cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Stochastic Control Model for Deployment of Dynamic Grid Services

We introduce a formal model for deployment and hosting of a dynamic grid service wherein the service provider must pay a resource provider for the use of computational resources. Our model produces policies that balance the number of required resources with the desire to keep the cost of hosting the service to a minimum. The two components of cost that we consider are the deployment cost and the cost to keep the service active, which we view as a lease. We cast the problem in a dynamic programming framework and we are able to show that the model makes good leasing decisions in the face of such uncertainties as random demand for the service and random execution times of service requests. The results show that the policies obtained from the model reduce the cost of hosting a service and significantly reduce the variance of that cost.
Cephalus, the Myth of Er, and Remaining Virtuous in Unvirtuous Times

Through a reading of the Myth of Er and Socrates' conversation with Cephalus, I will argue that merely conventional virtue is highly unstable and unreliable. Virtue acquired by convention proves foundationless outside the confines of the political regime that establishes those conventions, and a tendency toward an unreflective moral complacency on the part of the conventionally virtuous leaves them in particular danger of committing unjust actions. Socrates recommends the study of philosophy because it can ground conventionally acquired virtue and, even more importantly, because it is capable of shaking the moral complacency that afflicts the conventionally virtuous. Keywords: Republic , conventional virtue, Cephalus, Myth of Er, Ancient Political philosophy, relation between convention and philosophy
Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in low-risk blood donors: implications for counseling positive donors.

Abstract The significance of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) found by screening enzyme-linked immunoassay testing in a low-risk blood donor population is unclear. The rate of false positivity in this group as well as the usefulness of supplemental testing were examined by correlating the results of two screening enzyme-linked immunoassays (Ortho Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, and Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL) with supplemental antibody testing by the recombinant immunoblot assays (1 and 2) (Ortho) and neutralization assay (Abbott). Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HCV genomic RNA to confirm viremia. Among 11,243 volunteer donors who were screened for the presence of antibodies to HCV by enzyme-linked immunoassay, 60 (0.53%) sera were repeatedly reactive. Twenty-five of these 60 sera were available for further testing. Seven sera were reactive by both screening enzyme-linked immunoassays, as well as by both recombinant immunoblot and neutralization assays. Six of these seven sera had detectable HCV genomic RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Among the remaining 18 sera, none were reactive by either recombinant immunoblot assays, whereas two sera were reactive by the neutralization assay only. None of the 18 samples had detectable HCV genomic RNA. Five of the six sera with elevated aminotransferase levels were among the seven sera reactive by all immunoassays. It is concluded that there is a significant false positivity rate associated with screening enzyme-linked immunoassay testing in a low-risk blood donor population. Supplemental testing correlates well with detection of hepatitis C genomic material by polymerase chain reaction and identifies donors who are truly infected.
Singular sets and surfaces and their implications in power systems

The dynamics of power systems are usually modeled as a set of parameter dependent differential algebraic equations. The stability properties of the DAE model under parameter variations provide a theoretical understanding of voltage stability and voltage collapse. Early investigations have shown that an understanding of voltage stability and the development of practical analysis tools require consideration of bifurcation phenomena. This paper attempts to identify singular surfaces and interpret the associated stability limits using a portable software package, called Voltage Stability Toolbox. Simulation results for the IEEE 14 bus system are illustrated.
Derivation of redundant wrist manipulators to avoid interior workspace singularities

Nonredundant manipulators with six joints have interior workspace singular configurations at which the manipulators lose one of their orienting degrees of freedom. Various types of workspaces, configuration space and boundary are defined in order to discuss the cause of manipulator degeneracies. The symbolic Jacobian is used to explore the singularities of a spherical wrist. The redundant spherical wrist, also examined through its symbolic Jacobian, is used to construct a redundant manipulator that can affectively avoid the interior workspace singular configurations. >
Spica cast application in the emergency room for select pediatric femur fractures.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of immediate spica casting in the emergency room (ER) and evaluate the effect of discharge from the emergency room on short- term complications. DESIGN: Retrospective review of patients treated with immediate spica casting in the ER between June 1, 1993 and July 30, 2001. SETTING: Major, pediatric, orthopaedic trauma and referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 145 pediatric femur fractures in children, younger than age 7 years, treated with immediate spica casting in the ER were reviewed to determine radiographic outcome and short-term complication rates. INTERVENTION: All patients underwent immediate spica cast placement in the ER under conscious sedation. Patients meeting specific criteria were discharged immediately from the ER. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Radiographic acceptability of alignment at fracture union (angulation, shortening), loss of reduction, number of return visits to the emergency room, and clinical outcome at final follow-up. RESULTS: Average follow-up was 20 +/- 16 weeks (range, 1-9 months). Forty-eight patients (33%) were discharged from the ER. No clinical complications were noted at last follow-up. All children younger than age 2 years, and 86.5% of children ages 2 to 5 years, met acceptable malalignment parameters on final radiographs. There were 16 ER visits (11%) for cast problems. Re-reduction in the operating room was needed in 11 patients (8.9%); 6.9% of patients had a cast problem noted during follow-up visits. Only 9% of patients developed a major complication. Initial shortening was the only independent risk factor found to be associated with loss of reduction. Admission status had no significant effect on the number of ER visits or development of a complication. CONCLUSIONS: If there are no associated factors requiring admission (ie, child abuse or polytrauma), spica casting in the ER for pediatric femur fractures followed by immediate discharge can be safely performed with a low complication rate in children younger than age 6 years, nearly eliminating the need for general anesthesia.
MISMATCHING WINDOWS CAN CAUSE FREQUENCY RESPONSE FUNCTION NOTCHES TO APPEAR AS PEAKS

