cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear-after-the-exponential (LATE)-PCR: an advanced method of asymmetric PCR and its uses in quantitative real-time analysis.

Conventional asymmetric PCR is inefficient and difficult to optimize because limiting the concentration of one primer lowers its melting temperature below the reaction annealing temperature. Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)–PCR describes a new paradigm for primer design that renders assays as efficient as symmetric PCR assays, regardless of primer ratio. LATE-PCR generates single-stranded products with predictable kinetics for many cycles beyond the exponential phase. LATE-PCR also introduces new probe design criteria that uncouple hybridization probe detection from primer annealing and extension, increase probe reliability, improve allele discrimination, and increase signal strength by 80–250% relative to symmetric PCR. These improvements in PCR are particularly useful for real-time quantitative analysis of target numbers in small samples. LATE-PCR is adaptable to high throughput applications in fields such as clinical diagnostics, biodefense, forensics, and DNA sequencing. We showcase LATE-PCR via amplification of the cystic fibrosis CFΔ508 allele and the Tay-Sachs disease TSD 1278 allele from single heterozygous cells.
Knowledge acquisition support environment (KASE)

A knowledge acquisition support environment (KASE) is described that assists the knowledge engineer from the initial elicitation of domain expert knowledge through the actual prototyping of a working knowledge-based system (KBS). The KASE system is based on the commercially available KMS hypermedia system. Salient aspects of KASE include a collaborative environment, an easy to use interface, hierarchically structured templates to record knowledge, extensive validation capabilities, and creation of facts, rules and properties in an intermediate knowledge canonical form to allow prototyping. KASE had been successfully used to acquire knowledge for a complex expert system. >
Effect of Cognitive Effort on Learning Disabled and Nondisabled Readers' Recall

Learning disabled and nondisabled readers can be distinguished by the extent to which their free recall of words is affected by the attention demand characteristics (cognitive effort) of items. An intentional auditory free recall task was presented after nondisabled and disabled readers solved anagrams from semantic, phonemic, and unrelated word lists. The anagrams varied in terms of low and high cognitive effort (defined as the reorganization task demand on a limited memory capacity). It was found in Experiment 1 that high effort led to better recall than low effort for nondisabled readers, while the disabled were superior to the nondisabled reader in the recall of low-effort words. Experiment 2 replicated this finding across developmental age and type of word lists. A third experiment clearly demonstrated that the disabled reader is less likely to recall words of high cognitive effort as compared with intermediate and low ones. Taken together, the findings support the hypothesis that nondisabled and dis...
An efficient error-propagation-based reduction method for large chemical kinetic mechanisms

Production rates obtained from a detailed chemical mechanism are analyzed in order to quantify the coupling between the various species and reactions involved. These interactions can be represented by a directed relation graph. A geometric error propagation strategy applied to this graph accurately identifies the dependencies of specified targets and creates a set of increasingly simplified kinetic schemes containing only the chemical paths deemed the most important for the targets. An integrity check is performed concurrently with the reduction process to avoid truncated chemical paths and mass accumulation in intermediate species. The quality of a given skeletal model is assessed through the magnitude of the errors introduced in the target predictions. The applied error evaluation is variable-dependent and unambiguous for unsteady problems. The technique yields overall monotonically increasing errors, and the smallest skeletal mechanism that satisfies a user-defined error tolerance over a selected domain of applicability is readily obtained. An additional module based on life-time analysis identifies a set of species that can be modeled accurately by quasi-steady state relations. An application of the reduction procedure is presented for autoignition using a large iso-octane mechanism. The whole process is automatic, is fast, has moderate CPU and memory requirements, and compares favorably to other existing techniques.
Role for Dpy-30 in ES Cell-Fate Specification by Regulation of H3K4 Methylation within Bivalent Domains

Histone H3K4 methylation is associated with active genes and, along with H3K27 methylation, is part of a bivalent chromatin mark that typifies poised developmental genes in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, its functional roles in ESC maintenance and differentiation are not established. Here we show that mammalian Dpy-30, a core subunit of the SET1/MLL histone methyltransferase complexes, modulates H3K4 methylation in vitro, and directly regulates chromosomal H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) throughout the mammalian genome. Depletion of Dpy-30 does not affect ESC self-renewal, but significantly alters the differentiation potential of ESCs, particularly along the neural lineage. The differentiation defect is accompanied by defects in gene induction and in H3K4 methylation at key developmental loci. Our results strongly indicate an essential functional role for Dpy-30 and SET1/MLL complex-mediated H3K4 methylation, as a component of the bivalent mark, at developmental genes during the ESC fate transitions.
The design of concurrent error diagnosable systolic arrays for band matrix multiplications

