cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An 3He-DRIVEN INSTABILITY NEAR THE FULLY CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY

We report on the discovery of an instability in low-mass stars just above the threshold ({approx}0.35 M{sub Sun }) where they are expected to be fully convective on the main sequence (MS). Non-equilibrium {sup 3}He burning creates a convective core, which is separated from a deep convective envelope by a small radiative zone. The steady increase in central {sup 3}He causes the core to grow until it touches the surface convection zone, which triggers fully convective episodes in what we call the 'convective kissing instability'. These episodes lower the central abundance and cause the star to return to a state in which it has a separate convective core and envelope. These periodic events eventually cease when the {sup 3}He abundance throughout the star is sufficiently high that the star is fully convective, and remains so for the rest of its MS lifetime. The episodes correspond to few percent changes in radius and luminosity, over Myr to Gyr timescales. We discuss the physics of the instability, as well as prospects for detecting its signatures in open clusters and wide binaries. Secondary stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs) will pass through this mass range, and this instability could be related to the observedmore » paucity of such systems for periods between two and three hours. We demonstrate that the instability can be generated for CV secondaries with mass-loss rates of interest for such systems and discuss potential implications.« less
Trade and the governance of ecosystem services

Abstract We work with a basic general equilibrium model of an economy with an industrial good and a rural good. Industrial good production results in pollution that affects the provision of ecosystem services and thereby the production of the rural good. The assignment of ecosystem rights to the industrial polluters or to the rural pollutees results in differential transaction costs that affect production possibilities between the two goods. Ecosystem rights are assigned to maximize social welfare. Over time, technological change and differences in income superiority affect the choice of the assignment of rights. Opening to trade affects the choice of the assignment of ecosystem rights depending on the nature of technological change, but the relative income superiority of goods no longer affects the assignment of ecosystem rights in a small economy. Thus, among other findings, we demonstrate that the phenomena known as the environmental Kuznets curve does not hold for the protection of ecosystem services in production, or production externalities generally, because trade separates consumption from production.
Polarization of Line Emission from an Accretion Disk and Application to ARP 102B

We model the polarization properties of line emission from an accretion disk under a range of assumptions about the source function and electron-scattering optical depth tau(sub es). For small values of tau(sub es) and modest viewing angles, polarization can be in excess of the Chandrasekhar result for tau(sub es) = infinity. The polarization vector can be either parallel or perpendicular to the projected direction of the disk axis. The polarization properties of the double-peaked H-alpha emission line of the broad-line radio galaxy Arp 102B observed by Antonucci, Hurt, and Agol can be understood in terms of electron scattering and line broadening within the line-emitting region if tau(sub es) is of order unity, and if the position angle of polarization is parallel to the projected disk axis. The required small tau(sub es) is consistent with the hypothesis that the Balmer lines in Arp 102B are produced by photoionization of the disk atmosphere.
Energetics of Hydrothermal Ore Deposition

The process of hydrothermally concentrating trace metals into ores is endothermic. The necessary energy is supplied as heat either directly from the mantle or by igneous bodies. For epithermal ores, heat from intrusives causes advective circulation of hydrothermal fluids, which leach ore components from various source rocks. If minerals that precipitate from the circulating fluid are to reach ore concentrations, then the plutonic heat source must provide energy at a rate sufficient for adequate mass transport, roughly 1014 kJ/a, and must continue for about 106 a. To power a continuing hydrothermal circulation cell to form an ore deposit, such plutons should be intruded within an area less than about 50 km in diameter and with a frequency at least as often as every 25 ka. The rarity of mineral districts results principally from the enormous heat requirements of the processes that generate major mineralization. Consequently, in mineral exploration, an initial objective ideally is to find evidence of extraor...
Tat trans-activates the human immunodeficiency virus through a nascent RNA target

Expression of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome is greatly dependent on the viral trans-activator protein Tat. Tat functions through the TAR element, which is represented in both viral DNA and RNA. At present, there is no definitive evidence that determines whether Tat acts through a DNA or RNA form of TAR. We have used an intramolecular mutagenesis approach to change selectively the RNA secondary structure of TAR without affecting its primary sequence. We show that a specific RNA secondary structure for TAR is needed for biological activity. Furthermore, transcripts that only transiently form a native TAR RNA hairpin, which is not maintained in the mature mRNA, are completely trans-activated by Tat, suggesting that TAR is recognized as a nascent RNA.
Volume rendering by adaptive refinement

Volume rendering is a technique for visualizing sampled scalar functions of three spatial dimensions by computing 2D projections of a colored semi-transparent gel. This paper presents a volume-rendering algorithm, in which image quality is adaptively refined over time. An initial image is generated by casting a small number of rays into the data, less than one ray per pixel, and interpolating between the resulting colors. Subsequent images are generated by alternately casting more rays and interpolating. The usefulness of these rays is maximized by distributing them according to measures of local image complexity. Examples from two applications are given: molecular graphics and medical imaging.
Cadmium cytotoxicity correlates with the changes in glutathione content that occur during the logarithmic growth phase of a549-t27 cells

