cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimation of clustered parameters

Abstract We consider probability models for the estimation of normal means that allow for equality among arbitrary subsets of the means. These models, which are called product partition models, assign probabilities to random partitions of sets of objects. Here, the objects correspond to the means. We look at two interesting cases – the first is when all the means are equal and the second is when there are several sets of equal means that are far apart. We show that the posterior distribution of the number of sets in the partition is asymptotically Poisson-like. This will help us calibrate the choice of one of our prior parameters. Finally, we look at simulations to see how well the above results hold for moderate sample sizes.
A thermodynamic study of liquid iron + nickel alloys using electromagnetic levitation

The activities of both components in molten iron + nickel alloys have been measured in the temperature range 2178 to 2558 K using a technique involving levitation melting in an inert atmosphere. The activities are in essential agreement with those of previous investigations except that positive departures from ideality for iron are observed in alloys of high iron content. A re-analysis of the previous data confirms this observation, i.e. the activity coefficients of iron have values greater than unity in the mole fraction range from x(Fe) = 1.00 to x(Fe) = 0.72. Thermodynamic functions have been derived from the results and the enthalpies of mixing are found to be in good agreement with recent calorimetric values for molten alloys.
Thinking Harder about Outcomes for Collaborative Governance Arrangements

In recent years, a growing number of scholars have urged greater intellectual effort regarding the outcomes, or impacts, being produced, or not produced by collaborative governance arrangements. Some progress has been made with “process” and “social” outcomes, outcomes affecting systemic collaborative capacity, the identification of second- and third-order consequences, and in refining approaches to incorporating and measuring real world environmental improvements. But what about other creative, important, and potentially useful governance outcomes that may well be unique to collaborative governance arrangements? Are we measuring all of the important things? We put this hypothesis to the test by examining four successful cases of collaborative governance in four Western states. The research, by discovering and developing three new types of governance outcomes—enhancing agency resources, developing and transferring technology, and going beyond compliance—suggests that our current frameworks for thinking ab...
Algae, bacteria and detritus as food for the harpacticoid copepod, Heteropsyllus pseudonunni Coull and Palmer

Abstract The harpacticoid copepod, Heteropsyllus pseudonunni Coull and Palmer, when fed Juncus roemerianus Scheele (needlerush) detritus produced significantly more eggs than when fed the alga Dunaliella sp. Five food rations and a starved control were used: A, algal concentration ≈ 10 4 cells · ml −1 ; LA, algal concentration 10 3 cells · ml −1 ; D, detritus concentration 0.25 g · ml −1 ; LD, detritus concentration 0.025 g · ml −1 ; LDLA, a mixture of the LD and LA rations. Geometric mean total egg production values were: LDLA 132.5; LD 132.6; D 120.5; A 65.8; LA 5.0. The LA results were significantly less ( P = 0.05; Student-Newman-Keuls' test) than all others, while the A results were significantly less than the LDLA, LD and D results. The LDLA, LD and D results were not statistically different. Similar trends were obtained when mean brood sizes and mean number of broods were compared. In a second feeding experiment, using Juncus detritus, bacteria on sand grains, and algae ( Nitzschia sp.) on sand grains, Heteropsyllus pseudonunni produced significantly more eggs ( P = 0.05; SNK test) when fed detritus (166.0) or bacteria (132.2) than algae (58.9). The detritus and bacteria results were not significantly different.
Synthesis of mutual exclusion solutions based on binary semaphores

A graphical form of the mutual exclusion problem is considered in which each vertex represents a process and each edge represents a mutual exclusion constraint between the critical sections of the processes associated with its endpoints. An edge semaphore solution for mutual exclusion problems is defined, and those graphs which are edge solvable are characterized in terms of both a forbidden subgraph and a graph grammar. Finally, an efficient algorithm is given which generates the entry and exit sections for all processes in an edge-solvable problem. >
Discrimination among sign and label warning signal words

Signal words are commonly used in warnings to quickly communicate potential hazards. Current standards and guidelines define the terms DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, and NOTICE as denoting decreasing hazard levels, respectively. This study examined whether definitions assigned to these words coincide with people's understanding of them. Seventy-two participants attempted to match published definitions to the terms. Additionally, they rated the terms on various dimensions (e.g., hazardousness, understandability). The results showed that people differentiate DANGER and NOTICE but less clearly discriminate between WARNING and CAUTION. The term DEADLY, a proposed higher level signal word, was perceived as connoting the greatest hazard. Implications for warning design are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
αVβ3 Integrin Regulation of Respiratory Burst in Fibrinogen Adherent Human Neutrophils

