cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CMOS-Compatible Fabrication, Micromachining, and Bonding Strategies for Silicon Photonics

The adoption of optical technologies by high-volume consumer markets is severely limited by the cost and complexity of manufacturing complete optical transceiver systems. This is in large part because "boutique" semiconductor fabrication processes are required for III-V lasers, modulators, and photodetectors; furthermore, precision bonding and painstaking assembly are needed to integrate or assemble such dissimilar devices and materials together. On the other hand, 200mm and 300mm silicon process technology has been bringing ever-increasing computing power to the masses by relentless cost reduction for several decades. Intel's silicon photonics program aims to marry this CMOS infrastructure and recent developments in MEMS manufacturing with the burgeoning field of microphotonics to make low cost, high-speed optical links ubiquitous. In this paper, we will provide an overview of several aspects of silicon photonics technology development in a CMOS fabrication line. First, we will describe fabrication strategies from the MEMS industry for micromachining silicon to create passive optical devices such as mirrors, waveguides, and facets, as well as alignment features. Second, we will discuss some of the challenges of fabricating hybrid III-V lasers on silicon, including such aspects as hybrid integration of InP-based materials with silicon using various bonding methods, etching of InP films, and contact formation using CMOS-compatible metals.
PINK1- and Parkin-mediated mitophagy at a glance

PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and Parkin are mutated in many cases of early-onset familial Parkinson's disease (PD), but how these proteins are related to the pathogenesis of PD was unclear. Recently, work in cultured cells has shown that Parkin can mediate autophagy of damaged mitochondria (termed
Execution phase (C/D) spectral band characteristics of the EOS moderate resolution imaging spectrometer-Nadir (MODIS-N) facility instrument

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (Modis) observing facility on the Earth Observing System (EOS) is composed of two instruments: Modis-Nadir (N) and Modis-Tilt (T). Modis-N has 36 spectral bands between 0.4 and 14.2 microns, with spatial resolution between 250 and 1000 meters. Modis-T has 32 bands with 10-15 nm bandwidths between 0.4 and 0.9 microns. Modis-T scans fore and aft +/- 50 degrees. Both instruments scan cross-track so as to provide daily (Modis-N) or once every two days (Modis-T) coverage at 705-km altitude. Both instruments are entering into the execution phases of their development in 1990. The bands of the Modis-N hve been chosen so as to provide key observations of land, ocean, and atmosphere parameters that will provide key data sets assisting in gaining an improved understanding of global processes.
Fetal bradycardia and uterine hyperactivity following subarachnoid administration of fentanyl during labor

Background and Objectives Changes in uterine tone have been postulated as the cause of fetal bradycardia following subarachnoid administration of fentanyl for labor analgesia. Such a case occurred in a 20-year-old parturient with an intrauterine pressure catheter in place. Methods The patient was given intravenous terbutaline, after which contractions ceased for 20-30 minutes and then resumed. Results The patient underwent successful cesarean delivery. Retrospective analysis of the data revealed a significant increase in uterine tone and contractions following fentanyl administration. Conclusions This case supports the view that changes in uterine tone, producing a hyperdynamic contractile state and a resulting decrease in utero-placental perfusion, may explain the fetal bradycardia following subarachnoid opioid administration. Cases that do not resolve spontaneously may respond to intra-venous terbutaline.
Nonsense Syllables in Associative Recognition Tasks: Implications for Global Memory Models

Recent research into global memory models has focused on gaining empirical support for the predictions these models make. Clark and his colleagues produced no conditions in which a test item and a distractor shared a common component within a number of experiments using an associative recognition task and have reasoned that recall might play a role in the task. This experiment used nonsense syllables to reduce further the role of recall in the associative recognition task and produce the predicted advantage from overlap. The manipulations produced equal performance between test conditions (overlapping vs nonoverlapping) and superior performance on a long list versus a short list, i.e., a negative list-length effect. The implications of these findings for various global memory models are discussed.
Physician vs patient initiation of psychotropic prescribing in primary care settings: A content analysis of audiotapes

The primary goals of this study were to examine: (1) whether patients were involved actively in initiating the prescribing of psychotropic medications during interactions with their primary care physicians and (2) what variables influenced patient vs physician initiation of psychotropic prescribing. An analysis of 508 audiotapes of physician-patient interactions and interviews with each patient and physician from 11 different ambulatory care settings was conducted. Of 508 patients, 17% (n = 88) received prescriptions for one or more psychotropic medications. Forty-seven percent of repeat psychotropic prescriptions and 20% of new psychotropic prescriptions were initiated by patients. Logistic regression techniques showed that patients with higher incomes were more likely than their physicians to initiate psychotropic prescribing, whereas physicians were more likely to initiate psychotropic prescribing with lower income patients (P < 0.001). Patients who had more previous visits to their physician were as likely as their physicians to initiate psychotropic prescribing, whereas physicians were more likely to initiate psychotropic prescribing with patients who had been to see them fewer times in the past (P < 0.05).
The Coverage of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in Criminal Justice and Criminology Introductory Textbooks