Abstract Correlation of cadmium cytotoxicity with cellular glutathione content as it changes during cell growth was examined in human lung carcinoma A549-T27 cells. Cellular glutathione content was found to increase rapidly during the first 24 h of subculture, which includes the lag and early log phases of growth, and to decrease continuously thereafter. Glutathione content reached its lowest level at 108 h of subculture. This period of glutathione decrease represented most of the logarithmic phase of cell growth. Cells exposed to cadmium at different times during the logarithimic growth phase showed differential sensitivity. Cells with the higher initial glutathione content that occurs at the early period of the logarithmic growth phase were cadmium-resistant relative to those of lower glutathione content found at the later period of the logarithmic phase. A high correlation (r = 0.82) between cadmium sensitivity and glutathione content was found, which suggests that intracellular glutathione content is an important determinant of overall cadmium cytotoxicity.
Utilization of adsorption-immobilized urease in gas-diffusion flow injection

Abstract A gas-diffusion flow-injection system for the assay of urea is reported. Urea is enzymatically converted to ammonia, which is determined spectrophotometrically by detecting the change in absorbance of a mixed pH indicator. The enzyme is immobilized by addition of perfluoroalkyl chains to the free amine groups of the enzyme and then adsorption of this modified enzyme on a polytetrafluoroethylene gas-diffusion membrane. The method is applicable in the range 0.1–500 mM urea. The procedure was used in comparison assays using blood serum samples.
Dynamic linear response theory for a nonextensive system based on the Tsallis prescription.

We develop here a dynamic linear response theory of many-body nonextensive systems based on the maximization of the Tsallis entropy associated with the density matrix and the concomitant suitably defined mean total energy, number, etc., where the averaging is over the qth power of the density matrix, q being a parameter characterizing the nonextensivity. This formulation is shown to preserve causality (Kramers-Kronig), time reversal, and Onsager reciprocity, while a different form of fluctuation-dissipation theorem is obtained. The traditional theory for extensive systems is obtained in the special case where $q\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$.
Ultrastructure of the junctional complexes from the descending thin limbs of the loop of Henle from rats.

No spaces were seen within the tight junctions of descending thin limb cells of Henle's loop in rat kidney, although spaces 70 A in diameter and larger had previously been reported in studies utilizing rabbit kidney. Colloidal lanthanum added to the fixative solutions was not able to penetrate these rat tight junctions.
The slow-growth high-mortality hypothesis: direct experimental support in a leafmining fly

1. Based on the slow-growth high-mortality (SGHM) hypothesis, which predicts that prolonged larval development increases mortality from their natural enemies, studies have often assumed that low quality of plants that slows larval development would function as a defence against insect herbivores. However, empirical support for the SGHM hypothesis has been limited, especially in natural and ecologically relevant contexts. 2. In a leafminer Amauromyza flavifrons Meigen (Agromyzidae, Diptera), the SGHM hypothesis was tested along with four other hypotheses (e.g. prey size, mine appearance, density-dependent parasitism, and plant quality hypotheses) to control for spurious associations between development time and parasitism that are primarily driven by other larval traits. Two host plant species, Saponaria officinalis and Silene latifolia, were grown under varying nitrogen levels, and leafminers developing on these plants were exposed to, or protected from, a natural assembly of parasitoids across the entire course of larval development. 3. On both host plant species, leafminers that survived to an adult stage in the presence of parasitoids had a shorter development time than those in the absence of parasitoids, indicating that parasitoids disproportionately kill leafminers with longer larval development. The results provided concrete evidence for the SGHM hypothesis within the natural ecological context for these interacting species. Moreover, reduced plant quality was associated with higher larval mortality on Sa. officinalis only in the presence of parasitoids, suggesting that low quality could function as indirect plant resistance via SGHM under some tri-trophic interactions.
Making Organizational Theory Work: Institutions, Occupations, and Negotiated Orders

In this essay I argue that organizational theorizing would benefit from incorporating a richer understanding of work and occupations. To demonstrate how, I turn to recent literature analyzing inhabited institutions, occupations as institutions, and occupations as negotiated orders. I explore the theoretical and methodological implications of these approaches to show how they challenge some of our more abstract images of organizations. They do so by grounding their theoretical frameworks in work practices and interaction, interpretation and meaning, and understandings of occupational membership.
Robustness of the School-Level IRT Model

