cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calibrating a chief complaint list for low resource settings: a methodologic case study

The chief or presenting complaint is the reason for seeking health care, often in the patient’s own words. In limited resource settings, a diagnosis-based approach to quantifying burden of disease is not possible, partly due to limited availability of an established lexicon or coding system. Our group worked with colleagues from the African Federation of Emergency Medicine building on the existing literature to create a pilot symptom list representing an attempt to standardize undifferentiated chief complaints in emergency and acute care settings. An ideal list for any setting is one that strikes a balance between ease of use and length, while covering the vast majority of diseases with enough detail to permit epidemiologic surveillance and make informed decisions about resource needs. This study was incorporated as a part of a larger prospective observational study on human immunodeficiency virus testing in Emergency Departments in South Africa. The pilot symptom list was used for chief complaint coding in three Emergency Departments. Data was collected on 3357 patients using paper case report forms. Chief complaint terms were reviewed by two study team members to determine the frequency of concordance between the coded chief complaint term and the selected symptom(s) from the pilot symptom list. Overall, 3537 patients’ chief complaints were reviewed, of which 640 were identified as ‘potential mismatches.’ When considering the 191 confirmed mismatches (29.8%), the Delphi process identified 6 (3.1%) false mismatches and 185 (96.9%) true mismatches. Significant chief-complaint clustering was identified with 9 sets of complaints frequently selected together for the same patient. “Pain” was used 2076 times for 58.7% of all patients. A combination of user feedback and expert-panel modified Delphi analysis of mismatched complaints and clustered complaints resulted in several substantial changes to the pilot symptom list. This study presented a systematic methodology for calibrating a chief complaint list for the local context. Our revised list removed/reworded symptoms that frequently clustered together or were misinterpreted by health professionals. Recommendations for additions, modifications, and/or deletions from the pilot chief complaint list we believe will improve the functionality of the list in low resource environments.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Assignment Strategies for Estimating Likely Undocumented Status in Secondary Data Sources for Latino and Asian Immigrants

Researchers are increasingly interested in the role of undocumented status in immigrant economic, social, and health outcomes. A major obstacle to this work is that detailed immigration status is not widely collected in representative data sources. Some secondary data sources collect enough information to identify immigrants without a green card (non-LPRs), and researchers take different approaches to assign undocumented status to immigrants within this population. These approaches have not been compared to one another, nor do we know if they work equally well for Latino and Asian immigrants. In this research note, we test the validity of several assignment strategies using the 2001, 2004, and 2008 panels of the restricted version of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to measure differences in health-related outcomes (e.g., health insurance coverage and self-rated health) by immigration status. We compare results when immigration status is directly measured using the detailed information in the SIPP to several strategies to assign undocumented status among non-LPRs. The probabilistic approach produced the smallest biases, but Asian immigrants had larger biases compared to Latinos across all strategies.
Associations of Expanding Parental Medicaid Eligibility and Parental Health and Family Functioning

Abstract Objective To examine the effects of parental Medicaid eligibility on parental health, parenting practices, and child development in low-income families. Methods Longitudinal analysis using data from the Early Child Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten: 2011 to 2016. Outcomes included parental self-rated health, parental depressive symptoms, parents’ communication and warmth toward children, and children's social skills and externalizing and internalizing behaviors. We estimated 2-way (individual and year) fixed effects models using Medicaid eligibility as a continuous variable, controlling for changing economic conditions, changes in family structure, and state-specific trends. We then estimated triple difference models comparing lower income families to those with higher incomes. Finally, we estimated difference-in-difference models and used entropy weights in order to account for differences in trends prior to 2014 for some outcomes. Results In fixed effects models, expanding Medicaid eligibility by 100% of the federal poverty line is associated with a 12.7 percentage point reduction in parents’ report of having fair or poor health (95% confidence interval [CI], -23.9, -1.5) and a 1.15-point improvement on a 12-point scale of parental warmth towards children (95% CI, 0.15, 2.16). Results were substantively similar in entropy-balanced difference-in-differences models. In triple difference models, expanded Medicaid eligibility is associated with a 0.46 point improvement in warmth (95% CI, 0.10, 0.83) but not improved parental health. No significant effects for child behavior or other outcomes were detected. Conclusions Expanding Medicaid for parents may have implications for intergenerational family functioning that could lead to broader social benefits.
Widespread inhibitory projections from the cerebellar interposed nucleus

