cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of myogenic differentiation by fibroblast growth factor or type β transforming growth factor does not require persistent c-myc expression

Skeletal muscle differentiation is accompanied by accumulation of the mRNA encoding the muscle isoenzyme of creatine kinase (MCK) and can be suppressed by serum components, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), or type beta transforming growth factor (TGF beta). Using the nonfusing myogenic cell line, BC3H1, the potential involvement of c-myc in growth factor-dependent inhibition of myogenesis was examined. Withdrawal of undifferentiated myoblasts from the cell cycle in medium with 0.5% serum was associated with a precipitous decline in expression of c-myc mRNA followed by induction of MCK mRNA. In 0.5% serum containing TGF beta, c-myc mRNA declined to a level identical to that in differentiated cells; however, MCK mRNA was not expressed. Exposure of quiescent differentiated cells to FGF or TGF beta caused disappearance of muscle-specific gene products and was accompanied by only transient low level induction of c-myc mRNA. These data indicate that persistent c-myc expression is not required for growth factor-mediated inhibition of myogenic differentiation.
The value of business archives with special reference to Barlow Rand's archives

In May 1980 the Association of Archivists and Manuscript Librarians organised a Seminar on Business Archives at the University of Cape Town. The key papers were delivered by this author, who spoke on "How to Organise Business Archives. The Practical Approach" and Professor Basil le Cordeur, who spoke on "The Importance of Business Records for the Historian".
Diphenylamine reduces chilling injury of green bell pepper fruit

Diphenylamine (DPA), an antioxidant widely used to control superficial scald in apples stored at low temperatures, reduced the chilling-induced pitting of green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit in a concentration-dependent manner up to 12 mM. Treatment was effective whether applied as a 2-min dip or injected into the seed cavity prior to storing peppers at 1° C for 6 or 8 days followed by storage at 20° C for an additional 2 days. Ethanol (5%), the solvent used to dissolve the diphenylamine, also reduced chilling injury of green bell peppers, but to a lesser extent than DPA. Changes in all of the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were observed within 24 h following the exposure of green bell peppers to low temperatures, whereas visible manifestation of chilling injury was not observed until after the peppers had been exposed to several days of low temperatures. Diphenylamine reduced the chilling-induced decline in maximal chlorophyll fluorescence and increased the time taken for maximal chlorophyll fluorescence to occur and the size of the electron acceptor pool. If chilling injury results from oxidative stress induced by low storage temperatures, it is unlikely that chloroplasts were the site of production of active oxygen species in these green bell peppers since they were stored in the dark. The rapidity of chlorophyll fluorescence responses to low temperatures makes chlorophyll fluorescence analysis useful to distinguish between chilling-sensitive and chilling-resistant plant tissues, but does not measure the extent of chilling injury.
Educating Seniors to Be Patient Safety Self-advocates in Primary Care

Most advice to patients regarding advocating for their safety relates to hospital care and is not grounded in the patient experience. We developed a patient-centered intervention to train elderly patients to be self-advocates for safer care in ambulatory settings. We pilot-tested a 2-part intervention that 1) educated the elderly regarding their role in identifying and preventing common errors in primary care and 2) provided them with skills to improve communication with health care providers. Participants completed a validated 21-question Seniors Empowerment and Advocacy in Patient Safety (SEAPS) survey before and 2 to 3 months after participation. Paired sample t tests were used to measure the impact of the intervention at 2 periods. In addition, field notes of participant comments regarding the intervention were analyzed qualitatively using immersion and crystallization. The mean total SEAPS score of the 61 participants (mean age, 74.5 years) improved from 44.6 to 48.3 (range, 0-63; P < 0.001). All demographic groups (sex, race, education, and frequency of doctors' visits) showed significant improvement except those with more than a high school education. All participants acknowledged learning new skills and ideas, as well as new ways of organizing their own health care information. Participants noted needed improvements in the intervention related to the roles that others are asked to play. Although intensive in effort, this pilot intervention demonstrated that elderly patients can improve their beliefs and self-reported safety behaviors in the ambulatory setting. Further work is needed to confirm the most useful aspects of the training and assess its impact on error reduction.
Kinetic analysis of the folding and unfolding of a mutant form of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor lacking the cysteine-14 and -38 thiols.

