cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histopathology of Prepubertal Rat Testes Subjected to Various Durations of Spermatic Cord Torsion

Sixty prepubertal rats were subjected to unilateral spermatic cord torsion for a duration of 0, 1, 3, 5, 9 or 12 hours. At the end of this period, the ipsilateral testes either were removed for immediate processing or subjected to detorsion and orchiopexy, followed by a six-week recovery period prior to histologic study. Twelve histologic parameters were each scored according to the degree of pathologic findings, thus allowing for a quantitative assessment of testicular damage. The sequence of specific histologic degeneration that occurred with spermatic cord torsion is described. These changes were found to be dependent on the duration of torsion, with the greatest damage occurring after three hours or more. In the animals undergoing detorsion followed by a six-week recovery period, severe degeneration was noted for all durations of torsion studied. The extent of this degeneration was significantly correlated with a reduction in fertility.
Large-Signal Reliability Analysis of SiGe HBT Cascode Driver Amplifiers

This paper presents the results of an investigation of the steady-state safe operating conditions for large-signal silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) circuits. By calculating capacitive currents within the intrinsic transistor, avalanche inducing currents through the transistor junctions are isolated and then compared with dc instability points established through simulation and measurement. In addition, calibrated technology computer-aided design simulations are used to provide further insight into the differences between RF and dc operation and stress conditions. The ability to swing the terminals of a SiGe HBT beyond the static $I$ – $V$ conditions coincident with catastrophic breakdown is explained. Furthermore, hot-carrier effects are also compared from multiple perspectives, with supporting data taken from fully realized $X$ -band and $C$ -band cascode driver amplifiers. This analysis provides microwave circuit designers with the framework necessary to better understand the full-voltage-swing potential of a given SiGe HBT technology and the resultant hot carrier damage under RF operation.
Devil's staircase in a one-dimensional model

A one-dimensional model of a chain of canted arrows in an external field is proposed to describe some quasi-one-dimensional systems, e.g., spin-, charge-, and mass-density-wave systems, and helical polymers. The chain has a natural cantedness measured by an angle $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, and is also subject to an externally applied aligning field of strength $\ensuremath{\gamma}$. At $T=0$, the $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ phase diagram has an infinite number of commensurate phases, and the variation with $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ of the mean angle between nearest-neighbor arrows has the form of a devil's staircase for all $\ensuremath{\gamma}$. The transfer-integral technique is used to calculate the Helmholtz free energy and the order parameter of the system as functions of temperature. No sharp transitions occur at $Tg0$, but some of the features of the $T=0$ phase diagram persist at low temperatures. Transitions occur from one phase to another when the energy required to create a kink in one phase becomes zero. The equations determining the minimum-energy configurations are rewritten so as to define a two-dimensional area-preserving mapping; fixed points and invariant curves are found for this mapping. Invariant curves are either smooth and continuous or chaotic. The relation of the nature of the invariant curves to the question of the completeness of the devil's staircase is discussed.
Thermal Modeling of Resistive Switching Devices

A Fourier series-based model is developed for the problem of heat conduction in a geometry composed of an insulator between two metallic electrodes, with multiple cuboidal heat sources within the insulator. This forms a useful thermal model of a resistive switching device with one or more conductive filaments serving as elements of state. Such a device in is the ON state if and only if a filament nearly or fully bridges the gap between the two electrodes, and is in the OFF state otherwise. The results of the model are compared with the finite element method simulations. By reducing the simulation time for the thermal part of the problem, coupled thermal-ionic-electronic simulations are made more computationally efficient, which helps accelerate device optimization by exploring the parameter space more rapidly.
Comparison of estimates of gonadotropin levels by isolated blood samples, integrated blood concentrations, and timed urinary fractions.

abstract Gonadotropin levels in isolated blood samples, integrated plasma concentrations (IC), and timed urinary collections have been compared in 5 males with delayed puberty and 7 normal adult males. There was a significant correlation between urinary levels in 24-h collection and those in each of four shorter timed collections for both LH and FSH. Similarly, 24-h integrated plasma concentration and 4-h (0800–1200 h) integrated plasma concentration obtained on 10 additional subjects showed significant correlation. The 4-h integrated plasma concentrations correlated with single blood samples or the mean of three samples obtained at 0800, 1200, and 1600 h. These 4-h plasma samples also correlated significantly with all urine collections for FSH but only with the 2200-0800 h urine collection for LH. The study suggests that LH and FSH levels in urine samples collected over several hours correlate with 24-h urinary excretion and that levels in single blood samples estimate the 24-h plasma integrated concentr...
The Use of Owner Resources in Small and Family Owned Businesses: Literature Review and Future Research Directions

This paper integrates relevant literature and the Sustainable Family Business Model regarding interchange of financial resources between family and business. Two distinct literatures on the use of owner resources in small businesses are examined: the intermingling of business and household resources from the family firm literature and financial bootstrapping studies from the small business finance literature. What has not been addressed in both literatures about the use of owner resources is discussed and the risks that owner resource bootstrapping and intermingling may place on the household and the business are considered. Recommendations and propositions for future research are suggested. To fully understand the makeup and success of household financial portfolios and family businesses, it is important to understand the use of owner resources in a holistic manner.
The Sensory Experience of Food

(2011). The Sensory Experience of Food. Food, Culture & Society: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 461-475.
Coronary care units.

