cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Promoting the Implementation of an Evidence-Based Intervention for Adolescent Marijuana Abuse in Community Settings: Testing the Use of Intensive Quality Assurance

The development and evaluation of effective strategies for transporting evidence-based practices to community-based clinicians has become a research and policy priority. Using multisystemic therapy programs as a platform, an experimental design examined the capacity of an Intensive Quality Assurance (IQA) system to promote therapist implementation of contingency management (CM) for adolescent marijuana abuse. Participants included 30 therapists assigned to Workshop Only (WSO) versus IQA training conditions, and 70 marijuana-abusing youths and their caregivers who were treated by these clinicians. Analyses showed that IQA was more effective than WSO at increasing practitioner implementation of CM cognitive-behavioral techniques in the short-term based on youth and caregiver reports, and these increases were sustained based on youth reports. On the other hand, IQA did not increase therapist use of CM monitoring techniques relative to WSO, likely because of an unanticipated ceiling effect. Both sets of findings contribute to the emerging literature on the transport of evidence-based practice to real-world clinical settings.
Pyramid Coding for Functional Scene Element Recognition in Video Scenes

Recognizing functional scene elements in video scenes based on the behaviors of moving objects that interact with them is an emerging problem of interest. Existing approaches have a limited ability to characterize elements such as cross-walks, intersections, and buildings that have low activity, are multi-modal, or have indirect evidence. Our approach recognizes the low activity and multi-model elements (crosswalks/intersections) by introducing a hierarchy of descriptive clusters to form a pyramid of codebooks that is sparse in the number of clusters and dense in content. The incorporation of local behavioral context such as person-enter-building and vehicle-parking nearby enables the detection of elements that do not have direct motion-based evidence, e.g. buildings. These two contributions significantly improve scene element recognition when compared against three state-of-the-art approaches. Results are shown on typical ground level surveillance video and for the first time on the more complex Wide Area Motion Imagery.
Structure and Phase Behavior of Cholesterol Containing Membranes in the Presence of Ethanol

Molecular dynamics (MD) of cholesterol containing membranes is used to examine the structural changes and phase behavior of lipids in the presence of varying ethanol concentrations over a range of temperatures. Alcohols are known to cause changes in the phase transitions of phospholipids as well as inducing the formation of an interdigitated phase of reduced thickness, where the hydrophobic tails of the top and bottom lipids intercalate causing an increase in the area per lipid as well as the solvent exposed surface of the headgroups. Atomistic MD simulations using the Gromacs 4.0 software allows analysis of structural changes in lipid volume, area per lipid, and hydrogen bonding among others at the molecular level. Pure 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phosphocholine (DOPC) and DOPC/cholesterol membranes were constructed to have 128 lipid molecules under full hydration. DOPC/cholesterol systems contain 10, 20, and 30 mole % cholesterol, and those containing ethanol had additional 5, 10, 15 and 20 % V/V ethanol molecules in the solvent. All systems were simulated at 6 different temperatures which span relevant biological processes for biofuel production; also experimentally observed phase changes occur at some of these temperatures. The effects of ethanol on biological membranes are of considerable importance to the studies of biofuels, enology, and medicine.
Graduate student research instruction: Testing an interactive Web-based library tutorial for a health sciences database

Abstract Interactive electronic tutorials offer flexibility in delivering library instruction; however, questions linger regarding their effectiveness compared to traditional librarian-led classroom lectures. This study examines a tutorial introducing health science students to the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database. Half the student sample completed the tutorial and half attended a parallel lecture. A pre/post-test instrument measured mastery of the material. While results varied by subject focus tested, students completing the tutorial demonstrated greater improvement in post-test scores than those attending the lecture.
Tillage and seed-sprouting strategies to improve potato yield and quality in short season climates

Management practices that accelerate crop development and allow earlier harvest would be beneficial in short-season potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production areas. Yield and quality of the potato cultivar ‘Russet Burbank’ were evaluated in a 2-yr study in northern Maine to determine effects of soil tillage and seedsprouting treatments designed to dry soil early in the spring and hasten seed emergence. The tillage treatments, consisting of fall raised bed (RB), fall ridge till (RT), and spring chisel plow (CH), were tested in combination with green-sprouted and non-sprouted seed tubers on a Caribou gravelly loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, frigid,Typic Haplorthod). Plants from green-sprouted seed emerged earlier than from non-sprouted seed tubers (87%-96% vs 21%-37%, respectively, at 18 days after planting [DAP] in 2000; and 73%-88% vs 18%-23%, respectively, at 20 DAP in 2001). Green-sprouted seed tubers in RB yielded 4.6 to 5.9 T ha-1 more than nonsprouted seed tubers in RB. However, non-sprouted seed tubers yielded higher than green-sprouted seed tubers in RT by 2.9 to 4.2 T ha-1 and in CH by 1.1 to 4.1 T ha-1. Similarly, green-sprouted seed tubers in RB and nonsprouted seed tubers in RT and CH produced higher marketable yield, greater tuber length, and greater tuber diameter than the corresponding seed-sprouting treatment. In the comparatively wetter year (2000), the use of green-sprouted seed tubers in RB significantly increased total and marketable yields, and produced longer and larger tubers than all other treatments. However, in 2001 (relatively dry year), yield and quality from green-sprouted seed tubers in RB did not differ from non-sprouted seed in RT or CH. Green-sprouted seed produced fewer sunburned and rotten tubers, but more misshapen tubers than non-sprouted seed in RB tillage. The technique of producing Russet Burbank potatoes in raised beds is a promising system in regions with short growing seasons for enhancing early soil drainage during spring and improving soil water retention during critical periods of crop growth and development.
Theory of Stimulated Raman Scattering

