cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrient additions to mitigate for loss of Pacific salmon: consequences for stream biofilm and nutrient dynamics

Mitigation activities designed to supplement nutrient and organic matter inputs to streams experiencing decline or loss of Pacific salmon typically presuppose that an important pathway by which salmon nutrients are moved to fish (anadromous and/or resident) is via nutrient incorporation by biofilms and subsequent bottom-up stimulation of biofilm production, which is nutrient-limited in many ecosystems where salmon returns have declined. Our objective was to quantify the magnitude of nutrient incorporation and biofilm dynamics that underpin this indirect pathway in response to experimental additions of salmon carcasses and pelletized fish meal (a.k.a., salmon carcass analogs) to 500-m reaches of central Idaho streams over three years. Biofilm standing crops increased 2–8-fold and incorporated marine-derived nutrients (measured using 15N and 13C) in the month following treatment, but these responses did not persist year-to-year. Biofilms were nitrogen (N) limited before treatments, and remained N limited in analog, but not carcass-treated reaches. Despite these biofilm responses, in the month following treatment total N load was equal to 33–47% of the N added to the treated reaches, and N spiraling measurements suggested that as much as 20%, but more likely 2–3% of added N was taken up by microbes. Design of biologically and cost-effective strategies for nutrient addition will require understanding the rates at which stream microbes take up nutrients and the downstream distance traveled by exported nutrients.
Gemfibrozil concentrations are significantly decreased in the presence of lopinavir-ritonavir.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the influence of a 2-week course of lopinavir-ritonavir on the pharmacokinetics of the triglyceride-lowering agent, gemfibrozil. Methods: The study was conducted as an open label, single-sequence pharmacokinetic study in healthy human volunteers. Gemfibrozil pharmacokinetic parameter values were compared using a Student t test after a single 600-mg dose was administered to healthy volunteers before and after 2 weeks of lopinavir-ritonavir (400/100 mg) twice daily. Results: Fifteen healthy volunteers (eight males) completed the study. All study drugs were generally well tolerated and no subjects withdrew participation. The geometric mean ratio (90% confidence interval) for gemfibrozil area under the plasma concentration-time curve after 14 days of lopinavir-ritonavir compared with baseline was 0.59 (0.52, 0.67) (P < 0.001). All 15 study subjects experienced a reduction in gemfibrozil area under the plasma concentration-time curve after lopinavir-ritonavir (range, -6% to -74%). The geometric mean ratios for gemfibrozil apparent oral clearance and maximum concentration were 1.69 (1.41, 1.97) and 0.67 (0.49, 0.86) after 14 days of lopinavir-ritonavir versus baseline, respectively (P < 0.0001 and 0.01, respectively). Gemfibrozil elimination half-life did not change after lopinavir-ritonavir administration (P = 0.60). Conclusion: Lopinavir-ritonavir significantly reduced the systemic exposure of gemfibrozil by reducing gemfibrozil absorption. Clinicians treating HIV-infected patients with hypertriglyceridemia should be aware of this drug interaction.
Using video for microanalysis of teachers’ embodied pedagogical practices

This paper briefly reviews theories of embodiment and then provides an example from our recent work on how we use video in our comparative studies of preschools to highlight embodied and implicit c...
Protein chip technology

Microarray technology has become a crucial tool for large-scale and high-throughput biology. It allows fast, easy and parallel detection of thousands of addressable elements in a single experiment. In the past few years, protein microarray technology has shown its great potential in basic research, diagnostics and drug discovery. It has been applied to analyse antibody-antigen, protein-protein, protein-nucleic-acid, protein-lipid and protein-small-molecule interactions, as well as enzyme-substrate interactions. Recent progress in the field of protein chips includes surface chemistry, capture molecule attachment, protein labeling and detection methods, high-throughput protein/antibody production, and applications to analyse entire proteomes.
Scientific drilling and the evolution of the earth system: climate, biota, biogeochemistry and extreme systems

Abstract. A US National Science Foundation-funded workshop occurred 17–19 May 2013 at the University of Oklahoma to stimulate research using continental scientific drilling to explore earth's sedimentary, paleobiological and biogeochemical record. Participants submitted 3-page "pre-proposals" to highlight projects that envisioned using drill-core studies to address scientific issues in paleobiology, paleoclimatology, stratigraphy and biogeochemistry, and to identify locations where key questions can best be addressed. The workshop was also intended to encourage US scientists to take advantage of the exceptional capacity of unweathered, continuous core records to answer important questions in the history of earth's sedimentary, biogeochemical and paleobiologic systems. Introductory talks on drilling and coring methods, plus best practices in core handling and curation, opened the workshop to enable all to understand the opportunities and challenges presented by scientific drilling. Participants worked in thematic breakout sessions to consider questions to be addressed using drill cores related to glacial–interglacial and icehouse–greenhouse transitions, records of evolutionary events and extinctions, records of major biogeochemical events in the oceans, reorganization of earth's atmosphere, Lagerstatte and exceptional fossil biota, records of vegetation–landscape change, and special sampling requirements, contamination, and coring tool concerns for paleobiology, geochemistry, geochronology, and stratigraphy–sedimentology studies. Closing discussions at the workshop focused on the role drilling can play in studying overarching science questions about the evolution of the earth system. The key theme, holding the most impact in terms of societal relevance, is understanding how climate transitions have driven biotic change, and the role of pristine, stratigraphically continuous cores in advancing our understanding of this linkage. Scientific drilling, and particularly drilling applied to continental targets, provides unique opportunities to obtain continuous and unaltered material for increasingly sophisticated analyses, tapping the entire geologic record (extending through the Archean), and probing the full dynamic range of climate change and its impact on biotic history.
The Use of Archival Data To Select and Assign Schools in a Drug Prevention Trial

