cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Added Therapeutic Benefit of Ultra-Expensive Drugs.

Abstract Objectives While the United States does not have a method for assessing the added therapeutic benefit of drugs, France, Canada, and Germany do. We examined the added therapeutic benefit of the most expensive drugs prescribed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries in the United States. Methods We identified ultra-expensive drugs with annual Medicare spending that exceeded $62 794 (United States GDP per capita in 2018) using Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Spending and Utilization Data. We used added therapeutic benefit ratings assessed by health technology assessment agencies in France, Canada, and Germany. Results We identified 122 ultra-expensive drugs in 2018. Sixty-five percent of these drugs (n = 79) were assessed by at least one of the countries. Based on these assessments, approximately 75% received a low added therapeutic benefit rating. Conclusions Most ultra-expensive drugs prescribed in the United States and assessed by France, Canada, and Germany provide low added therapeutic benefit. Policy reforms in the United States could use added therapeutic benefit to inform coverage and pricing decisions for ultra-expensive drugs. Similar to Germany, one approach would be to allow the company to set a market price for a limited period of time before requiring a price reduction if the added therapeutic benefit is below a certain threshold. Another approach would be to identify when drug prices are substantially more expensive in the United States and conduct an added therapeutic benefit assessment and price review on these drugs.
Functional Domain of the Croatian Complementizer da

In this paper I address the function of the complementizer da in Croatian. Craig (1975), Frajzyngier (1995), Frajzyngier (1996), Vrzic (1996), and Krapova (1999) have contributed much literature about this particular complementizer. However, such studies focused on the analysis of the syntactic properties of da, that is, the structure of sentences in which this complementizer occurs. Using the principle of functional transparency and independent coding means, introduced by Frajzyngier and Shay (M.S.), as the point of departure, the goal of the present study is to uncover the function of this complementizer and what it is the coding means of. Drawing on older publications, an ample selection of sentences from the online National Data Corpus of the Croatian Language (NDC), and further elicited examples (NSE) and judgments from native speakers of Croatian (NSJ), I will show that da is an independent coding means and that its semantic function is to code modality. In particular, I will reveal that da is a coding means of potentially realizable habitual events, and that as such it belongs to the de dicto domain.
INSULIN RESISTANCE AND PROTEIN METABOLISM IN PAEDIATRIC CRITICAL ILLNESS

Objective: To determine whether a higher protein intake will improve the protein balance (synthesis—breakdown) in septic children under conditions of a hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp (HEC). Methods: Six septic adolescents on total parenteral nutrition (age 15 ± 1 years; body mass index 23 ± 4 kg/m2) were studied twice and randomly assigned to receive either standard (1.4 ± 0.2 g/kg per day) or high (2.8 ± 0.4 g/kg per day) protein intake based on age. The subjects received a primed, constant, 7 h tracer infusion of l-[1-13C] leucine and [6,6-2H2] glucose. During the last 3 h of the tracer study we conducted a HEC starting with 80 mU/m2 per minute insulin infusion. Plasma glucose was clamped during the last 30 minutes at 98 ± 6 mg/dl. Blood samples were obtained for determination of plasma isotopic enrichment. Results: Glucose rates of appearance during HEC were 22 ± 4 and 26 ± 5 μmol/kg per minute (p = 0.15), respectively, for standard and high protein intakes. Insulin sensitivity was approximately 0.2 μmol/kg per minute per μU/ml at standard and high protein intake. During baseline, protein balance at standard protein intake was 0.1 ± 0.3 versus 0.8 ± 0.5 g/kg per day at high protein intake (p = 0.06). During HEC protein balance at standard protein intake was 0.2 ± 0.4 versus 0.8 ± 0.5 g/kg per day with high protein intake (p = 0.07). Conclusions: These preliminary data show insulin resistance in critically ill children. Higher protein intake slightly improved whole body protein balance. However, insulin did not appear to improve protein balance further. Glucose turnover rates increased with high protein intake, which may correspond to increased gluconeogenesis. NIH DK-62363, T32 HD-007445, Ajinomoto 3-ARP; USDA/ARS 25337387. Sophia Foundation Scientific Research (SSWO).
Upstream oil and gas production and ambient air pollution in California.