Relations which describe the gain that is produced by the stimulated Raman scattering of intense light in a Raman-active material are developed entirely in terms of measurable material parameters (such as the ordinary Raman scattering cross sections). It is this gain which must overcome propagation losses in order to achieve the laser action that has been observed from this effect. Expressions for the gain are derived for scattering material either in thermal equilibrium or in certain nonequilibrium conditions. The dynamical equations governing the time behavior of the Raman-laser light are discussed.
Promoting intergenerational communication through location-based asynchronous video communication

We describe the design and field evaluation of the Serendipitous Family Stories system, a web and mobile service that allows for videos to be saved in user-specified real-world locations, shared with friends and family, and then serendipitously discovered as those people approach the location of a story. Through a twenty-participant field evaluation, we discovered how this new form of location-based asynchronous communication can be used to strengthen family relationships by encouraging communication across generations and enhancing users' relationships with everyday places in their lives.
Efficiency of incentives to jointly increase carbon sequestration and species conservation on a landscape

We develop an integrated model to predict private land-use decisions in response to policy incentives designed to increase the provision of carbon sequestration and species conservation across heterogeneous landscapes. Using data from the Willamette Basin, Oregon, we compare the provision of carbon sequestration and species conservation under five simple policies that offer payments for conservation. We evaluate policy performance compared with the maximum feasible combinations of carbon sequestration and species conservation on the landscape for various conservation budgets. None of the conservation payment policies produce increases in carbon sequestration and species conservation that approach the maximum potential gains on the landscape. Our results show that policies aimed at increasing the provision of carbon sequestration do not necessarily increase species conservation and that highly targeted policies do not necessarily do as well as more general policies.
Trees as a Local Climatic Wind Indicator

Abstract The use of trees as a local climatic wind indicator is described. Studies using trees as an indicator of prevailing wind direction, wind speed and as an evidence of the occurrence of severe winds are presented. This paper describes some of the limitations and practical applications of trees in local wind surveys.
A Heuristic Algorithm for Sequencing on One Machine to Minimize Total Tardiness

The problem of minimizing total tardiness assumes that the N jobs to be processed on a single machine are simultaneously available at time zero. Since due dates and sequence-independent processing times are known, the problem is to determine a processing sequence, from the N! possible sequences, which minimizes the sum of tardiness for all the jobs in the set. The powerful dominance theorems of Emmons are exploited with a new heuristic procedure, avoiding enumeration of all possible sequences. For large problems, often any one of many jobs can be processed first with no change in total tardiness; however, the set of jobs which can occupy the last position in an optimal sequence is much more limited, and easily identified by application of special dominance properties. The heuristic uses Net Benefit of Relocation (NBR) analysis to determine which job should come last to reduce total tardiness. The simplicity of the algorithm enables manual solutions to small problems. Experimentation indicates that the NBR heuristic offers vast improvement over the adjacent pairwise interchange (API) heuristic of Fry et al., both in solution quality and computational effort. The NBR heuristic also performs well compared with the optimizing routine of Potts and Van Wassenhove, especially in the case of large problems where a modest growth in total tardiness is accompanied by drastically reduced computer requirements.
Religion as Orienting Worldview

Religions are complex, and any attempt at defining religion necessarily falls short. Nevertheless, any scholarly inquiry into the nature of religion must use some criteria in order to evaluate and study the character of religious traditions across contexts. To this end, I propose understanding religion in terms of an orienting worldview. Religions are worldviews that are expressed not only in beliefs but also in narratives and symbols. More than this, religions orient action, and any genuine religious tradition necessarily is concerned with normative behavior, whether ethical or religious in character. Such an understanding of religion has several advantages, one of which is its natural relation to current forms of the science-religion dialogue. Not only can the findings of cognitive science and related areas inform us about the nature of religion; scientific discoveries also prove to be important for any religious synthesis that attempts to construct a worldview for the twenty-first century.
Fibronectin distribution during somitogenesis in the chick embryo

