cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding complex, real-world systems through asynchronous, distributed decision-making algorithms

Abstract Traditionally, the underlying decision-making algorithms for most real-world systems have been centralized. The term, real-world, refers to systems under computer control that relate to everyday life, are beneficial to the society in the large, and are generally large-scale in scope. Examples include AT&T's dynamic non-hierarchical routing (DNHR) for routing telephone calls, the North American advanced train control system (ATCS) for routing railways, the Swiss banking system (SIC), and inventory management algorithms. While centralized algorithms are simple, easy to conceive and implement, they execute sequentially on uniprocessors and are slow. In addition, by their very nature, centralized algorithms are highly susceptible to natural and artificial disasters. Synchronous distributed algorithms constitute a performance improvement over centralized algorithms, and have been used in fault simulation within the discipline of computer-aided design of digital systems and in matrix manipulations. However, their performance is limited due to frequent inherent synchronizations. This paper critically examines the nature of large-scale, real-world systems and observes that, fundamentally, most complex systems are composed of entities – concurrent, independent, and self-contained units of decision-making, that interact with each other, asynchronously. This paper presents a new class of algorithms – asynchronous, distributed, decision-making (ADDM) algorithms, to constitute the underlying control of such systems. While ADDM algorithms are closely related to autonomous decentralized systems (ADS) in the principal elements, their characteristics and boundaries are defined rigorously. While ADDM algorithms are difficult to conceive, design, and implement, they constitute the natural and logical choice for systems control, and hold the promise of extracting the maximal parallelism inherent in these systems. In addition, in principle, true asynchronous systems can be described accurately only by asynchronous, distributed algorithms, never by synchronous distributed algorithms. This paper reasons the nature of most complex real-world systems from first principles and reasons for its increasing importance in the design of future, large-scale, systems. It then presents the underlying principle of ADDM algorithms, details their fundamental characteristics, enumerates a number of successful ADDM algorithms for problems from different disciplines, and briefly reviews the nature of three of them – (1) real-time, domestic payments processing system, (2) distributed scheduling in railway networks, and (3) distributed routing in ATM networks.
Chordoma of the Spinal Column

Chordomas are the most common primary malignant tumor of the mobile spine and of the sacrum. Although considered not to possess significant metastatic potential, such lesions are locally aggressive, leading to neurologic compromise and lytic destruction of bone. En bloc resection has afforded patients the greatest chance of local control and disease-free survival. Such radical resections may be associated with significant surgical morbidity, however. Although considered generally resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, recent advances in photon and proton radiation therapy and use of monoclonal antibodies may provide improved outcomes for poor surgical candidates and for tumors that recur after surgery.
An alternative measure of discharge effectiveness

Since 1960, geomorphic effectiveness has been quantified by analytically combining measures of the frequency and the magnitude of geomorphic processes, most often for the case of sediment yield in rivers via the calculation of effective discharge, Qeff. Here we leverage the Qeff analysis approach to develop an alternative metric, the functional-equivalent discharge Qfed, which is the discharge that will reproduce the magnitude of the sediment load generated by the full hydrologic distribution. Qfed is intended to be a more representative metric of hydrologic variability than Qeff: whereas Qeff provides a measure of the effectiveness of individual flow rates, Qfed incorporates a measure of the average effectiveness of the entire flow distribution. We develop an analytical approximation of Qfed based on relatively few parameters, apply the approach to a set of suspended sediment load data and describe how Qfed varies broadly with sediment and hydrologic conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Depolarizing Noise on the Precision of an Atomic Clock Using GHZ States

We consider the imperfect preparation on an N ion GHZ state for use as an atomic clock incorporating the depolarizing noise model. There is a tradeoff between N and the single qubit error rate p.
Representative volumes of materials based on microstructural statistics

Abstract The length scale over which microstructural statistical quantities fluctuate was measured using image analysis. The data show that these quantities stabilize over different length scales due to a non-uniform distribution in second phase particles. These results have implications in choosing representative volumes of materials for mechanical testing and analysis.
Effect of irrelevant information on the processing of relevant information: facilitation and/or interference? The influence of experimental design.

