cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of experiments and evaluation of BDD ordering heuristics

Traditional approaches to the measurement of performance for CAD algorithms involve the use of sets of so-called "benchmark circuits." In this paper, we demonstrate that current procedures do not produce re- sults which accuratelycharacterize the behavior of the algorithms under study. Indeed, we show that the ap- parent advances in algorithms which are documented by traditional benchmarking maywell be due to chance, and not due to anynew properties of the algorithms. As an alternative, we introduce a new methodologyfor the characterization of CAD heuristics which employs well- studied design of experiments methods. We show through numerous examples how such methods can be applied to evaluate the behavior of heuristics used in BDD variable ordering.
High-sensitivity imaging and quantification of intratumoral distributions of gold nanoparticles using a benchtop x-ray fluorescence imaging system.

A high-sensitivity benchtop x-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging system, based on a high-power x-ray source and silicon drift detector, has been developed. This system allows gold L-shell XRF-based quantitative imaging of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) at concentrations as low as 0.007 mg/cm3 (7 ppm) in biological tissues/water. Its capability for biomedical applications was demonstrated by imaging the GNP distribution within a small (∼12×11×2 mm3) ex vivo sample (extracted from a murine tumor after intravenous GNP administration). The results suggest direct translatability for routine preclinical ex vivo imaging tasks involving GNPs, as well as the possibility for in vivo imaging of small/superficial animal tumors.
Fantasy versus reality in fragment-based quantum chemistry.

Since the introduction of the fragment molecular orbital method 20 years ago, fragment-based approaches have occupied a small but growing niche in quantum chemistry. These methods decompose a large molecular system into subsystems small enough to be amenable to electronic structure calculations, following which the subsystem information is reassembled in order to approximate an otherwise intractable supersystem calculation. Fragmentation sidesteps the steep rise (with respect to system size) in the cost of ab initio calculations, replacing it with a distributed cost across numerous computer processors. Such methods are attractive, in part, because they are easily parallelizable and therefore readily amenable to exascale computing. As such, there has been hope that distributed computing might offer the proverbial "free lunch" in quantum chemistry, with the entree being high-level calculations on very large systems. While fragment-based quantum chemistry can count many success stories, there also exists a seedy underbelly of rarely acknowledged problems. As these methods begin to mature, it is time to have a serious conversation about what they can and cannot be expected to accomplish in the near future. Both successes and challenges are highlighted in this Perspective.
Mobile Mental Health Technologies: Unique Challenges and Solutions for an effective User Centered Design Methodology:

Mobile technologies are rapidly becoming a tool for collaborative health care and increasing access to health information and treatment. Mental health is one area of healthcare that may be particul...
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA: a nutrient enrichment study

We conducted nutrient enrichment experiments and field sampling to address three questions: (1) is there nutrient limitation of phytoplankton accumulation within an estuary whose waters are exposed to relatively high nitrogen loading rates, (2) where in the salinity gradient from fresh to seawater (0 to 32‰) is there a shift from phosphorus to nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton accumulation, and (3) is there a seasonal shift in limiting function of phosphorus and nitrogen anywhere in the estuarine gradient. Nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment experiments in the Childs River, an estuary of Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA, showed that the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in brackish and saline water was limited by supply of nitrate during warm months. The effects of enrichment were less evident in fresh water, with short-lived responses to phosphate enrichment. There was no specific point along the salinity gradient where there was a shift from phosphorus- to nitrogen-limited phytoplankton accumulation; rather, the relative importance of nitrogen and phosphorus changed along the salinity gradient in the estuary and with season of the year. There was no response to nutrient additions during the colder months, suggesting that some seasonally-varying factor, such as light, temperature or a physiological mechanism, restricted phytoplankton accumulation during months other than May-Aug. There was only slight evidence of a seasonal shift between nitrogen- and phosphorus-limitation of chlorophyll accumulation. Phytoplankton populations in nutrient-rich estuaries with short flushing times grow fast, but at the same time the cells may be advected out of the estuaries while still rapidly dividing, thereby providing an important subsidy to production in nearby deeper waters.
Study of fog mitigation in low-cost visible band FSO communication system

