cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel Automata Processor

Finite State Machines (FSM) are widely used computation models for many application domains. These embarrassingly sequential applications with irregular memory access patterns perform poorly on conventional von-Neumann architectures. The Micron Automata Processor (AP) is an in-situ memory-based computational architecture that accelerates non-deterministic finite automata (NFA) processing in hardware. However, each FSM on the AP is processed sequentially, limiting potential speedups.In this paper, we explore the FSM parallelization problem in the context of the AP. Extending classical parallelization techniques to NFAs executing on AP is non-trivial because of high state-transition tracking overheads and exponential computation complexity. We present the associated challenges and propose solutions that leverage both the unique properties of the NFAs (connected components, input symbol ranges, convergence, common parent states) and unique features in the AP (support for simultaneous transitions, low-overhead flow switching, state vector cache) to realize parallel NFA execution on the AP.We evaluate our techniques against several important benchmarks including NFAs used for network intrusion detection, malware detection, text processing, protein motif searching, DNA sequencing, and data analytics. Our proposed parallelization scheme demonstrates significant speedup (25.5x on average) compared to sequential execution on AP. Prior work has already shown that sequential execution on AP is at least an order of magnitude better than GPUs, multi-core processors and Xeon Phi accelerator.
NLM_NIH at SemEval-2017 Task 3: from Question Entailment to Question Similarity for Community Question Answering

This paper describes our participation in SemEval-2017 Task 3 on Community Question Answering (cQA). The Question Similarity subtask (B) aims to rank a set of related questions retrieved by a search engine according to their similarity to the original question. We adapted our feature-based system for Recognizing Question Entailment (RQE) to the question similarity task. Tested on cQA-B-2016 test data, our RQE system outperformed the best system of the 2016 challenge in all measures with 77.47 MAP and 80.57 Accuracy. On cQA-B-2017 test data, performances of all systems dropped by around 30 points. Our primary system obtained 44.62 MAP, 67.27 Accuracy and 47.25 F1 score. The cQA-B-2017 best system achieved 47.22 MAP and 42.37 F1 score. Our system is ranked sixth in terms of MAP and third in terms of F1 out of 13 participating teams.
Hamstring Autograft for Foot and Ankle Applications.

Background:Hamstring tendon autografts may be used for foot and ankle surgeries, although reports on their effectiveness and morbidity in the foot and ankle literature are limited. We studied a cohort of patients who underwent hamstring harvest for foot and ankle applications, hypothesizing that morbidity to the knee would be limited.Methods:We studied a cohort of patients who underwent hamstring autograft for foot or ankle applications by a fellowship-trained sports and foot and ankle surgeon since 2011. Thirty-seven patients underwent isokinetic strength testing using a dynamometer an average of 38 months postoperatively. The average patient age was 45 ± 16 (range, 18-78) years, and 54% were women. Peak flexion and extension torque as well as flexion and extension torque at 30, 70, and 90 degrees of flexion were collected at 2 different testing speeds, 180 and 300 degrees/s. t tests were used for all comparisons.Results:At follow-up, 32 patients (86%) reported no pain at the harvest site; the remaining ...
Three cases of metallosis associated with spine instrumentation

The characteristic trait of metallosis is the presence of tissue staining. Analyzing explanted revision hardware from spine surgeries and performing ICPMS/AES analysis on removed tissue samples, a clinically relevant definition for metallosis may be developed. Results of the analysis identified hardware fretting wear and corrosion, and ICP-MS/AES analysis identified elevated metal ion concentrations in all cases. This supports the hypothesis that corrosion may be linked to poor health outcomes and potential need for revision surgery. Using failure analysis methods, corrosion products from orthopedic spine implants can be identified to begin to characterize metallosis in a clinically relevant manner. Failure analysis for patients undergoing revision spine surgery for other causes. Using failure analysis methods we conducted a retrieval analysis of explanted hardware and tissue. Implant failure with surrounding tissue metal staining is a current issue in the field of orthopedics. Specifically in spine, this issue is under reported and over looked as a clinically significant finding. Metallosis is most commonly used to describe the presence of tissue staining however this is not a clinically relevant definition. There is a need for further research to provide a better understanding of metallosis leading to better patient outcomes. Patients were screened for this study during a radiological review prior to surgery. All explanted hardware was documented and inspected for signs of wear and corrosion using non-destructive testing. A tissue sample that is normally removed and discarded was collected for ICP-MS/AES analysis. The presence of fretting corrosion, galling and corrosion fatigue was found on all explanted hardware. Cr levels are significantly higher than what was previously published as normal in muscle 0.03 μg/g. One case was a 4 order of magnitude elevation with the other 2 approximately 2 orders of magnitude increase. Titanium and Co concentrations are also significantly increased. The Ca to P ratio for all samples is approximately 1.7:1 suggesting some form of apatitic crystal present due to drying of the tissues. In all cases, the Al, Mo, V, Co, content in surrounding tissue is significantly elevated >10× above "normal," 8.4 ± 4.8; 1.61 ± 1.41; 0.06 ± 0.03; 1.35 ± 1.97 μg/g respectively. A "normal" reference titanium level could only be found for whole blood, 0.00072 ± 0.1412 μ/g. Iron and Ni measurements are within typical values presented in previous studies. No single mechanism for the release of metal ion in a patient is clear. Evidence suggests a tribocorrosive process due to both wear and environmental factors. Specific biologic mechanisms, such as the possible presence of bacteria may affect the fretting and corrosion of spinal instrumentation must be explored in conjunction with thorough review of patient outcomes. Such an effort can potentially reduce patient readmission and increase successful patient outcomes.
Psychiatric practice for intellectual disability in the USA: challenges and advances.

