cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polynomial bounds for probability generating functions. II

Consider the set of proper probability distributions on the nonnegative integers having the first k moments (fixed) in common. It is desired to find the element of this set whose corresponding probability generating function (p.g.f.) lies entirely above or below the others. Using convexity arguments, it is shown that the extremal distribution exists, is unique, and is necessarily an element of a certain subclass of the class of all (k + 1)-point distributions. This subclass is entirely characterized by the geometrical properties of its set of support. The alternation of upper and lower bounds with the parity of k is also explained. There is mention of how the techniques developed here apply to more general discrete optimization problems, and the connection with the theory of cyclic polytopes is also discussed.
Role of P-glycoprotein in dolastatin 10 resistance

Abstract Dolastatin 10, a cytotoxic pentapeptide isolated from the mollusk Dolabella auricularia , exhibits potent antitumor activity. The present studies demonstrated that sublines of murine PC4 and human U-937 leukemia cells expressing a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype are cross-resistant to this agent. We also demonstrated that such resistance was reversed by verapamil. While these findings suggested the involvement of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in dolastatin 10 resistance, we performed similar studies in a CHO cell line transfected with the human mdr 1 cDNA. Expression of P-gp in the transfected cells was associated with resistance to dolastatin 10 by a verapamil-sensitive mechanism. The demonstration that photoaffinity labeling of P-gp was decreased in the presence of dolastatin 10 further supports the interaction of this cytotoxic peptide with P-gp. Taken together, these findings suggest that resistance to dolastatin 10 is conferred, at least in part, by P-gp and that this cytotoxic peptide is a novel member of the MDR phenotype.
Classifying the Electrophysiological Effects of Chronotropic Drugs on Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes using Voltage Sensitive Dyes and Supervised Machine Learning

The emergence of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell technology has expanded the possibilities for sourcing human cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CMs). Novel microscopy and analysis methods serve to accelerate development and validation of in vitro hiPS-CM models for drug screening. Voltage sensitive dyes (VSD) allow non-invasive, non-destructive, and longitudinal assessment of hiPS-CM electrophysiology at the sub-cellular membrane scale. In this study, we successfully use 2-photon microscopy to capture VSD signal at the cellular membrane scale generated from actively beating hiPS-CMs exposed to the chronotropic drugs, propranolol (10−5 M) and isoproterenol (10−7 M).
Realization of 2D Reverse-Lattice discrete filters

In this paper state space and circuit realizations are presented for 2D Reverse-Lattice based filters. The proposed state space realizations are based on the corresponding circuit implementation. For the state space realization the 2D Cyclic model, having minimal dimension and delay elements, is used. Two low-order representative examples are presented to illustrate the proposed results using, 2D all-pass and all-pole with a scale factor, realization structures.
Ultrasensitivity in the Regulation of Cdc25C by Cdk1.

Cdc25C is a critical component of the interlinked positive and double-negative feedback loops that constitute the bistable mitotic trigger. Computational studies have indicated that the trigger's bistability should be more robust if the individual legs of the loops exhibit ultrasensitive responses. Here, we show that in Xenopus extracts two measures of Cdc25C activation (hyperphosphorylation and Ser 287 dephosphorylation) are highly ultrasensitive functions of the Cdk1 activity; estimated Hill coefficients were 11 to 32. Some of Cdc25C's ultrasensitivity can be reconstituted in vitro with purified components, and the reconstituted ultrasensitivity depends upon multisite phosphorylation. The response functions determined here for Cdc25C and previously for Wee1A allow us to formulate a simple mathematical model of the transition between interphase and mitosis. The model shows how the continuously variable regulators of mitosis work collectively to generate a switch-like, hysteretic response.
Joint IMM/MHT Tracking and Identification for Multi-Sensor Ground Target Tracking

After giving an overview of the design of the IMM/MHT tracker, this paper discusses a joint tracking and identification approach to the multi-sensor ground target tracking problem. It is widely recognized that the requirements for the continuous tracking of important targets can only be achieved by incorporating feature data and behavioral information. Consequently, a Dempster-Shafer approach has been applied in the integration of multi-sensor classification with the target behavior so that an estimate of target type may included in the data association decision process. The ID information that may be potentially derived from HRR profiles may be combined with conventional IMM/MHT tracking techniques in order to aid the track-observation association process. Issues such as the inevitable loss of track identity due to track switching as well as the presence of confusers must be addressed. Thus, the paper discusses methods to include the effect of confusers and to efficiently reestablish track identity after a track-switch.
A PET Study of Tiagabine Treatment Implicates Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder

Corticolimbic circuitry has been implicated in generalized social anxiety disorder (gSAD) by several neuroimaging symptom provocation studies. However, there are limited data regarding resting state or treatment effects on regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose uptake (rCMRglu). Given evidence for anxiolytic effects conferred by tiagabine, a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake inhibitor, the present [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) study sought to (1) compare resting rCMRglu between healthy control (HC) and pretreatment gSAD cohorts, (2) examine pre- to post-tiagabine treatment rCMRglu changes in gSAD, and (3) determine rCMRglu predictors of tiagabine treatment response. Fifteen unmedicated individuals with gSAD and ten HCs underwent a baseline (pretreatment) resting-state (18)FDG-PET scan. Twelve of the gSAD individuals completed an open, 6-week, flexible dose trial of tiagabine, and underwent a second (posttreatment) resting-state (18)FDG-PET scan. Compared to the HC subjects, individuals with gSAD demonstrated less pretreatment rCMRglu within the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) at baseline. Following tiagabine treatment, vmPFC rCMRglu increased significantly in the gSAD group. Further, the magnitude of treatment response was inversely correlated with pretreatment rCMRglu within vmPFC. Taken together the present findings converge with neuroimaging findings from studies of social cognition in healthy individuals and symptom provocation in gSAD to support a role for the vmPFC in the pathophysiology of gSAD. Given the pharmacological profile of tiagabine, these findings suggest that its therapeutic effects in gSAD may be mediated by GABAergic modulation within the vmPFC.
The effect of position in utterance on speech segment duration in English

The duration of speech segments as a function of position in utterances (initial, medial, final) was studied. In the first experiment seven English speakers read nonsense utterances of the form “say a [bab], say a [babab], say a [babab],” etc. Spectrograms were used to determine the duration of speech segments in the readings. Final syllables were found to be longer than nonfinal syllables. Final‐syllable vowel increments were approximately 100 msec. Final‐syllable consonant increments were less than vowel increments; for instance, absolute final consonant increments were about 20 msec. Also word‐initial consonants were found to be lengthened by 20–30 msec over medial consonants. Subsequent experimentation demonstrated with English nonsense words that (1) final‐syllable and initial‐consonant lengthening occur in utterances with various intonational patterns (imperative, declarative, interrogative); (2) final‐syllable lengthening occurs in word‐final and phrase‐final positions as well as in utterance‐final position; and (3) final‐syllable and initial‐consonant lengthening occur in various kinds of syllables, including syllables with diphthongs, with fricative consonants, with voiceless stops, with consonant cluster, and with no final consonants (i.e., CV syllables). These studies report durational increments of particularly great magnitude for absolute final fricative consonants. Explanations of the lengthening effects are discussed. One theory suggests that lengthening in certain utterance positions is a learned aspect of language which cues listeners concerning the location of boundaries of words, phrases, or sentences. Explanations based on hypothesized properties of the speech production process are also discussed.
Low- 18 O silicic magmas: why are they so rare?

LOW-180 silicic magmas are reported from only a small number of localities (e.g., Yellowstone and Iceland), yet petrologic evidence points to upper crustal assimilation coupled with fractional crystallization (AFC) during magma genesis for nearly all silicic magmas. The rarity of 10W-l `O magmas in intracontinental caldera settings is remarkable given the evidence of intense 10W-l*O meteoric hydrothermal alteration in the subvolcanic remnants of larger caldera systems. In the Platoro caldera complex, regional ignimbrites (150-1000 km3) have plagioclase 6180 values of 6.8 + 0.1%., whereas the Middle Tuff, a small-volume (est. 50-100 km3) post-caldera collapse pyroclastic sequence, has plagioclase 8]80 values between 5.5 and 6.8%o. On average, the plagioclase phenocrysts from the Middle Tuff are depleted by only 0.3%0 relative to those in the regional tuffs. At Yellowstone, small-volume post-caldera collapse intracaldera rhyolites are up to 5.5%o depleted relative to the regional ignimbrites. Two important differences between the Middle Tuff and the Yellowstone 10W-180 rhyolites elucidate the problem. Middle Tuff magmas reached water saturation and erupted explosively, whereas most of the 10W-l 80 Yellowstone rhyolites erupted effusively as domes or flows, and are nearly devoid of hydrous phenocrysts. Comparing the two eruptive types indicates that assimilation of 10W-180 material, combined with fractional crystallization, drives silicic melts to water oversaturation. Water saturated magmas either erupt explosively or quench as subsurface porphyrins bejiire the magmatic 180 can be dramatically lowered. Partial melting of low- 180 subvolcanic rocks by near-anhydrous magmas at Yellowstone produced small- volume, 10W-180 magmas directly, thereby circumventing the water saturation barrier encountered through normal AFC processes.
Unbiased ridge estimation with prior information and ridge trace

A procedure is illustrated to incorporate prior information in the ridge regression model. Unbiased ridge estimators with prior information are defined and a robust estimate of the ridge parameter k is proposed.
Theorizing the "Black Body" as a Site of Trauma: Implications for Theologies of Embodiment