This paper examines the coverage of American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) in the most widely read introductory criminal justice and criminology books published between 2004 and 2010. The current research extends upon Young’s (J Crim Justice Educ 1:111–116, 1990) assessment of AI/ANs in criminal justice and criminology introductory textbooks, where he found no mention of AI/ANs. The replication of Young (J Crim Justice Educ 1:111–116, 1990) is especially important because AI/ANs continue to face a wide array of social issues (i.e. substance abuse and poverty), which leads to an overrepresentation of AI/ANs in the criminal justice system. To accomplish this, a content analysis was conducted on thirty-one introductory criminal justice and criminology textbooks to determine whether AI/ANs have received more academic coverage in current textbooks. The findings reveal that introductory criminal justice and criminology textbooks still under represent AI/ANs despite experiencing crime, victimization, and justice related problems.
Thermal-Assisted Spin Transfer Torque Memory (STT-RAM) Cell Design Exploration

Thermal-assisted spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) has been considered as a promising candidate of next-generation nonvolatile memory technology. We conducted finite element simulation on thermal dynamics in the programming process of thermal-assisted STT-RAM. Special attentions have been paid to the scalability and design space of the thermal-assist programming scheme by varying the memory element dimension and resistance-area product. We also provide systematic analysis and comparison between the thermal-assisted STT-RAM and standard STT-RAM. Discussions on the writeability and scalability of thermal-assisted STT-RAM are also conducted.
Complexes of polypyrazolylborate ligands. VII. X-ray crystal structure of a complex containing both a unidentate pyrazole ligand and a bidentate pyrazolylborate ligand: (Diethylbispyrazolylborato) (pyrazylato)(trihaptoally)(dicarbonyl)molybdenum ☆ ☆☆

Abstract The crystal structure (diethylbispyrazolylborato) (pyrazylato)(trihaptoally)(dicarbonyl)molybdenum, [Et2B(pz)2] (η3-C3H5)(Hpz)(CO)2Mo, crystallizes in the space group P21/n. Unit cell dimensions area = 8.144(2), b = 13.833(3), c = 18.792(3) A, β = 93.49(2)°; the density (by flotation) = 1.46 g cm−3; calculated (for Z = 4)1.459 g cm−3. The intensities of 2948 independent reflections were collected with Mo Kα radiation on a Syntex P 1 diffractometer. The structure was solved by the usual Patterson and Fourier methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares methods to final unweighted and weighted residuals of 0.027 and 0.037, respectively. The coordination geometries of the molybdenum and the boron atoms are distorted octahedral and tetrahedral, respectively The N-N distances are 1.367(4) A for the pyrazolylborate and 1.348(4) A in the pyrazole, with the Mo-N distances being 2.238(3) A and 2.237(3) A. The non-bonded distance between the Mo and boron is 3.806(4) A, approximately 1.0 A longer than the respective distances in the [H2B(Me2pz)2] (η3-C7H7(CO)2Mo and [H2B(Me2pz)2] (η3-C3H5(CO)2Mo molecules.
A first-principles study of H2O adsorption and dissociation on the SrTiO3(100) surface

We use density functional theory (DFT) to examine the adsorption of H2O on the SrO- and TiO2-terminated SrTiO3(100) surface. At coverages of 0.5 monolayer (ML), we find that water preferentially binds associatively on the TiO2 termination by 0.2 eV/H2O and negligible differences in energy between associated and dissociated H2O on the SrO termination. These results are in agreement with an earlier hybrid Hartree–Fock-DFT study and the general conclusions from several experimental studies. But at coverages below 3/8 ML, our DFT calculations predict a crossover to preference for dissociative H2O on the TiO2 termination. On the SrO termination, the use of larger surface supercells (2 × 2) allows for the stabilisation of mixed adsorption configuration at 1/2 ML and subsequent decrease in coverage results in dissociative water configurations. We explored dimer configurations of molecular H2O and HO–H2O complexes at 1/4 ML coverage but these configurations are less stable than the isolated dissociated state. The...
Optoelectronic properties of hexagonal boron nitride epilayers