The kinetics of the disulfide-coupled unfolding-refolding transition of a mutant form of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) lacking Cys-14 and -38 were measured and compared to previous results for the wild-type protein and other modified forms. The altered cysteines, which were changed to serine in the mutant protein, are normally paired in a disulfide in the native protein but from disulfides with Cys-5 in two-disulfide kinetic intermediates during folding. Although the mutant protein could fold efficiently, the kinetics of both folding and unfolding were altered, reflecting the roles of these cysteines in the two-disulfide intermediates with "wrong" disulfides. The intramolecular rate constant for the formation of the second disulfide of the native mutant protein was more than 10(3)-fold lower than that for the formation of a second disulfide during the refolding of the wild-type protein. The observed rate of unfolding of the mutant protein was also lower than that of the wild-type protein, demonstrating that the altered cysteines are involved in the intramolecular rearrangements that are the rate-determining step in the unfolding of the wild-type protein. These results confirm the previous conclusion [Creighton, T.E. (1977) J. Mol. Biol. 113, 275-293] that the energetically preferred pathway for folding and unfolding of BPTI includes intramolecular rearrangements of intermediates in which Cys-14 and -38 are paired in disulfides not present in the native protein. The present results are also consistent with other, less detailed, studies with similar mutants lacking Cys-14 and -38 [Marks, C.B., Naderi, H., Kosen, P.A., Kuntz, I.D., & Anderson, S. (1987) Science (Washington, D.C.) 235, 1370-1371].
Characteristics of chronic self-administration of morphine by dogs

Each of five dogs that had been trained to chronically self-administer IV morphine was tested with changes in the morphine dose from the baseline dose (1 mg/kg/infusion) to 0.125, 0.5, or 2 mg/kg/infusion, and with passive administration of the usual daily morphine intake while either continuing the morphine self-administration at the baseline dose or changing the self-administered solution to saline. Each treatment lasted 5 weeks. Results indicated that there is a significant negative regression of response on dose, and chronic self-administration of morphine is not entirely accounted for by a need to avoid abstinence or to obtain a direct drug effect. A third element, which may be an acquired need to obtain a response-contingent drug effect, is necessary to account for the chronic self-administration of morphine by the dog.
Infant HIV-1 Vaccines: Supplementing Strategies to Reduce Maternal-Child Transmission

Despite the success of maternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), more than 200 000children continue to acquireHIV-1 annually. Infants account for roughly 10% of new HIV-1 infections globally despite making up less than 2%of the world’s population. Moreover, the decline in infant HIV-1 acquisition with implementation of wide-scale maternal-infant ART prophylaxis has not been as steep as predicted, and efforts will not meet the World Health Organization goal to eliminate mother-to-child transmission by 2015. This slow decline in infant HIV-1 infections is partly due to suboptimal coverage at each step of the ART “prevention cascade” (Figure). Yet even if the goal of 90% ART coverage can be achieved, it is estimated that 138 000 infants will still become infected withHIV-1 annually1 because of several situations in which maternal ART prophylaxis is ineffective, including maternal late presentation for care, nonadherence, and acute maternal infection during breastfeeding. In low- and middle-income countries, only half of pregnant women attend therecommended4prenatal visits. Late initiation of ART results in high rates of mother-to-child transmission, with one South African study reporting a tripling of transmission rates in pregnant women who received less than 4 weeks of ART prior to delivery compared with women who received 16 to 32 weeks of treatment.2 Furthermore, a high number of women disengage from care after childbirth (Figure), leaving infants vulnerable to HIV-1 infection. Also of great concern is the increasing incidence ofHIV-1 infection in young women; an estimated 620 000 women aged 15 to 49 years from areas of high HIV-1 prevalence acquired HIV-1 in 2013. Acute HIV-1 infection among mothers accounts for up to 34%of mother-to-child transmission3 and will not be curbed by maternal ART-based strategies. Because of these established gaps in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, there is a critical need to develop safe, feasible supplemental strategies to be used with the current ART-based strategies, such as a universal infant HIV-1 vaccine. Figure Maternal ART Coverage Goal and Currently Achieved ART Coverage in PMTCT High-Burden Countries
PHOTOSENSITIZING POTENTIAL OF OFLOXACIN

Background. The relative phototoxic risk of ofloxacin, one of the newer fluoroquinolones, was compared with that of an active control of known but low phototoxic risk, naproxen. Methods. A randomized, controlled, open-label trial was used with a standardized phototoxic assay completed at baseline, midway through, and at the termination of the 12-day trial. The trial was held at a dermatology research laboratory located at a large tertiary referral and teaching hospital. Thirty healthy volunteers who met the inclusion criteria and met none of the exclusion criteria were enrolled. Twenty-seven patients completed the trial. Three subjects failed to complete the trail. One subject developed an exaggerated response to the Initial photoexposure and was dropped from the study. The other two subjects failed to return for follow-up visits. Results. Both ofloxacin and the active control agent, naproxen, significantly increased the subjects’ response to the tested solar and ultraviolet irradiation. There was, however, no significant difference between the responses observed for ofloxacin versus naproxen at any time. Conclusions. Ofloxacin possesses a definite but low potential to cause phototoxic reactions in humans. These study data, in concert with surveillance data, suggest a hierarchy of phototoxic risk among the fluoroquinolones: fleroxacin ≫ lomefloxacin, pefloxacin ≫ ciprofloxacin > enoxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin. The impact that phototoxicity risk will have on selecting the optimum member of a large drug family appears to be substantial in outpatient and ambulatory settings and minimal in inpatient settings.
Terrestrial photovoltaic technologies update