In what ways have religious scholars theorized, or undertheorized, the "Black body" and the Black Church's response to embodiment and sexuality? How is the "Black body" configured as a site of trauma and what is the utility of theorizing the "Black body" as a figure of embodied trauma? Lastly, what implications do the latter have on the ways we theologize embodiment in the Black Church? This article seeks to address these questions through a reading that broadens the view of the Black body, seemingly maintained by some religious scholars, that insists upon the Black body as figuring a site of pleasure only.
The synthesis and thermal polymerization of 4,4′-diethynylphenyl ether

Diethynylphenyl ether (DEPE) was synthesized and its thermal polymerization studied by NMR, IR, and DSC techniques. DEPE is a crystalline solid that melts at 72–73°C and undergoes polymerization beginning at about 150°C. The heat of polymerization measured by DSC was 53 ± 2 kcal/mole. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) of the fully cured resin showed softening behavior at temperatures in excess of 400°C. Weight loss up to 720°C was only 21%. A mechanism of polymerization based on the analysis of IR and NMR data for party polymerized material below 300°C is proposed.
Estimating in situ soil-water retention and field water capacity in two contrasting soil textures

A priori knowledge of the in situ soil field water capacity (FWC) and the soil-water retention curve for soils is important for the effective irrigation management and scheduling of many crops. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the in situ FWC using the soil-water retention curve developed from volumetric water content (θ), and water potential (ψ) data collected in the field by means of soil moisture sensors in two contrasting-textured soils. The two study soils were Lihen sandy loam and Savage clay loam. Six metal frames 117 cm × 117 cm × 30 cm high were inserted into the soil to a depth of 5–10 cm at approximately 40 m intervals on a 200 m transect. Two Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR) sensors were installed in the center of the frame and two Watermark (WM) sensors were installed in the SW corner at 15 and 30 cm depths to continuously monitor soil θ and ψ, respectively. A neutron probe (NP) access tube was installed in the NE corner of each frame to measure soil θ used for TDR calibration. The upper 50–60 cm of soil inside each frame was saturated with intermittent application of approximately 18–20 cm of water. Frames were then covered with plastic tarps. The Campbell and Gardner equations best fit the soil–water retention curves for sandy loam and clay loam soils, respectively. Based on the relationship between soil ψ and elapsed time following cessation of infiltration, we calculated that the field capacity time (t FWC) were reached at approximately 50 and 450 h, respectively, for sandy loam and clay loam soils. Soil-water retention curves showed that θ values at FWC (θ FWC) were approximately 0.228 and 0.344 m3 m−3, respectively, for sandy loam and clay loam soils. The estimated θ FWC values were within the range of the measured θ FWC values from the NP and gravimetric methods. The TDR and WM sensors provided accurate in situ soil–water retention data from simultaneous soil θ and ψ measurements that can be used in soil-water processes, irrigation scheduling, modeling and chemical transport.
Design of robust parameter LQ control for systems with different operating conditions

Considers the design problem of finding a structurally constrained regulator with fixed feedback gains to satisfy a performance criterion over a finite number of operating points. The problem represents a class of robust optimal parametric control problems which have been physically well justified. Mathematical formulation of the class of robust control problems is given. A design procedure based on the Broyden-Feletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) optimization method is then proposed as an effective algorithm for determining the robust optimal control gains. Though results are presented for continuous-time systems, extensions to the discrete-time case can also be obtained readily. >
A nanocontact printing system for sub-100 nm aligned patterning

Though many aspects of contact printing have been explored extensively since its invention, there are still hurdles to overcome for multilayer printing in the nanometer regime. Here we report on an aligned nanocontact printing (nCP) system that has demonstrated a sub-100 nm alignment capability by means of moire fringes and microspacers. To address issues in the stamp inking, we have devised a microfluidic apparatus based on the gradient capillary force for transport of ink solutions. The nCP system has been tested by printing nucleoside phosphoramidites on a nanopillar arrayed substrate. Although the nCP system was designed primarily for use in the fabrication of high density DNA nanoarrays, it has the potential to be applied to other fields of nanotechnology for nanoscale patterning.
Substance P decreases a potassium conductance of spinal cord neurons in cell culture

Substance P (SP) produced membrane depolarization and decreased membrane conductance of mouse spinal cord neurons in primary dissociated cell culture. SP-responses were abolished by intracellular tetraethylammonium suggesting that SP decreased potassium conductance. Reversal of SP-responses was not observed with membrane hyperpolarization suggesting that SP reduced a voltage-dependent potassium conductance that was activated by membrane depolarization.
Pharmacological modulation of soman-induced seizures*