The robustness of the school-level item response theoretic (IRT) model to violations of distributional assumptions was studied in a computer simulation. Estimated precision of “expected a posteriori” (EAP) estimates of the mean school ability from BILOG 3 was compared with actual precision, varying school size, intraclass correlation, school ability, number of forms comprising the test, and item parameters. Under conditions where the school-level precision might be possibly acceptable for real school comparisons, the EAP estimates of school ability were robust over a wide range of violations and conditions, with the estimated precision being either consistent with the actual precision or somewhat conservative. Some lack of robustness was found, however, under conditions where the precision was inherently poor and the test would presumably not be used for serious school comparisons.
A Novel Histology-directed Strategy for MALDI-MS Tissue Profiling That Improves Throughput and Cellular Specificity in Human Breast Cancer

We describe a novel tissue profiling strategy that improves the cellular specificity and analysis throughput of protein profiles obtained by direct MALDI analysis. The new approach integrates the cellular specificity of histology, the accuracy and reproducibility of robotic liquid dispensing, and the speed and objectivity of automated spectra acquisition. Traditional methodologies for preparing and analyzing tissue samples rely heavily on manual procedures, which for various reasons discussed, restrict cellular specificity and sample throughput. Here, a robotic spotter deposits micron-sized droplets of matrix precisely onto foci of normal mammary epithelium, ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive mammary cancer, and peritumoral stroma selected by a pathologist from high resolution histological images of sectioned human breast cancer samples. The location of each matrix spot was then determined and uploaded into the instrument to facilitate automated profile acquisition by MALDI-TOF. In the example shown, the different lesions were clearly differentiated using mass profiling. Further, the workflow permits a visual projection of any information produced from the profile analyses directly on the histological image for a unique combination of proteomic and histological assessment of sample regions. The higher performance characteristics offered by the new workflow promises to be a significant advancement toward the next generation of tissue profiling studies.
Spinodal phase separation in relativistic nuclear collisions

The spinodal amplification of density fluctuations is treated perturbatively within dissipative fluid dynamics for the purpose of elucidating the prospects for this mechanism to cause a phase separation to occur during a relativistic nuclear collision. The present study includes not only viscosity but also heat conduction (whose effect on the growth rates is of comparable magnitude but opposite), as well as a gradient term in the local pressure, and the corresponding dispersion relation for collective modes in bulk matter is derived from relativistic fluid dynamics. A suitable two-phase equation of state is obtained by interpolation between a hadronic gas and a quark-gluon plasma, while the transport coefficients are approximated by simple parametrizations that are suitable at any degree of net baryon density. We calculate the degree of spinodal amplification occurring along specific dynamical phase trajectories characteristic of nuclear collision at various energies. The results bring out the important fact that the prospects for spinodal phase separation to occur can be greatly enhanced by careful tuning of the collision energy to ensure that the thermodynamic conditions associated with the maximum compression lie inside the region of spinodal instability.
Use of viscogens, dNTPalphaS, and rhodium(III) as probes in stopped-flow experiments to obtain new evidence for the mechanism of catalysis by DNA polymerase beta.

The kinetic mechanism and the structural bases of the fidelity of DNA polymerases are still highly controversial. Here we report the use of three probes in the stopped-flow studies of Pol ‚ to obtain new, direct evidence for our previous interpretations: (a) Increasing the viscosity of the reaction buffer by sucrose or glycerol is expected to slow down the conformational change differentially, and it was shown to slow down the first (fast) fluorescence transition selectively. (b) Use of dNTP RS in place of dNTP is expected to slow down the chemical step preferentially, and it was shown to slow down the second (slow) fluorescence transition selectively. (c) The substitution-inert Rh(III)dNTP was used to show for the first time that the slow fluorescence change occurs after mixing of Pol ‚‚DNA‚Rh(III)dNTP with Mg(II). These results, along with crystal structures, suggest that the subdomain-closing conformational change occurs before binding of the catalytic Mg(II) while the rate-limiting step occurs after binding of the catalytic Mg(II). These results provide new evidence to the mechanism we suggested previously, but do not support the results of three recent papers of computational studies. The results were further supported by a "sequential mixing" stopped-flow experiment that used no analogues, and thus ruled out the possibility that the discrepancy between experimental and computational results is due to the use of analogues. The methodologies can be used to examine other DNA polymerases to answer whether the properties of Pol ‚ are exceptional or general.
Advances in the Spatial Equilibrium Modeling of Mineral and Energy Issues

Spatial equilibrium programming methods are increasingly being applied to modeling regional mineral and energy issues. Spatial equilibrium models have been developed to analyze regional commodity trade problems in a national and international context. Mineral models deal with nonfuel minerals and energy models with fuel minerals. Recent modeling efforts focus on conventional fuel and nonfuel mineral trade problems, recognizing the importance of transport costs and political constraints in formulating an equilibrium that approximates competitive trade. Other recent efforts focus on the engineering processes required to transform primary mineral ores or fuels to their more useful processed stages. This paper reviews the theoretical approaches of spatial equilibrium models, compares them to other methods, introduces new modeling advances, and provides a perspective on future modeling directions.
A Perspective on Coatings to Stabilize High-Voltage Cathodes: LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 with Sub-Nanometer Lipon Cycled with LiPF6 Electrolyte