School-based prevention trials typically face large variations in school composition and levels ofpreintervention behavior. Such variations may inhibit efforts to maximize internal and external validity. This article presents a method for using school-level attributes in sample description and random assignment of schools to conditions. The utility of the archival data was examined using multivanate canonical techniques. The authors found that a small set of attributes could efficiently predict the observed school-level variations in smoking and other drug use. It is recommended that these attributes be used by other school-based studies to enhance experimen talfield studies.
Parallel logic simulation on a network of workstations using parallel virtual machine

This paper explores parallel logic simulation on a network of workstations using a parallel virtual machine (PVM). A novel parallel implementation of the centralized-time event-driven logic simulation algorithm is carried out such that no global controlling workstation is needed to synchronize the advance of simulation time. Further advantages of our new approach include a random partitioning of the circuit onto available workstations and a pipelined execution of the different phases of the simulation algorithm. To achieve a better load balance, we employ a semioptimistic scheme for gate evaluations (in conjunction with a centralized-time algorithm) such that no rollback is required. The performance of this implementation has been evaluated using the ISCAS benchmark circuits. Speedups improve with the size of the circuit and the activity level in the circuit. Analyses of the communication overhead show that the techniques developed here will yield even higher gains as newer networking technologies like ATM are employed to connect workstations.
Host and microbial constituents influence helicobacter pylori-induced cancer in a murine model of hypergastrinemia

Abstract Background & Aims: Helicobacter pylori cag + strains and high-expression host interleukin 1β (IL-1β) polymorphisms augment the risk for intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma, a malignancy that predominates in males. We examined the effects of an H. pylori cancer-associated determinant ( cagE ), IL-1β, and host gender in a transgenic hypergastrinemic (INS-GAS) murine model of gastric carcinogenesis. Methods: Male and female INS-GAS mice infected with wild-type H. pylori , an H. pylori cagE − mutant, or H. felis were killed 2–24 weeks postchallenge. Gastric injury was scored from 0 to 4, and mucosal IL-1β levels were quantified by ELISA. Results: Male INS-GAS mice infected with H. pylori uniformly developed atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia by 6 weeks and carcinoma by 24 weeks. Mucosal IL-1β concentrations increased 12 weeks following Helicobacter challenge, but levels then decreased by 24 weeks. Inactivation of cagE delayed the progression to carcinoma, but neoplasia ultimately developed in all males infected with the H. pylori mutant. In contrast, none of the H. pylori -infected female mice developed cancer, and injury scores, but not IL-1β levels, were significantly higher in males compared with females. Conclusions: H. pylori infection induces gastric adenocarcinoma in an experimental mouse model of disease. Cancer is restricted to males and loss of cagE temporally retards but does not abrogate pathologic progression. Mucosal levels of IL-1β increase prior to the development of gastric cancer but are not related to gender. The INS-GAS model is effective for investigating discrete host-microbial interactions that culminate in gastric cancer within the context of biologic conditions induced by H. pylori .
Bone gentamicin concentration after intra‐articular injection or regional intravenous perfusion in the horse

Objective— To compare intra-articular (IA) and bone gentamicin concentrations achieved after intra-articular administration or regional intravenous perfusion (RIP). Study Design— Experimental study. Animals— Twelve healthy adult horses. Methods— Horses were assigned to 2 treatment groups (n = 6/group): Group 1, 1 g gentamicin administered simultaneously in both left and right metacarpophalangeal joints and group 2, 1 g gentamicin administered simultaneously in both left and right lateral palmar veins. Serum, synovial fluid, and bone biopsy specimens were collected. Gentamicin concentrations were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Bone, synovial fluid, and serum gentamicin concentrations were compared over time and between groups using 2-way ANOVA. Significance of all tests were evaluated at P < .05. Results— IA metacarpophalangeal joint administration resulted in higher concentration of gentamicin in synovial fluid than RIP administration. Synovial fluid concentration remained above minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for common pathogens for over 24 hours with IA and RIP administration. Bone gentamicin concentration remained above MIC for 8 hours with both methods; there was no significant difference in gentamicin concentration in bone with either method. Neither IA nor RIP administration had a significant effect on serum concentration of gentamicin. Conclusions— In normal horses, there is no difference in bone gentamicin concentration obtained with IA or RIP administration. Clinical Relevance— Based on MIC for common equine pathogens, administration of gentamicin intra-articularly or by regional intravenous perfusion should be useful for treatment of osteomyelitis.
Gas permeability measurements on asphalts using the electrodynamic balance