In response to inflammatory stimuli, microvascular endothelial cells become activated, initiating the capture and exit of neutrophils from the blood vessel and into the extravascular extracellular matrix (ECM). In the extravascular space, neutrophils bind to ECM proteins, regulating cellular functions via signaling through adhesion molecules known as integrins. The αVβ3 integrin is an important mediator of neutrophil adhesion to ECM proteins containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide sequence, including fibrinogen and fibronectin. Despite the abundance of RGD sequence in the ECM, adhesion molecule-mediated neutrophil activity has been focused on the β2 (Mac-1, CD11b/CD18) and β1 integrin response to matrix proteins. Here we investigated αVβ3 integrin-mediated reactive oxidant suppression as a consequence of human neutrophil adhesion to RGD containing proteins. Using integrin ligand-modified (poly)ethylene glycol hydrogels and reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensitive fluorescent probes (dihydrotetramethylrhosamine, H2TMRos), we evaluated integrin–peptide interactions that effectively regulate ROS generation. This study demonstrates that neutrophil adhesion suppresses ROS production in an αVβ3-dependent manner. Additionally, we determine that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in the respiratory burst signaling pathway is interrupted by integrin-mediated adhesion. These data indicate that ECM/integrin interactions can induce αVβ3-mediated adhesion dependent downstream signaling of ROS regulation via a Mac-1 independent mechanism.
A partial trisomy of chromosome 1 in a family with a t(1q−;4q+) translocation

A female infant with approximately one-third of the terminal portion of the 1q chromosome arm attached to the end of a 4q arm (46,XX,4q+) is described. The proposita's mother, maternal grandfather and uncle are balanced translocation carriers 46,XX or XY,t(1q-;4qf). The clinical findings were: elfin-like facies, low set ears with large pinnae, and numerous cardiac anomalies. The proposita expired at eleven weeks of age.
Multimodal assessment of spatial distribution of drug-tracer uptake by brain tissue after intra-arterial injections

It is challenging to track the rapid changes in drug concentrations after intra-arterial (IA) administration to elucidate the pharmacokinetics of this method of drug delivery. Traditional pharmacokinetic parameters (such as protein binding) that are highly relevant to intravenous (IV) administration do not seem to apply to IA injections. Regional drug delivery is affected by the biomechanics of drug injection, resting blood flow, and local tissue extraction. In-vivo and ex-vivo, optical methods for spatial mapping of drug deposition can assist in visualizing drug distributions and aid in the screening of potential drugs and carrier candidates. We present a multimodal approach for the assessment of drug distribution in postmortem tissue specimens using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, multispectral imaging, and confocal microscopy and demonstrate feasibility of distinguishing route of administration advantages of liposome-dye conjugate delivery. The results of this study suggest that insight on drug dynamics gained by this aggregated approach can be used to help screen and/or optimize potential drug candidates and drug delivery protocols.
Stable activation of single Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ channels in divalent cation-free solutions.

The regulation of store-operated, calcium-selective channels in the plasma membrane of rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3 m1), an immortalized mucosal mast cell line, was studied at the single-channel level with the patch clamp technique by removing divalent cations from both sides of the membrane. The activity of the single channels in excised patches could be modulated by Ca2+, Mg2+, and pH. The maximal activation of these channels by divalent cation-free conditions occurred independently of depletion of intracellular Ca2+stores, whether in excised patches or in whole cell mode. Yet, a number of points of evidence establish these single-channel openings as amplified store-operated channel events. Specifically, (i) the single channels are exquisitely sensitive to inhibition by intracellular Ca2+, and (ii) both the store-operated current and the single-channel openings are completely blocked by the capacitative calcium entry blocker, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borane. In addition, in Jurkat T cells single-channel openings with lower open probability have been observed in the whole cell mode with intracellular Mg2+ present (Kerschbaum, H. H., and Cahalan, M. D. (1999) Science 283, 836–839), and in RBL-2H3 m1 cells a current with similar properties is activated by store depletion.
Biomass storage: an update on industrial solutions for baled biomass feedstocks

Storage of raw biomass feedstocks is a critical component in a viable biofuels supply chain. This article focuses on the current knowledge and existing challenges to establishing a sufficient biomass storage infrastructure to meet the long-term needs of the biofuels industry. Effects of storage on feedstock stability and biomass quality, with regards to dry-matter loss and self-heating characteristics of stored biomass, have been thoroughly discussed. Features, suitability and costs of different commercial-scale biomass storage infrastructures for open, tarped, permanent structure and anaerobic storage systems are discussed in detail. Additionally, discussions include supply-chain characteristics, including feedstock handling, bale density and quality, and identification and traceability of feedstock, which impact storage and transportation interaction.
Infrared application to the detection of induced surface currents