The characteristics of a systolic array and the important issues in fault-tolerant systolic computing are presented. Recent efforts to optimize the performance of a band matrix multiplication systolic array (BMMSA) is discussed, concentrating on the fundamental differences between the Kung-Leiserson and Huang-Abraham schemes of systolic design in order to exemplify the extremes in design philosophies. The motivations for additional figures of merit are pointed out, and a novel BMMSA design is introduced. An efficient scheme, based on the time-redundancy technique of RESO (recomputation with shifted operands), is applied to the design of CED-capable BMMSAs. Different designs, based on the Kung-Leiserson BMMSA, the proposed BMMSA, and the Huang-Abraham BMMSA, are presented. >
Nuclear Factor-κB Plays an Essential Role in the Late Phase of Ischemic Preconditioning in Conscious Rabbits

Abstract—Although it is recognized that late preconditioning (PC) results from upregulation of cardioprotective genes, the specific transcription factor(s) that govern this genetic adaptation remains unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the development of late PC is mediated by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and to elucidate the mechanisms that control the activation of NF-κB after an ischemic stimulus in vivo. A total of 152 chronically instrumented, conscious rabbits were used. A sequence of six 4-minute coronary occlusion/4-minute reperfusion cycles, which elicits late PC, induced rapid activation of NF-κB, as evidenced by a marked increase in p65 content (+164%; Western immunoblotting) and NF-κB DNA binding activity (+306%; electrophoretic mobility shift assay) in nuclear extracts isolated 30 minutes after the last reperfusion. These changes were attenuated 2 hours after ischemic PC and resolved by 4 hours. Competition and supershift assays confirmed the specificity of the NF-κB D...
Effects of geometry and material properties for stacked IC package with spacer structure

As the electronic industry is making its progress to miniaturize high performance, smaller and lower-priced IC packages, 3D packaging technologies are presently used to achieve these goals. Although 3D packaging technologies are vastly studied and applied to perform better performance, low power consumption and smaller packaging size of IC packages, thermo-mechanical problems occur as well due to the 3D stacking feature. Because chips are vertically stacking in 3D packages, higher thermal resistances are resulted and their corresponding induced thermal stresses and heat dissipations are becoming major reliability concerns. In order to realize thermal stresses distributions in stacked IC packages with spacer structures, the three dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) modeling has been employed. For the purpose of studying effects of geometry and material properties of stacked IC package with spacer structure, several comparisons of variations of geometry and materials are discussed in this paper. Through these comparisons, effects of material properties of spacer structures in stacked IC packages and those resulted in stresses distributions of copper TSV (through-silicon-vias), dies and spacers can be presented. Moreover, effects of geometry of die and copper TSV size, die stacking number, TSV distributions as well as TSV/bump pitch and spacer/bump thickness are also illustrated. These results will be helpful design guidelines to engineers if optimization designs for stress solutions in stacking IC package with spacer structure are needed.
Preschool to kindergarten transition patterns for African American boys

Abstract This study focused on the transition patterns of African American boys from preschool to kindergarten using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) dataset. Analyses were conducted to examine whether socioeconomic status, parenting (i.e., emotional support, intrusiveness), and attendance in a center-based program predicted likelihood of being in a particular transition pattern. Four patterns emerged from the data: (1) Increasing Academically, (2) Early Achiever: Declining Academically & Socially, (3) Low Achiever: Declining Academically, and (4) Consistent Early Achiever. There was heterogeneity in the school transition patterns of African American boys, with many showing stability from preschool to kindergarten. Family income and parenting practices and interactions were associated with an increased probability of being in the group that showed a significant increase in academics, suggesting the importance of parents’ provision of enriching opportunities and experiences for African American boys as they transition from preschool to kindergarten.
Evaluation of Ignition and Burn Risk Associated with Contemporary Fiberoptic and Distal Sensor Endoscopic Technology

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the ignition and burn risk associated with contemporary fiberoptic and distal sensor endoscopic technologies. Materials and Methods: We used new and used SCB Xenon 300 light sources to illuminate a 4.8 mm fiberoptic cable, 10 mm laparoscope, 5 mm laparoscope, rigid cystoscope, semirigid ureteroscope, flexible cystoscope, flexible fiberoptic ureteroscope, distal sensor cystoscope, and a distal sensor ureteroscope (Karl Storz, Inc., Tuttlingen, Germany). We measured peak temperatures at the distal end of each device. We then evaluated each device on a flat and folded surgical drape to establish ignition risk. Finally, we evaluated the effects of all devices on human cadaver skin covered by surgical drape. Results: Peak temperatures recorded for each device ranged from 26.9°C (flexible fiberoptic ureteroscope) to 194.5°C (fiberoptic cable). Drape ignition was noted when the fiberoptic cable was placed against a fold of drape. Contact with the fiberoptic cable, 10 mm laparoscope,...
The Revival of Organic Theory.

