cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of sprite initiation altitudes between observations and models

[1] Simultaneous analyses of measured sprite initiation altitudes with predicted initiation altitudes from simulations enable an examination of our understanding of the sprite initiation mechanism and the modeling techniques to simulate this mesospheric electrical phenomenon. In this work, we selected a subset of sprites optically observed from Langmuir Laboratory, NM; locations near Las Vegas, NM, in 2007 and near Portales, NM, in 2008; and a Duke University field station. The sprites were observed by high-speed imaging with time resolutions of at least 1 ms and by low light level imagers. Sprite initiation altitudes were determined by triangulation between Langmuir Laboratory and either Portales or Las Vegas, while star field analysis determined the approximate measured initiation altitudes for Duke observations. These video observations were coordinated with electromagnetic field measurements from Yucca Ridge Field Station and Duke University, respectively. With a 2-D finite difference time domain model, we simulated the lightning-driven electric fields and predict the likely altitude of sprite initiation and compare these findings with the measured initiation altitude of each sprite analyzed. Of 20 discrete sprite events analyzed, both the measured and the simulation-predicted initiation altitudes indicate that long-delayed sprites tend to initiate at lower altitude. The average discrepancy between the measurements and the simulation results is 0.35 km with a standard deviation of 3.6 km. This consistency not only confirms previous results about the relationship between sprite initiation altitude and time delay but also helps to develop confidence in the models to reveal the sprite physics.
Rotating neutron star models and pulsars

Recently developed equations of state are used to construct fully relativistic models of rotating neutron stars. All of these stable neutron star models are bound. Consideration of binding energies suggests that very-low-mass neutron stars will not be formed in supernova explosions. Some criteria for equations of state are derived from a comparison with observations. Limits for the physical parameters of the Crab pulsar are obtained. In addition, we find that cosmic-ray protons cannot be produced by pulsars.
Is There Savings for Pavlovian Fear Conditioning after Neurotoxic Basolateral Amygdala Lesions in Rats

Considerable evidence indicates an important role for amygdaloid nuclei in both the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian fear conditioning. Recent reports from my laboratory have focused on the impact of neurotoxic lesions of the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) on conditional freezing behavior in rats. In these studies, I have observed severe effects of posttraining BLA lesions on the expression of conditional freezing even after extensive presurgical overtraining (25-75 trials). Moreover, I have found no evidence for sparing of fear memory (i.e., savings) in these rats when I assess their rate of reacquisition relative to BLA rats receiving minimal training (1 trial). In these experiments, freezing behavior was assessed using a conventional time-sampling procedure and expressed as a response probability. Although this measure is well established in the literature, it is conceivable that it is not sensitive to spared memory in rats with BLA lesions. To address this issue, I present a more detailed analysis of freezing behavior that quantifies latency to freeze, the number of freezing bouts, the duration of freezing bouts, and the probability distribution of bout lengths. I also include control data from untrained (no-shock) rats. Consistent with my earlier reports, I find no evidence of savings of fear memory in rats with neurotoxic BLA lesions using several measures of freezing behavior. These results reiterate the conclusion that fear memory, as it is expressed in freezing behavior, requires neurons in the BLA.
Characterization of an Alternating-Current Plasma Source for Atomic Emission Spectroscopy

Results on the characterization of a helium alternating-current plasma (ACP) are presented. Spectroscopic techniques were utilized to obtain diagnostic measurements of the plasma. The characteristics studied include appearance, excitation temperature, ionization and electron temperature, electron number density, and interferences from other concomitants. Sample introduction was achieved with a glass frit nebulizer (GFN). Enhancement of the calcium response was observed while sodium was present in the plasma. Signal depression was noted when calcium and phosphate were simultaneously introduced into the ACP.
ICF syndrome mutations cause a broad spectrum of biochemical defects in DNMT3B-mediated de novo DNA methylation

The DNMT3B de novo DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) plays a major role in establishing DNA methylation patterns in early mammalian development, but its catalytic mechanism remains poorly characterized. Here, we provide a comprehensive biochemical analysis of human DNMT3B function through the characterization of a series of site-directed DNMT3B variants associated with immunodeficiency, centromere instability, and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome. Our data reveal several novel and important aspects of DNMT3B function. First, DNMT3B, unlike DNMT3A, requires a DNA cofactor in order to stably bind to S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM), suggesting that it proceeds according to an ordered catalytic scheme. Second, ICF mutations cause a broad spectrum of biochemical defects in DNMT3B function, including defects in homo-oligomerization, SAM binding, SAM utilization, and DNA binding. Third, all tested ICF mutations, including the A766P and R840Q variants, result in altered catalytic properties without interfering with DNMT3L-mediated stimulation; this indicates that DNMT3L is not involved in the pathogenesis of ICF syndrome. Finally, our study reveals a novel level of coupling between substrate binding, oligomerization, and catalysis that is likely conserved within the DNMT3 family of enzymes.
Persisting effects of chronic electroshock seizures on brain and behavior in two strains of rats