Anticholinergics, benzodiazepines and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists have been shown to modulate the expression of nerve agent-induced seizures. This study examined whether the anticonvulsant actions of these drugs varied depending on the duration of prior seizure activity. Rats implanted with electrodes to record electroencephalographic (EEG) activity were pretreated with the oxime HI-6 (125 mg/kg, IP) to prolong survival, and then challenged with a convulsant dose of the nerve agent soman (180 micrograms/kg, SC); treatment compounds (scopolamine, diazepam, MK-801, atropine, benactyzine, and trihexyphenidyl) were delivered IV at specific times after seizure onset. Both diazepam and MK-801 displayed a similar profile of activity: At both short or long times after seizure initiation the anticonvulsant efficacy of each drug remained the same. Diazepam, and especially MK-801, enhanced the lethal actions of soman by potentiating the respiratory depressant effects of the agent; scopolamine given prior to diazepam or MK-801 protected against the respiratory depression. Scopolamine and atropine showed a dose- and time-dependent effectiveness; the longer the seizure progressed the higher the dose of drug required to terminate the seizure, with eventual loss of anticonvulsant activity if the seizure had progressed for 40 min. In contrast, benactyzine and trihexyphenidyl showed a third profile of activity: There was a smaller increase in drug dosage required for anticonvulsant activity as seizure duration increased, and both drugs could terminate seizures that had progressed for 40 min. The early anticonvulsant action of anticholinergics is interpreted as a specific effect that blocks the primary cholinergic excitatory drive that initiates, and first maintains, nerve agent seizures. If allowed to progress, the seizure activity itself recruits excitatory neurotransmitter systems (i.e., NMDA) that eventually maintain the seizure independent of the initial cholinergic drive. This is indicated by the eventual ineffectiveness of scopolamine and atropine as the duration of the seizure progresses. Diazepam and MK-801 appear to act to moderate nerve agent seizures by enhancing inhibitory activity (diazepam) or dampening the secondarily activated noncholinergic excitatory system (MK-801). Benactyzine and trihexyphenidyl represent compounds that possibly have both anticholinergic and NMDA antagonistic properties.
Production problems with deadline penalties

SUMMARY This paper considers the scheduling problem faced by a manufacturer who is required to conform strictly to previously agreed due dates (or delivery dates), Penalties are assessed in the event that the product or service delivered is not yet complete. The model allows for a disruption cost each time a delivery is made. The objective is to minimize a total penalty function based on the announced due dates, the tardiness of each job and the number of distinct due dates used. The problem is solved by an efficient algorithm which simultaneously finds optimal solutions for the number of due dates to use, the specifications of those due dates and the order of processing for the jobs. A numerical example demonstrates the operation of the algorithm.
Quantification of individual sensitivities to ethanol in selective breeding experiments: difference scores versus regression residuals

Nagoshi et al. (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 10:343-349, 1986) have argued recently that the use of postdrug minus predrug difference scores to assess individual variability in sensitivity or tolerance to ethanol is not to be recommended. Unreliability of variables can result in biased estimates of response to treatment. Instead of difference scores, they recommend using residual scores from the regression of posttreatment on pretreatment measures. We were interested in the consequences of employing difference scores versus regression residuals for a related, but different purpose: the choice of individual animals to be mated for a selective breeding study. The availability of data from such a selective breeding experiment ongoing in the laboratory of one of us (JCC) allowed us to compare directly the effects of use of change and residual scores as criteria for selection. The selection is for maximal hypothermic sensitivity of mice to an acute dose of ethanol. In our sample, difference scores were highly correlated with regression residuals. In practical terms, almost 75% of the individuals chosen for mating by the change score method would also have been chosen by the residual score method. We conclude that for selective breeding experiments, the use of difference scores does not necessarily introduce sampling bias, is unlikely to affect the ultimate outcome of selection, and may be a more meaningful variable for the physiological process studied.
Tightened upper bounds for distributed Alamouti's code with a non-regenerative relay

In this paper, we consider a cooperative system with distributed Alamouti's code that includes a source, a non-regenerative relay and a destination. The relay uses the amplify-and-forward protocol and all links experience independent Rayleigh fading. First, we present a novel approximation method in the series expansion for the error function. Then, we derive, based on the conditional expectation method, an upper bound of the BER performance in a summation of number of easily calculated components. This bound exhibits the even approximation errors for all SNR range and approaches to the exact system performance when the number of components increases. The upper bound is validated with simulation results and it is more accurate and flexible compared with other approximation methods.
Efficient Algorithms for Richer Formalisms: Parsing and Machine Translation

My PhD research has been on the algorithmic and formal aspects of computational linguistics, esp. in the areas of parsing and machine translation. I am interested in developing efficient algorithms for formalisms with rich expressive power, so that we can have a better modeling of human languages without sacrificing efficiency. In doing so, I hope to help integrating more linguistic and structural knowledge with modern statistical techniques, and in particular, for syntax-based machine translation (MT) systems.Among other projects, I have been working on k-best parsing, synchronous binarization, and syntax-directed translation.
A Model for Morbidity After Lung Resection in Octogenarians

