cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of sewage sludge solid waste conversion to syngas using high temperature steam gasification

Abstract Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment facilities needs to be treated before it can be disposed of. While it is typically processed through an anaerobic digestion process, sludge can also be a good feedstock for alternative fuel production. High-temperature steam gasification is a process that decomposes organic materials into synthesis gas (syngas) with a high hydrogen concentration. In this study, a lab-scale steam gasification system which converts sewage sludge into valuable syngas was developed and experimentally evaluated. This study specifically focuses on investigating the chemical kinetics of syngas generation and feedstock decomposition in a batch process. The syngas generation rates and concentrations of syngas constituents were measured, and changes in carbon balance during gasification were tracked with respect to time, which shows how reaction rates vary over time. It was found that variations in steam flow rates modified the gasification reactions both thermodynamically and hydrodynamically. The gasification processes were fitted into logistics curves to understand the effects of different steam flow rates. The results indicate that the chemical reaction velocity can be controlled to achieve optimum operating conditions, which potentially can reduce both processing time and steam consumption while maximizing the syngas yield. This study would contribute more to the complete understanding of the sewage sludge gasification processes and the kinetics of the gasification chemical reactions.
Acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a leading complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) with significant morbidity and mortality. ACS is the most common cause of death and the second most common cause of hospitalization in patients with SCD. Delineating the specific cause of ACS is often difficult, and multiple risk factors that precipitate ACS frequently coexist. The prominent risk factors include infection, hypoxia, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, the SCD genotype, and opioid use. The key to the successful treatment of ACS is early recognition and initiation of treatment without delay. The main goal is to prevent and treat acute respiratory failure and, thus, minimize irreversible lung damage. This review focuses on the risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of ACS.
Approximately Factorizable Networks

In factorizable networks, the adjacency (connection strength) between two nodes can be factored into node-specific contributions, named node “conformity”. Often the ith node conformity, CF i is approximately equal to the scaled connectivity k i ∕ sum(k) of the ith node. We describe (a) an algorithm for computing the conformity CF and for measuring the “factorizability” of a general network, and (b) a module- and CF-based decomposition of a general adjacency matrix, which can be used to arrive at a parsimonious description of a network. Approximately factorizable networks have important practical and theoretical applications, e.g., we use them to derive relationships between network concepts. Collaborative work with Jun Dong has shown that network modules (i.e., subnetworks comprised of module nodes) tend to be approximately factorizable (Dong and Horvath BMC Syst Biol 1(1):24, 2007).
Neurolinguistics from the Middle Ages to the Pre-modern Era

The history of neurolinguistics begins centuries ago with observations from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times through the middle ages and Renaissance; most of the classical aphasia syndromes were described prior to the 19th century, although the brain model for language, medieval cell doctrine, was unsophisticated compared to current models. Particular contributions of Wepfer, Hood and Bouillaud are highlighted.
Optical Dephasing in Inorganic Glasses

In recent years it has become clear that the low temperature dynamical properites of glasses are quite different from those of crystals and that this has a profound effect on the relaxation behavior of ions and molecules present as dopants in glassy media [1,2]. In particular, the presence of ‘two level systems‘ (TLS) — double well potentials associated with defects in glasses with a wide range of tunneling splittings [3] — has been proposed to explain the linewidths seen in optical experiments at low temperatures. Fluorescence line narrowing [1,2] and hole burning [4,5] widths are observed corresponding to dephasing times (T2) in the nanosecond and sub-nanosecond range, as much as four orders of magnitude faster than for the same ion or molecule in a crystal.
Metastatic carcinoma of the mandible secondary to adenocarcinoma of the lung. Report of a case.

Abstract A case of metastatic carcinoma of the mandible, secondary to adenocarcinoma of the lung, has been presented. Few cases of this nature have been reported in the dental literature. This case is also rare in that the patient first visited a dentist for treatment of pain in the mandible. Biopsy of tissue from the mandible led to the first diagnosis of carcinoma and initiated the search for the primary tumor. This was discovered, upon autopsy, to be an adenocarcinoma located in the right upper lobe of the lung.
Towards Data-Driven Design of a Peer Collaborative Agent

The research literature investigating the construction of tutorial dialogue and learning companion environments present parallel experiences in attempting to emulate what has been observed to be effective in human-human scenarios. We argue that what is needed as a next step is a careful investigation using controlled experimentation to construct a causal model of how specific features of an agent's behavior influence an individual student's behavior and learning. We outline our research agenda and results from a recent study illustrating our methodology.
Epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies to Escherichia coli ribosomal protein S3.