Theories of the nature of the political community vary with conditions. Just as political pluralism was a phase of the late mellowness of liberalism, so the organic theory of the state is suited for more heroic moments. When integral nationalism was discovered in the United States after the defeat of the South, it was not inappropriate that organic theories should have been supported in order to explain the place of the American nation in history. Nor can it be surprising that today some of the leaders of the United States are looking at the nation as a kind of social organism. If one reads with attention the words of President Lincoln during the early days of the Civil-War, it can be seen that the Union was more than just a voluntary association of political communities. The states had their being within the Union, and the Union itself had given birth to the states. Even the history of Texas and its relation to the Union did not impress Lincoln as simply consensual, for if there was consent it was all on the side of Texas.l Whatever liberty and authority the states possessed they derivedfrom the Union, and not from any original powers of their own. When the Union became a symbol of organicity in the mind of the North, the earlier individualistic theory of the state was remote enough. The social contract, the consent of all to government, was suitable in the American Revolution, since protest was being made against the specific, arbitrary actions of the British government, animated it would seem by a total conception of Empire. To Lincoln, states, like individuals, were a part of the Union, and the Union might be broken neither by citizens nor by states. Even before the Civil War, the principles of Manifest Destiny and the variously associated doctrines which justified expansion carried some implications of the organic character of the American nation. History, Providence, the finger of destiny all indicated that the territory to the north and south, east and west, should become a part of the United States. The superior rights of the American nation over Indians andoculturally diverse peoples were easily, even casually, asserted. The Mexicans, in the war with that nation, were regarded as an inferior and benighted people whose historic oppor-
Postnatal development of parvalbumin‐ and GABA transporter‐immunoreactive axon terminals in monkey prefrontal cortex

In the primate prefrontal cortex, the axon terminals of the chandelier class of inhibitory local circuit neurons have a distinctive time course of postnatal development. In this study, we sought to determine whether the axon terminals of other classes of local circuit neurons are also refined during postnatal development. We examined postnatal changes in the density of punctate structures immunoreactive for the calcium binding protein parvalbumin, which identifies a subset of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) -containing terminals, in the prefrontal cortex of 35 rhesus monkeys ranging in age from newborn to adult. In area 46, the density of parvalbumin- immunoreactive puncta in the superficial and middle layers was extremely low in the newborn animals, then increased more than 10-fold to adult levels, which were achieved by 3 to 4 years of age. In layer V, a band of labeled puncta present in the newborn animals also increased in density until 3 to 4 years of age. Developmental changes of parvalbumin-immunoreactive puncta in area 9 were similar to those in area 46. In contrast, the density of punctate structures labeled with an antibody against a GABA membrane transporter (GAT-1) did not change across development, suggesting that the number of GABAergic terminals is stable over time, but that the level of parvalbumin protein within the terminals varies. The time course of the observed changes in these parvalbumin-labeled terminals is markedly different from that of parvalbumin-immunoreactive chandelier cell terminal clusters. These findings suggest that morphologically specialized classes of inhibitory interneurons assume prominence within the prefrontal cortical network at different stages of postnatal development.
Identification of a Major Microfibril-associated Glycoprotein-1-binding Domain in Fibrillin-2

Using yeast two-hybrid, ligand blotting, and solid phase binding assays, we have shown that microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 (MAGP-1) interacts with the 8-cysteine motif of fibrillin-2 encoded by exon 24. Binding to this sequence was demonstrated for full-length MAGP-1 as well as for the MAGP-1 matrix-binding domain encoded by exons 7 and 8. The matrix-binding domain, but not the full-length protein, also bound to regions of fibrillin-2 defined by exons 16 and 17, exon 20, and exons 23 and 24. Interestingly, no binding was detected to sequences near the N or C terminus where MAGP-1 and MAGP-2, respectively, were shown to interact with fibrillin-1. The localization of MAGP-1 binding to the 8-Cys domain encoded by exon 24 suggests that the bead structure of microfibrils consists of exon 24 and portions of the central region of fibrillin-2. Exon 24 in fibrillin lies in the region of the molecule where mutations produce the most severe phenotypes associated with Marfan syndrome (fibrillin-1) and congenital contractural arachnodactyly (fibrillin-2). It is possible that these mutations alter the ability of fibrillin to bind MAGP-1, which may contribute to the severity of the disease.
Multiple Organ Failure, Liver Failure and Polyunsaturated Fat Metabolism

Multiple organ failure continues to be the pathway of death after burns, trauma and sepsis. This clinical syndrome represents the transition from a hypermetabolic response to injury that has associated respiratory dysfunction, to a setting of clinical organ failures and death. Risk factors include: perfusion deficits, persistent foci of dead or injured tissue, an uncontrolled focus of infection, the presence of the respiratory distress syndrome, persistent hypermetabolism, and preexisting fibrotic liver disease. Once in the organ failure syndrome, most treatment modalities become progressively ineffective, including: ventilation, antibiotics, nutrition, and surgery. The best treatment remains prevention with rapid control of the source and restoration of oxygen transport. To date, no single “magic bullet” has been shown to exist either experimentally or clinically.
Land Surveying Research Needs: The Next Decade