ABSTRACT A novel experimental method developed for the measurement of the transport properties such as the diffusion coefficient, D, solubility, S, and permeability, P, for oxygen Into asphalt materials using an electrodynamic balance Is described. Both imaged and aged rolling thin-film oven test (RTFOT) asphalt particle samples In the 12 to 62 pm size range were suspended contactless and weighed In the balance to measure D, S, and P In the temperature range 17°C to 66°C. Volatilization rate data were obtained from the particle mass measurements made prior to the start of the sorption experiments. Sorption curves obtained in this study for unweathered asphalt samples showed a non-Pickian, two-stage type sorption behavior indicating the possibility of an additional mechanism other than diffusion. Analogous behavior in sorption was observed for weathered samples
LKB1 Loss Induces Characteristic Patterns of Gene Expression in Human Tumors Associated with NRF2 Activation and Attenuation of PI3K-AKT

Introduction: Inactivation of serine/threonine kinase 11 ( STK11 or LKB1 ) is common in lung cancer, and understanding the pathways and phenotypes altered as a consequence will aid the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Gene and protein expressions in a murine model of v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( Kras )-mutant lung cancer have been studied to gain insight into the biology of these tumors. However, the molecular consequences of LKB1 loss in human lung cancer have not been fully characterized. Methods: We studied gene expression profiles associated with LKB1 loss in resected lung adenocarcinomas, non–small-cell lung cancer cell lines, and murine tumors. The biological significance of dysregulated genes was interpreted using gene set enrichment and transcription factor analyses and also by integration with somatic mutations and proteomic data. Results: Loss of LKB1 is associated with consistent gene expression changes in resected human lung cancers and cell lines that differ substantially from the mouse model. Our analysis implicates novel biological features associated with LKB1 loss, including altered mitochondrial metabolism, activation of the nuclear respiratory factor 2 (NRF2) transcription factor by kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 ( KEAP1 ) mutations, and attenuation of the phosphatidylinositiol 3-kinase and v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (PI3K/AKT) pathway. Furthermore, we derived a 16-gene classifier that accurately predicts LKB1 mutations and loss by nonmutational mechanisms. In vitro, transduction of LKB1 into LKB1 -mutant cell lines results in attenuation of this signature. Conclusion: Loss of LKB1 defines a subset of lung adenocarcinomas associated with characteristic molecular phenotypes and distinctive gene expression features. Studying these effects may improve our understanding of the biology of these tumors and lead to the identification of targeted treatment strategies.
Experimental analysis of preschool playmate preferences as a function of smiles and sex

Differential emotions theory (DET) (The face of emotion. Appleton-Century-Crofts: East Norwalk, CT, 1971) posits that the smile functions in part to communicate and/or reflect social affiliation and plays an important role in children's social development. While children's positive emotion expressions have received attention from peer relations researchers in observational studies and within correlational designs, there is almost no experimental evidence for the impact of the smile. Building on existing studies, the present study examined DET predictions within an experimental design. More specifically, we examined the impact smiles have on lower-income preschool children's nominations for preferred playmates. Both boys and girls tended to nominate unfamiliar playmates who smiled. Additionally, some evidence suggested that preference for smiling playmates seemed more critical to girls' than boys' social functioning. Unlike among boys, teachers rated girls who exhibited a greater preference for smiling playmates as higher in social competence. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Air Lock and Embolism Upon Attempted Initiation of Cardiopulmonary Bypass While Using Vacuum-Assisted Venous Drainage

