cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Keeping Pace with Criminals: Designing Patrol Allocation Against Adaptive Opportunistic Criminals

Police patrols are used ubiquitously to deter crimes in urban areas. A distinctive feature of urban crimes is that criminals react opportunistically to patrol officers assignments. Compared to strategic attackers (such as terrorists) with a well-laid out plan, opportunistic criminals are less strategic in planning attacks and more flexible in executing them. In this paper, our goal is to recommend optimal police patrolling strategy against such opportunistic criminals. We first build a game-theoretic model that captures the interaction between officers and opportunistic criminals. However, while different models of adversary behavior have been proposed, their exact form remains uncertain. Rather than simply hypothesizing a model as done in previous work, one key contribution of this paper is to learn the model from real-world criminal activity data. To that end, we represent the criminal behavior and the interaction with the patrol officers as parameters of a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN), enabling application of standard algorithms such as EM to learn the parameters. Our second contribution is a sequence of modifications to the DBN representation, that allows for a compact representation of the model resulting in better learning accuracy and increased speed of learning of the EM algorithm when used for the modified DBN. These modifications use marginalization approaches and exploit the structure of this problem. Finally, our third contribution is an iterative learning and planning mechanism that keeps updating the adversary model periodically. We demonstrate the efficiency of our learning algorithm by applying it to a real data set of criminal activity obtained from the police department of University of Southern California (USC) situated in Los Angeles, USA. We project a significant reduction in crime rate using our planning strategy as opposed to the actual strategy deployed by the police department. We also demonstrate the improvement in crime prevention in simulations when we use our iterative planning and learning mechanism compared to just learning once and planing. This work was done in collaboration with the police department of USC.
Social Disparities in the Thoracic Surgery Workforce

Diversity fosters innovation, advances the work environment, and enriches patient care. Despite that, only 17%, 5%, and 3% of cardiothoracic (CT) surgeons in academia were women, Hispanic, and Black, respectively. Diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and deliberate initiatives are necessary to eradicate disparities in the CT workforce. Leading organizational changes from the top down is paramount and above all else, changes and improvements should be based on a meritocracy.
Molecular Detection and Characterization of Hepatitis C Virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and molecular methods are inextricably linked, in history and in clinical practice. This virus was the first to be identified with molecular methods, and nucleic acid tests (NATs) have become fundamentally important in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of the chronic infections it causes. Rates of spontaneous virus clearance are highest in acutely infected individuals who manifest signs of hepatitis, suggesting that an early immune response may be protective. Risk factors for disease progression include diseases or behaviors that induce additional hepatic injury (such as concomitant hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection and alcohol consumption) or impair antiviral immunity (such as HIV infection). Treatment for HCV infection has undergone significant evolution in regard to available agents, duration, and dosing strategy. Important concepts in regard to testing for acute HCV infection are that (i) serology and RNA assessment should both be performed and (ii) testing should be undertaken at multiple time points before exclusion of the diagnosis. Given the asymptomatic nature of most acute HCV infections, the majority of patients will present symptomatically, in the chronic phase. The approval of STAT-C drugs has the potential to vastly improve treatment efficacy and concomitantly impose a new paradigm for therapeutic monitoring. The effect of telaprevir on the performance of viral load testing and the necessity for additional tests such as resistance assays remains to be determined.
Fodorian Modularity and Representational Modularity

Publisher Summary This chapter explores fodorian modularity and representational modularity. The input to belief fixation has to be the output of the input system, namely, some sort of “shallow representation,” says a syntactic parse. It is not yet propositional structure. But it to be fixed, a belief has to be formulated in terms of propositional structure. A syntactic representation is simply the wrong vehicle for belief obsession. Thus some process must convert syntactic structure into the propositional content of what the speaker said. In principle, an interface module might be precisely as domain specific as its input and output representations. This would mean that every distinction in the input representation could make a difference in the output representation, and every distinction in the output representation could be affected by something in the input representation. Two domains connected by a narrow “information bottleneck” may be relatively modular: not many parts of each domain can affect the other. As the interface becomes richer, more parts can interact. If communication between the two domains is wide open, it is impossible to say where one leaves off and the other begins.
Column-Based Strip Packing Using Ordered and Compliant Containment