Abstract The cerebellum consists of parallel parasagittal modules that contribute to diverse behaviors, spanning motor to cognitive. Recent work employing cell-type specific tracing has identified circumscribed output channels of the cerebellar nuclei that could confer tight functional specificity. These studies have largely focused on excitatory projections of the cerebellar nuclei, however, leaving open the question of whether inhibitory neurons also constitute multiple output modules. We mapped output and input patterns to intersectionally restricted cell types of the interposed and adjacent interstitial nuclei. In contrast to the widespread assumption of primarily excitatory outputs and restricted inferior olive-targeting inhibitory output, we found that inhibitory neurons from this region ramified widely within the brainstem, targeting both motor- and sensory-related nuclei, distinct from excitatory output targets. Despite differences in output targeting, monosynaptic rabies tracing revealed largely shared afferents to both cell classes. We discuss the potential novel functional roles for inhibitory outputs in the context of cerebellar theory.
Eye Movement Patterns and Driving Performance

In the current study the authors examined the relationship between drivers’ eye movement patterns and driving performance in a dual-task driving paradigm. Drivers performed two tasks in a driving simulator. In a car following task, drivers were asked to maintain a constant headway from a leading vehicle as it varied its speed. In the second task (light detection task), drivers tried to detect changes in peripheral traffic lights. The performance in the car following task was measured with headway distance and RMS, and the performance in the light detection task was measured with response time and accuracy. The authors found that the frequency of fixations, fixation duration and spatial distribution of fixations were significantly correlated with drivers’ performance in the driving tasks. Specifically, driving performance improved with fewer eye movements, longer fixation durations and smaller spatial distribution of fixations.
1900–1962: From Planck to Bohr

Quantum theory was initiated by Max Planck’s discovery, in 1900, of his black body radiation law, which revealed, or in any event compelled Planck to postulate, that radiation, such as light, previously considered a continuous phenomenon in all circumstances, could also exhibit features of discontinuity or discreteness in certain circumstances. The limit at which this discontinuity appears is defined by the frequency of the radiation and a universal constant of a very small magnitude, h, Planck’s constant, which Planck termed “the quantum of action” and which turned out to be one of the most fundamental constants of physics. The indivisible (energy) quantum of radiation in each case is the product of h and the frequency, E = hv. The role of h may be seen as analogous to the role of c (the constancy of the speed of light in a vacuum in its independence of the speed of the source) in special relativity, in terms of both the necessity of a departure from classical physics and of introducing the first principles of a new theory. Other earlier developments, sometimes referred to as the “old quantum theory,” made apparent yet further complexities of quantum phenomena and posed new questions concerning them.
Sequential detection of fission processes for harbor defense

With the large increase in terrorist activities throughout the world, the timely and accurate detection of special nuclear material (SNM) has become an extremely high priority for many countries concerned with national security. The detection of radionuclide contraband based on their γ-ray emissions has been attacked vigorously with some interesting and feasible results; however, the fission process of SNM has not received as much attention due to its inherent complexity and required predictive nature. In this paper, on-line, sequential Bayesian detection and estimation (parameter) techniques to rapidly and reliably detect unknown fissioning sources with high statistical confidence are developed.
Abstract 2690: Sorafenib/regorafenib and phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase/thymoma viral proto-oncogene inhibition interact to kill tumor cells

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The present study aimed to determine whether the multikinase inhibitors, sorafenib/regorafenib, worked in conjunction with PI3K/AKT inhibitors to enhance tumor cell death. It has been noted that combination of sorafenib/regorafenib with a PI3K inhibitor acetic acid (PX-866) resulted in tumor cell death, in a greater than additive fashion, in liver, colorectal, lung, breast, kidney and brain cancer cells. Similar data was obtained using AKT inhibitors perifosine and MK2206. Furthermore, even cells lacking PTEN remained as sensitive to this combinational approach as cells expressing PTEN. PX-866 treatment abolished AKT/GSK3 phosphorylation, with tumor cell death correlating with reduced activity of AKT and mTOR. Expression of activated AKT and to a lesser extent activated mTOR reduced drug combination lethality. Expression of B-cell lymphoma-extra large or dominant negative caspase 9, but not cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein short, protected cells from the drug combination. Treatment of cells with PX-866 increased protein levels of p62, LAMP2 and LC3/LC3II which correlated with the resulting increase in LC3-GFP vesicle numbers. Exposure of PX-866 treated cells to sorafenib reduced p62 and LAMP2 levels, decreased the ratio of LC3 to LC3II and reduced LC3-GFP vesicle levels. Knockdown of Beclin1 or ATG5 suppressed drug toxicity by ∼40%. In vivo, combination of either sorafenib and PX-866 or regorafenib and MK2206 cooperated to suppress the growth of established HuH7 and HCT116 tumors, respectively. Collectively our data demonstrates that the combination of sorafenib family kinase inhibitors with inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT pathway kills tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Citation Format: Larry A. Booth, Nichola A. Cruickshanks, G B. Sajithlal, Hossein A. Hamed, Seyedmehrad Tavallai, J Syed, Steven Grant, Andrew Poklepovic, Paul Dent. Sorafenib/regorafenib and phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase/thymoma viral proto-oncogene inhibition interact to kill tumor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2690. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2690
Study of high dielectric constant materials for use in compact transmission lines for HPM drivers

One approach to developing compact pulsed power drivers of High Power Microwave (HPM) sources involves using folded Blumlein transmission lines as the pulse shaping element. In this paper we report progress in the modeling of Blumlein transmission lines, and the advantages of utilizing high dielectric constant ceramics in lieu of Kapton™ as the dielectric material. Ceramics with a graded resistivity profile might offer significant advantages in this configuration. Future directions of our research effort will be described.
Optic neuropathy after epi-LASIK.