It has been qualitatively demonstrated that the surface currents induced by incident electromagnetic radiation produce I2R heating detectable through thermographic techniques. This paper presents the progress to date toward obtaining quantitative comparisons of known surface current amplitude distributions with those obtained through infrared thermographic analysis. Data for correcting for the directional dependence of IR emission from various surfaces is given, a method of digital analysis of the thermographic data is discussed, and an actual thermographic determination of the surface currents on a square flat plate is presented. These experimental results represent a necessary step in the effort of infrared detection and measurement of the current amplitude distributions on complex shapes.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS, DARK RESPIRATION AND DESICCATION RESISTANCE OF THE INTERTIDAL SEAWEEDS HESPEROPHYCUS HARVEYANUS AND PELVETIA FASTIGIATA F. GRACILIS12

Rates of net photosynthesis and dark respiration were determined under submersed and emerged conditions for Hesperophycus harveyanus S. & G. and Pelvetia fastigiata f. gracilis (Decne.) S. & G. Both species exhibited submersed photosynthesis-light relationships and dark respiration rates similar to those established for other closely related intertidal, fucoids. Maximal net photosynthesis of H. harveyanus (0.21 mmol O2 g dry wt.-1· h-1; 0.18 mmol CO2 g dry wt.-1· h-1) was similar to that of P. fastigiata f. gracilis (0.17 mmol. O2 g dry wt.-1· h-1; 0.14 mmol CO2 g dry wt. -1· h-1). Light saturation occurred between 150 and 250 μE · m-2· s-1 for H. harveyanus and between 75 and 150 μE · m-2· s-1 for P. fastigiata f. gracilis; photon flux densities required for compensation were 6.4 and 9.2 μE · m-2· s-1, respectively. Photoinhibition was not observed for either species. The light-saturated, submersed net photosynthetic performances of both species varied significantly with temperature. Greatest photosynthetic rates were obtained at 23° C for H. harveyanus and at 18° C for P. fastigiata f. gracilis. Under emersed conditions, the maximal net photosynthetic rate and the photon flux densities required for saturation were greater for H. harveyanus (0.08 mmol CO2 g dry wt.-1· h-1; 260 to 700 μE · m-2· s-1) than for P. fastigiata f. gracilis (0.02 mmol CO2g dry wt.-1· h-1; 72 to 125 μE · m-2· s-1). However, for both species, emersed photosynthetic rates were much lower (14–44%) than those obtained under submersed conditions. Desiccation negatively influenced emersed photosynthesis, of both species, but H. harveyanus thalli contained more water when fully hydrated and lost water more slowly during dehydration, thus suggesting greater photosynthetic potential during field conditions of emersion.
COTTONSEED PROTEIN MODIFICATION IN AN ULTRAFILTRATION CELL

Cottonseed storage protein was modified by proteolytic enzymes contained within a semipermeable membrane reactor. An ultrafiltration cell was used as the enzyme reactor vessel. The protein was hydrolyzed by the enzyme and the resulting lower molecular weight peptides (modified protein or hydrolysate) were removed from the reactor through the membrane. Only about 2% of the original protein was removed through the membrane when no enzyme was present. When pepsin and molsin were added to the cell, protein hydrolysis occurred very rapidly. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to monitor hydrolysis. The hydrolysate contained many peptides below 4,000 daltons. Addition of pepsin was shown to precipitate about 4% of the SP and the precipitated protein rapidly clogged the membrane and reduced membrane flux rate. The precipitated protein was insoluble except in strongly alkaline solutions but its formation was shown to be influenced by pH. Use of hollow fibers as the enzyme reactor increased membrane surface area and improved hydrolysate removal from the reactor. Centrifugation of the precipitate was unnecessary with hollow fibers because of the high velocity of retentate through the fibers.
Estimates of Geostrophic Surface Currents in the South Atlantic Bight

The determination of long-term trends in the behavior of the Gulf Stream is critical to understanding the meridional heat transfer cycle and associated global climate change. In this study, in situ current measurements from cross-stream transects of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) were used in conjunction with satellite altimetry data to obtain accurate estimates of Gulf Stream surface geostrophic current within the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) between 1992 and 2004. Analysis of time series data reveals that the magnitude of the geostrophic flow varies seasonally and that the seasonally averaged velocity was greatest following the intense 1997–1998 El Nino. Because of the relatively small fluctuations in the Gulf Stream's path, our analysis provides a method for accurate, long-term measurements of Gulf Stream currents for this region of the SAB.
Abnormal somatosensory homunculus in dystonia of the hand

Abnormalities of the sensory system have been proposed as causative factors for dystonia. By mapping the human cortical hand somatosensory area of 6 patients with focal dystonia of the hand, we found an abnormality of the normal homuncular organization of the finger representations in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Although a remote antecedent event or even a developmental anomaly cannot entirely be ruled out, our findings may support the concept that abnormal plasticity is involved in the development of dystonia.
Effects of fluctuating temperature on duration on egg development of Chydorus sphaericus (Cladocera, Crustacea)