This paper summarizes recent progress primarily achieved in authors’ laboratory on synthesizing hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) epilayers by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) and studies of their structural and optoelectronic properties. The structural and optical properties of hBN epilayers have been characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) studies and compared to the better understood wurtzite AlN epilayers with a comparable energy bandgap. These MOCVD grown hBN epilayers exhibit highly efficient band-edge PL emission lines centered at around 5.5 eV at room temperature. The band-edge emission of hBN is two orders of magnitude higher than that of high quality AlN epilayers. Polarization-resolved PL spectroscopy revealed that hBN epilayers are predominantly a surface emission material, in which the band-edge emission with electric field perpendicular to the c-axis (Eemi⊥c) is about 1.7 times stronger than the component along the c-axis (Eemi//c). This is in contrast to AlN, in which the bandedge emission is known to be polarized along the c-axis, (Eemi//c). Based on the graphene optical absorption concept, the estimated band-edge absorption coefficient of hBN is about 7x10 5 cm -1 , which is more than 3 times higher than the value for AlN (∼2x10 5 cm -1 ). The hBN epilayer based photodetectors exhibit a sharp cut-off wavelength around 230 nm, which coincides with the band-edge PL emission peak and virtually no responses in the long wavelengths. The dielectric strength of hBN epilayers exceeds that of AlN and is greater than 4.5 MV/cm based on the measured result for an hBN epilayer released from the host sapphire substrate.
OF TIME AND POWER: LEADERSHIP DURATION IN THE MODERN WORLD

Henry Bienen and Nicolas van de Walle, Of Time and Power. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1991.
Noncoherent continuous phase frequency-shift keying with trellis-coded modulation

In this paper, we examine the design of a continuous phase frequency-shift keying (CPFSK) system with trellis-coded modulation (TCM) when the detection is noncoherent. A multi-symbol correlation method is used to provide improved branch metrics for the Viterbi decoder. A suboptimal detector structure is then created that provides essentially identical results with a decrease in complexity. Simulation results show that for adequate signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the noncoherent CPFSK-TCM system can out-perform a non-coded, noncoherent CPFSK system at the same bit rate and bandwidth. Work to design optimal codes is continuing.
Getting Counted: Markets, Media, and Reality:

Firms that do not fit into established business categories tend to be overlooked, but new markets often form around these “misfits.” Because being seen as part of a growing population makes new populations seem real, counting them is important to mainstreaming new markets. Yet, if firms outside the mainstream are overlooked, how can they be counted? Extending the embeddedness perspective to social cognition about markets, this research exposes the media's central role in market formation. Using a new method for extracting data about market networks from media coverage, this study demonstrates that early entrants benefit from inviting coverage that makes a few-but not too many-links to other entrants, thus helping audiences perceive an emerging category. As the market matures, however, references to rivals become unhelpful. These findings illustrate the value of a linguistic turn to empirical studies of meaning construction and the reification of social structure.
Pediatric appendicitis rupture rate: a national indicator of disparities in healthcare access.

Background The U.S. National Healthcare Disparities Report is a recent effort to measure and monitor racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. The Report is a work in progress and includes few indicators specific to children. An indicator worthy of consideration is racial/ethnic differences in the rate of bad outcomes for pediatric acute appendicitis. Bad outcomes for this condition are indicative of poor access to healthcare, which is amenable to social and healthcare policy changes.
Computing the arc length of parametric curves

Specifying constraints on motion is simpler if the curve is parameterized by arc length, but many parametric curves of practical interest cannot be parameterized by arc length. An approximate numerical reparameterization technique that improves on a previous algorithm by using a different numerical integration procedure that recursively subdivides the curve and creates a table of the subdivision points is presented. The use of the table greatly reduces the computation required for subsequent arc length calculations. After table construction, the algorithm takes nearly constant time for each arc length calculation. A linear increase in the number of control points can result in a more than linear increase in computation. Examples of this type of behavior are shown. >
DETERMINATION OF FREE CATECHOLAMINES IN URINE BY TANDEM AFFINITY/ION-PAIR CHROMATOGRAPHY AND FLOW INJECTION ANALYSIS

Background A system was developed for the simultaneous measurement in urine of free catecholamines (i.e., dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine) and creatinine (i.e., an indicator of urine output and volume). This method was based on the use of tandem affinity/ion-pair HPLC and flow injection analysis.
Plant community structure in a freshwater tidal wetland

The vascular plant community in a freshwater tidal wetland on the lower Connecticut River was studied in 2000. The effects of abiotic conditions on density and species density of plants in 70 samples, each 0.25 m2 in area, were characterized. Sixty species were recorded. The mean species density was highest in shallow water because the number of emergent species in the community was far greater than the number of submerged species, which occurred with higher frequency in deeper water. Plant density had a bimodal distribution because of the different responses of emergent and submerged plants to water depth and was lowest in shallow water, where physiological stress, physical disturbance, and possibly herbivory are suspected of being limiting. Ordination and regression analyses found that water depth and the amount of organic matter and nitrogen in the sediment had the greatest effect on wetland plant density, although other variables also were influential. Abundance of emergent and submerged species differed in their responses to ammonium and nitrate levels. Overall species density was most strongly correlated with water depth. Several plant associations, including associations of submerged and emergent species, were identified, based on shared affinities for environmental conditions.
Selective, efficient nanoporous catalysts for nitroaldol condensation : Co-placement of multiple site-isolated functional groups on mesoporous materials