A description of terrestrial photovoltaics (PV), what it is and what it accomplishes, and a very brief historical perspective of its development are presented. Today's leading technologies are identified and discussed. Current areas for improvement and suggestions for future R&D focus are presented. Information is provided on the latest developments in terms of efficiencies, cost, industry output and prospects. The most suited applications are also addressed.
A comparison of two types of theories of multiple-category concept identification

Two hundred and eight Ss were randomly assigned to four conditions in which they solved unidimensional concept problems with 2, 3, 4, or 5 categories. The number of errors to criterion was a negatively accelerated function of the number of categories. The results were counter to the prediction of hypothesis-sampling theories and were interpreted as support for hypothesis-construction theories.
Topology synthesis of electrothermal compliant mechanisms using line elements

This paper presents a line-element-based approach to the topology synthesis of electrothermal compliant (ETC) mechanisms. A line element is a one-dimensional model of the electrical, thermal, and elastic behavior of a beam-like continuum. In contrast to topology synthesis of ETC mechanisms by a continuum-element-based approach, the line-element-based approach offers significant conceptual and practical advantages. The line element allows for straightforward modeling of surface heat transfer in the topology optimization framework. It also obviates the need to interpolate electrical and thermophysical properties in the topology synthesis procedure. Moreover, this approach results in clean geometries that are easy to fabricate directly in their optimized form. Solutions obtained from this procedure are compared with results from continuum-based optimal synthesis procedures as well as intuitive designs reported in the literature. A number of design examples are used to demonstrate the ability of the procedure to generate nonintuitive topologies. The synthesis procedure is also used to study the influence of the direction of output and the electrical and thermal resistance of the workpiece on the resulting optimal topologies.
On the evolution of faceted grain-boundary grooves by surface diffusion

Abstract Thermal grooving at a grain-boundary is well-understood when the surface of the groove is entirely rough (finite surface stiffness) at its root. In this situation, the grain-boundary energy is uniquely related to the surface energy of the groove at its root via the dihedral angle that is obtained by enforcing equilibrium (balance of capillary forces) at the triple-junction. However, when a groove-root is faceted, the non-analyticity of the surface energy at the facet orientation leads to ambiguities in both the enforcement of equilibrium at the groove-root and the relation between the facet energy and the grain-boundary energy. In this work, we show that equilibrium at the groove-root requires careful consideration of the torque, which can adjust itself to maintain the fixed facet orientation for a range of grain-boundary energies thereby achieving a net balance of capillary forces. This is in stark contrast to the case of a rough root where the grain-boundary energy is in one-to-one correspondence with the observed dihedral angle. Using this insight, we show via a simple graphical method that the grain-boundary energy and surface energy function are entirely adequate to determine if a groove-root is faceted or rough thereby obviating the need for any ad hoc specification of the dihedral angle as a boundary condition. The evolution of thermal grooves is studied using a variational approach that can handle infinite surface stiffnesses and naturally allow for facet formation. The mobility of the triple-junction, which is know to lead to deviations from Mullins’ t1/4 scaling law, is also explicitly included in the model. A key observation is that low junction-mobilities can lead to the formation of kinetic groove-shapes – in particular, groove-roots that are anticipated to be rough from energetic considerations alone are seen instead to attain nearby facet orientations at low junction mobilities. Such kinetically limited facets at groove-roots can never be obtained if the equilibrium angle is prescribed as a boundary condition for the evolution equation as is often done. We also extend our analysis to the more realistic case of asymmetric grooves and present a graphical procedure that elucidates their structure.
Variation-tolerant design

As we introduce this years Hot Chips theme issue, the frequency slowdown trend that is upon us as a result of the CMOS technology outlook has to be the single major point that stands out. It is not just the per-chip power dissipation envelope that is forcing this trend, although that factor alone is perhaps the major deterrent to frequency escalation at prior (historical) rates.
Resolution of hyperlipidemia follows surgical weight loss in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: a 6-year analysis of data