Background. Prior studies have found that residential proximity to upstream oil and gas production is associated with increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Emissions of ambient air pollutants from oil and gas wells in the preproduction and production stages have been proposed as conferring risk of adverse health effects, but the extent of air pollutant emissions and resulting nearby pollution concentrations from wells is not clear. Objectives. We examined the effects of upstream oil and gas preproduction (count of drilling sites) and production (total volume of oil and gas) activities on concentrations of five ambient air pollutants in California. Methods. We obtained data on approximately 1 million daily observations from 314 monitors in the EPA Air Quality System, 2006-2019, including daily concentrations of five routinely monitored ambient air pollutants: PM2.5, CO, NO2, O3, and VOCs. We obtained data on preproduction and production operations from Enverus and the California Geographic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) for all wells in the state. For each monitor and each day, we assessed exposure to upwind preproduction wells and total oil and gas production volume within 10 km. We used a panel regression approach in the analysis and fit adjusted fixed effects linear regression models for each pollutant, controlling for geographic, seasonal, temporal, and meteorological factors. Results. We observed higher concentrations of PM2.5 and CO at monitors within 3 km of preproduction wells, NO2 at monitors at 1-2 km, and O3 at 2-4 km from the wells. Monitors with proximity to increased production volume observed higher concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, and VOCs within 1 km and higher O3 concentrations at 1-2 km. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Conclusion. Adjusting for geographic, meteorological, seasonal, and time-trending factors, we observed higher concentrations of ambient air pollutants at air quality monitors in proximity to preproduction wells within 4 km and producing wells within 2 km.
Effects of tag usage on question response time

Given a newly posted question on a Question and Answer (Q&A) site, how long will it take until an answer is received? Does response time relate to factors about how the question asker composes the question? If so, what are those factors? With advances in social media and the Web, Q&A sites have become a major source of information for Internet users. Response time of a question is an important aspect in these sites as it is associated with the users’ satisfaction and engagement, and thus the lifespan of these online communities. In this paper, we study and estimate response time for questions in StackOverflow, a popular online Q&A forum where software developers post and answer questions related to programming. We analyze a long list of factors in the data and identify those that have clear relation with response time. Our key finding is that tag-related factors, such as their “popularity” (how often the tag is used) and the num ber of their “subscribers” (how many users can answer questions containing the tag), provide much stronger evidence than factors not related to tags. Finally, we learn models using the identified evidential features for predicting the response time of questions, which also demonstrate the significance of tags chosen by the question asker.
THE IMPACT OF WAR ON MILITARY HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONS’ RESPONSE TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOLT

THE IMPACT OF WAR ON MILITARY HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONS’ RESPONSE TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOLT By Cynthia Childress, Ph.D. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: Dolores G. Clement, Dr.P.H. Professor, Department of Health Administration The prolonged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the United States as a whole and the United States military in particular. The primary aim of this research is to determine what impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had on the performance of military hospitals over the fiscal years 2001-2006. Specifically, what direct effect has the war in Iraq and Afghanistan had on the productivity and quality of military hospitals, and, do productivity and quality trends differ based on hospital characteristics? Since observations over multiple time periods are nested within hospitals, multilevel mixed effects regression and Poisson regression models are used to evaluate changes in productivity and quality while accounting for differences within hospitals. Using a contingency theory framework, this study fills the gap in looking at the impact of war on permanent military hospitals’ productivity and quality using nationally developed and implemented quality indicators (Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research Inpatient Quality Indicators and Patient Safety Indicators). Structural characteristics of the hospital, teaching status and branch of Armed Service influenced productivity and certain quality indicators. The structural components were not able to reliably predict differences in productivity and all quality indicators, but overseas hospitals and non-teaching hospitals were most likely to differ from major teaching hospitals. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, denoted by the variables for wounded discharges and deployed staff, were only partially related to the productivity of military hospitals. Only an increase in the percentage of wounded discharges was related to productivity of military hospitals, and none were related to the quality indicators. In essence, the war affected the workload and productivity of military hospitals, but it did not affect the quality provided in the hospitals, as measured by AHRQ inpatient and patient safety quality indicators. Structural characteristics account for more of the variation in quality among military hospitals than the impact of war within the timeframe studied.
The Meteorological Satellite

The potential usefulness of an artificial satellite in the field of meteorology is examined. Initially, the standard “station model” used in preparation of weather charts is evaluated for the importance of the various measurements, and for the way these are used. The possibility of making the same measurements is evaluated, the result being that identical measurements are generally not possible. Alternate measurements to provide the same type of information are then studied, and a number found. Unique measurements possible only in a satellite are investigated. It is concluded that a comprehensive satellite meteorology can be developed. Illustrations of some of the techniques are included in the discussion.
Reactive Astrocytes Protect Melanoma Cells from Chemotherapy by Sequestering Intracellular Calcium through Gap Junction Communication Channels

Brain metastases are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Metastatic tumor cells are known to exploit the host microenvironment for their growth and survival. We report here that melanoma brain metastases are surrounded and infiltrated by activated astrocytes, and we hypothesized that these astrocytes can play a role similar to their established ability to protect neurons from apoptosis. In coculture experiments, astrocytes, but not fibroblasts, reduced apoptosis in human melanoma cells treated with various chemotherapeutic drugs. This chemoprotective effect was dependent on physical contact and gap junctional communication between astrocytes and tumor cells. Moreover, the protective effect of astrocytes resulted from their sequestering calcium from the cytoplasm of tumor cells. These data suggest that brain tumors can, in principle, harness the neuroprotective effects of reactive astrocytes for their own survival and implicate a heretofore unrecognized mechanism for resistance in brain metastasis that might be of relevance in the clinic.
Positive association between artificially sweetened beverage consumption and incidence of diabetes.