High voltage Li-ion cathodes push the limits of stability for both cathode and electrolyte. Here subnanometer coatings of an amorphous thin film electrolyte (Lipon) improved the room temperature and 60 C cycling stability of a LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 spinel cathode when charged to 4.9V with a standard LiPF6 carbonate electrolyte. The cathodes delivered superior C-rate performances up to a 5C discharge, when compared to the uncoated cathodes. Enhanced performance extended for at least 100 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicates that Lipon slows the increase of interface resistance. Thicker 1-3nm Lipon coatings are sufficiently insulating as to block electronic transport to the cathode particles. Thick coatings also slow Mn dissolution. Results suggest that Lipon may act to scavenge impurities or block active sites that promote electrolyte decomposition. While greatly improved by the Lipon coating, this cathode is not sufficiently stable for long cycle life applications. Further work is needed to assess if and what surface coatings will ultimately stabilize the high voltage cathodes. Comments include insight from other studies of Lipon coated cathodes and directions for future research.
APS storage ring vacuum system development

The Advanced Photon Source synchrotron radiation facility, under construction at the Argonne National Laboratory, incorporates a large ring for the storage of 7-GeV positrons for the generation of photon beams for the facility's materials research program. The storage ring's 1104 m circumference is divided into 40 sectors which contain vacuum, beam transport, control, RF, and insertion device systems. The vacuum system will operate at a pressure of 1 nTorr and is fabricated from aluminum. The system includes distributed NeG pumping, photon absorbers with lumped pumping, beam positron monitors, vacuum diagnostics, and valving. An overview of the vacuum system design and details of selected development program results are presented. >
A General Polling Algorithm Using a Wireless AMR System for Restoration Confirmation

Restoration of distribution systems is a complicated process, especially after storms, when a large number of outages can occur. Many utilities are implementing automated meter reading (AMR) systems that can aid in the restoration process. This paper presents work done to utilize the capabilities and information provided by a wireless AMR system, including the on-demand read feature, to develop a polling procedure to identify system conditions. It takes advantage of the connection information provided by a utility and the performance of the wireless meter communication systems.
Multiple Risky Assets, Transaction Costs, and Return Predictability: Allocation Rules and Implications for U.S. Investors

This paper numerically solves the decision problem of a multiperiod constant relative risk aversion individual who faces transaction costs and has access to two risky assets, both with predictable returns. With proportional transaction costs and independent and identically distributed returns, we numerically find the rebalancing rule to be a no-trade region for the portfolio weights with rebalancing to the boundary. The shape of the no-trade region depends on the correlation between the two risky assets. With predictable returns, there is instead a no-trade region for each state. We also examine several important economic questions, including the utility cost of not being able to buy on margin or short stock.
Historic land cover change in the agricultural Midwest using an object-based approach for classification of high-resolution imagery

A semiautomated classification methodology was implemented using historic, high-resolution aerial photography in a dominant agricultural landscape. An object-based segmentation approach was applied to study land cover change from 1930 through 1990 in Johnson County, Iowa, in the Midwestern United States. A critical analysis of the approach is discussed, emphasizing the ability of the methodology to generate landscape metrics that can accurately characterize the quality of the landscape, particularly the high-resolution landscape features that are so important in a highly modified landscape. Landscape analysis includes a discussion of both the changes in the areal composition of land cover types and also the structural changes that are captured using both patch- and landscape-level metrics. Results were compared with countywide statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture as well as similar landscape studies, and provide evidence of agricultural intensification. Results also indicate some counterintuitive processes occurring from what is expected of a landscape undergoing this type of transformation, suggesting that altering the scale of study may provide different insight into land cover change dynamics.
Performance prediction of the interacting multiple model algorithm

The interacting multiple model (IMM) algorithm has been shown to be one of the most cost-effective estimation schemes for hybrid systems. Its performance, however, could only be evaluated via expensive Monte Carlo simulations. An effective hybrid approach to the performance evaluation without recourse to simulations is presented. This approach is based on a scenario-conditional performance measure of hybrid nature in the sense that it is a continuous-valued matrix function of a discrete-valued random sequence-the system mode sequence. This system mode sequence is an essential description of the scenario of the problem of interest on which the performance of the algorithm is to be predicted. The performance measure is calculated efficiently in an offline recursion. The ability of this approach to predict accurately the average performance of the algorithm is illustrated via two important examples: a generic air traffic control tracking problem and a nonstationary noise identification problem. >
Recovery of consciousness after brain injury: a mesocircuit hypothesis