Excerpt To the editor: The paper "Effectiveness of Coronary Care Units in Small Community Hospitals" by Stross and associates (Ann Intern Med85:709-713, 1976) indicates that the worst, or least eff...
A Miniature Optical Device for Noninvasive, Fast Characterization of Tumor Pathology

An optical spectroscopy system for cancer diagnostics is miniaturized. The performance of the device is validated with phantom studies. Absorption and scattering coefficients are extracted with high accuracy with an inverse Monte Carlo model.
Neutron irradiation of heavy-fermion superconductors.

Upon neutron irradiation by ${10}^{18}$ neutrons/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, Eg1 MeV, the superconducting transition temperatures of ${\mathrm{UBe}}_{13}$ and ${\mathrm{UPt}}_{3}$ fall by 40% and 60%, respectively---a factor of 3 more rapid than found in any other superconductor. We argue that this extreme sensitivity of heavy-fermion superconductors (HFS's) to neutron-irradiation-induced defects does not serve as evidence for unconventional pairing, since the defects produced apparently act as magnetic impurities. Such ease of magnetic impurity formation in HFS's, already found in ${\mathrm{UPt}}_{3}$ by chemical doping, makes any attempt to investigate unconventional pairing via introduction of nonmagnetic defects more difficult. The neutron irradiation severely affects the low-temperature spin-fluctuation specific heat of ${\mathrm{UPt}}_{3}$. An explanation for the drastic suppression of ${T}_{c}$ by doping with ``nonmagnetic'' Cu in ${\mathrm{UBe}}_{13}$ is proposed.
Factors affecting ethylene production by some plant pathogenic bacteria

Methionine, up to 10−3M, added to a basal medium enhanced bacterial ethylene production in 14 of the 20 bacteria tested. The effects of substrate, cofactors, light, and temperature on ethylene production byPseudomonas solanacearum #25 revealed that the greatest effect occurred when 10−5M methionine and 10−4M FMN were combined, from which 4.10μl/l of ethylene were produced. Higher levels of methionine resulted in production of high levels of non-enzymically produced ethylene and death of the bacteria. This non-enzymic production of ethylene was eliminated in the dark. Copper had no effect upon ethylene production. Twenty-nine and 35°C were inhibitory, whereas 19°C appeared to be near optimum for ethylene production.Pseudomonas solanacaerum #25 and some other bacteria are capable of ethylene production and methionine and FMN enhance this production.
Abnormal Development of the Cerebellar Vermis in Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol: Size Reduction in Lobules I–V

Abnormalities of the cerebellar vermis have been well documented in animal models of fetal alcohol syndrome. At this point, it is not known if the same brain region is affected in humans prenatally exposed to alcohol. In this study, the area of the cerebellar vermis was measured from brain magnetic resonance images of 9 children and young adults with prenatal alcohol exposure and 24 control subjects in the same age range. Six of the exposed children met standard criteria for fetal alcohol syndrome. The remaining three subjects had significant histories of prenatal exposure to alcohol, but did not have enough of the classic facial features for the diagnosis. For each subject with a suitable midsagittal section, three vermal areas were circumscribed: anterior vermis (vermal lobules I-V), posterior vermis (vermal lobules VI and VII), and the remaining vermal area (including lobules VIII-X). Statistical analyses revealed that the anterior region of the vermis was significantly smaller in subjects with prenatal alcohol exposure, whereas the posterior region and the remaining vermal area did not differ between groups. Previous findings from an animal model of neonatal alcohol exposure have documented Purkinje cell loss in vermal lobules I-V and IX-X, with notable sparing in lobules VI-VII. Thus, the results of both studies indicate similar patterns of abnormal brain development in the anterior vermal region, with apparent sparing in the posterior vermal region. Our findings, for the first time, suggest that regionally specific Purkinje cell death may also occur in humans prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Close planning with distant students: a practitioners’ report

(1990). Close planning with distant students: a practitioners’ report. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 53-57.
Water Addition in Diesel Engine Intake for NOx Reduction: Comparison of Modeling and Experiments