To the Editor: O’Connor and colleagues are to be applauded for evaluating the effects of sweetened and unsweetened nonalcoholic beverage intake on the incidence of type 2 diabetes in 24,653 individuals [1]. In addition to the large cohort size, the study participants were followed for almost 11 years. The finding that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB, soda and milk) was strongly associated with the eventual development of type 2 diabetes is very important and not unexpected. However, we believe that another finding is particularly noteworthy, namely, intake of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) was an equally strong predictor of type 2 diabetes. When corrected for BMI and waist circumference, the significant association between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and type 2 diabetes persisted whereas the relationship between ASB intake and type 2 diabetes was attenuated, pointing to obesity as an important link between ASB and type 2 diabetes. In fact, the prevalence of obesity was strikingly higher in the ASB cohort than among the SSB consumers, despite the fact that their energy intakes were similar (ASB consumers: BMI 27.2±4.2 kg/m, obesity prevalence 20.3%, energy intake 7,899±2,046 kJ/day; SSB consumers: BMI 26.2±3.9 kg/m, obesity prevalence 14.4%, energy intake 8,389±2,071 kJ/ day). The authors state that the positive association between ASB intake and type 2 diabetes may be an artefact of reverse causality, meaning that heavier individuals consume more beverages containing artificial sweeteners to prevent additional weight gain or even promote weight loss. In our opinion, a direct detrimental effect of artificial sweeteners on metabolic health warrants further consideration, especially in light of recent findings in animal [2, 3] and human [2, 4, 5] studies. These findings include interference of artificial sweeteners with learned signals linking sweet taste to its post-ingestive consequences [3] and induction of changes in the gut microbiome [2]. Both may impair blood glucose regulation and enhance metabolic efficiency. In addition, stimulation of insulin secretion by artificial sweeteners, as observed in in vitro studies [6] and in a recent human study evaluating acute ASB consumption [4], offers another plausible mechanism that could explain the relationship between ASB and greater adiposity. Based on mathematical modelling, O’Connor and colleagues [1] predict that replacing SSB with ASB would not reduce the diabetes risk. This supports the notion that even if artificial sweeteners reduce overall energy intake, they may exert adverse metabolic effects, especially by increasing weight and adiposity. These findings have important implications for individuals of all ages, including children, whose * Kristina I. Rother kristina.rother@nih.gov
Distribution of replicating simian virus 40 DNA in intact cells and its maturation in isolated nuclei.

Abstract The maturation of replicating simian virus 40 (SV40) chromosomes into superhelical viral DNA monomers [SV40(I) DNA] was analyzed in both intact cells and isolated nuclei to investigate further the role of soluble cytosol factors in subcellular systems. Replicating intermediates [SV40(RI) DNA] were purified to avoid contamination by molecules broken at their replication forks, and the distribution of SV40(RI) DNA as a function of its extent of replication was analyzed by gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. With virus-infected CV-1 cells, SV40(RI) DNA accumulated only when replication was 85 to 95% completed. These molecules [SV40(RI*) DNA] were two to three times more prevalent than an equivalent sample of early replicating DNA, consistent with a rate-limiting step in the separation of sibling chromosomes. Nuclei isolated from infected cells permitted normal maturation of SV40(RI) DNA into SV40(I) DNA when the preparation was supplemented with cytosol. However, in the absence of cytosol, the extent of DNA synthesis was diminished three- to fivefold (regardless of the addition of ribonucleotide triphosphates), with little change in the rate of synthesis during the first minute; also, the joining of Okazaki fragments to long nascent DNA was inhibited, and SV40(I) DNA was not formed. The fraction of short-nascent DNA chains that may have resulted from dUTP incorporation was insignificant in nuclei with or without cytosol. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that joining, but not initiation, of Okazaki fragments required cytosol. Cessation of DNA synthesis in nuclei without cytosol could be explained by an increased probability for cleavage of replication forks. These broken molecules masqueraded during gel electrophoresis of replicating DNA as a peak of 80% completed SV40(RI) DNA. Failure to convert SV40(RI*) DNA into SV40(I) DNA under these conditions could be explained by the requirement for cytosol to complete the gap-filling step in Okazaki fragment metabolism: circular monomers with their nascent DNA strands interrupted in the termination region [SV40(II*) DNA] accumulated with unjoined Okazaki fragments. Thus, separation of sibling chromosomes still occurred, but gaps remained in the terminal portions of their daughter DNA strands. These and other data support a central role for SV40(RI*) and SV40(II*) DNAs in the completion of viral DNA replication.
Enzymatic Degradation of Collagena