Abstract We recently reported the synthesis of efficient multifunctional catalysts for the Henry reaction by grafting aminopropyl groups on mesoporous silica with polar, protic solvents such as ethanol [K.K. Sharma, T. Asefa, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46 (2007) 2879–2882]. Here we describe that the grafting of aminopropyl groups with secondary organic functional groups in polar solvents results in selective efficient nanoporous catalysts for hydrophilic or hydrophobic reactants in the Henry reaction. In the synthesis, a mixture of aminorganosilanes and secondary organosilanes containing ureidopropyl, 3-mercaptopropyl, or methyl groups was reacted with the silanol groups of mesoporous silica in isopropanol . While the 3-aminopropyl groups introduced solid-base catalytic sites, the secondary functional groups and the residual ungrafted silanols on the materials modified the catalyst's surface to either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. More importantly, by grafting the organosilanes in isopropanol, site-isolated multifunctional groups and high surface area mesoporous solid-base catalysts resulted, which afforded not only selectivity for hydrophilic or hydrophobic reactants but also high percentage conversion (∼100%) of various p -substituted benzaldehydes within 15–30 min of the Henry reaction. Furthermore, the time to achieve the maximum selectivity for hydrophilic or hydrophobic reactants in mixtures of p -substituted benzaldehydes was obtained. These results are significant compared to examples of previously reported selective catalysts, which showed selectivity only for hydrophobic reactants with a maximum selectivity of 2.6:1.0, and a highest conversion of 50% in 24 h [J. Huh, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126 (2004) 1010–1011]. Our synthetic approach can be extended to other reactants and reactions by judiciously choosing and grafting multiple organic groups in polar, protic solvents.
Separation and quantification of monothiols and phytochelatins from a wide variety of cell cultures and tissues of trees and other plants using high performance liquid chromatography

The HPLC method presented here for the quantification of metal-binding thiols is considerably shorter than most previously published methods. It is a sensitive and highly reproducible method that separates monobromobimane tagged monothiols (cysteine, glutathione, -glutamylcysteine) along with polythiols (PC2 ,P C 3 ,P C 4 and PC5) within 23 min from a wide variety of samples. Total run time of the method is 35 min. Detection limits for thiols is 33 fmol for 10L injection. This method will be applicable to study the metal detoxification mechanisms for a wide variety of cell cultures and tissues of plants and trees including algae, Arabidopsis, crambe, rice, and red spruce. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Feeding Blueberry Diets to Young Rats Dose-Dependently Inhibits Bone Resorption through Suppression of RANKL in Stromal Cells

Previous studies have demonstrated that weanling rats fed AIN-93G semi-purified diets supplemented with 10% whole blueberry (BB) powder for two weeks beginning on postnatal day 21 (PND21) significantly increased bone formation at PND35. However, the minimal level of dietary BB needed to produce these effects is, as yet, unknown. The current study examined the effects of three different levels of BB diet supplementation (1, 3, and 5%) for 35 days beginning on PND25 on bone quality, and osteoclastic bone resorption in female rats. Peripheral quantitative CT scan (pQCT) of tibia, demonstrated that bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) were dose-dependently increased in BB-fed rats compared to controls (P<0.05). Significantly increased bone mass after feeding 5% BB extracts was also observed in a TEN (total enteral nutrition) rat model in which daily caloric and food intake was precisely controlled. Expression of RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand) a protein essential for osteoclast formation was dose-dependently decreased in the femur of BB animals. In addition, expression of PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ) which regulates bone marrow adipogenesis was suppressed in BB diet rats compared to non-BB diet controls. Finally, a set of in vitro cell cultures revealed that the inhibitory effect of BB diet rat serum on RANKL expression was more profound in mesenchymal stromal cells compared to its effect on mature osteoblasts, pre-adipocytes and osteocytes. These results suggest that inhibition of bone resorption may contribute to increased bone mass during early development after BB consumption.
Functional Characterization of Pathogenic Human MSH2 Missense Mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is associated with defects in DNA mismatch repair. Mutations in either hMSH2 or hMLH1 underlie the majority of HNPCC cases. Approximately 25% of annotated hMSH2 disease alleles are missense mutations, resulting in a single change out of 934 amino acids. We engineered 54 missense mutations in the cognate positions in yeast MSH2 and tested for function. Of the human alleles, 55% conferred strong defects, 8% displayed intermediate defects, and 38% showed no defects in mismatch repair assays. Fifty percent of the defective alleles resulted in decreased steady-state levels of the variant Msh2 protein, and 49% of the Msh2 variants lost crucial protein–protein interactions. Finally, nine positions are predicted to influence the mismatch recognition complex ATPase activity. In summary, the missense mutations leading to loss of mismatch repair defined important structure–function relationships and the molecular analysis revealed the nature of the deficiency for Msh2 variants expressed in the tumors. Of medical relevance are 15 human alleles annotated as pathogenic in public databases that conferred no obvious defects in mismatch repair assays. This analysis underscores the importance of functional characterization of missense alleles to ensure that they are the causative factor for disease.
An endovascular model of carotid stenosis for the evaluation of thrombolysis and angioplasty.