Reduction in emissions, especially NOx has been the main study of various engine researchers in the light of stringent emission norms. To reduce the time and cost involved in testing these technologies, engine thermodynamic cycle predictive tools are used. The present work uses one such predictive tool (GT Power from Gamma Technologies) for predicting the influence of water addition in a turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel engine intake on engine performance and NOx emissions. The experiments for comparison with modeling included the introduction of liquid water in the engine intake stream, between the compressor and intercooler ranging from 0 to 100% of fuel flow rate. NOx emission reduced linearly with water addition with reduction of 63% with less than 1% penalty on fuel efficiency at 100% water addition. The GT Power model predicted the performance within 5% of experimental data and NOx emission within 10% of the experiments.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Unstable homotopy invariance and the homology of SL2(Z[t])

Abstract We prove that if R is a domain with many units, then the natural inclusion E 2 (R) → E 2 (R[t]) induces an isomorphism in integral homology. This is a consequence of the existence of an amalgamated free product decomposition of E2(R[t]). We also use this decomposition to study the homology of E 2 ( Z [t]) and show that a great deal of the homology of E 2 ( Z [t]) maps nontrivially into the homology of SL 2 ( Z [t]) . As a consequence, we show that the latter is not finitely generated in all positive degrees.
The X11α Protein Slows Cellular Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing and Reduces Aβ40 and Aβ42 Secretion

Constitutive amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism results in the generation of soluble APP (APPs) and Aβ peptides, including Aβ40 and Aβ42–the major component of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease brain. The phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain of X11 binds to a peptide containing a YENPTY motif found in the carboxyl terminus of APP. We have cloned the full-lengthX11 gene now referred to as X11α. Coexpression of X11α with APP results in comparatively greater levels of cellular APP and less APPs, Aβ40, and Aβ42 recovered in conditioned medium of transiently transfected HEK 293 cells. These effects are impaired by a single missense mutation of either APP (Y682G within the YENPTY motif) or X11α (F608V within the PTB domain), which diminishes their interaction, thus demonstrating specificity. The inhibitory effect of X11α on Aβ40 and Aβ42 secretion is amplified by coexpression with the Swedish mutation of APP (K595N/M596L), which promotes its amyloidogenic processing. Pulse-chase analysis demonstrates that X11α prolongs the half-life of APP from ∼2 h to ∼4 h. The effects of X11α on cellular APP and APPs recovery were confirmed in a 293 cell line stably transfected with APP. The specific binding of the PTB domain of X11α to the YENPTY motif-containing peptide of APP appears to slow cellular APP processing and thus reduces recovery of its soluble fragments APPs, Aβ40, and Aβ42 in conditioned medium of transfected HEK 293 cells. X11α may be involved in APP trafficking and metabolism in neurons and thus may be implicated in amyloidogenesis in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease brain.
A model for bridging and coupling in superconductors

Abstract A general treatment of the influence of metallurgical and electrical bridging and the associated interfilamentary coupling on the DC magnetic response of multifilamentary superconductors has been developed. Metallurgical bridging is emphasized, and is treated from the perspective of an anisotropic continuum; a comparison with the traditional d eff approach is made. Bridging-induced loss is seen to be determined by an intrinsic parameter γ 2 , describing the amount of electrical connectivity perpendicular to the filamentary axis. Expressions for magnetization and penetration fields for samples as a function of twist pitch and sample length are given. Transfer lengths are calculated, and the effects of weak connectivity along the filament axis are also discussed. The applicability of, and deviations from, the anisotropic continuum approximation are addressed. The expressions developed are then applied to experimental results for multifilamentary Nb 3 Sn and Bi:HTSC/Ag strands.
Guided-Wave Optics In LiNbO3: Physical Properties, Devices And Signal-Processing Systems

Guided-wave optics in LiNbO3 has entered an interesting period in its development. The basic properties are being evaluated and modified, high performance devices are being built and demonstrations of systems incorporating these devices are being given. In this paper we would like to review recently reported results which we have obtained in each of these areas.
Energy Modeling for Policy Studies

Energy policy modeling owes a great debt to the disciplines of operations research. Valuable modeling tools were available when the energy crisis struck unexpectedly. In turn, the immediate response to problem-driven policy modeling produced methodological challenges and innovations that have application outside the domain of energy. The early days of the explosive growth of energy modeling for policy studies provide illustrations of the interaction of problem identification, model formulation, problem analysis, and policy implementation in the tradition of operations research.
Gemcitabine-based therapy in pancreas cancer: gemcitabine-docetaxel and other novel combinations.

Since its approval in 1998 by the Food and Drug Administration, gemcitabine has rapidly become accepted as a standard part of palliative therapy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. It has modest activity when used as a single agent, and this has led to numerous studies combining it with other active agents, including cytotoxic as well as biologic and targeted therapies. Numerous Phase II studies suggest that the combinations may have greater activity than single agent therapy. However, randomized trials concerning this are still in progress. In the current article, a variety of gemcitabine-based novel combinations showing promising activity are reviewed.
Molecular imaging of the pancreas in small animal models.