Free Space Optical (FSO) Communications data link offers high data rates with low system complexity but atmospheric attenuation, such as fog, alters signal integrity. In the paper, we present a novel low-cost visible band FSO system design and its performance evaluations in foggy conditions. Using LTSPICE design tools, we proposed a low-cost transmitter and receiver circuits. We built a fog-testing chamber and FSO systems to measure different transmitter sources by analyzing DC carrier powers and digital AC signals at 1MHz. A He-Ne laser at 630nm was used to calibrate chamber fog density and measure the steady state performance. Concurrently, we developed a CAD model of our FSO systems using Synopsys Optsim and obtained FSO system performance at different foggy levels to compare with our experimental results. The red laser diode (LD) at 658nm has the best performance in foggy environments with experimental attenuation of -0.20dB and simulated attenuation of -0.63dB. The green LD at 520nm and violet LD at 405nm experience experimental attenuation of -0.35dB and -0.53dB respectively. Despite beam divergence, the red LED at 615nm has good performance in foggy environments with experimental attenuation of -0.33dB and simulated attenuation of -5.2dB. The yellow LED at 590nm, green LED at 522nm, and blue LED at 470nm experience an experimental attenuation of -0.51dB, -2.2dB, and - 0.72dB respectively.
Managing at a Distance - Setting the Groundwork : Factors affecting the viability of managing remote workers

For several years I have been looking at the issues surrounding the need for, and the management of remote workers. This paper looks at some of the environmental factors driving the need to rethink our team and organizational development. The principles here are some of the foundational elements for a book that will be discussing changes in our management of remote workers, and how we think about our organizational structures.
Renewable energy requirements on the ballot: An analysis of county-level voting results

Abstract National polling data consistently find a large, bipartisan group of Americans support state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), policies which mandate generation of electricity from renewable sources. However, when such policies are actually put before voters on the ballot, they have been met with mixed success: out of seven RPS ballot initiatives, only four have been approved. From a newly compiled dataset of county-level voting results, we use ordinary least-squares regression to investigate the determinants of public support for RPS ballot proposals. Two models are constructed based on literature related to legislative adoption of RPS and, separately, public support of pro-renewable policies. Consistent with previous studies, political, economic, and demographic variables are found to be significant in predicting voter behavior. State-level fixed effects, however, are the largest contributors to both models. A synthesis model, combining elements from both the legislative adoption and public acceptance literatures, performs best when fixed effects are removed. As climate advocates increasingly call for policies to more quickly transition the electricity sector to renewable energy sources, this research provides greater insight into the prospects of successfully achieving that aim through a ballot initiative. It also, however, reveals insights applicable to legislature-driven RPS policies.
Residual Temperature Bias Effects in LIMS Stratospheric Ozone and Water Vapor

Abstract. The Nimbus 7 Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) instrument operated from October 25, 1978, through May 28, 1979. Its Version (V6) profiles were processed and archived in 2002. We present several diagnostic examples of the quality of the V6 stratospheric ozone and water vapor data based on their Level 3 zonal Fourier coefficient products. In particular, we show that there are small differences in the ascending (A) minus descending (D) orbital temperature-pressure or T(p) profiles (their A-D values) that affect (A-D) ozone and water vapor. Systematic A-D biases in T(p) can arise from small radiance biases and/or from viewing anomalies along orbits. There can also be (A-D) differences in T(p) due to not resolving and correcting for all of the atmospheric temperature gradient along LIMS tangent view-paths. An error in T(p) affects the retrievals of ozone and water vapor through: (1) the Planck blackbody function in forward calculations of limb radiance that are part of the iterative retrieval algorithm of LIMS, and (2) the registration of the measured LIMS species radiance profiles in pressure-altitude, particularly for the lower stratosphere. We evaluate V6 ozone profile biases in the upper stratosphere with the aid of comparisons against a monthly climatology of UV-ozone soundings from rocketsondes. We also provide results of time series analyses of V6 ozone, water vapor, and potential vorticity for the middle stratosphere to show that their average (A+D) V6 Level 3 products provide a clear picture of the evolution of those tracers during northern hemisphere winter. We recommend that researchers use the average V6 Level 3 data for their science studies of stratospheric ozone and water vapor wherever diurnal variations of them are unexpected. We also point out that the present-day Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) experiment is providing measurements and retrievals of temperature and ozone, which are essentially free of any anomalous diurnal variations.
Big data approaches to identifying sex differences in long-term memory.

Whether in neurotransmitters or large-scale circuits, sex differences have long been of interest in neuroscience. Spets and Slotnick conducted a meta-analysis of fMRI studies of long-term memory to...
Telemedicine in the Practice of Emergency Medicine: Telemergency

Timely, quality care for life-threatening conditions is challenging in rural areas due to national shortages of trained emergency specialists. Telemergency is the practice of providing specialty emergency medicine consultations through telemedicine and was developed to improve access to quality emergency care for patients in rural areas. This chapter provides an overview of the history and practice of telemergency. The specific areas of medical care engaged with telemergency are explored as well as the nuances of such care including EMS utilization and disaster management. The different business models that have been employed in the successful practice of telemergency are also discussed. The future of telemergency will require additional research into the outcomes and logistics associated with telemedicine.
Alarm calls of nesting Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) are associated with predator type

