cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who Whips?: Party Government and the House Extended Whip Networks

Little recent research on congressional parties has considered the relationship between the vast extended leadership and shifting partisan dynamics. This article draws on conditional party government theory to argue that elected House leaders use the extended whip networks to achieve somewhat different goals under weaker and stronger party government conditions and that these priorities are reflected in the whip systems' membership. Specifically, the whip system reflects caucus diversity under weaker party government but becomes disproportionately stacked with loyalists as party government conditions grow stronger; this shift reflects heightened leadership focus on agenda coordination and signaling under strong parties. The evidence on whip system composition and selection in the Democratic caucus (95th to 106th Congresses) provides very strong support for this argument. An examination of the Republican conference fails to support the main hypothesis but shows that the 1990s growing GOP majority whip netw...
Decreased growth temperature increases soybean stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase activity.

Developing soybean (Glycine max) seeds respond to a change in growth temperature by changing the level of stearoyl acyl carrier protein desaturase activity in the tissue. After 20 hours in liquid culture, seeds grown at 20°C show an increase in activity while seeds grown at 35°C show a decrease in activity, relative to their preculture levels. Analysis of the enzyme from both growth conditions shows the change not to be due to induction of kinetically distinct iosenzymes; desaturase activities from both 20°C and 35°C have identical behavior with regard to pH, temperature optimum, substrate concentration and cofactor requirements. Experiments with boiled extracts indicate that the modulation is not caused by induction of metabolic effectors. From these data, it appears that stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase responds to changes in growth temperature by altering the level of active enzyme present in the tissue. The magnitude of this response is a function of the developmental stage of the seed and not a function of the growth conditions of the parent plant. Changing the age of the seeds from early late R5 changed the ratio of 20:35°C activity from 3.8:1 to 1.2:1. Changing the temperature at which the parent plants were grown over a range from 20/12°C to 34/28°C (day/night) produced only minor, and inconsistent, changes in the ratio of 20:35°C activities.
Explicit interleavers for a Repeat Accumulate Accumulate (RAA) code construction

Repeat accumulate accumulate (RAA) codes are turbo-like codes where the message is first repeated k ges 2 times, passed through a first permutation (called interleaver), then an accumulator, then a second permutation, and finally a second accumulator. Bazzi, Mahdian, and Spielman (2003) prove that RAA codes are asymptotically good with high probability when the two permutations are chosen at random. RAA codes admit linear-time encoding algorithms, and are perhaps the simplest known family of linear-time encodable asymptotically good codes. An explicit construction of an asymptotically good RAA code is thus a very interesting goal. We focus on the case when k = 2 and we consider a variation of RAA codes where the inner repeat accumulate code is systematic. We give an explicit construction of the first permutation for which we show that the resulting code is asymptotically good with high probability when the second permutation is chosen at random. The explicit construction uses a cubic Hamiltonian graph with logarithmic girth.
Synaptic Vesicles: An Organelle Comes of Age

Synaptic vesicles mediate the release of neurotransmitters at nerve terminals. In this issue of Cell, Takamori et al. (2006) analyze the lipid and protein components of synaptic vesicles, providing the most comprehensive description of synaptic vesicles to date.
Evolutionary and Ecological Aspects of Photosynthetic Pathway Variation

C4 and CAM photosynthesis are evolutionarily derived from C3 photosynthesis. The morphological and biochemical modifications necessary to achieve either C4 or CAM photosynthesis are thought to have independently arisen numerous times within different higher plant taxa. It is thought that C4 photosynthesis evolved in response to the low atmospheric CO2 concentrations that arose sometime after the end of the Cretaceous. Low CO2 concentrations result in significant increases in photorespiration of C3 plants, reducing productivity; both C3-C4 intermediate and C4 plants exhibit reduced photorespiration rates. In contrast, it may be argued that CAM arose either in response to selection of increased water-use efficiency or for increased carbon gain. Globally, all three pathways are widely distributed today, with a tendency toward ecological adaptation of C4 plants into warm, monsoonal climates and CAM plants into water-limited habitats. In an anthropogenically altered CQ2 environment, C4 plants may lose their competitive advantage over C3 plants. 411
CHARACTERIZATION OF DRUG-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN BLOOD USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY

The binding of drugs with proteins in blood, serum, or plasma is an important process in determining the activity, distribution, rate of excretion, and toxicity of drugs in the body. High-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) has received a great deal of interest as a means for studying these interactions. This review examines the various techniques that have been used in HPAC to examine drug-protein binding and discusses the types of information that can be obtained through this approach. A comparison of these techniques with traditional methods for binding studies (e.g., equilibrium dialysis and ultrafiltration) will also be presented. The use of HPAC with specific serum proteins and binding agents will then be discussed, including HSA and alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Several examples from the literature are provided to illustrate the applications of such research. Recent developments in this field are also described, such as the use of improved immobilization techniques, new data analysis methods, techniques for working directly with complex biological samples, and work with immobilized lipoproteins. The relative advantages and limitations of the methods that are described will be considered and the possible use of these techniques in the high-throughput screening or characterization of drug-protein binding will be discussed.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE PYRENOID OF TREBOUXIA IN RAMALINA MENZIESII TUCK.1,2

SUMMARY Trebouxia sp., the phycobiont of the lichen Ramalina menziesii Tuck., was examined with the electron microscope. Its pyrenoid is characterized structurally as being permeated by interconnected vesiculate membrane systems associated with osmiophilic globules termed pyrenoglobuli. The variety of membrane structure associated with the pyrenoid has been documented with electron micrographs. A model based on serial sections was constructed to show the extent of vesiculation, to demonstrate that the pyrenoglobuli within the pyrenoid matrix are invariably adjacent to the thylakoid membranes within that, matrix, and to emphasize the recurrent thylakoid membrane to pyrenoglobuli relationship. A comparison of the glutaraldehyde-osmium fixation image of the pyrenoglobuli and pyrenoid matrix with the permanganate fixation image has been included. The structure of the pyrenoid matrix in thin section was examined and appears essentially granular.
Student Science Teachers' Accounts of a Well-Remembered Event about Classroom Management.

(2000). Student Science Teachers' Accounts of a Well-Remembered Event About Classroom Management. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 243-250.
Effect of respiratory motion in CT-based attenuation correction in SPECT using different CT scanners and protocols

Artifacts can arise in reconstructed SPECT images using CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) due to patient respiratory motion. We investigate the extent of these artifacts using different CT scanners ranging from single-slice to state-of-the-art multi-slice units. The 4D NCAT phantom was used to realistically model different patient respiratory patterns (breathhold, shallow, normal, and deep breathing). In-111 ProstaScint/spl reg/ and Tc-99m Sestamibi SPECT emission projection data including the effects of attenuation, collimator-detector response and scatter were simulated from the phantoms. CT images were generated using different CT scanners with varying rotation speeds (0.5 to 14 sec/rotation). The CT data were converted into attenuation maps and used to reconstruct the emission projections with attenuation correction (AC). In each case, the CT-based AC SPECT images (with and without artifacts) were compared to assess the effect of the respiratory motion. CT respiratory artifacts were found to increase with slower rotation speeds and to affect the SPECT reconstructions using CTAC. Though less susceptible to respiratory motion, the fastest CT scanner was still found to result in artifacts in the SPECT images due to the mismatch between the CT (/spl sim/breathhold) and SPECT (average motion) data. In both cases (CT motion and CT-SPECT mismatch), the artifacts were reduced using a shallow breathing pattern. We conclude that respiratory motion is an important consideration in SPECT-CT imaging when using CT-based AC. Careful work must be done to design protocols to reduce CT artifacts while minimizing the mismatch between the CT and SPECT data.
Agile manufacturing systems in the automotive industry

Abstract In the automotive industry, it is thought that agile manufacturing systems will permit fast cost-effective responses to unpredictable and ever-changing product demand, and support rapid product launches for previously unplanned products tailored to meet changing customer desires. We discuss two simple decision models that provide initial insights and industry perspective into the business case for investment in agile manufacturing systems. The models are applied to study the hypothetical decision of whether to invest in a dedicated, agile, or flexible manufacturing system for engine and transmission parts machining. These decision models are a first step toward developing practical business case tools that help industry to assess the value of agile manufacturing systems.
Mechanism and characterization of alkylene‐ and p‐ethylenebenzylene‐spaced polycarbosilanes ceramic precursor synthesized by electropolymerization

An electropolymerization of haloalkylhalosilanes (ClRSiCH3Cl2) that possess two types of electroactive sites, that is, the CCl and SiCl bond is described. The one-pot synthesis method is shown to yield branched polycarbosilanes having a regular carbon block-spaced silicon backbone structure. A series of branched polycarbosilanes, [RSiCH3]n with R being CH2, C2H4, C3H6, and CH2C6H4C2H4, have been successfully electropolymerized with Mn up to 42,600 Dalton. Experimental and simulation cyclic voltammetry of these monomers and the computational examination of their LUMOs are applied to study the electropolymerization mechanism. The results suggest that polymerization proceeds by iterating steps involving (1) electroreduction of a CCl bond to a carbanion, which is catalyzed by silylanion radical [Cl SiCl(CH3)RCl] and/or Ni(0)/TDA-1; and (2) nucleophilic attack of carbanions to SiCl bonds of a second monomer or oligomer to extend the polymer chain. The investigation reveals that the R spacer has a considerable impact on the polymerizability of the corresponding monomer. Such interfacial polymerization resembles a template polymerization, leading to unique microstructures that were preserved even after converted to silicon carbide ceramics at high temperatures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7677–7689, 2008
Elemental Hair Analysis of the California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi ): An Investigation of Age Class, Gender, Seasons and Habitats