The Land Surveying Committee of ASCE contributed to the attempts to identify land surveying research needs for the next decade. Areas covered included: (1)Land identification systems; (2)monumentation and legal aspects; (3)land surveying methods and survey control; (4)instrumentation: and (5)education and professional registration. Only exceptionally high or below normal progress items are highlighted. Implementation of a universal land identification system is lagging and is singled out as the most significant problem needing attention and research for the next decade. Land survey monuments will be protected and more state laws will be proliferated in all phases of the survey profession. Systems are available that will become economical and greatly change surveying procedures. Surveying instruments will continue to become smaller, lighter, less expensive, with greater capability. The education and professional registration of the land surveyor will be greatly upgraded.
MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE SUPERIOR VESTIBULAR NERVE IN GROUND AND TREE SQUIRRELS (SCIURIDAE)

Using light microscospy, cross sections of the superior vestibular nerve were compared in 2 tree-dwelling species of squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis and S. niger) and 3 ground-dwelling species (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, S. mexicanus, and S. variegatus). Fiber number, internal minor diameter of the axon, and axon area were measured for 31,959 fibers taken from 5 males of each species. Significant differences were not found within or among species, suggesting that climbing behaviors are not correlated with these morphologic features of the superior vestibular nerve.
High-fidelity simulation of collective effects in electron beams using an innovative parallel method

Among the most challenging and heretofore unsolved problems in accelerator physics is accurate simulation of the collective effects in electron beams. Electron beam dynamics is crucial in understanding and the design of: (i) high-brightness synchrotron light sources --- powerful tools for cutting-edge research in physics, biology, medicine and other fields, and (ii) electron-ion particle colliders, which probe the nature of matter at unprecedented depths. Serial, or even naively parallel, implementation of the electron beam's self-interaction is prohibitively costly in terms of efficiency and memory requirements, necessitating simulation times on the order of months or years. In this paper, we present an innovative, high-performance, high-fidelity, scalable model for simulation of collective effects in electron beams using state-of-the-art multicore systems (GPUs, multicore CPUs, and hybrid CPU-GPU platform). Our parallel simulation algorithm implemented on different multicore systems outperforms the sequential simulation, achieving a performance gain of up to 7.7X and over 50X on the Intel Xeon E5630 CPU and GTX 480 GPU, respectively. It scales nearly linearly with the cluster size. Our simulation code is the first scalable parallel implementation on GPUs, multicore CPUs, and on hybrid CPU-GPU platform for simulating the collective dynamical effects of electron beams in accelerator physics.
Gender and Mortgage Choice: More Evidence on Gender Based Risk Aversion

We study the effect of gender in a new financial behavior context: the choice of a mortgage. While adjustable rate mortgages are initially cheaper, they expose the borrower to interest rate risk. Using national lender data, we find that propensity to apply for an adjustable rate mortgage among higher income applicants is 2.6-10 percentage points, or 10-50%, lower for women. Results are robust to inclusion of education and financial determinants of mortgage choice. We also find that among ARM applicants, women show propensity for contracts with longer initial fixed rate period. Results are consistent with past findings of females being more risk averse than males, as well as financial literacy increasing with income and wealth.
A Prudent Ambiguity in Saadya Gaon's Book of Doctrines and Beliefs

Among the outstanding scholarly careers of the Jewish Middle Ages, none seems so dominated by polemic as that of Saadya Gaon (882–942). His intellectual environment was crowded with a bewildering array of rival religious groups and philosophical creeds engaged in vigorous debate. The chaotic variety and aggressiveness of intellectual life in Saadya's Baghdad are frequently illustrated by the account of some remarkable theological debating societies given by a contemporary Muslim visitor: At the first meeting there were present not only people of various [Islamic] sects, but also unbelievers, Magians, materialists, atheists, Jews and Christians, in short, unbelievers of all kinds. Each group had its own leader, whose task it was to defend its views, and every time one of the leaders entered the room, his followers rose to their feet and remained standing until he took his seat. In the meanwhile, the hall had become overcrowded with people. One of the unbelievers rose and said to the assembly: we are meeting here for a discussion. Its conditions are known to all. You, Muslims, are not allowed to argue from your books and prophetic traditions since we deny both. Everybody, therefore, has to limit himself to rational arguments. The whole assembly applauded these words. So you can imagine … that after these words I decided to withdraw. They proposed to me that I should attend another meeting in a different hall, but I found the same calamity there.
Genetic Characteristics of a Colonizing Episode in the “Lovebug,” Plecia nearctica

Recent isozyme and theoretical work suggests that colonizing episodes may be either accompanied or caused by genetic changes. Ten loci were studied electrophoretically in 4 samples of Plecia nearctica Hardy, which is presently colonizing the Florida peninsula. Almost no genetic differentiation was detected between samples from areas being actively colonized and those that have been occupied for up to 10 yr. Genetic variation was high, with 7 of the loci polymorphic and an avg heterozygosity of 0.326.
Education column: The remote educational antenna laboratory: Making it easier to add projects to antenna courses