Previous studies have provided conflicting evidence concerning the question of whether irrelevant information can facilitate the processing of relevant information in a choice reaction time task. Results of the present study demonstrated that indications of facilitation and/or interference were dependent on the context in which baseline trials were administered. Three groups of 24 subjects pressed a left-.or right-hand key in response to the onset of an X or 0 that was accompanied by a monaural or binaural tone. The monaural toneprovided an irrelevant directional cue since, oia some trials, it was ipsilateral to the correct response (corresponding trials), while, on other trials, it was contralateral Inoncorrasponding trials). When binaural (baseline) trials were presented in the same block as the monaural trials, data suggested that the directional cue produced both facilitation and interference. However, when baseline trials were presented in one block, and corresponding and noncorresponding trials were mixed together in another block, data suggested an interference effect only. The difference was attributed to differences in the degree of stimulus uncertainty within a block of trials.
Huntington and Lovelock: Climatic Determinism in the 20th Century

Two scholars of the past century illustrate the changing yet lingering role of deterministic ideas in climatology. Early in the 20th century, Ellsworth Huntington wrote of the impact of climate on ...
Fibrinolytic activity is not dependent upon exercise mode in post-myocardial infarction patients

In this study we investigated possible differences in fibrinolytic activity in cardiac patients while they performed treadmill and cycle ergometry. Thirteen post-myocardial infarction patients completed two maximal exercise tests on treadmill and cycle ergometers. Blood was collected before and after each exercise test and was analyzed for the fibrinolytic variables, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity, and lactate. Maximal oxygen uptake, heart rate, and ventilation were greater (P < 0.05) on the treadmill than during cycle ergometry, however, blood lactate was similar between modes. t-PA activity significantly increased with exercise (P < 0.05) and there was a trend toward a reduction in PAI-1 activity with exercise, but this did not reach statistical significance. The fibrinolytic responses to maximal exercise did not differ between the two modes of exercise studied. Therefore, exercise intensity, but not the mode of exercise, appeared to be the primary determinant of the fibrinolytic response to acute exercise in these patients.
Determination of trace amounts of a proteolytic enzyme by FIA with a stopped-flow and an on-line preconcentration technique

An automated method for the determination of small amounts of proteolytic enzymes has been developed, by combining a stopped-flow and an on-line preconcentration technique, using sorbent extraction. It is based on the hydrolysis of a synthetic chromogenic substrate during the stopped-flow period, yielding p-nitroaniline, which is then preconcentrated on a C-18 column. The p-nitroaniline is then eluted from the column to the spectrophotometer flow cell with methanol. In operation, the substrate solution (500 mul) is injected into 0.1M tris-HCl buffer carrier and merged with the sample stream. The mixed plug is stopped in a waterbath, kept at constant temperature, for reaction. The operation of the manifold, including data acquisition, is controlled by a personal computer. Optimal parameters were 40 degrees , pH 8.3, a substrate concentration of 5 mM and wavelength 400 nm. The detection limit, using a 30 min stopped-flow reaction time, is 0.1 muU protease/ml. The method is intended to be used in combination with portable low volume air samplers for monitoring workplace enzyme dusts in the detergent industry.
Branching Ratios for the Decay of Vector Mesons into Lepton Pairs

We have studied the decays into lepton pairs of vector mesons ($\ensuremath{\rho},\ensuremath{\varphi},\ensuremath{\omega}$) produced by a beam of $3\ensuremath{-}\frac{\mathrm{BeV}}{c{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}$ mesons incident on a liquid-${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ target at the Brookhaven AGS. The experiment utilized scintillation counters and spark chambers as well as a lead-scintillator "shower chamber" constructed for the identification of electrons and rejection of background. A Monte Carlo technique was used to predict the background and determine the number of real events. For the muon-pair mode, the results are upper limits, with the branching ratio $\frac{(\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}\overline{\ensuremath{\mu}})}{(\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{all}\mathrm{modes})}l14\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ being the best limit determined. For the electron-pair decays we obtain $\frac{(\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\overline{e})}{(\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{all}\mathrm{modes})}=({{0.65}_{\ensuremath{-}0.5}}^{+1.1})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ and $(\frac{\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\overline{e}}{\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{all}\mathrm{modes}})=({{1.0}_{\ensuremath{-}0.75}}^{+1.7})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ for an assumed $\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\omega}$ mixing angle of 38\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Because of insufficient knowledge of the production process, we tentatively quote for the $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ meson a result ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\ensuremath{\varphi}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\frac{(\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\overline{e})}{(\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{all}\mathrm{modes})}={{0.31}_{\ensuremath{-}0.21}}^{+.34}$ \ensuremath{\mu}b. The results are compared with other experiments.
Capacity Utilization and Production Function Estimation in Postwar American Manufacturing

I. Introduction, 219. — II. The transcendental production function, 221. — III. An empirical test of the transcendental production function, 228. — IV. Conclusions, 237. — Appendix, 238.
Statistical method of assessing the properties of basic refractories

For basic refractories MG-1 and KhM-1, experimentally it was established that there is a straight correlation relationship expressed by a straight-line equation for regression between the weight and frequency of bending oscillations, determined without destruction of the articles, and the bulk density, porosity, compressive strength, determined by the standard methods.
NCR MODUS: A Data Management Subsystem