Abstract Background Hyperlipidemia is a known risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease in morbidly obese individuals. The aim of our study was to review the trends in the serum lipid profiles of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at our institution. Methods A retrospective 6-year analysis of data of patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was performed. The indicators of resolution of hyperlipidemia were reviewed for 6 months and then annually for 6 consecutive years. Hyperlipidemia was defined according to the American Heart Association and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. The changes in the lipid profile of the patients with subnormal levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol risk ratio were also examined. Results A total of 94 patients were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, of whom 23 were receiving clinical treatment. The mean patient age was 39 ± 9 years, and the mean body mass index was 50 ± 9.6 kg/m 2 , with a female predominance. The mean baseline serum levels were as follows: total cholesterol 220 ± 42.2 mg/dL, triglycerides 212 ± 123.5 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 135 ± 34.2 mg/dL, and HDL cholesterol 51 ± 12 mg/dL. The optimization of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol profiles was seen in all patients within 6 months after surgery. The HDL cholesterol levels improved more slowly, reaching desirable levels within 12 months after surgery. All patients taking lipid-lowering agents no longer required the medication at the end of the study period. Conclusion Roux-en-Y gastric bypass provides an effective remission of hyperlipidemia in morbidly obese patients, with most patients no longer requiring lipid-lowering agents within 6 months after surgery. The improvement in overall lipid profiles continued during follow-up after surgery.
Comparison of the extraction of phenolic and nitroaromatic pollutants using supercritical and enhanced-fluidity liquid methanol-CO2 mixtures

Abstract The extraction of eleven phenols and nitroaromatics from an octadecyl polysiloxane stationary phase material is investigated using both supercritical fluid and enhanced-fluidity liquid conditions. Carbon dioxide and extraction fluid mixtures consisting of 10 and 20 mol% methanol in CO2 are tested at 25, 45 and 65°C. Characteristic properties of the matrix, analytes and extraction fluids are examined in order to explain trends and controlling factors in extraction yields. As expected, the higher solvent strength of the methanol-CO2 mixtures greatly reduces the volume and time required for efficient extraction compared to CO2 alone. The effect of temperature is markedly less important than composition for the mixtures and matrix studied and the state of the extraction fluid, either liquid or supercritical, is irrelevant for the majority of analytes. The enhanced-fluidity liquid technique appears to be a viable alternative to supercritical fluid extraction for the extraction of polar analytes from more complex matrices.
VII.—On a Glacial Mound in Glen Fruin, Dumbartonshire

Glen Fruin is a quiet secluded glen, about six miles in length, extending in a north-westerly direction between Lochlomond and the Gareloch, and opening off the neck of land which divides those lochs at between 200 and 300 feet above the sea. To the south-east, it slopes towards Lochlomond, of which the Fruin water is one of the principal affluents. On the west it is divided from the Gareloch by a range of hills 1000 or 1200 feet in height, which at its upper extremity subside into a col or pass of 600 or 700 feet. This upper part of the glen is composed of the mica and clay slates common to the Western Highlands. The lower part is formed of beds of the Calciferous Sandstone series, which have here been faulted down against the older formations.
Astrionics selection and operation on interplanetary missions

Evaluation technique for astrionics subsystems in automated spacecraft designed for interplanetary missions, considering operation times, navigation updating and midcourse correction
Migration as a Context-Dependent Dynamic in a World of Global Inequalities

Global migration is a topic of utmost importance in psychological research. As over 200 million people are on the move across national borders, and many more within their own countries, the processes of these migrations must be examined from different points of view and from different geographical locations. The articles in this special journal issue pointedly illustrate the role of international, national, community, and individual factors that shape these migrations. One cross-cutting theme is the importance of studying how multiple levels of context affect immigrant and migrant experiences. All six contributions, collectively, enrich the often individual-centric psychological literature. Issues of resilience and spaces of resistance emerged as a second cross-cutting theme, pointing to new directions for acculturation research and intervention. The challenge of recognizing diversity within migrant communities and among migration patterns is a third cross-cutting theme essential to address as we work toward a more equal world in which people can more freely chose whether to stay or leave their homes.
Transient atrioventricular block resulting from left ventricular angiography in infants with ventricular septal defect.

Abstract Conduction disturbances often occur with manipulation of catheters within the atria or ventricles during cardiac catheterization. 1,2 Catheter movement may induce transient right or left bundle branch block, or complete heart block in patients with or without preexistent bundle branch block. 3–6 To our knowledge, however, there have been no previous reports of complete heart block resulting from an intramyocardial stain in the region of the atrioventricular (AV) conduction system. This report describes 2 infants who developed transient complete heart block following injection of contrast medium in the left ventricle. In each, complete heart block resulted from the intra-myocardial injection of contrast medium in the region of the AV conduction system.
A three-parameter Weibull-like fitting function for flip-chip die strength data

Abstract Die cracking in the assembly and reliability testing of flip-chip (FC) packages is often a major concern. A widely used die strength test is the so-called the four-point bending (4PB) test. In the 4PB test, the die is under pure bending and the strength of the die is determined by its breaking tensile stress. Although the 4PB test has been widely used, a well-established relation between the 4PB result and the die breaking in FC package has not been reported. This paper discusses the relation from a probabilistic mechanics point of view. The theory considers the following issues in the material strength test and the application loading conditions: (1) the die top in the 4PB test is under uniaxial tensile stress and the die in FC package is under multi-axial stress; (2) the 4PB test only puts part of the die top under tension and the die top in FC plastic package has almost 100% of the die top area under tension; (3) the die stress in the 4PB and in the package has a different distributions which contribute differently to die cracking. Weibull distribution will be used to analysis the 4PB test data. A three-parameter Weibull distribution fitting procedure will be presented. The function form of the cumulative density function of Weibull distribution is specially modified to take the above three issues into consideration and reflect the stress distribution difference between the test and application. The three-parameter Weibull fitting is compared to a two-parameter fitting. It turns out that some systems need three-parameter fitting and some other systems only need the two-parameter fitting. For systems need three-parameter fitting, a two-parameter fitting will be too conservative in design.
Structural and functional studies of S-adenosyl-L-methionine binding proteins: a ligand-centric approach