Abstract Fischer rats were given minimal, maximal, or sham electroshock seizures daily, 5 times each week for 6 weeks beginning at 30 days of age. Groups were sacrificed 48 hr, 2 or 6 weeks after the last treatment. The initial depression in body weight and increase in cortical brain weight by the maximally convulsed group recovered to control values by 6 weeks. Monoamine oxidase activity was elevated throughout the brain 48 hr after the last treatment and remained so in the ventral cortex for 6 weeks. Buffalo rats exhibited only the decreased body weight and elevated monoamine oxidase activity after 6 weeks of treatment; treatment for 10 or 12 weeks produced some of the other changes observed in Fischer and Wistar strains. Treatment for 6 weeks did not affect acquisition of a successive brightness discrimination in an underwater T-maze in either strain when tested 48 hr or 4 weeks after the last treatment. Acquisition of a pole-displacement conditioned avoidance response was depressed in both strains at both test intervals.
The use of glycerol in crystallization of T7 RNA polymerase: Implications for the use of cosolvents in crystallizing flexible proteins

Preparation of crystalline T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) from mother liquors using ammonium phosphate or ammonium sulfate as precipitants required the presence of at least 15% glycerol. This was shown to be due to a shift in the relative stability of the amorphous and crystalline phases of the enzyme in the presence of glycerol and was not a kinetic effect. Sucrose had effects similar to, but less dramatic than, those of glycerol. Since glycerol and polyhydric alcohols have been shown to have general stabilizing effects on protein conformation, we discuss the possibility that the T7 RNAP results indicate that glycerol and polyhydric alcohols may be generally useful in crystallizing proteins in which conformational flexibility is a problem. The mechanism of the glycerol effect is discussed in terms of modifications in protein hydration and an increased solvophobic effect.
Freshwater storage declining in Middle East

Freshwater storage in the Middle East is declining at an alarming rate, according to a new study by Voss et al. The Middle East has limited water resources, and conflicts over existing water resources are already occurring. However, there are few publicly available data sources on water resources in the Middle East.
Reply to Comments

(1989). Reply to Comments. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 614-615.
Colon carcinogenesis: Influence of Western diet-induced obesity and targeting stem cells using dietary bioactive compounds

Colon cancer strikes more than 1 million people annually and is responsible for more than 500,000 cancer deaths worldwide. Recent evidence suggests that the majority of malignancies, including colon cancer are driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are resistant to current chemotherapeutic approaches leading to cancer relapse. Wnt signaling plays a critical role in colon stem cell renewal and carcinogenesis. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), a Wnt target gene, and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 B1 (ALDH1B1) are good markers for normal and malignant human colon stem cells. Diet contributes to 20% to 42% of all human cancers and 50% to 90% of colon cancer. Recent evidence shows that the Western diet has a causative link to colon cancer; however, mechanisms of action are not fully elucidated. Western diet-induced obesity elevates systemic insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin levels, which could lead to elevated proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of CSCs through PI3K/AKT/Wnt pathway. Although conventional chemotherapy targets the PI3K/AKT pathways and can significantly reduce tumor size, it fails to eliminate CSCs and has serious side effects. Dietary bioactive compounds such as grape seed extract, curcumin, lycopene, and resveratrol have promising chemopreventive effects, without serious side effects on various types of cancers due to their direct and indirect actions on CSC self-renewal pathways such as the Wnt pathway. Understanding the role of CSCs in diet-induced colon cancer will aid in development of evidence-based dietary chemopreventive strategies and/or therapeutic agents targeting CSCs.
Argumentativeness and Aggressiveness The Flip Side of Gentle Persuasion

This article explores the development and testing of two popular communication instruments: argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness scales. One measures the degree to which an individual engage...
From the Cloud to the Atmosphere: Running MapReduce across Data Centers

Efficiently analyzing big data is a major issue in our current era. Examples of analysis tasks include identification or detection of global weather patterns, economic changes, social phenomena, or epidemics. The cloud computing paradigm along with software tools such as implementations of the popular MapReduce framework offer a response to the problem by distributing computations among large sets of nodes. In many scenarios, input data are, however, geographically distributed (geodistributed) across data centers, and straightforwardly moving all data to a single data center before processing it can be prohibitively expensive. Above-mentioned tools are designed to work within a single cluster or data center and perform poorly or not at all when deployed across data centers. This paper deals with executing sequences of MapReduce jobs on geo-distributed data sets. We analyze possible ways of executing such jobs, and propose data transformation graphs that can be used to determine schedules for job sequences which are optimized either with respect to execution time or monetary cost. We introduce G-MR, a system for executing such job sequences, which implements our optimization framework. We present empirical evidence in Amazon EC2 and VICCI of the benefits of G-MR over common, naive deployments for processing geodistributed data sets. Our evaluations show that using G-MR significantly improves processing time and cost for geodistributed data sets.
Addition of monochromated UV discharge lamp to X-ray photoemission spectrometer