A 3-year-old with tetralogy of Fallot who previously had undergone a complete repair (ie, right ventriculotomy, ventricular septal defect repair, and pulmonary valvuloplasty with a transannular patch across the pulmonic valve creating pulmonic insufficiency) presented for pulmonary valvuloplasty placement to treat right ventricular volume overload from severe pulmonic insufficiency. Severe right ventricular dilation with moderate right ventricular dysfunction was present on the preoperative echocardiographic examination, but, importantly, no residual intracardiac shunts were present. After an uneventful induction of anesthesia, a right internal jugular venous catheter (5F, 8 cm, 2 lumen), a right radial arterial catheter and 2 peripheral intravenous catheters were placed. After sternotomy, the aorta and right atrium were cannulated. VAVD was planned, and a hard shell venous reservoir with a positive-pressure pop-off valve and a vacuum wall source with a regulator were prepared (Figs 1-3 and Video 1 [supplementary videos are available online]). After heparinization, the cardiotomy suction pumps (“pump suckers”) were activated, and the arterial and venous cannulae were placed in anticipation of CPB. Once the venous clamp was removed, there was retrograde air delivery via the venous cannula, creating an air lock and air embolus. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a large amount of right-sided intracardiac air (Fig 4 and Video 2). Rapid resuscitation with fluid and epinephrine was initiated. A kink in the proximal vacuum-assist silastic tubing was discovered (Fig 2 and 4 and Video 1). The surgeon clamped the venous cannula (which was in the right atrium) and disconnected the venous drainage tubing from the venous cannula. He then unclamped the venous cannula and manually compressed the right heart, allowing egress of air and blood from the right heart out the venous cannula. The venous cannula then was filled with fluid and reconnected to the venous drainage tubing, and CPB quickly was initiated. In this manner, the patient was stabilized, the venous catheter purged of air, the VAVD tubing unkinked, and CPB initiated. The entire episode lasted less than 2 minutes. The remainder of the case proceeded uneventfully, and he was extubated neurologically intact later that day and discharged after 7 days with no apparent sequelae.
Flow and Heat Transfer in the Tip-Turn Region of a U-Duct Under Rotating and Non-Rotating Conditions

CFD simulations were performed to study the flow and heat transfer in a U-duct, relevant to internal cooling of the first-stage turbine component in electric-power-generation, gas-turbine engines. Parameters studied include (1) two aspect ratios of the duct cross section, i.e. H/W = 1 and H/W = 0.25; (2) smooth duct and duct lined with pin fins of height H arranged in a staggered fashion; and (3) two rotational speeds: 0 rpm and 3,600 rpm. In all cases, the wall temperature is 1173 K; the coolant temperature at the U-duct inlet is 623 K; and the back pressure at the exit of the U-duct is 25.17 atm. The Reynolds numbers studied are 150,000 for the duct with the 4-to-1 aspect ratio, and 150,000 and 375,000 for the duct with the 1-to-1 aspect ratio. When there is rotation at 3,600 rpm, the rotational numbers corresponding to these Reynolds numbers and duct aspect ratios are 0.592, 1.64, and 4.11, respectively. Result is presented to show the nature of the flow, the temperature distribution, and the surface heat transfer with focus on the flow and heat transfer in the tip-turn region as a function of the parameters investigated. This computational study is based on 3-D steady RANS. The ensemble-averaged continuity, compressible Navier-Stokes, and energy equations were closed by the thermally perfect equation of state with temperature-dependent gas properties and the two-equation realizeable k-e turbulence model with and without wall functions.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Dosimetric characteristics of the bests double-wall 103Pd brachytherapy source.

103 Pd and 125 I brachytherapy sources are being used for interstitial implants in tumor sites such as the prostate. Recently, a double-wall 103 Pd source has been introduced, which has a design different from that of sources presently on the market. Dosimetric characteristics (dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy function) of this source were experimentally and theoretically determined following the AAPM Task Group 43 recommendations and were related to the October 10, 2000 revision of the NIST 1999 S K Standard for 103 Pd . Measurements were performed in a Solid Water™ phantom using LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters. For these measurements, slabs of Solid Water™ phantom material were machined to accommodate the source and LiF TLD chips of dimensions (3.1×3.1×0.8 mm 3 ) and (1.0×1.0×1.0 mm 3 ). The TLD chips were surrounded by at least 10 cm of Solid Water™ phantom material to provide full scattering conditions. The Monte Carlo simulations were performed in Solid Water™ and liquid water using the PTRAN code. The results of this investigation show an excellent agreement (within 5%) between the measured (0.67±8% cGy h −1 U −1 ) and calculated (to be 0.65±3% cGy h −1 U −1 ) dose rate constant in Solid Water™. The Monte Carlo calculated dose rate constant of the Best® 103 Pd in water was found to be 0.67±0.02 cGy h −1 U −1 . The radial dose function, g(r), of the new 103 Pd source was measured at distances ranging from 0.5 and 7 cm using LiF TLD in Solid Water™ phantom material. Moreover, the radial dose function of the new source was calculated in liquid water and Solid Water™ at distances ranging from 0.1 to 7 cm using the PTRAN Monte Carlo Code. The anisotropy function, F(r,θ), of the new 103 Pd source was also measured in Solid Water™ and calculated in both Solid Water™ and water phantom material. From the anisotropy functions, the anisotropy factors, and anisotropy constant were calculated for each medium. The results indicated that the measured anisotropy constant of the Best® 103 Pd source in Solid Water™ was 0.89±5%. Complete dosimetric data are described in this manuscript.
Family-Based Association Studies for Next-Generation Sequencing