The antigenic structure ofEscherichia coli ribosomal protein S3 has been investigated by use of monoclonal antibodies. Six S3-specific monoclonal antibodies secreted by mouse hybridomas have been identified by immunoblotting of two-dimensional ribosomal protein separation gels. By using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we have divided these monoclonal antibodies into three mutual inhibition groups, members of which are directed to three distinct regions of the S3 molecule. The independence of these monoclonal antibody-defined regions was confirmed by the failure of pairs of monoclonal antibodies from two inhibition groups to block the binding of biotinylated monoclonal antibodies of the third group. To determine the regions recognized by these monoclonal antibodies, chemically cleaved S3 peptides were fractionated by gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The fractionated peptides were coated on plates and examined for specific interaction with monoclonal antibody by enzyme immunoassay. In this manner, two epitopes have been mapped at the ends of the S3 molecule: one, in the last 22 residues, is recognized by three monoclonal antibodies; and the second, in the first 21 residues, is defined by two monoclonal antibodies. The third S3 epitope, recognized by a single monoclonal antibody, has been localized in a central segment of about 90 residues by gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. These epitope-mapped monoclonal antibodies are valuable probes for studying S3 structurein situ.
Procedures that support reproductive management of replacement beef heifers

Selection and management of replacement beef heifers involve decisions that affect future productivity of an entire cowherd. The decision to breed heifers as yearlings involves careful consideration of the economics of production and the reproductive status, breed type, or genetic make-up of the heifers involved. Reproductive competence is established as a consequence of a specific program of developmental events leading to organization of functionally competent reproductive tissues and organs. The timing of puberty is critical in determining whether a heifer remains in the herd and the extent to which lifetime productivity is achieved. Because most components of fertility that influence calving and subsequent reproductive performance are not highly heritable, it is logical to assume that the majority of factors related to reproductive performance in cattle are influenced almost entirely by management. Utilization of various prebreeding management technologies enables producers to improve breeding performance of heifers during the first breeding season and during the subsequent calving and rebreeding period as 2-yr-olds. These practices help to ensure that heifers entering the herd as raised or purchased replacements will contribute to the general performance and productivity of an entire cowherd immediately, and cumulatively long-term. This review examines the relative merits of these various practices and provides an assessment of the adoption rate of specific reproductive management procedures for replacement beef heifers.
Introduction and Methods

Janet was a smart kid who grew up in the projects.1 She did well in school and was often taunted by her classmates for being a nerd. In fact, “book learning” was a favourite insult, “They believed that common sense exists in inverse proportion to academic instruction, a notion that found expression in cutting comments such as ‘The girl ain’t got nothin’ upstairs but book learning’ and ‘You got about as much common sense as a speck on a fly!’” (35–36). When Janet did in fact manage to find her way to college, however, she received a new unwanted identity – “project girl.”
The Ending of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age During the Permian Period

The climate on Earth has varied between times of coolness accompanied by widespread continental glaciation and times of relative warmth when glaciers disappeared except in mountainous regions. This chapter examines the geologic record bearing on the waning and ending of the strong continental glaciations that gave way during the Permian Period to the moderate climates of the Mesozoic Era. The direct record of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age is primarily preserved within the Gondwanan continents during Carboniferous and Permian times when Gondwana layover and near the South Pole. Since then, tectonic blocks such as those in India, have drifted northward and are now lodged within the continents of the Northern Hemisphere. An indirect record of this Gondwanan glaciation is also provided by some cyclothems preserved in Laurasian strata of the Northern Hemispere. In addition, in Siberia and Arctic Canada, probable glacial marine beds and cold-water faunas attest to mid-Permian cool climates in far-northern latitudes that were part of Laurasia. Climate interpretations based on the geochemical record, and especially plots of isotopic ratios through time, reveal as well that the ice age was a widespread worldwide event and waned rapidly in mid- Late Permian time.
The Happiness Machine: Mobile Behavior Change

The author's firm planned, researched, analyzed, designed, implemented (in the form of sample screens), evaluated, documented, and prepared training documents for several versions of a mobile phone application conceptual prototype, the Happiness Machine, which combines happiness theory with information design/visualization and persuasion design to change people's behavior. This paper summarizes the Happiness Machine's user-experience design. A more complete description appears in the White Paper cited [18].
Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Improving Comfort and Access

You are the attending child psychiatrist on the pediatric consultation-liaison service at the children’s hospital in an urban, cosmopolitan city. As part of your duties you routinely round with the hematology-oncology service to introduce yourself to the new patients and their families, and you follow up with established patients who may be hospitalized.
Computer Modeling and Simulation: Increasing Reliability by Disentangling Verification and Validation