Abstract To combine in a single system the benefits of XPS and UPS, a noble gas cold cathode discharge lamp and a grazing incidence grating monochromator have been attached to a Hewlett-Packard 5950A ESCA spectrometer. Since the HP multichannel detection system was designed for the relatively low count rates associated with a monochromator dispersed X-ray source some customarily unavailable low intensity UV lines can be used. Photoemission spectra for 9 excitation lines of He and Ne spaced approximately every 4 eV between 16.7 and 48.4 eV are presented for a polycrystalline Au test sample. Operation of the ESCA spectrometer's electron optics and hemispherical analyzer for low kinetic energy (
The MiniBooNE experiment: Status and plans

The MiniBooNE experiment has recently started a search for νμ → νe oscillations at Fermilab. This will provide a definitive test of the LSND results which show evidence for neutrino oscillation. The MiniBooNE neutrino source and detector are both now operational and data taking has begun. We describe the experiment, report on the status, and show the expected sensitivity to neutrino oscillations.
A 0.79 pJ/K-Gate, 83% Efficient Unified Core and Voltage Regulator Architecture for Sub/Near-Threshold Operation in 130 nm CMOS

This paper presents the compute voltage regulator module (C-VRM), an architecture that embeds the information processing subsystem into the energy delivery subsystem for ultra-low power (ULP) platforms. The C-VRM employs multiple voltage domain stacking and core swapping to achieve high total system energy efficiency in near/sub-threshold region. Energy models for the C-VRM are derived, and employed in system simulations to compare the energy efficiency benefits of the C-VRM over a switched capacitor VRM (SC-VRM). A prototype IC incorporating a C-VRM and a SC-VRM supplying energy to an 8-tap fully folded FIR filter core is implemented in a 1.2 V, 130 nm CMOS process. Measured results indicate that the C-VRM has up to 44.8% savings in system-level energy per operation (E op ) compared to the SC-VRM system, and an efficiency η ranging from 79% to 83% over an output voltage range of 0.52 V to 0.6 V. Measured values of the E op and η match those predicted by system simulations thereby validating the energy models.
Investigation of shot-noise-induced line-edge roughness by continuous-model-based simulation

A new strategy for LER simulation is proposed in this paper, which applies a discrete model at 1~2nm scale for exposure, continuous reaction-diffusion model at 7nm scale for post-exposure bake (PEB) and a newly developed continuous statistical lateral dissolution model (SLDM) at 1nm scale for development. Without the computational complexity of a molecular LER simulator, this new LER modeling is able to simulate LER induced by exposure statistics by incorporating impacts of PEB and dissolution. This LER simulator has been used to investigate factors that impact LER generation, including non-Fickean diffusion, shot noise and resist contrast. SLDM has also been applied to analyze large unlikely roughness event (LURE) that can lead to chip failure. By finding an equivalent lateral dissolution path for LURE, an analytical estimation of LURE is obtained.
Evaluation and Field Load Testing of Timber Railroad Bridge

Several spans of a 60-year-old open-deck timber railroad bridge on the Southern Pacific Railroad Line (now the Union Pacific) in Southwest Texas were field tested. The tests were conducted with the sponsorship and cooperation of the Association of American Railroads to determine the vertical live load distribution characteristics of the superstructure. The bridge was originally constructed with Douglas-fir larch solid sawn stringers but was rehabilitated on several occasions to allow comparisons to be made with respect to different rehabilitation options, including the use of a helper stringer and the use of glued laminated timber (glulam) stringers. The test spans measured approximately 4.1 m (13.5 ft) center-to-center of supports and included two closely "packed" chords, each consisting of four timber stringers (one test span included an additional helper stringer added to one chord). One chord was made up of glulam timber and the other was made up of solid sawn timber. The bridge superstructure was gen...
On the possible role of cytosine deamination in delayed photoreversal mutagenesis targeted at thymine-cytosine dimers in E. coli.