SUMMARY Fiein cannot hydrolyze native collagen. Collagen can he degraded by this enzyme only after it has been denatured by heat, low pH, or high salt concentrations. This appears to he true also for the action of bromelain, papain, and trypsin on collagen.
Anaerobic and aerobic metabolism of diverse aromatic compounds by the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

Abstract The purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris used diverse aromatic compounds for growth under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Many phenolic, dihydroxylated, and methoxylated aromatic acids, as well as aromatic aldehydes and hydroaromatic acids, supported growth of strain CGA001 in both the presence and absence of oxygen. Some compounds were metabolized under only aerobic or under only anaerobic conditions. Two other strains, CGC023 and CGD052, had similar anaerobic substrate utilization patterns, but CGD052 was able to use a slightly larger number of compounds for growth. These results show that R. palustris is far more versatile in terms of aromatic degradation than had been previously demonstrated. A mutant (CGA033) blocked in aerobic aromatic metabolism remained wild type with respect to anaerobic degradative abilities, indicating that separate metabolic pathways mediate aerobic and anaerobic breakdown of diverse aromatics. Another mutant (CGA047) was unable to grow anaerobically on either benzoate or 4-hydroxybenzoate, and these compounds accumulated in growth media when cells were grown on more complex aromatic compounds. This indicates that R. palustris has two major anaerobic routes for aromatic ring fission, one that passes through benzoate and one that passes through 4-hydroxybenzoate.
The Apparently Blind Infant

Visual unresponsiveness, in an otherwise healthy infant, is an alarming finding. Parents are staring down the cannon at a lifetime of potential blindness in their baby and are understandably anxious and inquisitive about the cause, severity, and prognosis of the condition. Depending on the underlying cause, the visual outcome may range from normal vision to complete blindness. The importance of establishing an accurate diagnosis in this setting is obvious. This chapter emphasizes the congenital visual disorders in infancy but includes some discussion of other visual system disorders that may manifest later in childhood.
The Information Content of Earnings Following Restatements

This paper examines the information content of earnings following restatements of prior period earnings. Results indicate that the information content of earnings announcements declines in periods following a restatement, but that the loss of information content is temporary. In particular, the earnings response coefficients for earnings announcements surrounding a restatement exhibit a U-shaped pattern in which they return to pre-restatement levels over an average of four quarters, suggesting that the market's concern regarding subsequently reported earnings is somewhat transitory. The extent to which the earnings of restatement firms suffer a loss of information content varies across several dimensions. First, the loss of information content is greater for firms that restate earnings to correct revenue recognition errors than it is for other types of restatements. Second, the information content of earnings is significantly lower for firms that do not make changes to their financial reporting governance structure following a restatement relative to firms that initiate governance changes. Overall, the evidence presented in this paper is consistent with a short-term decline in investor confidence regarding financial reporting following restatements, but that recovery typically takes place within four quarters.
Studies on Analogues of L-Cysteine and L-Cystine: II. The Effect of Selenium Cystine on Murphy Lymphosarcoma Tumor Cells in the Rat

Selenium cystine decreases the incorporation of S35 L-cystine by rat Murphy lymphosarcoma tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Selenium cystine also decreases the growth of the tumor in the intact animal. Benzyl selenium cysteine does not inhibit the incorporation of S35 L-cystine by Murphy lymphosarcoma tumor cells in vitro nor does it affect tumor growth in the intact animal. Thus the ability of selenium cystine to decrease the influx of S35 L-cystine into tumor cells in vitro is associated with the ability of this compound to inhibit tumor growth in the intact animal. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of selenium cystine is not due solely to the presence of selenium within the molecule but is related to its structural identity with cystine. The data are further suggestive of the importance of SH compounds in the growth of malignant cells.
Augmenting robot behaviors using physiological measures

In recent years, advancements in Unmanned Systems have allowed Human Robot Interaction (HRI) to transition from direct remote control to autonomous systems capable of self-navigation. However, these new technologies do not yet support true mixed-initiative solider-robot teaming where soldiers work with another agent as if it were another human being. In order to achieve this goal, researchers must explore new types of multimodal and natural communication strategies and methods to provide robots improved understanding of their human counterparts' thought process. Physiological sensors are continuously becoming more portable and affordable leading to the possibility of providing new insight of team member state to a robot team member. However, steps need to be taken to improve how affective and cognitive states are measured and how these new metrics can be used to augment the decision making process for a robot team member. This paper describes current state of the art and next steps needed for accurate profile creation for improved human robot team performance.
Properties of biexcitons in multi-valley semiconductors