Verification and validation (VV such an entanglement makes it impossible to distinguish whether a coding error or the model’s general inadequacy to its target should be blamed in the case of a failure. I argue that a clear distinction between computer modeling and simulation has to be made to disentangle verification and validation. Drawing on that distinction, I suggest to associate modeling with verification and simulation, which shares common epistemic strategies with experimentation, with validation. To explain the reasons for their entanglement in practice, I propose a Weberian ideal–typical model of modeling and simulation as roles in practice. I examine an approach to mitigate the Duhem problem for verification and validation that is generally applicable in practice and is based on differences in epistemic strategies and scopes. Based on this analysis, I suggest two strategies to increase the reliability of simulation results, namely, avoiding alterations of verified models at the validation stage as well as performing simulations of the same target system using two or more different models. In response to Winsberg’s claim that verification and validation are entangled I argue that deploying the methodology proposed in this work it is possible to mitigate inseparability of V&V in many if not all domains where modeling and simulation are used.
Creation of controllable cationic and anionic defects in tunnel manganese oxide nanowires for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract The development of efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is crucial to the environmental and economic feasibility of electrolysis for the production of hydrogen gas. In this work, two facile chemical treatments, acid leaching and transition metal doping, were shown to modify the chemical and structural properties of low cost and environmentally friendly α-MnO2 nanowire catalysts resulting in increased OER activity. Through a combination of XPS and XRD analyses, it was shown that a molten salt treatment of α-MnO2 nanowires with Co(NO3)2 introduced Co2+ ions into the structural tunnels. The introduction of minimal amounts of cobalt (
Comparing Nipple-sparing Mastectomy to Secondary Nipple Reconstruction: A Multi-institutional Study.

Objective The primary aim of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of women who underwent immediate implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR) after receiving either: (1) nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) or (2) simple mastectomy with subsequent nipple reconstruction (SNR). Background The goal of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is to restore body image and quality-of-life after mastectomy, but removal of the nipple-areolar complex may have its own negative psychosocial consequences. NSM may have increased in popularity due to its perceived oncologic safety in many women and to reports of superior aesthetic results with this technique. Despite the increased utilization of NSM, few studies have evaluated the impact of NSM on PROs and complications in women undergoing immediate IBBR. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium study, a multicenter, prospective cohort study that recruited patients between February 2012 and July 2015. The primary aim of this study was to compare PROs as measured by BREAST-Q scores between women who underwent IBBR after NSM versus SNR. The secondary aim was to compare complication rates. Mixed-effects regression models controlled for demographic and clinical covariates. Results Of the 600 women in the study, 286 (47.7%) underwent NSM. After controlling for baseline patient characteristics, we found no significant differences in satisfaction with breast, psychosocial well-being, physical well-being or sexual well-being between women undergoing NSM versus SNR. Mastectomy type was not a significant predictor of complications or reconstructive failure. Conclusions Despite reports of superior aesthetics for NSM over simple mastectomy with nipple reconstruction in immediate IBBR, we found no significant differences at 2 years after reconstruction in patient satisfaction, quality-of-life, or complication rates.
Infrastructure-Relevant Storms of the Last Century

Over the past 100 years, numerous water management infrastructures have been constructed to serve the water-related needs of people worldwide (Mitchell 1990). The larger ones are typically reservoirs with a dam and are often built for multiple purposes (e.g., water supply, disaster control, energy production, recreation, and navigation). These large water management infrastructures are the center of local and regional water resources management (Grigg 1996; Asmal et al. 2000). With the projected increase of water usage in the coming decades due to population growth and economic development, dams and reservoirs will remain one of the most ubiquitous and centralized solutions to satisfy water demands (Graf et al. 2010; Schlosser et al. 2014).
Postoperative hemiparesis due to conversion disorder after moderate sedation: a case report

Peri-operative conversion disorder that manifests as postoperative muscle weakness is an uncommon diagnosis made through exclusion of neurological, metabolic or iatrogenic aetiologies. We present a case where a patient with a considerable history of physical and psychological trauma suffered from prolonged right-sided hemiparesis following a breast biopsy under moderate-to-deep sedation. Conversion disorder following moderate-to-deep sedation has yet to be discussed in the literature, as all previous cases have described postoperative conversion disorder in the setting of general or central neuraxial anaesthesia. Our recommendation is for practitioners to keep conversion disorder on the list of differential diagnoses, despite the depth of sedation or type of anaesthetic utilised, and perform the same detailed neurological, metabolic and psychiatric assessment when considering postoperative weakness.
Deus ex mitigata: Denaturalizing the discursive power of Solar India:

Post-Paris Agreement, India is swiftly transitioning to low-carbon electricity generation through solar park development. Despite exceeding emissions reduction targets, many social development clai...
Chapter 5 – Recursion

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the idea of recursion, which is an elegant and powerful problem-solving method used extensively in both distinct mathematics and computer science. Recursion can support many programming languages, such as ALGOL, FORTRAN 90, C++, and Java. Under this, the chapter takes a look at recursively defined functions and the method of solving recurrence relations. The chapter also describes three simple methods for solving recurrence relations: iteration, characteristic equations, and generating functions. This is supported by various examples. In addition, the chapter establishes the validity of recursive algorithms using induction and analyzes their complexities using the big-oh and big-theta notations.
Diagnostic value of MRI-derived liver surface nodularity score for the non-invasive quantification of hepatic fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