This paper describes MODUS, an intelligent data management subsystem currently offered by NCR. This paper also discusses MODUS in an Image Database Management Subsystem. MODUS consists of the hardware and software necessary to communicate via a high level interface to hosts or host networks for the purpose of managing data and peripherals for those hosts. The hardware configuration is an Input/Output Processor, one or more Communication Processors and at least one SCSI Interface to peripherals. The software configuration consists of data and peripheral management Controlware, and multiple optionally supported communication protocols. MODUS will accept high level commands from hosts to access, store and maintain data. Data management features such as multi-user file and database access manage-ment, spacial management, back-up procedures, archival procedures, data security and data integrity are supported. Resource management features such as shared peripherals, hierarchy of memories including cache, standard SCSI interface to peripherals, error logging, print spooling and multiple peripheral types including memory, disks, tapes and optical products are supported. Multiple communication paths can be used with MODUS. Physical connections like NCR OMNINET, RS232 and Ethernet are supported. Communication protocols like CP/NET and Ethernet are available. MODUS would be used in an Image Database Management system for distributed image data storage and retrieval, archival storage management, image data availability and integrity and personnel and patient database management.
NMR and dielectric-relaxation studies of long-range correlation in ferroelectric KH2AsO4

Abstract As the ferroelectric Curie temperature of KH 2 AsO 4 is approached from the paraelectric phase, additional resonance lines appear in the 75 As NMR spectrum. These are shown to result from polarization fluctuations with lifetime ⪆ msecond, whose existence is further confirmed by low-frequency dielectric-relaxation studies.
Intraventricular Nicardipine for Refractory Cerebral Vasospasm after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Delayed ischemic deficit from vasospasm is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although several treatment modalities have been used to reverse the deleterious effects of vasospasm, alternative therapies are needed, as conventional therapies are often ineffective or contraindicated. Intrathecal nicardipine has been suggested for the prevention of vasospasm. We report our clinical experience with intraventricular nicardipine for refractory vasospasm in eight patients in whom conventional therapies were ineffective, contraindicated, or technically not feasible. Retrospective case series performed at a tertiary care university hospital. Eight patients (median Hunt-Hess grade = 2, median Fisher score = 4) with refractory vasospasm received intraventricular nicardipine (4 mg every 12 h) for a total of 5–17 days. One patient died in the intensive care unit. Seven patients had moderate to good outcomes with 6 being discharged to home (median Rankin Score = 2). Intraventricular nicardipine was well tolerated with minimal side effects. Our preliminary observations suggest that intraventricular nicardipine could be considered as a safe and effective treatment modality to treat vasospasm refractory to conventional management. A randomized, controlled trial to verify the efficacy and safety of intrathecal nicardipine in the prevention and treatment of cerebral vasospasm is warranted.
Precision of three-dimensional stereo-photogrammetry (3dMD™) in anthropometry of the auricle and its application in microtia reconstruction

Summary Background The advent of three-dimensional stereo-photogrammetry in recent years has vastly helped the craniomaxillofacial field improve in terms of preoperative and intraoperative decision making. With regard to the auricle though, there is paucity of research as to the application of this promising technology. Methods A total of 20 normal adult ears were included in this study. Thirteen anthropometric measurements were taken, twice by two plastic surgeons using direct measurement (DM) and through images captured via 3dMD™. The purpose was to compare the reliability of measurements involving the two instruments. Results The overall mean absolute differences (MADs) of all ear anthropometries of DM and 3dMD™ were 0.52 mm (range: 0.28–0.72 mm) and 0.27 mm (range: 0.15–0.53 mm), respectively, and the grand mean relative error magnitudes (REMs) were 2.85% (range: 1.01–5.99%) and 1.57% (range: 0.48–3.62%), respectively, across observers. Thus, the precision of all ear anthropometries across observers was high in both methods, but the precision of 3dMD was better than DM irrespective of observers. In addition, the MADs were less than a millimeter across all measurements. Conclusion The application of three-dimensional technology in microtia surgery for both template production and soft tissue analysis leads to improved planning and satisfactory results with fewer complications. We believe that with further refinement and enhancement, the use of this innovation will pave the way for prefabricated, individualized autologous or biocompatible alloplastic implantable frameworks based on an accurate mirror image of each patient's normal ear in unilateral cases and in bilateral cases, appropriately sized.
Albert's Power: A Fiction Narrative

SUMMARY Albert's Power is a fictional narrative about the untimely death of a young medicine man and how he fulfilled his obligations to his kin—including the ethnographer. While fictionalized and dramatized, the story is based on real people and true events.
The influence of the Ca/P ratio on the classification and treatment of bone resorption in periodontal disease.