Abstract 1. 1.|Duration of egg development of Chydorus sphaericus differed significantly under four temperature cycles, all of which averaged 20°C. 2. 2.|Duration of development was also significantly different among groups of C. sphaericus collected 9–12 days apart. 3. 3.|The Kaufmann effect adequately explains the observed differences in duration of egg development under the four different temperature cycles. 4. 4.|To predict duration of development in fluctuating temperatures, it is evidently more accurate to use the weighted average rate of development rather than the rate of development at the weighted averaged temperature.
Surface modification on bone: Trampling versus butchery

Abstract Previous researchers have reported difficulties in distinguishing between surface marks on bone formed by sedimentary abrasion and those inflicted while butchering. Trampling by large ungulates and humans has been credited with producing pseudocut marks: natural alterations to the bone that mimic cultural ones. The purposes of this research are: (1) to re-examine trampling as a taphonomic process, and (2) to suggest criteria useful for distinguishing sedimentary abrasion, including trampling, from butchery. Macroscopic and microscopic comparison of experimentally trampled bones and those which have had soft tissue removed with a flint tool demonstrate significant differences between the surface modifications produced by the two processes.
A Note on Feldstein's Criticism of Mean-Variance Analysis: A Reply

Joram Mayshar's [3] note is a valuable contribution to the theory of mean-variance portfolio analysis. His two points are correctly and carefully stated. It is important, however, that these results should not be overinterpreted. Mayshar shows first that when the outcome of a portfolio mix can be represented in >u space, these preferences will be quasi-concave for a risk-averse investor. The lognormal distribution that I used [2] as a counter-example to Tobin's [4] conclusion is not quasi-concave but is excluded by Mayshar because such a distribution is not the result of a portfolio mix. Although Mayshar is correct to emphasize the importance of results that are restricted to the distributions generated by portfolio mix problems, this class of distributions is quite limited. Readers may recall that Tobin's original article stated preferences and subjective probabilities in terms of rates of return and therefore, like my comment on it, was not " set as a problem of portfolio choice " in Mayshar's sense. Mayshar's second point is that a I a representation of preferences always exists when one asset is safe and the other has a " given " distribution. There can obviously be no quarrel about this conclusion when the form of the " given " distribution is known. But more generally it remains true that if theform of the two-parameter distribution of the risky asset is unknown, a knowledge of these two parameters is not sufficient to rank the portfolio combinations that result from combining this risky asset with a safe asset. Developments in portfolio theory during the past decade have gone beyond the meanvariance framework to study the portfolio behaviour of risk-averse investors facing general probability distributions (e.g. Arrow [1]). The results of these investigations confirm that I-au analyses may be heuristically useful but should always be regarded as only illustrative of a possible special case.
A genome-wide screen of gene-gene interactions for rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility.

The objective of the study was to identify interacting genes contributing to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility and identify SNPs that discriminate between RA patients who were anti-cyclic citrullinated protein positive and healthy controls. We analyzed two independent cohorts from the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium. A cohort of 908 RA cases and 1,260 controls was used to discover pairwise interactions among SNPs and to identify a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict RA status, and a second cohort of 952 cases and 1,760 controls was used to validate the findings. After adjusting for HLA-shared epitope alleles, we identified and replicated seven SNP pairs within the HLA class II locus with significant interaction effects. We failed to replicate significant pairwise interactions among non-HLA SNPs. The machine learning approach “random forest” applied to a set of SNPs selected from single-SNP and pairwise interaction tests identified 93 SNPs that distinguish RA cases from controls with 70% accuracy. HLA SNPs provide the most classification information, and inclusion of non-HLA SNPs improved classification. While specific gene–gene interactions are difficult to validate using genome-wide SNP data, a stepwise approach combining association and classification methods identifies candidate interacting SNPs that distinguish RA cases from healthy controls.
Clinical experience with 111 thoratec ventricular assist devices.

Abstract Background . Ventricular assist devices (VADs) have gained wider acceptance due to refinements in patient selection and management and device availability. Methods . To evaluate early and late results, we reviewed our first 111 patients with the Thoratec VAD. Results . Forty-four patients were supported for myocardial recovery. The mean age in the recovery group was 51.9 years. There were 18 left VADs (LVADs), 17 biventricular VADs (BVADs), and nine right VADs (RVADs). Complications included bleeding in 20 patients (45%) and device-related infection in 1 patient (2%). Nineteen were weaned from the VAD, with 12 survivors. Sixty-seven patients were supported as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. The mean age was 41.5 years. There were 39 LVADs and 28 BVADs. Complications included bleeding in 21 patients (31%) and device-related infection in 12 (18%). Three patients were weaned and 39 patients were transplanted from the assist device, for a total of 42 bridge survivors. Device-related thromboembolism occurred in 9 patients (8.1%), 7 of whom were bridge to transplantation. The duration of VAD support ranged from 0.1 to 27 days (mean 4.5 days) in the recovery group and 0.2 to 184 days (mean 40.7 days) in the bridge to transplantation group. The 10-year actuarial survival was 16% for the recovery group, 22% for the bridge group, and 33% for transplanted patients. Conclusions . Despite advances, VAD support remains associated with significant morbidity and operative mortality.
Types, causes, and therapies of hepatitis occurring in liver transplant recipients