The post-genomic era poses several challenges. The biggest is the identification of biochemical function for protein sequences and structures resulting from genomic initiatives. Most sequences lack a characterized function and are annotated as hypothetical or uncharacterized. While homology-based methods are useful, and work well for sequences with sequence identities above 50%, they fail for sequences in the twilight zone (<30%) of sequence identity. For cases where sequence methods fail, structural approaches are often used, based on the premise that structure preserves function for longer evolutionary time-frames than sequence alone. It is now clear that no single method can be used successfully for functional inference. Given the growing need for functional assignments, we describe here a systematic new approach, designated ligand-centric, which is primarily based on analysis of ligand-bound/unbound structures in the PDB. Results of applying our approach to S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) binding proteins are presented. Our analysis included 1,224 structures that belong to 172 unique families of the Protein Information Resource Superfamily system. Our ligand-centric approach was divided into four levels: residue, protein/domain, ligand, and family levels. The residue level included the identification of conserved binding site residues based on structure-guided sequence alignments of representative members of a family, and the identification of conserved structural motifs. The protein/domain level included structural classification of proteins, Pfam domains, domain architectures, and protein topologies. The ligand level included ligand conformations, ribose sugar puckering, and the identification of conserved ligand-atom interactions. The family level included phylogenetic analysis. We found that SAM bound to a total of 18 different fold types (I-XVIII). We identified 4 new fold types and 11 additional topological arrangements of strands within the well-studied Rossmann fold Methyltransferases (MTases). This extends the existing structural classification of SAM binding proteins. A striking correlation between fold type and the conformation of the bound SAM (classified as types) was found across the 18 fold types. Several site-specific rules were created for the assignment of functional residues to families and proteins that do not have a bound SAM or a solved structure.
A Study of Indexer Consistency.

The study attempts to compare the indexing terms assigned by two different indexers to the same documents, as well as those assigned by the same indexer to the same documents at different points in time. The indexing system under study is a coordinate system using a subject heading list to index monographs on a chapter by chapter basis. A controlled list of subheadings is used in conjunction with the main list. In studying self-consistency, chapters of certain monographs were selected for re-indexing by the same indexer four to six months after the entire book originally was handled. Inter-indexer consistency is determined by re-indexing chapters of a book completed by another indexer with similar subject background and indexing experience. Degree of consistency is determined by totalling the number of identical terms assigned to a document at each indexing, as compared to the total number of terms assigned to that document.
Reassessing the Problem Response to Jerolmack and Khan

This article offers reflections on Jerolmack and Khan’s article “Talk is Cheap: Ethnography and the Attitudinal Fallacy.” Specifically, I offer three suggestions aimed at moderating the authors’ cr...
Identification and Characterization of Resistance to Phytophthora infestans in Leaves, Stems, Flowers, and Tubers of Potato Clones in the Pacific Northwest

ABSTRACT Resistance to Phytophthora infestans in leaves, stems, flowers, and tubers of eight cultivars grown commercially in the Columbia Basin and 29 advanced clones from the Tri-State Potato Variety Development Program was quantified. Foliage of all eight cultivars was susceptible in field and greenhouse tests. Six advanced clones had high levels of resistance in stems and leaves in the field at Mount Vernon, WA, but only two of these six clones had high levels of resistance in leaves and stems in greenhouse tests. Flowers of most plants with high to moderate levels of foliar resistance were susceptible to infection in both the field and greenhouse. Tubers of Umatilla Russet, Russet Legend, Gem Russet, and nine advanced clones, including A90586-11, had high levels of resistance in most laboratory tests. Level of foliar resistance against US-8 and US-11 clonal lineages of P. infestans was variable among clones, but tuber resistance by pathogen clonal lineage varied little among clones. Clones with high r...
Low-complexity Scheduling Algorithms for Multi-channel Downlink Wireless Networks