Abstract A classification of alveolar resorption based on calcium and phosphorus ratio in the diet has been presented. Favorable results can be expected in each class in the order presented, the first offering the best prognosis. Nutrition should receive primary consideration in planning treatment. Nutrition should include a good calcium and phosphorus intake with the same ratio existing in bone. Sherman recommends one gram of calcium to eight-tenths gram of phosphorus daily.14 If one is inadequate the other is not utilized properly even though it be present in sufficient quantity. The enrichment of the body calcium and phosphorus should be accomplished by means of foods rather than the use of salts. The latter produce a quick rise in the deficient elements but the retention is poorer. Foods contain the minerals required in the proper proportions, and also include many of the other essentials the body needs in a physiological equilibrium. Bone resorption is a symptom of a metabolic disturbance that has existed over a period of many years. When planning treatment and determining prognosis we cannot expect success to come overnight; therefore, even in the face of a correct diagnosis and a fully cooperative patient we must anticipate an extended period of recovery. Such recovery consists of a remission in the loss of alveolar height and in some instances the filling in of pockets with bone, but the original level can never be restored.
NF-kappaB and the innate immune response in the respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn: commentary on the article by Cheah et al. on page 616.

NF-κB and the Innate Immune Response in the Respiratory Distress Syndrome of the Newborn: Commentary on the article by Cheah et al . on page 616
Further studies on the influence of initiation dose on papilloma growth and progression during two-stage carcinogenesis in SENCAR mice

The present study was designed to further evaluate the growth and progression of papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in groups of animals receiving initiating doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) producing relatively low papilloma yields following long term promotion (60 weeks) with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). For comparison, groups of animals were initiated with various doses of DMBA and then promoted with mezerein (MEZ), benzoyl peroxide (BzPo) and chrysarobin (CHRY). Following initiation, groups of female SENCAR mice received the following promoter doses: TPA (1.0 or 2.0 micrograms per mouse); MEZ (2.0 micrograms per mouse); BzPo (20.0 mg per mouse); and CHRY (52.8 micrograms per mouse). The maximum papilloma to SCC conversion ratio obtained with TPA in the current study was 0.32. This value was in the range of maximum conversion ratios obtained with the other compounds: MEZ, 0.40; CHRY, 0.32 and BzPo, 0.19. In general, the highest papilloma to SCC conversion ratios observed with TPA as the promoter were obtained in groups that received the lowest doses of DMBA and had relatively low papilloma burdens. A comparison of papilloma to SCC conversion in groups of mice promoted with TPA, MEZ or CHRY and having similar papilloma yields, revealed very similar conversion ratios. Comparison of the BzPo group with a similar papilloma yield indicated that the conversion ratio was slightly lower with this promoter. The present results indicate that in mice promoted with TPA and having relatively low papilloma numbers, a larger proportion of these papillomas progress to SCCs during continued promoter treatment. Furthermore, the results suggest that papillomas behave similarly in their ability to progress to SCCs regardless of the promoter used when comparing groups of mice with similar tumor numbers. The data are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms for the observed results.
International migration policies and the status of female migrants.

The author reports on a meeting that was sponsored by the U.N. Population Council and the University of Pisa and held in March 1990 in San Minato Italy on international migration policies and female migrant status. The conference dealt with such topics as the impact of female status on migration selectivity the effect of acculturation on the roles and status of migrant women the status of female migrants as compared to that of native women and returning female migrants. (ANNOTATION)
Is the Western Conception of the Self “Peculiar” within the Context of the World Cultures?

The writing of this article was stimulated by an article on the self by two social psychologists (Markus and Kitayama 1991) who, after citing Clifford Geertz's celebrated characterization of the Western conception of the person (Geertz 1984[1974]), quote, approvingly, his statement that this conception is "a rather peculiar idea within the context of the world cultures." This statement, and their approval of it, struck me as strange, for, seeing that the person (which Markus and Kitayama, like Geertz, conflate with the self) has hardly been a focus of anthropological inquiry, it is not inaccurate to say that the person or self has been studied in only a small fraction of human societies. That being so, on what grounds could anyone, whether psychologist or anthropologist, conjecture that within the context of the world cultures the Western concept of the person, as the latter is characterized by Geertz, is "peculiar"? To be sure, because conceptions of virtually everything vary cross-culturally, it can be reliably presumed that conceptions of the self are also cross-culturally variable. And, it might be added, not
Path Planning of a Fire-Fighting Aircraft using Fuzzy Logic

The effectiveness of path planning of a fire-fighting aircraft using fuzzy logic for the purpose of fighting forest fires is explored in this paper. Using previous work on path tracking and obstacle avoidance with fuzzy logic as a starting point, the effort has been expanded to include logic for continuously changing target location and verification of results for moving obstacles. When combating wildfires, situations can change rapidly due to fluctuating environmental conditions (wind, fuel, terrain, etc) that can affect the target location. A system that can handle these varying conditions rapidly and efficiently is imperative to these situations. Presented here is a fuzzy inference system that takes information about obstacles (if within the agent’s sensing range) and target location and outputs a change in heading angle and speed accordingly. The agent’s objective is to take the shortest path to the target area while also avoiding obstacles. These obstacles could be mountains, no-fly zones, areas in which it is too dangerous to fly, or other agents. Presented here is a path planning with obstacle avoidance fuzzy inference system and verification on a simplified fire growth model.
Methionine residue 35 is important in amyloid β-peptide-associated free radical oxidative stress