Objective: Age is an important risk factor for morbidity after lung resection. This study was performed to identify specific risk factors for complications after lung resection in octogenarians. Methods:A prospective database containing patients aged 80 years or older, who underwent lung resection at a single institution between January 2000 and June 2009, was reviewed. Preoperative, histopathologic, perioperative, and outcome variables were assessed. Morbidity was measured as a patient having any perioperative event as defined by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database. A multivariable risk model for morbidity was developed using a panel of established preoperative and operative variables. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan—Meier method. Results: During the study period, 193 patients aged 80 years or older (median age 82 years) underwent lung resection: wedge resection in 77, segmentectomy in 13, lobectomy in 96, bilobectomy in four, and pneumonectomy in three. Resection was accomplished via thoracoscopy in 149 patients (77%). Operative mortality was 3.6% (seven patients) and morbidity was 46% (89 patients). A total of 181 (94%) patients were discharged directly home. Postoperative events included atrial arrhythmia in 38 patients (20%), prolonged air leak in 24 patients (12%), postoperative transfusion in 22 patients (11%), delirium in 16 patients (8%), need for bronchoscopyin14patients(7%),andpneumoniain10patients(5%).Significantpredictorsofmorbiditybymultivariableanalysisincludedresection greater than wedge (odds ratio 2.98, p = 0.006), thoracotomy as operative approach (odds ratio 2.6, p = 0.03), and % predicted forced expiratory volumein1 s (oddsratio1.28foreach10%decrement, p =0 .01).Conclusions:Octogenarians can undergolungresection withlowmortality. Extent of resection, use of a thoracotomy, and impaired lung function increase the risk of complications. Careful evaluation is necessary to selectthemost appropriate approach in octogenarians being considered for lung resection. # 2010 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Utility of RNA-seq and GPMDB protein observation frequency for improving the sensitivity of protein identification by tandem MS.

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) followed by database search is the method of choice for protein identification in proteomic studies. Database searching methods employ spectral matching algorithms and statistical models to identify and quantify proteins in a sample. In general, these methods do not utilize any information other than spectral data for protein identification. However, considering the wealth of external data available for many biological systems, analysis methods can incorporate such information to improve the sensitivity of protein identification. In this study, we present a method to utilize Global Proteome Machine Database identification frequencies and RNA-seq transcript abundances to adjust the confidence scores of protein identifications. The method described is particularly useful for samples with low-to-moderate proteome coverage (i.e., <2000–3000 proteins), where we observe up to an 8% improvement in the number of proteins identified at a 1% false discovery rate.
Synchrnoic consciousness from a neurological point of view: the philosophical foundations for neuroethics

Daniel Kolak’s theory of synchronic consciousness according to which the entire range of dissociative phenomena, from pathologies such as MPD and schizophrenia to normal dream states, are best explained in terms of consciousness becoming simultaneously identified as many selves, has revolutionary therapeutic implications for neurology and psychiatry. All these selves, according to Kolak—even the purely imaginary ones that exist as such only in our dreams—are not just conscious but also self-conscious, with beliefs, intentions, living lives informed by memories (confabulatory, in the case of the fictional ones) and personal histories. Kolak’s derivation of psychiatrically relevant aspects of his theory—a neurological rendition of a Kantian transcendental argument—can be given a straightforward neurological, and therefore open to scientific scrutiny, interpretation that would then more easily lend itself to the clinical setting in which these perplexing phenomena, along with their purveyors, must live and cope. This will be the main focus of this paper.
Clonal analysis reveals granule cell behaviors and compartmentalization that determine the folded morphology of the cerebellum

The mammalian cerebellum consists of folds of different sizes and shapes that house distinct neural circuits. A crucial factor underlying foliation is the generation of granule cells (gcs), the most numerous neuron type in the brain. We used clonal analysis to uncover global as well as folium size-specific cellular behaviors that underlie cerebellar morphogenesis. Unlike most neural precursors, gc precursors divide symmetrically, accounting for their massive expansion. We found that oriented cell divisions underlie an overall anteroposteriorly polarized growth of the cerebellum and gc clone geometry. Clone geometry is further refined by mediolateral oriented migration and passive dispersion of differentiating gcs. Most strikingly, the base of each fissure acts as a boundary for gc precursor dispersion, which we propose allows each folium to be regulated as a developmental unit. Indeed, the geometry and size of clones in long and short folia are distinct. Moreover, in engrailed 1/2 mutants with shorter folia, clone cell number and geometry are most similar to clones in short folia of wild-type mice. Thus, the cerebellum has a modular mode of development that allows the plane of cell division and number of divisions to be differentially regulated to ensure that the appropriate number of cells are partitioned into each folium.
A Global Rank End Point for Clinical Trials in Acute Heart Failure

Hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF) is a major public health problem, with >1 million hospitalizations annually in the United States.1 The development of new therapies for patients with AHF remains a significant challenge.2 One aspect of clinical trial design in AHF that has been particularly vexing is the choice of appropriate end points, a topic that has recently been reviewed in detail.3 The lack of consensus on the best end points for AHF studies has led to a heterogeneous variety of end points in phase III studies, a disparity that limits the ability to make comparisons across studies.4 A notable feature of previous drug development programs in AHF has been the discrepancy between positive signals for efficacy in phase II studies and the lack of efficacy in more definitively powered phase III trials. This “disconnect” between phase II and phase III trials has now been observed with a variety of agents, including tezosentan,5 tolvaptan,6 and rolofylline.7 A notable paradox in these data is that these agents have failed to show substantive benefits in AHF, despite improving signs and symptoms of congestion, the major driver of HF decompensation.4 This raises the critical question as to why therapies that appear to effectively address an important pathophysiologic target (ie, congestion) have not shown demonstrable benefit on longer-term outcomes. Although there are multiple possible explanations for the failure to successfully develop new therapies, 1 potential unexplored hypothesis to explain these findings is that improvement in congestion is only beneficial if it can be accomplished while avoiding unintended consequences, such as myocardial injury or worsening of renal function. The continuing evolution of novel biomarkers that reflect these pathophysiologic processes suggests the possibility of testing this hypothesis in the context of AHF clinical trials. Given the history …
TOWARD A TECHNOLOGY OF DERIVED STIMULUS RELATIONS: AN ANALYSIS OF ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, 1992–2009

Every article on stimulus equivalence or derived stimulus relations published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis was evaluated in terms of characteristics that are relevant to the development of applied technologies: the type of participants, settings, procedure (automated vs. tabletop), stimuli, and stimulus sensory modality; types of relations targeted and emergent skills demonstrated by participants; and presence versus absence of evaluation of generalization and maintenance. In most respects, published reports suggested the possibility of applied technologies but left the difficult work of technology development to future investigations, suggestions for which are provided.
Comparisons of the simulated emissions and fuel efficiencies of diesel and gasoline hybrid electric vehicles

This paper presents results from gasoline- and diesel-powered hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that account for the interaction of drive cycle transients and engine start–stop events with after-treatment devices and their associated fuel penalties. These simulations were conducted using the Powertrain Systems Analysis Toolkit software combined with after-treatment component models developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The present authors employed a three-way catalyst model for gasoline emissions control and a lean nitrogen oxide (NOx) trap model to simulate diesel exhaust NOx reduction. A previously reported methodology based on experimentally calibrated corrections to steady state maps was used to simulate engine-out emissions and thermal variations. As expected, the simulations indicate a higher baseline fuel efficiency for diesel-powered hybrid vehicles, but this advantage is reduced by about a third for both HEVs and PHEVs when the fuel penalty for the lean NOx trap is included. These preliminary studies demonstrate that existing engine and exhaust systems models can capture important features of the highly transient engine operation in hybrid vehicles and can provide useful comparisons between advanced hybrid vehicle engine options.
Are water and tympanotomy tubes compatible

Traditionally, patients with tympanotomy tubes are admonished not to get water in their ears so that ear infections will not occur. This study reviews 100 children during the past three years who were given instructions to allow bath and shower water to get into their ears, and who were allowed to swim as long as they used polymyxin/neomycin/hydrocortisone ear drops at night after swimming. Only rarely did problems arise, and these were easily managed. No long-term harmful effects occurred. In addition, earplugs, swimming and shower caps, and special tympanotomy tubes are not needed to prevent ear infections. Water and tympanotomy tubes are compatible.
Optical Properties and van der Waals-London Dispersion Interactions in Inorganic and Biomolecular Assemblies

The optical properties and electronic structure of AlPO4, SiO2, Type I collagen, and DNA were examined to gain insight into the van der Waals-London dispersion behavior of these materials. Interband optical properties of AlPO4 and SiO2 were derived from vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry, and showed a strong dependence on the crystals’ constituent tetrahedral units, with strong implications for the role of phosphate groups in biological materials. The UV-Vis decadic molar absorption of four DNA oligonucleotides was measured, and showed a strong dependence on composition and stacking sequence. A film of Type I collagen was studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry, and showed a characteristic shoulder in the fundamental absorption edge at 6.05 eV. Ab initio calculations based on density functional theory corroborated the experimental results and provided further insights into the electronic structures, interband transitions and vdW-Ld interaction potentials for these materials.
Dense Disparity Real-Time Stereo Vision Algorithm for Resource-Limited Systems

It is evident that the accuracy of stereo vision algorithms has continued to increase based on commonly used quantitative evaluations of the resulting disparity maps. This paper focuses on the development of promising stereo vision algorithms that efficiently tradeoff accuracy for large reductions in required computational resources. An intensity profile shape-matching algorithm is introduced as an example of an algorithm that makes such tradeoffs. The proposed algorithm is compared to both a basic sum-of-absolute-differences (SAD) block-matching algorithm, as well as a stereo vision algorithm that is highly ranked for its accuracy based on the Middlebury evaluation criteria. This comparison shows that the proposed algorithm's accuracy on the commonly used Tsukuba stereo image pair is lower than many published stereo vision algorithms, but that for unrectified stereo image pairs that have even the slightest differences in brightness, it is potentially more robust than algorithms that rely on SAD block matching. An example application that requires 3-D information is implemented to show that the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is sufficient for this use. Timing results show that this is a very fast dense-disparity stereo vision algorithm when compared to other algorithms capable of running on a standard microprocessor.
Continuum superpartners from supersymmetric unparticles