The following work represents the first known large scale investigation of hair analysis of a fossorial vertebrate. Elemental hair analysis was conducted on samples obtained from 181 California ground squirrels ( Otospermophilus beecheyi ) collected from three land use types in Fresno and Madera Counties, California, USA. Hair samples collected seasonally from April 2001 through January 2002 underwent elemental analysis for 35 elements utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS). Significant differences in elemental concentrations (P < 0.05 ) were found between age classes, habitats, seasons and soil elemental concentrations. Soil elemental and hair elemental concentration results varied. Significant differences of hair elemental concentrations between genders were not detected. Adult pelage was comprised of significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of aluminum, phosphorus, and zinc than juveniles. Juveniles had significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) concentrations of arsenic, lead and molybdenum in their hair than did adults. Concentrations of zinc, iron, nickel, chromium and cobalt varied by habitat in accordance with published studies. Seasonal results varied, with most elements exhibiting highest concentrations during summer months. This work holds important implications for future studies seeking to quantify relationships between hair elemental concentrations, land use, wildlife populations, environmental pollution, and human health.
Trends in the utilization of antihypertensive medications among Palestine refugees in Jordan, 2008-2012.

The purpose of this study is to describe trends in the utilization of antihypertensive medications, overall and by type of medication, specifically thiazide diuretics, as well as uncontrolled hypertension, in the Palestine refugee population in Jordan between 2008 and 2012. We analyzed aggregate procurement data on antihypertensive medications derived from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) pharmacy records between 2008 and 2012. Antihypertensive medications were aggregated and utilization was calculated overall and for specific types of antihypertensive medications (e.g. β-blockers, diuretics). We used the WHO (World Health Organization) defined daily dose (DDD) methodology, often used to evaluate drug utilization patterns using aggregate data, to calculate utilization defined as DDDs per 100 persons with hypertension. In addition, UNRWA medical records were used to measure the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension in the primary care setting. Uncontrolled hypertension was defined as a systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 in at least 2 out of 3 readings, one of which is the most recent reading, during the year for a patient diagnosed with hypertension. Overall, total utilization of antihypertensive medications has not changed between 2008 and 2012; hypertensive patients persistently used at least 2 antihypertensive medications daily (range 200–280 DDDs/100 patients with hypertension) during this five-year period. However, there is significant variation in utilization patterns by type of antihypertensive medication. While Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE-I) were persistently the most commonly used antihypertensive medication, there utilization significantly (P < 0.05) declined by 26%. However, there was a statistically significant increase of 124% in the utilization of thiazide diuretics. Further, the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension has also declined at a rate of 3% annually between 2008 and 2012. Our findings indicate that the STGs for hypertension management implemented in 2009 as part of UNRWA's essential drug program have increased the utilization of thiazide diuretics, and potentially contributed to improvements in hypertension control. This study also demonstrates that feasibility of drug utilization studies in monitoring and evaluating trends in the use of essential medications in low-resource settings.
Temperature-based targeting in a multispecies fishery under climate change

Temperature controls important physiological processes in fish and determines aspects of their niches. In an effort to inform selective fishing and spatiotemporal management in the U.S. Northeast Multispecies fishery, we used 16 years of data from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Spring and Fall Scientific Trawl Surveys to determine if bottom temperature can be used to differentiate the distribution of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from other species within the fishery management plan (FMP). We identified two separate regimes in spring temperatures and used empirical cumulative distribution functions to calculate biomass availability by temperature for each species. We applied a bagged approach to find optimum thermal threshold values that maximize the difference in cod biomass from each of the other species. For our study area, 38% to 54% of the species considered were well separated from cod by temperature in spring, whereas only 17% were separable in the fall. This study suggests that temperature targeting can be used seasonally to separate cod from many other species in the FMP including top catches and no‐retention species. The use of temperature targeting may allow fishermen to better meet multiple quotas while avoiding choke species. Our results also suggested increasing thermal overlap between cod and species inhabiting higher median temperatures (e.g., spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias) under the current warming temperature regime. These results indicate that the ability to selectively fish in the US Northeast Multispecies fishery will become more difficult under a warming ocean.
Judicial Reforms in SEE Democratising Countries. Towards a Contextualized Framework for the Analysis