An antenna measurement facility has been constructed that can be remotely controlled over the Internet. The primary purpose of the facility is to make it easier for instructors to include antenna construction and measurement projects in courses on antennas, RF systems, and electromagnetic fields. The facility is capable of measuring gain, patterns, and return loss for antennas of the type used in personal electronic devices in the 800 MHz to 6.5 GHz range. Experience with remotely supporting courses at Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute showed that both students and instructors felt that use of the remote laboratory added value to the students' experiences.
Applications of PC(sp3)P Iridium Complexes in Transfer Dehydrogenation of Alkanes

Iridium ethylene complexes based on the PC(sp3)P pincer-type triptycene ligand have been synthesized. Complexes bearing various substituents on the phosphines have been investigated as catalysts in transfer dehydrogenation of alkanes. The complex 8a, which bears isopropyl groups, has demonstrated high stability and activity when used as a catalyst in the disproportionation of 1-hexene at 180 °C and in the transfer dehydrogenation of linear and cyclic alkanes with tert-butylethylene as a hydrogen acceptor at 200 °C. A similar complex bearing a CH2NMe2 group, 33, allowed support of the catalyst on γ-alumina for operation in a heterogeneous mode.
Soviet Economic Aid in Southeast Asia: Threat or Windfall?

T HE new Soviet diplomacy in Asia involves an active effort to extend economic aid to a select group of countries who qualify as non-allied with the United States, or, in some sense of the term, as “neutralists.” To date, the Soviet Bloc has made aid commitments in South and Southeast Asia of over $500 million to India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Burma. Virtually all the aid has been committed in the past two years; most of it since early 1956. TABLE 1 shows the size and character of the commitments.
Exhaustion of intellectual property rights and the principle of territoriality in the United States

The geographical scope of exhaustion is a highly contested issue in intellectual property law. Exhaustion occurs when the owner of an intellectual property right transfers ownership of a particular embodiment of that right, such as by selling a book or a DVD embodying a copyrighted literary work or movie, a machine with a patented design, or a consumer product sold under a trademark. Geographical scope refers to the geographical limits, if any, within which the sale must take place, or the article must be manufactured, in order to trigger exhaustion. Under a regime of national exhaustion, intellectual property rights to a particular article are exhausted only if it is sold or manufactured within the country whose intellectual property laws the rights owner has invoked. With international exhaustion, the location of sale or manufacture is irrelevant, and any authorized transfer of ownership results in exhaustion. The difference between the two exhaustion regimes is of great importance to both producers and consumers. National exhaustion offers the producer a tool by which it may segment markets geographically, preventing parallel importation of intellectual-property-containing products that are intended for another national market, and allowing it to sell the product at different prices in different markets. Consumers, on the other hand, may prefer a regime of international exhaustion, which may result in a broader selection of goods on the secondary market as well as the ability to purchase a cheaper version of a good that was originally sold at a lower price in a foreign market.Courts that have addressed the scope of exhaustion under the U.S. patent and copyright laws have sometimes invoked the well-established proposition that those laws have no extraterritorial reach. Some courts have held that this principle of territoriality implies a regime of national exhaustion.In this chapter I seek to clarify the relationship between the geographical scope of exhaustion and the territorial limits on the effectiveness of intellectual property laws. I demonstrate that, contrary to what some courts have held, national territorial limits on the scope of the intellectual property laws are consistent with a regime of either national or international exhaustion. I also show that the principle of national treatment, which underlies the system of treaties that governs international aspects of intellectual property protection among most of the world’s countries, is likewise consistent with both national and international exhaustion.
WEATHERING TRENDS IN FINE DEBRIS BENEATH A SNOW PATCH, NIWOT RIDGE, FRONT RANGE, COLORADO

Seven soil pits dug in a downhill sequence beneath Martinelli snow patch, Niwot Ridge, Front Range, Colorado, reveal that soils are coarse-grained with only limited evidence of silt translocation. Clay mineralogy within the pits exhibits a widespread and distinct change at a depth of ∼15–20 cm. The most common characteristic of this change is a distinct increase in vermiculite in the lower layer, usually accompanied by a decrease in kaolinite and/or smectite. This pattern is interpreted to reflect decreased weathering intensity with depth. Microenvironments beneath the snow patch which exhibit high chemical weathering rates on coarse surficial debris also appear to experience high rates of clay production relative to referenced dry alpine sites, with specific clay mineralogies varying in a fashion commonly found in humid temperate environments. Data generated in this study appear to provide site-specific support for the regionally-developed Synthetic Alpine Slope Model. Spatial variations in eolian additi...
When to do diffs: how often should differential counts be repeated?