Abstract Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), the central constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain, has been shown to be a source of free radical oxidative stress that may lead to neurodegeneration. In the current study Aβ(1-40), found in AD brain, and the amyloid fragment Aβ(25-35) were used in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping techniques to demonstrate that these peptides mediate free radical production. The methionine residue in these peptides is believed to play an important role in their neurotoxicity. Substitution of methionine by structurally similar norleucine in both Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(25-35), and the substitution of methionine by valine, or the removal of the methionine in Aβ(25-35), abrogates free radical production and protein oxidation of and toxicity to hippocampal neurons. These results are discussed with relevance to the hypothesis that neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease may be due in part to Aβ-associated free radical oxidative stress that involves methionine, and to the use of spin trapping methods to infer mechanistic information about Aβ.
Treatment patterns among medicaid-eligible women with breast cancer in georgia: are patterns different under the breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment act?

To investigate breast cancer treatment of patients en- rolled under traditional Medicaid categories versus those in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act (BC- CPTA) in Georgia. Methods: Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry linked to Medicaid enrollment files were used to identify 2,048 enrollees with a primary cancer of the breast, of whom 1,046 were enrolled in BCCPTA, 674 were disabled, and 328 were in other Medicaid eligibility groups. Logistic regressions were used to estimate fac- tors associated with the odds of receiving lumpectomy, mastec- tomy, or other surgery in addition to any drug regimen (hormonal or chemotherapy) and radiation. Results: Women in BCCPTA were more likely to receive any treatment (odds ratio (OR) 4.71; 95% CI, 2.48 to 8.96), any drug regimen (OR 3.58; 95% CI, 2.32 to 5.51), any radiation (OR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.15to 2.24), and any definitive surgery (OR 2.52; 95% CI, 1.74 to 3.66) than the "other" eligibility group after controlling for covariates. There were no signifi- cant differences by eligibility group in the receipt of a lumpec- tomy versus a mastectomy. However, women in BCCPTA were more likely to receive more adjuvant follow-up after a mastectomy. Conclusion: The BCCPTA program in Georgia appears to create a quicker pathway for low-income, previously uninsured women with breast cancer to access services and, in turn, re- ceive more treatment than women enrolled in the other, more traditional Medicaid eligibility groups. Yet the overall rate of ad- juvant therapy, whether radiation, hormonal, or chemotherapy, appears to fall short of national criteria. This deserves attention in Georgia and, most likely, Medicaid programs in other states as well.
Drugs, Violence, and the State

The article examines the relations among illicit drugs, violence, and the state, focusing on why certain drugs are prohibited whereas others are not. The moral concerns underlying prohibition and the stereotyping of drug users along racial and class lines historically and in the present are reviewed. One conclusion is that modern states use drug prohibition as a way of defining the moral and social boundaries of exclusion and inclusion. In this definition, medical treatment and public health considerations play an auxiliary role. Other conclusions are the inflexibility of the international drug control regime and the need to consider experiments in drug legalization. Inflexibility, economic globalization, and worldwide drug trafficking have perverse consequences, which vary with the institutional capacity of states. The rise of incarceration and other forms of violence are particularly evident in economically and socially marginal communities and where the authority of states is weakened by internal corru...
Miniaturization and its effects on cranial morphology in plethodontid salamanders, genus Thorius (Amphibia, Plethodontidae): II. The fate of the brain and sense organs and their role in skull morphogenesis and evolution

Relative size and arrangement of the brain and paired sense organs are examined in three species of Thorius, a genus of minute, terrestrial salamanders that are among the smallest extant tailed tetrapods. Analogous measurements of representative species of three related genera of larger tropical (Pseudoeurycea, Chiropterotriton) and temperate (Plethodon) salamanders are used to identify changes in gross morphology of the brain and sense organs that have accompanied the evolution of decreased head size in Thorius and their relation to associated changes in skull morphology. In adult Thorius, relative size (area measured in frontal plane, and length) of the eyes, otic capsules, and brain each is greater than in adults of all of the larger genera; relative size of the nasal capsules is unchanged or slightly smaller. Interspecific scaling phenomena–negative allometry of otic capsule, eye and brain size, isometry or slight positive allometry of nasal capsule size, all with respect to skull length–also are characteristic of intraspecific (ontogenetic) comparisons in both T. narisovalis and Pseudoeurycea goebeli. Predominance of the brain and eyes in Thorius results in greater contact and overlap among these structures and the nasal capsules in the anterior portion of the head. This is associated with anterior displacement of both the eyes and nasal capsules, which now protrude anterior to the skull proper; a change in eye shape; and medial deformation of anterior braincase walls. Posteriorly, predominance of the otic capsules has effected a reorientation of the jaw suspensorium to a fully vertical position that is correlated with the novel presence of a posteriorly directed squamosal process and shift in origin of the quadropectoralis muscle. Many of these changes in cranical morphology may be explained simply as results of mechanical (physical) interactions among the skeletal, nervous, and sensory components during head development at reduced size. This provides further evidence of the role of nervous, sensory, and other “soft” tissues in cranial skeletal morphogenesis, and reinforces the need to consider these tissues in analyses of skull evolution.
Ray Traces through Unsteady Jet Turbulence