Liver transplantation (OLTx) has become a common life-saving procedure for individuals with chronic advanced liver disease. It is also used in the clinical treatment of patients with fulminant hepatic failure and those with primary neoplastic disease of the liver. Despite its overall success in restoring meaningful life to those who undergo the procedure, the posttransplant life of a liver allograft recipient is not without hazard. A common problem following liver transplantation is the finding of abnormal liver injury tests reflecting a “hepatitis” that can not be ascribed to allograft rejection. The majority of such cases are a consequence of either a technically flawed operation, drug-induced liver injury, or one or another form of viral hepatitis. Each of these problems is discussed in the following clinical review.
Role of Local Metal-Site Interactions and Bulk Protein Restraints in the Thermodynamics of Zinc Binding to a Zinc Finger Protein

To gain analytical insights into metal binding to proteins, we express the effective Hamiltonian of an ion binding site in a protein as a combination of the restraints from the protein and the instrinsic vacuum Hamiltonian of the ion bound site. The protein restraints are described by the elastic network mode and the vacuum Hamiltonian of the ion bound site is a generalized Hessian. The resultant of the addition of the two quadratic forms is recast as a pure quadratic form. The free energy of the ion bound protein is analytical. We apply our model to the zinc finger peptide. The model quantitatively captures thermodynamics of Zn2+ preference over its competitors Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ in the protein binding site. We predict that a binding site with minimal protein restraints will select for Zn2+ better than a zinc finger peptide over Fe2+ and Ni2+ while the preference for Zn2+ over Cd2+ and Co2+ will be diminished. We show that the inspecting the interplay between the instrinsic modes of vibrations of the the ion-site cluster and the restraints from the proteins provides a platform for completely analytical and rigorously thermodynamic design principles for metalloproteins.
Dimensions of the Tax Revolt Uncovering Strange Bedfellows

This study presents data from a community survey of Oklahoma City which suggests that the putative tax rebellion is neither as massive nor as homogeneous as some observers contend. The data support Buchanan's contention that the widespread support for tax reduction has occurred because the costs, defined in terms of potential cutbacks in government expenditures, are not specified in the proposed legislation. In addition, the findings suggest that people vary in what costs they are willing to incur in order to lower taxes. Some people support tax reduction out of a desire to limit welfare spending and others out of a desire to reduce spending on collective goods. We suggest that the former represents a traditional, conservative response to liberal welfare legislation. However, we identify the latter as a new interest group in American politics which cross-cuts traditional lines of cleavage.
The initial rate of accumulation of Frenkel defects in platinum

The resistivity increase in platinum irradiated in many increments with light ions to small total doses is investigated as a function of irradiation temperature and of pre-irradiation vacancy concentration. The results differ greatly from those found in similar investigations with near threshold electron irradiations. Different, more complex defect structures are produced in the present work. Much caution must be used in extrapolating the results of electron irradiations to ion or neutron irradiations.
Restoration of Femoral Anatomy in TKA With Unisex and Gender-specific Components

Recent modifications in total knee prosthesis design theoretically better accommodate the anatomy of the female femur and thereby have the theoretical potential to improve clinical results in TKA by more accurately restoring femoral posterior condylar offset, reducing femoral notching, reducing femoral component flexion, and reducing component overhang. First, we radiographically evaluated whether a contemporary unisex prosthesis would accommodate female anatomy equally as well as male anatomy. Next, we radiographically evaluated female knees in which a gender-specific prosthesis was used. Pre- and postoperative radiographs of 122 knees (42 female unisex, 41 male unisex, 39 female gender-specific) were reviewed. In the unisex groups, there were no differences in femoral notching or femoral component flexion. Posterior femoral offset increased in both groups. However, femoral component overhang was worse in female knees (17%) than in male knees (0%). In the gender-specific female group, the incidence of component overhang was similar to that in the unisex female group. Unisex femoral components of this specific design do not equally match the native anatomy male and female knees. In some women, a compromise was required in sizing.
YPED: an integrated bioinformatics suite and database for mass spectrometry-based proteomics research.