The first aim of this chapter is to review the main theoretical approaches used to analyse judicial reforms in democratizing countries. Here the literature is polarized between two main explanations: the first, based on historical institutionalism, argues for the importance of the institutional and cultural legacy of the previous undemocratic regimes in conditioning the adoption of democratic institutional arrangements; while the second perspective emphasizes the self-interested strategies of new political actors and considers the outcome of the reforms as the product of bargaining among the main political players (Magalhaes et al. 2006). These two perspectives are then integrated with regard to the EU’s role as an external actor in the context of the EU enlargement process. Then, on reviewing the main approaches developed in the EU studies literature—in particular the East Enlargement Europeanization (Borzel 2012)—the chapter underlines that, in order to understand the concrete dynamics of judicial reforms in the countries under study, it is necessary to go beyond the domestic level and focus specifically on the interaction between national and international actors. The peculiarities of this interaction in the countries belonging to the SEE will also be evidenced. Finally, the research framework and the methodology applied in the book will be presented.
Dynamic Federalism in Human Rights Treaty Implementation

In response to the growing academic and political movement that opposes the direct incorporation of treaties into domestic federal law, numerous scholars have proposed that states take on an increased role in the domestic interpretation and implementation of international human rights treaties. The focus of this scholarship to date has been to locate doctrinal gaps where state legislatures and courts may act without intruding in areas of traditionally federal jurisdiction. Thus far, however, little effort has been directed towards modeling an affirmative obligation for state participation in treaty implementation, despite the fact that state action is arguably required, both pragmatically and doctrinally, if the United States is to comply with its commitments under international human rights law. In this Article, I argue that reframing treaty implementation through a dynamic federalist model could be productive and even necessary, if the United States is going to meet its existing international obligations. As an example, I discuss the ongoing litigation over the United States’ failure to honor its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR). Federal actors have relied on federalism concerns to avoid forcing states to remedy violations of Convention rights, thus leaving the question of whether the United States will reach compliance entirely in the hands of the states, which have generally been slow to take up the call. Drawing on a model proposed by Justice Breyer, I contend that adopting a dynamic federalist model to implement and enforce the VCCR could help to move this impasse, and perhaps more importantly, could help realize the benefits of federalism within the context of human rights treaty implementation.
Photon correlation spectroscopy of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

We report the use of a Hanbury-Brown Twiss apparatus to measure auto- and cross-correlations from pairs of dye molecules tethered to single strands of DNA and coupled by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). We observe non-classical photon anti-bunching, and we note that certain features of the observed correlations most likely arise from conformational fluctuations in the biomolecular substrate. These techniques should provide experimental access to molecular dynamics at nanosecond (and longer) timescales.
Evaluation of strategies for reducing taxi-out emissions at airports

Aircraft taxiing on the surface contribute significantly to the fuel burn and emissions at airports. This paper is aimed at estimating the baseline fuel burn and emissions from taxi-out processes at airports, evaluating the potential benefits of strategies proposed to reduce them, and assessing the critical implementation barriers that need to be overcome prior to the adoption of these approaches at airports. This study evaluates the effects of two different strategies, namely, single engine taxiing and operational tow-outs, as well as the total potential decrease in taxi times, fuel burn and emissions that may be obtained through various operational improvements at airports. The baseline emission calculation is done for all domestic commercial flights in the US for the year 2007, and a comparative study of the effects of these strategies is performed for the top twenty airports (by number of departures) in the US.
PEG-Immobilized Keratin for Protein Drug Sequestration and pH-Mediated Delivery

Protein drugs like growth factors are promising therapeutics for damaged-tissue repair. Their local delivery often requires biomaterial carriers for achieving the therapeutic dose range while extending efficacy. In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and keratin were crosslinked and used as sponge-like scaffolds (KTN-PEG) to absorb test proteins with different isoelectric points (pI): albumin (~5), hemoglobin (~7), and lysozyme (~11). The protein release kinetics was influenced by charge at physiological pH 7.4. The keratin network, with pI 5.3, electrostatically attracted lysozyme and repulsed albumin generating the release rate profile: albumin > hemoglobin > lysozyme. However, under acidic conditions (pH 4), all proteins including keratins were positively charged and consequently intermolecular repulsion altered the release hierarchy, now determined by size (MW) diffusion: lysozyme (14 kDa) > hemoglobin (64 kDa) > albumin (66 kDa). Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), with properties comparable to lysozyme, was absorbed into the KTN-PEG scaffold. Endothelial cells cultured on this substrate had significantly larger numbers than on scaffolds without VEGF-C suggesting that the ionically bound and retained growth factor at neutral pH indirectly increased acute cell attachment and viability. PEG and keratin based sequestrations of proteins with basic pIs are therefore a feasible strategy with potential applications for selective biologics delivery.
Fiber Optic Imagers