Results of an ongoing effort to quantify the role turbulence in scattering sound in jets are reported. Using a direct numerical simulation database to provide the flow data, ray paths traced through the mean flow are compared with those traced through the actual time evolving turbulent flow. Significant scattering by the turbulence is observed. The most notable effect is that upstream travelling waves that are trapped in the potential core by the mean flow, which acts as a wave guide, easily escape in the turbulent flow. A crude statistical estimate based on ray number density suggests that directivity is modified by the turbulence, but no rigorous treatment of non-uniformities in the high-frequency approximation is attempted.
Helping Everyday Users Establish Confidence for Everyday Applications

End users obtain their desired results by combining elements of information and computation from different applications. Software engineering provides little support for identifying, selecting, or combining these elements – that is, for helping end users to design computational support for their own tasks. Software engineering provides even less support to help end users to decide whether the resulting system is sufficiently dependable –whether it will meet their expectations. Many users, especially end users, base judgments about software on informal and undependable information, and they draw conclusions with informal rather than rational decision methods. We have been developing support for everyday dependability, with an emphasis on expressing expectations in abstractions familiar to the user and on obtaining software behavior that reasonably satisfies those expectations. In this Dagstuhl I would like to explore the differences between everyday informal reasoning and the rational processes of computer science in order to develop means for establishing credible indications of confidence for end users.
A Simplified Hot Plate Apparatus

An apparatus which can measure the thermal insulation of textiles by a much simpler method than the standard hot-plate method is described. It consists of a block of metal surrounded by a fairly massive, thermostatically controlled, aluminum guard box. The time taken for the block to cool half a degree centigrade, chosen at the temperature of the guard box, gives a measure of the insulating value. Samples for calibrating the apparatus require to be measured on the standard hot plate, but when the apparatus is once calibrated by means of these measured samples, insulation value in do units can be read off a graph when the cooling time of a sample is known.
Adaptive Translation as a Mechanism of Stress Response and Adaptation

The composition of the cellular proteome is commonly thought to strictly adhere to the genetic code. However, accumulating evidence indicates that cells also regulate the synthesis of mutant protein molecules that deviate from the genetic code. Production of mutant proteins generally occurs when cells are stressed or when they undergo environmental adaptation, but production varies in amounts and specificity. The deliberate synthesis of mutant proteins suggests that some of these proteins can be useful in cellular stress response and adaptation. This review describes the occurrence of, the translation mechanisms for, and the functional hypotheses on regulated synthesis of mutant proteins.
Projective depth: A geometric invariant for 3D reconstruction from two perspective/orthographic views and for visual recognition

The author addresses the problems of reconstructing 3-D space in a projective framework from two views and of artificially generating novel views of the scene from two given views. It is shown that with the correspondences coming from four non-coplanar points in the scene and the corresponding epipoles, it is possible to define and reconstruct a projective invariant, referred to as projective depth, that can be used later to reconstruct the projective or affine structure of the scene or directly to generate novel views of the scene. The derivation has the advantage that the viewing transformation matrix need not be recovered in the course of computations. >
A UNIVERSAL VALVE FOR ANAESTHETIC CIRCUITS

SUMMARY During intermittent positive pressure respiration, volume-controlled rather than pressure-controlled ventilation is preferred. To accomplish volume-controlled ventilation, a safe, efficient, universal valve has been designed. This valve has an adequately low opening pressure and an automatic exit closure when desired.
The H3K27me3 Demethylase dUTX Is a Suppressor of Notch- and Rb-Dependent Tumors in Drosophila