The oriented strip packing problem is very important to manufacturing industries: given a strip of fixed width and a set of many (> 100) nonconvex polygons with 1, 2, 4, or 8 orientations permitted for each polygon, find a set of translations and orientations for the polygons that places them without overlapping into the strip of minimum length. Heuristics are given for two versions of strip packing: 1) translation-only and 2) oriented. The first heuristic uses an algorithm we have previously developed for translational containment: given polygons P1, P2, ..., Pk and a fixed container C, find translations for the polygons that place them into C without overlapping. The containment algorithm is practical for k ≤10. Two new containment algorithms are presented for use in the second packing heuristic. The first, an ordered containment algorithm, solves containment in time which is only linear in k when the polygons are a) “long” with respect to one dimension of the container and b) ordered with respect to the other dimension. The second algorithm solves compliant containment: given polygons P1, P2, ..., Pl+k and a container C such that polygons P1, P2, ..., Pl are already placed into C, find translations for Pl+1, Pl+2, ..., Pl+k and a nonoverlapping translational motion of P1, P2, ..., Pl that allows all l+k polygons to fit into the container without overlapping.
El envejecimiento de la población en América del Norte: una oportunidad para la creación de empleos mediante el comercio continental

En algunos articulos y libros recientes se asegura que el envejecimiento de la poblacion –muy marcado en los paises desarrollados– a la larga afectara tambien a varios paises en vias de desarrollo, entre ellos a Mexico (Tuiran, 2000; Ham-Chande, 2003; Welti, 2004). En el presente texto se sostiene que las diferencias entre los paises de America del Norte en cuanto a la frecuencia con que se presenta la “ola de ancianos” ofrecen posibilidades de beneficios mutuos. Asimismo se refiere a los terminos conforme a los cuales se permitiria a los mexicanos trabajar legalmente en Estados Unidos y Canada. Se plantea una nueva posibilidad para enviar remesas a Mexico y ademas formar ca­pital para inversion en un sector con un crecimiento potencial de la economia mexicana. Ademas, ciertas politicas creativas podrian tratar en forma simultanea un asunto de largo plazo que apenas ahora esta recibiendo atencion en Mexico: el hecho de que 8 de cada 10 mexicanos carezcan de pension de jubilacion.
Practical experiences in functional simulation. An integrated method from unit to co-simulation

IBM, like other major companies, is developing large compute servers. These servers run typically various applications supported on a variety of different operating systems. To support all the user scenarios the systems consist of a hardware layer and a system software layer, that is hidden from the application or operating system. The hardware consists of a set of chips where some are unique for a given series of compute server. The system software, also called firmware, can be viewed as an extension of the hardware, to enable additional features and to manage those complex systems. From a verification point of view the task is to make sure that first of all the hardware chips are working according to the specification, that all these chips are also working together and nevertheless the firmware code is working seamlessly with the hardware. To complicate the task, the chip designs are following not always the same methodology, driven by the fact that we have a mix of custom designed VLSI chips, standard ASIC designs and some SoC type chips. With teams distributed globally the verification challenge is to integrate and coordinate all efforts to finally ensure that the overall system is working. The presentation will describe the problems and possible solutions, touching topics like standardization of interfaces, designs and languages, reusability of specifications, documentation and software, project managing aspects and their implications on the process.
Pareto-optimal design of broadband microwave absorbers using genetic algorithms

The authors illustrate the application of multicriteria optimization technique to the synthesis of broadband microwave absorptive coatings. For many applications, the problem of designing a coating involves a tradeoff between conflicting goals, namely those of minimizing the total coating thickness while achieving maximum absorption. The authors propose a continuation of the work of Michielssen et al. (in press), by incorporating, within the genetic algorithm, a mechanism for investigating the tradeoff between coating thickness and absorption, by using the concepts of Pareto-optimality. Numerical results are presented. >
Cleavage of CD14 and LBP by a protease from Prevotella intermedia

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by subgingival microorganisms and their components, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Responses of the host to LPS are mediated by CD14 and LPS-binding protein (LBP). In this study, it was determined that proteases from a periodontal pathogen, Prevotella intermedia, cleave CD14 and LBP, and thereby modulate the virulence of LPS. Culture supernatants from two strains of P. intermedia (ATCC 25611 and 25261) cleaved CD14 and LBP in a concentration-dependent manner. Zymographic and molecular mass analysis revealed the presence of a membrane-associated, 170-kDa, monomeric protease. Class-specific inhibitors and stimulators demonstrated that this enzyme is a metal-requiring, thiol-activated, cysteine protease. The protease was stable over a wide range of temperatures (4–56 °C) and pH values (4.5–8.5). This enzyme also decreased the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-specific mRNA in the LPS-activated macrophage-like cell lines U937 and THP-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating that it also cleaves membrane-associated CD14. Furthermore, addition of soluble CD14 abrogated protease-mediated inhibition of IL-1 mRNA expression induced by LPS. The observations suggest that proteolysis of CD14 and LBP by P. intermedia protease might modulate the virulence of LPS at sites of periodontal infections.
A Shortened Life Span of EKLF−/− Adult Erythrocytes, Due to a Deficiency of β-Globin Chains, Is Ameliorated by Human γ-Globin Chains

