cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wave propagation in nonlinear electromagnetic media

This brief tutorial review first discusses the physical origin of nonlinear electric and magnetic susceptibilities of electro-magnetic media, from the audio through the microwave to the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Wave propagation in non-linear media can be described by a combination of Maxwell's equations and the nonlinear constitutive equations. The Manley-Rowe relationships are verified for anisotropic lossless dielectrica. Microwave harmonic generation in ferrites and other materials, microwave modulation of light, light harmonic generation, light mixing and parametric conversion are all discussed from a general common viewpoint. The boundary conditions at the surface of a nonlinear medium lead to generalizations of the laws of reflection and refraction of light.
Calculation of emissivity of Si wafers

A computer-software, Emissivity, has been developed to calculate the emissivity (ɛ) of silicon wafers of any surface morphology, for a given temperature and dopant concentration. The software uses a combination of ray- and wave-optics approaches to include the interference and the polarization effects necessary for multilayer surface coatings and multi-reflections within thin wafers. The refractive index and the absorption coefficient are calculated as a function of temperature and dopant concentration using an empirical model for an indirect bandgap semiconductor. The results of this model are compared with conventional emissivity calculations and experimental data.
Strategies for the future exploration of Mars

Abstract While the Viking mission yielded a wealth of scientific information about Mars, many intriguing new questions were raised about its chemical and physical environment. For many reasons, Mars thus continues to be an object of intense scientific interest. In addition, many scenarios for the further exploration of that planet have been advanced in recent years, and there is also keen public interest in future Mars missions. In looking ahead, one important aspect in planning a strategy for the exploration of Mars is whether or not to assume that Mars is a dead planet and also whether it is capable of supporting the growth of terrestrial organisms. Three very different mission strategies are presented here, depending upon how these assumptions are made.
Synthesis of β‐Keto Acids and Methyl Ketones Using Bis(trimethylsilyl) Malonate and Triethylamine in the Presence of Lithium or Magnesium Halides.

Abstract Bis(trimethylsilyl) malonate is acylated in good yields with acid chlorides and acyl carbonates using triethylamine and magnesium or lithium salts to give β-keto acids or methyl ketones. Compared to other procedures, which use strong bases, this method is inexpensive, safe and convenient; especially for large scale reactions.
A two-laser beam technique for improving the sensitivity of low frequency open path tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (OP-TDLAS) measurements

Open path tunable diode-laser absorption spectroscopy (OP-TDLAS) is a promising technique to detect low concentrations of possible biogenic gases on Mars. This technique finds the concentration of a gas by measuring the amount of laser light absorbed by gaseous molecules at a specific wavelength. One of the major factors limiting sensitivity in the TDLAS systems operating at low modulation frequencies is 1/f noise. 1/f noise is minimized in many spectroscopy systems by the use of high frequency modulation techniques. However, these techniques require complex instruments that include reference cells and other devices for calibration, making them relatively large and bulky. We are developing a spectroscopy system for space applications that requires small, low mass and low power instrumentation, making the high frequency techniques unsuitable. This paper explores a new technique using two-laser beam to reduce the affect of 1/f noise and increase the signal strength for measurements made at lower frequencies. The two lasers are excited at slightly different frequencies. An algorithm is used to estimate the noise in the second harmonic from the combined spectra of both lasers. This noise is subtracted from the signal to give a more accurate measurement of gas concentration. The error in estimation of 1/f noise is negligible as it corresponds to noise level made at much higher frequencies. Simulation results using ammonia gas and two lasers operating at 500 and 510 Hz respectively shows that this technique is able to decrease the error in estimation of gas concentration to 1/6 its normal value.
Impact of α-bungarotoxin on transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction of the rat

Abstract The drug, α-bungarotoxin (BTX) is believed to be a ‘pure’ nicotinic antagonist. Hence, use of this drug should avoid the secondary actions associated with other nicotinic antagonists. The hypothesis that the motor nerve terminal responds to the presence of acetylcholine (ACh) by releasing less transmitter was tested by examining the effects of BTX on end-plate potentials (EPPs), miniature end-plate potentials (MEPPs), and quantal release at the rat diaphragm neuromuscular junction. Analysis of EPP and MEPP amplitudes and quantal release demonstrate that BTX significantly increases transmitter release at the onset of tetanic stimulation (50 Hz). Like other nicotinic antagonists, BTX was not able to sustain enhanced quantal release during a brief train of 40 stimuli and resulted in greater decline in EPP amplitude during tetanic stimulation. The data suggests that negative feedback regulation by presynaptic autoreceptors only serves a functional role at the onset of stimulation and that other factors such as transmitter supply or adenosine regulation may serve to dominate transmitter release during maintained tetanic stimulation.
Stepping towards subject specific temperature modeling to improve thermal safety in clinical and ultra-high field MRI