An individual's disease risk is determined by the compounded action of both common variants, inherited from remote ancestors, that segregated within the population and rare variants, inherited from recent ancestors, that segregated mainly within pedigrees. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies generate high-dimensional data that allow a nearly complete evaluation of genetic variation. Despite their promise, NGS technologies also suffer from remarkable limitations: high error rates, enrichment of rare variants, and a large proportion of missing values, as well as the fact that most current analytical methods are designed for population-based association studies. To meet the analytical challenges raised by NGS, we propose a general framework for sequence-based association studies that can use various types of family and unrelated-individual data sampled from any population structure and a universal procedure that can transform any population-based association test statistic for use in family-based association tests. We develop family-based functional principal-component analysis (FPCA) with or without smoothing, a generalized T2, combined multivariate and collapsing (CMC) method, and single-marker association test statistics. Through intensive simulations, we demonstrate that the family-based smoothed FPCA (SFPCA) has the correct type I error rates and much more power to detect association of (1) common variants, (2) rare variants, (3) both common and rare variants, and (4) variants with opposite directions of effect from other population-based or family-based association analysis methods. The proposed statistics are applied to two data sets with pedigree structures. The results show that the smoothed FPCA has a much smaller p value than other statistics.
A nonlinear general equilibrium model of the term structure of interest rates

Abstract We derive and test an alternative closed-form general equilibrium model of the term structure within the Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross theoretical framework in which yields are nonlinear functions of the risk-free rate. We show that equilibrium bond prices and the risk-free rate are not always inversely related and that bond risk need not be strictly increasing in maturity. Using Hansen's generalized method of moments to obtain parameter estimates, this nonlinear model outperforms the Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross square root model in describing actual Treasury bill yields for the 1964–1986 period.
Theorising African communications: The bad news signalled by broadcast digital migration policy

Abstract Broadcasting digital migration (BDM) in Africa reflects deadlines agreed by the continent at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The case suggests a negative answer to the question about a uniquely African contribution to communication theory. This is because there is a disjuncture between the ideology of BDM, as evolved in developed countries and copied in African countries, and a critical theorisation of African communications which could surface a different vantage point. The embedded theory that informs African accord on BDM assumes unquestioningly that this particular development in advanced economies has to be emulated in Africa. As a result, primary African communications characteristics are ignored, including the case for investing in radio or mobile Internet rather than BDM. Also missed is the value of democratic and interactive communications, meaning that the BDM set top boxes (STBs) are seen merely as decoders of one-way content flows. In sum, the experience of BDM as a ...
Transcription and translation of human F11R gene are required for an initial step of atherogenesis induced by inflammatory cytokines

The F11 Receptor (F11R; aka JAM-A, JAM-1) is a cell adhesion protein present constitutively on the membrane surface of circulating platelets and within tight junctions of endothelial cells (ECs). Previous reports demonstrated that exposure of ECs to pro-inflammatory cytokines causes insertion of F11R molecules into the luminal surface of ECs, ensuing with homologous interactions between F11R molecules of platelets and ECs, and a resultant adhesion of platelets to the inflamed ECs. The main new finding of the present report is that the first step in this chain of events is the de-novo transcription and translation of F11R molecules, induced in ECs by exposure to inflammatory cytokines. The experimental approach utilized isolated, washed human platelet suspensions and cultured human venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human arterial endothelial cells (HAEC) exposed to the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and/or IFN-gamma, for examination of the ability of human platelets to adhere to the inflamed ECs thru the F11R. Our strategy was based on testing the effects of the following inhibitors on this activity: general mRNA synthesis inhibitors, inhibitors of the NF-kappaB and JAK/STAT pathways, and small interfering F11R-mRNA (siRNAs) to specifically silence the F11R gene. Treatment of inflamed ECs with the inhibitors actinomycin, parthenolide or with AG-480 resulted in complete blockade of F11R- mRNA expression, indicating the involvement of NF-kappaB and JAK/STAT pathways in this induction. Transfection of ECs with F11R siRNAs caused complete inhibition of the cytokine-induced upregulation of F11R mRNA and inhibition of detection of the newly- translated F11R molecules in cytokine-inflamed ECs. The functional consequence of the inhibition of F11R transcription and translation was the significant blockade of the adhesion of human platelets to inflamed ECs. These results prove that de novo synthesis of F11R in ECs is required for the adhesion of platelets to inflamed ECs. Because platelet adhesion to an inflamed endothelium is crucial for plaque formation in non-denuded blood vessels, we conclude that the de-novo translation of F11R is a crucial early step in the initiation of atherogenesis, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attacks and stroke.
Testing parallel random number generators