Using homologous recombination, both EKLF alleles in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells were inactivated. These EKLF −/− ES cells were capable of undergoing in vitro differentiation to form definitive erythroid colonies that were similar in size and number to those formed by wild-type ES cells. However, the EKLF −/− colonies were poorly hemoglobinized and enucleated erythrocytes in these colonies contained numerous Heinz bodies. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses revealed that adult and embryonic globin genes were appropriately regulated, with the exception of β h1 -globin, which continued to be expressed at a very low level. The ratio of adult β-globin/α-globin mRNA in the mutant ES cells was 1/15 of that in wild-type ES cells. When the EKLF −/− cells were injected into blastocysts, they did not contribute at a detectable level to the mature erythrocyte compartment of the chimeric animals, based on analysis of glucose phosphate isomerase-1 (GPI-1) isozymes and hemoglobins that distinguish ES cell-derived erythrocytes from host blastocyst-derived erythrocytes. In contrast, semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis of RNA from reticulocytes of the same chimeric animals suggested that the ES cell-derived reticulocytes were present at a level of 6% to 8%. This indicated that the EKLF −/− erythrocytes in adult animals must be short-lived, apparently due to the imbalance of β-versus α-globin chains, leading to the precipitation of excess α-globin chains to form Heinz bodies. Consistent with this hypothesis, the short life span was ameliorated by introduction into the EKLF −/− ES cells of a human LCR/γ-globin gene, as evidenced by the presence of ES cell-derived reticulocytes as well as mature erythrocytes in the blood of the chimeric animals.
Robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy with gasless approach in a girl with goitre.

Background Robotic-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy is a minimally invasive approach for the removal of the thyroid through the axilla. This technique eliminates a visible scar and affords excellent optics of the cervical anatomy. We sought to describe the technique and outcome for transaxillary gasless subtotal thyroidectomy in the paediatric population. Methods A 13 year-old female with an enlarged goitre underwent a transaxillary robot-assisted gasless subtotal thyroidectomy in an academic institution. The main outcome measures were feasibility of the robotic approach, patient and gland characteristics, operative time and complications. Results There was no conversion to laparoscopic or open surgery. The robotic docking time was 110 min and total operative time was 150 min. The patient tolerated the procedure well. Estimated blood loss was 10 ml. The patient was discharged within 24 h. There were no perioperative or postoperative complications. In addition there was no evidence of postoperative vocal cord palsy or paresis. Conclusions This initial experience demonstrates that this technique can be a feasible, safe and effective method for subtotal thyroidectomy in the paediatric population. The use of robotic technology for endoscopic thyroid surgery could overcome the limitations of conventional endoscopic surgeries in the surgical management of thyroid disease. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Revisiting Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) substorm events implying magnetic reconnection as the substorm trigger

[1] A recent trend in substorm research is the time history approach, motivated by the NASA mission Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS). We revisit three THEMIS substorm events recently reported to indicate magnetic reconnection as the substorm trigger. The evidence for the occurrence of magnetic reconnection in these events is critically examined. It is found that they are not compelling cases for magnetic reconnection as the substorm trigger. Instead, equally plausible alternative interpretations, such as current disruption by ballooning and/or cross-field current instabilities, global Alfvenic interaction, and new plasma intrusion, that do not necessarily require a change of magnetic field line topology, could be the substorm trigger. The limitations of using the time history approach to ascertain the physical process for substorm expansion onsets are also discussed.
Simultaneous identification of structural parameters and dynamic input with incomplete output‐only measurements

SUMMARY A hybrid heuristic optimization strategy is presented to simultaneously identify structural parameters and, when possible, dynamic input time histories from incomplete sets of output measurements. The proposed strategy combines a novel swarm intelligence algorithm, the artificial bee colony algorithm, with a local search operator, Nelder–Mead simplex method, integrated in a search space reduction approach, so as to improve the convergence efficiency of the overall identification process. Because of the independent nature of the algorithm, a parallel scheme is implemented so as to improve the computational efficiency. If the time histories of the structural response and information about the mass of the structural system are available, then the algorithm can also be used for the identification of the time histories of the dynamic input force through a modified Newmark integration scheme, using the current estimates of the structural parameters. To investigate the applicability of the proposed technique, three numerical examples, two shear-type building models and a coupled building system model under different conditions of data availabilities and noise corruption levels are presented. The results show that the proposed technique is powerful, robust and efficient in the simultaneous identification of the structural parameters and input force even from an incomplete set of noise-contaminated structural response measurements. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Methionine Sulfoximine and Methionine Sulfone on Glutamate Synthesis in Klebsiella aerogenes