In most fiber optic imagers, their main differences from their bulk optic imaging counterparts are that the free-space beam path and bulk optics components are replaced by optical fibers and fiber optic components. These seem to be relatively trivial differences; however, they greatly improve the functionality and practicality of the fiber optic imaging systems compared to bulk systems for a wide range of applications—especially for endoscopic, in situ imaging.
Removing confounders from the relationship between mortality risk and systolic blood pressure at low and moderately increased systolic blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between mortality risk and systolic blood pressure (SBP) at low and moderately increased SBP (less than the 70th percentile) before and after correcting for the regression-dilution bias and J-curve effects. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING The First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study. PARTICIPANTS The 6839 individuals who participated in the 1982-1984 survey for whom there were no missing data (age range 34-87 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Cardiovascular disease mortality (n = 678) during a 9-year follow-up. METHODS Corrections were made for the regression-dilution bias by using average SBP during the decade before baseline as the mortality predictor, and for J-curve effects by excluding individuals who exhibited high age-stratified mortality rates and a decrease in SBP. Cox's regression was used to analyse the follow-up relationship between mortality risk and SBP. RESULTS The corrected relative cardiovascular disease mortality risk was 1.23 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16 to 1.31) for a 10 mmHg increase in SBP. The relationship was monotonically positive starting at the lowest SBP category in the analysis (< 115 mmHg), and robustly so above about the 32nd percentile (120 mmHg). The equivalent uncorrected result was 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.13), and the relationship was J-shaped and became positive above about the 68th percentile (135 mmHg). Below the 70th percentile of SBP, individuals in the corrected analysis were 89% of all individuals. CONCLUSION These two corrections transformed the relationship between mortality risk and SBP at low and moderately increased SBP from no association to a robustly positive association starting at 120 mmHg, for the majority of individuals.
Tilt-Shift Flânerie: Miniature View, Globalscape:

The recent adaptation of tilt-shift photography by digital technology has produced a fascinating optical illusion that makes film captures of real landscapes appear as if they are fake miniatures –...
The Pasts and Futures of African History: A Generational Inventory1 This article is based on a paper compiled for the University of South Africa, Department of History, as part of their Sixtieth Anniversary Commemoration Series, presented in Pretoria, 8 Aug. 2006. I thank the participants at the seminar for their comments and input, which helped in the revision of the paper.

(2007). The Pasts and Futures of African History: A Generational Inventory This article is based on a paper compiled for the University of South Africa, Department of History, as part of their Sixtieth Anniversary Commemoration Series, presented in Pretoria, 8 Aug. 2006. I thank the participants at the seminar for their comments and input, which helped in the revision of the paper. . African Historical Review: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 1-24.
Numerical Prediction of Mean Flow and Acoustic Field of a Supersonic Impinging Jet

The three-dimensional turbulent mean flow and acoustic field of a supersonic jet impinging on a solid plate is studied computationally using the general purpose CFD code ANSYS Fluent. A pressure-based coupled solver formulation with the second-order weighted central-upwind spatial discretization is applied. Cold and hot jet thermal conditions are considered. Mean flow characteristics are investigated by a steady-state modeling approach. Acoustic radiation of impingement tones is simulated using a transient time-domain formulation. The effects of turbulence in steady-state are modeled by the SST k- turbulence model. The Wall-Modeled Large-Eddy Simulation (WMLES) model is applied to compute transient solutions. The near-wall mesh on the impingement plate is fine enough to resolve the viscosity-affected near-wall region all the way to the laminar sublayer. Nozzle-to-plate distance is parameterized in the model for automatic re-generation of the mesh and results. Steady-state predictions of hover lift loss and mean jet velocity distributions are compared with experimental data, and favorable agreement is reported. The transient solution reproduces the mechanism of impingement tone generation by the interaction of large scale vortical structures with the impingement plate. The acoustic nearfield is directly resolved by the Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA) to accurately propagate impingement tone waves to near-field microphone locations. Calculated impingement tone frequencies are found to be in agreement with experimental values. Structural modal analysis of the lift plate is carried out to determine a potential for a resonant response of the structure to impinging acoustic tones which can amplify tone peaks.
Childrearing Attitudes in Appalachia Today: A Preliminary Look:

Summary.-20 Appalachian morhers reported more enjoyment of childrearing when their children were small but had unrealistically high expectations of their infants. They were restrictive of their older children's activities. Physical punishment was the primary form of discipline, but reasoning and rewards were used as well. Since only 19% of the mothers invited to participate in the study actually did so, the results may not be representative of the group. Psychological research abounds on the childrearing attitudes and practices of both middle- and lower-class mothers, while studies of Appalachian family dynamics are conspicuously absent in the psychological Literature. Although we might be tempted to apply research findings gleaned from the abovementioned studies, it would be unwise to do so automatically, since we do not know the extent of the impact of the relative isolation experienced by this area until the 1960's. To assess current childrearing practices and attitudes in Appalachian
An efficient tag search protocol in large-scale RFID systems with noisy channel

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has many applications in inventory management, supply chain, product tracking, transportation, and logistics. One research issue of practical importance is to search for a particular group of tags in a large-scale RFID system. Time efficiency is a crucial factor that must be considered when designing a tag search protocol to ensure its execution will not interfere with other normal inventory operations. In this paper, we design a new technique called filtering vector, which can significantly reduce transmission overhead during search process, thereby shortening search time. Based on this technique, we propose an iterative tag search protocol. In each round, we filter out some tags and eventually terminate the search process when the search result meets the accuracy requirement. Furthermore, we extend our protocol to work under noisy channel. The simulation results demonstrate that our protocol performs much better than the best existing work.
Atrial arrhythmias after lung transplantation: Incidence and risk factors in 652 lung transplant recipients

Abstract Objectives Atrial arrhythmia (AA) after lung transplantation (LTx) is a potentially morbid event often associated with increased length of hospital stay. Predictors of postsurgical AA, however, are incompletely understood. We characterized the incidence and predisposing risk factors for AA in patients undergoing LTx. Methods A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted to identify LTx recipients between January 2008 and October 2013. Patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of postoperative AA development. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to define differences between groups and identify factors associated with AA. Survival differences were assessed by the use of competing risks methodology. Results A total of 198 of 652 (30.4%) patients developed AA at a median onset of 5 days after transplant. Increasing age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03 per additional year, P P = .002) were found to be independent risk factors. Counterintuitively, patients with a medical history of AA before LTx had a lower incidence of postoperative AA. Preoperative beta-blocker usage was not a significant predictor of postoperative AA. Postoperative AA was a significant predictor of long-term mortality (HR 1.63, P = .007) when we adjusted for other risk factors. Conclusions AA is a common occurrence after LTx, occurring with greatest frequency in the first postoperative week, and results in a significant reduction in long-term survival. Increasing age and before coronary artery bypass grafting were identified as independent risk factors for AA development. Better understanding of these risk factors may improve identification of patients at heightened risk after transplantation.
Record of magma chamber processes preserved in accessory mineral assemblages, Aztec Wash pluton, Nevada

Field relations and geochemistry indicate that Aztec Wash pluton had a complex, open-system history. The tilted pluton represents a 2.5 km thick chamber that was recharged with both felsic and mafic magma. The lower portion is highly heterogeneous, with mafic sheets; cumulates; hybrid rocks; mafic, felsic, and composite dikes; and sheets and pods of granite (heterogeneous [H] zone). The upper part is granite that is generally homogeneous in texture and geochemistry (granite [G] zone). At the base of the G zone, a discontinuous zone (buffer [B] zone) records interaction between the G and H zones. Complexity of the H zone makes detailed reconstruction of magma chamber history difficult, and the relatively homogeneous G zone appears to offer few clues about the evolution of the pluton or the interaction between the felsic and underlying more mafic magmas. Accessory mineral textures, zoning, and assemblages in the G zone, however, are far from homogeneous and provide clear evidence for fluctuating conditions that elucidates magma chamber history. Mafic rocks of the H zone contain the accessory mineral assemblage ilmenite+magnetite+quench apatite+ or -late sphene and zircon. G zone rocks have magnetite+apatite+sphene+zircon+ or -allanite, ilmenite, and chevkinite. The magnetite+allanite+early sphene, apatite, and zircon association that characterizes much of the G zone indicates a lower temperature and possibly higher f O2 than the H zone assemblage. Mineral textures and zoning, however, document fluctuations in the stable G zone assemblage: (1) as many as five rounded surfaces truncate internal zones in zircon, each indicating a dissolution event; (2) in addition to euhedral concentric zoning, sphene contains regions of highly irregular zoning that are rich in inclusions, especially anhedral ilmenite; (3) ilmenite and allanite are mutually exclusive, but allanite is present in the matrix of rocks that contain sphene with ilmenite inclusions, and sphene grains in some samples have alternating regions with allanite and ilmenite inclusions. We attribute fluctuations in the stable G zone accessory assemblage to fluctuations in temperature and possibly f O2 , with appearance of the high-T, reduced assemblage indicating interaction with hot, mafic, H zone magma. These interactions certainly involve heat transfer and may involve limited chemical contamination. We infer that they must have taken place near the H zone-G zone boundary. The most frequent and intense fluctuations (marked by zircon with the highest number of truncation surfaces, and by sphene with irregular zoning and abundant ilmenite inclusions) affected rocks that are near the boundary, but ilmenite inclusions in sphene and truncation surfaces in zircon are present to the top of the pluton. We conclude that granitic magma was subjected to multiple cycles of thermally induced vertical transfer-convection-that, at least initially, affected the entire upper part of the chamber.
Moderating Role of Brand Familiarity in Cross-Media Effects: An Information Processing Perspective