This paper considers the effects on the symmetries and binding energies of biexcitons of 1) the short-range interaction (Coulomb and exchange), 2) a multi-valley conduction band and 3) the mass anisotropy of the valleys. It demonstrates that the ground state of the biexciton in a multi-valley semiconductor should be a spin triplet with an antisymmetric valley function and that poly-excitons Xx,x>2, should be stable in a material like Si.
Expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic study of Lutzomyia longipalpis LJL143.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne disease with a global prevalence of over 12 million cases and 59 000 annual deaths. Transmission of the parasite requires salivary proteins, including LJL143 from the New World sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis. LJL143 is a known marker of sandfly exposure in zoonotic hosts. LJL143 was crystallized from soluble protein expressed using Pichia pastoris. X-ray data were collected to 2.6 A resolution from ortho­rhombic crystals belonging to space group P212121, with average unit-cell parameters a = 57.39, b = 70.24, c = 79.58 A. The crystals are predicted to have a monomer in the asymmetric unit, with an estimated solvent content of 48.5%. LJL143 has negligible homology to any reported structures, so the phases could not be determined by molecular replacement. All attempts at S-SAD failed and future studies include experimental phase determination using heavy-atom derivatives.
Online Compression Caching

Motivated by the possibility of storing a file in a compressed format, we formulate the following class of compression caching problems. We are given a cache with a specified capacity, a certain number of compression/uncompression algorithms, and a set of files, each of which can be cached as it is or by applying one of the compression algorithms. Each compressed format of a file is specified by three parameters: encode cost, decode cost, and size. The miss penalty of a file is the cost of accessing the file if the file or any compressed format of the file is not present in the cache. The goal of a compression caching algorithm is to minimize the total cost of executing a given sequence of requests for files. We say an online algorithm is resource competitive if the algorithm is constant competitive with a constant factor resource advantage. A well-known result in the framework of competitive analysis states that the least-recently used (LRU) algorithm is resource competitive for the traditional paging problem. Since compression caching generalizes the traditional paging problem, it is natural to ask whether a resource competitive online algorithm exists or not for compression caching. In this work, we address three problems in the class of compression caching. The first problem assumes that the encode cost and decode cost associated with any format of a file are equal. For this problem we present a resource competitive online algorithm. To explore the existence of resource competitive online algorithms for compression caching with arbitrary encode costs and decode costs, we address two other natural problems in the aforementioned class, and for each of these problems, we show that there exists a non-constant lower bound on the competitive ratio of any online algorithm, even if the algorithm is given an arbitrary factor capacity blowup. Thus, we establish that there is no resource competitive algorithm for compression caching in its full generality.
A model for integrating molecular-based testing in transfusion services.

BACKGROUND Molecular-based laboratory tests can predict blood group antigens and supplement serological methods, adding a unique technology to assist in resolving discrepant or incomplete blood group typing or antibody identification. Hospital transfusion services have options for integrating molecular-based methods in their routine operations. We describe here the model of a hospital-reference laboratory partnership. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood samples for compatibility testing were obtained from patients in a 609-bed hospital serving an urban multiethnic and multiracial population. When results of blood group phenotyping by serological methods were inconclusive, samples were referred for molecular-based testing. The reference laboratory used several methods for genotyping, including polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction enzyme-linked polymorphism analysis, sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction and array-based approaches. Human erythrocyte antigen, RHCE and RHD single nucleotide polymorphism arrays were integrated into the laboratory as they became commercially available. RESULTS The hospital-reference laboratory model made it possible to integrate blood group genotyping promptly by current technology without the expense of new laboratory equipment or adding personnel with technical expertise. We describe ten cases that illustrate the categories of serological problems that were resolved by molecular methods. DISCUSSION In-hospital molecular testing for transfusion services has logistical advantages, but is financially impractical for most hospitals. Our model demonstrates the advantages of a hospital-reference laboratory partnership. In conclusion, hospital transfusion services can integrate molecular-based testing in their routine services without delay by establishing a partnership with a molecular blood group reference laboratory. The hospital reference-laboratory model promotes genomic medicine without the expense of new equipment and skilled personnel, while supporting the economy of centralised large-scale laboratory operations.
A medical axis transform algorithm for compression and vectorization of document images

It is proposed that the medial axis transformation (MAT), being an invertible transformation, has value in lossless data compression, and, since the MAT conveys the line structure of an image, that it is also useful for vector conversion. To this end, some properties of the MAT are established and then exploited to devise a specialized chain-code representation. This MAT-based chain-code language captures any binary image but is particularly suited to line drawings. An extension of the language that can express chain-code sequences as linear and quadratic line segments under tunable error tolerance is described. The representation has achieved acceptable lossless data compression and significant additional compression for line drawings when vectorization is employed. As the error tolerance is increased, the amount of compression increases together with distortion. Thus, the method can be used to obtain a rate/distortion curve for binary images. >
Real time scheduling of multiple executions of tasks to achieve fault tolerance in multiprocessor systems