Abstract This paper examines the errors in frequency response function (FRF) estimatorsH1(ο) andH2(ο) caused by improper input and output signal windowing while using random excitation modal tests. These errors are enhanced when the FRF has resonances and anti-resonances that are closely spaced. An experimental analysis is performed on a free–free beam. The beam is excited with broad band random excitation over a frequency range covering the first five natural frequencies. The driving point accelerance FRF is calculated from both estimatorsH1(ο) andH2(ο). The results show that erroneous FRFs can be obtained when the wrong type of window is employed and these errors are due to digital filter leakage. A theoretical model is proposed in order to explain the discrepancies that were found experimentally. Simulated results from 2 dof system are presented that show the influence of different types of windows on the FRFs.
Crystallography of Linear Molecule Binary Solids. X-ray Structure of a Cholesteryl Myristate/Cholesteryl Pentadecanoate Solid Solution

As the first example of a cholesteryl ester solid solution packing in the bilayer polymorph, the X-ray crystal structure of a nearly 1:1 cholesteryl myristate/cholesteryl pentadecanoate pair, with components differing by one methylene unit, was determined at room temperature. The non-centrosymmetric unit cell is monoclinic, space group C2, with a = 102.6 A, b = 7.59 A, c = 10.20 A, β = 92.1°, and Z = 8 (two molecules in the asymmetric unit). The final weighted R-factor for 5450 measured intensities was 0.129. Although there may well be some partial occupancy of the terminal methyl group in the longer component, the layer packing attempts to isolate the two components to preferred sites in the asymmetric unit. (Similar behavior was observed previously for the crystal structure of two esters in the monolayer I polymorphic form, but only when the chains differed by two methylene units.) Compared to the pure myristate component, the solid solution packs with oxygen to oxygen contacts in the ester linkage that...
Lead Resistance in Two Bacterial Isolates from Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils.

> Abstract Microorganisms have developed mechanisms of coping with a variety of toxic metals; however, few studies have explored microbial resistance to lead. In this study, the overall mechanisms of a lead-resistant Pseudomonas marginalis and a lead-resistant Bacillus megaterium isolated from two different metal-contaminated soils were investigated. The P.marginalis had a higher lead resistance level at 2.5mM total lead as compared to 0.6 mM for B. megaterium. Resistance to soluble lead was much lower, 0.3 and 0.1 mM, respectively. The degree of lead resistance and the mechanism of lead resistance for these two isolates corresponded with their environmental lead exposure. When viewed with transmission electron microscopy, P.marginalis, isolated from a soil contaminated with high total but undetectable soluble lead, showed extracellular lead exclusion. B.megaterium, from a soil with both high total and soluble lead levels, was less resistant with an intracellular cytoplasmic accumulation of lead as observed with TEM. Polarization microscopy indicated that while P.marginalis produced a high amount of an extracellular polymer implicated in the organism's mechanism of lead resistance, B.megaterium produced no discernable extracellular polymeric substances. The study of these two organisms demonstrated differences in how soil microorganisms respond to environmental lead exposure, including the novel mechanism of intracellular sequestration of lead.
Fracture Response Enhancement Of Aluminum Using In-Situ Selective Reinforcement

A computer-based parametric study of the effect of reinforcement architectures on fracture response of aluminum compact-tension (CT) specimens is performed. Eleven different reinforcement architectures consisting of rectangular and triangular cross-section reinforcements were evaluated. Reinforced specimens produced between 13 and 28 percent higher fracture load than achieved with the unreinforced case. Reinforcements with blunt leading edges (rectangular reinforcements) exhibited superior performance relative to the triangular reinforcements with sharp leading edges. Relative to the rectangular reinforcements, the most important architectural feature was reinforcement thickness. At failure, the reinforcements carried between 58 and 85 percent of the load applied to the specimen, suggesting that there is considerable load transfer between the base material and the reinforcement.
IN MEMORIAM-JAY K. KOCHI (1927–2008)