At least two pathways exist in Klebsiella aerogenes for glutamate synthesis. A mutant blocked in one pathway due to the loss of glutamate dehydrogenase (gltD) does not require glutamate and has the same growth characteristics as the parent strain in most media; however, its growth is inhibited by the analogues methionine sulfoximine and methionine sulfone. Wild-type Klebsiella is resistant to 0.1 M methionine sulfoximine or methionine sulfone, whereas the gltD mutant is sensitive to 1 mM concentrations. Either glutamate or glutamine is effective in overcoming this inhibition. Activities of both glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthetase, two enzymes involved in the second pathway of glutamate synthesis, are inhibited by methionine sulfoximine and methionine sulfone. The primary effect of methionine sulfoximine appears to be the prevention of glutamine production necessary for subsequent glutamate synthesis via glutamate synthetase enzyme.
Effective Comprehension Instruction At The Pre-Service Level

A higher education development team consisting of four professors of reading at two universities designed a set of lessons for possible use in helping teachers or preservice teachers develop strategies to produce effective comprehension skills of elementary students. These techniques were first used with undergraduate candidates and then revised to use with reading coaches in the literacy demonstration sites around the state of Alabama. The author describes a set of four interventions based upon this work that was used with graduate preservice teachers in a reading methods course. Three areas were emphasized in this investigation: changing preservice teachers’ misconceptions about the meaning of comprehension, helping them understand what readers do to comprehend text, and teaching them how comprehension can be explicitly taught to elementary students. Through these interventions, the preservice teachers gained a better understanding of how to teach comprehension more effectively to K – 6 students.
Age-associated and cell-type-specific neurofibrillary pathology in transgenic mice expressing the human midsized neurofilament subunit

Alterations in neurofilaments are a common occurrence in neurons of the human nervous system during aging and diseases associated with aging. Such pathologic changes may be attributed to species-specific properties of human neurofilaments as well as cell-type-specific regulation of this element of the cytoskeleton. The development of transgenic animals containing human neurofilament subunits offers an opportunity to study the effects of aging and other experimental conditions on the human-specific form of these proteins in a rodent model. The present study shows that mice from the transgenic line NF(M)27, which express the human midsized neurofilament subunit at low levels (2-25% of the endogenous NF-M), develop neurofilamentous accumulations in specific subgroups of neurons that are age dependent, affecting 78% of transgenic mice over 12 months of age. Similar accumulations do not occur in age-matched, wild-type littermates or in 3-month-old transgenic mice. In 12-month-old transgenic mice, somatic neurofilament accumulations resembling neurofibrillary tangles were present predominantly in layers III and V of the neocortex, as well as in select subpopulations of subcortical neurons. Intraperikaryal, spherical neurofilamentous accumulations were particularly abundant in cell bodies in layer II of the neocortex, and neurofilament-containing distentions of Purkinje cell proximal axons occurred in the cerebellum. These pathological accumulations contained mouse as well as human NF subunits, but could be distinguished by their content of phosphorylation-dependent NF epitopes. These cytoskeletal alterations closely resemble the cell-type-specific alterations in neurofilaments that occur during normal human aging and in diseases associated with aging, indicating that these transgenic animals may serve as models of some aspects of the pathologic features of human neurodegenerative diseases.
Recent Developments in 17th and 18th‐Century English Catholic Studies

The last 15 years have brought a revolution to research in 17th- and 18th-century English Catholicism. New approaches, shaped primarily by New Historicism and gender studies, have expanded the materials, questions, and methods driving scholarly investigations. The article describes several primary trends within this revolution: the development of inward-oriented and outward-oriented studies examining English Catholicism and English Catholicism's relationship with other discourses, respectively; a growing interest in women's experiences of and contributions to English Catholicism, particularly those of English nuns in exile; and a new narrative for 18th-century English Catholicism revealing its public as well as private iterations and impacts. Overall, current scholarship draws on a plethora of materials including material objects, texts, and space to construct an increasingly detailed picture of English Catholicism as a complex, dynamic force, and community during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Enhanced Activity of a Ca-Calmodulin-Dependent Isozyme of NAD Kinase and Changes in Nicotinamide Coenzyme Levels in Lettuce Half-Seeds Caused by Red Light