Somite formation in vertebrates is a multi-stage process. From a relatively homogeneous rod of mesenchyme, the segmental plate, somites are formed in a repeating sequence. Cell-cell adhesion has been proposed as a causal factor in somitogenesis. This led to an analysis of fibronectin in the segmental plate with respect to the initiation of somitogenesis. The pattern of fibronectin distribution can be correlated with the initiation of somitogenesis in the anterior portion of the segmental plate. Fibronectin distribution was determined using a high resolution antibody localization technique. Differences in fibronectin distribution were verified with computer-assisted image analysis. The evidence presented supports the hypothesis that an increase in cell-cell adhesion is a significant factor in the initiation of somitogenesis.
Camera space control system for a mobile robot forklift

In this paper we present the method of camera space manipulation for control of a mobile cart with an on-board robot. The objective is to do three dimensional object placement. The robot- cart system is operated as a forklift. The cart has a rear wheel for steering and driving, two front wheels, and a tether allowing control from a remote computer. Two remotely placed CCTV cameras provide images for use by the control system. The method is illustrated experimentally by a box stacking task. None of the components-cameras, robot-cart, or target box are prepositioned. 'Ring cues' are placed on both boxes in order to simplify the image processing. A sequential estimation scheme solves the placement problem. This scheme produces the control necessary to place the image of the grasped box at the relevant target image position in each of the two dimensional camera planes. This results in a precise and robust manipulation strategy.
Shaping Educational Accountability Systems

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) institutionalizes the reliance on accountability and assessment systems as a key mechanism for improving student achievement (Linn, Baker, & Betebenner, 2002). However, there is a fundamental tension between performance measurement systems, which do serve stakeholders and public interests through monitoring, and these kinds of indicators where representations of program quality are oversimplified (Stake, 2001). Evaluators are uniquely situated to made a significant contribution in the dialogue about the merits and shortcomings of educational accountability systems. Suggestions concerning how evaluation can contribute to improving and changing accountability systems are presented.
GROWTH OF Vibrio parahaemolyticus IN SEAFOODS EXTENDED WITH SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, STRUCTURED PROTEIN FIBER, AND TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN

The survival and growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in soy-supplemented laboratory media and seafoods was studied. Structured protein fiber (SPF), soy protein concentrate (SPC), and textured vegetable protein (TSP) enhanced the growth of V. parahaemolyticus in liquid culture media. Growth of the bacterium was retarded in ground flounder, shrimp, and crab extended with SPF (10 and 25%) and SPC (5 and 10%) and stored at 15 and 25°C for periods of time ranging to 72 hr. Compared to controls, TSP promoted the rate of growth of V. parahaemolyticus when added to seafoods at levels of 5 and 10%. Inhibitory and stimulatory effects were attributed to possible differences in types of competitive microflora which may be indigenous to the three soy extenders and to variations in chemical composition and physical form. Caution is advised when formulating seafood-soy blends for distributing and marketing at 15°C or higher.
Christian Approval of Epicureanism

In view of the rancor and vehemence which characterize much of the patristic condemnation of Epicureanism, it seems remarkably incongruous that there should be in the Fathers any expressions of approval at all for the philosophy of the Garden. Nevertheless, such expressions do occur and with reference to all three divisions of Epicurus's system, canonic, physics, and ethics. No doubt the best explanation for this apparent inconsistency of attitude is suggested by Clement's definition of philosophy and the tolerance that it implies: “By philosophy I do not mean the Stoic nor the Platonic, or the Epicurean and Aristotelian, but everything that has been well said by each of the schools and that teaches righteousness along with science marked by reverence; this eclectic whole I call philosophy” (Strom., i. 7. 732CD).
Muscle changes following cycling and/or electrical stimulation in pediatric spinal cord injury.

Abstract Johnston TE, Modlesky CM, Betz RR, Lauer RT. Muscle changes following cycling and/or electrical stimulation in pediatric spinal cord injury. Objective To determine the effect of cycling, electrical stimulation, or both, on thigh muscle volume and stimulated muscle strength in children with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Children's hospital specializing in pediatric SCI. Participants Children (N=30; ages, 5–13y) with chronic SCI. Interventions Children were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 interventions: functional electrical stimulation cycling (FESC), passive cycling (PC), and noncycling, electrically stimulated exercise (ES). Each group exercised for 1 hour, 3 times per week for 6 months at home. Main Outcome Measures Preintervention and postintervention, children underwent magnetic resonance imaging to assess muscle volume, and electrically stimulated isometric muscle strength testing with the use of a computerized dynamometer. Data were analyzed via analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with baseline measures as covariates. Within-group changes were assessed via paired t tests. Results All 30 children completed the training. Muscle volume data were complete for 24 children (8 FESC, 8 PC, 8 ES) and stimulated strength data for 27 children (9 per group). Per ANCOVA, there were differences between groups ( P Conclusions Children receiving either electrically stimulated exercise experienced changes in muscle size, stimulated strength, or both. These changes may decrease their risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes. Clinical Trials Registration Number NCT00245726.
Corrosion of K-3 Glass-contact refractory in sodium-rich aluminosilicate melts

