and transient electrochemical polarization measurements on a rotating disk electrode, combined with electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry and ex-situ scanning electron microscopy, reveal the mechanism by which PEI suppresses dendrites, i.e. , PEI adsorption on the zinc surface leading to suppression of the zinc electrodeposition kinetics. Our work presents a comprehensive characterization of the role of polymeric additives, such as PEI, in suppressing dendritic growth during alkaline zinc electrodeposition.
Identification of Northeastern Pacific Rockfish Using Multilocus Nuclear DNA Genotypes

Abstract Molecular genetic analysis has long been used to identify species or populations that otherwise may be difficult to distinguish. More than 100 species of rockfish (genus Sebastes) occur worldwide, and more than 50 species may be found in relatively small regions, such as the Monterey Bay or Channel Islands in central and southern California. Many species are morphologically similar, particularly during the early larval stages, and identification to the species level is time-consuming and problematic for some groups. We describe a simple genetic method for the rapid identification of rockfish species by means of multilocus nuclear genotypes from a panel of six microsatellite loci. Application to a set of known rockfish tissue samples, including fish collected in different parts of their geographic ranges and species not represented in the reference data set, resulted in high assignment accuracy for the represented species and exclusion of the nonrepresented species. Members of the subgenus Pteropo...
Graft copolymers of cellulose and vinylic ketones. I. Preparation of poly(methyl vinyl ketone)--cotton cellulose copolymers

The graft copolymerization reaction of methyl vinyl ketone from several solvents with fibrous cotton cellulose, preirradiated to a dosage of 5.2 × 1019 eV/g with γ-radiation from 60Co, was investigated. Solvents included water, methanol, N,N-dimethyl formamide, and several combinations of these solvents. From water a maximum yield of copolymer product was obtained after 2 hr at 25°C. The addition of methanol to aqueous solutions of methyl vinyl ketone, in all concentrations, inhibited the graft copolymerization reaction. The addition of a small amount of N,N-dimethylformamide to aqueous solutions of the monomer increased the rate of the copolymerization reaction; however, the addition of large amounts of N,N-dimethylformamide to these solutions also inhibited the reaction. From solutions of methanol or N,N-dimethylformamide and monomer, little or no copolymerization of monomer with irradiated cellulose occurred. The copolymer products exhibited a strong infrared absorption band at 5.85 μ which is characteristic of the CO group of the grafted poly(methyl vinyl ketone). Fibrous copolymer yarns exhibited increased yarn number and decreased breaking strength and average stiffness, as compared with unmodified cotton yarns.
Does education have a role in developing leadership skills

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide a pragmatic example of multi‐stage leadership education model. Leadership education that is multidisciplinary, global, and ethics oriented is a remedy for many of the leadership challenges we are currently facing in the business world.Design/methodology/approach – This article discusses whether we can teach leadership, and if so, what essential skills should be taught in business schools. It also examines the shortcomings of current leadership education curriculum and recommends some major changes that need to be made. This article provides a descriptive overview and historical examination of these issues and techniques.Findings – A major finding can be drawn from this paper is that the present leadership education curriculum in business schools is not adequate in many regards and more work needs to be done.Research limitations/implications – Business schools need to focus on revitalizing the leadership education curriculum to come up with a program that...
Ultrasound of a torsed ovary: characteristic gray-scale appearance despite normal arterial and venous flow on Doppler

Background. We present the case of an 8-year-old girl with acute onset of intermittent lower abdominal pain. The gray-scale US examination showed an enlarged right ovary with peripheral cysts, reflecting ovarian congestion and strongly suggesting the diagnosis of torsion. Normal arterial and venous flow, however, was found on Doppler US.
Quantification of tremor with a digitizing tablet