Recent advances in several imaging modalities have improved noninvasive assessment of the pancreas in preclinical animal models and have enabled sequential studies in the same animal, permitting dynamic studies of pancreatic disease. This review outlines progress in the application of small animal imaging to monitor the pancreatic islet, insulitis, and pancreatitis. Preclinical advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have benefited from higher magnetic field strengths and dedicated small animal scanners, respectively. Novel imaging approaches developed using preclinical MRI and PET scanners may be adaptable to clinical usage. Preclinical imaging of mouse models has also benefited from the recent advent of optical imaging modalities, in which light emission can be detected noninvasively. These optical imaging techniques enable sensitive, high-throughput, and cost-effective studies in preclinical, small animal models.
A relaxation approach for estimating origin-destination trip tables

The problem of estimating origin-destination travel demands from partial observations of traffic conditions has often been formulated as a network design problem (NDP) with a bi-level structure. The upper level problem in such a formulation minimizes a distance metric between measured and estimated traffic conditions, and the lower level enforces user-equilibrium traffic conditions in the network. Since bi-level problems are usually challenging to solve numerically, especially for large-scale networks, we proposed, in an earlier effort (Nie et al., Transp Res, 39B:497–518, 2005), a decoupling scheme that transforms the O–D estimation problem into a single-level optimization problem. In this paper, a novel formulation is proposed to relax the user equilibrium conditions while taking users’ route choice behavior into account. This relaxation approach allows the development of efficient solution procedures that can handle large-scale problems, and makes the integration of other inputs, such as path travel times and historical O–Ds rather straightforward. An algorithm based on column generation is devised to solve the relaxed formulation and its convergence is proved. Using a benchmark example, we compare the estimation results obtained from bi-level, decoupled and relaxed formulations, and conduct various sensitivity analysis. A large example is also provided to illustrate the efficiency of the relaxation method.
Hypotension (Shock) in Dogs Produced by Escherichia coli Endotoxin

Intravenous injection of endotoxin from Escherichia coli in dogs is characterized by an immediate and precipitous decline in blood pressure with a simultaneous elevation of portal vein pressure. This reaction is abolished by hepatectomy or exclusion of the liver from the circulation and is believed due to trapping of blood in the liver. The reactions observed suggest that the profound biological effects of endotoxin are at least partially the result of anaphylaxis. The lethal effects of endotoxin are enhanced by removal of the liver.
369: B-2 gycoprotein-1 antibodies in the initial assessment of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: A cost analysis for prevention of thromboembolic disease

PHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME: A COST ANALYSIS FOR PREVENTION OF THROMBOEMBOLIC DISEASE KIMBERLY DESTEFANO, ZOI RUSSELL, AARON DEUTSCH, RUBEN QUINTERO, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida OBJECTIVE: B-2 Glycoprotein-1(B2GP1) antibodies are recommended as a potential secondary test for patients in whom a diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody (APA) syndrome is suspected but not confirmed by anti-cardiolipin(ACA) or lupus anti-coagulant testing. This may result in delay of diagnosis and missed opportunity for preventative care, especially in patients already pregnant. Our objective was to use a decision analysis to assess whether inclusion of this test in the initial work-up could prove cost-effective in the prevention of thromboembolic(TE) disease in our population. STUDY DESIGN: Cost of screening for B2GP1 antibodies and number of patients screened was obtained from Tampa General Hospital (TGH) data. Probability of TE and cost of diagnosis and management was determined by literature review. Cost of thromboprophylaxis for patients with positive testing was based on average pharmaceutical prices. This information was then incorporated into a cost assessment model to determine the potential benefit. RESULTS: Seventy patients were tested at a total cost of $8610. Four were positive for B2GP1 and no other thrombophilic factor. The cost for prophylaxis in these 4 women is $1172-39508 depending on anticoagulant choice. The overall cost of screening in our study is approximately $10000-50000. The reported cost for TE diagnosis and management ranges from $17500-33100. Assuming a 50% TE rate based on literature review, 2 women in our population would be expected to have an event at a cost of $35000-66200. CONCLUSION: In our analysis, screening with B2GP1 does appear to be costeffective in prevention of TE.While there is overlap in the cost of each strategy we did not include costs of lost productivity, recurrent TE, or pregnancy complications. A larger sample size, as well as consideration of the aforementioned variables is likely to show a significant cost benefit of including B2GP1 in initial assessment of APA syndrome.
Non-Markovian population and phase relaxation and absorption lineshape for a two-level system strongly coupled to a harmonic quantum bath