Individuals with intellectual disability are thought to make up at least 1% of the population, and it is estimated that approximately one-third of them have a comorbid psychiatric disorder (Harris, 2006). These ‘dually diagnosed’ individuals present a particular diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. A difficulty facing psychiatry in the USA over the past several decades has been to interest and educate a sufficient number of psychiatrists to meet the mental health needs of this group of patients (Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).
MOSS: A Patient-Centered Approach

The treatment of metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is complex and varies from patient to patient. There are numerous treatment algorithms and mnemonics designed to reduce uncertainty in treatment planning and thereby expedite treatment. There are also prospective, randomized studies that are similarly designed to simplify planning and thereby optimize treatment in these patients. We have found, however, that some of these methods of planning treatment oversimplify what is in reality a complex, ever-changing clinical scenario. These various methods also place a greater emphasis on the degree of the spinal cord compression than on more patient-centered variables. We have developed a mnemonic that we believe will expedite decision-making, and more importantly, will do so in the context of patient-specific variables. We believe that only such a patient-centered approach to treatment planning can reliably ensure an optimal outcome in the patient with MSCC. The mnemonic, MOSS, stands for medical/mental, oncologic, stenosis, and stability. This memory aid requires the practitioner to first assess the patient’s medical and mental condition, and their oncologic diagnosis, prognosis, and stage, before gauging the degree of spinal cord compression, neurologic loss, or spinal instability. Specifically, treatment in a patient in a poor mental and medical state whose cancer is very advanced should likely be different from that in the patient in a better mental and medical state whose compression may be very similar to that in the sicker patient. MOSS also requires the joint participation of the multidisciplinary team in both the assessment phase and the selection of adjuvant and up-to-date technology for treatment. The old saying that a rolling stone gathers no MOSS applies in a more modern sense to those who are willing to consider and adopt new ideas and to abandon approaches to the treatment of MSCC that emphasize surgical intervention rather than evaluation of the patient and current medical and surgical treatment options. The treatment for MSCC in its various manifestations is continuously changing, and patient-centered decision-making, such as that afforded by MOSS, will help ensure that the best of these new techniques and technology are used in those patients in the best position to benefit from them.
Undertreated Medical Conditions vs Trauma as Primary Indications for Amputation at a Referral Hospital in Cameroon.

This cohort study identifies the primary indications for amputation among patients at a Cameroon hospital.
The Persian Poet.

Acronyms have multiplied in unprecedented numbers. I often don't know what they mean—how can I know how I feel about their meaning?
Science, Policy, and Risk Management: Case of Seafood Safety

In order to function properly, the human body needs a wide range of essential nutrients, which it gets from food that is ingested on a daily basis. Unfortunately, food also represents a vector for harmful creatures (bacterial, viral, protozoan pathogens) and chemical substances (organic toxins as well as toxic metals and various environmental contaminants). According to the most recent surveys of the Center for Science for Public Interest (CSPI), for more than a decade now, seafood has ranked first as the most likely source of foodborne disease outbreaks of established origin [2, 3].
In vitro targeting of doxorubicin loaded canine erythrocytes to cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLL).

The treatment and therapy of many acute and chronic deseases has largely involved the administration of drugs via the standard delivery systems, e.g. oral, parenteral, intramuscular, and intravenous routes of administration. These methods of administering a drug usually result in an immediate bioavailability of the drug. Anti-tumor agents require a high concentration to achieve a therapeutically relevant dose to the tumor cells. However, the amount of the drug required usually proves to be toxic to normal tissues.
The Effect of pH on µ-calpain Activity and Implications in Meat Tenderness

In early postmortem muscle, µ-calpain inactivation due to either a rapid pH decline or by rapid autolysis has the potential to decrease proteolysis of myofibrillar proteins and subsequent postmortem tenderization. An intermediate pH decline that allows for proteolytic activity of µ-calpain, but a slower rate of autolysis could explain a portion of the variation in meat tenderness.
Graft-versus-host disease: Tread carefully on T cell suppression