Purpose To report a case of optic neuropathy after epi-LASIK. Methods A 24-year-old man developed optic neuropathy after epi-LASIK, possibly related to the barotrauma created by the suction ring. Optic neuropathy and steroid-induced ocular hypertension were diagnosed. Prednisolone drops were discontinued and timolol was started. Results After 2 weeks, his symptoms improved and the pain resolved. Conclusions Optic neuropathy is a potentially vision-threatening complication of epi-LASIK. Barotrauma from a transient increase in intraocular pressure created by the suction ring can be an important factor in this entity.
How music video has changed, and how it has not changed: 1991 vs. 1985

(1994). How music video has changed, and how it has not changed: 1991 vs. 1985. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 67-79.
Dipole Interactions in Nanosystems

The dipole-dipole interaction influences nanoscopic matter by fixing the patterns of permanent, displacive, and induced dipole moments, subject to constraints of molecular size and other short range interactions. Prediction of these arrangements is a challenging problem. The eigenvector of maximum eigenvalue of the dipole-dipole interaction matrix can provide insights and sometimes a complete solution. As an example, the octahedral tilt instabilities of perovskite-type crystals is shown to optimize dipolar interactions. Therefore this instability can be designated as antiferroelectric, because dipole-dipole interactions are a dominant driving force.
Rotational Isomeric State Methods

At very small degree of polymerization, x, the conformation-dependent physical properties of a chain are easily evaluated by discrete enumeration of all allowed conformations. Each conformation can be characterized in terms of bond lengths, l, bond angles, θ, torsion angles, ϕ, and conformational energy, E. The rapid increase in conformations as x → ∞ prohibits discrete enumeration when the chain reaches a degree of polymerization associated with a high polymer. This difficulty is overcome with the rotational isomeric state (RIS) model. This model provides a tractable method for computation of average conformation-dependent physical properties of polymers, based on the knowledge of the properties of the members of the homologous series with very small values of x.
Typology of hydrologic predictability

[1] Prediction problems broadly deal with ascertaining the fate of fluctuations or instabilities through the dynamical system being modeled. Predictability is a measure of our ability to provide knowledge about events that have not yet transpired or phenomena that may be hitherto unobserved or unrecognized. The challenges associated with these two problems, that is, forecasting a future event and identifying a novel phenomenon, are distinctly different. Whereas the prediction of novel phenomena seeks to explore all possible logical space of a model's behavioral response, the prediction of future events seeks to constrain the model response to a specific trajectory of the known history to achieve the least uncertainty for the forecast. Predictability challenges have been categorized as initial value, boundary value, and parameter estimation problems. Here I discuss two additional types of challenges arising from the dynamic changes in the spatial complexity driven by evolving connectivity patterns during an event and cross-scale interactions in time and space. These latter two are critical elements in the context of human and climate-driven changes in the hydrologic cycle as they lead to structural change–induced new connectivity and cross-scale interaction patterns that have no historical precedence. To advance the science of prediction under environmental and human-induced changes, the critical issues lie in developing models that address these challenges and that are supported by suitable observational systems and diagnostic tools to enable adequate detection and attribution of model errors.
Evaluation of an inclined gravity settler for microalgae harvesting

BACKGROUND Given the small size of microalgae, and the low biomass concentrations obtained in light-limited cultures, the cost of algae harvesting is a significant barrier to commercial-scale production of biofuel from algae. A downward- flow inclined gravity settler was evaluated for its effectiveness in dewatering the microalgae Scenedesmus dimorphus and Chlorella vulgaris. RESULTS Experimental results showed that S. dimorphus can be concentrated up to 8-fold using a single settler stage, with a biomass recovery of 80%. Separation efficiency was independent of biomass concentration between 1 and 5 gdw L−1, suggesting that a two-stage sequential system of settlers may maximize biomass recovery and concentration effectively. Efficiency of separation of C. vulgaris was slightly lower than that of S. dimorphus, most likely due to the fact that S. dimorphus exist in aggregates of four or more cells and thus may settle more easily. CONCLUSION The downward-flow inclined gravity settler demonstrated consistent results with 72% efficiency in biomass recovery and low operating costs. This separation system warrants further investigation at the industrial scale, for the harvesting of algae from dilute cell suspensions, with applications to biofuels. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
The Role of Coarticulatory Effects in the Perception of Fricatives by Children and Adults.