Abstract The study of the relaxation of open quantum systems is fundamental to both nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and spectroscopy. In this paper we study theoretically a model of two nondegenerate quantum levels coupled linearly and off-diagonally to a harmonic quantum-mechanical bath. In the weak-coupling limit it is well known for this model that after the system is perturbed from equilibrium the reduced density matrix elements relax exponentially to their equilibrium values, and that T2 = 2T1, where T1 and T2 are the population and phase relaxation times, respectively. In addition, the absorption lineshape is Lorentzian, with a FWHM in Hz of Δν = 1 2 πT 1 . In this paper we go beyond lowest order in the system-bath interaction by using a time-convolutionless projection operator approach that allows us to avoid the usual “factorization assumption” for the initial density matrix and to include explicitly the effect of the initially prepared state, which we calculate by subjecting the system to a short intense pulse of radiation. We find that although when one is outside the weak-coupling regime the relaxation becomes non-Markovian, the relaxation times T1 and T2 are still well defined in an asymptotic sense. In some cases we find that T2>2T1. The absorption lineshape function becomes non-Lorentzian, and in some instances we find that Δν 1 2 πT1. We find that the equilibrium population of the upper quantum level is nonzero at T = 0. We also investigate the infinite-temperature limit, making the connection to stochastic models of relaxation. Finally, we propose some possible experiments to verify some of our predictions.
Nonlinear response of a beam to shock pulse

Abstract The response of a uniform clamped-free beam driven into the inelastic range by a half-sine pulse of ground acceleration is investigated. Shock spectra are presented for the case of bilinear moment-curvature relationships. The beam is represented as a ten-lump multi-degree-of-freedom system, and the resulting equations of motion are integrated numerically. Shock spectra of the same beam represented by a quasi-statistically equivalent single-degree-of-freedom system are obtained. This latter system is found to produce quite satisfactory predictions of response through most of the range of the spectra. Use of the simplified system reduces the computational problem by several orders of magnitude.
Determination of Lactose in Milk Products by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography,

Abstract A method to determine lactose in dairy products by high-performance liquid chromatography is described. Samples suitable for assay were prepared from the liquid state by deproteinization with trichloroacetic acid (6% wt/vol, final concentration). Lactose was separated by injection of the deproteinized sample onto a μ Bondapak/Carbohydrate® 3 3Waters Associates, Milford, MA. column and isocratic elution with an acetonitrile/water mobile phase. Detection was with a differential refractometer. Sequential injection of a lactose standard and sample, addition of a standard quantity of lactose to the sample, and addition of an internal standard (xylose) to the sample were techniques for quantitation. The validity of high-performance liquid chromatography as a method for determining lactose concentration in milk products was supported by recovery experiments and comparison of results with those by a phenol-sulfuric acid, colorimetric assay.
Asparagine synthetase in asparaginase resistant and susceptible mouse lymphomas

Abstract Since the original discovery of a tumor inhibitory factor in guinea pig serum by Kidd (1953) and its identification as L-asparaginase by Broome (1961) , this enzyme has been used to regress tumors, especially lymphomas, of the mouse, rat, dog, and man. The work of Sobin and Kidd (1966) showed that protein synthesis was the first biochemical system to be inhibited by asparaginase treatment of a susceptible tumor. Broome and Schwartz (1967) reported that resistant tumors have a greater endogenous supply of asparagine. Furthermore, Patterson and Orr (1967) found that an asparaginase resistant form of the Jensen sarcoma had a greater capacity for asparagine synthesis than either a susceptible line or normal liver. The present studies show that asparaginase resistant lymphomas have higher levels of asparagine synthetase (ASase) than either susceptible tumors or normal tissue. In addition, resistant tumors responded to asparaginase treatment with large increases in ASase levels, a moderate response was noted for normal tissue, and a susceptible tumor gave only a transient response.
Numerical evaluation of the kinetic-energy operator

The numerical accuracy of computing the kinetic energy of a quantum-mechanical system using the gradient operator is studied in this paper. To this end, a matrix formulation for deriving multi-point central-difference formulas for the first and higher-order derivatives of a non-singular function is developed. In particular, 7-point and 9-point formulas for derivatives of order one through six and one through eight, respectively, have been derived explicitly. Accuracy of the formulas has been tested by comparing the calculated values of the derivatives of a function with the exact ones. The 9-point formula for the gradient has been used to compute the kinetic energy of a particle and the results have been compared with those of the 9-point Laplacian. The calculations indicate that the kinetic energy computed via the gradient operator is as accurate as that obtained via the Laplacian operator.
A New Sea Bird Tick, Ixodes Amersoni, From Phoenix Island (Acarina: Ixodidae)

Ixodes Amersoni n. sp. is described from a nearly replete female from the Fairy Tern, Gygis alba (Sparrman), from Phoenix Island in the Central Pacific. The male, nymph and larva are unknown.
Echocardiography in the Chinchilla

Heart disease has been described in the chinchilla and, with increasing popularity as a pet, the demand for diagnostic evaluation and treatment has increased. The goal of this study was to determine reference values for echocardiographic measurements in chinchillas and the effect of anesthesia on these measurements. Seventeen clinically healthy adult chinchillas were studied. All animals were anesthetized with isoflurane by mask. Standard echocardiographic views were used. A difference was seen in the echocardiographic measurements for left ventricular systolic dimension, fractional shortening, aortic (Ao) diameter, left atrial (LA) diameter, ratio of LA diameter to Ao diameter, and peak flow velocities and ejection times for Ao and pulmonary artery flows between awake and anesthetized chinchillas.
Workload orchestration and optimization for software defined environments