Although Jay Kochi called himself an organic chemist, his impact on modern inorganic chemistry was exceptional. His clear thinking about chemical reactivity led to numerous publications that bridge...
Dependency reduction with divisive normalization: Justification and effectiveness

Efficient coding transforms that reduce or remove statistical dependencies in natural sensory signals are important for both biology and engineering. In recent years, divisive normalization (DN) has been advocated as a simple and effective nonlinear efficient coding transform. In this work, we first elaborate on the theoretical justification for DN as an efficient coding transform. Specifically, we use the multivariate t model to represent several important statistical properties of natural sensory signals and show that DN approximates the optimal transforms that eliminate statistical dependencies in the multivariate t model. Second, we show that several forms of DN used in the literature are equivalent in their effects as efficient coding transforms. Third, we provide a quantitative evaluation of the overall dependency reduction performance of DN for both the multivariate t models and natural sensory signals. Finally, we find that statistical dependencies in the multivariate t model and natural sensory signals are increased by the DN transform with low-input dimensions. This implies that for DN to be an effective efficient coding transform, it has to pool over a sufficiently large number of inputs.
Simple Scaling Law for Rotational-Energy Transfer in Na 2 *-Xe Collisions

We have measured the thermally averaged rate constants for rotationally inelastic collisions of ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}$* and Xe for six values of initial angular momentum ${j}_{0}$ and for changes in $j$ up to 30. We propose a new scaling law which fits all these rates within 20%. This scaling law implies that ${m}_{j}$ is conserved in the collision, and shows that the square of the $T$ matrix has a power-law dependence on the energy transferred. These results suggest the importance of dynamical effects in rotationally inelastic collisions.
Depolarisation of electromagnetic waves backscattered by finitely conducting gently curved surfaces

The vector solution for the field backscattered by a finitely conducting surface with radii of curvature much larger than the incident wavelength obtained by the Stratton-Chu method is expressed in a form which gives insight into the dependence of depolarisation on angle of incidence, incident polarisation and on the electrical and geometrical properties of the backscattering surface.
New God, New Nation: Protestants and Self-Reconstruction Nationalism in Korea, 1896-1937

Contents: The introduction of Protestantism The ethical foundations of self-reconstruction nationalism "The Dark Ages" 1910-19 The reconstructive community 1910-19 Cultural reconstruction and the separation of nation and state National repentance and civilization 1925-37 Economic reconstruction: the ideal on trial Conclusion.
Mechanistic considerations of the vanadium haloperoxidases

Abstract Haloperoxidases are enzymes which catalyze the oxidation of halide ions (i.e. chloride, bromide and iodide) by hydrogen peroxide. These enzymes usually contain the FeHeme moiety or vanadium as an essential constituent at their active site, however, a few haloperoxidases which lack a metal cofactor are known. This review will examine (1) the reactivity of the vanadium haloperoxidases, particularly the mechanism of halide oxidation by hydrogen peroxide, and the mechanism of halogenation and sulfoxidation, including the newly reported regioselectivity and enantioselectivity of the vanadium haloperoxidases; (2) the X-ray structure of vanadium chloroperoxidase, the vanadium(V) active site and the role of critical amino acid side chains for catalysis and (3) functional biomimetic systems, with specific relevance to the mechanism of the vanadium haloperoxidase enzymes.
Improved service system design using Six Sigma DMAIC for a major US consumer electronics and appliance retailer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a strategy for “Best Buy”, a major consumer electronics and appliance retailer in the USA, to improve their service system to ensure that they can continuously gain market share. This study will examine and analyze Best Buy's store service blueprint in comparison to its competitors' service blueprints. The study will then examine Best Buy Geek Squad's service blueprint and recommend improvements that can be implemented to provide higher quality service to Best Buy's customers.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of design methods was used which included creating multiple service blueprints and implementing the Six Sigma DMAIC approach. A Service Quality (SERVQUAL) Survey was conducted and analyzed the data, to give an understanding of customer satisfaction with the service provided at Best Buy, compared to its major competitors. The service blueprint was analyzed and strategies were recommended to improve the present system, with the goal of providin...
Possible coulomb and quasi-harmonic effects in the lattice dynamics of 2H-MoS2

Abstract Simple models for interlayer forces have been introduced in order to estimate thermal stresses and to compute contributions to the c-axis thermal expansion and Gruneisen parameter for layered materials as a function of temperature. In addition some Coulomb effects on equilibrium conditions and lattice dynamics have been estimated with the somewhat arbitrary assumption of a S charge of 0.5e. It is found that: (a) a substantial near neighbor bond-bending force constant cannot arise from thermal stresses or ionic Coulomb forces; (b) that γ3(T) is a strongly decreasing function of temperature, e.g. γ3 (300 K)/γ3 (20 K) ≈ 0.09; and (c) that notwithstanding the weak interlayer forces a high temperature of about 3000 K would be required to dissociate the layers within the quasi-harmonic approximation, for fixed intralayer distances.
The equilibrium anisotropy in the flux of 10‐MeV solar flare particles and their convection in the solar wind