Large numbers of differential counts are generated in hospital laboratories by physicians requesting repeat counts, often daily. Their purpose is to detect trends in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to monitor infections or therapy with marrow-depressant drugs. Recently, a number of automated differential counters have come on the market to handle the still increasing load of differentials. We proposed that a strategy of performing differential counts only after a significant change in total WBCs had taken place would result in little or no loss of information. Since WBC counts are routinely performed by automated instruments already available in most laboratories, the purchase of expensive differential counters might thus be avoided. To test this thesis, we analyzed 415 successive sequences of WBC and differential counts, each sequence consisting of four determinations within a 10-day period. Criteria for significant trends in WBC and PMN were based on clinical judgment or on recently determined day-to-day physiologic variations. Among 415 sequences examined, only four could be found in which PMN had changed without a concomitant change of equal significance in WBC. It was concluded that the proposed strategy of using WBC as an indicator of developing neutropenia or neutrophilia was sound. It would have resulted in loss of information in about 1% of instances only, at a considerable saving in differential counts.
Harmonizing ‘Responsibility to Protect’: China’s vision of a post-sovereign world:

This article examines the recent evolution of China’s policies toward the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept in the context of a changing international environment. As an example of an emergin...
Signaling to Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation and Translation

Publisher Summary CPEB plays a central role in germ cell and embryo development and in brain functions such as memory consolidation and retrieval. In Xenopus oocytes, gonadotropic hormones emanating from the hypothalamus stimulate the synthesis of progesterone in follicle cells that surround the oocyte. Progesterone is then secreted from these cells and interacts with an oocyte surface associated receptor: this event stimulates a cascade of events that culminates in the cytoplasmic polyadenylation and translation of several mRNAs and, ultimately, meiotic progression to metaphase II. Prior to polyadenylation, maskin association with CPEB and the cap binding factor eIF4E precludes translation specifically of CPE containing mRNAs. Following polyadenylation, the newly elongated poly(A) tail associates with ePAB, which in turn binds eIF4G. This interaction apparently increases the affinity of eIF4G with eIF4E; maskin is thus displaced from eIF4E and translation initiation proceeds. CPEB phosphorylation controls the polyadenylation and translation of synaptonemal complex protein mRNAs during pachytene, and of growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) mRNA. CPEB is present not only in germ cells and embryos, but in the central nervous system as well. In neurons, CPEB is present at postsynaptic sites and in dendrites where, in response to synaptic activity, it stimulates polyadenylation and translation. Hence the signaling events that lead to CPEB phosphorylation are necessary for this translational control.
A bulk silicon dissolved wafer process for microelectromechanical systems

The authors describe a single-sided bulk silicon dissolved wafer process that has been used to fabricate several different micromechanical devices. It involves the simultaneous processing of glass and silicon wafers, which are eventually bonded together electrostatically before being etched to leave heavily boron-doped devices attached to a glass substrate. The process requires a minimum of three masks: two for the silicon wafers to define the microstructures, and one for the glass wafers to define the interconnect and lead transfer to these devices. Overhanging features can be fabricated without any additional masking steps. The authors also describe the measurements of three kinds of laterally driven comb structures fabricated for application in a scanning thermal profilometer. They comprise shuttle masses supported by 200- mu m long beams, and mounted with probes that extend 250 mu m past the edge of the die. Devices with beam thicknesses of 3.7 mu m and 6.4 mu m yield measured resonant frequencies between 32 and 46 kHz, and peak-to-peak displacements exceeding 18 mu m. >
What Does an Academic Career Look Like in Surgical Education

Surgical education is rapidly growing as a formal career option. Choosing a focus area is the key to success. Opportunities exist at the medical student, resident, fellow, and practicing physician level. There is also the option of focusing on teaching, curriculum development and evaluation, or traditional experimental or investigational research. This chapter will focus on the various career opportunities in surgical education and provide examples of real-life career paths demonstrating the many options for a successful, fulfilling academic career in surgical education.
Isoqualitative Gauge Curvature at Multiple Scales: A Response to the Agnosticism of Quantum Cognitivism and Quantum Interaction

Potential dualism lurks behind the metaphysical agnosticism of quantum cognitive and quantum interactionist models. This paper identifies and addresses two possible sources of such dualism: a) the theoretical distinction between canonically conjugate and other sets of observables, and b) the empirical issue of in vivo thermal decoherence threatening the integrity of any neural wavefunctions associated with quantum cognition. An isoqualitative distortion gauge structured like the q-boson has been proposed in previously published work by the author to address source a) and is now reviewed. A new construct, quantum auto-tunneling, analogous to the well established classical notion of autocatalysis, is introduced in order to engage problematic aspects of source b).
Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy (BSSO) of the Mandibular Ramus