CD28-targeting synergizes with mTOR inhibition to prevent graft-versus-host disease but increases infection-related fatality in nonhuman primates.
Popular Catholicism in 20th Century Ireland: Locality, Identity and Culture

Descriptions of Catholic devotion in mid-twentieth-century Ireland read like dispatches from a vanished world. Who now remembers, except a generation rapidly passing from view, the rich, textured r...
Tomography of Southern California Via Bayesian Joint Inversion of Rayleigh Wave Ellipticity and Phase Velocity From Ambient Noise Cross-Correlations

The data used in this work are archived and distributed by the Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC; http://scedc.caltech.edu/research-tools/waveform.html) and the IRIS Earthquake Data Center (https://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/). Both the SCEC Community Velocity Models used in this work, CVMS-4.26 and CVMH-15.1.0, are available from the Southern California Earthquake Center (https://github.com/SCECcode/UCVMC). This study was supported by the Southern California Earthquake Center (award 17195), the National Science Foundation (grants CyberSEES-1442665 and EAR-162061), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (award OCRF-2014-CRG3-2300). We also thank the reviewers of this paper, an anonymous individual, and Jan Dettmer, for their valuable insight and constructive reviews of the manuscript. The 3-D shear wave velocity model will be available from IRIS Data Services Products: Earth Model Collaboration (https://ds.iris.edu/ds/products/emc/).
A concentrated array of copper porphyrin candidate qubits

Synthetic chemistry offers a pathway to realize atomically precise arrays of qubits, the smallest unit of a quantum information science system. We harnessed framework chemistry to create an array of qubit candidates, featuring one qubit every 13.6 A, by synthesizing the new copper(II) variant of the porphyrinic metal–organic framework PCN-224. We subjected the framework to pulse-electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, establishing spin coherence at temperatures up to 80 K within a fully spin concentrated framework. Observation of Rabi oscillations further support the viability of the qubits within these arrays. To interrogate the spin dynamics of qubit arrays, we investigated spin–lattice relaxation, T1, through a combination of pulse-EPR and alternating current (ac) magnetic susceptibility measurements. These data revealed distinct vibrational environments within the frameworks that contribute to spin dynamics. The aggregate results establish a pathway for a synthetic approach to create spatially precise networks of qubits.
Unanswered calls for human rights: Insights from the Arab Spring

On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian fruit vendor by the name of Mohammad Buazizi set himself on fire in response to unemployment, poverty, and humiliation at the hands of police. Owing to the severity...
On the Computational Study of Chinese Alzheimer's Disease Online Communities: A Sentiment and Contextual Analysis Approach

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting millions of people worldwide. There are very few published systematic prevalence studies of AD in China which claims the most AD cases worldwide. Our understandings on the public awareness, challenges and problems of the AD population faces and knowledge held among the general public and medical professionals are even rare which motivates the present study. In particular, to research the current situation of AD communities in China, this present study proposes several data mining and natural language processing techniques (including sentiment analysis and named entity recognition) on the posts in two popular Chinese forums. The computational analysis results revealed the varying attentions that AD communities receive from the society, the users' collective emotion state, the problems and challenges the population is facing and some common patterns from across the general public and medical professions. Our computational studies, one of the very few in the literature, can facilitate the acknowledgment and understanding of the disease for everyone in the society and provide policy-makers and commercial companies with some insights and urging needs of the population.
Vibration control of unmanned aerial vehicle with suspended load using the concept of differential flatness

There are various scenarios where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are required to carry suspended loads. The most common of these scenarios include; military deployments, tree logging, fire fighting, package delivery, sensor survey (e.g. Magnetometer survey of the earth's magnetic field) and aerial side trimming. This work is aimed at obtaining a rest to rest trajectory for a UAV suspended load such that the load vibration is minimized. The 2D-model of the Quadcopter is used. The result from differential flatness is compared with that obtained from a closed loop control with input shaping. Based on the integral of the absolute value of the α swing rate of the pendulum, the three methods are compared and inferences are drawn.
Energy Saving and Consumption Reduction of Power Plant Boilers in Variable Coal Quality Environment

The safe and stable operation of utility boilers is the guarantee for the continuous production and operation of thermal power enterprises. For a long time, due to price, transportation channel and power generation production cycle, the actual coal quality of boiler in thermal power plant deviates greatly from the design coal quality. Boiler output decreases, efficiency decreases, coal consumption of power generation increases, ash corrosion of heating area is serious, which brings many problems to safe operation and economic operation of boiler equipment. This paper will take the power plant boiler in the changeable environment of coal quality as the research object, aiming at the safe and economic operation of the boiler, through the effective means of the mixing combustion test of the boiler, analyze the properties of raw coal and mixing coal, and solve the problems of safe operation, energy saving and consumption reduction of the power plant boiler in the changeable environment of coal quality.
A disconnect between classroom and professional writing: we are not teaching public health students to write effective titles

