cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient sorting using registers and caches

Modern computer systems have increasingly complex memory systems. Common machine models for algorithm analysis do not reflect many of the features of these systems, e.g., large register sets, lockup-free caches, cache hierarchies, associativity, cache line fetching, and streaming behavior. Inadequate models lead to poor algorithmic choices and an incomplete understanding of algorithm behavior on real machines.A key step toward developing better models is to quantify the performance effects of features not reflected in the models. This paper explores the effect of memory system features on sorting performance. We introduce a new cache-conscious sorting algorithm, R-MERGE, which achieves better performance in practice over algorithms that are superior in the theoretical models. R-MERGE is designed to minimize memory stall cycles rather than cache misses by considering features common to many system designs.
NATO and European Integration

Despite the oft-quoted language of Article II of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO was not designed as an institution for economic collaboration among its members. It has not in fact acted as such an institution. Every initiative toward investing it with direct economic functions has run into a blind alley.
Surgical Treatment of Obesity

Once an obese patient has failed attempts at diet modification, physical activity, pharmacologic treatment, and possibly even complementary and alternative therapies, the next step is to consider surgical management. Treatment plans must be customized for individual patients and should involve evaluation by the primary care provider, a dietician, psychologist, and surgeon. Then depending on the individual's needs, comorbidities, and candidacy, a specific surgical intervention may be necessary. These procedures are restrictive, malabsorptive, and a combination of both. Each procedure has its own short-term and long-term complications and must be monitored for the rest of the individual's life.
Angiotensin II: A Devious Activator of Mineralocorticoid Receptor-Dependent Gene Expression

See related article, pages 643–650 In this issue of Circulation Research Jaffe and Mendelsohn1 show that angiotensin II (Ang II) directly activates the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Using cultured human coronary and aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) they show strong evidence for expression of both the MR and the cortisol inactivating enzyme 11-β-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase-2 necessary for mineralocorticoid action. Importantly they show that Ang II activation of MR is independent of aldosterone generation by VSMC, suggesting a direct effect. Finally they used microarray analysis to define genes induced by aldosterone-dependent MR transcription. The microarray results yielded an “All Star” parade of candidates for vascular aging as they included genes involved in vascular fibrosis, inflammation and calcification. These data provide further support for the evolving role of the MR as a signal effector for Ang II and provide a new MR-dependent mechanism by which Ang II promotes cardiovascular disease. The links between Ang II and aldosterone have become increasingly numerous over the past 10 years. Because Ang II stimulates the synthesis and release of aldosterone, it has been suggested that vascular effects of Ang II are mediated in part by aldosterone. Support for this concept includes findings that Ang II receptors are up-regulated by aldosterone,2 data that spironolactone decreased cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrosis induced by Ang II,3 and …
Fabrication of MEMS Devices with Macroporous Silicon Membrane Embedded with Modulated 3D Structures for Optimal Cell Sorting

Macroporous silicon is a type of porous silicon that has ordered arrays of channels with high aspect ratio. Macroporous silicon with ordered 3-D structures have a variety of applications such as filters for a particle separation, photonic crystals and optical shortpass filters because of their spatially periodic structures [1–3]. These structures can be prepared by the electrochemical etching (ECE) of silicon wafers in hydrofluoric acid (HF). We report here a way to fabricate macroporous silicon membranes with ordered 3D structures that have controlled periodicity and dimensions appropriate for cell sorting. The silicon 3D structures have pores with variable diameters to modulate the flow behavior and optimize cell sorting efficiency. The silicon membranes were fabricated by wet etching of n-type (100) silicon substrate (40–60 W cm) in potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution with isopropyl alcohol at 80 °C. The 3-D structures were prepared by the electrochemical etching (ECE) of the membranes in diluted HF using the backside illumination with modulated intensity. The thickness of the fabricated membrane has been varied from 20 to 200 mm to optimize filtration of the cells by MEMS (Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems) chips designed for biological cell sorting and cell positioning. The software packages IntelliSuite and ANSYS FLOWTRAN were used to study the mechanical strength of the membrane as well as the velocity profile and flow behavior of Newtonian fluids inside the macroporous silicon membrane.
Role of Cellular Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Factors in NF-κB Activation and Lymphocyte Transformation by Herpesvirus Saimiri STP