We report a significantly-enhanced bioinformatics suite and database for proteomics research called Yale Protein Expression Database (YPED) that is used by investigators at more than 300 institutions worldwide. YPED meets the data management, archival, and analysis needs of a high-throughput mass spectrometry-based proteomics research ranging from a single laboratory, group of laboratories within and beyond an institution, to the entire proteomics community. The current version is a significant improvement over the first version in that it contains new modules for liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) database search results, label and label-free quantitative proteomic analysis, and several scoring outputs for phosphopeptide site localization. In addition, we have added both peptide and protein comparative analysis tools to enable pairwise analysis of distinct peptides/proteins in each sample and of overlapping peptides/proteins between all samples in multiple datasets. We have also implemented a targeted proteomics module for automated multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)/selective reaction monitoring (SRM) assay development. We have linked YPED’s database search results and both label-based and label-free fold-change analysis to the Skyline Panorama repository for online spectra visualization. In addition, we have built enhanced functionality to curate peptide identifications into an MS/MS peptide spectral library for all of our protein database search identification results.
Microprocessor system applications and challenges for through-silicon-via-based three-dimensional integration

Promise of form-factor reduction and hybrid process integration by three-dimensional (3D)-stacked integrated circuits (3DICs) has spurred interest in both academia and industry. In this study, through-silicon-via (TSV)-based 3D integration is discussed from a microprocessor centric view. The authors present the challenges faced by technology scaling and provide 3D integration as a possible solution. The applications for 3DICs are discussed with details of a few prototypes. The issues and challenges associated with 3D integration technologies are also addressed. TSV-based 3D integration technology will allow integration of diverse functionality to realise energy-efficient and affordable compact systems that will continue to deliver higher performance.
Causal Mechanisms: Yes, But…:

In recent years, the importance of mechanism-centered explanation has become an article of faith within the social sciences, uniting researchers from a wide variety of methodological traditions—quantitative and qualitative, experimental and nonexperimental, nomothetic and idiographic, formal models and narrative prose. Despite its many virtues, there are reasons to be skeptical of social science’s newfound infatuation with causal mechanisms. First, the concept of a mechanism-centered (“mechanismic”) explanation is fundamentally ambiguous, meaning different things to different people. Second, the minimal objectives associated with the turn to mechanisms—to specify causal mechanisms and engage in detailed causal reasoning—are not at variance with traditional practices in the social sciences and thus hardly qualify as a distinct approach to causal assessment. Finally, the more demanding goal of rigorously testing causal mechanisms in causal arguments is admirable but often unrealistic. To clarify, this is no...
ABCA3 inactivation in mice causes respiratory failure, loss of pulmonary surfactant, and depletion of lung phosphatidylglycerol

The highly branched mammalian lung relies on surfactant, a mixture of phospholipids, cholesterol, and hydrophobic proteins, to reduce intraalveolar surface tension and prevent lung collapse. Human mutations in the ABCA3 transporter have been associated with childhood respiratory disease of variable severity and onset. Here, we report the generation of Abca3 null mice, which became lethargic and cyanotic and died within 1 h of birth. Tissue blots found ABCA3 expression was highest in lung but was also detectable in other tissues, including the kidney. Gross development of kidney and lung was normal in neonatal Abca3(-/-) pups, but the mice failed to inflate their lungs, leading to death from atelectatic respiratory failure. Ultrastructural analysis of the Abca3(-/-) lungs revealed an absence of surfactant from the alveolar space and a profound loss of mature lamellar bodies, the intracellular storage organelle for surfactant. Mass spectrometry measurement of >300 phospholipids in lung tissue taken from Abca3(-/-) mice showed a dramatic reduction of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) levels as well as selective reductions in phosphatidylcholine species containing short acyl chains. These results establish a requirement of ABCA3 for lamellar body formation and pulmonary surfactant secretion and suggest a unique and critical role for the transporter in the metabolism of pulmonary PG. They also demonstrate the utility of the Abca3 null mouse as a model for a devastating human disease.
PRISM: Privacy-friendly routing in suspicious MANETs (and VANETs)

Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are particularly useful and well-suited for critical scenarios, including military, law enforcement as well as emergency rescue and disaster recovery. When operating in hostile or suspicious settings, MANETs require communication security and privacy, especially, in underlying routing protocols. This paper focuses on privacy aspects of mobility. Unlike most networks, where communication is based on long-term identities (addresses), we argue that the location-centric communication paradigm is better-suited for privacy in suspicious MANETs. To this end, we construct an on-demand location-based anonymous MANET routing protocol (PRISM) that achieves privacy and security against both outsider and insider adversaries. We analyze security, privacy and performance of PRISM and compare it to alternative techniques. Results show that PRISM is more computationally efficient and offers better privacy than prior work.
THE USES OF NATIONAL BALANCE SHEETS

The now urgent problem in the field is to translate into practice the theoretical agreement, slowly reached over the past two decades, on the need for and feasibility of sectorized national balance sheets. The paper discusses the five main uses of national balance sheets, viz. (1) the study of the relations among assets and liabilities at one point of time in one country, particularly the position of financial institutions; (2) the analysis of changes in one country's financial structure between several balance sheet dates; (3) the comparison of balance sheet structure at one date among two or more countries; (4) the comparison of the financial development of several countries for at least two but usually more numerous balance sheet dates; and (5) the use of selected balance sheet items, e.g., reproducible tangible assets or liquid financial assets, in econometric models. Examples are presented of the first three uses, viz. for (1) an eleven sector balance sheet matrix for the U.S. as of the end of 1962; for (2) an unsectored national balance sheet of the U.S. in 1900, 1912, 1929, 1939, 1945 and 1958; and for (3) a comparison of condensed unsectored national balance sheets for a dozen countries (USA, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Japan, Israel, Mexico, India and the USSR) for a date in the neighborhood of 1960.
Scalable User Selection for MU-MIMO Networks