The software defined environment (SDE) provides a powerful programmable interface to a cloud infrastructure through an abstraction of compute, network, and storage resources. A workload refers to the application to be deployed in such an infrastructure. To take advantage of the SDE interface, the workload is described using a declarative workload definition language and is then deployed in the infrastructure through an automated workload orchestration and optimization layer. This paper describes the architecture and algorithms that make up this layer. Given a definition of the workload, including the virtual components of the application and their resource needs, as well as other meta-information relating to factors such as performance, availability, and privacy, the function of the workload orchestration and optimization layer is to map virtual resources to physical resources and realize such a mapping in the infrastructure. This mapping, known as placement, is optimized so that the infrastructure is efficiently utilized, and the workload requirements are satisfied. We present the overall architecture of the workload orchestration and optimization runtime. We focus on the workload placement problem and describe our optimization framework. Then, we consider a real application, IBM Connections, as a use-case to demonstrate the orchestration and optimization functionalities.
A two-level resource management scheme in wireless networks based on user-satisfaction

The success of future generation wireless data services will depend on the parameterized provisioning of quality of service (QoS) for applications whose demands and nature are highly heterogeneous. Also, user satisfaction will play a key role in the economic viability of wireless service deployments. In this paper, we present a QoS framework based on the paradigm of traffic class and user satisfaction. We address the problem of dealing with subjectiveness of user satisfaction or expectation from service providers by defining what we call user irritation factors, using Sigmoid functions. These factors reflect users' sensitivity and tolerance to delay. The proposed class-based QoS framework comprises a radio resource management scheme which considers user satisfaction based on the perceived QoS, and caters to heterogeneous applications that have diverse QoS requirements. Our resource management scheme has two components: the admission control algorithm caters to the long term user satisfaction while the session-based rate and bandwidth allocation scheme manipulates the short term user satisfaction. Soft-reservation schemes are also proposed to cater to the higher paying users. Performance metrics have been specifically defined for each traffic class. Extensive simulations using four types of traffic and three classes of users reveal that the proposed framework offers improved QoS without compromising the utilization of the system.
The asymptotic number of triple systems not containing a fixed one

Abstract For a fixed 3-uniform hypergraph F , call a hypergraph F -free if it contains no subhypergraph isomorphic to F . Let ex (n, F ) denote the size of a largest F -free hypergraph G ⊆[n] 3 . Let F n ( F ) denote the number of distinct labelled F -free G ⊆[n] 3 . We show that F n ( F )=2 ex (n, F )+ o (n 3 ) , and discuss related problems.
Combined gene dosage requirement for SWI/SNF catalytic subunits during early mammalian development

Mammalian SWI/SNF complexes utilize either BRG1 or BRM as alternative catalytic subunits with DNA-dependent ATPase activity to remodel chromatin. Although the two proteins are 75 % identical, broadly expressed, and have similar biochemical activities in vitro, BRG1 is essential for mouse embryonic development, while BRM is dispensable. To investigate whether BRG1 and BRM have overlapping functions during mouse embryogenesis, we performed double-heterozygous intercrosses using constitutive null mutations previously created by gene targeting. The progeny of these crosses had a distribution of genotypes that was significantly skewed relative to their combined gene dosage. This was most pronounced at the top and bottom of the gene dosage hierarchy, with a 1.5-fold overrepresentation of Brg1 +/+ ;Brm +/+ mice and a corresponding 1.6-fold underrepresentation of Brg1 +/− ;Brm −/− mice. To account for the underrepresentation of Brg1 +/− ;Brm −/− mice, timed matings and blastocyst outgrowth assays demonstrated that ~50 % of these embryos failed to develop beyond the peri-implantation stage. These results challenge the idea that BRG1 is the exclusive catalytic subunit of SWI/SNF complexes in ES cells and suggest that BRM also interacts with the pluripotency transcription factors to facilitate self-renewal of the inner cell mass. In contrast to implantation, the Brm genotype did not influence an exencephaly phenotype that arises because of Brg1 haploinsufficiency during neural tube closure and that results in peri-natal lethality. Taken together, these results support the idea that BRG1 and BRM have overlapping functions for certain developmental processes but not others during embryogenesis.
Turn-on voltage engineering and enhancement mode operation of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor using multiple heterointerfaces

Abstract A novel device design for enhancement mode operation of III-nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure has been proposed and demonstrated. The proposed HEMT device structure consists of a multi-heterojunction (SiO 2 /Al x Ga 1− x N/GaN/Al y Ga 1− y N) design in contrast to a single AlGaN/GaN heterojunction commonly used in conventional III-nitride HEMT designs. Normally OFF operation of the proposed HEMT design is expected to take place for thicker GaN and the top Al x Ga 1− x N layers than previously allowed. The effects of design parameters on the value of the device turn ON voltage have been studied extensively using simulations. Various device structures have been developed based on the simulations results and epitaxially grown by MOCVD. I – V measurements support the effects of design parameters on the turn ON voltage predicted by the simulations and have confirmed the enhancement mode operation.
Estimation of Truck Traffic Inputs for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design in California