Titles are considered a crucial element of grant applications, journal articles, reports and other public health documents, but they are often overlooked in student writing assignments. In this article, we argue that public health instructors should teach students how to write compelling document titles. Our argument about titles is part of a broader assertion that public health students should be asked to write in professional formats such as grant applications, reports and journal articles. Requiring students to engage with important writing conventions like titles that are used in the professional workplace helps them make connections between the content they are writing about and the activities, roles, values and context of public health practice. We recommend that instructors explicitly incorporate titles into their assigned writing in three ways: first, instructors should require titles; second, instructors should provide criteria for a good title that are appropriate to the document type and finally, instructors should award points for a good title.
Weighted thresholding homotopy method for sparsity constrained optimization

We propose in this paper a novel weighted thresholding method for the sparsity-constrained optimization problem. By reformulating the problem equivalently as a mixed-integer programming, we investigate the Lagrange duality with respect to an $$l_1$$-norm constraint and show the strong duality property. Then we derive a weighted thresholding method for the inner Lagrangian problem, and analyze its convergence. In addition, we give an error bound of the solution under some assumptions. Further, based on the proposed method, we develop a homotopy algorithm with varying sparsity level and Lagrange multiplier, and prove that the algorithm converges to an L-stationary point of the primal problem under some conditions. Computational experiments show that the proposed algorithm is competitive with state-of-the-art methods for the sparsity-constrained optimization problem.
Acoustic Tomography of Natural Bubble Fields and Ship Wakes

Abstract : The primary long-range objectives are the development and the refinement of algorithms for acoustic tomography with applications to quantitative measurement of bubble fields. Natural bubble fields from breaking waves in littoral regions have a profound effect on performance of sonar systems; while the wakes of ships have a debilitating impact on the effectiveness of anti-torpedo torpedo defense systems. This research investigates the feasibility of using acoustic tomography as a suitable method to determine physical properties of bubble fields (e.g., attenuation and bubble size distribution). The current research s scientific objectives seek to establish methods to determine physical properties of bubbly water from in situ acoustic measurements. Currently, acoustic tomography is used to constructs images of the attenuation such that the spatial dependence and the magnitude of the attenuation can be estimated. Rouseff et al.5 have implemented an acoustic tomography algorithm to invert measured amplitude data to determine the attenuation within a region of bubbly water. They have applied the algorithm to only a portion of the data obtained during the Delta Frame experiment conducted at the Scripps Pier facility. Data run 6 occurred during an otherwise quiescent period and provides a baseline for the background while data runs 5 and 7 occurred during significant wave breaking and rip current activity. Of particular interest is data run 5 because it coincided with experiments of other researchers, which provide independent measurements of the bubble field . The proposed work for FY00 has three components. First, the tomographic analysis initiated by Rouseff et al. on attenuation data from the Delta Frame experiment will be extended to other data runs. Second, the algorithm for the tomographic reconstruction of attenuation will be modified to produce an image of the spatial variation in sound speed.
Feeding Cats for Optimal Mental and Behavioral Well-Being

In this article, we review cats' feeding behaviors, and discuss ways of feeding cats that promote physical and mental/behavioral health, while providing cats with choices that allow expression of preferences. We address the management of several feeding issues that cat owners may face, such as obesity, pickiness, begging for food, and feeding in multi-cat households. Food puzzles are one way to provide environmental enrichment for cats, and food can be used in multiple ways for behavior modification in the clinical setting, including counterconditioning and differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
Is There an Analog for the Future Climate?Open image in new window

This summary can be quite short. The older interglacials do not tell us much about what the future may be like.
Self-efficacy training as an adjunct to exercise in a person with progressive multiple sclerosis: a case report.

Background: Increasing self-efficacy to exercise and minimizing disease-related barriers has been shown to improve physical activity levels and quality of life (QOL) in persons with multiple sclero...
Unique viruses that infect Archaea related to eukaryotes

Asgard archaea are newly described microbes that are related to eukaryotes. Asgards are diverse and globally distributed, however, their viruses have not been described. Here we characterize seven viral genomes that infected Lokiarchaeota, Helarchaeota, and Thorarchaeota in deep-sea hydrothermal sediments. These viruses code for structural proteins similar to those in Caudovirales, as well as proteins distinct from those described in archaeal viruses. They also have genes common in eukaryotic nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs), and are predicted to be capable of semi-autonomous genome replication, repair, epigenetic modifications, and transcriptional regulation. Moreover, Helarchaeota viruses may hijack host ubiquitin systems similar to eukaryotic viruses. This first glimpse of Asgard viruses reveals they have features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses, and provides insights into their roles in the ecology and evolution of these globally distributed microbes.
Sinister Adaptation: Sensationalism and Violence Against Women in Anglo-American Cinema and Roman Drama