Summary The hypothesis was tested that Pfr enhances formation of Ca-calmodulin during red-light-induced axis elongation accompanying dormancy breaking in seeds of Grand Rapids lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.). The Ca-calmodulin complex was measured indirectly by measuring its known activation of NAD kinase and by assaying tissue amounts of NAD + and other nicotinamide coenzymes. Half-seeds containing hypocotyl/radicle sections were imbibed, treated with red or far-red light, then kept in darkness for various times up to 17 h. Two isozymes of NAD kinase were resolved by chromatography on a DEAE-Sephacel column, one Ca-calmodulin-dependent and one-independent. Activity of the dependent isozyme was enhanced by red compared with far-red at most times following irradiation, whereas the independent isozyme was not affected. Red light decreased the level of NAD + (compared with far-red) as early as 30 min after irradiation and at all subsequent times. Furthermore, the ratio of NADP + plus NADPH to NAD + plus NADH was enhanced by red relative to far-red at all sampling periods, consistent with in vivo activation of NAD kinase. Data are consistent with the hypothesis that Pfr causes formation of Ca-calmodulin that activates the kinase, but the simplest explanation is that Pfr induces formation of the dependent but not the independent kinase isozyme.
A computational analysis of the radiative and convective processes that take place in preheated and non-preheated ovens

This article presents a computational method that implements an analytical approach toward determining the thermal processes that take place in an electrically heated oven. The integral equations of radiative heat transfer were specialized to the three-dimensional temperature field in the oven and numerically evaluated. The radiative fluxes at the surfaces of a thermal load situated in the oven were thus obtained and combined with natural convection fluxes extracted from a well-established correlation. The net result was a set of predictions for the temperature history of a thermal load of which size, material properties, radiative surface characteristics, and location in the oven were varied. In addition, two modes of oven operation were considered: a preheated and a non-preheated oven. An alternative model for the experimental data was built on an algebraic representation utilizing a one-term, time-based exponential. That model enabled the identification of the effect of the thermal inertia factor; load...
Does the difference between information and scientific visualization really matter

Is it necessary to continue to define a difference between information and scientific visualization? Is the determined need for these differences creating confusion rather than helping investigators understand how to effectively apply visual display techniques to data and information? The author considers how cartographic and geographic information techniques seem to span both scientific and information visualization. She discusses the future directions in bioinformatics visualization.
Reconceptualizing the core of nurse practitioner education and practice

Purpose: The movement to the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) is progressing rapidly with new programs emerging and curricular documents being developed. We argue that the implementation of the DNP is a good move for nursing, provided that we use the opportunity to reconceptualize the core of advanced practice nursing, especially nurse practitioner (NP) practice. Data sources: Theory and research articles from nursing focused on advanced practice nursing, NPs, and doctoral education. Conclusions: The foundation of NP education is currently based essentially on borrowed or shared content in assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology. We argue that the heart and soul of nursing is in health promotion, both in healthy persons and in those dealing with chronic illness. Current master’s programs do not prepare NPs to assume high-level practice focused on health promotion and disease management using the latest theoretical developments in health behavior change, behavioral sciences, exercise physiology, nutrition, and medical anthropology. Although these are touched upon in most NP programs, they do not represent the core science of NP education and need to be a critical part of any DNP program. Implications for practice: Ultimately, our vision is for NP care to be consistently “different,” yet just as essential as physician care, leading to positive outcomes in health promotion and disease management.
Coping with urinary incontinence: development and testing of a scale.

Using psychometric theory and Mitteness' theory of urinary incontinence, the author developed a 159-item self-report, interval level, and norm-referenced scale to measure the effectiveness of coping with urinary incontinence. As a result of the expert evaluation, The Coping With Urinary Incontinence Scale was reduced from 159 items to 64 items. A pilot study determined initial internal consistency estimates for the scale. One hundred seventy-three community-residing, incontinent older adults participated in the major study. The Cronbach's Alpha for internal consistency reliability for the final version of 39 items was .9359 (standardized item alpha = .9526). Ten subscales were created: strengthening muscles, coping sexually, intimate moments, seeking health care strategies, controlling urge and loss of urine, rearranging physical environment, expressing emotions, concealing attempts, seeking social support/rearranging social environment, and managing in social situations.
Local Linear Estimation of a Nonparametric Cointegration Model

The nonparametric local linear method has superior properties compared with the local constant method in the independent and weak dependent data setting, see e.g. Fan and Gijbels (1996). Recently, much attention has been drawn to the nonparametric models with nonstationary data. Wang and Phillips (2009a) studied the asymptotic property of a local constant estimator of a nonparametric regression model with a nonstationary I(1) regressor. Sun and Li (2011) show a surprising result that for a semiparamtric varying coefficient model with nonstationary I(1) regressors, the local linear estimator has a faster rate of convergence than the local constant estimator. In this article, we study the asymptotic behavior of the local linear estimator for the same nonparametric regression model as considered by Wang and Phillips (2009a). We focus on the derivation of the joint asymptotic result of both the unknown regression function and its derivative function. We also examine the performance of the local linear estimat...
Anxiety reduction as a function of verbal satiation and paired-associate learning.