In vivo radiofrequency (RF) heating was simulated by solving the generic bioheat transfer model (GBHTM) in a digital pig due the power deposition from a 3T MR body coil. The simulations were validated by measuring the heating using fluoroptic probes in anesthetized swine due to the whole-body average power deposition of 2.82 W/kg for an hour in a 3T scanner. The GBHTM predicted the RF heating accurately. The simulations as well as the measurements showed that safe temperature changes, as defined by international regulatory guidelines, were exceeded <15 minutes. Thus, appropriate temperature simulations are necessary to ensure human safety in MRI. The new models and methods developed herein brings us closer towards subject specific temperature modeling to improve thermal safety of patients and research subjects in clinical as well as ultra-high field MRI.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
When is a semiclassical approximation self-consistent?

A general condition for the self-consistency of a semiclassical approximation to a given system is suggested. It is based on the eigenvalue distribution of the relevant Hessian evaluated at the streamline configurations (configurations that almost satisfy the classical equations of motion). The semiclassical approximation is consistent when there exists a gap that separates small and large eigenvalues and the spreading among the small eigenvalues is much smaller than the gap. The idea is illustrated in the case of the double-well potential problem in quantum mechanics. The feasibility of the present idea to test instanton models of QCD vacuum also is discussed briefly.
Mechanical Features of the ATS RFQ Linear Accelerator

A radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator has been constructed and placed in operation on the Los Alamos National Laboratory accelerator test stand (ATS). This accelerator uses an evacuated rf manifold to distribute rf excitation from the 425-MHz rf power supply to the slot-coupled, RFQ vane-cavity, resonator assembly. The RFQ vanes are supported on commercially available copper-plated, linear, resilient "C-seals" to provide a high-conductivity rf contact that permits aligning and positioning the vanes during tuning, and demounting the vanes for evaluation and modification as necessary. All rf structures are fabricated from stress-relieved, bright-acid copperplated carbon steel. Measurements made on the accelerator as assembled have demonstrated >8000 vane-cavity Q at the quadrupole's ~423.400-MHz accelerating-mode frequency. Operating manifold vacuum of 3-6 × 10-8 torr has been observed after rf conditioning; conditioning required 150 h for stable high-power rf operation. Experience to date has indicated the desirability of modifying the vane rf-contact seat configuration to improve assembly and alignment procedures, improving vane-machining processes to increase vane straightness, installing periodic vane-shorting rings to minimize the effect of dipole modes in the quadrupole accelerating structure, and modifying the waveguide-coupling slot in the manifold to improve forward rf power flow.
Homophobia in Registered Nurses: Impact on LGB Youth

ABSTRACT This study examined registered nurses' overall attitudes and homophobia towards gays and lesbians in the workplace. Homophobia scores, represented by the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG) Scale, was the dependent variable. Overall homophobia scores were assessed among a randomized stratified sample of registered nurses licensed in the State of Florida who were educated at the diploma, associate, bachelors, masters, and doctorate levels. Statistical analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling and one-way analysis of variance.
The cryb mutation identifies cryptochrome as a circadian photoreceptor in Drosophila

A new rhythm mutation was isolated based on its elimination of per-controlled luciferase cycling. Levels of period or timeless clock gene products in the mutant are flat in daily light-dark cycles or constant darkness (although PER and TIM oscillate normally in temperature cycles). Consistent with the fact that light normally suppresses TIM, cryb is an apparent null mutation in a gene encoding Drosophila's version of the blue light receptor cryptochrome. Behaviorally, cryb exhibits poor synchronization to light-dark cycles in genetic backgrounds that cause external blindness or demand several hours of daily rhythm resets, and it shows no response to brief light pulses. cryb flies are rhythmic in constant darkness, correlating with robust PER and TIM cycling in certain pacemaker neurons.
Dam1 complexes go it alone on disassembling microtubules

Kinetochores maintain a mechanical grip on disassembling microtubule plus ends, possibly through a 16-member Dam1 ring that acts as a sliding clamp. It turns out, however, that a ring is not required for maintaining grip: individual Dam1 complexes in vitro can diffuse on the microtubule lattice and track shortening microtubule tips.
Biased Optimal Guidance for a Bank-to-Turn Missile

The problem here is to derive and test a practical terminal-phase guidance law for controlling the pitch acceleration and roll rate of a bank-to-turn missile with zero autopilot lags, so as to minimize spuared miss distance without requiring overly large commands. At the suggestion of P. Travers, an acceleration bias is introduced to prevent excessive roll commands due to noise. The Separation Theorem is invoked and the guidance (control) law is derived by applying optimal control theory, linearizing the nonlinear plant equation around the present missile orientation and obtaining a closed-form solution. The optimal pitch-acceleration and roll-rate commands are respectively proportional to two components of the projected, constant-bias, miss distance, with a resemblance to earlier derivations and proportional navigation. Simulation results herein and other related work confirm the suitability of the guidance law.
Performance Evaluation of the SGI Origin2000: A Memory-Centric Characterization of LANL ASCI Applications