AbstractCross-media advertising campaigns have become commonplace in today's multimedia environment. Drawing from the multiple source effect theorization, this study explores the underlying mechanism of media synergistic effect from an information processing perspective. Brand familiarity is proposed as a moderator of cross-media effects: people with different levels of prior brand-related knowledge tend to process advertisements in diverse cognitive routes. An experiment found that for an unfamiliar brand, media synergy outperformed repeated exposures via a solo medium in terms of raising message credibility and generating more positive thoughts, while similar effects were not seen on a familiar brand.
Abstract PL02-01: Isogenic tumors can utilize heterogeneous mechanisms of nutrient uptake

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA An emerging feature of cancer cell metabolism is the ability to acquire the anabolic precursors necessary to support cell viability and growth from a nutrient-poor environment. Cell proliferation studies undertaken under nutrient-limiting conditions have led us to define two distinct pathways by which tumor cells gain a competitive advantage over their nontransformed counterparts. One pathway is defined by enhanced capture of existing glucose and amino acids through nutrient-selective transporters. The key mediators of this pathway are AKT and its downstream effector, mTORC1. The other pathway depends on the uptake and degradation of extracellular proteins and lipids. Oncogenic forms of RAS are potent activators of this pathway. Many tumors appear capable of using both nutrient uptake pathways and can switch between them depending on extracellular nutrient conditions. Implications of these findings for tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic responsiveness will be discussed. Citation Format: Craig B. Thompson, Wilhelm Palm, Jiangbin Ye, Natalya N. Pavlova, Bryan King. Isogenic tumors can utilize heterogeneous mechanisms of nutrient uptake. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr PL02-01.
Policy Routing Using Process-Level Identifiers

Enforcing and routing based on network-wide policies remains a crucial challenge in the operation of large-scale enterprise and datacenter networks. As current dataplane devices solely rely on layer 2 - layer 4 identifiers to make forwarding decisions, there is no notion of the exact origin of a packet in terms of the sending user or process. In this paper we ask the question: Can we go beyond the MAC? That is, can fine-grained process-level information like user ids, process ids or a cryptographic hash of the sending executable be semantically used to make forwarding decisions within the network? Toward this goal, we present a system enabling such capabilities without the need for modification in applications or the operating system's networking stack. We implemented an early prototype leveraging the P4 technology for protocol-independent packet processing and forwarding in conjunction with on-board tools of the Linux operating system. We finally evaluate our system with regards to practicability and discuss the performance-behavior of our implementation.
Consumers' acceptance of smart virtual closets

Abstract The purpose of the study is to investigate how various factors influence consumers' adoption intention of smart virtual closets. An extended technology acceptance model was proposed with three additional factors: a social influence variable (subjective norm), a personality trait (technology optimism), and a product feature (aesthetics). The results confirmed all relationships in the original technology acceptance model (e.g., usefulness→attitude, ease of use→attitude, usefulness→intention, and attitude→intention) and indicated significant relationships of all new proposed paths. All three factors, subjective norm, technology optimism, and aesthetics, significantly affected consumers' perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. However, instead of a positive relationship, subjective norm negatively influenced perceived ease of use. In addition, subjective norm also directly influenced usage intention. These findings advance theory and provide a solid basis for businesses aimed at improving user adoption of smart virtual closets.
Energy Requirements of Dew Evaporation