Modern computing systems are increasingly becoming more vulnerable to reliability issues due to both permanent (hard) and transient/intermittent (soft) errors. Various techniques have been proposed to incorporate redundancy into the hardware or software in order to achieve the desired fault tolerance. We present a technique that allows a task to be executed multiple times on multiprocessor systems to achieve the desired confidence in the computed results. In order to perform the multiple executions of tasks coming in real time, we developed a scheduling algorithm to increase the utilization ratio of existing hardware and decrease the time from receiving the task until its completion. Our algorithm schedules the executions of tasks on various microprocessors so the desired level of reliability is achieved for every coming task. Our preliminary results show that our scheduling technique is highly effective, feasible, and promising.
Determinants of demand for professional rodeo attendance

Large numbers of people migrated to the West in the years following the Civil War. Tales of adventure in the West spread throughout the country. The fascination of Easterners with the West was evidenced by the popularity of the Wild West Shows staged by William F. Cody. Subsequently, rodeos emerged and gained in popularity as a form of entertainment. By the 1980's over six hundred rodeos per year were sponsored by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), which is the largest association in the industry (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, 1988). The number of rodeos has increased by 11 percent from 1953 to 1987 and the inflation-adjusted average prize money rose by 40 percent. Although dispersed throughout the country (forty-five states in 1981), most rodeos are still located in the West. The reasons for their popularity have been the subject of much discussion; however, no empirical analysis of the reasons for rodeo attendance exists.
Surface complexation clues to dolomite growth

Calcium and magnesium adsorb in near-stoichiometric proportions to dolomite over wide ranges in [Ca{sup 2+}]/[Mg{sup 2+}], ionic strength, and solution composition pointing to minimal mixing of metal cations between the CaCO{sub 3} and MgCO{sub 3} layer edges exposed at the dolomite surface. Near-neutral pH Mg and Ca adsorb as hydrated ions, or, in sulfate-rich solutions, as metal sulfate complexes. Near-stoichiometric adsorption of Ca and Mg points to dehydration and subsequent carbonation of adsorbed Mg as the likely rate-limiting step for dolomite growth at near-Earth surface conditions. We propose that one path for dolomite growth from low-temperature natural waters is through the initial adsorption of Mg-sulfate complexes onto either (1) growing dolomite crystals or (2) rate-limiting dolomite nucleii. Field relations, as well as homogeneous synthesis at low temperatures (25{degrees}C < T < 100{degrees}C) support this hypothesis and provide a mechanistic explanation for dolomite growth from sulfate-rich natural waters. 36 refs.
For a Social Market Economy in North-South relations

The North-South dialogue on a New International Economic Order has reached deadlock. To revive it Prof. Sautter is counseling an offensive application of the basic principle of the Social Market Economy to the global economic relations between industrialised and developing countries.
Precision damage tests of multilayer dielectric gratings for high-energy petawatt lasers

The next generation of high-energy petawatt (HEPW)-class lasers will utilize multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings for pulse compression due to their high efficiency and high damage threshold for picosecond pulses. We have developed a short-pulse damage test station for accurate determination of the damage threshold of the optics used on future HEPW lasers. The design and performance of the damage test laser source, based on a highly stable, high-beam-quality optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier, is presented. Our short-pulse damage measurement methodology and results are discussed. The damage initiation is attributed to multiphoton-induced avalanche ionization, strongly dependent on the electric field enhancement in the grating groove structure and surface defects. Measurement results of the dependence of damage threshold on the pulse width, angular dependence of damage threshold of diffraction gratings, and an investigation of short-pulse conditioning effects are presented. We report record >4 J/cm2 right section surface damage thresholds obtained on multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings at 76.5d incidence angles for 10-ps pulses.
Defining Crystalline/Amorphous Phases of Nanoparticles through X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction: The Case of Nickel Phosphide

In this study we elucidate the structural distinctions between amorphous and crystalline Ni2P nanoparticles synthesized using tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP), through X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). We determine the differences in their chemical and atomic structure, which have not been previously reported, yet are essential for understanding their potential as nanocatalysts. These structural characteristics are related to the corresponding nanoparticle magnetic properties analyzed by performing magnetic measurements. XAS results reveal a significant P concentration in the amorphous nanoparticle sample – placing the stoichiometry close to Ni2P – despite XRD results that show only fcc Ni contributions. By comparing the long-range structural order from XRD to the short-range radial structure from EXAFS we conclude that both techniques are necessary to obtain a complete structural picture of amorphous and crystalline nanoparticle phases due to th...
Using Context-Based Neural Networks to Maintain Coherence Among Entities' States in a Distributed Simulation