The portion of an anisotropy, in the flux of cosmic rays in the interplanetary medium, that arises from the motion of the solar wind plasma is in the same direction as the flow of the solar wind and is not perpendicular to the interplanetary magnetic field. The amplitude of this convective component of anisotropy is given by the Compton-Getting formula (2 + αγ) V/υ. The convective component was calculated for seven events during which the equilibrium anisotropy was observed in the flux of 7.5- to 45-Mev solar flare particles and it accounted for all (in four cases) or most of the anisotropy. From this we conclude that, when the equilibrium anisotropy is observed, low-energy solar flare particles are being transported mainly by convection in the solar wind. The ∼14-hour decay time for the particle density, calculated by assuming only convective transport and adiabatic deceleration in a spherically expanding solar wind, is in reasonable agreement with observed values. The diffusive component of anisotropy is toward the sun in one event, thus implying a positive particle density gradient. Convective transport can produce a positive particle density gradient late in a flare event, but diffusive transport alone cannot. The diffusive transport velocity appears to be so small in some cases that the Alfven velocities of the magnetic irregularities that scatter particles may affect the scattering theory.
Effects of aqueous electrolytes on the voltage behaviors of rechargeable Li-air batteries

Abstract Aqueous Li-air batteries have attracted a great deal of attention due to their high theoretical energy capacities. However, while still in the early stages of research, the reported energy capacities of Li-air batteries are far from what has been theoretically predicted. In this research, we have designed a Li-air battery that has a Li ǀ organic liquid electrolyte ǀ Li + -conducting glass ceramic plate (LiGC plate) ǀ aqueous electrolyte ǀ Pt air electrode structure and studied the impacts of the compositions of the aqueous electrolyte on the battery performance. With lower concentrations of alkali aqueous electrolytes (≤0.05 M LiOH), a discharge voltage of approximately 3.5 V (at 0.05 mA cm −2 ) and a voltage efficiency up to 84% were observed. The addition of LiClO 4 into the aqueous solution slightly lowered the discharge voltage to 3.3 V but dramatically decreased the internal resistance of the battery to 35.4 Ω cm −2 . With a charge voltage plateau observed at 3.90 V at a current of 0.05 mA cm −2 , the Li ǀ organic liquid electrolyte ǀ LiGC ǀ 1 M LiClO 4 ǀ Pt air battery showed an 85% voltage efficiency at room temperature. Adding LiClO 4 into the aqueous electrolytes resulted in an impedance reduction and slowed the pH increase of the alkaline-based electrolyte due to the fast or long-term discharge of the air electrode in the Li-air battery. The discharge and charge voltage behaviors of the battery and the changes to the pH values of the aqueous electrolyte at different current rates were also recorded and are presented in this paper.
New alternative series representations for the generalized Nuttall Q-function with applications

In this article, we present six recently derived distinct series representations of the generalized Nuttall Q-function with their corresponding Marcum Q-function. We investigate different application areas where these series expressions might be of interest. Using these representations, we address some of the outstanding problems that have until now resisted simple solutions. First, we show that the new series representation can be used in the performance evaluation of the periodogram using the Neyman-Pearson criterion. We show that, for the particular case of periodogram with zero padded fast Fourier transform, our series are the only existing analytical formulas capable of producing the desired numerical results. This is because of the need to compute and/or average the generalized Marcum Q-function of real orders which is not supported by commercial mathematical software such as MAPLE and MATLAB. Second, we present different expressions that can be used to evaluate the average area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve over generalized fading channels. In this case, many existing result are limited to specific fading channel and/or integer time-bandwidth product whereas, our expressions place no such restrictions. Lastly, we present the only existing closed-form solution for the evaluation of the partial area under the ROC curve which is of practical interest but has been shown to be difficult to evaluate with closed-form formulas. Numerical results have been presented for representative case and the obtained result agrees with analytical expectations. To the best of our knowledge, all the problems solved using these series representations are still open problems in the literature.
Withstanding Persecution as a Corroboration of Legitimacy in the New Testament : Reflections on the Resulting Ethical and Hermeneutical Quandary

Abstract: Assertions of standing, authority, and power claimed on the basis of withstanding persecution play a prominent and heretofore under-appreciated role in much of the New Testament literature. Yet deriving legitimacy from persecution presents an interpretive quandary not unlike those inherited from biblical passages that condone slavery or unhealthy attitudes toward women and men. Reflection on how we construe ourselves in relation to suffering is an agendum inadequately realized in the New Testament that commends itself for twenty-first century ethics and theology.
Patterns of Organized Activity Participation in Urban, Early Adolescents: Associations With Academic Achievement, Problem Behaviors, and Perceived Adult Support