The alarm calls of many vertebrates encode predator-specific information such as the type of predator or the urgency of the threat. When an alarm call is only produced in a specific context and elicits specific behaviors from the recipients it is referred to as functionally referential. The pervasiveness of functionally referential alarm calls across bird species, however, remains to be established. In this study, we first classified Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) alarm calls and then assessed if parental birds produced different alarm calls for different predators or nestling stages. To classify alarm calls we first isolated parental calls that preceded nest predation events from mockingbird nest camera footage and analyzed them using Raven Pro. Using a PCA analysis, we identified 9 different alarm calls based on 18 different predation events that resulted in 494 alarm calls given. To determine if the alarm calls were predator- or nest stage-specific we conducted a multinomial logistic regression. One call was given exclusively in association with snakes and 2 were given almost entirely in association with cats. In response to American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), mockingbirds mainly produced a fourth alarm call, which was also frequently associated with Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii). The remaining 5 alarm calls were associated with Cooper's Hawks. While we have strong preliminary evidence for predator-specific alarm calls in nesting Northern Mockingbirds, many of these calls are also given in other contexts, such as in intraspecific interactions, which would exclude them from being considered functionally referential. These results highlight the challenges of categorizing alarm calls as functionally referential and the need to further integrate functional reference with context-dependent communication.
Nanoscopic Medial Meniscus Repair

Arthroscopic meniscus repair is one of the commonly used arthroscopic surgical procedures. Open treatment was the standard for meniscus repairs and recently arthroscopic all-inside treatment has become popular. Novel and more minimally invasive techniques to common arthroscopic procedures are paving the foundation to better patient outcomes. With the use of the NanoScope and nanoinstruments, we continue to develop new minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment techniques that do not require standard portals. The nanoscopic medial meniscus repair technique described here uses a less-invasive approach to a meniscus repair.
ZetaSuite, A Computational Method for Analyzing Multi-dimensional High-throughput Data, Reveals Genes with Opposite Roles in Cancer Dependency

The rapid advance of high-throughput technologies has enabled the generation of two-dimensional or even multi-dimensional high-throughput data, e.g., genome-wide siRNA screen (1st dimension) for multiple changes in gene expression (2nd dimension) in many different cell types or tissues or under different experimental conditions (3rd dimension). We show that the simple Z-based statistic and derivatives are no longer suitable for analyzing such data because of the accumulation of experimental noise and/or off-target effects. Here, we introduce ZetaSuite, a statistical package designed to score and rank hits from two-dimensional screens, construct regulatory networks based on response similarities, and eliminate off-targets. Applying this method to two large cancer dependency screen datasets, we identify not only genes critical for cell fitness, but also those required for constraining cell proliferation. Strikingly, most of those cancer constraining genes function in DNA replication/repair checkpoint, suggesting that cancer cells also need to protect their genomes for long-term survival.
Global resistive MHD calculations for high-beta DIII-D divertor tokamak

Summary form only. The linear and nonlinear resistive MHD phenomena for finite- beta ( beta is the ratio of plasma pressure to toroidal magnetic field energy) noncircular tokamak equilibria have been studied using a 3-D initial-value code, CART. The code, which uses Cartesian coordinate mesh, is particularly suited for treating noncircular shapes, up-down asymmetry, open field lines, and a magnetic separatrix, all of which characterize realistic DIII-D single-null divertor discharges with high pressure or high current. More than two dozen magnetic signals calculated from inferred profiles have shown good agreement with measurements in both relative amplitudes and phases when the vacuum vessel is treated as conducting and its exact noncircular shape is taken into account. The calculations suggest that the prevailing mode structure of the pressure-driven resistive mode could change from short to long wavelength as the plasma pressure is increased, in accordance with experimental observation. The line-tying effect in terms of reduced resistivity in open field lines and the localized change in the interior resistivity due to local heating have been found to have some weak effect on these global resistive MHD modes for the DIII-D plasmas. >
Ethnic- and Gender-Sensitive Social Work Practice

Abstract Attempts to incorporate into social work educational programs subject matter related to culture, ethnicity, and women have not produced sequential articulated content. This article presents a framework which provides systematic inclusion of topics pertaining to racial, cultural, ethnic, and women's issues and concerns through all social work curriculum and practice.
High resolution infrared spectra of dideuteroacetylene: Analysis of bands in the InSb region

Abstract Several absorption bands of C 2 D 2 observed at 4.6, 3.4, and 3.1 μ have been measured and analyzed by employing a high resolution infrared spectrograph. Molecular constants for the levels involved in the transitions have been evaluated. A precise value for q 5 = 0.003257 5 cm −1 has been determined from the structure belonging to the Q , P , and R branches of the ν 1 - ν 5 1 band.
Modeling Spatially Differentiated Environmental Policy in a Philippine Watershed: Tradeoffs between Environmental Protection and Poverty Reduction