For entities to interact meaningfully in a distributed simulation environment, coherence among the entities' states must be maintained. Because continuous state updates for all entities in the simulation normally require large amounts of network bandwidth, motion equations (i.e., dead-reckoning models) are frequently used to reduce the number of communications updates. However, even with the use of such dead-reckoning models, networking and communications limitations still exist in currently fielded systems. An effective approach to reducing the communications requirements is achieved by replacing these predictive dead-reckoning models with neural networks. This paper presents the background and motivation for the research, the architecture and training algorithms of the networks, and the integration of the networks into a large-scale simulation environment. Quantitative measures from the experiments reveal that the use of neural networks can effectively reduce the number of communication updates required...
Red cell membrane Ca-ATPase in cystic fibrosis: increased activation by Na

Abstract In the present study, we compared the kinetics of activation by Na, of red cell membrane Ca-ATPase of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and healthy volunteers (controls). Calmodulin (membrane-free hemolysate) was included in the assay medium to promote maximal Ca-ATPase activation. There were no significant differences between the red cell Ca-ATPase activities of the two groups, assayed either in the absence or in the presence of optimal concentrations of Na. There were also no significant differences between the apparent dissociation constants or Hill coefficients for activation of red cell Ca-ATPase by Na. On the other hand, the percent activation by Na of red cell Ca-ATPase activity of the CF patients was approximately 40% greater than that of the controls. The additional increment of Ca-ATPase activity due to the elevated percent activation was about 14% of the total red cell Ca-ATPase activity of the CF patients. Although this increment of Ca-ATPase activity is relatively small, the increased percent activation by Na does suggest an alteration in the enzyme's response to Na. At present we do not know whether or not this alteration applies to Ca-transport or if it is of any pathophysiological importance.
SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING THE LENGTHS OF SURVIVAL FOLLOWING BILATERAL SUPRARENALECTOMY

For any random group of animals, the period of survival following complete adrenalectomy varies over a rather large range. In 1926, Jaffe (1) reported that animals suffering from “acute or sub-acute insufficiency” died within 30 days after operation. His rats ranged in age from 30–59 days. Pencharz, Olmsted, and Giragossintz (2) reported survival periods ranging up to 18 days with an average of 7 or 8 days. Gaunt (3) used animals from five colonies. Four of these gave practically identical results with 95 per cent of the bilaterally suprarenalectomized subjects dying within 20.5 days, and with an average life span of 7 days. The fifth colony differed markedly. Only 50 per cent died within the upper limit of 30 clays and the average survival period for these rats was 14.4 days. Gaunt also noticed that animals under two months of age had a life span of 5.7 days on the average (for the first four colonies), or 1.3 days shorter than the average for all the animals. Ingle (4) reported survival periods ranging ...
A Link Prediction Approach to Anomalous Email Detection

In many security informatics applications, it is important to monitor traffic over various communication channels and efficiently identify those communications that are unusual for further investigation. This paper studies such anomaly detection problems using a graph-theoretic link prediction approach. Data from the publicly-available Enron email corpus were used to validate the proposed approach.
Structure and Hydrogeology of Deformed Sedimentary Bedrock Aquifers, Western Summit County, Utah

The Snyderville basin, near Park City in western Summit County, Utah, has experienced significant water shortages coupled with a 50 percent growth rate in the past 10 to 15 years. Recent development rests directly on complexly folded and fractured sedimentary bedrock aquifers in the hanging wall of the Mount Raymond thrust. Detailed geologic and fracture scanline mapping coupled with structural analyses in the Pinebrook subdivision, one site within the Snyderville basin demonstrating abrupt hydrogeologic changes, provide a clearer picture of the local hydrogeologic setting. The dominant map-scale structure is the Twomile Canyon anticline. Several macroscopic faults cut this fold, including the Toll Canyon fault, a backthrust off the Mount Raymond thrust. Fracture orientations and densities vary within meters across the Twomile Canyon anticline as a function of lithology and position relative to macroscopic faults. Exposures of the Toll Canyon fault show that the width and lithologic composition of the fault core and related damaged zone are a function of lithology, and the fault strongly controls fracture permeability. Damage zones in limestones and sandstones with high fracture intensities may be regions of enhanced permeability, whereas shale smears and clay gouge adjacent to the fault core act as barriers to fluid flow. A conceptual model of the subsurface in the Pinebrook study area has been developed, and several test well sites have been proposed based on this model and field observations. The target formation, structural position, fracture intensity, local hydrogeology, and accessibility were factors considered in locating these wells.
REACTIVATION OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE-INHIBITED TRYPSIN BY HYDROXYLAMINE.