In this paper we compare single-processor performance of the SGI Origin and PowerChallenge and utilize a previously-reported performance model for hierarchical memory systems to explain the results. Both the Origin and PowerChallenge use the same microprocessor (MIPS R10000) but have significant differences in their memory subsystems. Our memory model includes the effect of overlap between CPU and memory operations and allows us to infer the individual contributions of all three improvements in the Origin's memory architecture and relate the effectiveness of each improvement to application characteristics.
Apparent seed use by ducks in moist-soil wetlands of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Scientists, conservation planners, and resource managers who estimate energetic carrying capacity of foraging habitats for wintering waterfowl require accurate data on food availability and use. We estimated seed and tuber abundance in moist-soil wetlands commonly used and foraged in by dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) in and near the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). To identify foods potentially used by dabbling ducks, we surveyed food-use literature from studies conducted in or near the MAV and compared estimated seed decline rates from core samples to predicted decline rates using published and measured estimates of decomposition. We inferred seed use when observed declines in mass exceeded that predicted by decomposition. In our analyses, we identified 15 taxa of moist-soil seeds apparently used and 6 taxa apparently not used by dabbling ducks. From our analyses and literature review, we identified 25 taxa of moist-soil seeds and tubers commonly consumed and apparently used by dabbling ducks in or near the MAV. Removal of seeds apparently not used by dabbling ducks resulted in a 30.9% (SE = 1.3) reduction in estimates of seed and tuber mass in managed moist-soil wetlands in the MAV. When we retained 3 seed taxa reported by previous studies as consumed by dabbling ducks, but which did not decline faster than predicted in our experimental wetlands, seed and tuber estimates were reduced by 26.8% (SE = 1.3). Inclusion of seeds not consumed by dabbling ducks in models of carrying capacity would result in overestimation of existence energy days by the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture and underestimation of moist-soil habitat requirements in the MAV. We suggest scientists conduct food-use and selection studies by collecting actively foraging ducks in the MAV to confirm our results and increase accuracy of carrying capacity estimates for dabbling ducks in autumn and winter. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
The Individualized Quality Control Plan—Coming Soon to Clinical Microbiology Laboratories Everywhere!

As of January 1, 2016, microbiology laboratories can choose to adopt a new quality control option, the Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP), under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). This voluntary approach increases flexibility for meeting regulatory requirements and provides laboratories the opportunity to customize QC for their testing in their unique environments and by their testing personnel. IQCP is an all-inclusive approach to quality based on risk management to address potential errors in the total testing process. It includes three main steps, (1) performing a risk assessment, (2) developing a QC plan, and (3) monitoring the plan through quality assessment. Resources are available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Society for Microbiology, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, and accrediting organizations, such as the College of American Pathologists and Joint Commission, to assist microbiology laboratories implementing IQCP.
Stability of a coupled body–vortex system

This paper considers the dynamics of a rigid body interacting with point vortices in a perfect uid. The uid velocity is obtained using the classical complex variables theory and conformal transformations. The equations of motion of the solid-uid system are formulated in terms of the solid variables and the position of the point vortices only. These equations are applied to study the dynamic interaction of an elliptic cylinder with vortex pairs for its relevance to understanding the swimming of sh in an ambient vorticity eld. One
Free Trade: Old and New Challenges

The paper analyses the old and new challenges to the theory and policy of Free Trade. The old challenges have sought to undermine the case for Free Trade by citing one or another type of market imperfection. Thus, the postwar period has seen two such challenges: factor market imperfections were analysed in the 1950S to 197os, product market imperfections in the I980S. The new challenges are twofold. One comes from the demands for Fair Trade as a precondition for Free Trade; the other, from the concern that Free Trade, while efficient, immiserises the unskilled in the richer countries. Having given a Harry Johnson Lecture four years ago in London, I was startled to be invited to give yet another one today. But then I recalled his unmatched productivity: his articles continued to be published even after his death, the pipelines in several journals being full of them. It is only appropriate then that he be honoured many times over. Also, in these days of preoccupation with increasing returns to scale, such a proliferation of lectures in the memory of a great economist is doubly fitting. Since Harry Johnson was in the English tradition of taking his theory from the real world's problems and then taking it back to talk penetratingly about them, I thought it appropriate to address the earlier Johnson Lecture to the threats posed currently to the multilateral trading system by increasing resort
Analysis of the parallel packet switch architecture