To assess the accuracy of MRI-derived liver surface nodularity (LSN) score for staging of hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Forty-seven patients with clinicopathological diagnosis of NAFLD who underwent 1.5-T liver MRI within 12 months of liver biopsy were included. Axial non-contrast T1-weighted 3D GRE was used for image analysis. LSN of the left lobe was measured using a custom semiautomated software. Histopathologic analysis (F0–F4) served as the reference standard for staging of fibrosis. Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used to compare LSN scores between different stages of fibrosis and to assess the correlation. Diagnostic performance of LSN score for detection of significant (F2–F4) and advanced (F3–F4) fibrosis was assessed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant different. Twenty-one subjects had advanced fibrosis. The LSN scores among different stages of fibrosis were significantly different (p < 0.001). The correlation between LSN score and stage of fibrosis was also strong (ρ = 0.71; p < 0.001). The areas under ROC curves for detection of significant and advanced fibrosis were 0.80 (95% CI 0.66–0.95) and 0.86 (95% CI 0.75–0.97), using a threshold of 2.23 and 2.44, respectively. This method showed 81% sensitivity and 88% specificity for detection of advanced fibrosis. MR-based LSN score is a promising non-invasive objective tool for detection of advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. • Liver surface nodularity (LSN) score is a fast retrospective method for precise quantification of nodularity of liver surface. • MR-based LSN score is a promising non-invasive objective tool to accurately detect different stages of fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Availability of buprenorphine/naloxone films and naloxone nasal spray in community pharmacies in Texas, USA

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) must be able to obtain prescribed buprenorphine/naloxone films (BUP/NX) and naloxone nasal spray (NNS) from a pharmacy promptly to reduce risk for a recurrence of use and subsequent morbidity and mortality. Telephone audits have identified concerning gaps in availability of NNS within US pharmacies, but the availability of BUP/NX has not been rigorously evaluated. This study estimated the availability of BUP/NX and NNS in the US state of Texas and compared availability by pharmacy type and metropolitan status. DESIGN A cross-sectional telephone audit with a secret shopper approach conducted from 18 May 2020 to 7 June 2020. Setting and Participants A random sample of 800 of 5078 (16%) community pharmacies licensed with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes included availability of a 1-week supply of generic BUP/NX 8/2 mg films and a single unit of NNS 4 mg, overall and by pharmacy type. Secondary outcomes included willingness and estimated time-frame to order BUP/NX if unavailable. FINDINGS Data from 704 pharmacies (471 chain, 233 independent) were included for analyses. Of these, 34.1% of pharmacies (45.0% of chains versus 12.0% of independents, P < 0.0001) were willing and able to dispense a 1-week supply of generic BUP/NX and a single unit of NNS. BUP/NX alone was available in 42.2% of pharmacies (52.4% of chains versus 21.5% of independents, P < 0.0001). NNS alone was available in 60.1% of pharmacies (77.9% of chains versus 24.0% of independents, P < 0.0001). Of the 397 pharmacies with generic BUP/NX unavailable, 62.2% of pharmacies (73.9% of chains versus 48.0% of independents, P < 0.0001) indicated willingness to order. CONCLUSIONS Most pharmacies in Texas do not appear to be willing and able to dispense prescribed buprenorphine/naloxone films and naloxone nasal spray to patients with opioid use disorder in a timely manner. Deficiencies in availability are markedly more pronounced in independent pharmacies compared with chain pharmacies.
Large- N theory of critical Fermi surfaces

Critical Fermi surfaces appear in many physical systems, including the half-filled Landau level, and certain spin liquids. Many theories have studied the nonquasiparticle excitations near the Fermi surface, and possible instabilities to pairing or density wave orders, but without a fully systematic method. Here, the authors study an ensemble of self-averaging theories with random coupling constants, and obtain a controlled large-$N$ expansion.
When Machine Learning Meets Hardware Cybersecurity: Delving into Accurate Zero-Day Malware Detection