This paper considers the problem of designing scheduling algorithms for multi-channel (e.g., OFDM) wireless downlink networks with n users/OFDM sub-channels. For this system, while the classical MaxWeight algorithm is known to be throughput-optimal, its buffer-overflow performance is very poor (formally, we show it has zero rate function in our setting). To address this, we propose a class of algorithms called iHLQF (iterated Heaviest matching with Longest Queues First) that is shown to be throughput optimal for a general class of arrival/channel processes, and also rate-function optimal (i.e., exponentially small buffer overflow probability) for certain arrival/channel processes. iHLQF however has higher complexity than MaxWeight (n^4 vs. n^2 respectively). To overcome this issue, we propose a new algorithm called SSG (Server-Side Greedy). We show that SSG is throughput optimal, results in a much better per-user buffer overflow performance than the MaxWeight algorithm (positive rate function for certain arrival/channel processes), and has a computational complexity ($n^2$) that is comparable to the MaxWeight algorithm. Thus, it provides a nice trade-off between buffer-overflow performance and computational complexity. These results are validated by both analysis and simulations.
Smart Trend-Traversal: A Low Delay and Energy Tag Arbitration Protocol for Large RFID Systems

We propose a Smart Trend-Traversal (STT) protocol for RFID tag arbitration, which effectively reduces the collision overhead occurred in the arbitration process. STT, a Query Tree-based scheme, dynamically issues queries according to the online learned tag density and distribution; and therefore, it significantly reduces delay and energy consumption comparing with the existing Tree-based and Aloha-based protocols. Our analytic studies further show that the optimality of STT does not rely on any presumed network conditions, which is in sharp contrast to other available schemes and renders it a highly desirable and practical solution. I. INTRODUCTION The promising potentials of RFID technology such as inventory management and real-time monitoring have brought tremendous attentions to large-scale RFID systems. As a re- sult, tag arbitration is facing unprecedent challenges to achieve optimal or close-to-optimal efficiency, which otherwise may lead to significant delay and energy consumption and hinder RFID's wide application in large industrial systems. However, fast arbitration of massive tags is nontrivial to achieve in RFID systems, especially due to the limited compu- tation and communication capability of tags. The existing tag arbitration protocols can be grouped into two categories: the Aloha-based and the Tree-based. Both approaches, although taking completely different strategies to address the problem, are facing the common dilemma: performance degradation in large-scale RFID systems due to the excessive collisions in- curred. Not only does the collision increase the process delay, it also consumes extra energy, which is critical for the battery powered readers and active RFID tags. Several algorithms are proposed recently aiming to reduce the tag collision, but an optimal and practical solution for tag arbitration is hardly found in the literature. To provide the background to tag arbitration protocols, we briefly discuss the two categories of tag arbitration schemes. The Aloha algorithm is a probabilistic approach where the tags respond to the reader's query at random time (1)-(3). The frame slotted Aloha is further proposed by restricting tag responses within a frame (4)-(6). A proper frame size is essential to the frame slotted Aloha algorithm. To choose the frame size, the number of tags present must be known or estimated in prior. In general, the Aloha-based schemes are This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation under
A knowledge based program editor

This paper describes an initial implementation of an interactive programming assistant system called the Programmer's Apprentice (PA). The PA is designed to be midway between an improved programming methodology and an automatic programming system. The intention is that the programmer will do the hard parts of design and implementation while the PA will assist him wherever possible. One of The major underpinnings of the PA is a representation (called a plan) for programs which abstracts away from the inessential features of a program, and represents the basic logical properties of the algorithm explicitly. The current system is composed of four parts: an analyzer that can construct the plan for a program; a coder that can create program text corresponding to a plan, a library of plans for common algorithmic fragments; and a plan editor which makes it possible for a programmer to modify a program by modifying its plan. The greatest leverage provided by the system comes from the fact that a programmer can rapidly and accurately build up a program by referring to the fragments in the library and from the fact that the editor provides commands specifically designed to facilitate program modification.
Room-temperature synthesis of Pd/C cathode catalysts with superior performance for direct methanol fuel cells

Palladium nanoparticles supported on carbon black (Pd/C) have been successfully synthesized in a dispersion of sodium hydroxide, ethylene glycol, and carbon black (NaOH/EG/C) at room temperature without any protection with an inert gas atmosphere. Carbon black and EG dehydrated by NaOH (0.02 M) synergistically reduce Na2PdCl4 to metallic Pd at room temperature with a conversion efficiency of >99%. The capability of carbon black to provide the reducing function in the synthesis was verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic data. When the NaOH concentration is 0.05 M, the reduction reaction rate is slow owing to strong complexation between Pd2+ and OH− and the oxidative etching of the formed Pd nanoparticles by air and OH−. The synthesized Pd/C samples with Pd loadings of 20 and 40 wt% have Pd particle sizes of, respectively, 3.35 ± 0.73 nm and 3.86 ± 0.74 nm, uniformly loaded onto the carbon black support. Compared to commercial Pt/C (40 wt%) catalysts, the Pd/C (40 wt%) catalyst synthesized here shows superior methanol tolerance and performance as a cathode catalyst in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).
A regional real-time forecast of marine boundary layers during VOCALS-REx