Abstract The reactivation of trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4), inhibited by reaction with organophosphorus compounds, by hydroxylamine has been studied. There is a slow reactivation of all the inhibited samples with a pH optimum for the reaction in the range of pH 7.0. Di- n -butylphosphoryltrypsin is reactivated more readily than the corresponding diethyl derivative. Di-isopropylphosphoryltrypsin shows a low, but significant, reactivation. Di- n -butylphosphoryltrypsin prepared from different organophosphorus compounds behaves similarly. The results are discussed.
Sites of synthesis and transport pathways of insect hydrocarbons: cuticle and ovary as target tissues

SYNOPSIS. The outer surface of insects is covered with a lipid layer that provides water-proofing and protection against environmental stresses. Hydrocarbons (HC) are major constituents of this epicuticular wax and they also serve as semiochemicals. In some insects HC are also exploited as biosynthetic precursors for pheromones. HC are synthesized by oenocytes which are situated in the integument or hemocoel. Shuttling of HC to the epicuticle, fat body, and gonads requires transport through an aqueous medium. Insects, unlike vertebrates, use a versatile lipoprotein to effect lipid transport and to selectively deliver lipids to specific tissues. A high-density hemolymph lipoprotein (lipophorin [Lp]) serves this function. In adult females of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), Lp carries both HC and a contact sex pheromone. Lipophorin is a multi-functional lipid carrier serving also as a juvenile hormone binding protein in many insects. Studies of the interactions between Lp and HC are beginning to unravel the routes used in delivering HC to target tissues. We discuss the pathways and dynamics of loading of Lp with HC and HC-derived pheromones, their transport through the hemolymph, and deposition in various tissues, including the epicuticle, ovaries, and pheromone-emitting glands.
Cyclops Whistler—A Noninvasive Audible Monitor for the Amplitude of the Arterial Pulse

During cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the amplitude of chest motion during mouth-to-mouth breathing is a biofeedback signal to evaluate the adequacy of lung inflation. However, there is no sign to identify the effectiveness of each chest compression. This paper describes a device that produces an audible tone, the pitch of which is proportional to the amplitude of the pulse produced by each chest compression.
Evaluation of a stalled airfoil analysis program

The Stalled Airfoil Analysis Program (SAAP) is a computer code for predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of an airfoil up to, and beyond, stall. SAAP is presently evaluated through comparisons with experiments and with two other theoretical methods over an extensive range of airfoils and Reynolds number conditions. SAAP modeled drag more accurately than either of the other methods, and at angles of attack below stall yielded a smoother lift variation with angle of attack.
Complexity in School Systems

School systems are becoming larger and more complex, especially in urban areas. The organisation of the curriculum, deployment of staff, organization of materials and physical facilities and relationships of personnel in the system are becoming more diffused and interdependent. There is a need for measures to explain the intricacies of structure and functioning of school government, especially as these affect the costs of providing educational services. All of the school systems in Illinois, with the exception of the city of Chicago, are cooperating in an experimental test of formulae to measure the effects of the dispersion of operating units from the central administrative office, and the breadth and depth of the high school instructional programmes. These measures help to explode some commonly held myths about schools.
Evidence that the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor transmembrane domain influences kinetics of TSH binding to the receptor ectodomain.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-induced reduction in ligand binding affinity (negative cooperativity) requires TSH receptor (TSHR) homodimerization, the latter involving primarily the transmembrane domain (TMD) but with the extracellular domain (ECD) also contributing to this association. To test the role of the TMD in negative cooperativity, we studied the TSHR ECD tethered to the cell surface by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor that multimerizes despite the absence of the TMD. Using the infinite ligand dilution approach, we confirmed that TSH increased the rate of dissociation (koff) of prebound 125I-TSH from CHO cells expressing the TSH holoreceptor. Such negative cooperativity did not occur with TSHR ECD-GPI-expressing cells. However, even in the absence of added TSH, 125I-TSH dissociated much more rapidly from the TSHR ECD-GPI than from the TSH holoreceptor. This phenomenon, suggesting a lower TSH affinity for the former, was surprising because both the TSHR ECD and TSH holoreceptor contain the entire TSH-binding site, and the TSH binding affinities for both receptor forms should, theoretically, be identical. In ligand competition studies, we observed that the TSH binding affinity for the TSHR ECD-GPI was significantly lower than that for the TSH holoreceptor. Further evidence for a difference in ligand binding kinetics for the TSH holoreceptor and TSHR ECD-GPI was obtained upon comparison of the TSH Kd values for these two receptor forms at 4 °C versus room temperature. Our data provide the first evidence that the wild-type TSHR TMD influences ligand binding affinity for the ECD, possibly by altering the conformation of the closely associated hinge region that contributes to the TSH-binding site.