Cybersecurity for the past decades has been in the front line of global attention as a critical threat to the information technology infrastructures. According to recent security reports, malicious software (a.k.a. malware) is rising at an alarming rate in numbers as well as harmful purposes to compromise security of computing systems. To address the high complexity and computational overheads of conventional software-based detection techniques, Hardware-Supported Malware Detection (HMD) has proved to be efficient for detecting malware at the processors’ microarchitecture level with the aid of Machine Learning (ML) techniques applied on Hardware Performance Counter (HPC) data. Existing ML-based HMDs while accurate in recognizing known signatures of malicious patterns, have not explored detecting unknown (zero-day) malware data at run-time which is a more challenging problem, since its HPC data does not match any known attack applications’ signatures in the existing database. In this work, we first present a review of recent ML-based HMDs utilizing built-in HPC registers information. Next, we examine the suitability of various standard ML classifiers for zero-day malware detection and demonstrate that such methods are not capable of detecting unknown malware signatures with high detection rate. Lastly, to address the challenge of run-time zero-day malware detection, we propose an ensemble learning-based technique to enhance the performance of the standard malware detectors despite using a small number of microarchitectural features that are captured at run-time by existing HPCs. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach by applying AdaBoost ensemble learning on Random Forrest classifier as a regular classifier achieves 92% F-measure and 95% TPR with only 2% false positive rate in detecting zero-day malware using only the top 4 microarchitectural features.
Endocrine Mucin-Producing Sweat Gland Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Endocrine Mucin-Producing Sweat Gland Carcinoma is a rare, under-reported cutaneous adnexal tumor that is often misdiagnosed and has an unknown incidence of metastasis.To determine the incidence of...
INHALED NITRIC OXIDE EFFECTS ON MEDICAL AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF PREMATURE INFANTS AT EARLY SCHOOL AGE

Objective: To assess the school-age medical and functional outcomes of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO)-treated premature infants. Methods: The study cohort consisted of survivors from a randomised trial of iNO for 7 days or placebo in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation and surfactant replacement. Medical and functional outcomes, including somatic growth, hospitalisations and ongoing morbidities, were obtained from physical examination and questionnaire. A poor medical outcome was defined as multiple chronic morbidities or technology dependence. A suboptimal functional outcome was a total WeeFIM of Results: 135 of 167 survivors (81%) were studied at 5.7 ± 1.0 years (65 placebo-treated and 70 iNO treated). No differences in anthropometric measures were detected: weight z-score (placebo −0.45 vs iNO −0.12; p = 0.11), head circumference z-score (placebo −0.93 vs iNO −0.85; p = 0.20), height z-score (placebo −0.06 vs iNO 0.23; p = 0.42). There was no difference in hospitalisations (p = 0.94). However, iNO-treated children were less likely to have poor medical outcomes (placebo n = 9, 14% versus iNO n = 2, 3%; p = 0.03). In addition, iNO-treated children were less likely to have functional limitations that interfered with educational and community activities (placebo 5/58, 9% vs iNO 0/60, 0%; p = 0.03). There was no difference in the frequency of severe neurodevelopmental disability (severe cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, IQ Conclusions: These results demonstrate the long-term safety of iNO in premature infants. In addition, iNO treatment may decrease poor medical and suboptimal functional outcomes in this at-risk population.
Model‐Based Software Testing

There is an abundance of testing styles in the discipline of software engineering today. Over the last few decades, many of these have come to be used and adopted by the industry as solutions to address the increasing demand for assuring software quality. Since 1990 or so, perhaps as an outcome of the popularization of object orientation and models in software engineering, there has been a growth in black-box testing techniques that are collectively dubbed model-based testing. Model-based testing (MBT) is a general term that signifies an approach that bases common testing tasks such as test case generation and test result evaluation [see Jorgensen (1995) for some of these basic terms and concepts] on a model of the application under test. This generic definition is probably the least general statement that can be made about MBT. One of the striking issues about MBT is the nonstandard lingo that reflects a diversity of philosophies and models. Another issue that one will eventually realize in studying this set of techniques is that the models and techniques have yet to travel the long course to maturity. Disregarding these concerns, model-based techniques have gained the attention of practitioners and theoreticians alike. The wealth of published work portraying case studies in both academic and industrial settings is a sign of the newfound interest in this youthful branch of testing. Model-based techniques have substantial appeal. The first sign of potential are studies showing that testing a variety of applications has been met with success when MBT was employed. This article discussed what a model is and gives some models that have been useful for testing. Information given or choosing a module, building it, and testing it, The present and future status of model-based software testing is detailed. Keywords: model-based software testing (MBT); definition; background; drawbacks; language; fundamental tasks; model choice; model building; generating tests; key concerns
Real-time analytics for fast evolving social graphs

Existing Big Data streams coming from social and other connected sensor networks exhibit intrinsic inter-dependency enabling unique challenges to scalable graph analytics. Data from these graphs is usually collected in different geographically located data servers making it suitable for distributed processing on clouds. While numerous solutions for large scale static graph analysis have been proposed, addressing in real-time the dynamics of social interactions requires novel approaches that leverage incremental stream processing and graph analytics on elastic clouds. We propose a scalable solution based on our stream processing engine, Floe, on top of which we perform real-time data processing and graph updates to enable low latency graph analytics on large evolving social networks. We demonstrate the platform on a large Twitter data set by performing several fast graph and non-graph analytics to extract in real-time the top k influential nodes, with different metrics, during key events such as the US NFL playoffs. This information allows advertisers to maximize their exposure to the public by always targeting the continuously changing set of most influential nodes. Its applicability spans multiple domains including surveillance, counter-terrorism, or disease spread monitoring. The evaluation will be performed on a combination our local cluster of 16 eight-core nodes running Eucalyptus fabric and 100s of virtual machines on the Amazon AWS public cloud. We will showcase the low latency in detecting changes in the graph under variable data streams, and also the efficiency of the platform to utilize resources and to elastically scale to meet demand.
First Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Mira AB Wind-accreting Binary System