Handwriting and drawing are commonly employed in the clinical assessment of tremor. These tasks have been quantified heretofore by subjective rating schemes, which are incapable of providing precise measures of the amplitude and frequency of tremor. A commercially-available digitizing tablet and personal computer can be interfaced so as to reliably record any pathologic tremor that is induced by writing or drawing. Numerical differentiation and spectral analysis can be used to conveniently quantify the amplitude and frequency of tremor. However, digitizing tablets lack sufficient sensitivity to measure physiologic tremor.
On the range of non-vanishing p-torsion cohomology for GLn(Fp)

Abstract The range of non-vanishing of H ∗ (GL n ( F p ), F p ) is not know in general. In this paper we construct a cohomology class in H ∗ (GL n ( F p ), F p ) of very low degree, namely 2 p −2, and we prove that it is nonzero if p ⩾ n .
Spectroscopy of CdTe/MnTe single quantum wells: A strained-layer II-VI heterostructure with strong electronic confinement

La structure de ces puits quantiques se revele presque pseudomorphique et presente un confinement electron-trou important. Pour des couches minces, on obtient une photoluminescence basse temperature efficace jusqu'aux energies des photons jaune-vert. Mesure du couplage excitons-phonons optiques longitudinaux
Common industry format for usability test reports

In October of 1997, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated an effort to increase the visibility of software usability. Participants from major software suppliers and customer organizations attended the first three workshops of the Industry USability Reporting (IUSR) project. They set the goals of the initiative:• Encourage software supplier and customer organizations to communicate more effectively about user needs and tasks,• Develop a common reporting format for sharing usability data with customer organizations, and• Conduct a Pilot Study to determine how well the usability reporting format works and to determine the value of using this format in software procurement.These consensus-building meetings identified the requirements for the common format and resulted in the Common Industry Format (CIF) for Usability Test Reports. The CIF is intended to promote incorporation of usability as part of the procurement decision-making process for interactive products.Usability professionals within supplier organizations can use the CIF to generate reports, and customer organizations can use the reports as a basis for corporate decision-making. The report itself is intended for two types of readers: (1) human factors or other usability professionals in customer organizations who are evaluating both the technical merit of usability tests and the usability of products, and (2) other technical professionals and managers who are using the test results to make business decisions. The first draft of the CIF, developed through this consensus of the IUSR industry participants, is now ready. Trial use of the CIF report format is being encouraged via the IUSR Pilot Study. The CIF, as well as details of the IUSR project and the Pilot Study, can be found at http:/www.nist.gov/iusr
DISTRIBUTION OF DT-DIAPHORASE AND REDUCED NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHATE:CYTOCHROME P450 OXIDOREDUCTASE IN BLADDER TISSUES AND TUMORS

Purpose: We previously showed that mitomycin C activity in human bladder tumors is inversely related to tumor stage and muscle invasive tumors are less sensitive than superficial tumors. Because DT-diaphorase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R) have a role in mitomycin C bioactivation, we investigated the distribution of these enzymes as a function of depth in the bladder wall and in human bladder tumors located at different parts of the bladder.Materials and Methods: Gene expression of DT-diaphorase and P450R relative to the expression of β-actin was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 4 dog and 8 human bladder tissue specimens, and in 46 human bladder tumors. DT-diaphorase activity was measured by enzymatic assay in dog and human bladders.Results: Data showed decreasing expression of DT-diaphorase and P450R from urothelium to muscle layer in the normal bladder wall with higher interindividual variation in humans than i...
On the performance evaluation of 3D reconstruction techniques from a sequence of images

The performance evaluation of 3D reconstruction techniques is not a simple problem to solve. This is not only due to the increased dimensionality of the problem but also due to the lack of standardized and widely accepted testing methodologies. This paper presents a unified framework for the performance evaluation of different 3D reconstruction techniques. This framework includes a general problem formalization, different measuring criteria, and a classification method as a first step in standardizing the evaluation process. Performance characterization of two standard 3D reconstruction techniques, stereo and space carving, is also presented. The evaluation is performed on the same data set using an image reprojection testing methodology to reduce the dimensionality of the evaluation domain. Also, different measuring strategies are presented and applied to the stereo and space carving techniques. These measuring strategies have shown consistent results in quantifying the performance of these techniques. Additional experiments are performed on the space carving technique to study the effect of the number of input images and the camera pose on its performance.
Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Response and Normal Tissue Regeneration After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy to Liver Metastases