Erosion and sediments are among the most important externalities in the developing world. These sediments negatively affect the quantity and quality of water in the downstream regions of watersheds. In light with the growing interest in many developing countries to use market-based instruments, this paper develops a model for designing efficient environmental policy at a watershed scale. Because farm households are heterogeneous in a given watershed, we develop a spatially explicit, heterogeneous watershed scale environmental policy to lesson watershed degradation. We use GIS data and geo-referenced household plots to populate the watershed with the heterogeneous households. Heterogeneity also implies that the impact of environmental tax policy on poverty varies among households. The model results confirm the benefits of differentiating policy based on the spatial attributes of the watershed. Our study proposes the possibility of funding poverty reduction using the revenues from environmental taxes. The results show that, for a moderate reduction in soil erosion, revenues from environmental taxes could be used for poverty reduction. However, for larger improvement in environmental quality, the efficient environmental tax would not be sufficient to compensate the poor. Our findings reveal the extent of tradeoffs between poverty reduction and environmental protection. In other words, tighter environmental policies could exacerbate poverty unless assistance is provided to the poor.
Correlates and predictors of psychological distress among Afghan refugees in San Diego County

The psychological effects of war and resulting displacement continue to negatively impact Afghan refugees. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that are associated with and predict psychological distress symptoms among Afghan refugees. We analyzed data from a diverse sample of 130 Afghan refugees recruited through non-random sampling in the San Diego area. Participants completed self-report questionnaires consisting of a culturally validated measure of psychological distress, the Afghan Symptom Checklist [ASCL] alongside standardized measures of acculturation, social support, and perceived stress. In bivariate analyses, older age, older age at migration, female gender, being widowed, having lower education, being unemployed, unable to comfortably pay monthly bills, lower acculturation and social support, and higher levels of perceived stress were associated with psychological distress. However, only few variables - female gender, being widowed, unable to comfortably pay monthly bills, and perceived stress - remained significant in multivariate analysis. The findings from this study contribute to understanding the social determinants of distress that affect Afghans in exile even after long-term resettlement in the US. These reported outcomes support the need for continued research with Afghans, alongside the implementation of culturally relevant psychosocial interventions that emphasize prevention of post-resettlement stressors immediately upon resettlement.
Urea synthesis from ammonia in periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule. Effect of oxygen.

1 Rates of urea synthesis were determined in periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule in perfused liver from fed, phenobarbital-treated rats by measuring the extra O2 consumed upon infusion of NH4Cl with miniature O2 electrodes and from decreases in NADPH fluorescence detected with micro-light-guides. 2 Urea synthesis by the perfused rat liver supplemented with lactate (5 mM), ornithine (2 mM) and methionine sulfoximine (0.15 mM), an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, was stimulated by stepwise infusion of NH4Cl at doses ranging from 0.24 mM to 3.0 mM. A good correlation (r= 0.92) between decreases in NADPH fluorescence and urea production was observed when the NH4Cl concentration was increased. 3 Sublobular rates of O2 uptake were determined by placing miniature oxygen electrodes on periportal or pericentral regions of the lobule on the liver surface, stopping the flow and measuring decreases in oxygen tension. From such measurements local rates of O2 uptake were calculated in the presence and absence of NH4Cl and local rates of urea synthesis were calculated from the extra O2 consumed in the presence of NH4Cl and the stoichiometry between O2 uptake and urea formation. Rates of urea synthesis were also estimated from the fractional decrease in NADPH fluorescence, caused by NH Cl infusion in each region, measured with micro-light-guides and the rate of urea synthesis by the whole organ. 4 When perfusion was in the anterograde direction, maximal rates of urea synthesis, calculated from changes in fluorescence, were 177 ± 31 μmol g−1 h−1 and 61 ± 24 μmol g−1 h−1 in periportal and pericentral regions, respectively. When perfusion was in the retrograde direction, however, rates were 76 ± 23 μmol g−1 h−1 in periportal areas and 152 ± 19 μmol g−1 h−1 in pericentral regions. 5 During perfusion in the anterograde direction, urea synthesis, calculated by changes in O2 uptake, was 307 ± 76 μmol g−1 h−1 and 72 ± 34 μmol g−1 h−1 in periportal and pericentral regions, respectively. When perfusion was in the retrograde direction, urea was synthesized at rates of 54 ± 17 μmol g−1 h−1 and 387 ± 99 μmol g−1 h−1 in periportal and pericentral regions, respectively. Thus, maximal rates of urea synthesis were dependent upon the direction of perfusion. In addition, rates of urea synthesis were elevated dramatically in periportal regions when the flow rate per gram liver was increased (e.g. 307 versus 177 μmol g−1 h−1). 6 These results demonstrate that periportal regions of the liver lobule have a greater maximal capacity to synthesize urea when flow is in the physiological anterograde direction. In contrast, the primary site of urea synthesis can be shifted rapidly to pericentral regions when the direction of flow is reversed. Thus, maximal rates of urea synthesis in the perfused liver are observed in regions of the liver lobule with the highest O2 tensions.
Impact of Water Chemistry, Pipe Material and Stagnation on the Building Plumbing Microbiome