Summary Two techniques of anxiety reduction are studied singly and in combination: namely, rapid repetition of words and paired-associate learning. Both methods produce anxiety reduction and better short-term reduction together. The paired-associate learning consisted of the pairing of subject-provided anxiety words with experimenter-provided Counteracting Response Associates (CRA) or with Personally-Provided Response Associates (PRA) . Paired-associate learning with CRA yielded the best long-term reduction in response anxiety, which suggests the potential application of this technique in therapy.
Microbial hydroxylations. III. 11α-hydroxylation of some 3α,5α-cyclopregnane derivatives

Abstract The influence of subtle structural changes in the A B ring system of pregnane-20-ketones on the course of microbial 11α-hydroxylation by Aspergillus ochraceus was examined by fermentation of the cyclopregnanes 6β-hydroxy-3α,5α-cyclopregnan-20-one and 3α,5α-cyclopregnane-6,20-dione and of pregnenolone, pregnenolone cyclic ethylene ketal, and progesterone bis ethylene ketal. The cyclopregnanes were hydroxylated in the 11α-position; the ethylene ketals were not transformed; pregnenolone was dehydrogenated to progesterone prior to further hydroxylation.
In-advance data analytics for reducing time to discovery

Scientific workflow involves data generation, data analysis, and knowledge discovery. As the data volume exceeds a few terabytes (TB) in a single simulation run, the data movement, which happens among data generation, data analysis, and knowledge discovery, becomes a bottleneck in most scientific big data applications. Our previous work shows that reusing the analysis results can have a significant potential in reducing the overlap between data movement among compute nodes and storage nodes. In this work, we propose a new in-advance data analytics method to augment the result reuse. The fundamental idea of this in-advance data analytics method and its prototyping system is to predict the potential useful analytics operations by studying the users' analysis pattern. The predicted analysis operation is pro-actively performed on existing data and the analysis results are stored in an in-memory database for result reuse. The evaluation shows that the in-advance data analytics method and its prototyping system gains 1.2X-6.1X speedup in I/O performance improvement with 50% data overlapping and 10%–100% operation recommendation hit rate. The proposed in-advance data analytics method brings a new promising data reduction solution for big data applications.
Pulse radiolysis study of electron solvation in methanol2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF) glasses of 109 K: solvation shell conversion from MTHF to methanol

Abstract Electrons produced by pulse radiolysis in glasses of 32 mole % methanol in MTHF at 109 K exhibit a spectral blue-shift from 0.1–14 μs indicating predominant initial solvation by the more abundant MTHF molecules converting to final solvation by the more polar methanol molecules. Although the kinetics are complex, conversion appears to occur by a diffusive process involving more than one step with methanol clusters.
The association of HLA-DR15 and intermediate uveitis

Purpose To evaluate the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR15) specificity and intermediate uveitis. Methods Eighteen patients diagnosed with intermediate uveitis underwent HLA-DR15 serotyping. Additionally, DNA-based phenotyping for a specific HLA-DR15 allele was performed in four patients. The clinical features of HLA-DR15–positive intermediate uveitis were compared with those of HLA-DR15–negative intermediate uveitis. Results Thirteen of 18 patients (72%) were positive for HLA-DR15. The frequency of the HLA-DR 15 specificity in intermediate uveitis patients was significantly higher than in the control subjects (relative risk, 6.36; P * 1501, which has been associated with multiple sclerosis. In the HLA-DR15–positive group were four patients (31%) with coexisting multiple sclerosis or optic neuritis, one patient with coexisting narcolepsy, and three patients (23%) with a family history of multiple sclerosis. Retinal periphlebitis, especially if bilateral, was a frequent ophthalmoscopic finding in HLA-DR15–positive intermediate uveitis. Conclusions This study identifies a significant association between intermediate uveitis and the HLA-DR 15 specificity. Patients who are HLA-DR15–positive and have intermediate uveitis may have systemic findings of another HLA-DR15-related disorder. Intermediate uveitis may belong to a constellation of HLA-DR15-related disorders, which includes multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, and narcolepsy.
Identifying barriers to technology-enhanced learning environments in teacher education

Creating technology-enhanced learning environments is a particularly challenging task when the environment includes a complex set of actual and virtual features. The challenge is readily evident in teacher education programs attempting to prepare future educators to use technology in their teaching. Unfortunately, most of these attempts have been marginally successful. What factors are restraining teacher education programs in terms of creating and implementing technology-enhanced learning environments for preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology? This paper offers a performance improvement framework for addressing this question. Data illustrating the framework's utility are provided, along with a brief description of actions taken based on the data.
Domesticating the personal computer: The mainstreaming of a new technology and the cultural management of a widespread technophobia, 1964–