The corrosion of the glass-contact refractory Monofrax K-3 in two sodium-rich aluminosilicate melts has been studied at 1208 and 1283°C using a modified ASTM procedure with constant agitation of the melt by air bubbling. The results for the monolithic refractory indicate a fast initial stage involving phase dissolution and transformation and a later “passivated” stage in which the surface of the refractory has been substantially modified. The composition of the stable spinel phase in the altered layer on monolithic coupons of K-3 is almost identical to the equilibrium composition bracketed by the dissolution of powdered K-3 into under-saturated melts on the one hand, and by crystallization of spinels from supersaturated melts on the other. The temperature and melt shear viscosity were found to have significant effects on the rates of K-3 dissolution and transformation.
Building reliable, high-performance communication systems from components

Although building systems from components has attractions, this approach also has problems. Can we be sure that a certain configuration of components is correct? Can it perform as well as a monolithic system? Our paper answers these questions for the Ensemble communication architecture by showing how, with help of the Nuprl formal system, configurations may be checked against specifications, and how optimized code can be synthesized from these configurations. The performance results show that we can substantially reduce end-to-end latency in the already optimized Ensemble system. Finally, we discuss whether the techniques we used are general enough for systems other than communication systems.
THE EFFECTS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL “ENRICHMENT” PROGRAM ON THE BEHAVIOR OF INSTITUTIONALIZED PROFOUNDLY RETARDED CHILDREN

This study determined the effects of procedures designed to "enrich" the physical and social environment of an institutional ward on the "adaptive" and "maladaptive" child, adult, self, and object-directed behaviors of five profoundly retarded ambulatory females. Behavior observed in two treatment conditions, an environment "enriched" with toys and objects and an "enriched" environment coupled with differential reinforcement of adaptive behavior, was compared to behavior occurring in corresponding baseline or "austere" conditions and during a period of noncontingent reinforcement. The results generally revealed: (1) little change in adaptive and maladaptive child and adult-directed behavior across conditions, (2) an overall higher incidence of adaptive object-directed behavior and reduced self-directed maladaptive behavior in each treatment condition from that observed in corresponding control conditions, and (3) the use of an "enriched" environment and differential reinforcement of adaptive behavior resulted in maladaptive self-directed behavior being reduced and adaptive object-directed behavior being icreased beyond that observed in the "enriched" environment alone. These behavioral gains were largely maintained during a follow-up condition by continuing the "enriched" environment and transferring the responsibility for differential reinforcement to direct-care staff.
Multiscale image segmentation using wavelet-domain hidden Markov models

We introduce a new image texture segmentation algorithm, HMTseg, based on wavelets and the hidden Markov tree (HMT) model. The HMT is a tree-structured probabilistic graph that captures the statistical properties of the coefficients of the wavelet transform. Since the HMT is particularly well suited to images containing singularities (edges and ridges), it provides a good classifier for distinguishing between textures. Utilizing the inherent tree structure of the wavelet HMT and its fast training and likelihood computation algorithms, we perform texture classification at a range of different scales. We then fuse these multiscale classifications using a Bayesian probabilistic graph to obtain reliable final segmentations. Since HMTseg works on the wavelet transform of the image, it can directly segment wavelet-compressed images without the need for decompression into the space domain. We demonstrate the performance of HMTseg with synthetic, aerial photo, and document image segmentations.
Associations between socioeconomic status and obesity in diverse, young adolescents: variation across race/ethnicity and gender.

Objective: This study examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity risk during early adolescence, ages 10-13 years, and whether this association is present in different racial/ethnic and gender groups during 2 time points in early adolescence. Method: Data were from the Healthy Passages study, which enrolled 4,824 African American, Hispanic, and White 5th graders (ages 10-11) in a population-based, longitudinal study conducted in 3 U.S. metropolitan areas, and assessed them again 2 years later. Weight status was classified from measured body mass index using standard criteria into nonobese and obese (27% in 5th grade). SES was indexed based on highest education attainment in the household. Results: Youth in the highest SES had a significantly lower prevalence of obesity than those of lower SES at both 5th and 7th grades when disregarding race/ethnicity. Within-racial/ethnic group analyses mostly confirmed this pattern for Hispanic and White youth, but not for African American youth. When also considering gender, the SES differential in obesity risk was more pronounced among White girls and 5th-grade Hispanic boys. Conclusion: Growing up in a high SES home, marked by having a member with at least a college degree, is associated with lower risk for obesity among Hispanic and White youth. For African American youth, there appears to be no association between SES and obesity. Thus the health advantage generally attributed to higher SES does not appear consistently across racial/ethnic groups for obesity in youth. Further research should identify influences on weight status beyond SES, especially among African American youth. (PsycINFO Database Record © 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
Experimental demonstration of 2/spl times/2 MIMO communications in a reverberant ventilation duct environment