A unique microbiome establishes in the portion of the potable water distribution system within homes and other buildings (i.e., building plumbing). To examine its composition and the factors that shape it, standardized cold water plumbing rigs were deployed at the treatment plant and in the distribution system of five water utilities across the U.S. Three pipe materials (copper with lead solder, CPVC with brass fittings or copper/lead combined pipe) were compared, with 8 hour flush cycles of 10 minutes to simulate typical daily use patterns. High throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons was employed to profile and compare the resident bulk water bacteria and archaea. The utility, location of the pipe rig, pipe material and stagnation all had a significant influence on the plumbing microbiome composition, but the utility source water and treatment practices were dominant factors. Examination of 21 water chemistry parameters suggested that the total chlorine concentration, pH, P, SO42- and Mg were associated with the most of the variation in bulk water microbiome composition. Disinfectant type exerted a notably low-magnitude impact on microbiome composition. At two utilities using the same source water, slight differences in treatment approaches were associated with differences in rare taxa in samples. For genera containing opportunistic pathogens, Utility C samples (highest pH of 9–10) had the highest frequency of detection for Legionella spp. and lowest relative abundance of Mycobacterium spp. Data were examined across utilities to identify a true universal core, special core, and peripheral organisms to deepen insight into the physical and chemical factors that shape the building plumbing microbiome.
Peripheral vascular effects on auscultatory blood pressure measurement

Experiments were conducted to examine the accuracy of the conventional auscultatory method of blood pressure measurement. The influence of the physiologic state of the vascular system in the forearm distal to the site of Korotkoff sound recording and its impact on the precision of the measured blood pressure is discussed. The peripheral resistance in the arm distal to the cuff was changed noninvasively by heating and cooling effects and by induction of reactive hyperemia. All interventions were preceded by an investigation of their effect on central blood pressure to distinguish local effects from changes in central blood pressure. These interventions were sufficiently moderate to make their effect on central blood pressure, recorded in the other arm, statistically insignificant (i.e., changes in systolic [p<0.3] and diastolic [p<0.02]). Nevertheless, such alterations were found to modify the amplitude of the Korotkoff sound, which can manifest itself as an apparent change in arterial blood pressure that is readily discerned by the human ear. The increase in diastolic pressure for the cooling experiments was statistically significant (p<0.001). Moreover, both measured systolic (p<0.004) and diastolic (p<0.001) pressure decreases during the reactive hyperemia experiments were statistically significant. The findings demonstrate that alteration in vascular state generates perplexing changes in blood pressure, hence confirming experimental observations by earlier investigators as well as predictions by our model studies.
Privacy-preserving data visualization using parallel coordinates

The proliferation of data in the past decade has created demand for innovative tools in different areas of exploratory data analysis, like data mining and information visualization. However, the problem with real-world datasets is that many of their attributes can identify individuals, or the data are proprietary and valuable. The field of data mining has developed a variety of ways for dealing with such data, and has established an entire subfield for privacy-preserving data mining. Visualization, on the other hand, has seen little, if any, work on handling sensitive data. With the growing applicability of data visualization in real-world scenarios, the handling of sensitive data has become a non-trivial issue we need to address in developing visualization tools. With this goal in mind, in this paper, we analyze the issue of privacy from a visualization perspective and propose a privacy-preserving visualization technique based on clustering in parallel coordinates. We also outline the key differences in approach from the privacy-preserving data mining field and compare the advantages and drawbacks of our approach.
A multiple-scattering model of the diffuse component of lunar radar echoes

We propose that the average diffuse component of lunar radar echoes results from the cumulative effect of multiple scattering within the ejecta blanket of fresh young craters. Using a multiple-scattering polarization computer program, we compare our model with a variety of observations of the diffuse component and find a general agreement between the two. We show that multiple scattering makes a significant contribution to the partial depolarization of incident completely polarized radar signals, although single scattering may also be important. Mean indices of refraction of 1.3 and 1.6 are inferred for the ejecta blanket at wavelengths of 3.8 and 23 cm, respectively. These values are consistent with measurements made on an Apollo 11 fine sample and indicate an increasing density with depth below the surface. We hypothesize that the difference between the diffuse reflectivities of mare and highland areas is due chiefly to differences between the microwave absorption properties of rocks and dust in the two regions. If that is so, radar maps, properly prepared to display such differences, can serve as geological maps of the mineral or minerals (perhaps ilmenite) that are the principal microwave absorbers.
The thematic hierarchy and causativity