In this essay, discourses on “computer‐phobia”; and “computer addiction”; are used as starting points from which to describe the cultural work involved and marketing strategies used between the 1960s and 1990s in regards to the management of computer fear. These discourses on computer use are approached as examples of what Michel Foucault calls “normalizing”; discourses‐in this case, discourses which function toward the production, negotiation, and management of people's developing relationships with this new technology. This essay draws on popular discourses, advertisements, and advice literature from this time period to explore how the personal computer was successfully connected to middle‐class family ideals and was transformed from a frightening and distant (Cold) war machine into a socially (and family) “friendly”; machine. It is argued here that this management of computer fear made possible the mainstreaming of the personal computer (into the home) and initiated new definitions of “appropriate”; an...
Neutronic response to two-phase flow in a nuclear reactor

Abstract The neutron noise induced by an air-water loop located in a nuclear reactor is investigated. A simple model of the neutron noise is developed using phenomenological arguments. The model is verified by comparison to experimental results, and three-dimensional, two-energy group diffusion calculations. The aim of the work is to provide the theoretical background for studying two-phase flow using neutron noise analysis.
Why inferences might be restricted

Inferences are both commonplace and elusive in reading. The key question is: What principles separate the commonplace from the elusive? Although those who argue for online goal‐directed inferences may be correct, the evidence in favor of such inferences is yet not substantial and is open to other interpretations. Higher level inferences may be restricted in part because, unlike syntactic processes, they do not operate in response to simple memory symbols, but depend on complex compositional representations that might not always be available.
CNO abundances and hydrodynamic models of the nova outburst. III - 0.5 solar mass models with enhanced carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen

Consideration of the evolution of thermonuclear runaways in the hydrogen-rich envelopes of 0.5 solar mass carbon-oxygen white dwarfs. The larger radii of these stars, compared with the 1.00 solar mass white dwarfs, results in a lesser degree of degeneracy at the same depth in the star. Four models of luminosity with .00355 solar luminosity, differing only in the initial abundances of C-12, N-14, and O-16, are presented. The degree of enhancement required to produce mass ejection, and thereby a nova-type outburst, is greater than for the 1.00 solar mass model. Nevertheless, the evolution of the 0.5 solar mass model that ejected material is very similar to that of the 1.00 solar mass models, and it also ejects significant amounts of C-13, N-15, and O-17 into the interstellar medium. The 0.5 solar mass outburst is considerably less intense than the 1.00 solar mass outburst (even under optimum conditions), and this lower mass behavior is interpreted as associated with the observed outburst of the slowest novae.
Wilson loops as precursors

There is substantial evidence that string theory on AdS{sub 5}xS{sub 5} is a holographic theory in which the number of degrees of freedom scales as the area of the boundary in Planck units. Precisely how the theory can describe bulk physics using only surface degrees of freedom is not well understood. A particularly paradoxical situation involves an event deep in the interior of the bulk space. The event must be recorded in the (Schroedinger picture) state vector of the boundary theory long before a signal, such as a gravitational wave, can propagate from the event to the boundary. In a previous paper with Polchinski, we argued that the ''precursor'' operators which carry information stored in the wave during the time when it vanishes in a neighborhood of the boundary are necessarily non-local. In this paper we argue that the precursors cannot be products of local gauge invariant operators such as the energy momentum tensor. In fact gauge theories have a class of intrinsically non-local operators which cannot be built from local gauge invariant objects. These are the Wilson loops. We show that the precursors can be identified with Wilson loops whose spatial size is dictated by the UV-IR connection. (c)more » 2000 The American Physical Society.« less
Characterization of the Xiphophorus fish (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) ERCC2/XPD locus

We have cloned and sequenced the ERCC2/XPD locus of Xiphophorus maculatus. The human ERCC2/XPD gene is a nucleotide excision repair gene presumed to encode an ATP-dependent DNA helicase. The fish ERCC2/XPD gene is represented on 14.5 kb of genomic DNA and is composed of 23 exons. Within the coding regions, the overall nucleotide identity is 74% compared to the human cDNA. Of 760 amino acids compared between human and fish sequences, 127 differences are observed. Of these differences, 48 residues (38%) represent nonconservative amino acid changes, while 79 (62%) are conservative. The majority (73%) of nonconservative differences between the human and the fish amino acid sequences occur in eight distinct groups comprising only about 10% of the total protein. Overall, the fish and human sequences show 83% amino acid identity and 94% similarity when conservative amino acid substitutions are allowed.
86. The relation between body weight, brain inflammation, cognitive and emotional changes in response to an immune challenge