In this work we demonstrate simultaneous communications using a 2/spl times/2 multiple in multiple out (MIMO) antenna array inside an enclosed ventilation duct. We further demonstrate that MIMO coefficients applied to transmit and receive antennas can be computed at a single frequency and applied over a range of frequencies and still provide effective MIMO communications. We use this technique to demonstrate bit error rates (BER) of <10/sup -5/ using a 1 Mbps data rate and 2 MHz of radio frequency (RF) bandwidth.
Portion-controlled meals provide increases in diet quality during weight loss and maintenance

Background Behavioral weight loss interventions utilizing portion controlled meals (PCMs) produce significant decreases in weight. However, the impact on diet quality during weight maintenance is unknown. To assess the influence of a weight management intervention employing PCMs and increased physical activity on diet quality during weight loss and weight maintenance.
Repositioning therapy for thyroid cancer: new insights on established medications

Repositioning of established non-cancer pharmacotherapeutic agents with well-known activity and side-effect profiles is a promising avenue for the development of new treatment modalities for multiple cancer types. We have analyzed some of the medications with mechanism of action that may have relevance to thyroid cancer (TC). Experimental in vitro and in vivo evidences, as well as results of clinical studies, have indicated that molecular targets for medications currently available for the treatment of mood disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, metabolic disorders, and diabetes may be active and relevant in TC. For instance,thederivativesofcannabisandananti-diabeticagent,metformin,bothareable to inhibit ERK, which is commonly activated in TC cells. We present here several examples of well-known medications that have the potential to become new therapeutics for patients with TC. Repositioning of established medications for the treatment of TC could broaden the scope of current therapeutic strategies. These diverse treatment choices could allow physicians to provide an individualized approach to optimize treatment for patients with TC.
LabVIEW calibration linearity visualization for precision sensors used in shaping control of a segmented reflector test bed

A large, segmented space telescope requires high precision and accuracy in its mirror shape to obtain clear images. In order for control of such complex structures to be achieved to high precision and accuracy, it is important for sensing equipment involved in shape control to be constantly checked for deviations from their required calibration. The Segmented Space Telescope Testbed at the Structures, Propulsion, and Control Engineering (SPACE) Laboratory at California State University, Los Angeles, utilizes segmented mirror panels and a network of 42 sensors to mimic a monolithic paraboloid mirror shape to high accuracy and precision. For such a high precision system, regular checking of sensor calibration is crucial to performance. This paper describes a LabVIEW — based visualization subsystem that has been implemented and used for sensor calibration of the SPACE Testbed. The subsystem allows for linearity check for each sensor. In addition, the visualization subsystem provides a real-time means of system monitoring. The visualization also reduces the time to check all 42 sensors while at the same time improve the precision and accuracy of the measurements. By reducing the time required, it is easier to verify sensor linearity at regular interval.
Social identity effects in a belief–attitude–intentions hierarchy: Implications for corporate sponsorship

Companies have increasingly turned to sponsorship as a marketing communications vehicle in the hopes that the goodwill that consumers feel toward an event, cause, or sports team will rub off on their brands. The current study tests a beliefs–attitude–intentions hierarchy in the context of the corporate sponsorship of a major university's sports teams. The direct and indirect effects of social identity with the university's teams (i.e., team identification) on intentions to purchase products from a corporate sponsor are also considered. A random-digit dialing methodology was used to collect data from 368 individuals. In general, the results supported the hypotheses. Of special interest was team identification's ability to moderate the effect of attitude on purchase intentions. As predicted, attitude toward purchasing a sponsor's products was more highly related to purchase intentions for low identifiers than for high identifiers. Specifically, among those with an unfavorable attitude, high identifiers had significantly more positive intentions to purchase than did low identifiers. For high identifiers, it appears that team identification acts as a heuristic that favorably predisposes them to want to buy products from a sponsor in spite of their evaluation of that action. Marketing implications are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Distributed manufacturing scheduling using intelligent agents

Manufacturing scheduling is an optimization process that allocates limited manufacturing resources over time among parallel and sequential manufacturing activities. This allocation must obey a set of rules or constraints that reflect the temporal relationships between manufacturing activities and the capacity limitations of a set of shared resources. The allocation also affects a schedule's optimality with respect to criteria such as cost, lateness, or throughput. The globalization of manufacturing makes such optimization increasingly important. To survive in this competitive market, manufacturing enterprises must increase their productivity and profitability through greater shop floor agility. Agent-based manufacturing scheduling systems are a promising way to provide this optimization.
New developments in the treatment of severe drug resistant hypertension