In a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) network, an AP with M antennas can only serve up to M users out of a large user population. The M users’ rates are inter-coupled and depend on their channel orthogonality. Substantial theoretical studies focused on selecting users to maximize capacity, but they require feedback of channel state information (CSI) from all users. The resulting overhead can easily overwhelm useful data in large scale networks. In this paper, we propose a scalable user selection mechanism called orthogonality probing based user selection (OPUS). OPUS only requires up to M rounds of CSI feedback. In each round, it employs a novel probing mechanism that enables a user to evaluate its orthogonality with existing users, and a distributed contention mechanism that singles out the best user to feedback its CSI. Software-radio based implementation and experimentation shows that OPUS significantly outperforms traditional user selection schemes in both throughput and fairness.
Spectral Data for Finite Volume Hyperbolic Surfaces at the Bottom of the Continuous Spectrum

Abstract The spectrum of the Laplace operator on finite area non-compact surfaces becomes stable if one adjoins to the L 2 eigenvalues the scattering frequencies. For the bottom of the continuous spectrum ( 1 4 ) we need to take into account any non-vanishing Eisenstein series at s = 1 2 . In this work the particular behaviour of the spectrum at 1 4 is studied with respect to genericity of L 2 eigenvalues and of non-vanishing Eisenstein series at s = 1 2 .
Pitfalls of Insulin Pump Clocks: Technical Glitches That May Potentially Affect Medical Care in Patients With Diabetes

The objective was to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring that insulin pumps internal clocks are set up correctly at all times. This is a very important safety issue because all commercially available insulin pumps are not GPS-enabled (though this is controversial), nor equipped with automatically adjusting internal clocks. Special attention is paid to how basal and bolus dose errors can be introduced by daylight savings time changes, travel across time zones, and am-pm clock errors. Correct setting of insulin pump internal clock is crucial for appropriate insulin delivery. A comprehensive literature review is provided, as are illustrative cases. Incorrect setting can potentially result in incorrect insulin delivery, with potential harmful consequences, if too much or too little insulin is delivered. Daylight saving time changes may not significantly affect basal insulin delivery, given the triviality of the time difference. However, bolus insulin doses can be dramatically affected. Such problems may occur when pump wearers have large variations in their insulin to carb ratio, especially if they forget to change their pump clock in the spring. More worrisome than daylight saving time change is the am-pm clock setting. If this setting is set up incorrectly, both basal rates and bolus doses will be affected. Appropriate insulin delivery through insulin pumps requires correct correlation between dose settings and internal clock time settings. Because insulin pumps are not GPS-enabled or automatically time-adjusting, extra caution should be practiced by patients to ensure correct time settings at all times. Clinicians and diabetes educators should verify the date/time of insulin pumps during patients' visits, and should remind their patients to always verify these settings.
The primary interaction of antibody to components of aspergilli. I. Immunologic and chemical characteristics of a nonprecipitating antigen.

Abstract The experiments presented in this report describe the preparation of a radiolabeled antigen which can be used in the ammonium sulfate test to measure antibodies against aspergilli. The antigenic components were in the trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble fraction from sonically disrupted aspergilli. The major radiolabeled ligand appeared to be an immunologically nonprecipitating anionic mucopolysaccharide which was insensitive to DNase or RNase, slightly sensitive to pepsin, and very sensitive to periodate oxidation and borohydride reduction. Results of quantitative studies indicate that the radiolabeled antigens had a relatively low affinity for antibody populations produced in hyperimmunized rabbits. Quantitative inhibition experiments as well as immunodiffusion studies demonstrated similarities and differences among species of the genus Aspergillus as well as other fungi. Commercial house dust extracts appear to contain significant amounts of the TCA-soluble aspergilli antigens.
Concerted loop motion triggers induced fit of FepA to ferric enterobactin