This chapter reveals and dissects a disturbing pattern communicated through women’s bodies in certain Roman adaptations of Greek drama and cinematic adaptations of Anglophone texts. The adaptors in question change their source material in order to heighten violence against women (particularly sexual violence) depicted in the original, or to add such violence not previously present. The movies and television series—including The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, and 300: Rise of an Empire—do so not for the purposes of social commentary but for mere sensationalism and for the titillation of specific viewers. These “sinister adaptations” stand in marked contrast to the ancient Roman drama of Plautus, Terence, and Seneca, in which heightened violence against women highlights the adaptors’ criticism of their societies.
Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical exhaled breath condensate samples for metabolomic analysis.

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is routinely collected and analyzed in breath research. Because it contains aerosol droplets, EBC samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals harbor the virus and pose the threat of infectious exposure. We report for the first time a safe and consistent method to fully inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in EBC samples and make EBC samples safe for processing and analysis. EBC samples containing infectious SARS-CoV-2 were treated with several concentrations of acetonitrile. The most commonly used 10% acetonitrile treatment for EBC processing failed to completely inactivate the virus in samples and viable virus was detected by the assay of SARS-CoV-2 infection of Vero E6 cells in a BSL-3 laboratory. Treatment with either 50% or 90% acetonitrile was effective to completely inactivate the virus, resulting in safe, non-infectious EBC samples that can be used for metabolomic analysis. Our study provides SARS-CoV-2 inactivation protocol for the collection and processing of EBC samples in the clinical setting and for advancing to metabolic assessments in health and disease.
Recovery systems from wastes disposal

This chapter focuses on waste recovery systems. Identifying suitable recovery technologies is critical to the determination of recyclability for wastes that cannot be reused directly. Incineration is the ideal alternative to land filling as the final disposition for many solid wastes. Potential for recovery of heat energy and pollutants from the fuel gas can meet environmental regulations. Many industries, institutions, and governments can realize savings from the potential of converting their own solid wastes into energy and resources. In recent years, combustion of certain classifications of waste oils and spent solvents in industrial boilers has increased. Increases in fuel prices in the mid 1970s provided a strong incentive toward waste fuel combustion with heat recovery in the form of steam generation. Because many types of waste oils and solvent exhibit properties of potentially good fuels, combustion of these wastes provides the double incentive of reduced steam generation costs, and solving an otherwise expensive waste disposal problem. Waste oil and solvent combustion in boilers also supports the philosophy of resource recovery.
Biofilms as Reservoirs for Disease

There is concern that biofilms could act as reservoirs of pathogenic organisms due to the growth advantages and the protection from conventional means for controlling bacterial growth that biofilms provide. Given the importance of waterborne, nosocomial, and food-borne diseases, the widespread ability of bacteria to form biofilms, and the resistance characteristics of biofilms, an attempt has been made to synthesize the prevalence, disease characteristics, and biofilm-forming capacity of several important pathogens to present a picture of the present and emerging threat of biofilms to human health. Researchers selected organisms that have documented prevalence in the environment and in locations that allow ingestion or inhalation, documented ability to form biofilms, and ability to cause disease. Such microbes include the waterborne pathogens Aeromonas spp., Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium spp., and Vibrio cholerae, and the food-borne pathogens Campylobacter spp., L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. In summary, biofilms act as reservoirs of disease in a wide variety of habitats, including natural surface waters, groundwater, drinking water systems, food surfaces, and food industry surfaces. The presence of pathogenic bacteria in biofilms is clearly a challenge for protecting public health given the changing demographics of the world population, the increase in immunocompromised individuals, and the continued problems with water and food quality in the world.
Lipids and Lipoproteins and Effects of Hormone Therapy

Publisher Summary Numerous factors contribute to variations in plasma lipoproteins that may affect cardiovascular disease risk. These include age, dietary components, adiposity, genetic traits, and hormonal changes. Each of these factors may operate to varying degrees in determining changes in plasma lipoprotein profiles accompanying menopause. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest increases in levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins associated with menopause. Levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) remain relatively constant in the years following menopause, although small and perhaps transient reductions in the HDL-2 subfraction are reported in relation to reduced estradiol level following menopause. Despite these associations, it is difficult to determine the role of endogenous hormones in influencing the plasma lipoproteins of postmenopausal women. In principle, the effects of hormone replacement should act to reverse any alterations in lipoprotein metabolism that are due to postmenopausal hormone changes. However, although there may be beneficial effects on lipoproteins, hormone treatment does not restore a premenopausal lipoprotein profile. Furthermore, there is now compelling evidence that although premenopausal hormonal status contributes to protection from cardiovascular disease, exogenous hormone induced lipoprotein changes do not result in reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, and can in fact increase disease risk.
Factors Affecting Growth and Survival of the Asiatic Clam, Corbicula sp., under Controlled Laboratory Conditions