Recovery of consciousness following severe brain injuries can occur over long time intervals. Importantly, evolving cognitive recovery can be strongly dissociated from motor recovery in some individuals, resulting in underestimation of cognitive capacities. Common mechanisms of cerebral dysfunction that arise at the neuronal population level may explain slow functional recoveries from severe brain injuries. This review proposes a "mesocircuit" model that predicts specific roles for different structural and dynamic changes that may occur gradually during recovery. Recent functional neuroimaging studies that operationally identify varying levels of awareness, memory and other higher brain functions in patients with no behavioral evidence of these cognitive capacities are discussed. Measuring evolving changes in underlying brain function and dynamics post-injury and post-treatment frames future investigative work.
Insecticide Resistance in Mosquitoes: Impact, Mechanisms, and Research Directions

Mosquito-borne diseases, the most well known of which is malaria, are among the leading causes of human deaths worldwide. Vector control is a very important part of the global strategy for management of mosquito-associated diseases, and insecticide application is the most important component in this effort. However, mosquito-borne diseases are now resurgent, largely because of the insecticide resistance that has developed in mosquito vectors and the drug resistance of pathogens. A large number of studies have shown that multiple, complex resistance mechanisms—in particular, increased metabolic detoxification of insecticides and decreased sensitivity of the target proteins—or genes are likely responsible for insecticide resistance. Gene overexpression and amplification, and mutations in protein-coding-gene regions, have frequently been implicated as well. However, no comprehensive understanding of the resistance mechanisms or regulation involved has yet been developed. This article reviews current knowledg...
Exchangeable Zinc Pool Size in Infants Is Related to Key Variables of Zinc Homeostasis

The exchangeable zinc pool (EZP) is the sum of the combined pools that exchange with zinc in the plasma within 48-72 h and is thought to be critical for zinc-dependent biological processes. The size of the EZP in adults has been found to be positively related to dietary zinc intake, daily absorbed zinc and fecal excretion of endogenous zinc. In this study, we examine data on EZP size in relation to variables of zinc homeostasis in normal infants on different feeding regimens. Data from 45 male infants who participated in one of four different studies contribute to the analysis. The feeding regimens include exclusive breastfeeding (n = 9; age, 2-5 mo); breastfeeding plus modest supplementation with cow's milk-based formula (n = 16; age, 3-4 mo); exclusive formula feeding (n = 4; age, 3-4 mo) and exclusive breastfeeding plus complementary foods (n =16; age, 7 mo). Fractional absorption was determined by fecal monitoring after oral administration of zinc-stable isotopes. Urine enrichment 4-8 d posttracer was used to determine endogenous fecal zinc (7-mo-old infants excepted) and EZP size. Univariate correlations and multivariate regression analyses were performed between EZP and age, weight, dietary zinc intake, fractional absorption, total absorbed zinc and endogenous fecal zinc. Results include no significant relationship between EZP size and age, body weight or fractional absorption but a positive relationship with daily absorbed zinc and endogenous fecal zinc excretion. We conclude that the amount of absorbed zinc is not tightly regulated, and that endogenous fecal zinc is dependent on and responsive to the zinc status of the organism.
Faculty Engagement in Mentoring Undergraduate Students: How Institutional Environments Regulate and Promote Extra-Role Behavior.

Faculty-student interaction is critical for quality undergraduate education. Faculty mentorship provides concrete benefits for students, faculty members, and institutions. However, little is known about the effect of institutional context on mentorship. Using data from interviews of 98 faculty at five different California State University institutions, we examined faculty motivations and institutional supports and barriers to mentoring as it occurs outside of formalized programs. We argue that this type of mentoring is distinct from advising and teaching and constitutes extra-role behavior. Further, institutional norms and the culture of the academic profession often hinder mentorship. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Water Quality in Pumped Storage Reservoirs

The purpose of this study is to indicate bases for evaluating certain water quality characteristics of large-scale pumped storage reservoir projects to be used for multipurpose water uses, as well as for peak power production. The principal characteristics of concern are temperature and dissolved oxygen. Results of field studies during 1965 and 1966 at the Smith Mountain pumped storage project in Virginia are presented to indicate the apparent mixing effects caused by pumping at that site. Comparisons are made with a nearby conventional reservoir, Philpott Reservoir, to show divergence from natural conditions. The general conclusions support previous information concerning the applicability and benefits of pumped storage for multipurpose water development. Also, the potential of obtaining higher water quality in any large pumped storage reservoir suggests that the designs of future projects be critically reviewed in this regard.
High-Pressure Carbon Dioxide Removal in Supercritical Water Gasification of Biomass

The utilization of high-pressure water to separate hydrogen from carbon dioxide is described for a biomass gasification process in supercritical water. Based on the higher solubility of carbon dioxide than hydrogen in water, the addition of excess water to the product gas mixture under high pressure results in hydrogen with a purity above 90 mol% in the gas phase. Power consumption for the compression of water needed to dissolve the carbon dioxide is negligible. Hydrogen dissolved in the water together with carbon dioxide is utilized for process heat. An evaluation of this process was conducted by both experimental and theoretical approaches. Energy flow analysis conducted on the gasification process with this separation shows the significance of the heat exchanger efficiency.
GreenCassandra: Using renewable energy in distributed structured storage systems