This study developed default truck traffic inputs for mechanistic-empirical pavement design procedures for the California highway system based on California weigh-in-motion (WIM) data. Both cluster analysis and regression analysis were applied to develop the default axle load spectra. Regression analysis produced unsatisfactory results so it was not used. On the basis of cluster analysis of axle load spectra, the WIM sites were divided into several groups, and default truck traffic inputs were estimated for each group. A decision tree was developed to help designers select the appropriate default factors based on easily available information: geographic location and traffic volume and composition. These data can be obtained from the California Department of Transportation annual report of annual average daily truck traffic. Traffic inputs were developed for both the Caltrans Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design and NCHRP Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide software.
Cholecystokinin inhibits food intake in genetically obese (C57BL/6J-ob) mice

Cholecystokinin (CCK, 20% pure) inhibited liquid food intake in obese and lean male mice after 1.5 and 4.5 hr of food deprivation. CCK decreased meal size without changing the duration of the postprandial intermeal interval. The inhibition of food intake was relatively specific. The largest dose of CCK tested (40 U/kg) had no effect on water intake in lean mice and it merely changed the pattern of intake in obese mice. Obese mice were as sensitive as lean mice to the satiating effect of CCK after 1.5 hr and 4.5 hr of food deprivation. Since CCK decreased meal size in obese mice and since obese mice were normally sensitive to CCK, CCK could be the circulating satiety factor that Coleman [4] postulated was deficient in obese mice. The results, however, only indicate that CCK could be the deficient factor. Other experiments are required to prove the point.
View-dependent simplification of arbitrary polygonal environments

This dissertation describes hierarchical dynamic simplification (HDS), a new approach to the problem of simplifying arbitrary polygonal environments. HDS is dynamic, retessellating the scene continually as the user's viewing position shifts, and global, processing the entire database without first decomposing the environment into individual objects. The resulting system enables real-time display of very complex polygonal CAD models consisting of thousands of parts and millions of polygons. HDS supports various preprocessing algorithms and various run-time criteria, providing a general framework for dynamic view-dependent simplification. Briefly, HDS works by clustering vertices together in a hierarchical fashion. The simplification process continually queries this hierarchy to generate a scene containing only those polygons that are important from the current viewpoint. When the volume of space associated with a vertex cluster occupies less than a user-specified amount of the screen, all vertices within that cluster are collapsed together and degenerate polygons filtered out. HDS maintains an active list of visible polygons for rendering. Since frame-to-frame movements typically involve small changes in viewpoint, and therefore modify this list by only a few polygons, the method takes advantage of temporal coherence for greater speed.
South African Education: A System in Need of Structural Transformation.

At the dawn of independence in South Africa, several basic objectives must be met to bring about a new South Africa free of apartheid. There must be a new constitution based on democracy that guarantees one person one vote in a multiracial ("nonracial" in South African nomenclature) and nonsexist environment in which resources have been redistributed in such a way as to provide an equitable infrastructure in all areas. These changes will necessitate innovative intervention strategies and viable policy options. Of the many issues to consider when discussing the infrastructure and needed changes, one is predominant-South African education. This issue is important because of the overwhelming effect that apartheid has had on it. But it is equally critical because of the influence that it has on the current and on the future sociopolitical and economic manifestations and remnants of apartheid. For example, because of the current administrative structure of the South African educational system brought on by apartheid, a basic education is not available to all. However, although the new constitution guarantees each person the right to vote,' a basic education for all citizens will be a necessary ingredient for maximum informed participation in the democratic process. The problem is that the establishment of an egalitarian educational system with equal provision for all students will not take place until a unitary system of administration and management is
Transcription of the brain creatine kinase gene in glial cells is modulated by cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase

The brain creatine kinase (CKB) gene is expressed in a variety of tissues with highest expression seen in the brain. We have previously shown in primary rat brain cell cultures that CKB mRNA levels are high in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes and low in neurons (Molloy et al.: J Neurochem 59:1925-1932, 1992). In this report we show that treatment of human U87 glioblastoma cells with forskolin and IBMX, to elevate intracellular cAMP, induces expression of CKB mRNA from the transiently transfected rat CKB gene by 14-fold and also increases expression from the endogenous human CKB gene. This induction of CKB mRNA i) is due to increased transcription; ii) occurs rapidly (with maximal induction after 6 hr; iii) requires the activity of protein kinase A (PKA), but iv) does not require de novo protein synthesis and, in fact, is superinduced in the presence of cycloheximide. Given the role of oligodendrocytes in the energy-demanding process of myelination and of astrocytes in ion transport, these results have physiological significance, since they suggest that changes in cellular energy requirements in the brain during events, such as glial cell differentiation and increased neuronal activity, may in part be met by a cAMP-mediated modulation of CKB gene expression. Of particular importance is the possible modulation of CKB gene expression during myelinogenesis, since oligodendrocyte differentiation has been shown previously to be stimulated by increases in cAMP.
Cerebral oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral venous blood volume measurements using MRI: effects of magnetic field variation.