Purpose:To develop a porcine carotid artery thrombosis model using a novel stent-graft device to evaluate the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy and angioplasty procedures.Methods:An endovascular dev...
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases in Heart Development and Diseases

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases belong to a highly conserved family of Ser-Thr protein kinases in the human kinome and have diverse roles in broad physiological functions. The 4 best-characterized MAP kinase pathways, ERK1/2, JNK, p38, and ERK5, have been implicated in different aspects of cardiac regulation, from development to pathological remodeling. Recent advancements in the development of kinase-specific inhibitors and genetically engineered animal models have revealed significant new insights about MAP kinase pathways in the heart. However, this explosive body of new information also has yielded many controversies about the functional role of specific MAP kinases as either detrimental promoters or critical protectors of the heart during cardiac pathological processes. These uncertainties have raised questions on whether/how MAP kinases can be targeted to develop effective therapies against heart diseases. In this review, recent studies examining the role of MAP kinase subfamilies in cardiac development, hypertrophy, and survival are summarized.
Annual Cycle of Pacific-North American Seasonal Predictability Associated with Different Phases of ENSO

Abstract The potential for seasonal mean predictability over the Pacific and North American regions is evaluated as a function of the amplitude of equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature forcing, the phase of that forcing, and the phase of the annual cycle. The potential predictability is measured as the ratio of the seasonal mean SST-forced signal and the internally generated seasonal mean noise. The authors’ assessments are derived from the output of ensemble atmospheric general circulation model experiments forced with observed monthly SSTs for 1950–94. Using a perfect prognostic approach, results are presented on the predictability of upper-tropospheric circulation, North American land temperature, and precipitation. Seasonal predictability is shown to depend on the amplitude of the SST-forced signal, whereas the background noise is largely independent of SSTs. To zero order, that signal grows linearly with the amplitude of anomalous SSTs. An important departure from this is with respect to the pha...
Geographic Information Systems Technology For Business Applications

Geographic information systems (GIS) technology offers the users the ability to query and access information, map spatial data, and perform predictive modeling, for targeting potential markets in a wide variety of industries and businesses. However, investment in the technology is expensive and requires considerable planning. This article presents an overview of the technology in the context of its potential for business applications and serves as a guide to businesses intending to invest in the technology.
The R-LRPD test: speculative parallelization of partially parallel loops

Current parallelizing compilers cannot identify a significant fraction of parallelizable loops because they have complex or statically insufficiently defined access patterns. In our previously proposed framework we have speculatively executed a loop as a doall, and applied a fully parallel data dependence test to determine if it had any cross-processor dependences; if the test failed, then the loop was re-executed serially. While this method exploits doall parallelism well, it can cause slowdowns for loops with even one cross-processor flow dependence because we have to re-execute sequentially. Moreover, the existing, partial parallelism of loops is not exploited. We now propose a generalization of our speculative doall parallelization technique, called the Recursive LRPD test, that can extract and exploit the maximum available parallelism of any loop and that limits potential slowdowns to the overhead of the runtime dependence test itself. We present the base algorithm and an analysis of the different heuristics for its practical application and a few experimental results on loops from Track, Spice, and FMA3D.
Convertible Unsecured Loan Stocks

This case concerns an analyst who must value a new type of derivative. Three versions of the derivative are described in the case, each requiring a different valuation approach. The case is an exercise in thinking about what the payoff of a derivative is and, based on that, how it should be valued.
Chile: A Changed Jungle for the Latin American Tiger (Abridged)

This case has been used since 2004 in Darden's first-year Global Economies and Markets MBA course in the module on exchange regimes and financial crises.In the early 1990s, in response to massive foreign capital inflows, the Chilean government restricted the flow of capital into the country in order to achieve a competitive and stable exchange rate and to control inflation. By the late 1990s, with the onset of the financial crises in emerging-market economies, investors began to pull their capital out of Chile and other emerging markets indiscriminately. This sudden reversal of capital flows was threatening to ignite a balance-of-payments crisis in Chile. The government must decide what to do. This is an abridged version of the A case "Chile: A Jungle for the Latin American Tiger (A)" (UVA-BP-0461). The A case contains more detailed information on the development experience of Chile, in particular, on the legacy of General Augusto Pinochet and the economic policies of the "Chicago boys." This case may also be used with the B case, "Chile: A Jungle for the Latin American Tiger (B)" (UVA-BP-0462), which gives an update on the policies of the Chilean central bank up to 1999 and discusses of the debate on the economic consequences of the policies. A teaching note (UVA-BP-0458TN) is available.
Benchmarks to compare cloud service providers for seamless customer migration