Growth of Corbicula sp. was determined in relation to food supply, water temperature, and clam size as an aid to researchers conducting chronic effects toxicity studies. Water temperatures for the two 84-day test series were 10, 20, and 30/sup 0/C. Linear models provided good relationships (r/sup 2/ > 0.90) between clam shell length (SL), total weight (TW), and wet/dry tissue weights. Clam growth was minimal during low phytoplankton densities (approx. 300 cells/ml), and all three size groups lost weight at 20 and 30/sup 0/C. Mortality of small clams at 30/sup 0/C was 100% after 71 days. At phytoplankton densities > 1000 cells/ml, overall differences in growth with respect to clam size and temperature were detectable at p < 0.01; growth of all clam groups was greatest at 30/sup 0/C. Small clams exhibited the greatest absolute increase in mean shell length at all test temperatures, and weight gains were similar to those of medium and large clams.
Security Provisioning in Pervasive Environments Using Multi-objective Optimization

Pervasive computing applications involve information flow across multiple organizations. Thus, any security breach in an application can have far-reaching consequences. However, effective security mechanisms can be quite different from those typically deployed in conventional applications since these mechanisms are constrained by various factors in a pervasive environment. In this paper, we propose a methodology to perform a cost-benefit analysis under such circumstances. Our approach is based on the formulation of a set of constrained multi-objective optimization problems to minimize the residual damage and the cost of security provisioning. We propose the use of workflow profiles to capture the contexts in which a communication channel is used in a pervasive environment. This is used to minimize the cost that the underlying business entity will have to incur in order to keep the workflow secure and running.
In vivo assessment of tumor-induced nonspecific suppression of contact sensitivity: I. Correlation with in vitro studies

Abstract Fibrosarcoma-bearing BALB/c mice were assessed for 2,4-dinitroflurobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact sensitivity by a quantitative radioisotopic ear assay. Measurement of contact sensitivity was based on the localization of intraperitoneally injected iodinated-human serum albumin ([ 125 I]HSA) in the challenged ear. Normal and tumor-bearing mice (TBM) had optimal localization 4 days after sensitization, as determined by challenging with DNFB ear application and measuring increased vascular permeability of the challenged ear over the unchallenged ear. However, at all times TBM responsiveness to challenge was significantly lower than that of the normal population. Kinetic experiments indicated that the most dramatic decrease in TBM primary and secondary cell-mediated immune response to the contact sensitizing agent occurred 15 to 19 days post tumor transplant, flattening out to a consistently low level during the fourth and fifth week of tumor growth. Results from these in vivo experiments strongly corroborate our previous in vitro inhibition data from tumor-induced nonspecific suppressor cells.
Inherently Secure Next‐Generation Computing and Communication Networks for Reducing Cascading Impacts

In the post 9/11 time frame there has emerged a greater recognition, supported by Presidential Directives on the subject, of the need for cyber security to be applied to all phases of information and control systems technology. This article offers a brief discussion of factors critical to success in assessing and defining cyber security risk. There is also a review of a number of parameters that are relevant when assessing an organization's security posture with respect to interdependency with other critical infrastructures and reduction of cascading impacts. The article also addresses considerations relative to the need for hardened supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, through adherence to one or more established sets of cyber security standards or guidelines and by adoption of new security technologies, techniques, and best practices. The article identifies several existing cyber security standards, some of which have been the subjects of comparison studies by analysts working under contract with the government. These studies identified relevant gaps and in the overall security coverage. Keywords: standards; guidelines; best practices; security posture; cascading impacts; risk assessment; metrics; technology; control systems; interdependency
A three-dimensional FDTD subgridding algorithm based on interpolation of current density

A three-dimensional subgridding algorithm for the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is proposed in this paper. The method is based on interpolation of electric and magnetic current densities. The coarse-fine mesh ratio can be either 1:2 or 1:3. Results of a test model utilizing a lossless cavity excited with a dipole show no tendency of instability after 500000 time steps. The reflection in time domain at the subgridding interface was calculated to test the accuracy of the subgridding algorithm.
Periodic groups whose simple modules have finite central endomorphism dimension

Theorem. If k is an uncountable field and G is a periodic group with no elements of order the characteristic of k and if all simple k[G] modules have finite central endomorphism dimension, then G has an abelian subgroup of finite index.
Equatorial ocean circulation in an extremely warm climate