Our work is motivated by the desire to design packet switches with large aggregate capacity and fast line rates. In this paper, we consider building a packet switch from multiple lower speed packet switches operating independently and in parallel. In particular, we consider a (perhaps obvious) parallel packet switch (PPS) architecture in which arriving traffic is demultiplexed overk identical lower speed packet switches, switched to the correct output port, then recombined (multiplexed) before departing from the system. Essentially, the packet switch performs packet-by-packet load balancing, or inverse multiplexing, over multiple independent packet switches. Each lower speed packet switch operates at a fraction of the line rate R. For example, each packet switch can operate at rateR/k. It is a goal of our work that all memory buffers in the PPS run slower than the line rate. Ideally,a PPS would share the benefits of an output-queued switch, i.e., the delay of individual packets could be precisely controlled, allowing the provision of guaranteed qualities of service.In this paper, we ask the question: Is it possible for a PPS to precisely emulate the behavior of an output-queued packet switch with the same capacity and with the same number of ports? We show that it is theoretically possible for a PPS to emulate a first-come first-served (FCFS) output-queued (OQ) packet switch if each lower speed packet switch operates at a rate of approximately 2R/k. We further show that it is theoretically possible for a PPS to emulate a wide variety of quality-of-service queueing disciplines if each lower speed packet switch operates at a rate of approximately 3R/k. It turns out that these results are impractical because of high communication complexity, but a practical high-performance PPS can be designed if we slightly relax our original goal and allow a small fixed-size coordination buffer running at the line rate in both the demultiplexer and the multiplexer. We determine the size of this buffer and show that it can eliminate the need for a centralized scheduling algorithm, allowing a full distributed implementation with low computational and communication complexity. Furthermore, we show that if the lower speed packet switch operates at a rate ofR/k (i.e., without speedup), the resulting PPS can emulate an FCFS-OQ switch within a delay bound.
Renal outcome 25 years after donor nephrectomy.

Purpose: The extended outcome after kidney donation has been a particular concern ever since the recognition of hyperfiltration injury. Few published reports have examined donor renal outcome after 20 years or greater. Kidney transplantation has been performed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation since 1963, at which there is extensive experience with live donor transplantation. We assess the impact of donor nephrectomy on renal function, urinary protein excretion and development of hypertension postoperatively to examine whether renal deterioration occurs with followup after 20 years or greater.Materials and Methods: From 1963 to 1975, 180 live donor nephrectomies were performed at the Cleveland Clinic. We attempted to contact all patients to request participation in our study. Those 70 patients who agreed to participate in the study were mailed a package containing a 24-hour urine container (for assessment of creatinine, and total protein and albumin), a vial for blood collection (for assessment of serum ...
Primary care physicians' attitudes about obesity and its treatment.

Objective This study was designed to assess physicians' attitudes toward obese patients and the causes and treatment of obesity. Research methods and procedures A questionnaire assessed attitudes in 2 geographically representative national random samples of 5000 primary care physicians. In one sample (N = 2500), obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 to 40 kg/m(2), and in the other (N = 2500), obesity was defined as a BMI > 40. Results Six hundred twenty physicians responded. They rated physical inactivity as significantly more important than any other cause of obesity (p Discussion Primary care physicians view obesity as largely a behavioral problem and share our broader society's negative stereotypes about the personal attributes of obese persons. Practitioners are realistic about treatment outcomes but view obesity treatment as less effective than treatment of most other chronic conditions.
Explicit finite element implementation of an improved three dimensional constitutive model for shape memory alloys

This article documents a new implementation of a three dimensional constitutive model that describes evolution of elastic and transformation strains during thermo-mechanical shape memory alloy loading events assuming a symmetric, isotropic material response. In achieving this implementation, improvements were made to the original formulation of the constitutive model. These improvements allow for robust three-dimensional calculations over a greater range of thermo-mechanical loadings. Furthermore, a new explicit scheme for solving the model equations was derived. This scheme removed the need for user calibration of the numerical integration parameters and greatly reduced the sensitivity of this explicit finite element implementation of a rate independent model to mass scaling. Studies were performed that quantified both simulation times and convergence of the new scheme along with the original solution scheme of Panico and Brinson for single element and multi-element simulations. The effectiveness of the new scheme is apparent in 6 and 30 times reductions in computation expense for selected single and multi element simulations, respectively.
A Micromechanical Dislocation Model of Rough Surface Contact Plasticity

Rough surface contact plasticity, especially at mesoscale and nanoscale, has been playing a central role in a broad spectrum of novel applications, e.g. nanostructure fabrication and reliability. The multiscale nature of surface roughness, the structure- and size-sensitive material deformation behavior, and the importance of surface forces and other physical interactions give rise to very complex surface phenomena at mesoscale and nanoscale. We present a micromechanical model to study rough surface contact plasticity, based on dislocation nucleation and multiplication. Surface roughness can be sources of dislocation nucleation; though roughness is confined to a thin layer, the resulted dislocation plasticity can extend to a far depth. Depending on interface adhesion, roughness features and slip planes, we get a variety of surface micro-plasticity behaviors that are radically different from classic plasticity behaviors.
Derrida's Debt to Milton Friedman