We investigate how to manage an interactive service, where response time is a critical performance metric, to maximize the benefits of green energy produced from variable sources such as solar and wind. Specifically, we design, prototype, and evaluate a distributed structured storage system, GreenCassandra, which is representative of a class of important subsystems underlying many interactive cloud services. Our proposed approach predicts the production of solar energy, and then controls the number of active nodes to manage energy consumption while respecting a response time SLA. When green energy is available, GreenCassandra may activate extra servers to build up slack with respect to the SLA. When using brown energy, GreenCassandra deactivates servers to reduce energy consumption, leveraging any built-up performance slack, while observing constraints imposed by the SLA. Evaluations show that GreenCassandra can use a heuristic green-energy-aware policy to decrease brown energy consumption and cost by up to 28% and 29%, respectively, compared to a baseline energy-aware policy. Further, these savings are very close to those achievable by an optimization-based policy that has perfect knowledge of future workload and green energy production.
On the discrepancy of circular sequences of reals

Abstract In this paper we study a refined measure of the discrepancy of sequences of real numbers in [ 0 , 1 ] on a circle C of circumference 1. Specifically, for a sequence x = ( x 1 , x 2 , … ) in [ 0 , 1 ] , define the discrepancy D ( x ) of x by D ( x ) = inf n ≥ 1 ⁡ inf m ≥ 1 ⁡ n ‖ x m − x m + n ‖ where ‖ x i − x j ‖ = min ⁡ { | x i − x j | , 1 − | x i − x j | } is the distance between x i and x j on C . We show that sup x ⁡ D ( x ) ≤ 3 − 5 2 and that this bound is achieved, strengthening a conjecture of D.J. Newman.
Cocoa and whey protein differentially affect markers of lipid and glucose metabolism and satiety.

Abstract Food formulation with bioactive ingredients is a potential strategy to promote satiety and weight management. Whey proteins are high in leucine and are shown to decrease hunger ratings and increase satiety hormone levels; cocoa polyphenolics moderate glucose levels and slow digestion. This study examined the effects of cocoa and whey proteins on lipid and glucose metabolism and satiety in vitro and in a clinical trial. In vitro, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were treated with 0.5–100 μg/mL cocoa polyphenolic extract (CPE) and/or 1–15 mM leucine (Leu) and assayed for lipid accumulation and leptin production. In vivo, a 6-week clinical trial consisted of nine panelists (age: 22.6 ± 1.7; BMI: 22.3 ± 2.1) consuming chocolate-protein beverages once per week, including placebo, whey protein isolate (WPI), low polyphenolic cocoa (LP), high polyphenolic cocoa (HP), LP-WPI, and HP-WPI. Measurements included blood glucose and adiponectin levels, and hunger ratings at baseline and 0.5–4.0 h following beverage consum...
Nucleus segmentation in histology images with hierarchical multilevel thresholding

Automatic segmentation of histological images is an important step for increasing throughput while maintaining high accuracy, avoiding variation from subjective bias, and reducing the costs for diagnosing human illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In this paper, we present a novel method for unsupervised segmentation of cell nuclei in stained histology tissue. Following an initial preprocessing step involving color deconvolution and image reconstruction, the segmentation step consists of multilevel thresholding and a series of morphological operations. The only parameter required for the method is the minimum region size, which is set according to the resolution of the image. Hence, the proposed method requires no training sets or parameter learning. Because the algorithm requires no assumptions or a priori information with regard to cell morphology, the automatic approach is generalizable across a wide range of tissues. Evaluation across a dataset consisting of diverse tissues, including breast, liver, gastric mucosa and bone marrow, shows superior performance over four other recent methods on the same dataset in terms of F-measure with precision and recall of 0.929 and 0.886, respectively.
Impact of depressive symptoms and hepatic encephalopathy on health-related quality of life in cirrhotic hepatitis C patients

Depression, common in chronic medical conditions, and hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome due to liver dysfunction, are associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cirrhosis and hepatitis C (HCV). This study investigated the impact of depression and HE on HRQOL in cirrhotic patients with HCV. A convenience sample of 43 ambulatory patients, with varying degrees of cirrhosis secondary to HCV, was prospectively enrolled in this study. Participants were assessed for any current depressive, fatigue, and daytime sleepiness symptoms and underwent a psychometric evaluation to determine the presence of HE symptoms. Participants reported current HRQOL on general health and liver disease-specific questionnaires. Diagnosis and current health status were confirmed via medical records. The associations between disease severity, depressive symptoms, HE, fatigue, and daytime sleepiness were measured. Predictors of HRQOL in this sample were determined. Depressive symptoms (70 %) and HE (77 %) were highly prevalent in this sample, with 58 % actively experiencing both conditions at the time of study participation. A significant positive association was found between depressive symptoms and HE severity (P = .05). Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with fatigue (P < .001), daytime sleepiness (P < .001), general HRQOL (P < .001), and disease-specific HRQOL (P < .001). HE was significantly associated with fatigue (P = .02), general HRQOL (P < .001), and disease-specific HRQOL (P < .001). Depressive symptoms and HE were significant predictors of reduced HRQOL (P < .001), with depressive symptoms alone accounting for 58.8 % of the variance. Depressive symptoms and HE accounted for 68.0 % of the variance. Findings suggest a possible pathophysiological link between depression and HE in cirrhosis, and potentially a wider-reaching benefit of treating minimal and overt HE than previously appreciated.
THE PREDICTION OF TEACHING PERFORMANCE