We examine supersymmetric theories with approximately conformal sectors. Without an IR cutoff the theory has a continuum of modes, which are often referred to as “unparticles.” Making use of the AdS/CFT correspondence we find that in the presence of a soft-wall, a gap in the spectrum can arise, separating the zero-modes from the continuum modes. In some cases there are also discrete massive levels in the gap. We also show that when supersymmetry is broken the superpartner of a quark or lepton may simply be a bosonic continuum above a gap. Such extensions of the standard model have novel signatures at the LHC.
The Predictive Value of Parental Family Structure on Attitudes Regarding Premarital Pregnancy and the Consumption of Marijuana

Abstract Over the last twenty-five years, researchers have become greatly interested in the predictive value of parental family structure on the subsequent behavior and attitudes of adolescents years later. Social scientists are increasingly interested on the predictive value of family structure on the attitudes of adolescents towards premarital pregnancy and their consumption of marijuana. The vast majority of these studies have focused on the effects of divorce and remarriage in their analysis. This study focuses on the effects of other family structures that are becoming increasingly common in our society. Using the NELS data set from the 1988-1992 periodamines the effects of having a never-married single-parent, cohabitation, widowhood and parental separation (not divorce) on the attitudes of adolescents towards premarital pregnancy and their likelihood of consuming marijuana. The results indicate that the family struct, this study exure an adolescent abide in does impact their attitudes and behavior ...
A Simple, High‐Yield Synthesis of DNA Duplexes Containing a Covalent, Thermally Cleavable Interstrand Cross‐Link at a Defined Location

Interstrand DNA–DNA cross-links are highly toxic to cells because these lesions block the extraction of information from the genetic material. The pathways by which cells repair cross-links are important, but not well understood. The preparation of chemically well-defined cross-linked DNA substrates represents a significant challenge in the study of cross-link repair. Here a simple method is reported that employs “post-synthetic” modifications of commercially available 2′-deoxyoligonucleotides to install a single cross-link in high yield at a specified location within a DNA duplex. The cross-linking process exploits the formation of a hydrazone between a non-natural N4-amino-2′-deoxycytidine nucleobase and the aldehyde residue of an abasic site in duplex DNA. The resulting cross-link is stable under physiological conditions, but can be readily dissociated and re-formed through heating–cooling cycles.
Time Use during the Great Recession

Using data from the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2010, we document that home production absorbs roughly 30 percent of foregone market work hours at business cycle frequencies. Leisure absorbs roughly 50 percent of foregone market work hours, with sleeping and television watching accounting for most of this increase. We document significant increases in time spent on shopping, child care, education, and health. Job search absorbs between 2 and 6 percent of foregone market work hours. We discuss the implications of our results for business cycle models with home production and non-separable preferences. JEL-Codes: D13, E32, J22.
Conspectus of concepts of elasticity

The term ‘elasticity’ seems to conjure different images in different minds. After a discussion of the various interpretations of elasticity espoused by the pioneers, we discuss the notions of Cauchy elastic and Green elastic bodies, and whether Cauchy elastic bodies that are not Green elastic are reasonable from a physical standpoint. We then discuss a class of models, more general than classical Cauchy elastic bodies, and we find that such bodies need not be Green elastic. While a stored energy can be associated with these materials, the stress is not derivable from the stored energy. One can delineate conditions under which these models are thermodynamically consistent in that they meet the second law of thermodynamics; more precisely, the general class of bodies that is being described is incapable of dissipation1 in any process whatsoever. These models not only add to the repertoire of the elasticians in modeling solids that are incapable of dissipation, but also they seem to provide an opportunity fo...
Interactions among mycorrhizae, atmospheric CO2 and soil N impact plant community composition

We examined plant community responses to interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and availability of atmospheric CO2 and soil N. Communities of 14 plant species were grown in mesocosms containing living or killed AM fungal inoculum, ambient or elevated atmospheric CO2 and low or enriched soil N. After one growing season, significantly different plant communities existed in the different treatments. Plant species richness was lowest in +N mesocosms and highest in +AM + CO2 mesocosms. At ambient CO2, AM fungi reduced richness but at elevated CO2 they increased it. This was caused by changes in mortality rates of several C3 forbs and may suggest that CO2 enrichment ameliorates the carbon cost of some AM symbioses. Soil moisture was higher in +CO2 mesocosms but +AM counteracted this effect. These results suggest that AM symbioses may be important mediators of plant community responses to anthropogenic CO2 and N enrichment.
A circuit model of a system of VLSI interconnects for time response computation