Orthognathic surgery involves correction of patients with skeletal deformities of the mandible and maxilla whether of congenital, developmental, or acquired in origin. This chapter details the bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) of the mandibular ramus. The procedure was initially described by Hugo Obwegeser in 1955 and remains an essential procedure in the plastic and maxillofacial surgeons’ surgical tool chest. The BSSO allows the surgeon to reposition (advancement, setback, and rotation) the mandible in relationship to the maxilla to establish a functional occlusion. The BSSO in combination with the LeFort I and the genioplasty allows the surgeon to disassemble the facial skeleton and allow three-dimensional reconstruction to optimize the occlusion and facial form relative to the cranial base.
Monte Carlo simulations of the finite temperature properties of (H2O)6

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the earlier work and presents new results on the finite temperature properties of the (H 2 O) 6 cluster calculated using a 2 + 3-body MP2-level intermolecular potential in a canonical Monte Carlo simulation at T = 220 K. The water hexamer is one of the most thoroughly studied water clusters. Nevertheless, while it is well established that the smaller (H 2 O) 3–5 clusters have cyclic global minimum structures, and that (H 2 O) 7 , and larger clusters have three-dimensional fused-ring global minima, the situation regarding (H2O) 6 has taken much longer to sort out. Water clusters have been studied extensively both experimentally and theoretically over the past two decades. Among the issues that have been addressed are the geometrical structures of the low-energy isomers, the role of cooperative effects in the bonding, the sensitivity of the vibrational and rotational spectra on the H-bonding arrangements, the dynamics of isomer interconversion, and the finite temperature behavior of the clusters.
Power efficient big data analytics algorithms through low-level operations

We present an empirical performance evaluation of algorithms that replace arithmetic operations with low-level bit operations for power-aware Big Data processing. Specifically, we compare two different data structures in terms of both execution time and power efficiency: (a) a baseline design using arrays, and (b) a design using bit-slice indexing (BSI) and distributed BSI arithmetic. We evaluate two types of queries popular in Big Data analytics: aggregations and top-k. These queries were implemented using each of the two data structure designs on Apache Spark running on a server cluster that was instrumented with specialized hardware for synchronized real-time power measurement for each server in the cluster. We performed a series of experiments running the above queries on several different datasets. These experiments show that the bit-slicing algorithm consistently outperforms the array algorithm in both power efficiency and execution time. An interesting observation is that the power efficiency improvement of the bit-slicing algorithm over the array method is comparable to or greater than the improvement in execution time for both queries evaluated.
MEASUREMENTS ON SLOWING DOWN SPECTRA OF SECONDARY ELECTRONS IN ALUMINIUM AND COPPER FROM 60CO γ-RADIATIONS

Abstract Spectral distributions of the fluxes of secondary electrons produced by a collimated beam of 60Co γ-rays, inside media such as aluminium and copper for five different angles—30, 60, 90, 120, and 150°—relative to the incident direction of γ-rays, were experimentally determined using a lithium-drifted silicon detector. Targets of the spherical cavity were used, having a circular opening exit on the cavity wall. Secondary electrons inside the cavity were extracted through the exit and absorbed in a silicon crystal. The target wall was of the thickness sufficient to ensure the electron equilibrium inside the cavity. In order to subtract the background due to various sources, dummy targets were also used, which were of the same weight as the spherical targets and of the doughnut shape, for secondary electrons from the dummy targets not to reach the detector. The target and detector assembly was built in a vacuum chamber and the silicon crystal was cooled by liquid nitrogen. The spectra were corrected for the spectral distortion due to the backscattering of incident electrons from silicon crystal, by using the back-scattering data obtained with an air core magnetic spectrometer over the energy range measured (25–1100 keV). The results show that the electron spectra slightly differ between aluminium and copper and remarkably depend on the angles, that is, the higher energy components increase with the decrease of angles. This result is considerably of interest for the reason that the observed spectra are a kind of the black body radiation and was expected to be nearly isotropic.
Financial Strain, Quit Attempts, and Smoking Abstinence Among U.S. Adult Smokers.

Introduction Cigarette smoking is substantially more prevalent and rates of smoking cessation are lower in low-SES adults. Financial strain may be one explanation for this. This study assessed the association between financial strain, quit attempts, and successful smoking cessation among adult smokers in the U.S. Methods Longitudinal data on adult current smokers (aged ≥18 years) from Waves 1 and 2 of the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2013–2015) were analyzed in 2017. Negative binomial regression and logistic regression models assessed the association between financial strain and (1) quit attempts and (2) cigarette abstinence, adjusting for important confounders. Results Smokers with financial strain made more quit attempts than smokers without financial strain (adjusted incidence-rate ratio=1.34, 95% CI=1.07, 1.68), but financial strain was not associated with smoking abstinence at follow-up (AOR=0.86, 95% CI=0.70, 1.05). Low income was associated with less smoking abstinence at follow-up (AOR=0.66, 95% CI=0.50, 0.87, for Conclusions Financially strained smokers made slightly more quit attempts than non-strained smokers but were no more likely to successfully quit. Low-income (less than 200% of the federal poverty level) smokers were less likely to quit than higher-income smokers, suggesting that financial strain alone may not explain the low quit rates in this population. Further efforts are needed to increase the success of quit attempts in low-income and financially strained smokers.
A deep multi-task learning approach for ECG data analysis