In the essay Given Time: I. Counterfeit Money, Jacques Derrida says it is important to trace the literary consequences of certain events in economic history: “To study, for example, in so-called modern literature, that is, contemporaneous with capital—city, polis, metropolis—of a state and with a state of capital, the transformation of money forms (metallic, fiduciary—the bank note—or scriptural—the bank check), a certain rarification of payments in cash, the recourse to credit cards, the coded signature, and so forth, in short, a certain dematerialization of money, and therefore of all the scenes that depend on it.” 1 The transformation Derrida describes is part of the development of late capitalism; though his essay analyzes a short story by the nineteenthcentury writer Baudelaire, the transformation away from “metallic” to “fiduciary” forms of money officially occurred in the twentieth century, as did the spread of credit cards and coded signatures. As the economic historian Randall Hinshaw notes, during the twentieth century “commodity money is gradually being displaced by fiduciary money . . . in 1937, gold or commodity money made up about 91% of the world’s monetary reserves . . . this figure had dropped to 49% in mid-1966.” 2 In other words, fiduciary money became the dominant form of money at just about the time that Derrida began developing his literary theories. Derrida seems to define “fiduciary” money as bank notes and bank checks but in international exchange the term refers to money backed by reserve positions. Derrida’s awareness of such money may derive from remarkable economic events during the decade when he was writing his essay. Tracing deconstruction back to the 1970s is a common critical gesture, but only in terms of politics; for example, Tobin Siebers sees it as a product of cold war suspiciousness; Raman Selden, as the intellectual follow-up to ’60s radicalism; and Barbara Foley, as a development of liberal pluralism. 3 But consider as well the relevance for deconstruction of the economic transformation that occurred in 1971, when all currencies became fiduciary monies as the mechanisms of international exchange dropped all reference to metals or other “specie.” Milton Friedman describes the revolutionary nature of this change:
Towards batch fabrication and assembly of 3D microstructures: A sequential assembly planner with new hard magnet configuration

We propose a new method for assembly of 3D microstructures. Hard magnets are arranged in a novel 120deg offset configuration, allowing for in-situ magnetization. The new configuration makes the use of hard magnets feasible in batch fabrication, and hard magnets allow for the use of a uniform external field for application of magnetic torque. A sequential planner was developed to calculate layout and magnet orientations for given assemblies, based on this new magnet configuration. We describe the new magnet configuration, experimentally test the configuration, and present a planner that generates a planar layout and magnet orientations.
A generalized regression model for region of interest analysis of fMRI data.

In this study functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) was used to evaluate cortical motor network adaptation after a rehabilitation program for upper extremity motor function in chronic stroke patients. Patients and healthy controls were imaged when they attempted to perform shoulder–elbow and wrist–hand movements in a 1.5 T Siemens scanner. We perform fMRI analysis at both single- and group-subject levels. Activated voxel counts are calculated to quantify brain activation in regions of interest. We discuss several candidate regression models for making inference on the count data, and propose an application of a generalized negative-binomial model (GNBM) with structured dispersion in the study. The effects of inappropriate statistical models that ignore the nature of data are addressed through Monte Carlo simulations. Based on the GNBM, significant activation differences are observed in a number of cortical regions for stroke versus control and as a result of treatment; notably, these differences are not detected when the data are analyzed using a conventional linear regression model. Our findings provide an improved functional neuroimaging data analysis protocol, specifically for pixel/voxel counts.
A yield enhancing router

The authors present an iterative routing algorithm that maximizes the yield of a routing solution by reducing the critical areas in the channel that are the sources for potential bridging faults, caused by spot defects. The algorithm serves to reduce the number of critical areas in a routing solution without increasing the total area, the number of tracks, or the distance between tracks. This algorithm is independent of whether the preliminary solution was obtained using a grid- or a gridless-based channel router. The approach uses unused silicon area to dogleg nets. The algorithm is general to the extent that it can be programmed to execute in a parallel environment. Results obtained have been tabulated and show an improvement in the yield and reliability of the routing solution. >
Dodecaprenyl phosphate-galacturonic acid as a donor substrate for lipopolysaccharide core glycosylation in Rhizobium leguminosarum.