Dew formation and its importance in the hydrologic cycle and energy requirements for evaporation is a scientific interest and important in high-resolution evapotranspiration modeling. In humid areas, where dew point temperature is reached at night and in the morning, significant energy is required to evaporate the dew. In this chapter, detailed methods of estimating dew and the energy required for evaporation are presented along with results from experimental study. High-resolution meteorological observations coupled with temperature and wind profile measurements were used to develop heat transfer coefficients and other parameters required to estimate sensible and latent heat. The 44 days of study of dew evaporation resulted in an estimate of 5% of energy required for daily evaporation being used to evaporate dew. The study also showed that on the average, 75 min of duration of morning net radiation is required to evaporate dew at the study site. As much as 0.5-mm daily dew evaporation was estimated.
Study of minority carrier lifetimes in very long-wave infrared strained-layer InAs/GaInSb superlattices

Significantly improved carrier lifetimes in very long wavelength infrared (VLWIR) InAs/GaInSb superlattice (SL) absorbers are demonstrated by using time-resolved microwave reflectance (TMR) measurements. A nominal 47.0 A InAs/21.5 A Ga0.75In0.25Sb SL structure that produces an approximately 25 μm response at 10 K has a minority carrier lifetime of 140 ± 20 ns at 18 K, which is an order-of-magnitude improvement compare to previously reported lifetime values for other VLWIR detector absorbers. This improvement is attributed to the strain-engineered ternary SL design, which offers a variety of epitaxial advantages and ultimately leads to the improvements in the minority carrier lifetime by mitigating defect-mediated Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination centers. By analyzing the temperature dependence of TMR decay data, the recombination mechanisms and trap states that currently limit the performance of this SL absorber are identified. The results show a general decrease in the long-decay lifetime component, which is dominated by SRH recombination at temperatures below ~30 K, and by Auger recombination at temperatures above ~45 K. This result implies that minimal improvement can be made in the minority carrier lifetime at temperatures greater than 45 K without further suppressing Auger recombination through proper band engineering, which suggests that the improvement to be gained by mitigation of the SRH defects would not be substantial at these temperatures. At temperatures lower than 30 K, some improvement can be attained by mitigated of the SRH recombination centers. Since the strain-balanced ternary SL design offers a reasonably good absorption coefficient and many epitaxial advantages during growth, this VLWIR SL material system should be considered a competitive candidate for VLWIR photodetector technology.
Race and the decision to refer for coronary revascularization: the effect of physician awareness of patient ethnicity.

Abstract OBJECTIVES We sought to assess whether there were differences, relative to racial ethnicity, in coronary revascularization recommendations made by a panel that had no knowledge of the patients’ ethnicity. BACKGROUND Coronary revascularization is employed less frequently in African American than in white patients. It is unclear whether this utilization pattern is driven by clinical differences between the two populations or by nonclinical factors. METHODS Data were reviewed from 938 (26.5% African American, 73.5% white) consecutive cardiac catheterizations done between 1993 and 1995. Revascularization recommendations were made by cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons provided with the patients’ clinical and angiographic data, but without knowledge of their ethnicity. Revascularization recommendations were compared between African American and white patients and correlated with clinical characteristics. RESULTS No difference was noted in the percentage of African American and white patients recommended for revascularization, without reference to whether the recommendation was for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) 40 vs. 46%, p = NS). African Americans were recommended more frequently for PTCA (22 vs. 18%, p = NS), whereas CABG was recommended for more white patients (28 vs. 18%, p = 0.002). Significantly fewer African Americans had disease in the left main or left anterior descending coronary artery or in multiple arteries. After adjusting for age, co-morbidity, left ventricular dysfunction and the extent of coronary disease, African Americans were more likely to have a recommendation for PTCA (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96 to 2.11, p = 0.08) and less likely to have a recommendation for CABG (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.94, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that when only clinical factors are considered, the rates of recommendations for revascularization will be similar for white and African American patients; but the type of revascularization procedure may differ by ethnicity and may depend, in part, on clinical factors.
3D Particle-Scale Displacement Gradient to Uncover the Onset of Shear Bands in Sand

In situ synchrotron micro-computed tomography (SMT) scans of a specimen composed of uniform silica sand were acquired at multiple strains during a triaxial compression test. Individual sand particles were identified and tracked through multiple strain increments. The paper presents the concept of displacement gradient to expose the inception of shear bands (strain localization) in sheared sand. Each particle’s neighboring particles were identified and translation fields for all particles were calculated. The second order norm between the particle translation vector and neighboring particles translation vectors were averaged, resulting in a relative displacement value for each particle. The relative displacement concept is effective to uncover the onset of localized shearing within sheared granular materials.