The purpose of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art of renal denervation system technology for treatment of drug resistant hypertension. We describe an investigational device that is currently tested in an on-going clinical trial. The denervation device uses the RF thermal ablation catheter attached to the RF generator. The RF catheter is inserted into the renal artery and positioned in the vicinity of the efferent and afferent parasympathetic innervations. Renal denervation is a minimally invasive, localized procedure and the procedural and recovery times are very short. The entire procedure lasts about 40 min. In early clinical trials, the systolic blood pressure in 87% of patients who underwent the denervation procedure resulted in an average blood pressure drop of greater than 10 mm Hg. The procedure has no systematic side effects, and appears to be beneficial in the management of hypertension in patients refractory to pharmacological therapy. ( Cardiol J 2011; 18, 6: 707–711 )
SMT Solvers for Testing, Program Analysis and Verification at Microsoft

Modern program analysis and model-based tools are increasingly complex and multi-faceted software systems.However, at their core is invariably a component using logic for describing states and transformations between system states.The system Z3, developed at Microsoft Research, is a Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solver.It provides logic inference capabilities that are critical for the functionality of these systems.The tutorial exemplifies a number of applications of Z3 at Microsoft.
Management of SOA-Based Context-Aware Applications Hosted in a Distributed Cloud Subject to Percentile Constraints

We consider geographically distributed datacenters forming a collectively managed cloud computing system. Multiple SaaS providers host their SOA-based, context-aware applications in the cloud. Typically, the context-aware applications serve multiple classes of customers (end users) classified on economic considerations, which determine the Quality of Service (QoS) received by each class. This need for differentiated QoS for each customer class is incorporated into a Service Level Agreement (SLA) negotiated between the context-aware application provider and the cloud provider. A QoS metric that has been explored in large distributed applications is the percentile of response times, this metric provides a form of guarantees on the shape of the response time distribution for the customer. Typical SLAs require the response time of a certain percentile of the input requests from particular classes of customers to be less than a specified value, if this value is exceeded, a penalty is charged to the cloud provider. In addition, the applications we consider are data-intensive with strict temporal order constraints that have to be enforced on requests within the same session of a customer. We propose Data-aware Session-grained Allocation with gi-FIFO Scheduling (DSAgS), a novel decentralized request management scheme deployed in each of the geographically distributed datacenters, to globally reduce the penalty charged to the cloud computing system. Our simulation evaluation shows that our dynamic scheme far outperforms commonly deployed management policies (typically employing static or random allocation with First In First Out, Weighted Round Robin or dynamic priority-based scheduling). We further optimize our solution for dynamic, data-intensive context-aware applications, by proposing a "context level" cache replacement policy. Our evaluation shows that, when used in conjunction with DSAgS, the replacement policy decreases the total penalty charged to the cloud.
Food phytate and its hydrolysis products

In mature seeds, phytate (IP6, myo-inositol) is present primarily as the hexaphosphate. Processing of food, however, leads to hydrolysis of this hexaphosphate to tri, tetra, and penta inositol phosphate. Evidence suggests that at least some of these hydrolysis products have much less affinity or less potential for reducing the bioavailability of minerals. Hence a better understanding of the role of phytate and its hydrolysis products in processed foods would be of value. In a previous review by Harland and Morris (1), the authors presented limited data on phytate-containing foods and their hydrolysis products. In this publication, additional foods with the phytate content and their hyudrolysis products will be presented. Although a number of investigators have addressed this issue, due to differences in their findings, there is a general lack of consistency in the results. This publication contains a summary of current research involving humans, animals, plants, soils, phytases and genetic engineering to reduce phytate levels in foods and feeds. A table of values for phytate in foods and the hydrolysis products is also presented.
First hand: giving and receiving feedback.

A t T n our daily lives, giving and receiving feedback are ommon activities. Constructive feedback is a necesary ingredient, particularly in surgical training. Giving eedback to trainees and at the same time receiving eedback from those around us ideally serves the purose of personal improvement. However, in the surgical ulture, we are generally not taught the appropriate way o give feedback. Rather, we learn to muddle through hese valuable improvement opportunities by observing ess than ideal patterns of behavior from our teachers. or example, a searing memory of a feedback interacion was during a rotation in my own training. As an nthusiastic young trainee, I was constantly working ard to take care of my patients and please my attendngs. But there was one attending who seemed to be ifficult to please. After going through half of the -month rotation, I received surprising feedback from his professor. While we were in the elevator going to ee a patient, he said, “Kevin, you work very hard and appreciate your effort, but there is something about ou that I just do not like. The next time I see you I ould like you to do better.” With that, the professor eft the elevator and did not say much more to me for he rest of the rotation. This type of feedback, better onsidered unfocused criticism, of course, was not paricularly helpful. Was it because I was too aggressive in he operating room? Was it because I did not laugh at he jokes of my professor? Or was it that I just did not erform well by not reading and not taking good care of y patients? Or simply, did I just stink? I am sure most of us who have gone through urgical training have received this type of circuitous nd mysteriously negative feedback that did not help o improve one’s performance. Giving constructive
Ultra-fast local-haplotype variant calling using paired-end DNA-sequencing data reveals somatic mosaicism in tumor and normal blood samples