The presence of magnetic background field inhomogeneity (DeltaB) may confound quantitative measures of cerebral venous blood volume (vCBV) and cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (MR_OEF) with T2*-based methods. The goal of this study was to correct its effect and obtain more accurate estimates of vCBV and MR_OEF. A 3D high-resolution gradient echo sequence was employed to obtain DeltaB maps by two algorithms. The DeltaB maps were then used to recover the signal loss in images acquired by a 2D multiecho gradient echo / spin echo sequence. Finally, both quantitative estimates of MR_OEF and vCBV were obtained from the DeltaB- corrected 2D multiecho gradient echo / spin echo images. A total of 12 normal subjects were studied. An overestimated vCBV was observed in the brain (4.29 +/- 0.78%) prior to DeltaB correction, while the measured vCBV was substantially reduced after DeltaB correction. Whole brain vCBV of 2.97 +/- 0.44% and 2.68 +/- 0.47% were obtained by the two different DeltaB correction methods, in excellent agreement with the reported results in the literature. Furthermore, when MR_OEF was compared with and without DeltaB correction, no significant differences (P = 0.467) were observed. The ability to simultaneously obtain vCBV and MR_OEF noninvasively may have profound clinical implications for the studies of cerebrovascular disease.
Algebraic scene-based nonuniformity correction in focal plane arrays

ABSTRACT An algorithm is developed to compensate for the spatial fixed-pattern (nonuniformity) noise in focal-plane arrays, which is a pressing problem, particularly for mid- to far-infrared imaging systems. The proposed algorithm uses pairs of frames from an image sequence exhibiting pure horizontal and vertical sub-pixel shifts. The algorithm assumes a linear irradiance-voltage model for which the nonuniformity is attributed only to variation in the offset of various detectors in the array. Using a modified gradient-based shift estimator, pairs of frames exhibiting the above shift requirements can be identified and used to generate a correction matrix, which will compensate for the offset nonuniformity in all frames. The efficacy of this nonuniformity correction technique is demonstrated by applying it to infrared and simulated data. The strength of this technique is in its simplicity, requiring relatively few frames to generate an acceptable correction matrix. Keywords: nonuniformity correction, focal-plane array, infrared sensors, registration, fixed-pattern noise.
The American Statistical Association: A Single Scientific and Educational Community

Abstract A multitude of constantly changing problems must be faced and successfully resolved by an umbrella-type organization such as the American Statistical Association with its broad objectives, diverse activities and heterogeneous membership. However, the fact that the Association is broad based undoubtedly accounts for its strength (over 10,000 members) and endurance (established in 1839). The multiple-faceted aspect of the Association should be considered an important asset resulting in the opportunity for healthy interactions of differing kinds of people and ideas. The author contends that, even in the face of dislocations and accelerated change in many areas of modern life, the membership has the leadership qualities to make any needed adjustments and continue the development of the Association as a viable and vigorous organization, provided we cooperate with mutual respect and tolerance, despite our differences, and continually remold ourselves, subsequent to such adjustments, as a diversified bu...
Note on the electrochemical preparation of germanium dendrites

Abstract Conditions are described for the production of germanium dendrites at a graphite cathode by the electrolysis of a Na 2 B 4 O 7 GeO 2 melt.
Driving donation : a geographic analysis of potential organ donors in the state of Ohio, USA

For many years, researchers of organ transplantation have primarily studied the differences in ethnic, cultural and religious characteristics of organ donors across the United States. Unfortunately, this work has failed to include a spatial parameter. Spatial analysis can play an important role in helping researchers better understand these characteristics across diverse landscapes. Using basic statistical techniques, a geographic information system (GIS) and data acquired from actual drivers license records, this study examines the demographic, socioeconomic, religious and electoral landscapes as they relate to potential organ donorship rates across the state of Ohio. Results indicate that income and education are important factors, and political affiliation, race and proximity to organ procurement organizations can also affect one's potential to donate.
A simplified approach to the evaluation of lattice sums

Abstract The calculation of the slowly converging lattice sums required in solid state physics has traditionally been rendered tractable by converting part of the sum into a sum over the reciprocal lattice. In this paper, the physical principles underlying that method have been used to justify a much simpler, yet equally effective approach which is well suited for numerical computation. The enhanced convergence rate, as compared with that of the so-called direct calculation, is illustrated by explicit computation in the case of a dipole sum.