Abstract While delayed photoreversal (PR) mutagenesis has been interpreted as a measure of a misincorporation step in targeted mutagenesis, the specificity to produce glutamine tRNA suppressor mutations (C to T transitions) at sites in DNA where a thymine-cytosine dimer (T = C) may target mutation suggests a deamination model: deamination T = C to T = C and trans-U DNA replication after PR. We describe here two enquires that did not support the latter model: (a) Uracil DNA glycosylase activity as estimated from the restricted plating efficiency of phage T5 containing uracil-substituted DNA showed no variation that might allow an exceptional opportunity for mutation at U in DNA, and (b). The kinetics of delayed PR mutagenesis were unaltered if UV-irradiated cells were held in buffer suspension for 2 h at 41°C (a procedure known to allow deamination T = C to T = U) and then assayed. Other results with cells containing both umuC and ung (uracil DNA glycosylase) defects showed the magnitude of T = C deamination sufficient to provide T = U at the critical site of mutation to an extent greater than the mutation frequencies produced by delayed PR mutagenesis, and considerations of the kinetics led to the suggestion that the deamination model could apply if there were an optimum period 30–130 min post-UV for efficient recovery of DNA replication after PR. The results underscored the feasibility of delayed PR mutagenesis by deamination and trans-U replication, but a selection between the two models could not be determined.
Maintenance of adult hamster pancreas cells on fibroblastic cells

The maintenance of primary cultures of adult hamster pancreatic cells on layers of irradiated C3H/10T1/2 cells was studied. Various types of pancreatic cells, acinar, islet and ductular cells could be identified in the cultures by light and electron microscopy. Morphologically the various pancreatic cells retained many differentiated characteristics of their respective in vivo cell types. Insulin production was maintained at near Day 1 levels for the 16 d in culture for which it was measured. Colonies of epithelial cells continued to grow during a 20 d culture period. It is believed that this procedure for maintaining functional and growing pancreas cells in culture may be a useful in vitro model for studying the initiation of pancreatic carcinogenesis.
A Multiyear Analysis of Team-Based Learning in a Pharmacotherapeutics Course

Objectives. To evaluate the impact of team-based learning (TBL) in a pharmacotherapeutics course on pharmacy students’ ratings of faculty instructors and the course, and to assess students’ performance after implementation of team-taught TBL.Design. Teaching methodology in a pharmacotherapeutics course was changed from a lecture with recitation approach in 2 semesters of a 6 credit-hour course to a TBL framework in a 3-semester 3+4+5 credit hour course. The distribution of faculty of instruction was changed from 4 faculty members per week to 1 faculty per 1-credit-hour module. TBL consisted of preclass study preparation, readiness assurance (Individual Readiness Assessment Test and Group Readiness Assessment Test), and in-class application exercises requiring simultaneous team responses.Assessment. Retrospective analysis of student ratings of faculty and instructional methods was conducted for the 2 years pre-TBL and 4 years during TBL. Final course grades were evaluated during the same time period. Stude...
Reconstructing strings from substrings in rounds

We establish a variety of combinatorial bounds on the tradeoffs inherent in reconstructing strings using few rounds of a given number of substring queries per round. These results lead us to propose a new approach to sequencing by hybridization (SBH), which uses interaction to dramatically reduce the number of oligonucleotides used for de novo sequencing of large DNA fragments, while preserving the parallelism which is the primary advantage of SBH.
Blind synchronization for NC-OFDM — When “channels” are conventions, not mandates

Recent efforts in making licensed spectrum available for secondary use have opened up new opportunities and has redefined the meaning of sharing spectrum. Sharing spectrum requires aggregation of multiple non-contiguous bands of varying width to communicate as a network. Rather than limiting spectrum access to fixed width narrowband channels, they should be treated as conventions that are highly flexible and allow for simultaneous multi-user communication among a variety of heterogeneous devices with different transceiver capabilities. Non-Contiguous Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (NC-OFDM) is a physical layer technique that can be utilized to achieve this goal. Unlike the contiguous channelized access model, wideband non-contiguous access posses a critical challenge of synchronization. In this paper, we propose a practical algorithm and hardware implementation to overcome this challenge. Equipped with this blind synchronizer, we propose a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer design to enable flexible channel access while achieving co-existence with the incumbent and other secondary heterogeneous networks. The blind synchronization technique vastly simplifies channel rendezvous in the secondary network and provides faster migration to a vacant spectrum. Through extensive simulations under varying signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral occupancy, we show significant improvement over existing algorithms employed for NC-OFDM synchronization in cognitive radios and make wideband cognitive radio networks a distinct possibility in the near future.
Scalaness/nesT: type specialized staged programming for sensor networks