Somatic mosaicism refers to the existence of somatic mutations in a fraction of somatic cells in a single biological sample. Its importance has mainly been discussed in theory although experimental work has started to emerge linking somatic mosaicism to disease diagnosis. Through novel statistical modeling of paired-end DNA-sequencing data using blood-derived DNA from healthy donors as well as DNA from tumor samples, we present an ultra-fast computational pipeline, LocHap that searches for multiple single nucleotide variants (SNVs) that are scaffolded by the same reads. We refer to scaffolded SNVs as local haplotypes (LH). When an LH exhibits more than two genotypes, we call it a local haplotype variant (LHV). The presence of LHVs is considered evidence of somatic mosaicism because a genetically homogeneous cell population will not harbor LHVs. Applying LocHap to whole-genome and whole-exome sequence data in DNA from normal blood and tumor samples, we find wide-spread LHVs across the genome. Importantly, we find more LHVs in tumor samples than in normal samples, and more in older adults than in younger ones. We confirm the existence of LHVs and somatic mosaicism by validation studies in normal blood samples. LocHap is publicly available at http://www.compgenome.org/lochap.
High-Speed Resonant Cavity Enhanced Schottky Photodiodes

Design, fabrication and testing of a GaAs-based highspeed resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) Schottky photodiode is reported. The top-illuminated RCE detector is constructed by integrating a Schottky contact, a thin absorption region (In0.08Ga0.92As) and a distributed AlAs/GaAs Bragg mirror. The Schottky contact metal serves as a high reflectivity top mirror in the RCE detector structure. The devices were fabricated by using a microwave-compatible fabrication process. The resulting spectral photoresponse had a resonance around 895 nm, in good agreement with our simulations. The full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) was 15 nm, and the enhancement factor was in excess of 6. The photodiode had an experimental set-up limited temporal response of 18 psec FWHM, corresponding to a 3-dB bandwidth of 20 GHz.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Enhance the Therapeutic Potential of Reovirus in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma remains incurable and the majority of patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. Reolysin, the infusible form of human reovirus (RV), is a novel viral oncolytic therapy associated with antitumor activity likely resulting from direct oncolysis and a virus-mediated antitumor immune response. Results from our phase I clinical trial investigating single agent Reolysin in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma confirmed tolerability, but no objective responses were evident, likely because the virus selectively entered the multiple myeloma cells but did not actively replicate. To date, the precise mechanisms underlying the RV infectious life cycle and its ability to induce oncolysis in patients with multiple myeloma remain unknown. Here, we report that junctional adhesion molecule 1 (JAM-1), the cellular receptor for RV, is epigenetically regulated in multiple myeloma cells. Treatment of multiple myeloma cells with clinically relevant histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) results in increased JAM-1 expression as well as increased histone acetylation and RNA polymerase II recruitment to its promoter. Furthermore, our data indicate that the combination of Reolysin with HDACi, potentiates RV killing activity of multiple myeloma cells in vitro and in vivo This study provides the molecular basis to use these agents as therapeutic tools to increase the efficacy of RV therapy in multiple myeloma. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(5); 830-41. ©2016 AACR.
Spore Swelling, Germination, and Germ Tube Formation in Axenic Culture Among four Species of Piptocephalis

The nutritional requirements for spore swelling, germination, and germ tube formation in axenic culture were compared among four species of Piptocephalis. The spores of P. lepidula did not require exogenous nutrients for swelling, germination, or germ tube formation, although best germ tube elongation occurred on media containing selected nitrogen sources. In contrast, significant swelling, germination, and germ tube elongation of P. digitata and P. xenophila spores only occurred on media containing orange juice or yeast extract. Piptocephalis virginiana spores swelled on several media that did not support germination or germ tube formation. Best germ tube elongation by P. virginiana occurred on a medium containing yeast extract. Species of Piptocephalis, members of the Piptocephalidaceae (Mucorales), are biotrophic-haustorial mycoparasites. Although limited axenic growth and reproduction of some species of Piptocephalis have occurred on agar media (7), no member of this genus has yet been maintained in continuous axenic culture (2, 7). In fact, spore swelling, germination, and germ tube development by Piptocephalis digitata nomen nudum, P. unispora Benjamin, P. virginiana Leadbeater and Mercer and P. xenophila Dobbs and English only occurred on media containing complex constituents, a host fungus, or filtrates from host and nonhost fungi (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). In preliminary work in this laboratory, spores of P. lepidula (Marchal) Benjamin were observed to germinate readily. Since this suggested spores of this fungus differed from those of other species of Piptocephalis (3, 4, 5), spore swelling, germination, and germ tube elongation were compared in axenic culture among four Piptocephalis species. This report presents the results of those comparisons.
Analyzing Uptake of Micro-Nutrients by Micro-Greens from Novel Mineral-Fortified Fiber Mats: Case of Copper