Abstract The lipid A and inner core regions of Rhizobium leguminosarum lipopolysaccharide contain four galacturonic acid (GalA) residues. Two are attached to the outer unit of the 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) disaccharide, one to the mannose residue, and one to the 4′-position of lipid A. The enzymes RgtA and RgtB, described in the accompanying article, catalyze GalA transfer to the Kdo residue, whereas RgtC is responsible for modification of the core mannose unit. Heterologous expression of RgtA in Sinorhizhobium meliloti 1021, a strain that normally lacks GalA modifications on its Kdo disaccharide, resulted in detectable GalA transferase activity in isolated membrane preparations, suggesting that the appropriate GalA donor substrate is available in S. meliloti membranes. In contrast, heterologous expression of RgtA in Escherichia coli yielded inactive membranes. However, RgtA activity was detectable in the E. coli system when total lipids from R. leguminosarum 3841 or S. meliloti 1021 were added. We have now purified and characterized dodecaprenyl (C60) phosphate-GalA as a minor novel lipid of R. leguminosarum 3841 and S. meliloti. This substance is stable to mild base hydrolysis and was purified by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Its structure was established by a combination of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and gas-liquid chromatography. Purified dodecaprenyl phosphate-GalA supports the efficient transfer of GalA to Kdo2-1-dephospho-lipid IVA by membranes of E. coli cells expressing RgtA, RgtB, and RgtC. The identification of a polyisoprene phosphate-GalA donor substrate suggests that the active site of RgtA faces the periplasmic side of the inner membrane. This work represents the first definitive characterization of a lipid-linked GalA derivative with the proposed structure dodecaprenyl phosphate-β-d-GalA.
Karaoke: an assistive alternative interface for illiterate users

In this extended abstract, the authors describe their design proposal and method for developing an adaptive, assistive alternative interface for illiterate mobile device users in the US. Based on user research and design suggestions from Knoche & Huang's CHI 2012 workshop, the authors designed the interface using key ideas from Flanagan et al.'s values-sensitive design process.
Once Were IWI ? A Brief Institutional Analysis of Maori Tribal Organisations Through Time

This is an academic and policy paper that examines the economic and cultural role of one of the most important traditional Maori institutions, the Iwi, in the life of the people of Maori descent in contemporary New Zealand. This paper was prepared as part of a book project "Te Oranga o te Iwi Maori: A Study of Maori Economic and Social Progress." It has been released as a separate working paper. This paper should be of interest to economists, anthropologists, and researchers in social studies.Maori comprise approximately 15 percent of the New Zealand population. Census data recognise over 60 distinct iwi (tribal) groups, ranging in size from fewer than 1,000 people to almost 100,000. However, rapid urbanisation following World War II means that the majority of Maori now live outside their traditional iwi areas (or rohe). Indeed, given urbanisation, a high rate of intermarriage between Maori and non-Maori, and government policy that, until comparatively recently, was premised on notions of assimilation, it is hardly surprising that proximately 25 percent of Maori are unable to identify the iwi from which they originate. Since the early 1980s Maori institutions (especially formative structures such as iwi) have experienced considerable resurgence.This paper argues that iwi were a rational (and successful) response to the challenges of the pre-industrialised world. Indeed, while iwi have numerous parallels with tribal arrangements throughout the world, a factor that makes Maori institutional arrangements largely unique was the ongoing level of adaptation and entrepreneurial flair displayed, particularly during the initial phases of European colonisation of New Zealand before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. This paper focuses principally on the institutional and economic role of the iwi. It acknowledges that the cultural aspects of the iwi and the Maori world (that is, tikanga and matauranga) enable us to better explain the present situation. They also matter to the future of the iwi. However, the discussion is restricted mostly to the institutional issue.It is unsurprising that Maori institutional history engenders considerable nostalgia (and even reverence) today, with the corollary being whether some adaptation of traditional collective arrangements based on kinship can form the basis of contemporary Maori economic, social, and political development. This paper suggests that while iwi have a potentially important role in managing collectively owned assets, such an 'all-embracing' or 'one-stop shop' approach contains serious limitations. The question, therefore, is how to identify these limitations, manage them if possible, and avoid them when necessary.
When your patient wears an Ilizarov device.

s an evening supervisor, I was recently paged by an emergency department nurse. "I have a teenage boy with a broken toe," she told me. "But that's not the problem. What concerns me is the Ilizarov device on his right femur. Can you tell me how to handle it?" Another evening, the recovery room nurse paged me with a similar request: The Ilizarov device on the right tibia of her 12-year-old appendectomy patient was the first one she'd ever seen, and she had several questions about its purpose and care. The Ilizarov external fixator is a circular, stainless steel device of wires, rings, and bolts designed to correct bony or soft tissue defects and deformities. Although the Ilizarov can immobilize fractures, it's more commonly used to lengthen bone shortened by a congenital defect, trauma, or nonunion of a fracture. The apparatus weighs about 3.6 kg (8 lb) when assembled and can be worn by patients of all ages, though the majority are seven to 17 years old. Developed in 1951 by Dr. G. Ilizarov of Siberia, the Ilizarov technique was slow to move west. By 1991, however, several hundred American surgeons had been trained to perform the procedure. Today, there are approximately 400 centers in the United States where an Ilizarov device may be applied and at least 1,500 surgeons trained to do the procedure.
Dipyridylamide ligand dependent dimensionality in luminescent zinc 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylate coordination complexes