Adult listeners are sensitive to the acoustic variations that result from a speaker's coarticulation (or coproduction) of phonetic segments. The present study charted the development of such sensit...
New modes for coordination of aromatic heterocyclic nitrogen compounds to molybdenum: catalytic hydrogenation of quinoline, isoquinoline, and quinoxaline by Mo(PMe3)4H4.

The heterocyclic nitrogen compounds isoquinoline (iQH), quinoxaline (QoxH) and quinazoline (QazH), abbreviated generally as NHetH, react with Mo(PMe3)6 to give (η2-NHet)Mo(PMe3)4H as a result of cleavage of the C−H bond adjacent to the nitrogen atom. The C−H bond cleavage is reversible. For example, in the case of isoquinoline and quinoxaline, treatment of (η2-NHet)Mo(PMe3)4H with PMe3 regenerates Mo(PMe3)6 and NHetH. Furthermore, at elevated temperatures (η2-NHet)Mo(PMe3)4H converts sequentially to isomers of (η6-NHetH)Mo(PMe3)3 in which the N-heteroaromatic ligand coordinates via either the heterocyclic or carbocyclic rings. Isomers of (η6-NHetH)Mo(PMe3)3 in which the heterocyclic ring coordinated to molybdenum may be hydrogenated. Thus, (η6-C5N-iQH)Mo(PMe3)3 and (η6-C4N2-QoxH)Mo(PMe3)3 react with H2 at 90 °C to give Mo(PMe3)4H4 and release 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxaline, respectively. Furthermore, Mo(PMe3)4H4 serves as a catalyst precursor for the hydrogenation of quin...
Educational Theory Testing: A Reply to Holz.

Holz appears to center his critique of "The Effect of Activity-oriented Instruction upon Original Learning, Transfer, and Retention" along two major dimensions. One dimension questions the validity of the measures employed to test the three hypotheses; the other dimension questions the fit between the instructional procedures and the theoretical justification for selecting the hypotheses in the first place. In general, the two chief methodological criticisms dealing with the mode of analysis and the degree of original learning are justified. Even though examination of Table 1 (p. 210) of the manuscript indicates that a modest increase in power and stability could in no way have changed the study's conclusions, analysis of covariance should have been employed instead of difference scores. The degree of original learning was, in the present authors' opinion, discussed in sufficient detail in the original manuscript. It is interesting that the original JRME reviewers were not unaware of these criticisms, but they accepted the study chiefly on heuristic grounds. They were probably not aware, as the authors were not aware, that such absolute dictums existed as: "such low reliabilities (.50) would insure the invalidity of the retention and transfer tests," or that "since there was little original learning for any group in the study, no significant differences in retention or transfer could exist regardless of the measures employed [italics added]." Now the authors are not suggesting that Holz meant to assign probabilities of 1 and 0 to these two statements; they are emphasized because they may provide a clue to some of the misunderstanding generated by the
A regenerating neurone in the leech can form an electrical synapse on its severed axon segment.

A regenerating neurone in the leech can form an electrical synapse on its severed axon segment
Remediation and Recovery of Uranium from Contaminated Subsurface Environments with Electrodes

Previous studies have demonstrated that Geobacter species can effectively remove uranium from contaminated groundwater by reducing soluble U(VI) to the relatively insoluble U(IV) with organic compounds serving as the electron donor. Studies were conducted to determine whether electrodes might serve as an alternative electron donor for U(VI) reduction by a pure culture of Geobacter sulfurreducens and microorganisms in uranium-contaminated sediments. Electrodes poised at -500 mV (vs a Ag/AgCl reference) rapidly removed U(VI) from solution in the absence of cells. However, when the poise at the electrode was removed, all of the U(VI) returned to solution, demonstrating that the electrode did not reduce U(VI). If G. sulfurreducens was present on the electrode, U(VI) did not return to solution until the electrode was exposed to dissolved oxygen. This suggeststhat G. sulfurreducens on the electrode reduced U(VI) to U(IV) which was stably precipitated until reoxidized in the presence of oxygen. When an electrode was placed in uranium-contaminated subsurface sediments, U(VI) was removed and recovered from groundwater using poised electrodes. Electrodes emplaced in flow-through columns of uranium-contaminated sediments readily removed U(VI) from the groundwater, and 87% of the uranium that had been removed was recovered from the electrode surface after the electrode was pulled from the sediments. These results suggest that microorganisms can use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce U(VI) and that it may be possible to remove and recover uranium from contaminated groundwater with poised electrodes.
The role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin

Abstract We have shown that ferritin is oxidized during iron loading using its own ferroxidase activity and that this oxidation results in its aggregation (Welch et al., Free Radic. Biol. Med. 31:999–1006; 2001). In this study we determined the role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin. Loading iron into recombinant human ferritin by its own ferroxidase activity decreased its conjugation by a cysteine specific spin label, indicating that cysteine residues were altered during iron loading. Using LC/MS, we demonstrated that tryptic peptides of ferritin that contained cysteine residues were susceptible to modification as a result of iron loading. To assess the role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin, we used site-directed mutagenesis to engineer variants of human ferritin H chain homomers where the cysteines were substituted with other amino acids. The cysteine at position 90, which is located at the end of the BC-loop, appeared to be critical for the formation of ferritin aggregates during iron loading. We also provide evidence that dityrosine moieties are formed during iron loading into ferritin by its own ferroxidase activity and that the dityrosine formation is dependent upon the oxidation of cysteine residues, especially cysteine 90. In conclusion, cysteine residues play an integral role in the oxidation of ferritin and are essential for the formation of ferritin aggregates.
Analysis of the heat capacities of group IV chalcogenides using debye temperatures

The low temperature heat capacities of 13 group IV chalcogenides are examined. The heat capacity of crystals with largely isotropic structure (GeTe, SnSe, SnTe, PbS, PbSe, PbTe) can be represented within ±3% by a three-dimensional Debye function (θ3=205, 230, 175, 225, 150 and 130, respectively). The heat capacity of crystals with anisotropic structures (GeS, GeSe, SnS, GeS2 and SnS2) could only be represented by pairs of two-dimensional Debye functions for the longitudinal and transverse lattice vibrations (error ±0.5 to 3%;θ2(l)=505, 345, 400, 705, 480 and 570, respectively, andθ2(t)=200, 185, 160, 175, 100 and 265, respectively).
Docking Sites on Substrate Proteins Direct Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase to Phosphorylate Specific Residues

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) are important signaling proteins that phosphorylate (S/T)P sites in many different protein substrates. ERK binding to substrate proteins is mediated by docking sites including the FXFP motif and the D-domain. We characterized the sequence of amino acids that can constitute the FXFP motif using peptide and protein substrates. Substitutions of the phenylalanines at positions 1 and 3 had significant effects, indicating that these phenylalanines provide substantial binding affinity, whereas substitutions of the residues at positions 2 and 4 had less effect. The FXFP and D-domain docking sites were analyzed in a variety of positions and arrangements in the proteins ELK-1 and KSR-1. Our results indicate that the FXFP and D-domain docking sites form a flexible, modular system that has two functions. First, the affinity of a substrate for ERK can be regulated by the number, type, position, and arrangement of docking sites. Second, in substrates with multiple potential phosphorylation sites, docking sites can direct phosphorylation of specific (S/T)P residues. In particular, the FQFP motif of ELK-1 is necessary and sufficient to direct phosphorylation of serine 383, whereas the D-domain directs phosphorylation of other (S/T)P sites in ELK-1.
Co-ordination of mathematics and physics with electrical-engineering subjects

IN RECENT years all branches of engineering have experienced rapid growth and progress. Technological advancement has been accompanied by an increasing realization of the breadth and scope of the profession. College curricula have been altered and adjusted in attempts to meet changing conditions. We have been forced to realize that the solution of our educational problems is not to be found in an increased amount of work or in adding further courses to already overcrowded curricula, but rather in more complete co-ordination and unification within the programs themselves. Due to the manner in which the engineering curricula have been built up through the years, new subjects being added from time to time as was found necessary, we are in danger of thinking of a curriculum as being composed of separate blocks, i.e., so much mathematics, so much physics, chemistry, and so forth. Our problem is to break down the well-defined boundaries of these blocks so that they will be combined to form a unified and coherent whole. We might compare the curriculum to a painting for which the artist carefully chooses a number of colors which are not used separately in blocks, but are harmoniously blended and intermingled in a complete picture.
Ignition Processes in Confined Thermal Explosions

Abstract The induction period of a high activation energy thermal explosion in a confined, rigid, nondiffusing, combustible material is considered. A method-of-lines approach is used to develop numerical solutions for the infinite slab, infinite cylinder and spherical geometries. When the dimensional initial and boundary temperatures are equal, results are obtained for a wide range of supercritical values of the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter S, and for arbitrary values of the ratio of the chemical heat release and the initial internal energy. The time-history of the spatially variable temperature distribution is described. At a common value of S the thermal runaway time is largest for a sphere and smallest for a slab, with the cylindrical system between. The explosion location re is found to move away from the symmetry point when the wall temperature is made sufficiently large compared to the initial temperature. A further increase in the former moves the value of r" toward the hot boundary. The dependence ...
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters: Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better

Financial/nonfinancial disclosures: The author has reported to CHEST the following conflicts of interest: Dr Goldhaber has received grant support from Sanofi-Aventis, EKOS, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, and J&J, and has been a consultant to Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Sanofi-Aventis, EKOS, and Medscape.Reproduction of this article is prohibited without written permission from the American College of Chest Physicians (http://www.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml
An integrated admission-degradation framework for optimizing real-time call mix in wireless cellular networks