Monte Carlo computations are considered easy to parallelize. However, the results can be adversely affected by defects in the parallel pseudorandom number generator used. A parallel pseudorandom number generator must be tested for two types of correlations--(i) intra-stream correlation, as for any sequential generator, and (ii) inter-stream correlation for correlations between random number streams on different processes. Since bounds on these correlations are difficult to prove mathematically, large and thorough empirical tests are necessary. Many of the popular pseudorandom number generators in use today were tested when computational power was much lower, and hence they were evaluated with much smaller test sizes.This paper describes several tests of pseudorandom number generators, both statistical and application-based. We show defects in several popular generators. We describe the implementation of these tests in the SPRING [ACM Trans. Math. Software 26 (2000) 436; SPRNG--scalable parallel random number generators. SPRNG 1.0--http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ Apps/SPRNG; SPRNG 2.0--http://sprng.cs.fsu.edu] test suite and also present results for the tests conducted on the SPRNG generators. These generators have passed some of the largest empirical random number tests.
Integrated learning for interactive synthetic characters

The ability to learn is a potentially compelling and important quality for interactive synthetic characters. To that end, we describe a practical approach to real-time learning for synthetic characters. Our implementation is grounded in the techniques of reinforcement learning and informed by insights from animal training. It simplifies the learning task for characters by (a) enabling them to take advantage of predictable regularities in their world, (b) allowing them to make maximal use of any supervisory signals, and (c) making them easy to train by humans.We built an autonomous animated dog that can be trained with a technique used to train real dogs called "clicker training". Capabilities demonstrated include being trained to recognize and use acoustic patterns as cues for actions, as well as to synthesize new actions from novel paths through its motion space.A key contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that by addressing the three problems of state, action, and state-action space discovery at the same time, the solution for each becomes easier. Finally, we articulate heuristics and design principles that make learning practical for synthetic characters.
BIPOLARITY, MULTIPOLARITY, AND FREE TRADE

Recent literature typically attributes the relative scarcity of open international markets to the prisoner's dilemma structure of state preferences with respect to trade. I argue that the prisoner's dilemma representation does not reflect the most critical aspect of free trade agreements in an anarchic international system: security externalities. Explicit consideration of these effects suggests that a bipolar international political system has an advantage relative to its multipolar counterpart with respect to the opening of markets among states. Less credible exit threats and stronger incentives to engage in altruism within its alliances explain the advantage of a two-power system. The real income gains that motivate free trade are also the source of the security externalities that impede it. Their ability to internalize these effects makes military alliances the natural basis of agreements to open international markets. The evolutionary prospects of alliances vary, however: ones that are the products of bipolar systems are more likely to evolve into free trade coalitions than are their multipolar counterparts. I argue that less credible exit threats and stronger incentives to engage in alliance altruism explain the advantage of a two-power system. Several important limits of the argument should be made clear immediately. I argue at the systemic level: I attempt to isolate the political and economic incentives for free trade that occur at the level of the international system. I do not, therefore, consider the impact of unitlevel factors on the pursuit of these incentives. For example, neither the role of special interest groups nor the organization of domestic exchange via hierarchies instead of markets is considered (Doyle 1986); Frieden 1988; Ruggie 1982). The conditions I assume are those of standard international trade theory (Ethier '1983), and illustrative rather than systematic empirical referents are used. These restrictions are appropriate given my purpose: to demonstrate analytically the advantage of a bipolar international political system with respect to free trade.
Mastitis in a flock of milking sheep

Abstract Milk samples were aseptically collected from 62 ewes at lambing from a flock of about 400 machine-milked Dorset and Polypay sheep. Of these, 24 ewes were sampled again at weaning upon entry into the milking group. An additional 18 ewes with clinical mastitis were sampled during lactation. Somatic cell counting was done on the milk from 59 ewes in the milking group. At lambing, milk from 29% of the ewes tested was culture-positive. Unilateral infections predominated. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were found in 88% of the samples. Of the ewes sampled at both lambing and weaning, 33% were free of intramammary infections (IMI), 38% developed IMI during this period, 21% had spontaneous cures, and 8% had CNS IMI at lambing but were infected with coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) at weaning. Of the milking ewes with clinical mastitis, CPS were isolated in 66% of the milk samples while 22% had no growth. Nearly 90% of the milk samples had somatic cell counts of under 200 000 cells ml−1. The reason for the high incidence of CPS clinical mastitis in the milking group was not determined. Somatic cell counts in this milking flock of sheep were similar in magnitude to those found in non-mastitic dairy cows but lower than those for milking goats. This suggests that somatic cell count standards for cow milk could probably be applied to sheep milk. The somatic cell counts indicated a low level of IMI in this milking flock, reflective of the preventive mastitis measures used.
Understanding Asynchronous Parallel Pattern Search

Asynchronous parallel pattern search (APPS) is a nonlinear optimization algorithm that dynamically initiates actions in response to events, rather than cycling through a fixed set of search directions, as is the case for synchronous pattern search. This gives us a versatile concurrent strategy that allows us to effectively balance the computational load across all available processors. However, the semi-autonomous nature of the search complicates the analysis. We concentrate on elucidating the concepts and notation required to track the iterates produced by APPS across all participating processes. To do so, we consider APPS and its synchronous counterpart (PPS) applied to a simple problem. This allows us both to introduce the bookkeeping we found necessary for the analysis and to highlight some of the fundamental differences between APPS and PPS.
DRV-Fingerprinting: using data retention voltage of SRAM cells for chip identification