Deep learning is an advanced representation learning method and can automatically discover hidden features from raw data. Researchers have attempted to adopt it for ECG data analysis in the past few years. However, traditional deep learning algorithms usually require great efforts and experience to fine-tune the neural networks during their training processes. Moreover, these algorithms may suffer from a sharply declined accuracy when a well-trained model is directly applied to analyze the data from another group of patients. To address these issues, we propose a deep multi-task learning scheme for ECG data analysis which only requires limited efforts to fine-tune the network and can enable the trained model to be well applied to other datasets. Specifically, we first convert the ECG data analysis problem into a multi-task learning problem by dividing the ECG data analysis into multiple tasks. We then construct the multiple datasets for each task. Finally, we design a deep parameter-sharing network which inserts parameter-sharing neural layers in traditional neural networks. We conduct experiments by using the MIT-BIH database to validate the performance of our proposed scheme. Results illustrate that our proposed scheme can improve the accuracy of ECG data analysis by up to about 5.1%.
ZnO-Based Schottky and Oxide Multilayer Devices for Visibly Transparent Photovoltaic Applications

Autonomous smart windows may be integrated with a stack of active components, such as electrochromic devices, to modulate the opacity/transparency by an applied voltage. This voltage may be generated with a visibly transparent photovoltaic device. This paper describes the processing and performance of zinc oxide (ZnO) films for integration with electrochromic stacks. Sputtered ZnO (2% Mn) films on indium–tin oxide with transparency in the visible range were used to fabricate metal–semiconductor (MS), metal–insulator–semiconductor, and p-i-n heterojunction devices, and their photovoltaic conversion under ultraviolet (UV) illumination was evaluated with and without oxygen plasma-treated surface electrodes (Au, Ag, Al, and Ti/Ag). The MS Schottky parameters were fit against the generalized Bardeen model to obtain the density of interface states ( ${D}_{\textsf {it}} \approx \textsf {8.0}\times \textsf {10}^{\textsf {11}}$ eV−1cm−2) and neutral level ( ${E}_{o} \approx -\textsf {5.2}$ eV). These devices have exhibited a photoconductive behavior at $\lambda = \textsf {365}$ nm, and low-noise Ag-ZnO detectors have exhibited the responsivity ( ${R}$ ) and photoconductive gain ( ${G}$ ) of $\textsf {1.93}\times \textsf {10}^{-\textsf {4}}$ A/W and $\textsf {6.57}\times \textsf {10}^{-\textsf {4}}$ , respectively. Confirmed via matched-pair analysis, postmetallization oxygen plasma treatment of Ag and Ti/Ag electrodes has resulted in increased Schottky barrier heights, which maximized with a 2-nm SiO2 electron blocking layer, coupled with the suppression of recombination at the MS interface and blocking of majority carriers. For interdigitated devices under monochromatic UV-C illumination, the open-circuit voltage ( ${V}_{\textsf {oc}}$ ) was 1.2 V and short-circuit current density ( ${J}_{\textsf {sc}}$ ), due to minority carrier tunneling, was 0.68 mA/cm2.
Self-directed learning as related to learning strategies, self-regulation, and autonomy in an English language program: A local application with global implications

English language tutoring and/or self-access centers are services commonly offered as curricular support to English language program students in educational environments worldwide. This paper argues that the theory of self-directed learning (SDL) from the field of adult education should be considered alongside the equally-important areas of language learning strategies, learner autonomy, and self-regulated learning in the setup of these types of tutoring/self-access academic support centers. The proposition is examined by applying it to a particular case in an English language program of a major research university in the southeastern United States. The paper explicates the commonly-known theory of SDL (Grow, 1991) and relates it to models by put forward by Nakata (2010) and Oxford (2011, 2107). Empirical evidence from studies on encouraging SDL for English language study is summarized from a range of research projects conducted worldwide, and the author concludes by offering implications for educators in any institution-based, adult English language program.
Socratic Teaching and the Search for Coherence

This paper is an attempt to engage in ‘applied philosophy’.1 My primary conclusion is that as teachers we would do well to imitate Socrates. On the way to this conclusion I will point to insights that can be gained through a look at two areas of philosophy. First, I will argue that an important debate in contemporary epistemology can help clarify one of our central goals as teachers, arguing that contemporary foundationalists and coherentists converge on the conclusion that a person with real understanding is characterized by a coherent set of beliefs. If this is so, as teachers we should seek to help our students examine their beliefs for coherence and prod them toward a more coherent system of beliefs. Second, I will argue that a look at the ancient philosopher Socrates provides a challenging model for how to lead our students toward this goal.
Welcome and overview

This paper combines an introduction to the conference on Chemical Modifications, Radiation and Cytotoxic Drugs, and an historic overview of research in hypoxic cell sensitizers.