This paper describes an integrated framework for selecting optimal call mixes (in a multimedia traffic scenario) by bandwidth degradation in a wireless cellular network, to maximize the revenue earned by the service provider. Each admitted call in our framework generates a revenue for the service provider based on the parameters of the call. The sum of the revenues generated by all admitted calls at a time is considered as the total revenue earned in a cell. By degradation, we mean that: (1) some channels can be taken away from ongoing calls that are assigned multiple channels and/or (2) newly admitted calls that require multiple channels get fewer than what they requested. To avoid removing more channels from calls than they could tolerate, we incorporate a new call attribute: the degradation tolerance, i.e, the number of channels a call can be degraded without sacrificing the acceptable level of quality. We also consider priorities over calls to influence the admission-degradation decision. Our analytical framework includes both static and dynamic scenarios. The dynamic case is enhanced with the ability to select the optimal call mix using incoming and departing handoffs, new calls, and call terminations in a recursive way. We also discuss how to accommodate non-real-time calls into our system. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme a discrete event simulation tool, that accommodates our dynamic framework built on a customized simulated annealing optimization function, has been developed. Simulation results demonstrate that not only does the proposed integrated admission-degradation framework maximize the total revenue earned in cells, but also handoff and new call blocking probabilities are reduced.
Edge Distribution of Graphs with Few Copies of a Given Graph

We show that if a graph contains few copies of a given graph, then its edges are distributed rather unevenly.In particular, for all $\varepsilon > 0$ and $r\geq2$, there exist $\xi =\xi (\varepsilon,r) > 0$ and $k=k (\varepsilon,r)$ such that, if $n$ is sufficiently large and $G=G(n)$ is a graph with fewer than $\xi n^{r}$ $r$-cliques, then there exists a partition $V(G) =\cup_{i=0}^{k}V_{i}$ such that \[ \vert V_{i}\vert =\lfloor n/k\rfloor \quad \text{and} \quad e(W_{i}) 0$ and $r\geq3$, there exist $\xi=\xi (c,r) >0$ and $\beta=\beta(c,r)>0$ such that, if $n$ is sufficiently large and $G=G(n,\lceil cn^{2} \rceil)$ is a graph with fewer than $\xi n^{r}$ $r$-cliques, then there exists a partition $V(G) =V_{1}\cup V_{2}$ with $ \vert V_{1} \vert = \lfloor n/2 \rfloor $ and $\vert V_{2} \vert = \lceil n/2 \rceil $ such that \[ e(V_{1},V_{2}) > (1/2+\beta) e (G).\]
Photochemical activity and components of membrane preparations from blue-green algae. I. Coexistence of two photosystems in relation to chlorophyll a and removal of phycocyanin.

Abstract Nostoc muscorum (Strain 7119) cells were disrupted and the accessory pigment phycocyanin was removed from membrane fragments by digitonin treatment. The phycocyanin-depleted membrane fragments retained both Photosystem I and Photosystem II activity, as evidenced by high rates of NADP+ photoreduction either by water or by reduced 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, indicating that phycocyanin is not an essential component for electron transport activity. No separation of the two photosystems was effected by the digitonin treatment. Even drastic digitonin treatments failed to diminish significantly the remarkably stable electron transport from water to NADP+. Action spectra and relative quantum efficiency measurements demonstrated the existence of both Photosystem I and Photosystem II in membrane fragments which contained chlorophyll a as the only significant light-absorbing pigment.
Wettability Literature Survey-Part 3: The Effects of Wettability on the Electrical Properties of Porous Media

This paper examines the effects of wettability on the Archie saturation exponent and the formation factor, which are determined experimentally in cores. These parameters are important in the investigation of the hydrocarbon saturation of a formation by use of resistivity data obtained from well logging. The Archie saturation exponent, n, typically has a value of about 2 in water-wet formations and cleaned cores, while in native-state, non-water-wet cores and formations it is generally larger than 2. In uniformly oil-wet cores with low brine saturations, n can reach values of 10 or more. The exponent is higher in oil-wet cores at low saturations because a portion of the brine is trapped or isolated in dendritic fingers where it is unable to contribute to electrical conductivity. If a cleaned water-wet core is used to measure n and the reservoir is actually oil-wet, interstitial water will be underestimated during logging. No definite conclusions can be drawn about the effects of wettability on the formation factor. However, the wettability of clays in a core is likely to affect this parameter.
Lead Toxicity in the Chick as Affected by Excess Copper and Zinc and by Eimeria acervulina Infection