[1] The warm climates of the early Paleogene and the associated diminished near-surface winds should have resulted in a reduction in near-surface ocean circulation. One check on this deduction is the delineation of biogenic sediments associated with an equatorial current system of the early Eocene Pacific. A latitudinal seismic reflection transect across the tropical Pacific along early Paleogene ocean crust reveals a basal high-amplitude reflection package that we take to be the lower Eocene section. This unit varies in thickness by a factor of about two, with the thickest portion forming a low mound some 3°–4° north of the 56 Ma paleoequator. This mound may represent the position of a divergence generated in the frontal region between two currents flowing in opposite directions, and its position suggests that the wind-driven equatorial circulation of the early Eocene was one without a pronounced equatorial divergence.
Mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD)

A novel opportunity to discover the variants of genes underlying human phenotypes (particularly those relating to disease) exists because of the mixing of peoples during the last few centuries. Termed mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD), the approach fundamentally utilizes those infrequent genetic variants that largely differentiate the racial/ethnic groups and the segmental nature of genomic material in individuals of mixed group ancestry. The methodology requires both genetic markers that differentiate groups – culled from the limited set of genetic differences between groups – and powerful analysis methodologies. Such markers are now available for MALD analysis of admixed African-Americans, and are being developed for Hispanics and other admixed groups. Together, the differentiating markers and analytic approaches allow the application of MALD to many diseases whose incidence differs between the founding groups of African-Americans and Hispanics along with other modern day populations of recently melded origins. Of course, the proof of MALD as a valid gene discovery approach rests on its successful application to disease gene discovery. Keywords: gene discovery; admixture; race; disease; methodology
Comparative study of models for tensile quasi-static fracture

Abstract The purpose of this review is to emphasize the common features which unite apparently divergent views expressed in the open literature regarding the subject of quasi-static tensile fracture. Due to the lack of space only three models are discussed in some detail, namely those given (in chronological order) by (1) Cherepanov, (2) Wunuk and (3) Sih; which are associated, respectively, with the following crack growth criteria: (1) total plastic energy dissipation, (2) essential work of fracture of final stretch and (3) strain energy density. A relationship of these models with other concepts pertinent to stable fracture due to (4) Hutchinson, Paris et al. , (5) Rice and Sorensen, (6) Shih et al. , is briefly pointed out.
Metabolism of L-and D-3-hydroxybutyrate by rat liver during development.

Abstract The metabolism of d - and l -3-hydroxybutyrate by neonatal and suckling rats was investigated. Both isomers of 3-hydroxybutyrate were incorporated into hepatic lipid, amino acids, and protein throughout the developmental period. The enzyme activities of liver 3-oxo-CoA transferase and brain 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase were compared during the first 3 postnatal weeks. The results suggest that the enzymatic activity of liver 3-oxo-CoA transferase is sufficient to account for a major portion of the d -isomer incorporation. The production of CO 2 by rat liver was greater from d -3-hydroxybutyrate than that measured from the l -isomer. The in vitro oxidation of both the d - and l -isomers by rat liver was stimulated by ATP + CoA or by GTP + CoA which suggests that their utilization may also be mediated by acyl-CoA synthetase enzymes.
Weights For 3-D Controlled Amplitude Prestack Time Migration

This paper presents a new explicit formula for the weight factor needed for controlled amplitude common offset migration in v(z) media (“time migration”). The weight is explicitly evaluated for the case of constant velocity (where it agrees with a previous result), and for the case of velocity varying linearly with depth. For flat reflectors or for zero offset, a simplified form of the weight factor (equation 8) suffices. For dipping reflectors, failure to use controlled amplitude weights can result in errors of 40% or more in an exceptional case. Errors for AVO analysis can become substantial if the target is dipping and an incorrect weight is used.
A new transport model for pervaporation

Abstract A study was carried out on the separation of ethyl alcohol/heptane mixtures by pervaporation using cellulose membranes of different pore sizes. Permeation data of pure ethyl alcohol and pure heptane were also obtained. The experimental data were further analyzed by using a transport theory developed on the basis of the pore flow mechanism. The latter mechanism consists of the following three consecutive steps: (1) liquid transport from the pore inlet to the liquid-vapor phase boundary; (2) evaporation at the phase boundary; (3) vapor transport from the phase boundary to the pore outlet. Using the above mechanism a set of transport equations was derived. It was shown that the trend in the pervaporation experimental data could be represented very well by proposed equations. A comparison was made between equations derived on the basis of the pore flow mechanism and those derived on the basis of the solution-diffusion mechanism.
Subunit-dependent block by isoflurane of wild-type and mutant α1S270H GABAA receptor currents in Xenopus oocytes