THE PURPOSE of this paper is to report the findings of a five-year study conducted to determine if material obtained from certain measures of per sonality was useful in predicting success in elemen tary and secondary teaching. The criteria of suc cess were two-fold: the ratings given a teacher by a classroom observer, and the rating given a teacher by his principal. Findings relative to the first cri terion will be discussed here. The test data used were the results from the group form of the MMPI and the group Rorschach, both tests taken during the credential candidate' s undergraduate training. The predictive efficacy of these data was compared with that of data otherwise used in the selection of applicants for the credential program.
A note on the effect of ripple firing on the spectra of quarry shots

Abstract A series of controlled quarry shots were recorded at a distance of approximately 900 feet to ascertain the effect of ripple firing on amplitude and spectra of the seismic waves. A measurable reduction in the amplitude of compressional and shear wave was observed at some frequencies. This effect was not so pronounced for the surface waves.
Abstract A03: The effects of the cellular microenvironment on medulloblastoma metastasis

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common pediatric brain tumor, known to be highly malignant and invasive within the brain as well as extraneural locations. The mechanisms inducing MB metastasis and dissemination are not completely understood. Astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the brain, have been shown in our lab to secrete factors that induce breast cancer brain metastasis (Wang et al., 2013). In addition to astrocytes, many brain cell types have also been implicated in the malignancy of brain tumors, including microglia, pericytes, and endothelial cells as part of the neurovascular unit. The overall goal of this study is to determine the effects of cells in the tumor microenvironment on MB metastasis. Our hypothesis is that astrocytes and/or other cell types in the neurovascular unit and microenvironment secrete factors that bring upon phenotypic changes in MB cells, leading to increased metastasis. To investigate this hypothesis, astrocyte conditioned media (ACM) from neonatal rat astrocyte cultures were used in in vitro assays to determine functional changes to Daoy MB cells. We observed that ACM (both serum free and serum depleted) in the lower chamber of a Boyden chamber Matrigel invasion assay induced invasion of Daoy cells more than 50-fold in comparison to DMEM in the lower well. Brain endothelial cell conditioned media also increased invasion of Daoy cells, which was comparable to ACM. ACM did not significantly affect proliferation or apoptosis of Daoy cells, as tested by BrdU incorporation and Caspase-3/-7 activity, respectively. When cultured appropriately in serum free ACM (+bFGF and EGF), Daoy cells were able to form larger and more proliferative neurospheres in comparison to DMEM, indicative of an increase in neural or cancer stem cell characteristics. To determine the effects of ACM on MB metastasis in vivo, we developed a zebrafish xenotransplant model. Daoy-GFP cells were injected into the hindbrain of 48 hour post fertilization Absolut FLK-mCherry zebrafish embryos. Using time-lapse confocal microscopy, we are able to image the cells and observe their movement within the microenvironment after injection. With this method we are working to determine changes in cell morphology and movement in Daoy-GFP cells that were cultured in ACM prior to injection. In order to further elucidate the mechanism in which ACM increases invasion and neurosphere formation, microarray studies are underway to pin-point a factor(s) or pathway(s) involved. Together, these data indicate that cells comprising the neurovascular unit, namely endothelial cells and astrocytes, contribute in a paracrine manner to MB metastasis and dissemination. Citation Format: Emily Gronseth, Ling Wang, Chris Koceja, Ramani Ramchandran. The effects of the cellular microenvironment on medulloblastoma metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Developmental Biology and Cancer; Nov 30-Dec 3, 2015; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(4_Suppl):Abstract nr A03.
Crypt apoptotic body counts in normal ileal biopsies overlap with graft-versus-host disease and acute cellular rejection of small bowel allografts☆