Chinese resultative compounds provide evidence that the thematic hierarchy is not the only factor determining the link between theta roles and syntactic arguments. Rather, it interacts with the causative hierarchy and when in conflict, can be overridden by the latter. This “asymmetrical” interaction between the two factors is shown to be responsible for the complex and, in some cases, totally unexpected patterns of ambiguity that resultative compounds demonstrate in various syntactic contexts. To the extent that the presence/absence of the causative hierarchy can be accurately predicted and its interaction with the thematic hierarchy explicitly specified, this paper lends support to the multi-dimensional nature of human language.
Action of Influenza Viruses, Receptor-destroying Enzyme and Proteases on Blood Group Agglutinogen M g

THE ability of influenza viruses and receptor-destroying enzyme from Vibrio cholerae to inactivate human erythrocyte agglutinogens M and N was first noted in this Laboratory1 and afterwards independently in Finland2. Lu a and Lu b agglutinogens are also inactivated by influenza viruses but not by the receptor-destroying enzyme3. None of 17 additional human blood group agglutinogens—including S and s which are considered to be products of genes very closely linked to the M and N genes—was destroyed by these agents1,3. On the other hand, the inactivation of a number of erythrocyte agglutinogens including M and N by papain, trypsin and other enzymes has been known for a considerable time4–6.
Working in space

The capabilities of the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) water tank test facility are described, with reference to the proving of crew-operated mechanisms incorporated by the Space Telescope (ST). There are 24 Orbital Replaceable Units which are subject to handling in space by suited crewmen of the Space Shuttle, the largest of which is comparable to a telephone booth and weighs over 700 lb. The water volume of the simulator is sufficient to accept a full-size mockup of the Space Shuttle cargo bay, in which all ST operations will be conducted. Early ST simulations tested the mechanisms which astronauts would operate during contingency operations. More recently, the simulation tasks have reflected maintenance objectives of ST orbital life prolongation. With the recent addition of a fully functional Remote Manipulator System and the Manned Maneuvering Unit, the simulator constitutes the most complete training ground for extravehicular activities extant.
Venus gravity - A harmonic analysis and geophysical implications

An improved theoretical model of Venusian global gravity has been obtained by fitting a tenth degree spherical harmonic series to 78 orbital arcs of Doppler tracking data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. Maps of the free-air anomaly and its formal error are presented. Isostatic anomaly and 'Geoid' maps are also presented, and their geophysical implications are discussed in details. Comparison with equivalent resolution topographic models reveals a strong correlation between long wavelength gravity and the topography of Venus. Analysis of the second degree harmonics showed two aspects of the orientation of the inertial axes of Venus: (1) a significant (about three degrees) departure of the axis of greatest inertia from the rotational axis; and (2) a near alignment of the axis of least inertia with the location of the subterrestrial point at the time of the next inferior conjunction with earth (December 16, 2101). A series of contour maps of the Venusian free-air anomalies is provided.
Design of medical diagnostics products: A case-study of a saliva diagnostics kit

This paper applies a recently proposed procedure for product design [Bagajewicz, M. (2007). On the role of microeconomics, multi-scale planning and finances in product design. AIChE Journal, 53 (12), 3155–3170] to the design of a medical diagnostics device. The case selected is a saliva diagnostic kit to detect kidney disease, with targeted consumers of doctors, hospitals and clinics. The procedure proposes to make a connection between consumer preferences in different markets to the characteristics of the product. The procedure includes a price–demand model and maximizes the profit by simultaneously changing product characteristics and product price. A consumer preference model based on the kit performance as a function of its design was developed to assess consumer choices. The best product from the consumer point of view turns out not to be the most profitable. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Wearable Motherboard™: The first generation of adaptive and responsive textile structures (ARTS) for medical applications

Virtual reality (VR) has been making inroads into medicine in a broad spectrum of applications, including medical education, surgical training, telemedicine, surgery and the treatment of phobias and eating disorders. The extensive and innovative applications of VR in medicine, made possible by the rapid advancements in information technology, have been driven by the need to reduce the cost of healthcare while enhancing the quality of life for human beings.
Structure, chemistry and bonding at grain boundaries in Ni3Al—II. The structure of small angle boundaries, Ni-enrichment and its influence on bonding, structure, energy and properties