The volatile anesthetic isoflurane both prolongs and reduces the amplitude of GABA-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) recorded in neurons. To explore the latter effect, we investigated isoflurane-induced inhibition of steady-state desensitized GABA currents in Xenopus oocytes expressing wild-type alpha(1)beta(2), alpha(1)beta(2)gamma(2s), mutant alpha(1)(S270H)beta(2) (serine to histidine at residue 270) or alpha(1)(S270H)beta(2)gamma(2s) receptors. The alpha(1) serine 270 site in TM2 (second transmembrane domain of the subunit) is postulated as a binding site for some volatile agents and is critical for positive modulation of sub-maximal GABA responses by isoflurane. For all receptor combinations, at < or =0.6 mM isoflurane (< or =2 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC)) current inhibitions were not pronounced ( approximately 10%) with block reaching half-maximal levels at supraclinical concentrations ( approximately 2 mM isoflurane, 6 MAC). Comparisons with other GABA(A) receptor blockers indicated that isoflurane blocks in a similar manner to picrotoxin, possibly via the pore of the receptor. The extent of isoflurane-induced inhibition was significantly attenuated by inclusion of the gamma(2s)-subunit but was unaffected by introduction of the S270H mutation in the alpha(1)-subunit. In conclusion, isoflurane binds with low affinity and with subunit-specificity to an inhibitory site on the GABA(A) receptor that is distinct from the site that facilitates positive modulation at the extracellular end of the pore.
Comment on "Optical Response of Strongly Coupled Metal Nanoparticles in Dimer Arrays"

I have recalculated the extinction spectra of aggregates of two silver nanospheres shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the paper by J. J. Xiao, J. P. Huang, and K. W. Yu [Phys. Rev. B 71, 045404 (2005)]. I have used the approximate method of images according to the formulas published in that reference and an exact numerical technique. I have found that the three sets of data (those I have obtained by the method of images, the numerical results, and the results published in the reference in question) do not coincide. In this Comment, I discuss the reasons for these discrepancies and the general applicability of the method of images to the quasistatic electromagnetic problem of two interacting nanospheres.
Validity of the aberrant behavior checklist in children with autism spectrum disorder

The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) is a widely used measure in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treatment studies. We conducted confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses of the ABC in 1,893 children evaluated as part of the Autism Treatment Network. The root mean square error of approximation was .086 for the standard item assignment, and in exploratory factor analysis, the large majority of items continued to load on the originally assigned factors. Correlations between the ABC subscales and multiple external variables including the Child Behavior Checklist and demographic variables supported the convergent and divergent validity of the ABC as a measure of behavior problems in ASD. Finally, we examined the impact of participant characteristics on subscale scores and present normative data.
Recursive contextual classification using a spatial stochastic model

Abstract In the past decade, there have been numerous attempts to develop systems for automatic interpretation of digital image data. None of the systems developed for this purpose have made extensive use of context information. Since even manual interpretation of isolated point or area targets is difficult without the use of context, a machine which does not use context has a fundamental limitation. In the course of using contextual information, the first task is to present a stationary stochastic process on a two-dimensional plane. This process is then used as a model, such that correlations between any pair of image cells can be extracted. The model is characterized by a spatial correlation parameter. A flexible coding technique is presented by which the spatial correlation parameter can be estimated. From the coded patterns used for estimating the spatial correlation parameter, a recursive contextual classification procedure is proposed. Some modifications and extensions of the model are specifically developed or substantially refined during this investigation to cover more general situations. Finally, extensive experimental results with remotely sensed multispectral scanner data using the developed model for contextual classification are reported. Both single-stage and recursive contextual classification procedures are tested on real data. The classification results do show the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed contextual classifier.
An Ergonomic Evaluation of Customer Service Operations — A Case Study

Computer equipment repair services are a major and highly competitive industry. An ergonomic evaluation of the activities, methods, facilities and tools used by individual field service representatives of a major computer manufacturer were studied. Results indicated that good ergonomic interventions could reduce employee injuries while increasing productivity and rate-of-return on operations.
Failure Assessment Modeling to Prioritize Water Pipe Renewal: Two Case Studies

Studies indicate an urgent need to upgrade the nation’s aging and deteriorating water distribution systems so they can provide customers with reliable and safe water supplies. In response, water utilities apply performance measurement initiatives including pipeline asset management, which requires condition assessment to identify failure-prone pipes and prioritize their renewal. However, the below-ground location of pipes and lack of standard guidelines or tools make pipeline assessment and renewal decisions difficult. This paper presents a model that uses data commonly found in utilities to assist them with their pipe renewal decisions. The model has unique features that increase its responsiveness to industry needs, and it was developed and tested with collaboration of utility professionals. Two case studies illustrate the model’s application to the study of pipes in early and late performance stages while addressing the data limitations and risk averse characteristics of the industry.