Abstract Several experiments were performed with young chicks to evaluate lead (Pb) toxicity and its effect upon copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) toxicosis in the presence or absence of Eimeria acervulina infection. Toxic levels of Pb (3300 mg/kg) and Cu (500 mg/kg) or Zn (2000 and 4000 mg/kg) were added to completely adequate corn-soybean meal diets, while duodenal coccidiosis was produced by multiple crop inoculations of 4 × 105 sporulated E. acervulina oocysts. Both Pb and Cu depressed gain and feed efficiency while concomitant coccidial infection reduced these parameters further. Moreover, E. acervulina increased the concentration of liver Cu and kidney Pb. Although Pb supplementation slightly decreased the accumulation of liver Cu, additional Cu tended to increase the deposition of Pb in the kidney in both infected and uninfected birds. Similarly, chick performance was significantly reduced by excess dietary Pb or Zn, although coccidiosis slightly ameliorated the growth depression caused by toxic levels (4000 mg/kg) of Zn. Although 4000 ppm Zn and coccidial infection reduced the deposition of Pb in the kidney, this interaction was not evident when 2000 mg/kg Zn was fed to infected chicks. It is evident that Pb toxicosis in the chick is affected little by excess dietary levels of either Cu or Zn.
A time-efficient, linear-space local similarity algorithm

Dynamic programming algorithms to determine similar regions of two sequences are useful for analyzing biosequence data. This paper presents a time-efficient algorithm that produces k best ''non-intersecting'' local alignments for any chosen k. The algorithm's main strength is that it needs only O(M + N + K) space, where M and N are the lengths of the given sequences and K is the total length of the computed alignments.
I/O pad assignment for force-directed placement algorithms

Abstract A new method for I/O pad position assignment for force-directed placement algorithms is presented. The pre-placed I/O pads are used as boundary conditions and pulling-out forces in several placement algorithms which would otherwise have collapsed all the modules to the centre of the layout. The objective is to assign the I/O pads of the design to the available pad positions on the chip, based on connectivity information, such that the resulting module arrangement will minimize the total wire length. The results of the I/O pad assignment algorithm, used as a pre-processor to the placement package PROUD, have revealed improvement in minimizing the total wire length.
Deceptive or honest signalling of fighting ability? A test of alternative hypotheses for the function of changes in call dominant frequency by male cricket frogs

Previous data on intrasexual competition in Blanchard's cricket frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi, demonstrated that males assess the size of an opponent, an important component of fighting ability, based on the dominant frequency of an opponent's calls. Males of this species, however, often lower their dominant frequency in response to the calls of larger opponents, suggesting the conditional production of deceptive signals of size. In this study, playback experiments were used to test honest and deceptive signalling hypotheses for the function of changes in call dominant frequency. Calls that decreased in dominant frequency were more effective at repelling opponents than were calls that either increased, or did not change, in dominant frequency. A decrease in call dominant frequency therefore appears to convey an advantage in contests between male cricket frogs. During the period when males changed their dominant frequency, size became significantly less predictable from call dominant frequency. Furthermore, the extent to which males changed their dominant frequency was independent of size. Changes in call dominant frequency thus do not appear to function as honest signals of size. Because the extent to which males lowered their dominant frequency was positively correlated with their probability of attacking an opponent, and because animals producing deceptive signals should not attack opponents, changes in call dominant frequency do not appear to function as deceptive signals in size. Instead, changes in call dominant frequency appear to function as signals of size-independent fighting ability. The results presented suggest that male cricket frogs signal information about their size through initial call dominant frequency, and that they signal information about other aspects of their fighting ability through changes in call dominant frequency.
Unpacking the Black Box of Student Engagement: The Need for Programmatic Investigation of High Impact Practices

The conceptual understanding of student engagement entails a necessary relationship between institutions and individuals. Several decades of research have revealed the empirical relationship of student engagement and desirable student outcomes, as well as the myriad intervening factors that influence engagement levels. However, there is a critical gap in the research literature as to the specific programmatic features of college practices that best foster student engagement. In an era of dwindling resources and increasing demand for higher education access and student success, this understanding is critical for utilizing scarce resources and developing programs with the most impact. This essay argues that despite such high impact or promising practices continually studied and shown to have a high impact on student engagement levels, a more systematic investigation of these practices, structurally and collectively instead of topically, is needed to further our conceptual understanding of engagement and how...
Failure to induce an antiviral state in preimplantation bovine embryos treated with interferon

Bovine blastocysts hatched from their zonae pellucidae were cultured for 24 h in the presence or absence of interferon and then challenged with either vesicular stomatitis virus or bluetongue virus to assess the induction of an antiviral state. In contrast to its application to fetal bovine cells, where significant antiviral effects were induced, interferon treatment of embryos failed to reduce virus yield and had no effect on virus-induced cytopathology. This lack of biologic activity of interferon in bovine embryos is similar to that previously observed with undifferentiated murine embryonal carcinoma cells and is probably a manifestation of a more general mechanism regulating gene expression in the early mammalian embryo.
Symptom Concerns and Use of Supportive Services in Patients with Lung Cancer