Abstract. This paper presents an evaluation and validation of the Naval Research Laboratory's COAMPS® real-time forecasts during the VOCALS-REx over the area off the west coast of Chile/Peru in the Southeast Pacific during October and November 2008. The analyses focus on the marine boundary layer (MBL) structure. These forecasts are compared with lower troposphere soundings, in situ surface measurements, and satellite observations. The predicted mean MBL cloud and surface wind spatial distributions are in good agreement with the satellite observations. The large-scale longitudinal variation of the MBL structure along 20° S is captured by the forecasts. That is, the MBL height increases westward toward the open ocean, the moisture just above the inversion decreases, and the MBL structure becomes more decoupled offshore. The observed strong wind shear across the cloud-top inversion near 20° S was correctly predicted by the model. The model's cloud spatial and temporal distribution in the 15 km grid mesh is sporadic compared to satellite observations. Our results suggest that this is caused by grid-scale convection likely due to a lack of a shallow cumulus convection parameterization in the model. Both observations and model forecasts show wind speed maxima near the top of MBL along 20° S, which is consistent with the westward upslope of the MBL heights based on the thermal wind relationship. The forecasts produced well-defined diurnal variations in the spatially-averaged MBL structure, although the overall signal is weaker than those derived from the in situ measurements and satellite data. The MBL heights are generally underpredicted in the nearshore area. An analysis of the sensitivity of the MBL height to horizontal and vertical grid resolution suggests that the underprediction is likely associated with overprediction of the mesoscale downward motion and cold advection near the coast.
Contact time distributions in a large fluidized bed

Adsorbable tracer experiments were carried out on a large, 0.6 m diameter fluidized bed by Krambeck et al. (1987). They analyzed their data in terms of the axial dispersion model. We analyze the same data using the methodology of Nauman and Collinge (1968). In this way, a model-free estimate of the contact time distribution is obtained
Low-power VLSI techniques for applications in embedded computing

Power dissipation is an important factor in the design of CMOS VLSI circuits for battery and externally powered applications in embedded computing. This paper presents an overview of a set of techniques that are suitable for CMOS technology and are readily usable by the VLSI system and circuit designer Supply-voltage-scaled CMOS is presented as a low-power approach for digital logic which offers a wide range of design points for trading off energy (and power) for circuit speed. Circuit and architecture techniques are presented which were originally developed for high performance, to sustain performance levels when the supply voltage is reduced. Finally, reduced-swing signalling, clock-powered logic, and stepwise charging are presented as techniques that can outperform supply-voltage-scaled CMOS for important design problems such as energy-efficient signalling.
The use of intelligent hypertutoring systems technology for engineering education

Summary form only given. At the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University, new learning environments based on a combination of artificial intelligence-based instructional methods, qualitative simulation, and intelligent hypertext are being used to augment and enhance undergraduate engineering education. This combination of methodologies is termed intelligent hypertutoring. The goal of the work is to provide virtual laboratory experiences for undergraduate engineering students which will not only provide individualized instruction, but also significantly reduce the cost of laboratory instruction. The system is expected to offer a full-featured authoring system based on the hypermedia technology. Instruction is founded on a well-known theory of instruction by Gagne. The user interface will be a graphical direct manipulation interface. The general architecture for the intelligent hypertutoring system is shown. >
Complete Versus Culprit-Only Revascularization for ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Disease A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Trials

Background— The 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association guidelines for patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction gives a class III indication for nonculprit artery percutaneous coronary intervention at the time of primary percutaneous coronary intervention, driven by data from observational studies. However, more recent trials suggest otherwise. Methods and Results— We conducted PUBMED, EMBASE, and CENTRAL searches for randomized trials comparing complete versus culprit-only revascularization in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Efficacy outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events, as well as death, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization. Safety outcomes were contrast-induced nephropathy, contrast volume used, and procedure time. Five trials with 1165 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Complete revascularization (68% during index percutaneous coronary intervention) was associated with significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (rate ratio =0.48; 95% confidence interval =0.37–0.61), death (rate ratio =0.60; 95% confidence interval =0.38–0.97), cardiovascular death (rate ratio =0.38, 95% confidence interval =0.20–0.73), and repeat revascularization (rate ratio =0.42; 95% confidence interval =0.31–0.57) when compared with culprit-only revascularization. However, trial sequential analyses (similar to interim analysis of a randomized trial) powered for a 25% relative reduction showed firm evidence (cumulative z-curve crossed the monitoring boundary) only for major adverse cardiovascular events driven by a decrease in repeat revascularization with no firm evidence for reduction in death and myocardial infarction. Moreover, there was a significant increase in contrast volume use (mean difference 85.12 [70.41–83.00] ml) and procedure time (mean difference 16.42 [13.22–19.63] mins) with complete revascularization without increase in contrast-induced nephropathy. Conclusions— In patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, immediate or staged complete revascularization results in significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events driven largely by reduction in repeat revascularization with no firm evidence for the reduction in death or myocardial infarction when compared with culprit-only revascularization.
Dental and occlusal characteristics of children with neuromuscular disease