A novel computational model based on the spectral-domain approach for the characterization of a dispersive multiconductor system is developed for time response computation. The model consists of two identical impedance networks and equivalent voltage-controlled voltage sources, and it is particularly suitable for timing analysis. Since the model is constructed based on full-wave analysis, the hybrid nature of the VLSI interconnects is taken care of, and thus the model is valid at high frequencies when the longitudinal field components are no longer negligible. Signal distortions due to the dispersive nature of a multiconductor system are demonstrated by an example. >
Small Compounds Targeted to Subunit Interfaces Arrest Maturation in a Nonenveloped, Icosahedral Animal Virus

Nudaurelia ω capensis virus (NωV) capsids were previously characterized in two morphological forms, a T=4, 485-A-diameter round particle with large pores and a tightly sealed 395-A icosahedrally shaped particle with the same quasi-symmetric surface lattice. The large particle converts to the smaller particle when the pH is lowered from 7.6 to 5, and this activates an autocatalytic cleavage of the viral subunit at residue 570. Here we report that both 1-anilino-8 naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) and the covalent attachment of the thiol-reactive fluorophore, maleimide-ANS (MIANS), inhibit the structural transition and proteolysis at the lower pH. When ANS is exhaustively washed from the particles, the maturation proceeds normally; however, MIANS-modified particles are still inhibited after the same washing treatment, indicating that covalent attachment targets MIANS to a critical location for inhibition. Characterization of the low-pH MIANS product by electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) and image reconstruction demonstrated a morphology intermediate between the two forms previously characterized. A pseudoatomic model of the intermediate configuration was generated by rigid body refinement of the X-ray structure of the subunits (previously determined in the assembled capsid) into the cryo-EM density, allowing a quantitative description of the inhibited intermediate and a hypothesis for the mechanism of the inhibition.
Ranking-Based Optimal Resource Allocation in Peer-to-Peer Networks

This paper presents a theoretic framework of optimal resource allocation and admission control for peer-to-peer networks. Peer's behavioral rankings are incorporated into the resource allocation and admission control to provide differentiated services and even to block peers with bad rankings. These peers may be free-riders or suspicious attackers. A peer improves her ranking by contributing resources to the P2P system or deteriorates her ranking by consuming services. Therefore, the ranking-based resource allocation provides necessary incentives for peers to contribute their resources to the P2P systems. We define a utility function which captures the best wish for the source peer to serve competing peers, who request services from the source peer. Although the utility function is convex, Harsanyi-type social welfare functions are devised to obtain a unique optimal resource allocation that achieves max-min fairness. The parameters used in our model can be derived from the nature of the services or chosen by the source peer. No private information is required to reveal from individual peers. This prevents selfish peers to play the system strategically and cheat the resource allocation mechanism for their own benefits. The resource allocation and admission control are fully distributed and linearly scalable.
Identification of African horse sickness virus in cell culture using a digoxigenin-labeled RNA probe

A digoxigenin-labeled RNA probe was synthesized from a plasmid containing a portion of the African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 4 genome segment coding for nonstructural protein 1. In an in situ hybridization procedure, this probe hybridized successfully to Vero cells infected with each of the 9 serotypes of AHSV. There was no hybridization with noninfected cell cultures or cell cultures infected with bluetongue virus.
Frequency Response of a Viscously Damped Flat Plate

The frequency response of a flat plate in a viscous fluid is a problem with applications in microsystems, including gyroscopes, accelerometers, viscometers, and biological sensing. To find the frequency response away from the resonant frequency, the equations of motion are combined with the solution to Stokes'second problem to produce an analytic solution for the motion of the plate in response to a sinusoidal driving force. These results are used to determine the gain, phase lag, and dynamic stability of the system. The behavior of the system depends on an effective damping ratio ζ eff , which depends on the resonator dimensions, and is proportional to the square root of the viscosity times the fluid density.
A Theory for the Indian Ocean Dipole–Zonal Mode*

Abstract Four fundamental differences of air–sea interactions between the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans are identified based on observational analyses and physical reasoning. The first difference is represented by the strong contrast of a zonal cloud–SST phase relationship between the warm and cool oceans. The in-phase cloud–SST relationship in the warm oceans leads to a strong negative feedback, while a significant phase difference in the cold tongue leads to a much weaker thermodynamic damping. The second difference arises from the reversal of the basic-state zonal wind and the tilting of the ocean thermocline, which leads to distinctive effects of ocean waves. The third difference lies in the existence of the Asian monsoon and its interaction with the adjacent oceans. The fourth difference is that the southeast Indian Ocean is a region where a positive atmosphere–ocean thermodynamic feedback exists in boreal summer. A conceptual coupled atmosphere–ocean model was constructed aimed to understand th...