Programming wireless embedded networks is challenging due to severe limitations on processing speed, memory, and bandwidth. Staged programming can help bridge the gap between high level code refinement techniques and efficient device level programs by allowing a first stage program to specialize device level code. Here we introduce a two stage programming system for wireless sensor networks. The first stage program is written in our extended dialect of Scala, called Scalaness, where components written in our type safe dialect of nesC, called nesT, are composed and specialized. Scalaness programs can dynamically construct TinyOS-compliant nesT device images that can be deployed to motes. A key result, called cross-stage type safety, shows that successful static type checking of a Scalaness program means no type errors will arise either during programmatic composition and specialization of WSN code, or later on the WSN itself. Scalaness has been implemented through direct modification of the Scala compiler. Implementation of a staged public-key cryptography calculation shows the sensor memory footprint can be significantly reduced by staging.
Rapid Strabismus Screening for the Pediatrician

"I thought I saw my child's eyes turning" is a frequent observation of parents. The Brueckner test is a simple method, easily learned, to determine the presence or absence of true strabismus. With some practice, an observer can uncover strabismus and amblyopia. This test makes use of a direct ophthalmoscope and the same corneal reflexes one is familiar with in pen light testing. The position of the corneal light reflex is an important portion of the Brueckner test, but the additional, definitive information is derived from the red reflex that fills the entire pupil and gives an excellent backdrop to the bright white dot that is the corneal light reflex. The eye that is turned in or out will have a brighter, more orange-red reflex and the appearance of increased pupil size. Even with pseudostrabismus or unusual angle kappas, the equality or inequality of the red reflex determines the absence or presence of true strabismus. With practice, the Brueckner test can yield the doctor an answer to one of the most ...
Chalcone cyclase and flavonoid biosynthesis in grapefruit

Abstract A chalcone cyclase (CC), which acts unidirectionally upon the chalcone-flavanone equilibrium reaction, was isolated from immature grapefruit. The enzyme required neohesperidose at C-4′ of the chalcone A-ring and a free, unhindered hydroxyl group at C-4 of the B-ring for activity. The CC bound, but did not cyclize, prunin chalcone (Ki= 2.5 × 10−5 M). The results suggest that the intermediates that form the B-ring of chalcones are hydroxylated prior to chalcone formation, that chalcones are glycosylated during their formation, and that methylation occurs after cyclization of the chalcones to flavanones.
New insights into the Rh superfamily of genes and proteins in erythroid cells and nonerythroid tissues.

The past decade has seen extensive studies of the erythrocyte Rh30 polypeptides and Rh-associated glycoprotein, which specify the clinically important Rh blood group system. Here we consider recent advances on these and other Rh homologues in the context of gene organization, molecular evolution, tissue-specific expression, protein structure, and potential biological functions. The Rh family is now known to contain a large number of homologues that form a unique branch in the eucarya life domain. The ancient origin and broad distribution imply central roles for the various Rh proteins in maintaining normal cellular and organismal homeostatic conditions. Rh homologues occur in the form of multiple chromosomal loci in mice and humans, but as single-copy genes in unicellular organisms (e.g., green alga and slime mold). While primitive Rh genes vary largely in exon/intron design, the mammalian Rh homologues bear a similar genomic organization. Sequence comparisons have revealed the signatures and a consensus 12-transmembrane fold characteristic of the Rh family. Phylogenetic analysis has placed all Rh homologues as a related cluster that intercepts ammonium transporter (Amt) clusters, indicating an intimate evolutionary and structural relationship between the Rh and Amt families. The biochemical identification and epithelial expression of RhBG and RhCG orthologues in mammalian kidney, liver, skin, testis, and brain suggest that they serve as transporters likely participating in ammonia homeostasis. Further inquires into the structure, function, biosynthesis, and interaction of Rh proteins will shed new light on ammonia homeostasis in a wide range of human physiological and pathological states.
Dynamics of extracellular fluid volume changes during hyperproteinemia

The dynamics of fluid volume distribution between the blood and interstitium during hyperproteinemia were studied in 12 anephric, conscious dogs during several states of hydration. After recovery f...
An Evidence-based Protocol for Smoking Cessation for Persons with Psychotic Disorders

Consequences of the use of tobacco products claim the lives of 443,000 Americans and 5.4 million persons worldwide every year. Persons with diagnosed psychiatric illnesses, including addiction, have the highest prevalence of smoking of any population, and smoke more intensely and heavily than others. In preparation for developing a stepwide protocol for a nursing intervention, recent literature on smoking cessation with smokers and those with psychiatric diagnoses was searched. A total of 16 related or specific studies and reviews were identified and critiqued, seeking support for interventions specific to the needs and attributes of this population. Few studies either included or focused on the smoking cessation with those having diagnoses of addiction and/or other psychiatric disorders, although study populations may have included such individuals. The results of research critiques suggest that standard approaches to smoking cessation have comparable success with the general population and persons with ...
The State of Education in Alabama's K-12 Rural Public Schools