The Mira AB system belongs to a class of detached binaries in which a compact object accretes mass from the wind of a cool giant or supergiant. This system provides a unique laboratory for detailed study of the characteristics of the wind accretion processes because it can be spatially resolved with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the components can be studied individually at UV and optical wavelengths. We resolved the components of this binary using HST Faint Object Camera (FOC) images and obtained spectra of each component separately for the first time. The multiwavelength FOC images combined with the spectra provide a unique perspective on this accreting system and its components at wavelengths ranging from 150 to 550 nm. We determined the spectral energy distribution of each component unambiguously at UV and optical wavelengths and obtained the first high spatial resolution images of Mira A and Mira B at UV wavelengths. We detected significant asymmetries in the giant's atmosphere and found evidence for possible interaction with its companion.
Donald Gross: The China Fallacy: How the U.S. Can Benefit from China's Rise and Avoid Another Cold War

The author of the work being reviewed here is currently an Adjunct Fellow of Pacific Forum, CSIS, which is affiliated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Earlier he held a numb...
Abstract P090: Change in Visceral Adipose Tissue and Change in Cardiometabolic Risk in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), the more metabolically harmful fat depot, has been associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Higher levels of VAT are associated cross-sectionally with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, specifically hypertension and unfavorable lipid profiles. Research on the effects of change in VAT on CV risk factors is extremely limited and no studies have explored these questions in minority cohorts. The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family (IRAS Family) Study offered the opportunity to explore whether changes in VAT were associated with changes in CV risk, independent of changes in BMI, in a minority cohort. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained at two time points spanning a five year interval among African-American (N=295) and Hispanic-American participants (N=719), aged 18-65 years. The CV risk factors included 5-year change in insulin resistance (HOMA), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and systolic blood pressure (SBP). To account for family structure, we used mixed models stratified by gender to estimate change in CV risk factors as a function of change in VAT, adjusted for change in BMI, age category, race, physical activity level, smoking status, statin use (for HDL) and antihypertensive use (for SBP). The cohort was 62% female, with an overall mean age of 40 years at baseline. The mean (SD) changes in BMI and VAT over 5-years were 1.1 (2.6) kg/m 2 and 4.2 (31.0) cm 2 , respectively; the mean (SD) changes in HOMA, HDL, and SBP over 5 years were 1.3 units (2.8), 4.8 (9.3) mg/dL and 2.4 (12.7) mm Hg, respectively. On average, a one standard deviation increase in VAT (31 cm 2 ) was significantly associated with a 0.58 unit increase in HOMA in men (p 2 increase in VAT was significantly associated with a 1.8 mg/dL decrease in HDL in women (p=0.0007), but not in men (0.07 mg/dL increase, p=0.87). VAT change was not significantly associated with change in SBP in men or women. In this study of change in CT measured abdominal fat area in a large minority cohort, modest increases in VAT were significantly related to changes in HOMA and HDL, independent of changes in BMI. Further research is needed to determine whether preventing VAT accumulation may lead to improvements in glucose homeostasis and lipid profile.
The Temperature and Luminosity of the Non-Mira M and S AGB Stars

Ten M and ten S non-Mira AGB stars have been observed from 0.6 to 5 microns with a spectral resolution of approximately 70. The observed flux curves are used to obtain effective temperatures by comparing them with model flux curves. The effective temperatures are used with the theoretical pulsation relationships of Fox and Wood (1982) (FW) to derive the luminosities of the stars. The observed effective temperatures and luminosities are compared to the FW AGB. The Mira and non-Mira M and S stars occupy essentially the same region of the AGB which raises questions about their evolution.
Developments and trends in continuum plasticity

Multiscale modeling applied to meso and macro scale continuum calculations is a broad field with a long history. It encompasses hardening relations based on dislocation density, porosity related ductile failure models, crystal plasticity, composite media and numerous other general topics dating back more than half a century. There are also a myriad of more recent activities that can be grouped under this subject heading. Emphasis will be placed on efforts described at the Bodega Bay workshop aimed at bridging length scales rather than focusing on model developments at any particular length scale. Also, areas will be highlighted where additional connections should be possible with available tools; methods exist but need to be exercised; and critical experiments are needed for validation.
Should Reliabilists Be Worried About Demon Worlds