Trimethylated lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) is an epigenetic mark for gene silencing and can be demethylated by the JmjC domain of UTX. Excessive H3K27me3 levels can cause tumorigenesis, but little is known about the mechanisms leading to those cancers. Mutants of the Drosophila H3K27me3 demethylase dUTX display some characteristics of Trithorax group mutants and have increased H3K27me3 levels in vivo. Surprisingly, dUTX mutations also affect H3K4me1 levels in a JmjC-independent manner. We show that a disruption of the JmjC domain of dUTX results in a growth advantage for mutant cells over adjacent wild-type tissue due to increased proliferation. The growth advantage of dUTX mutant tissue is caused, at least in part, by increased Notch activity, demonstrating that dUTX is a Notch antagonist. Furthermore, the inactivation of Retinoblastoma (Rbf in Drosophila) contributes to the growth advantage of dUTX mutant tissue. The excessive activation of Notch in dUTX mutant cells leads to tumor-like growth in an Rbf-dependent manner. In summary, these data suggest that dUTX is a suppressor of Notch- and Rbf-dependent tumors in Drosophila melanogaster and may provide a model for UTX-dependent tumorigenesis in humans.
The NIST High Accuracy Scale for Absolute Spectral Response from 406 nm to 920 nm

We describe how the National Institute of Standards and Technology obtains a scale of absolute spectral response from 406 nm to 920 nm. This scale of absolute spectral response is based solely on detector measurements traceable to the NIST High Accuracy Cryogenic Radiometer (HACR). Silicon photodiode light-trapping detectors are used to transfer optical power measurements from the HACR to a monochromator-based facility where routine measurements are performed. The transfer also involves modeling the quantum efficiency (QE) of the silicon photodiode light-trapping detectors. We describe our planned quality system for these measurements that follows ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994. A summary of current NIST capabilities based on these measurements is also given.
Carbon-titania composite substrates for fuel cell catalyst applications.

We report a sol–gel route to synthesize optimized carbon–titania composite substrates, which have more than twice the surface area, nearly three times higher corrosion resistance and improved hydrogen adsorption–desorption area retention compared to the commercial Vulcan XC-72 carbon substrates.
Validation of Proposed DSM-5 Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity of proposed DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method We analyzed symptoms from 14,744 siblings (8,911 ASD and 5,863 non-ASD) included in a national registry, the Interactive Autism Network. Youth 2 through 18 years of age were included if at least one child in the family was diagnosed with ASD. Caregivers reported symptoms using the Social Responsiveness Scale and the Social Communication Questionnaire. The structure of autism symptoms was examined using latent variable models that included categories, dimensions, or hybrid models specifying categories and subdimensions. Diagnostic efficiency statistics evaluated the proposed DSM-5 algorithm in identifying ASD. Results A hybrid model that included both a category (ASD versus non-ASD) and two symptom dimensions (social communication/interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors) was more parsimonious than all other models and replicated across measures and subsamples. Empirical classifications from this hybrid model closely mirrored clinical ASD diagnoses (90% overlap), implying a broad ASD category distinct from non-ASD. DSM-5 criteria had superior specificity relative to DSM-IV-TR criteria (0.97 versus 0.86); however sensitivity was lower (0.81 versus 0.95). Relaxing DSM-5 criteria by requiring one less symptom criterion increased sensitivity (0.93 versus 0.81), with minimal reduction in specificity (0.95 versus 0.97). Conclusions Results supported the validity of proposed DSM-5 criteria for ASD as provided in Phase I Field Trials criteria. Increased specificity of DSM-5 relative to DSM-IV-TR may reduce false positive diagnoses, a particularly relevant consideration for low base rate clinical settings. Phase II testing of DSM-5 should consider a relaxed algorithm, without which as many as 12% of ASD-affected individuals, particularly females, will be missed. Relaxed DSM-5 criteria may improve identification of ASD, decreasing societal costs through appropriate early diagnosis and maximizing intervention resources.
Turán theorems and convexity invariants for directed graphs

This paper is motivated by the desire to evaluate certain classical convexity invariants (specifically, the Helly and Radon numbers) in the context of transitive closure of arcs in the complete digraph. To do so, it is necessary to establish several new Turan type results for digraphs and characterize the associated extremal digraphs. In the case of the Radon number, we establish the following analogue for transitive closure in digraphs of Radon's classical convexity theorem [J. Radon, Mengen konvexer Korper, die einer gemeinsamen Punkt enthalten, Math. Ann. 83 (1921) 113-115]: in a complete digraph on n>=7 vertices with >n^2/4 arcs, it is possible to partition the arc set into two subsets whose transitive closures have an arc in common.
Efficacy of Eprinomectin and Doramectin Against Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) on Cattle