The purpose of this study was to compare Alabama’s rural school districts with its city, suburban, and town districts. Descriptive statistics were used for this population study, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s d. Findings indicated Alabama’s rural school districts serve slightly less affluent student populations, with a lower percentage of minority students, than their counterparts. They are funded at slightly lower levels than their counterparts in other categories, yet spend approximately the same percentage of their budgets on administration and on instruction. They spend a considerably higher percentage on transportation. Although rural district dropout rates are similar to those of their counterparts, from the third to the eleventh grade, student performance on standardized examinations falls gradually behind that of the students in other locale categories.
Beacon-Based Routing for Tactical Networks

The U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) warfighter is reliant upon the development of a reliable, resilient communications capability under harsh, battlefield environments. Due to high mobilities and the nature of the various terrains, the dynamics of the communications links is extremely erratic and rapidly changing. This results in extreme strain on the performance of routing protocols attempting to find and maintain viable communications paths. In this paper we discuss and analyze a new class of routing protocols which we refer to as Beacon-Based Routing protocols. Beacon-Based Routing protocols proactivity build a small number of, typically one or two, spanning trees in the network and use these trees to discover paths on demand. The existence of one (or more) spanning tree(s) ensures full network connectivity and hence can be used to find network paths without the need for network-wide broadcast of discovery messages, as in other on-demand routing protocols. This class of routing protocols represents the generalization of the Pulse Protocol [1], originally developed in 2002 for applications to Internet access networks. The performance of the Pulse Protocol was analyzed in [1] and [2] in various applications including general Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) and in sensor networks. As we discuss in this paper, the Beacon-Based Routing protocol class has optimal behavior with respect to the communications overhead required to run the protocol. As such, its scaling behavior is superior to other existing routing protocol classes when assessed in the context of a MANET.
Efficient analysis of shared buffer management strategies in ATM networks under non-uniform bursty traffic

This paper describes an approach for the analysis of multistage switching networks with a variety of buffer sharing strategies. The approach allows non-uniform bursty traffic, and it features a computational complexity which is independent of the buffer size. We decompose the complex shared buffer analysis problem into an equivalent dedicated buffer problem through an iterative series of buffer size approximations. Results are compared with simulations and are used to quantify the performance differences of several buffer sharing policies.
Sex differences in processing printed advertisements.

The success of using biological sex to divide or segment markets requires a thorough understanding of how men and women process and respond to advertisements and other persuasive communications. To...
Intrauterine adhesions as a risk factor for failed first-trimester pregnancy termination.

Background: Risk factors for failed first-trimester surgical abortion include endometrial distortion caused by leiomyomas, uterine anomalies and malposition and cervical stenosis. This report introduces intrauterine adhesions as an additional risk factor. Case: A multiparous woman presented for pregnancy termination at 6 weeks' gestation. Three suction-curettage attempts failed to remove what appeared to be an intrauterine pregnancy. Rising β-hCG levels and concern for an interstitial ectopic pregnancy prompted a diagnostic laparoscopy and exploratory laparotomy without the identification of an ectopic pregnancy. After methotrexate treatment failed, the patient underwent ultrasound-guided hysteroscopy and suction curettage using a cannula with a whistle-cut aperture for the successful removal of a pregnancy implanted behind intrauterine adhesions. Conclusion: Intrauterine adhesions are a cause of failed surgical abortion. Ultrasound-guided hysteroscopy may be required for diagnosis.
Ebiquity: Paraphrase and Semantic Similarity in Twitter using Skipgrams

We describe the system we developed to participate in SemEval 2015 Task 1, Paraphrase and Semantic Similarity in Twitter. We create similarity vectors from two-skip trigrams of preprocessed tweets and measure their semantic similarity using our UMBC-STS system. We submit two runs. The best result is ranked eleventh out of eighteen teams with F1 score of 0.599.
New Species of Bonneted Bat, Genus Eumops (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from the Lowlands of Western Ecuador and Peru

We describe and formally name a species of bonneted bat (genus Eumops), which is a member of the E. glaucinus complex. Closely related species are E. glaucinus, E. ferox, and E. floridanus. The conceptual basis for the description of this species is the Genetic Species Concept with speciation by the Bateson-Dobzhanzky-Muller model. The new species is distinguished from all other species of bats by its unique karyotype (2N = 38, FN = 54), sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene, and genetic markers revealed through analysis of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms. The series from the type locality (Ecuador, Guayas) is comprised of seven specimens. Morphologically, the new species is smaller than E. floridanus and E. glaucinus, but is indistinguishable from E. ferox. The new species is significantly smaller in size than E. glaucinus in six out of eight measurements and is distinguishable from E. glaucinus based on length of maxillary toothrow and zygomatic breadth. The geographic range of E. wilsoni, as currently documented, is the dry forests of southwestern Ecuador and adjacent northwestern Peru. We propose the common name for this species be Wilson’s bonneted bat.
Medical emergency team: transitioning from an external response team to an internal response team.