The paper advocates a seamless cloud abstraction to enable the mobility of clients: i.e., a cloud that appears to offer the same service-level properties despite the heterogeneous nature and geographic location of the cloud providers. The paper concretely defines the service attributes experienced by a client application: such as availability, elasticity, resilience, and mobility, in terms of the cloud infrastructure parameters (i.e., VM instances and network bandwidth). Since the IaaS parameters are hard to measure directly, we map the client-visible SaaS-layer attributes onto the IaaS parameters of the CSP. The paper describes SaaS layer measurements of an image data service on the PlanetLab, as an instance of seamless cloud.
Case Formulation and Design of Behavioral Treatment Programs

Summary: We review the rationale for behavioral clinical case formulations and emphasize the role of the functional analysis in the design of individualized treatments. Standardized treatments may ...
Neuroprotective therapies for multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases

Damage to the Central Nervous Systems (CNS) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) seems to be mainly due to chronic inflammation of the CNS with superimposed bouts of inflammatory activity by the adaptive immune system. The immune mediated damage can be amplified by neurodegenerative mechanisms in damaged axons including anterograde or retrograde axonal or transynaptic degeneration, synaptic pruning and neuronal or oligodendrocyte death. As such, it is highly unlikely that CNS damage can be prevented using only immunomodulatory drugs. For this reason, neuroprotection, aimed at preventing axonal, neuronal, myelin, and oligodendrocyte damage and cell death in the presence of this toxic microenvironment is highly pursued in MS and other demyelinating diseases. Neuroprotective strategies target different processes including oxidative stress, ionic imbalance (sodium, potassium or calcium), energy depletion, trophic factor support, metabolites balance, excitotoxicity, apoptosis, remyelination, etc. Although none of these strategies have translated into approved drugs to date, improvement in the understanding of underlying biology, in the design of clinical trials specific for assessing neuroprotection, and new technologies for developing novel therapies for neuroprotection suggest a new avenue for treating MS, Optic Neuritis or Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO). Several of these therapies are now entering clinical phases and if successful, such strategies would improve patients’ quality of life, and will be even more critical for patients with progressive MS. In the event that such therapies target natural repair mechanisms rather than disease specific processes, they can potentially be useful for other brain diseases such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, brain trauma or epilepsy.
19th-Century Achievements

In the study of long-period effects old observations have a long-lasting value as they help to extend the time interval over which the effect can be traced. Most visual binaries have not completed a revolution since discovery, and therefore, have not been reobserved in the same section of the orbit. To the present-day orbit investigator, 150 yr old measurements still have far more interest than a mere historical, and so the yellowed folio pages of the ‘Mensurae micrometricae’ by F. G. W. (Wilhelm) Struve, 1837, are still consulted. For the first time, the visual double stars appear here as an independent, systematically executed program of discovery and reobservation. The measurements with the new micrometer installed in 1821 at the 9 in. Fraunhofer refractor have an accuracy which is really outstanding for those days, and good even by present standards; they are also free from marked systematic errors. The arrangement of the observations became standard practice. W. Struve also introduced counting the position angles from 0° through 360°, instead of recording quarants which had been the previous custom, and had caused frequent mistakes. He later decided to impose a separation limit on the double stars, namely 32" for brighter and 16" for fainter stars. Of the 3134 stars with the key letter 2— almost all of which had been published in the 1827 ‘Catalogue novus stellarum duplicium’ —almost 500 entries were thus rejected, mostly wide pairs outside the limits. The comprehensive voulume ‘Stellarum duplicum et multicium mensurae micrometricae’ was followed 1852 by the ‘Positioners mediae’ which contained the meridian results.
Physical, Social, and Informational Barriers to Domestic Migration in India

In fast-growing large emerging markets like China and India, labor market inefficiency is palpable. Firms in high-growth sectors face labor shortages while a large proportion of the population continues to live in regions with low employment opportunities. This is a puzzle for neoclassical growth models which suggest that the relative homogeneity in technology, preferences, and institutions across provinces within a country should lead to within-country migration and towards allocative efficiency in the labor market.
WHAT IS REALLY NEW ABOUT THE NEW RELAXANTS

SUMMARY The use of neuromuscular blocking agents is well established in the practice of anesthesia. Until recently, when the only muscle relaxants that were available had a long duration of action, a particular muscle relaxant was chosen so that its side effects would have the minimal adverse effect clinically. With the development of newer muscle relaxants, the cardiovascular side effects have been minimized and the pharmacodynamic profile of this class of drugs has been broadened. Structural changes in the steroidal class of compounds have yielded a long-acting muscle relaxant that is not vagolytic, and structural changes in the benzylisoquinolinium compounds have yielded a long-acting compound that does not cause histamine release. Decreasing the potency of the steroidal compounds has led to the development of rocuronium, which has a faster onset of action than other nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. Finally, the hydrolysis of mivacurium by plasma cholinesterases renders it shorter acting than other nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. The most striking aspect of these new muscle relaxants is that characteristics that could previously be broadly assigned on the basis of underlying structure, such as vagolytic-steroidal compounds, histamine-release benzylisoquinoliniums and metabolism by plasma cholinesterase-depolarizing muscle relaxants, seem to no longer apply. It is now known which structural changes in each class of compounds are required to minimize cardiovascular side effects. Further modifications of potency and metabolism may yet yield compounds that are faster in onset and have a shorter duration of action. However, the addition of rocuronium and mivacurium to the clinical armamentarium and the knowledge of the nuances of their clinical use will allow for timely endotracheal intubation and lack of residual neuromuscular block at the termination of anesthesia and surgery.
Internal Threat Alliances: A New Conceptual Framework