Abstract Zinc nitrate, 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (2,4-pdcH2), and a hydrogen-bonding capable dipyridylamide ligand were combined in aqueous solution and subjected to hydrothermal reaction conditions. Three new crystalline coordination complexes were generated; their dimensionality depends crucially on the dipyridylamide length and geometric disposition of the pyridyl nitrogen donors. The three new phases were structurally characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. {[H23-pina][Zn(2,4-pdc)2(H2O)2]·H2O} (1, 3-pina = 3-pyridylisonicotinamide) is a salt with protonated dipyridylamide cations and coordination complex anions. {[Zn2(2,4-pdc)2(H2O)4(3-pna)]·3H2O}n (2, 3-pna = 3-pyridylnicotinamide) shows a system of two-fold interpenetrated ruffled (6,3) coordination polymer layers. {[Zn(2,4-pdc)(H2O)2(3-pmna)]n (3, 3-pmna = 3-pyridylmethylnicotinamide) manifests a simple 1D chain topology. Luminescence was observed for two of the zinc complexes; this behavior is attributed to π–π* or π–n molecular orbital transitions. Thermal decomposition properties of the new phases are also probed.
Faster Jobs in Distributed Data Processing using Multi-Task Learning.

Slow running or straggler tasks in distributed processing frameworks [1, 2] can be 6 to 8 times slower than the median task in a job on a production cluster [3], despite existing mitigation techniques. This leads to extended job completion times, inefficient use of resources, and increased costs. Recently, proactive straggler avoidance techniques [4] have explored the use of predictive models to improve task scheduling. However, to capture node and workload variability, separate models are built for every node and workload, requiring the time consuming collection of training data and limiting the applicability to new nodes and workloads. In this work, we observe that predictors for similar nodes or workloads are likely to be similar and can share information, suggesting a multi-task learning (MTL) based approach. We generalize the MTL formulation of [5] to capture commonalities in arbitrary groups. Using our formulation to predict stragglers allows us to reduce job completion times by up to 59% over Wrangler [4]. This large reduction arises from a 7 point increase in prediction accuracy. Further, we can get equal or better accuracy than [4] using a sixth of the training data, thus bringing the training time down from 4 hours to about 40 minutes. In addition, our formulation reduces the number of parameters by grouping our parameters into nodeand workload-dependent factors. This helps us generalize to tasks with insufficient data and achieve significant gains over a naive MTL formulation [5].
Nature never deals off of the bottom of the deck…but she holds all of the aces: The joys of doing precision measurement science

I will talk about the family of experiments known as precision measurement and null experiments. These experiments, often associated with the determination of a fundamental constant or the testing of one of the accepted laws of Nature at some extreme of magnitude, have always provided a challenge to both a scientist's cunning and his or her experimental skills. In my talk I will use as one example, C.V. Boys' 1894 measurement of big G. [C.V. Boys, one of my physics heroes, wrote papers that evidenced his humanity and sense of humor and are, accordingly, very enjoyable to read. Unfortunately, journal editors go to great lengths to remove from today's publications any hint of humanity, humor, or enjoyment derived from doing science.]
Motion correction for gated PET using sinogram registration

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a motion correction method for dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) using sinogram registration. The NCAT phantom was simulated with respiratory motion and either 10 mm or 20 mm lesions located at the upper, middle, and base of the right lung. Additionally, a Jaszczak phantom filled with F-18 was placed on a motion platform. The NCAT data were binned into 16 gates, and the Jaszczak data were binned into 12 gates. In both studies lesions had a source to background ratio of either 5:1 or 10:1, and data were reconstructed with OSEM, 4 iterations and 8 subsets. Three methods were used to obtain the transformations between each frame: non-rigid image registration, rigid image registration, and sinogram registration. The sinogram method was derived from forward projecting only the lesion from image space to projection space. The transformations were applied to the gated sinograms to produce motion corrected sinograms, which were summed prior to reconstruction and resulted in a motion corrected image volume. The mean lesion signal, lesion contrast to noise ratio (CNR), and registration accuracy were evaluated. Compared to the other motion correction methods, sinogram registration resulted in comparable or improved lesion signal recovery, lesion CNR recovery, and registration accuracy. With respect to the NCAT data, sinogram registration resulted in a 5%-23% and 5%-10% higher CNR recovery compared to the non-rigid and rigid registration, respectively. With respect to the Jaszczak data, sinogram registration resulted in a 10%-14% higher mean signal recovery of the 1 mL lesion compared to rigid registration, and a 5-25% higher CNR recovery compared to the rigid motion correction method. As lesion size and contrast decreased, the mean signal recovery and CNR recovery achieved with the motion correction methods increased. These results show that sinogram registration is a feasible method for motion correction of gated PET for lesion detection, and achieves comparable or improved lesion quantitation as commonly used motion correction techniques.
Everybody dies. Or, a consideration of simultaneous death statutes and the struggles of the self-represented