This study examines patterns of organized activity and their concurrent association with academic achievement, problem behavior, and perceived adult support in a sample of urban, early adolescent, middle school students (mean age = 13.01; N = 2,495). Cluster analyses yielded six activity profiles: an uninvolved group ( n = 775, 31.1%), a multiply involved group (n = 247, 9.9%), a sports group (n = 469, 18.8%), a church group (n = 486, 19.5%), a school and community clubs group (n = 278, 11.1%), and a community clubs and sports group (n = 240, 9.6%). These profiles are differentially associated with academic achievement, problem behavior, and adult support. While some form of organized activity is generally associated with more positive outcomes, the school and community and community and sports profiles also report the highest levels of delinquency, drug use, and school suspensions. Results support the utility of using person-centered approaches to studying youth-organized activities.
A phorbol ester augments cAMP content and adenylyl cyclase activity in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes despite reduced β adrenoceptor density

Objectives: In cultured neonatal rat myocardial cells the phorbol ester, phorbol-12 myristate 13-acetate (PMA), was used as a probe to examine the short term effects of augmented protein kinase C activity on the adenylyl cyclase system and on β adrenoceptors. Methods: β Adrenoceptors were measured by radioligand binding, cAMP by radioimmunoassay, and adenylyl cyclase activity by a single column method. Results: After 10 minutes of incubation with 100 nM PMA β adrenoceptor density was reduced by 25% (p < 0.002) with no change in antagonist affinity. Competition curves showed no increase in agonist affinity for (−)-isoprenaline. Surprisingly, cAMP content stimulated by 1 μM (−)-isoprenaline increased by 62% from 47 (SEM 6) to 76(15) pmol.100 μl−1 (n = 8, p < 0.05). Both effects could be suppressed by incubation with the protein kinase C inhibitor l-(5-isoquinoline-sulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H7). Preincubation with PMA also augmented NaF, Mn2+, and forskolin stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity but had no effect on guanylyl-5'-imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) stimulated enzyme activity over a wide range of concentrations. PMA did not alter the effects of pertussis toxin on (−)-isoprenaline-stimulated cAMP content. Conclusions: These data indicate that protein kinase C modifies both the catalytic subunit of adenylyl cyclase and the guanine nucleotide stimulatory protein (Gs), and also suggest that NaF and GppNHp act at different sites on Gsα. PMA enhances adenylyl cyclase responsiveness despite loss of β adrenoceptors in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. These findings suggest that Ca2+ and phospholipid dependent protein kinase C acting at multiple sites in the β adrenoceptor-adenylyl cyclase cascade may be involved in the regulation of cAMP concentrations in myocardial cells. Cardiovascular Research 1993; 27 :2179-2185
Diffusion Effects in the Inhomogeneously Broadened Case: High-Temperature Saturation of the F-Center Electron Spin Resonance

An experimental and theoretical study is made of the effects of a random spectral diffusion process on the saturation behavior of a normally inhomogeneously broadened resonance. The random type of spectral diffusion process results, for example, if a spin diffuses on a set of sites having a distribution of local fields giving the inhomogeneous width but such that local fields at adjacent sites are uncorrelated. The calculation shows a transition in saturation properties to those characteristic of a homogeneously broadened resonance as the quantity $\ensuremath{\beta}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}({\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D})}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}}^{*}}$ approaches unity, where ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$, and ${{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}}^{*}$ represent, respectively, the spin-lattice relaxation rate, the spectral diffusion rate, and the inhomogeneous width. A study of the transition behavior can yield values of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ in the transition range. The analysis is shown to apply in the transition range 470 to 550\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for the KCl $F$ center. Analysis of the transition saturation data yields a value of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ which agrees with the expression of Feldman, Warren, and Castle, which for absolute temperatures $T$ large compared with 210\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K becomes ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}=3.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{T}^{2}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The spectral diffusion rate in zone-refined samples is given by ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}=12{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0} \mathrm{exp} (\ensuremath{-}\frac{{E}_{m}}{\mathrm{kT}})$, where ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}=3.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{15}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.2}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and ${E}_{m}=1.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$ eV. The spectral diffusion is interpreted as resulting from diffusion of the $F$ center in [110] steps of length $\sqrt{2}a$, where $a$ is the interionic distance, with attempt frequency ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$ and motion energy ${E}_{m}$. This process does not account for the diffusion coefficient of the $F$ center, which results from diffusion of ionized electrons to anion vacancies, and which is limited in the case of dense coloration by charge compensating vacancy diffusion.
Workload diversity and dynamics in big data analytics: implications to system designers

The emergence of big data analytics and the need for cost/energy efficient IT infrastructure motivate a new focus on data-centric designs. In this paper, we aim to better understand the design implications of data analytics systems by quantifying workload requirements and runtime dynamics. We examine four workloads representing big data analytics trends for fast decisions, total integration, deep analysis and fresh insights: an archive store, a columnar database enhanced with table compression, an analytics engine with distributed R, and a transaction/analytics hybrid system. These appliations demonstrate diverse resource requirements both within and across workloads as well as load imbalance due to data skew. Our observations suggest several directions to design balanced data analytics systems, including tight integration of heterogeneous, active data stores, support for efficient communication and data-centric load balancing.
Motion Perception and Alzheimer's Disease