Steers were treated with doramectin or eprinomectin by daily oral capsule for 28 consecutive days. The level of doramectin in the serum of steers treated at 200 microg/kg/d reached a maximum of 104.0 +/- 22.1 ppb at day 21 and declined from 93.3 +/- 20.5 ppb on the final day of treatment to below detectable by day 56. Steers treated at 50 microg/kg/d reached a maximum level of doramectin in the serum of 24.7 +/- 1.2 ppb on day 21 and declined from 24.7 +/- 0.6 ppb on the final day of treatment to less than detectable on day 42. Both doramectin dosages provided 100% control of estimated larvae (EL) of Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) throughout the 28-d treatment period. Daily oral treatment with eprinomectin at a dosage of 200 microg/kg for 28 consecutive days produced a maximum concentration in the serum of 41.6 +/- 11.0 ppb at day 14. On the final day of eprinomectin treatment, the serum concentration was 38.3 +/- 5.9 ppb. Seven days later at day 35, eprinomectin was not detectable in the serum. For steers treated at 50 microg/kg/d for 28 consecutive days, the serum level of eprinomectin reached a maximum of 10.0 +/- 3.0 ppb on day 28 and was undetectable on day 35. Both eprinomectin dosages provided complete control of EL of A. americanum during the 28-d treatment period. Because eprinomectin is efficacious against A. americanum at lower serum levels in cattle and is eliminated from the serum at a more rapid rate than either doramectin or ivermectin, it provides advantages for use in applications such as the medicated bait for control of ticks on white-tailed deer and could have potential for use in the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program.
Experimental Injury Biomechanics of the Pediatric Thorax and Abdomen

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for children in the United States. Pediatric anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) and computational models are important tools for the evaluation and optimization of automotive restraint systems for child occupants. The thorax interacts with the restraints within the vehicle, and any thoracic model must mimic this interaction in a biofidelic manner to ensure that restraint designs protect humans as intended. To define thoracic biofidelity for adults, Kroell et al. (1974) conducted blunt impacts to the thoraces of adult postmortem human subjects (PMHS), which have formed the basis for biofidelity standards for modern adult ATD thoraces (Mertz et al. 1989). The paucity of pediatric PMHS for impact research led to the development of pediatric model biofidelity requirements through scaling. Geometric scale factors and elastic moduli of skull and long bone have been used to scale the adult thoracic biofidelity responses to the 3-, 6-, and 10-year-old child (Irwin and Mertz 1997; Mertz et al. 2001; van Ratingen et al. 1997). There is currently a need for data that apply to the child without scaling, both for validation of scaling methods used in the past and to confirm the validity of the specifications currently used to develop models of the child.
Lessons Learned from Seismic Collapse Assessment of Buildings for Evaluation of Bridge Structures

Due to recent advancements in performance-based earthquake engineering methods, in modeling of complex nonlinear structural behavior, and in characterization of earthquake ground motions, it is becoming possible to directly simulate earthquakeinduced structural collapse. These simulations can be used to develop probabilistic descriptions of structures’ seismic collapse risk. This paper first summarizes recent developments in assessment of seismic collapse risks for building structures, which apply nonlinear time-history analyses to predict when structural collapse occurs. In the second part, the discussion focuses on how the lessons learned from these building collapse risk assessments can be applied to predicting the seismic collapse risk of bridge structures. The paper proposes extending current assessments of bridge seismic performance (which typically focus on prediction of structural damage prior to collapse) to include robust assessments seismic collapse safety. Key issues for structural collapse assessment relate to ground motion scaling and spectral shape, creation of nonlinear structural simulation models (differing in certain critical characteristics from models used to predict pre-collapse response), and incorporating uncertainties in ground motions and structural modeling.
Liver Carbohydrate Levels in Mice Treated with Endotoxin, Cortisone, and Elipten

SummaryMice treated with endotoxin 18 hr earlier had markedly reduced liver carbohydrate, but with cortisone under the same conditions the level was more than doubled. Elipten exerted no apparent effect on the carbohydrate levels in normal mice, but very nearly eliminated the deposition of glycogen after the mice were treated with cortisone. The effect of endotoxemia on the liver carbohydrate was enhanced by Elipten, and ameliorated slightly by cortisone alone or in combination with Elipten.The author thanks Dr. J. J. Chart of CIBA for the supply of Elipten. This investigation was supported by USPHS research grant AI-06767 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
CLIA certification, cap accreditation – international experience in gaining accreditation for use of massively parallel sequencing in a clinical laboratory

Genetic testing is already well established in clinical pathology laboratories using the more traditional technologies associated with molecular genetic testing. The introduction and implementation of ‘next generation’ technologies in genetic pathology, while posing a set of potentially challenging issues, is the obvious next step in providing more comprehensive delivery of information to clinicians to facilitate improvements in patient management and outcomes. Illumina’s protocol for offering individual genome sequencing by massively parallel sequencing in a clinical laboratory was developed responsibly, using current professional and regulatory guidelines, in conjunction with an independent ethics advisory board. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified College of Americal Pathologists (CAP) accredited laboratory has been delivering clinical services since 2009. The framework around regulation and certification of clinical genetic testing laboratories using massively parallel sequencing will be discussed, in the context of the following key areas: • Quality process: Test definition, consent, and sample tracking. • Technical validity: Accuracy, precision, and limitations. • Delivery of information: Return of results, privacy, and data management.