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) produce outputs that are a function of minute random physical variations. Promoted for low-cost authentication and resistance to counterfeiting, many varieties of PUFs have been used to enhance the security and privacy of RFID tags. To different extents, applications for both identification and authentication require a PUF to produce a consistent output over time. As the sensing of minute variations is a fundamentally noisy process, much effort is spent on error correction of PUF outputs. We propose a new variant of PUF that uses well-understood properties of common memory cells as a fingerprint. Our method of fingerprinting SRAM cells by their data retention voltage improves the success rate of identification by 28% over fingerprints based on power-up state.
GnRH antagonist rescue in high responders at risk for OHSS results in excellent assisted reproduction outcomes.

Abstract Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist rescue is performed by replacing a GnRH agonist with a GnRH antagonist in patients with rapidly rising serum oestradiol who are at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) during stimulation. It results in a rapid reduction in serum oestradiol, allowing for the avoidance of cycle cancellation and the continuation of exogenous gonadotrophin administration. A total of 387 patients who underwent GnRH antagonist rescue for ovarian hyperresponse were compared with 271 patients who did not receive GnRH antagonist rescue and had oestradiol concentrations >4000pg/ml on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration. GnRH antagonist rescue decreased the mean oestradiol concentration by 35% on the first day of use. There was no difference in oocyte maturity (82% versus 83%) or fertilization rate (69% versus 67%) between the antagonist rescue and comparison groups, respectively. The percentage of high-grade embryos on day 3 and the blastocyst development rate were also similar between groups. The live-birth rate was 41.9% in the antagonist rescue group and 36.9% in the comparison group. GnRH antagonist rescue enabled cycle completion with high live-birth rates in patients at risk for OHSS. GnRH antagonist was associated with high oocyte quality, blastocyst development and pregnancy. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist rescue is a protocol to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in assisted reproduction treatment. Patients who have a hyperresponse to medication during their treatment cycle have their GnRH agonist discontinued and a GnRH antagonist started in its place. This causes a rapid reduction in oestrogen concentrations and allows for the continuation of stimulation medication. We evaluated the effectiveness of this protocol by comparing patients who had GnRH antagonist rescue against high-responding patients who did not receive GnRH antagonist rescue. GnRH antagonist rescue resulted in a 35% reduction in oestrogen concentration and only a 1.5% cycle cancellation rate. There were no differences in oocyte maturity or fertilization between the two groups. There were no differences in the quality of day-3 and day-5 embryos between the two groups. The live birth rate was 41.9% in the antagonist rescue group and 36.9% in the comparison group. GnRH antagonist rescue reduced serum oestradiol concentrations and enabled cycle completion with high live-birth rates in patients at risk for OHSS. GnRH antagonist was associated with high oocyte quality, blastocyst development and pregnancy.
The Tangram stream query processing system

Tangram, an environment for modeling which is under development at UCLA, is discussed. One of the driving concepts behind Tangram has been the combination of large-scale data access and data reduction with a powerful programming environment. The Tangram environment is based on PROLOG, extending it with a number of features, including process management, distributed database access, and generalized stream processing. The authors describe the Tangram stream processor, the part of the Tangram environment performing query processing on large streams of data. The paradigm of transducers on streams is used throughout this system, providing a database flow computation capability. >
The BLM helicase contributes to telomere maintenance through processing of late-replicating intermediate structures

Werner's syndrome (WS) and Bloom's syndrome (BS) are cancer predisposition disorders caused by loss of function of the RecQ helicases WRN or BLM, respectively. BS and WS are characterized by replication defects, hyperrecombination events and chromosomal aberrations, which are hallmarks of cancer. Inefficient replication of the G-rich telomeric strand contributes to chromosome aberrations in WS cells, demonstrating a link between WRN, telomeres and genomic stability. Herein, we provide evidence that BLM also contributes to chromosome-end maintenance. Telomere defects (TDs) are observed in BLM-deficient cells at an elevated frequency, which is similar to cells lacking a functional WRN helicase. Loss of both helicases exacerbates TDs and chromosome aberrations, indicating that BLM and WRN function independently in telomere maintenance. BLM localization, particularly its recruitment to telomeres, changes in response to replication dysfunction, such as in WRN-deficient cells or after aphidicolin treatment. Exposure to replication challenge causes an increase in decatenated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) structures and late-replicating intermediates (LRIs), which are visible as BLM-covered ultra-fine bridges (UFBs) in anaphase. A subset of UFBs originates from telomeric DNA and their frequency correlates with telomere replication defects. We propose that the BLM complex contributes to telomere maintenance through its activity in resolving LRIs.
The effect of smoke particles on clouds and climate forcing