Abstract Small angle [001] twist boundaries and [001] (110) tilt boundaries in B-free and B-doped Ni-rich Ni3Al (76 at. % Ni) were examined using conventional electron microscopy techniques as well as Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), annular dark field (ADF) imaging and spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), in an UHV scanning transmission electron microscope. The interface structure consists of periodically spaced pairs of a 2 〈110〉 partial dislocations, linked by an antiphase boundary (APB). An analysis of the separation of the partials gives APB energies which are lower than in bulk Ni3Al and which decrease with increasing misorientation angle. EDS, EELS and ADF imaging demonstrate that the APBs are Ni-rich. The observations on the APB chemistry and energy taken together lead to the conclusion that Ni-enrichment lowers grain boundary energy by decreasing the number of high energy AlAl interactions across the APB. These results on small angle boundaries lead to the suggestion that Ni-enrichment also decreases the number of high energy AlAl interactions across the interface at large angle boundaries.
Gene therapy for rheumatic diseases

Rheumatic diseases are complex and correspondingly difficult to treat. Pharmacologic control has largely rested on the appropriation of preexisting drugs, often, as with methotrexate, as a result of chance observations made while treating other diseases or, as with gold, for reasons based on erroneous, but fortuitous, assumptions about disease mechanisms. During the last 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in understanding of the basic biology of rheumatic diseases. As a result, it is now possible to design rational new therapeutic strategies based on knowledge, rather than to continue to rely on chance and supposition. Foremost among these new approaches are overlapping efforts to manipulate immune reactivity, cytokine function, and the behavior of inflammatory cells while maintaining the integrity of the affected tissues. The traditional pharmacologic approach to achieving these aims is to design or discover small, diffusible, biomodulatory molecules which can be delivered orally or by injection. Biology provides newer, alternative approaches, including gene therapy. Biologic therapy
Texture classification using wavelet maxima representation

We study the texture classification problem, i.e., allocating an observed texture sample to one of known texture classes. We propose a multiresolution approach based on wavelet maxima representation for texture classification. First, a multiscale wavelet maxima representation of the image is generated by a wavelet transform. Energy and entropy are calculated and weighted at each scale. These features form a feature vector of the image. A minimum- distance classifier is used in texture classification. Classification experiments with 18 Bordatz texture indicates that this method is both translation and rotation invariant and achieves 99 percent classification accuracy. Noise sensitivity analysis shows that this method has excellent performance in noisy situation. Finally a detailed comparison of various wavelet transform based texture classification methods is provided.
Infra-red astronomical background radiation

Measurements of astronomical background radiation are interesting because when they succeed they tell us the energy budget of the universe — at least that part of the budget that gives rise to electromagnetic radiation. Neutrino and gravitational radiation background measurements would be required before a complete ledger could be set up.
Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery may be a useful tool for surgeons early in the learning curve performing total abdominal colectomy.

Objective We evaluated outcomes after hand-assisted (HALC) and straight laparoscopic (LC) techniques for the initial laparoscopic total abdominal colectomy (TAC) procedures performed by surgeons starting their laparoscopic careers. Method The first eight HALC cases of two surgeons performing TAC by this technique (Group A) were compared with the first (Group B) and last eight (Group C) TAC cases of three surgeons performing LC. Groups A and B were compared with a matched group of open total colectomy cases (Group D) and to the eight cases performed by an experienced surgeon (Group E). Demographics, intra-operative and postoperative outcomes including operation time, morbidity, conversion and readmission rates and length of hospital stay (LOS) were compared using Wilcoxon or Chi-squared tests. Results Demographics of the patients were similar. Groups A, B C and E had similar operating time (P = 0.10) which was significantly longer than Group D (P < 0.0001). Morbidity (P = 0.75) and readmission rates were similar (P = 0.89). Conversion rate was significantly higher for Group B (Group B: 41.7%vs Group A: 0%, P = 0.008), in the early period. LOS was comparable between minimally invasive groups but significantly shorter than open surgery group (P = 0.0005). For Groups A and C, operating time (P = 0.55), conversion rate (P = 0.11), morbidity (P = 0.83) and LOS (P = 0.12) were similar. Conclusions Hand-assisted laparoscopic colectomy may be associated with a significantly shorter learning curve for TAC as results are better than early LC and comparable with LC performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons. It may be a better option for surgeons early in their laparoscopic career.
Future directions in the design, development, and investigation of technology as a service delivery vehicle.