The purpose of this study was to determine if food crops could be bio-fortified with micro-nutrients by growing micro-greens on mineral fortified fiber mats. INTRODUCTION Adequate micro-nutrients are essential to human development and overall health [1].The oxidative properties of copper (Cu) are thought to enhance the inflammatory response thereby having a role in coronary vascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and related complications. Importantly, existing data shows that while Cu deficiency was rare in the past, micro-nutrient malnutrition affects a staggering half of the world’s population and trends such as a Westernized diet and popularity of gastric bypass surgery are correlated to impaired Cu status. CONCLUSIONS Nutrient analysis showed ~2 times increase in copper micro-element of the alfalfa sprouts grown on the cellulose-based fiber mats with copper nanoparticles, and ~4 times increase on mats with ionic copper as compared to the control samples. The uptake, bio-fortification and risks of nano-materials and ions are not well understood but the use of engineered mats might be a viable way to increase the micro-nutrient composition of locally-grown food crops.
Genetic Mapping of QTL Associated with Seed Macronutrients Accumulation in â€˜MD 96-5722â€™ by â€˜Spencerâ€™ Recombinant Inbred Lines of Soybean

Research of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for macronutrient accumulation in soybean seed is limited. Therefore, the objective of this research was to identify QTL related to macronutrients (N, C, S, P, K, Ca, and Mg) in seeds in 92 F 5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a cross between MD 965722 (MD) and Spencer using a total 5,376 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers. A genetic linkage map based on SNP markers was constructed using the Illumina Infinium SoySNP6K BeadChip Array. The RILs were genotyped using 537 polymorphic, reliably segregating SNP markers. A total of 8 QTL for K (qPOT001-qPOT008) were identified on LGs D1b (Chr 1), N (Chr 3), A1 (Chr 5), O (Chr 10), F (Chr 13), B2 (Chr 14), and J (Chr 16). Four QTL for Mg (qMAG001qMAG004) were identified on LGs N (Chr 3), A1 (Chr 5), J (Chr 16), and G (Chr 18). One QTL for P (qPHO001), one for C on LG J (Chr 16), one for N (qNIT001) and S (qSUL001) on the same LG J (Chr 16), and one QTL for Ca (qCAL001) on LG G (Chr 18). K and Mg QTL were clustered together on LG A1 (Chr 5) with a peak position of 9.50 cM and LOD support interval of 8.50-9.50 cM. Similar observation was noticed for P, K, Mg, C, N, and S, where the QTL were clustered on LG J (Chr 16) with peak position of 11 cM for K, P, and S, and 10
INCREASED PROBABILITY OF EXTINCTION DUE TO DECREASED GENETIC EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE: EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF CLARKIA PULCHELLA.

We established replicated experimental populations of the annual plant Clarkia pulchella to evaluate the existence of a causal relationship between loss of genetic variation and population survival probability. Two treatments differing in the relatedness of the founders, and thus in the genetic effective population size (Ne ), were maintained as isolated populations in a natural environment. After three generations, the low Ne treatment had significantly lower germination and survival rates than did the high Ne treatment. These lower germination and survival rates led to decreased mean fitness in the low Ne populations: estimated mean fitness in the low Ne populations was only 21% of the estimated mean fitness in the high Ne populations. This inbreeding depression led to a reduction in population survival: at the conclusion of the experiment, 75% of the high Ne populations were still extant, whereas only 31% of the low Ne populations had survived. Decreased genetic effective population size, which leads to both inbreeding and the loss of alleles by genetic drift, increased the probability of population extinction over that expected from demographic and environmental stochasticity alone. This demonstrates that the genetic effective population size can strongly affect the probability of population persistence.
Proof without Words: Area and Difference Formulas

(1989). Proof without Words: Area and Difference Formulas. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 62, No. 5, pp. 317-317.
Transdermal penetration of anemonin gels and its anti-inflammation test in mice

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of different concentration of HPMC and azone on the permeating characteristics of anemonin in various gels vehicle in vitro and observe the anti-inflammatory effects of anemonin gel to develop a new anti-inflammatory transdermal preparation.METHODS The penetrating experiments were performed using human skin on modified Franz diffusion cells in vitro.The concentrations of anemonin in receptor compartment at specified time points were determined by HPLC.The steady flux and the accumulative quantity of anemonin permeating through skin were calculated.Determined the effects of anemonin gel on the inflammatory edema of ear induced by xylol in mice.RESULTS The flux of anemonin through human skin from HPMC gel was 1% HPMC3% HPMC5% HPMC;and the anemonin gel can markedly inhibited the inflammatory edema in the ear of mice induced by xylene.CONCLUSION The anemonin gel can be developed as a new anti-inflammatory transdermal preparation.