This chapter presents the book’s main policy-relevant contribution to international relations theory and arguments—the new conceptual framework for understanding why great powers and weak states form “internal threat alliances” to defeat insurgencies or rebellions, why some such alliances are more cohesive than others, and why some are effective while others are not. The chapter outlines the following three arguments in detail. First, internal threat alliances will form in response to a threat that is domestic in origin and imperils the survival of a weak state’s leadership regime. Second, balancing (resisting the target threat) and “bandwagoning” (appeasing the target threat) will occur simultaneously during internal threat alliances. Third and finally, the effectiveness of internal threat alliances will depend on whether allies have military resources sufficient to weaken their common enemy and are able to control subnational bandwagoning. The chapter also reviews the book’s qualitative cross-case study comparison methodology.
Reciprocal Literacy Sponsorship in Service-Learning Settings

Much of the research on literacy sponsorship positions students as “sponsored” rather than “sponsor,” which promotes a view of sponsorship as a one-way, fixed endeavor. In this essay, I consider how, in the context of service-learning, students might sponsor literacy and how this literacy sponsorship has the potential to be reciprocal. I highlight a semester-long course project that aimed to develop a variety of literacies in students. Results show that students supported, enabled, and sponsored the literacies of the clients with whom they worked. Findings also reveal that this literacy sponsorship was reciprocated by the clients, which indicates that, at least in service-learning settings, literacy sponsorship functions as a dynamic, reciprocal process where both parties learn and grow through their relationship with each other. This research is significant because it brings students into the discussion on literacy sponsorship and shows how individuals can seize the literacy resources offered to meet their own goals, motivations, and needs.
Managing Crisis-induced uncertainty: First responder experiences from the 2011 Joplin-Duquesne Tornado

Abstract On May 22, 2011 an EF-5 tornado ravaged a six mile path through parts of Joplin and Duquesne Missouri killing 141 people, destroying more than 2000 buildings, and displacing over 10,000 people in a matter of minutes. In order to (1) understand how first responders were able to manage the crisis-induced uncertainty that residents, stakeholders, and citizen volunteers were experiencing and (2) explore the crisis communication strategies that were effective in assisting the community a qualitative inquiry began in the fall of 2011. A total of sixteen semi- structured interviews were conducted with law enforcement personnel, public works directors, and leaders from the education and media sectors. An uncertainty management theoretical frame is used to guide the interpretation and analysis of first responder communication within the first 48 h. Crises, such as natural disasters, create opportunities for communities to confront problems and/or improve deficiencies [28] and may also facilitate civic action through volunteerism. This analysis provides a rich, in-depth look at how uncertainty was managed during the first 48 h of the crisis response. A detailed description of the implications and pragmatic considerations are provided.
Ameloblastic Fibro-Odontoma of the Maxilla in a Pierre-Robin Sequence Patient.

Introduction: Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) is a rare disorder classically observed as a triad of features including micrognathia, glossoptosis, and upper airway obstruction. It is associated with a ...
Attack under Disguise: An Intelligent Data Poisoning Attack Mechanism in Crowdsourcing

As an effective way to solicit useful information from the crowd, crowdsourcing has emerged as a popular paradigm to solve challenging tasks. However, the data provided by the participating workers are not always trustworthy. In real world, there may exist malicious workers in crowdsourcing systems who conduct the data poisoning attacks for the purpose of sabotage or financial rewards. Although data aggregation methods such as majority voting are conducted on workers» labels in order to improve data quality, they are vulnerable to such attacks as they treat all the workers equally. In order to capture the variety in the reliability of workers, the Dawid-Skene model, a sophisticated data aggregation method, has been widely adopted in practice. By conducting maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, the Dawid-Skene model can jointly estimate each worker»s reliability and conduct weighted aggregation, and thus can tolerate the data poisoning attacks to some degree. However, the Dawid-Skene model still has weakness. In this paper, we study the data poisoning attacks against such crowdsourcing systems with the Dawid-Skene model empowered. We design an intelligent attack mechanism, based on which the attacker can not only achieve maximum attack utility but also disguise the attacking behaviors. Extensive experiments based on real-world crowdsourcing datasets are conducted to verify the desirable properties of the proposed mechanism.
Patient perspectives following pharmacogenomics results disclosure in an integrated health system.