Seventy-nine pediatric patients with neuromuscular diseases were examined for dental and occlusal characteristics. Fifty-six patients suffered from primary muscle disease (myopathies) including 43 with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. The neuromuscular disorders in 19 patients were of neuropathic origin, while four were caused by a fault in the neuromuscular junction. Posterior crossbites occurred more often in the myopathies (57%) as compared with the neurogenic dystrophies (14%) (P < 0.003). Although not statistically significant, the prevalence of open bite was also higher in the combined myopathies (21%) as compared with neurogenic disorders (9%). The Duchenne patients exhibited a statistically significant delay in dental emergence (1.06 years), unlike the other myopathies (0.31 years) and the neurogenic disorders groups (−0.03 years). This study emphasizes the influence of muscular environment on dental development in general. The dentition may be more affected in muscular dystrophies stemming from degenerative or inflammatory muscle damage than in those originating from nerve malfunction or disorder of the neuromuscular junction.
Errata for “Simulation of Crack Propagation in Asphalt Concrete Using an Intrinsic Cohesive Zone Model” by S. H. Song, G. H. Paulino, and W. G. Buttlar

On page 1217, in the Fig. 2, “ A” should be replaced by tA. On page 1218, on the second and third lines of the third paragraph under the section on Verification of CZM, the words “abscissa” and “ordinate” should be interchaged. On page 1218, on the fourth line of the third paragraph under the section on Verification of CZM, “ / c” should be replaced by / c. On page 1222, in the 11th reference of the second column, “1980” should be replaced by 1981. On page 1223, the fifth reference of the second column should be replaced with the following reference: Siegmund, T., and Needleman, A. 1997 . “A numerical study of dynamic crack growth in elastic-viscoplastic solids.” Int. J. of Solids Struct., 34, 769–787.” The authors regret any confusion that may have been caused by these errors.
Lactose uptake driven by galactose efflux in Streptococcus thermophilus : evidence for a galactose-lactose antiporter

Galactose-nonfermenting (Gal) Streptococcus thermophilus TS2 releases galactose into the extracellular medium when grown in medium containing excess lactose. Starved and de-energized Gal cells, however, could be loaded with galactose to levels approximately equal to the extracellular concentration (0 to 50 mM). When loaded cells were separated from the medium and resuspended in fresh broth containing 5 mM lactose, galactose efflux occurred. De-energized, galactose-loaded cells, resuspended in buffer or medium, accumulated [C]lactose at a greater rate and to significantly higher intracellular concentrations than unloaded cells. Uptake of lactose by loaded cells was inhibited more than that by unloaded cells in the presence of extracellular galactose, indicating that a galactose gradient was involved in the exchange system. When de-energized, galactose-loaded cells were resuspended in carbohydrate-free medium at pH 6.7, a proton motive force (Deltap) of 86 to 90 mV was formed, whereas de-energized, nonloaded cells maintained a Deltap of about 56 mV. However, uptake of lactose by loaded cells occurred when the proton motive force was abolished by the addition of an uncoupler or in the presence of a proton-translocating ATPase inhibitor. These results support the hypothesis that galactose efflux in GalS. thermophilus is electrogenic and that the exchange reaction (lactose uptake and galactose efflux) probably occurs via an antiporter system.
The Cults of Psychotherapy

The purpose of this chapter is to demystify three “magical” cults and five corresponding dogmas in clinical psychology and psychotherapy that are now accepted on faith and determine most of current 1on1, f2f, tb practices. Apparently, both uncritically and normatively accepted cults are believed and considered as the main, if not the sole, ways to improve maladjustment or even deal with psychopathology. The influence of these cults is by now so pervasively ingrained in our clinical evaluative, preventive, and therapeutic practices that to propose otherwise is akin to being viewed as traitor and risking alienation from the mainstream establishment of clinical psychology and psychotherapy communities (Barlow, 2011; Castonguay, Boswell, Costantino, Goldfried, & Hill, 2010; Dimidjian & Hollon, 2010). The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments (McHugh & Barlow, 2010) has contributed substantially to the legitimacy of these cults.
Directed information measures for assessing perceived audio quality using EEG

We exploit directed information to examine the causal relationship between EEG data in response to audio stimulus. Specifically, we conduct experiments wherein the EEG activity of subjects is recorded as they listen to audio with time- varying audio quality between two different levels. Different types of directed information measures are then used to quantify the information flow between EEG sensors, which are grouped into different regions of interest over the cortex. Further, we determine the analytical relationship between these different directional measures and compare how well they are able to distinguish between the perceived audio quality.