The New Evil Demon Problem is supposed to show that straightforward versions of reliabilism are false: reliability is not necessary for justification after all. I argue that it does no such thing. The reliabilist can count a number of beliefs as justified even in demon worlds, others as unjustified but having positive epistemic status nonetheless. The remaining beliefs---primarily perceptual beliefs---are not, on further reflection, intuitively justified after all. The reliabilist is right to count these beliefs as unjustified in demon worlds, and it is a challenge for the internalist to be able to do so as well.
Central aortic cannulation for Stanford type a aortic dissection with the use of three-dimensional and two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Background There is still significant disagreement among surgeons about the best method for arterial cannulation to institute cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (STAADs). This study aimed to provide support for central aortic cannulation as a viable and preferable option, as it reduces time to institute CPB, operative times, and decreases the complexity of the procedure. Methods This study is a retrospective review of 34 patients who underwent STAAD repairs consecutively between October 2006 and January 2014. The sample was analyzed for method of cannulation, CPB time, cross-clamp time, circulatory arrest time, mortality, and complication rate. Statistical analysis was performed to compare a control group of patients who underwent nonaortic cannulation. Results The most common method of cannulation was the distal aortic arch, which also produced the lowest relative mortality. The 30-day mortality was found to be 17.6%. Arrhythmia, acute renal injury, and failure to extubate within 48 hours were the most frequent complications, and cerebrovascular accidents occurred in three patients (8.8%). Statistically significant differences in bypass and cardiac arrest times favored aortic cannulation. Conclusions This study supports the notion that central aortic cannulation is a viable option for CPB in STAAD repair, but further prospective, randomized trials are necessary for the procedure to replace peripheral cannulation techniques. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12411 (J Card Surg 2014;29:729–732)
An integer programming formulation embedded in an algorithm for query processing optimization in distributed relational database systems

Abstract In this paper, an algorithm is presented which determines the combination of the project, select and equi-join relational operators and their respective processing sites, in a distributed relational database system, in response to a query or class of queries. Part of this algorithm, is an integer programming model which determines the files in the network to be joined and their respective processing sites so as to minimize the sum of the network transmission and local processing costs. The algorithm is executed and illustrated using an example.
Metabolism and metabolic effects of 2-azahypoxanthine and 2-azaadenosine

The metabolism and metabolic effects of 2-azahypoxanthine and 2-azaadenosine were studied to elucidate the biochemical basis for their known cytotoxicities. 2-Azaadenosine is a known substrate for adenosine kinase. That 2-azahypoxanthine is a substrate for hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase is shown by the observations that, in cell-free fractions from HEp-2 cells supplemented with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate, 2-azahypoxanthine inhibited the conversion of hypoxanthine to IMP but not the conversion of adenine to AMP, and hypoxanthine, but not adenine, inhibited the conversion of 2-azahypoxanthine to 2-azaIMP. [8-14C]2-Azahypoxanthine was synthesized from [8-14C]hypoxanthine via [2-14C]-4-amino-5-imidazolecarboxamide. In HEp-2 cells in culture, the principal metabolite of [8-14C]-2-azahypoxanthine was 2-azaATP; there was no detectable 14C in deoxynucleotides or in DNA or RNA fractions. 2-Azaadenosine was much more toxic than 2-azahypoxanthine, and, when used in the presence of an adenosine deaminase inhibitor, 2'-deoxycoformycin, was converted in HEp-2 cells to 2-azaATP in amounts that exceeded those of ATP in control cells. The pool of ATP was reduced by as much as 75% as 2-azaATP accumulated. In a short-term experiment (4 hr), 2-azaadenosine selectively reduced the pools of adenine nucleotides, whereas 2-azahypoxanthine reduced the pools of guanine nucleotides selectively. Both 2-azahypoxanthine and 2-azaadenosine inhibited the incorporation of formate into purine nucleotides and were without effect on the conversion of thymidine and uridine to nucleotides. 2-Azahypoxanthine inhibited the incorporation of thymidine into macro-molecules but not that of uridine or leucine; 2-azaadenosine inhibited the incorporation of all three of these precursors non-selectively. 2-AzaIMP inhibited IMP dehydrogenase competitively with IMP (Ki = 66 microM). The difference in effects of 2-azahypoxanthine and 2-azaadenosine perhaps may be due to the production, from 2-azahypoxanthine but not from 2-azaadenosine + 2'-deoxycoformycin, of 2-azaIMP, which inhibits synthesis of guanine nucleotides and thereby results in inhibition of DNA synthesis. Specific sites of action for 2-azaadenosine are yet undefined.
Junction Plasmon-Induced Molecular Reorientation