The access to justice problem has been the cause celebre of the social justice movement in the United States for many years, with calls for the legal community to support legal services programs and contribute pro bono hours. The stark reality is that while sixty-one million people are potentially eligible to receive legal aid, most will find themselves unassisted when need arises. Notably, however, the access to justice problem in this country reaches beyond the poorest and most disadvantaged. The working-class and middle-class are ineligible for legal services programs but often find themselves unable to afford standard attorney rates. While access to information through technology should allow basic legal issues to be resolved in an efficient and predictable manner, the reality is that the complexity of the system interferes. The business of dying is extremely lucrative for estate planning attorneys and probate practitioners, and the legal process has been designed to accommodate the represented. To that end, an overarching purpose of this Article is to explore the idea of revising probate statutes to protect the self-represented from an obvious pitfall, especially when and where it is clear that the underrepresented and unrepresented are going to blindly fall into the pit. This discussion is framed within the context of an obvious flaw that presently exists in states that allow holographic wills: protection of the layperson from simultaneous or closely proximate death scenarios. Twenty-six states recognize the validity of holographic wills, which are wholly or partially handwritten wills commonly utilized by the self-represented testator. While the will of a competently represented testator contains survivorship language as a matter of course, the holographic will of the self-represented layperson is unlikely to include the legalese of survivorship language. Only ten of the twenty-six states authorizing holographic instruments have adopted language that protects the instruments with a default 120-hour rule in the absence of contrary language. The remaining sixteen states have chosen to implement incomplete language that does not apply the 120-hour rule to holographic instruments, or alternatively, to reject adoption of the 120-hour rule altogether. The consequence is that while twenty-six states have authorized holographic wills as a convenience for those unable to retain counsel, sixteen of these states have implicitly endorsed and enabled self-representation while also failing to make simple, nonconsequential adjustments to the probate codes that would ease the path of the self-represented. It is in this failure that something implicit and troubling can be found.
Successfully Managing International Mergers and Acquisitions: A Descriptive Framework

Although international mergers and acquisitions constitute the most frequently used means through which multinational corporations undertake foreign direct investment, the majority of these transactions are not successful. This paper identifies key difficulties that may cause the high failure rates of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and develops a typology of strategies to facilitate the management of these problems. A descriptive framework is advanced which suggests that the performance of international mergers and acquisitions is a function of successful cultural combination during the post-acquisition integration process. Cultural due diligence, cross-cultural communication, connection, and control are discussed as major determinants of successful cultural combination.
Pulmonary Atresia With an Intact Ventricular Septum: Preoperative Physiology, Imaging, and Management

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA-IVS) is a rare complex cyanotic congenital heart disease with heterogeneous morphological variation. Prenatal diagnosis allows for developing a safe plan for delivery and postnatal management. While transthoracic echocardiography allows for detailed delineation of the cardiac anatomy, additional imaging modalities such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and catheterization may be necessary to further outline features of the cardiac anatomy, specifically coronary artery anatomy. The size of the tricuspid valve and right ventricular cavity as well as the presence of right ventricle-dependent coronary circulation help to dichotomize between biventricular repair versus univentricular palliation or heart transplantation, as well as predicting the expected survival. The delineation and understanding of these features help to dictate both medical and surgical management.
Observation of current rectification by a new asymmetric iron(iii) surfactant in a eutectic GaIn|LB monolayer|Au sandwich.

In this paper we expand on the search for molecular rectifiers of electrical current and report on a hexacoordinate metallosurfactant [FeIII(LN3O)(OMe)2], where (LN3O)− is the deprotonated form of the new asymmetric ligand 2-((E)-((4,5-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-2-(((E)-pyridin-2-ylmethylene)amino)phenyl)imino)methyl)-4,6-di-tert-butyl-phenol. This species rectifies current when deposited as a Langmuir–Blodget film in a “EGaIn/Ga2O3|LB|Au” sandwich with rectification ratios ranging from 25 to 300 at 1 Volt.
Dating historical color images

We introduce the task of automatically estimating the age of historical color photographs. We suggest features which attempt to capture temporally discriminative information based on the evolution of color imaging processes over time and evaluate the performance of both these novel features and existing features commonly utilized in other problem domains on a novel historical image data set. For the challenging classification task of sorting historical color images into the decade during which they were photographed, we demonstrate significantly greater accuracy than that shown by untrained humans on the same data set. Additionally, we apply the concept of data-driven camera response function estimation to historical color imagery, demonstrating its relevance to both the age estimation task and the popular application of imitating the appearance of vintage color photography.