Treatment outcome research with children and adolescents has progressed to such an extent that numerous handbooks have been devoted to reviewing and summarizing the evidence base. Ensuring that consumers of these advancements in state-of-the-field interventions have the opportunity to access, engage in, and benefit from this evidence base, however, has been wrought with challenge. As such, much discussion exists about innovative strategies for overcoming the gap between research and practice; yet no other potential solution that has received more attention in both the popular and academic press than technology. The promise of technology is not surprising given the fast-paced evolution in development and, in turn, a seemingly endless range of possibilities for novel service delivery platforms. Yet this is precisely the most formidable challenge threatening to upset the very promise of this potential solution: The rate of emerging technologies is far outpacing the field's capacity to demonstrate the concept...
Magnitude of Higgs-boson-exchange CP violation in two-doublet models with large tanβ

CP violation in neutral Higgs-boson exchange is studied in two-doublet models in an expansion in (1/${\mathrm{tan}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\beta}). The typical magnitude of various CP-violating quantities is found for large tan\ensuremath{\beta}. In particular the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron and the coefficient ${\mathit{c}}_{\mathit{S}}$ of the CP-violating electron-nucleon scalar-pseudoscalar operator are examined and it is found that in a simple class of two-doublet models ${\mathit{c}}_{\mathit{S}}$/${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{e}}$ is typically O(${\mathrm{tan}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\beta}). Therefore ${\mathit{c}}_{\mathit{S}}$ is more important than ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{e}}$ for the EDM's of diamagnetic atoms and molecules (Hg, Xe, TlF) typically if tan\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}5, and for paramagnetic atoms (Cs, Tl) if tan\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}15. The dependence on tan\ensuremath{\beta} of the various contributions to the neutron EDM including the Weinberg three-gluon operator, and the dependence on tan\ensuremath{\beta} of the top-quark EDM are also discussed. Supersymmetric and three-doublet models are also considered.
Dispersal of Tropical Marine Shore Animals: Coriolis Parameters or Competition?

Contrary to recent supposition, species gradients cannot be relied on to indicate the direction of successful migrations by tropical shore animals or the direction of the principal ocean currents.
Assessment of Stages of Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome by Early Postnatal Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Preterm Infants

Assessment of Stages of Fetal Inflammatory Response Syndrome by Early Postnatal Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Preterm Infants
Exploring the Effect of Confusion in Discussion Forums of Massive Open Online Courses

Thousands of students enroll in Massive Open Online Courses~(MOOCs) to seek opportunities for learning and self-improvement. However, the learning process often involves struggles with confusion, which may have an adverse effect on the course participation experience, leading to dropout along the way. In this paper, we quantify that effect. We describe a classification model using discussion forum behavior and clickstream data to automatically identify posts that express confusion. We then apply survival analysis to quantify the impact of confusion on student dropout. The results demonstrate that the more confusion students express or are exposed to, the lower the probability of their retention. Receiving support and resolution of confusion helps mitigate this effect. We explore the differential effects of confusion expressed in different contexts and related to different aspects of courses. We conclude with implications for design of interventions towards improving the retention of students in MOOCs.
THE HYDROLYSIS OF HYALURONIC ACID BY BACTERIAL ENZYMES.

An improved method is described for preparing the enzyme which hydrolyzes the polysaccharide acid contained in vitreous humor, umbilical cord, synovial fluid, and the mucoid phase of group A hemolytic streptococci. Preparations have been obtained from pneumococci, group A hemolytic streptococci, Clostridium welchii , and from splenic tissue, which display the same specific activity. Evidence is presented to show that the hydrolytic enzyme is not the same as that responsible for the lysis of pneumococci. In pneumococci and hemolytic streptococci the major portion of the enzyme is bound to the cell structure. The enzyme from Clostridium welchii is associated with other carbohydrate-splitting enzymes in the culture medium and not with the bacterial cells. It is suggested that the disappearance of the mucoid capsule of group A hemolytic streptococci is due to enzymatic hydrolysis of the acid polysaccharide. The relation between enzyme activity and the virulence and invasiveness of group A hemolytic streptococci is briefly considered.
Toward an accurate analysis of range queries on spatial data

Analysis of range queries on spatial (multidimensional) data is both important and challenging. Most previous analysis attempts have made certain simplifying assumptions about the data sets and/or queries to keep the analysis tractable. As a result, they may not be universally applicable. This paper proposes a set of five analysis techniques to estimate the selectivity and number of index nodes accessed in serving a range query. The underlying philosophy behind these techniques is to maintain an auxiliary data structure, called a density file, whose creation is a one-time cost, which can be quickly consulted when the query is given. The schemes differ in what information is kept in the density file, how it is maintained, and how this information is looked up. It is shown that one of the proposed schemes, called cumulative density (CD), gives very accurate results (usually less than 5 percent error) using a diverse suite of point and rectangular data sets, that are uniform or skewed, and a wide range of query window parameters. The estimation takes a constant amount of time, which is typically lower than 1 percent of the time that it would take to execute the query, regardless of data set or query window parameters.