Purpose To outline the process and thoroughly discuss the methods used to transition from an external rapid response team to an internal rapid response team. Methods The medical complexities of the patient population at Kennedy Krieger Institute, coupled with a retrospective data review of past “code calls,” revealed a rapid response team was essential. The anticipated loss of the current external rapid response team indicated that an alternative solution would need to be designed. Over a 2-year period, an internal medical response team was developed and implemented to address the potential medical emergency needs of our acute care rehabilitation patients. Results The outcome from all “code calls” since the implementation of the internal rapid response team has been markedly positive. Discussion Comprehensive planning involving many team members, detailed communication with external resources, and extensive education resulted in a seamless transition from an external rapid response team to an internal response team. Clinical Relevance Freestanding rehabilitation centers do not have the in-house rapid response team resources that an acute care hospital utilizes to address potential medical emergencies. The development and implementation of an internal rapid response team can meet these needs.
The Education of Ada

Charles Frazier's award-winning, popular novel, Cold Mountain, expresses sharp criticisms of industrial, technological society and probes the ways the modern world might return to the land to fashion a culture and economy more sensitive to place. Unlike Aldo Leopold, who turned to wild nature for guidance on how people might live, Frazier looks to the small farm and to a land-based economy as the foundation for a new order. Frazier's normative thinking is largely woven into a story line featuring a young, highly cultured woman, Ada Monroe, who finds herself alone on a farm during the Civil War. So ignorant is Ada of nature and food systems she cannot feed herself, even in mid-summer. Into Ada's life comes her opposite, a young woman named Ruby, who is all nature and no culture. As he recounts the interactions of Ada and Ruby, Frazier comments on how American society might return to basics, as the two women did, to search for more lasting ways of blending nature and culture. As the story unfolds, Frazier offers multiple visions of how people might relate to the land. Ultimately he rejects the locally based, visions of plenty ideal sketched by Ruby, as well as a number of escapist and aesthetic alternatives, in favor of a more complex, cultured ideal that blends careful attentiveness to local nature with selective aspects of urban refinement. Frazier's novel stands as one of the most important agrarian conservation writings of the past half century. This essay is drawn from a new book, Agrarianism and the Good Society, which explores from various perspectives the cultural origins of our environmental and land-use predicament.
Corporate Governance and Fixed Private Investment in an African Economy: The Case of Malawi

This paper presents empirical evidence on the role of effective corporate governance on levels of fixed private investment in a typical developing African economy characterized by an underdeveloped capital market and weak legal institutions. Applying an eclectic econometric model on firm survey data from Malawi, the study finds support for the managerial discretion hypothesis as explanation for over-investment in SOEs and domestic firms; and support for asymmetric information hypothesis for foreign firms' investment behaviour. More notably, the study finds an insignificant contemporaneous effect of corporate governance on fixed private investment in Malawian firms, which only turns significant when conditioned on its interactive effects with quality of legal institutions.
Cell-Free Enzymes of Azotobacter vinelandii.

SummarySuccinic, lactic and malic dehydrogenases and hydrogenase were demonstrated in cell-free juices of Asotobacter vinelandii by the use of the methylene blue reduction technic. Oxygen uptake with sodium succinate as substrate and hydrogen-oxygen uptake with hydrogen as substrate were observed in the Warburg respirometer. Cell-free juices contained oxalacetic acid and alpha-ketoglutaric acid decarboxylases, but not pyruvic acid decarboxylase. Though succinate oxidation was cyanide-sensitive, addition of heart muscle cytochrome c did not stimulate the oxidation of ascorbic acid, suggesting that the cytochrome system differs from the animal cytochrome system.
Effect of obesity on in-hospital treatment for acute coronary syndrome complicated by new-onset heart failure.

OBJECTIVE Obesity has been associated with superior outcomes in heart failure (HF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Although patients with new-onset HF after ACS are at a high risk, they may receive less aggressive treatment. It is unknown whether treatment practices are biased by BMI. METHODS AND RESULTS Consecutive patients without previous HF, who were hospitalized with ACS, and had left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% or clinical HF were analyzed to assess the utilization of evidence-based treatment by BMI. BMI was categorized into normal (18.5 to <25 kg/m), overweight (25 to <30 kg/m), and obese (≥30 kg/m) groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to examine the association of BMI with undergoing cardiac catheterization, and discharge on β-blocker or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). Analysis included 461 patients. There were no significant differences among BMI groups in performance of cardiac catheterization or discharge on ACE inhibitor/ARB or β-blocker. Compared with normal, neither overweight nor obese BMI was significantly associated with cardiac catheterization [overweight: odds ratio (OR) 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-2.72, P=0.2; obese: OR 1.75, 95% CI 0.92-3.33, P=0.09], or discharge on ACE inhibitor/ARB (overweight: OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.40-1.21, P=0.7; obese: OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.39-1.23, P=0.2), or β-blocker (overweight: OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.69-2.21, P=0.5; obese: OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.62-2.07, P=0.7). CONCLUSION Among patients with new-onset HF complicating ACS, there were no significant differences in evidence-based treatment practices by BMI.
Are developing β-adrenoceptors able to desensitize? Acute and chronic effects of β-agonists in neonatal heart and liver