AIM To assess patient perceptions and utilization of pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing in an integrated community health system. METHODS Fifty-seven patients completed an online survey assessing their experiences with PGx testing offered through two methods: a designated PGx clinic or direct access in-home testing. RESULTS The majority of participants perceived PGx testing as helpful in their healthcare and reported understanding their results. Some had concerns about privacy and discrimination; most lacked familiarity with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. There were no significant differences in views between participants tested through either model. CONCLUSION Participants reported value in both methods of PGx testing. Patient experiences, understanding and result utilization will play an important role in informing future development and implementation of PGx programs.
Case Studies in Adaptation and Transformation of Ecosystems, Legal Systems, and Governance Systems

Seven water basins, six in North America and one in Australia, were chosen as case studies to investigate the dynamic interactions among ecosystems, society, and legal systems. These cases were chosen because of local knowledge and expertise of a group of interdisciplinary scholars. The teams were asked to describe the structures and processes that contribute to resilience, adaptations, and transformations in both the ecological and social components of the linked system. The role of law in triggering or hindering change in governance and institutional reformation was explored. The cases also describe conditions for emergence of adaptive governance in heavily regulated and developed water systems nested within a hierarchical governmental system.
Effects of a Tablet-Based Home Practice Program With Telepractice on Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Aphasia.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine if a tablet-based home practice program with weekly telepractice support could enable long-term maintenance of recent treatment gains and foster new l...
Mountain Pine Beetles and Ecological Imaginaries: The Social Construction of Forest Insect Disturbance

Mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreaks bear attributions at multiple scales, from the practices of local extractive industries to state and federal forest management to global climate change. Since 1996, an outbreak of MPB has swept across nearly 3.4 million acres in northcentral Colorado. The area affected is constituted by a heterogeneous group of communities and provides an opportunity to examine how institutional forces pattern experiences of the natural world and emergent environmental narratives. This work examines the narratives of local community and regional organizations, along with interviews and household survey data to consider culturally situated experiences and framings of the outbreak. Tracing environmental narratives is part of understanding different environmental vulnerabilities, which is essential to developing management regimes that are inclusive and ultimately sustainable.
Living shorelines enhance nitrogen removal capacity over time

Abstract Living shorelines are nature-based solutions to coastal erosion that can be constructed as salt marshes with fringing oyster reefs. Each of these habitats can decrease the potential for eutrophication through increased nitrogen (N) removal via denitrification. However, the development of N cycling over time has not been studied in living shorelines. This research measured denitrification rates in a chronosequence of living shorelines spanning 0–20 years in age in Bogue Sound, NC. Analyses were conducted seasonally from summer 2014 to spring 2015 along an elevation transect through the salt marsh, oyster reef, and adjacent sandflat at all sites. Gas fluxes (N2 and O2) from sediment core incubations were measured with a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS) to assess denitrification and sediment oxygen demand. Fluxes of dissolved nutrients and the greenhouse gas N2O were measured. Sediment properties, inundation frequency, oyster filtration rates, and marsh grass stem density were also quantified. There was no significant difference in denitrification rates among habitats. N removal consistently increased from the 0- to 7-year-old sites. Denitrification efficiency was always greater than 50% and positive N2O fluxes were negligible. Our results suggest that living shorelines increase net N removal within a relatively short time period following construction, without introducing deleterious greenhouse gas emissions. This demonstrates that living shorelines can play an important role in estuarine N cycling and management.
Adhesion molecules as therapeutic targets

The immunoglobulin supergene family (IgSF) cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are either homophilic or heterophilic proteins that bind either integrins or different IgSF CAMs. Proteins are classified into the IgSF if they possess a structural domain known as an Ig domain, which contain about 70–110 amino acids and are categorized into different types according to their size and function [1]. Members of this family with important adhesion function include CD2, CD48, the SIGLEC family (sialic acid binding Ig-like lectins such as CD22, CD83), intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1), neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs), L1-CAM and CHL-1. NCAMs, L1-CAM and CHL-1 are important proteins for neurological cell adhesion. Members of the IgSF are ligands for the integrins, and so these can be considered together conceptually with this class of CAMs. IgSF members have not been as extensively targeted as have integrin proteins, and the broad utility of these agents are largely undetermined. A summary of selected pre-clinical studies and clinical trials is presented in Table 1. Anti-ICAM therapy has proven neutral or possibly deleterious in a stroke trial [2]. Anti-CD2 therapy has shown efficacy against graft vs. host disease [3], but this is likely due to lymphocyte and natural killer cell depletion rather than anti-adhesion effects.
The Human Visual System: An Engineering Perspective

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the architecture and function of the healthy visual system. Particular emphasis is placed on the diverse capabilities of the visual system that visual prosthesis researchers may want to emulate, to provide the reader with a realistic sense of the daunting challenges facing workers in this field.