Spectroscopic analyses of fluorophore-labeled Escherichia coli FepA described dynamic actions of its surface loops during binding and transport of ferric enterobactin (FeEnt). When FeEnt bound to fluoresceinated FepA, in living cells or outer membrane fragments, quenching of fluorophore emissions reflected conformational motion of the external vestibular loops. We reacted Cys sulfhydryls in seven surface loops (L2, L3, L4, L5, L7 L8, and L11) with fluorophore maleimides. The target residues had different accessibilities, and the labeled loops themselves showed variable extents of quenching and rates of motion during ligand binding. The vestibular loops closed around FeEnt in about a second, in the order L3 > L11 > L7 > L2 > L5 > L8 > L4. This sequence suggested that the loops bind the metal complex like the fingers of two hands closing on an object, by individually adsorbing to the iron chelate. Fluorescence from L3 followed a biphasic exponential decay as FeEnt bound, but fluorescence from all the other loops followed single exponential decay processes. After binding, the restoration of fluorescence intensity (from any of the labeled loops) mirrored cellular uptake that depleted FeEnt from solution. Fluorescence microscopic images also showed FeEnt transport, and demonstrated that ferric siderophore uptake uniformly occurs throughout outer membrane, including at the poles of the cells, despite the fact that TonB, its inner membrane transport partner, was not detectable at the poles.
Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Gram-Negative Sepsis: Principles, Applications, and Controversies

Gram-negative sepsis is a common event in hospitalized patients and is a leading cause of death in the United States. Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), a component of the cell wall of gram-negative microorganisms, is responsible for the cascade of events leading to the sepsis syndrome consisting of fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, and evidence of organ hypoperfusion. The lipid A region of endotoxin produces most of these biologic and toxic effects. Monoclonal IgM antibodies directed against the lipid A portion of endotoxin (anti-LPS MoAb) have been developed for the treatment of gram-negative sepsis. Results of two large-scale clinical trials suggest that these antibodies offer clinically and statistically significant reductions in mortality by a factor of about one-third. However, in both trials, this apparent beneficial effect was limited to particular subsets of patients, and no overall benefit was seen. These considerations, in addition to the likely high cost of the agents, pose questions about their ultimate use in the treatment of patients with gram-negative sepsis. Nevertheless, the logic of the approach, the demonstration of efficacy in disease models, and the advances in modern techniques of molecular biology all suggest that these or other closely related products will play a significant role in the treatment of this disorder.
True imposters

Imposters are a powerful technique which has been widely used for many years in the graphics community. An imposter is a two dimensional image rendered onto a billboard which represents highly detailed geometry. Imposters can be created on the fly or pre-computed and stored in memory, in both cases the imposter is only accurate for a specific viewing direction, as the view deviates from this ideal condition, the imposter loses accuracy. The same imposter is reused until its visual error surpasses a given arbitrary threshold in which case it is replaced with a more accurate imposter.True Imposters takes advantage of the latest graphics hardware to achieve accurate geometric representation updated every frame for any arbitrary viewing angle. It builds off of Relief Mapping of Non-Height Field Surfaces [Policarpo 2006] and continues past the goals of traditional per-pixel displacement mapping techniques which are to add visually accurate sub-surface features to any arbitrary surface by generating whole 3D objects on a billboard. True Imposters distinguishes itself from previous per-pixel displacement mapped imposter methods by offering no viewing restrictions, animation and performance optimizations.A single texture can hold four height-fields which can represent many volumes. More texture data can be added to extend this to any shape. Normally these height-fields would represent the surface of a shape, and the viewing vector would be transformed into the polygons local coordinate frame with respect to its normal. However, in our case we chose instead to transform our surface geometry with respect to our view direction vector, or in other words, generate a billboard which we can then use as a window to view our height fields from any given direction.The first image shows a representation of our billboard's texture coordinates after they have been transformed into a 3D plane and rotated around our functions in the center (represented by the fish).The second image shows the perspective of our function which would be displayed on our billboard.Once the texture plane is rasterized, each fragment can be considered the origin of a ray, since its direction is simply the view direction; the problem now can be solved with a linear march followed by binary search.True Imposters also offer a simple yet effective animation scheme in which the animation frames are tiled on a single texture, offering quick look-ups using the pixel shader.
A comparison of the performance of brand-affiliated and unaffiliated hotel properties.

Research has shown that performance differences exist between brand-affiliated hotels and unaffiliated properties. However, the extant empirical results are mixed. Some research has shown that brands outperform unaffiliated hotels on various metrics, whereas other research has shown the opposite. This article analyzes this issue using a matched-pair approach where we compare the performance differences of brand-affiliated and unaffiliated properties between 1998 and 2010. The matched-pair approach ensures that local competitive conditions as well as hotel characteristics are the same across the comparison pair. In addition, all potential omitted-variable bias and model misspecifications are avoided. Thus, to address our research question, we compare branded hotels with unaffiliated properties that are identical in age, market segment, location, and duration of operation, as well as having a similar number of rooms. Our analysis shows that performance differentials are present, albeit not systematic. We fo...
Manipulation of entangled photons with a fiber-based pulse shaper

We demonstrate spectral shaping of entangled photons, implementing Hadamard coding and a Franson interferometer with a single pulse shaper. Our configuration represents a compact and robust arrangement for manipulating biphotons in the telecom band.