During fetal and neonatal development, β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) appear to be resistant to desensitization by β-agonist drugs. To determine the mechanisms underlying the regulatory differences...
Quality Control of Homemade Quality Control Materials in Occupational Health Detection

[Objective]To make an affordable and practical quality control materials for daily air detection.[Methods]The quality control materials of benzene,toluene,trichloroethylene and n-hexane were prepared by Bao'an Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Shenzhen City,and were fixed value by three detection institutions.The application status of seven detection institutions were summarized and analyzed.[Results]The quality control materials were can be kept stable at least 15 months.The results of three fixed value institutions showed that the four kinds of quality control materials had good consistency,and the differences between results between mean values were less than 3%.The results of seven application institutions were controlled within the range of ±10% of definition value.[Conclusion]The quality control materials are well-directed,affordable and practical,and have long stability time,which can be obtained and controlled by the application institutions.And it can be applied to the quality control of occupational health detection in Bao'an district.
Social context, family process, and Turkish boys’ pathway to incarceration: an application of the age-graded theory of informal social control

ABSTRACTAlthough the juvenile delinquency problem in Turkey has become increasingly visible in the last decade, existing research on Turkish youth convicted of delinquency is still in its early stages. The purpose of this study was to apply the age-graded theory of informal social control that was developed by Sampson and Laub to the Turkish context, and to explore the role of family processes that lead young men to prison. Data are from in-depth interviews with 30 convicted juveniles in a juvenile prison. Data analysis highlighted the negative effects of specific family processes such as youth’s lack of attachment to their parents, which may result from harsh or erratic methods of discipline, and low levels of parental monitoring. The findings suggest that it is essential to implement family-oriented interventions to prevent and control serious delinquency.
Implementing a Quality and Safety Agenda in a Children's Hospital Within a Hospital: Challenges and Successes.

In the face of unspeakable tragedy, one can find hope. That is the beginning of the story and the journey at our children’s hospital, which highlights patient centeredness, safety, and quality. In 2012, a child was transferred from an urgent care center to our hospital, reportedly in stable condition, without first being assessed in our pediatric emergency department. By the time the child arrived on the pediatric ward, she was in extremis, was immediately transferred to the PICU, and quickly died of a treatable disease. Although it had been in use for years, the process for bringing children into our hospital was flawed. The outcome for this child may not have been different, but as a result of the event, we began to examine many of our long-held beliefs and processes. We recognized that significant changes needed to be made in our health system related to patient quality and safety. What we learned is that large-scale improvement in a children’s hospital within a large academic health center (AHC) requires patience, ingenuity, and the flexibility to shape the goals of the children’s hospital to fit within the existing quality structure. Shands Children’s Hospital is a 188-bed, quaternary care children’s hospital within a large AHC. We, like most children’s hospitals, are clinically very busy and have robust research and education missions. In addition to our pediatric providers, we have hundreds of medical students, physician assistant students, nursing students, residents, and fellows, who all, at various times, interact within our children’s hospital. This incredible number of providers, with varied educational backgrounds, was one challenge in developing our quality and safety agenda. Another was our identity as a “children’s hospital within a hospital.” Although we certainly had established leaders within the children’s hospital structure (a Medical Director of Inpatient Services, a Physician Director of …
Bromocriptine inhibition of anesthesia-induced hyperprolactinemia: effect on serum and follicular fluid hormones, oocyte fertilization, and embryo cleavage rates during in vitro fertilization.

Thirty-two patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) were given bromocriptine either 1 or 12hours before anesthesia or received no drug to determine what effect suppression of transient, anesthesia-induced hyperprolactinemia would have on peripheral and follicular fluid hormones, fertilization and cleavage rates, and pregnancy. Thirty minutes after anesthesia, there was a 120-ng/mL rise in serum prolactin (PRL) in control patients versus an insignificant change in women given bromocriptine. Levels of PRL in follicular fluid were significantly less, and estradiol (E 2 ) levels were higher ( P P 2 . Although these changes in hormonal milieu affected neither oocyte fertilization nor pregnancy rate in our IVF patients, they seemed to have a positive influence on embryonic development after IVF.