Abstract Purpose Patients with lung cancer experience many symptoms necessitating the use of supportive services. Prognosis remains poor despite advances in treatment, and as the disease progresses, symptom burden increases. This study evaluated quality of life (QOL) and symptom concerns in a cohort of 100 patients with lung cancer at a National Cancer Institute (NCI)—designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study aims were to describe (1) treatment received by patients with lung cancer consistent with established National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines; and (2) symptoms experienced by patients with lung cancer potentially affecting QOL. Patients and Methods The NCCN guidelines for lung cancer and for palliative care were used as a framework for analysis of the care provided to these patients. One hundred patients were selected by the tumor registry from the 150 new patients with lung cancer seen over a 12-month period. A detailed chart audit tool reflecting the aspects of quality care as described by the NCCN was developed, peer reviewed, and tested to establish reliability. The care for each patient was audited for a 6-month period to capture all encounters in the cancer center. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results Eighty-five percent of patients had stage III/IV disease, and 82% had comorbidities. Eighty-three percent received chemotherapy, and 43% received radiation therapy. The most common symptoms reported included pain, dyspnea, cough, and weight loss, with most patients having multiple symptoms. Major deficits were identified in care compared with NCCN guidelines as only 30% of patients had advanced directives, and 32% received no supportive care services (eg, pain consult, social work, nutrition services). Uncontrolled symptoms were a common reason for outpatient visits, with pain, dyspnea, and fatigue as the most common symptoms. Symptoms accounted for 38% of hospital readmissions. Implications Study results served to guide the investigators in developing a pilot intervention to study and test the value of structured QOL assessment and interdisciplinary care planning to address the complex multidimensional needs of patients with lung cancer.
Petroleum Associated with Polymetallic Sulfide in Sediment from Gorda Ridge

A sediment sample, impregnated with asphaltic petroleum and polymetallic sulfide, was dredged from the southern end of Gorda Ridge (the Escanaba Trough) off northern California, within the offshore Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States. The molecular distributions of hydrocarbons in this petroleum show that it was probably derived from terrestrial organic matter in turbidite sediment filling the Escanaba Trough. Hydrothermal activity at the Gorda Ridge spreading center provided the heat for petroleum formation and was the source of fluids for sulfide mineralization.
Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of Drum-Type Shipping Packages for Radioactive Materials

The US Department of Energy (DOE) often uses Type AF and Type B drum-type packages for shipment of radioactive materials (RAM), both of which shall be designed and certified to meet the regulatory requirements specified in 10 CFR 71, to ensure safety, public health and protection of environment. In particular for the hypothetical accident conditions (HAC) prescribed in 10 CFR 71.73, RAM packages are subjected to sequential tests of 30-ft drop, crush, puncture, engulfing fire, and water immersions. Packages shall maintain structural integrity of containment, radiation shielding, and criticality control following these HAC tests. The structural evaluation (i.e., drop, crush, and puncture) of packages should address different combinations of test conditions, such as drop orientations, sequence, temperature and payload during the drop, crush and puncture tests. The combinations to be considered are those which would produce most damage to the package, challenge the most vulnerable packaging components, and cause the most cumulative damages. The evaluation of the most damage should also consider the effects of fire and water immersions following the structural tests. In this paper, the structural evaluation details of two drum-type packages, Model 9979 Type AF and Model ES-3100 Type B(U)F, are discussed. The design and performance of these packages were evaluated by physical testing of full-size prototype units. However, it is not practical to account for the worst test conditions and sequence in physical testing. Therefore, confirmatory finite element analyses have been performed to determine whether the cumulative damage resulting from the worst test sequence and conditions is acceptable. It was found for the 9979 package, the corner drop followed by corner crush causes most damage, and most unfavorably challenges its split-ring closures; for the ES-3100 package, the containment vessel (CV) experiences maximum strain following the sequence of bottom-to-lid slapdown and side crush. Although a lower temperature does not compromise their structural performance, the ES-3100 CV does experience slightly more strain because the impact limiter imparts more impact load because of its higher stiffness at lower temperature. In summary, the confirmatory analysis results show that the structural performance of the packages meets the regulatory requirements.© 2012 ASME
Apparent dissociation constants of hydrogen sulfide in chloride solutions

Abstract Spectrophotometric measurements are reported for the first apparent dissociation constant of hydrogen sulfide in seawater over the temperature range 7.5–25°C and 2–35.8‰ salinity. These data are described by the expression p K 1 ′ = 2.527 − 0.169 Cl 1 3 + 1359.96/T . The second apparent dissociation constant in potassium chloride solution was estimated potentiometrically using a sulfide specific ion electrode. A value of ∼13.6 was found for pK2′ at a KCl concentration of 0.67 M. It is suggested that explicit reference to the sulfide ion, S2−, in describing equilibria in marine waters be dropped in favor of a formulation involving the bisulfide ion, HS−.