Time- and frequency-dependent intensity variations in sequences of Raman spectra recorded at plasmonic junctions can be assigned to molecular reorientation. This is revealed through Raman trajectories recorded at a nanojunction formed between a silver atomic force microscope tip and a corrugated silver surface coated with biphenyl-4,4′-dithiol. Molecular motion is not observed when the tip is retracted, and only surface enhancement is operative. In effect, junction plasmon-induced molecular reorientation is tracked.
Project P-BLISS: an Experiment in Curriculum for Gifted Disadvantaged High School Students

Gifted disadvantaged students hide in the regular classroom with no reason to show what they can do, and many reasons why staying hid den seems like a good idea. Ultimately, the failure to find the...
Altruism, Self-Interest, and the Reasonable Person Model of Environmentally Responsible Behavior:

This study operationalized a new model of environmental behavior to test its utility in predicting the relatively difficult behavior of getting people out of their cars. The Reasonable Person Model...
Alterations in cortisol negative feedback inhibition as examined using the ACTH response to cortisol administration in PTSD

Summary Objective Studies using the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) have demonstrated an enhanced negative feedback inhibition at the pituitary in PTSD, but have not provided information about central feedback effects, since dexamethasone (DEX) does not penetrate the brain well. The authors therefore examined the change in ACTH and cortisol before and after cortisol administration, which acts at central feedback sites in addition to peripheral targets. Method Blood was obtained from 31 male veterans (18 with PTSD) before, and 8, 40 and 95 min following injection of 17.5 mg cortisol and placebo. Results A greater decline in ACTH was observed after cortisol injection in PTSD. Conclusions Central as well as peripheral negative feedback inhibition may be altered in PTSD.
Recurrence of corneal dystrophy after excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy.

Abstract Background Excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) can be useful to treat anterior corneal dystrophies both before and after penetrating keratoplasty. Objective To evaluate the recurrence of corneal dystrophies after excimer laser PTK. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Fifty excimer laser PTK procedures were performed in 43 eyes of 33 patients with corneal dystrophies. Preoperative diagnoses included Reis-Bucklers dystrophy (13 eyes), granular dystrophy (11 eyes), anterior basement membrane (ABM) dystrophy (11 eyes), lattice dystrophy (7 eyes), and Schnyder crystalline dystrophy (1 eye). Intervention Two excimer lasers (VISX 20/20 model B and VISX Star) were used to perform all PTKs. Main outcome measures After PTK, patients were followed on a regular basis with measurement of best-corrected visual acuity and biomicroscopic examination. Evidence of recurrent dystrophy was noted according to specific criteria. Results Follow-up range was from 1.1 to 71.2 months (mean, 19.5 months). Clinically significant recurrent dystrophy occurred in 17 eyes. The ABM dystrophy recurred in the form of recurrent corneal erosions in 5 (42%) of the 12 eyes within 6 to 9 months of PTK. Four of these five eyes had mild erosions, which were treated successfully with topical medications while one eye required an additional PTK for an erosion outside the initial treatment area. Eight (47%) of 17 eyes with Reis-Bucklers dystrophy developed clinically significant recurrence an average of 21.6 months after PTK. Three (23%) of 13 eyes with granular dystrophy were found to have a significant recurrence a mean of 40.3 months after PTK. Only one (14%) of seven eyes with lattice dystrophy developed a significant recurrence at 6 months after PTK. Six eyes with significant recurrence after PTK were retreated successfully with additional PTK. Three eyes later developed recurrence of granular and Reis-Bucklers dystrophy after the second PTK. The probability of recurrence of these dystrophies after PTK was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusion Phototherapeutic keratectomy can restore and preserve useful visual function for a significant period of time in patients with anterior corneal dystrophies. Even though corneal dystrophies are likely to recur eventually after PTK, successful retreatment with PTK is possible.
Studies in the physiological genetics of some suppressor-sensitive mutants of bacteriophage λ

Abstract A group of suppressor-sensitive ( sus ) mutants of bacteriophage λ were tested for their ability to lysogenize a nonpermissive host (on which they do not form plaques) and to form a vegetative pool. The mutants in cistrons N, O, and P lysogenized the pm − host very poorly in single infection. At higher multiplicities of infection, lysogenization frequencies were comparable to that of λ + , and lysogenization of the pm + host was also comparable to λ + at any multiplicity used. Mutants in cistrons Q, R, and B lysogenized both hosts normally at all multiplicities used. Mutants in cistrons N, O, P do not form a vegetative pool after UV irradiation of the pm − lysogen, whereas those in cistrons Q, R, and B do. It is suggested that the mutants in cistrons N, O, and P are blocked in some functions prior to DNA replication and may be termed “early” mutants; that Q behaves like R (which controls lysozyme production) in being also involved in controlling lysis of the cell; and that B is a maturation or assembly function. It was also found that λ dg can form a vegetative pool after UV induction of the prophage.