The motion sensitivity of 15 probable Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and 15 healthy elderly adults was investigated with a correlated motion paradigm. The AD patients exhibited significantly higher thresholds for detecting the direction of motion. Contrast sensitivity for a 2 cpd, 7.5 Hz counterphased stimulus was related to motion threshold in the AD group. There also was a significant relationship between an index of dementia severity, Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), and motion sensitivity. The results support the hypothesis proposed from neuroanatomical evidence by Hof and Morrison (1990) that AD results in a disruption of the visual signals mediated by area 17. Further, the data suggest that this disruption of visual processing is linked to the progression of dementia. The study offers support for the hypothesis that AD leads to a deficit in the magnocellular or M pathway of visual processing.
Formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an atmospheric pressure ethylene diffusion flame

The microstructure of an atmospheric pressure, counterflow, sooting, flat, laminar ethylene diffusion flame has been studied experimentally by withdrawing samples from within the flame using a heated quartz microprobe coupled to an online gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The identities and absolute concentrations of about 60 major, minor, and trace species, including aromatics, substituted aromatics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been determined. Mole fractions of species quantified were in the range of 0.20 to 10-7. Benzene was the most abundant aromatic species with the peak level of 450 ppm, whereas naphthalene (90 ppm), phenanthrene (10 ppm), pyrene (35 ppm), and cyclopenta(cd)pyrene (23 ppm) were the most abundant PAHs formed in the flame. The largest PAH detected under the experimental conditions were C18H10 (molecular weight of 226) which include benzo(ghi)fluoranthene and cyclopenta(cd)pyrene. Information provided should be of considerable utility for the development and validation of chemical kinetic mechanisms describing diffusion flames.
ERIC Review: The Impact of Financial Crises on Access and Support Services in Community Colleges:

This review discusses the impact of fiscal contraction on community colleges. It explores how reduced state appropriations have adversely affected community college instruction and student support systems. It closes with the example of how fee increases in the 1990s lowered access to the California community college system and reduced transfers to the universities. The research shows that because instruction and student support services suffer when the budget is reduced, fiscal contraction can hamper the ability of community colleges to provide universal access.
Analysis of 200 food items for benzo[a]pyrene and estimation of its intake in an epidemiologic study.

Abstract Animal studies have shown that dietary intake of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), causes increased levels of tumors at several sites, particularly in the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, the role of dietary intake of BaP and cancer in humans is not clear. We created a BaP database of selected food products that could be linked to Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) to estimate BaP intake. BaP levels were measured for each food line-item (composite samples) which consisted of a variety of foods in a FFQ. Composite sample parts were derived from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) which represents the most common food items consumed by the general population. Meat samples were cooked by different techniques in controlled conditions, and by various restaurants and fast-food chains. Non-meat products were purchased from the major national supermarket chains. The quantities of BaP were measured using a thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/spectrofluorometer technique and were highly correlated with both BaP (radius=0.99) and sum of carcinogenic PAH (r=0.98) measured by HPLC technique. We linked our database to the results from a FFQ and estimated the daily BaP intake of various food items in 228 subjects in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The highest levels of BaP (up to about 4 ng BaP/g of cooked meat) were found in grilled/barbecued very well done steaks and hamburgers and in grilled/barbecued well done chicken with skin. BaP concentrations were lower in meats that were grilled/barbecued to medium done and in all broiled or pan-fried meat samples regardless of doneness level. The BaP levels in non-meat items were generally low. However, certain cereals and greens (e.g. kale, collard greens) had levels up to 0.5 ng/g. In our population, the bread/cereal/grain, and grilled/barbecued meat, respectively, contributed 29 and 21 percent to the mean daily intake of BaP. This database may be helpful in initial attempts to assess dietary BaP exposures in studies of cancer etiology.
Design of a Model Reference Adaptive Controller for an Unmanned Air Vehicle

This paper presents the "Adaptive Control Technology for Safe Flight (ACTS)" architecture, which consists of a non-adaptive controller that provides satisfactory performance under nominal flying conditions, and an adaptive controller that provides robustness under off nominal ones. The design and implementation procedures of both controllers are presented. The aim of these procedures, which encompass both theoretical and practical considerations, is to develop a controller suitable for flight. The ACTS architecture is applied to the Generic Transport Model developed by NASA-Langley Research Center. The GTM is a dynamically scaled test model of a transport aircraft for which a flight-test article and a high-fidelity simulation are available. The nominal controller at the core of the ACTS architecture has a multivariable LQR-PI structure while the adaptive one has a direct, model reference structure. The main control surfaces as well as the throttles are used as control inputs. The inclusion of the latter alleviates the pilot s workload by eliminating the need for cancelling the pitch coupling generated by changes in thrust. Furthermore, the independent usage of the throttles by the adaptive controller enables their use for attitude control. Advantages and potential drawbacks of adaptation are demonstrated by performing high fidelity simulations of a flight-validated controller and of its adaptive augmentation.
Spiritual assessment across the cancer trajectory: Methods and reflections