Obesity is clearly a risk factor for increased basal inflammation and increased inflammatory responses to immune challenge. However, even weight variation within the normal range or in food-restricted animals is correlated with the immune response to a pathogen challenge and changes in behavior. We discovered that mice’s adverse responses to mold exposure were strongly correlated with body weight. In fact, small variations in body weight were better predictors of inflammation and/or cognitive effects than spore dose. Male C57Bl/6 mice were randomly assigned to treatment groups according to a stratified block design controlling for initial weight. Mice were nasally instilled with (1) intact Stachybotrys spores, (2) extracted spores that had their toxins removed and proteins denatured, or (3) saline vehicle three times per week. Their behavior was tested after three weeks of treatment, and the animals sacrificed and hippocampal tissue analyzed after six weeks. Weight did not differ across groups at any point in the experiment. However, the more the animals weighed, the higher the numbers of amoeboid microglia in the hippocampus, the greater the memory deficits on a contextual fear task, the higher the anxiety as measured on the elevated plus maze and the more fearful the animals were of the auditory cue that had been paired with one mild footshock. Clearly, weight within the normal range is a crucial variable in inflammatory responses leading to cognitive changes.
Targeted stock identification using multilocus genotype 'familyprinting'

Abstract We present an approach to stock identification of small, targeted populations that uses multilocus microsatellite genotypes of individual mating adults to uniquely identify first- and second-generation offspring in a mixture. We call the approach ‘familyprinting’; unlike DNA fingerprinting where tissue samples of individuals are matched, offspring from various families are assigned to pairs of parents or sets of four grandparents with known genotypes. The basic unit of identification is the family, but families can be nested within a variety of stock units ranging from naturally reproducing groups of fish in a small tributary or pond from which mating adults can be sampled to large or small collections of families produced in hatcheries and stocked in specific locations. We show that, with as few as seven alleles per locus using four loci without error, first-generation offspring can be uniquely assigned to the correct family. For second-generation applications in a hatchery more alleles per locus (10) and loci (10) are required for correct assignment of all offspring to the correct set of grandparents. Using microsatellite DNA variation from an Atlantic salmon (Salmo solar) restoration river (Connecticut River, USA), we also show that this population contains sufficient genetic diversity in sea-run returns for 100% correct first-generation assignment and 97% correct second-generation assignment using 14 loci. We are currently using first- and second-generation familyprinting in this population with the ultimate goal of identifying stocking tributary. In addition to within-river familyprinting, there also appears to be sufficient genetic diversity within and between Atlantic salmon populations for identification of ‘familyprinted’ fish in a mixture of multiple populations. We also suggest that second-generation familyprinting with multiple populations may also provide a tool for examining stock structure. Familyprinting with microsatellite DNA markers is a viable method for identification of offspring of randomly mating adults from small, targeted stocks and should provide a useful addition to current mixed stock analyses with genetic markers.
Quadrature rules for approximating semi-integrals and semiderivatives

Abstract Quadrature methods are developed for the numerical approximation of half-order integrals and derivatives. The Riemann- Liouville definition of a semi-integral is the starting point for the analysis. Numerical integration methods based on classical quadrature theory and piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation are explored. Numerical examples and a FORTRAN subroutine are provided to illustrate the theory.
Measures of RSA Suppression, Attentional Control, and Negative Affect Predict Self-Ratings of Executive Functions

The current study was an attempt to determine the degree to which the suppression of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and attentional control were influential in the ability to engage various executive processes under high and low levels of negative affect. Ninety-four college students completed the Stroop Test while heart rate was being recorded. Estimates of the suppression of RSA were calculated from each participant in response to this test. The participants then completed self-ratings of attentional control, negative affect, and executive functioning. Regression analysis indicated that individual differences in estimates of the suppression of RSA, and ratings of attentional control were associated with the ability to employ executive processes but only when self-ratings of negative affect were low. An increase in negative affect compromised the ability to employ these strategies in the majority of participants. The data also suggest that high attentional control in conjunction with attenuated estim...
Performance improvement of face recognition using multispectral images and stereo images

Score fusion combines several scores from multiple matchers and/or multiple modalities, which can increase the accuracy of face recognition. In a real system, high accuracy rate and low false accept rates (FAR) are equally important. In this paper, we propose to improve the accuracy using score fusion of multispectral images and reduce the FAR using decision fusion of stereo images. The stereo face images are taken with two identical cameras aiming at a subject, which include two bands, visible and thermal. Specifically, the score fusion combines the face scores from three selected matchers, face pattern byte, linear discriminant analysis, and elastic bunch graph matching, and from two-band images (visible and thermal). The decision fusion combines the results (genuine or impostor) from left face and right face in stereo imaging. We present the score-fusion results using k-nearest neighbor fusion, and hidden Markov model fusion, and the decision-fusion results using logical rules, OR and AND. Our experiments are conducted with the ASUMSS face dataset that currently consists of the stereo face images of two spectral bands from 55 subjects. The experimental results show that score fusion can significantly improve the accuracy, and the decision fusion (with AND rule) can reduce the FAR with a slight decrease of the accuracy.