Smoke particles from biomass burning can generate forcing of climate by modifying cloud microphysics and reflectance of sunlight. Cloud modification, critical to an understanding of climate change, is uncertain and variable. Satellite data over the Amazon Basin and Cerrado were analyzed for cloud reflectance and droplet size and for smoke concentration. Smoke increased cloud reflectance from 0.35 to 0.45, while reducing droplet size from 14 to 9 micrometers. The regional variability of the smoke effect was correlated to the availability of water vapor. During the 3 months of biomass burning in the dry season, the smoke-cloud forcing of climate was only −2 watts per square meter in this region, much smaller than what can be inferred from model predictions.
The Impact of Drug Treatment on Recidivism: Do Mandatory Programs Make a Difference? Evidence From Kansas’s Senate Bill 123

This study compares the recidivism of eligible drug possessors sentenced under Kansas’s mandatory drug treatment policy (SB 123) to those of similar offenders receiving other sentences. Using multinomial logistic regression, the authors found that participation in SB 123 was generally associated with a decrease in the likelihood of recidivism. However, models relying on matched samples of offenders generated via propensity scores showed that SB 123 did not have a significant impact on recidivism rates relative to community corrections and actually increased recidivism rates relative to court services. The authors argue that the limited effect of SB 123 on recidivism stems from the net-widening effects often encountered with mandatory sentencing policies rather than inherent problems with the delivery of treatment.
On the Bilinear Hörmander Classes in the Scales of Triebel-Lizorkin and Besov Spaces

Boundedness properties on the scales of inhomogeneous Triebel-Lizorkin and Besov spaces of positive smoothness are proved for pseudodifferential operators with symbols belonging to certain bilinear Hormander classes. These include classes of symbols of order zero for which the associated bilinear operators have Calderon-Zygmund kernels but are not necessarily bounded in the setting of Lebesgue spaces as well as classes that go beyond the Calderon-Zygmund theory. In addition, it is established that boundedness estimates on Lebesgue spaces for all operators with symbols in a given Hormander class imply Besov estimates for such operators. A related result is obtained for general bilinear multiplier operators.
Reducing the incidence of 131I-induced sialadenitis: the role of pilocarpine.

The goal of this study was to reduce the salivary symptoms of pain and xerostomia caused by 131I therapy for papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma. Methods: In a single-blind controlled prospective study of 60 patients, we investigated whether pilocarpine, 5 mg orally every 8 h for 1 wk after 131I therapy, would reduce salivary symptoms. All patients received 8 mg of dexamethasone and 100 mg of dolasetron mesylate orally 2 h before therapy and every 12 h for another 5 doses after 131I ingestion. In addition, for a week after therapy all drank 2,400 mL of nondairy liquid per day and had sugar-free gum or candy in their mouths at all times when awake for a week and, for the first 3 nights, every 3 h after retiring. All brushed their mouths out every 3 h while awake and also for the first 3 nights after 131I therapy. Symptoms and signs were followed by frequent telephone calls over the first week and every 8–12 wk thereafter, a physical examination within the first 10 d after therapy, and a clinic visit 6–8 mo after therapy. Statistical comparisons were by χ2 analysis. Results: The 2 patient groups were not statistically different in age, sex, type of thyroid cancer, or 131I activity administered (P > 0.05). There were no statistical differences between the groups in the prevalence of sialadenitis, stomatitis, xerostomia, or dysgeusia over the next 6 mo (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Under the conditions of the study, pilocarpine did not reduce the occurrence of radiation sialadenitis or stomatitis. The occurrence, however, was lower than had previously been reported in the literature, possibly because of the concurrent stringent application of physiologic sialogogues (candy, gum, fluids), dexamethasone, and dolasetron mesylate, a serotonin receptor antagonist.
Scientific and clinical challenges in sepsis.

Advances in intensive care and antibiotics have prevented the spread of some infections, though sepsis mortality rates remain high. With failure of over thirty clinical trials, sepsis remains a scientific and clinical challenge in modern medicine. Sepsis is defined by the clinical signs of a systemic inflammatory response to infection. “Severe sepsis” is when these symptoms are associated with multiple organ dysfunction. These definitions of sepsis may be too broad and common to heterogeneous groups of patients who do not necessarily have the same disorder. This consideration has become especially evident in the clinical trials that have failed to obtain consistent results in similar studies of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis. In these trials, patients with infections caused by different microorganisms, and affecting different organs, have been combined under the general diagnosis of severe sepsis. The situation is analogous to attempting a clinical trial based on the general definition of cancer, combining all patients with tumor independent of the type of malignancy. In this consideration, it would not be very surprising that activated protein C, the only treatment in sepsis approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is projected for use in only a small subset of patients with severe sepsis. This article reviews novel inflammatory molecular aspects and the experimental anti-inflammatory strategies for sepsis, as they may represent particular pathological processes in specific subsets of patients.