Purpose To characterize changes in standardized uptake value (SUV) in positron emission tomography (PET) scans and determine the pace of normal tissue regeneration after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for solid tumor liver metastases. Methods and Materials We reviewed records of patients with liver metastases treated with SBRT to ≥40 Gy in 3-5 fractions. Evaluable patients had pretreatment PET and ≥1 post-treatment PET. Each PET/CT scan was fused to the planning computed tomography (CT) scan. The maximum SUV (SUV max ) for each lesion and the total liver volume were measured on each PET/CT scan. Maximum SUV levels before and after SBRT were recorded. Results Twenty-seven patients with 35 treated liver lesions were studied. The median follow-up was 15.7 months (range, 1.5-38.4 mo), with 5 PET scans per patient (range, 2-14). Exponential decay curve fitting ( r =0.97) showed that SUV max declined to a plateau of 3.1 for controlled lesions at 5 months after SBRT. The estimated SUV max decay half-time was 2.0 months. The SUV max in controlled lesions fluctuated up to 4.2 during follow-up and later declined; this level is close to 2 standard deviations above the mean normal liver SUV max (4.01). A failure cutoff of SUV max ≥6 is twice the calculated plateau SUV max of controlled lesions. Parenchymal liver volume decreased by 20% at 3-6 months and regenerated to a new baseline level approximately 10% below the pretreatment level at 12 months. Conclusions Maximum SUV decreases over the first months after SBRT to plateau at 3.1, similar to the median SUV max of normal livers. Transient moderate increases in SUV max may be observed after SBRT. We propose a cutoff SUV max ≥6, twice the baseline normal liver SUV max , to score local failure by PET criteria. Post-SBRT values between 4 and 6 would be suspicious for local tumor persistence or recurrence. The volume of normal liver reached nadir 3-6 months after SBRT and regenerated within the next 6 months.
Look-Alike Medications: A Formula for Possible Morbidity and Mortality in the Long-Term Care Facility

Medication errors remain an important cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Although all medications have the potential to induce unwanted adverse effects, data on the actual incidence and overall severity of preventable adverse drug reactions remains unknown. An Institute of Medicine report (Institute of Medicine. Preventing medication errors: Quality chasm series. Washington DC, National Academies Press. 2007-06-15) estimated that 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur annually in the US and that from 44,000 to 98,000 individuals die in hospitals annually from preventable medication errors. The types of medication errors of clinical relevance leading to moderate to severe outcomes are unfortunately numerous. Such errors would include wrong drug, wrong dose / wrong dose interval and represent the more serious form of a medication error. Institutionalized patients and those patients cared for in long-term care facilities appear to be at heightened risk for a medication error. These patients often receive multiple medications and suffer from variable degrees of cognitive impairment which complicates or negates patient-caregiver communication, one of the most important means to prevent medication errors. Moreover, the increasing financial constraints placed upon treatment facilities encourage the use of generic, rather than name brand medications by their pharmacy provider. While the use of bioequivalent generic medications is completely appropriate and can be very cost-effective, generic drug manufacturers are less often manufacturing their generic medications to look like the name brand drug. Rather, more and more generic medications are plain appearing with no resemblance whatsoever to the name brand product. This difference in drug appearance between the generic and the brand name product as well as differences in drug appearance between different generic drug manufacturers for the same medication represents another, important means by which patients may experience moderate to serious consequences from a medication error. We report such an experience where a patient in a long-term care facility received multi-day, excessive dosing of glipizide rather than her anti-spasticity medication, baclofen.