Objectives: To provide information about spiritual assessment strategies and the spiritual stages through which persons with cancer pass. Data sources: Books and articles (including research reports) from various disciplines including nursing, medicine, theology, and other health care professions; personal narratives and reflections of individuals with cancer. Conclusion: Sound spiritual assessment is prerequisite for sound spiritual intervention. Nurses must find the time, means, and knowledge to incorporate spiritual assessment into nursing care. Patients agree. Implications for nursing practice: Nurses can improve spiritual assessment by eliciting patient accounts of the evolving spiritual journey and prayers that parallel changes in health status.
An efficient technique for preparing the renal glomerulus for electron microscopy.

0 NE of the time-consuming problems in preparing specific cellular groups within a piece of tissue for electron microscopy is the actual location of that group of cells in the tissue block, then trimming it down to the tiny surface area required for obtaining good thin sections. This is the situation with the renal glomerulus. It is especially important when it is desired to evaluate the results of an experiment, and an adequate survey of many specimens is necessary to confirm the experimental result. The following is the technique devised in our laboratory for studying large numbers of renal glomeruli. Method.-Fresh surgical specimens are removed from the kidney in small slices, approximately l-2 mm thick. They are placed either in 1 per cent osmic acid, buffered to pH 7.4 with Verona1 acetate [4], or in 10 per cent formalin, buffered in the same way. Those placed in osmic acid are fixed for l-2 hours, while the formalin fixed tissue is permitted to fix for several hours. The formalin fixed tissues are then rinsed in running water for one hour to remove the formaldehyde and are placed in a shallow dish of water under a dissecting microscope. With a fine dissecting needle, the blister-like Bowman’s capsules on the surface of the slices are ruptured and the glomerular tuft fairly floats free with little manipulation. The glomeruli are collected with a pipette, and placed in buffered 1 per cent osmic acid for 1-2 hours, then rinsed with one or two changes of water. The osmic fixed slices are handled in the same fashion, except that the dissected glomeruli are not again exposed to osmic acid. From this point on, the formalin fixed and osmic fixed glomeruli are handled in identical fashion. A depression microscope slide is placed on a slide warming tray at 45”C, and melted 2 per cent agar is placed in each depression. The glomeruli are transferred to this melted agar with a fine pipette, taking care to carry over as little water as possible. The slides are removed from the tray, and the agar is sliced into tiny cubes after it solidifies, each cube containing many glomeruli. These cubes are then dehydrated and embedded as tissue blocks, following the description of Farquhar [3], and utilizing pre-polymerized methacrylate [5] and 70°C curing [l], the embedments are completed. Discussion.-The actual dissecting process is far easier with formalin fixed tissue, since the glomeruli are more easily visualized, and are freed from the slice with less trauma. However, in some respects the fixation is slightly inferior to those fixed in osmic acid. The basement membrane proper, however, is always more sharply
Effect of carbohydrate on growth response to vitamin B12 in the hyperthyroid rat.

SummaryThe failure of rats to respond completely to vit. B12 on a sucrose-casein diet containing a thyroid active material can be overcome by substituting defatted corn meal, corn starch or dextrin for the sucrose. The nature of this effect may possibly be attributed to the intestinal synthesis of other required factors. An explanation for the counteractive effect of corn oil on the growth depression in the hyperthyroid rat is offered.We are indebted to Merck and Co., Inc., Rahway, N. J., for crystalline vitamins including B12, and to Dr. B. L. Hutchings of the Lederle Laboratories Division, American Cyanamid Co., Pearl River, N. Y., for synthetic folic acid.
Distributed resource allocation for healthcare systems

Healthcare costs in most developed economies have grown dramatically over the last few decades. It is widely believed that the inefficiency of healthcare institutions has contributed to this rise. In response to this belief, much scholarly attention has been devoted to allocating resources for efficient operation of healthcare institutions. Traditionally, centralized methods are applied to such problems. However, the inherent, decentralized nature of many hospitals for the same healthcare corporation drives the investigation on decentralized or distributed methods. This paper explores the application of a linear and a nonlinear pricing model for healthcare resource allocation in specific, staffing configurations. A simulation model for hospital emergency room (ER) is developed to collect the performance data. The data is then analyzed to construct linear programming (LP) model for each ER staffing configuration problem. Two pricing models are employed to find the equilibrium solutions between two ERs.
Two amino acid-based superlow fouling polymers: Poly(lysine methacrylamide) and poly(ornithine methacrylamide)