Crypt apoptosis in intestinal epithelium is an important diagnostic feature of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and acute cellular rejection (ACR) of intestinal transplants (ITx). In ITx pathology, 2 or fewer apoptotic bodies in 10 consecutive crypts are considered normal, whereas 6 or more is consistent with mild ACR. The presence of 3 to 5 apoptotic bodies is problematic and is often classified as indeterminate for ACR. The minimum diagnostic threshold for GVHD is controversial but also depends on the apoptotic body count (ABC). We investigated how many crypt apoptotic bodies could be identified in histologically normal ileal biopsies from healthy subjects (native intestines, no bone marrow transplant) who underwent screening colonoscopy and had ileal biopsy to confirm complete colonoscopy. We recorded the number of biopsy pieces per specimen and the maximum ABC in 10 consecutive crypts. Twenty-six of 40 patients (65%) had an ABC of 3 or more in 10 crypts, thus only 35% were "normal." Four (10%) had an ABC of ≥6 (positive for ACR). Twenty-two (55%) had 3-5 (indefinite for ACR). Depending on the criteria, up to 60% of the cases could be diagnosed as positive for GVHD.
Within-herd variation in energy utilization for maintenance and gain in beef cows

Fourteen mature, nonpregnant, nonlactating Angus cows (498 kg) were individually fed through two consecutive phases (maintenance [M], 80 d and ad libitum [A], 70 to 79 d) to estimate within-herd variation in individual cow ME requirements for maintenance (MEm) and to identify factors contributing to this variation. Body composition was determined at initiation of phase M, at termination of phase M (also initiation of phase A) and at the end of phase A by a two-pool D2O dilution technique. Daily MEm averaged 156.7 kcal/kg BW.75 (SD = 18.4 kcal/kg BW.75) and efficiency of ME use for tissue gain or loss averaged 76% (SD = 30%). Estimates of ME intake to maintain 1 kg of protein or 1 kg of fat were 192.9 (SE = 24.8) or 20.7 (SE = 21.5) kcal. These data indicate that among cows of similar fat masses, those with larger protein masses had higher energy requirements for maintenance. Daily MEm was positively correlated (P less than .16) with liver weight (r = .40) and relative proportions of liver (r = .44; P less than .16) and heart (r = .48; P less than .10) in the empty body. Also, daily MEm was correlated negatively (P less than .05) with weight (r = -.71) and relative proportion of omental and mesenteric fat (r = -.78). Estimates of ME required for deposition of 1 kcal of protein or fat were 5.56 (SE = 1.01) or 1.26 (SE = .09) kcal. Weight of liver and the sum of liver, spleen, kidney and heart weights increased 1.58 (R2 = .47) and 1.95 kg (R2 = .52) per kilogram of daily weight gain during phase A. These results indicate that increased performance caused increased organ mass (liver).
Time-Travel Films: Replaying Time, Choice, and Action

This chapter follows resistance to the tragic narrative in the medium of film, exemplified in those films that involve travel through time, when the protagonist pursues a desire to see a story undone by revisiting a past tragic choice or event. These films play on or with that impulse to resist the script’s authority inherent in acts of adaptation, and they translate it into a character’s defiance of social or political authority in a quest to right a wrong, to prevent a future disaster, or recover what has been lost. The script’s authority is identified with a sense of the inexorable nature of time, which film itself has the power to undermine it. The first part considers films (including La Jetee, 12 Monkeys, Deja Vu, and Looper) that set time travel in an socio-political framework, in which a male time traveler must disobey the authorities that send him back in time. These models are then contrasted with Run Lola Run and Celine and Julie Go Boating, films that feature female protagonists who use a time-loop or game-like structure to transform a tragic outcome into a comic ending. Time travel thus lends itself to the conversion of narrative into a game, when the linearity of time is twisted through recursion and repetition.
Grating Design for 3-D Interconnections of Waveguides in Overlaid Chips Using the RCWA-EIS Method

The rigorous coupled-wave analysis – equivalent-index-slab (RCWA-EIS) method is used to determine the diffraction efficiencies of gratings for 3-D coupling between overlaid chips. The simulation results are validated by FDTD calculations.
Global parametric sensitivity analysis of a model for dead-end microfiltration of bacterial suspensions

Abstract One of the central problems in membrane implementation is that foulants deposit on surfaces of microfilters employed for water and wastewater treatment and reuse, reducing their productivity. In an effort to remove as much of the deposited materials as possible and maintain the flux, the direction of flow across these membranes is regularly and frequently reversed. However, backwashing only removes the loosely or reversibly bound materials necessitating the entire system to be taken off-line for chemical cleaning when fouling increases beyond a threshold value. We recently presented a mathematically rigorous methodology to determine timing and duration of backwashes so as to delay membrane chemical cleaning and reduce associated operational complexity and costs. By considering an optimal control formulation, using the flow direction as the control variable, the optimal timing and maximum volume of water that can be microfiltered in a given time period were predicted during dead-end filtration of bacterial suspensions. The value of these predictions depend on our ability to accurately and precisely estimate input parameters such as the clean membrane resistance, influent water quality estimates, and biofilm and exo-polymeric substance formation rates and effects. These estimates are inherently uncertain leading to uncertainty in the predictions, which can be rigorously quantified using Sobol indices. These provide a global method for assessing the sensitivity of model predictions (e.g. optimal timing and volume filtered) with respect to variations in the inputs.