We developed and investigated two new antifouling zwitterionic polymers, poly(lysine methacrylamide) (pLysAA) and poly(ornithine methacrylamide) (pOrnAA), both derived from natural amino acids - lysine and ornithine, respectively. The pLysAA and pOrnAA brushes were grafted on gold via the surface-initiated photoiniferter-mediated polymerization, with the polymer film thickness controlled by the UV-irradiation time. Nonspecific adsorption from human blood serum and plasma was investigated by surface plasmon resonance. Results show that the adsorption level decreased with the increasing film thickness. With the thin films of ∼14.5 nm, the minimal adsorption on pLysAA was 3.9 ng cm(-2) from serum and 5.4 ng cm(-2) from plasma, whereas the lowest adsorption on pOrnAA was 1.8 and 3.2 ng cm(-2), from serum and plasma, respectively. Such protein resistance is comparable to other widely reported antifouling surfaces such as poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) and polyacrylamide, with a much thinner polymer film thickness. Both pLysAA and pOrnAA showed better protein resistance than the previously reported serine-based poly(serine methacrylate), whereas the pOrnAA is the best among three. The pLysAA- and pOrnAA-grafted surfaces also highly resisted the endothelial cell attachment and Escherichia coli K12 bacterial adhesion. Nanogels made of pLysAA and pOrnAA were found to be ultrastable in undiluted serum, with no aggregation observed after culturing for 24h. Dextran labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-dextran) was encapsulated in nanogels as a model drug. The encapsulated FITC-dextran exhibited controlled release from the pOrnAA nanogels. The superlow fouling, biomimetic and multifunctional properties of pLysAA and pOrnAA make them promising materials for a wide range of applications, such as implant coating, drug delivery and biosensing.
Use of a laryngeal mask airway in rabbits during isoflurane anesthesia.

The purpose of this study was to find out if an LMA (#1 LMA-Classic) would provide a better airway than a face mask in spontaneously breathing anesthetized rabbits, and to test if it could be used for mechanically controlled ventilation. Sixteen rabbits (4.1 ± 0.8 kg, mean ± SD) were assigned randomly to three treatment groups; face mask with spontaneous ventilation (FM-SV; n = 5), LMA with spontaneous ventilation (LMA-SV; n = 5), and LMA with controlled ventilation (LMA-CV; n = 6). Rabbits were anesthetized in dorsal recumbency using a circle circuit at constant ET isoflurane (2.3%, Datex airway gas monitor) and constant rectal temperature (38.85 °C) for 2 hours. PaCO2, PaO2, minute volume, tidal volume (Wright's respirometer), and PeCO2 were measured at 15 minute intervals. Two individuals in the FM-SV group had PaCO2 >100 mm Hg (>13.3 kPa). One rabbit in the FM-SV had PaO2 <80 mm Hg (<10.7 kPa). All FM-SV rabbits showed signs of airway obstruction and two were withdrawn from the study at 45 and 90 minutes, respectively, because of cyanosis. Tidal volume could not be measured in the FM-SV group. No signs of airway obstructions were observed in either of the LMA groups. Four rabbits in the LMA-CV group developed gastric tympany, and one of these refluxed after 110 minutes. The significance of differences between the two spontaneously breathing groups and between the two LMA groups were measured using Wilcoxon's rank sum test (with significance assumed at p < 0.05). There were no statistical differences between FM-SV and LMA-SV in any variable tested. PaCO2 and Pe′CO2 were less in the LMA-CV group than in the LMA-SV group, while PaO2, tidal volume, and minute volume were all more. We conclude that biologically, the LMA provides a better airway than the face mask during spontaneous breathing and that it can be used for IPPV, but that gastric tympany is likely to occur during IPPV.
Performing Surfaces: Designing Research-creation for Agentive Embodiment

In this discussion I first outline material intersections of bodies and everyday objects that script habitual choreographies as affective extensions of the body. I then consider the dynamism of the shifts between habitual consciousness and non-consciousness as a site of agentive, embodied transformation within contexts of movement, multiples and sensory experience. I engage willfulness, stickiness, clumsiness and apparatuses of sensory notation as potential techniques for transforming consciousness and non-consciousness in habitual action. Finally, I invite readers to recreate the sensory dimensions of their own habitual experience by experimenting with some 'do it yourself ' exercises.
Prospects for induction of tolerance in renal transplantation

Immunological tolerance is the ultimate goal of transplantation immunobiology. Current therapies involve nonspecific immunosuppression with concomitant risks for infection, malignancy, and drug-specific side effects. By inducing specific immune unresponsiveness to the graft it should be possible to maintain transplants without the need for chronic drug administration and without the risks of nonspecific immunosuppression. This review highlights recent progress in the understanding of immunological tolerance, with special attention to the long-term prospects for successful induction of tolerance in renal transplant patients.