The STP oncoproteins of the herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) subgroup A strain 11 and subgroup C strain 488 are now found to be stably associated with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) 1, 2, or 3. Mutational analyses identified residues of PXQXT/S in STP-A11 as critical for TRAF association. In addition, a somewhat divergent region of STP-C488 is critical for TRAF association. Mutational analysis also revealed that STP-C488 induced NF-kappaB activation that was correlated with its ability to associate with TRAFs. The HVS STP-C488 P10-->R mutant was deficient in human T-lymphocyte transformation to interleukin-2-independent growth but showed wild-type phenotype for marmoset T-lymphocyte transformation in vitro and in vivo. The STP-C488 P10-->R mutant was also defective in Rat-1 fibroblast transformation, and fibroblast cell transformation was blocked by a TRAF2 dominant-negative mutant. These data implicate TRAFs in STP-C488-mediated transformation of human lymphocytes and rodent fibroblasts. Other factors are implicated in immortalization of common marmoset T lymphocytes and may also be critical in the transformation of human lymphocytes and rodent fibroblasts.
Measurements of Infrared Optical Properties of AI 2 0 3 Rocket Particles

High temperature (1700-3000 K) optical properties of A1 2 0 3 rocket particles have been determined from mid-i.r. (1.3 to 4.5 ~~ measurements of Al z 0 3 /argon aerosols generated in a shock tube. The partIcles were collected from tile exhausts ,)f two different abminizect sol id propellant rockets and subjected to u)mprehensiv~ chemical and physical assays to determine contamination levels and particle size distributions. Observed rocket particle emissivities are low, but are nevertheless significantly greater than for pure Al z 0 3 particles. Comparison of tile rocket particle absorption indexes against pure A1 Z 0 j particles indicates that below the melt point, tl1e mld­ i.r. emission is determined by impurities, and above the melt point, it is determined by tfle bull< liquid properties of the particle material. For pure particles, this creates a jump in effective emissivities of over four orders of magnitude, whereas for contaminated particles the jump is s~aller, depending upon contamination level.
Barriers and Opportunities for Sustainable Food Systems in Northeastern Kansas

Survey responses of producers and institutional buyers in northeastern Kansas (United States) were analyzed to understand barriers and opportunities for sustainable food systems in the region where their emergence has been limited. Producers and buyers identified barriers previously noted regarding mismatches of available quantities and prices. Producers’ enthusiasm to supply locally exceeded buyers’ interest to source locally. Transportation was identified as one of the major concerns by producers, and their responses to choice tasks revealed producers’ preferences to sell locally while pricing their products to secure sales revenue and to cover their logistics expenses at least partially.
Identification Keys to the Larvae and Pupae of New Jersey Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Multichotomous identification keys are provided to the black fly larvae and pupae of New Jersey and neighboring states. Control of black flies is targeted at the aquatic immature stages, making proper identification of larvae and pupae vital for suppression purposes. The key includes 40 species known from NJ and an additional 24 species from surrounding states. A species confirmation table is also included to increase identification accuracy. Diagnostic images of simuliid pupae and larvae are also provided.
211. Inflammation and treatment resistance in major depression: A perfect storm

New findings provide powerful evidence that inhibition of inflammation or its downstream effects on mood may open up a host of new approaches to treatment for depression, especially for patients with treatment-resistant depression.
The Empirical Type I Error of Dynamic Statistical Parameter Mapping Estimates

Although functional neuroimaging has provided methods for measuring and localizing change in metabolic or electromagnetic brain activity, the interpretation of the significance of such changes is challenging. This is at least partially due to the lack of a solid statistical foundation for many of these methods as well as the obvious problem associated with simultaneously performing thousands of statistical tests. Dynamic statistical parameter mapping (dSPM) is a well developed anatomically constrained noise-normalized t2 minimum-norm technique used to functionally map magnetoencephalography (MEG) data. dSPM values are theoretically statistically distributed as the square root of an F-distribution with 1 or 3 degrees of freedom in the numerator, depending on how 'loose' the source orientation is fixed. The validity of this statistical assumption for dSPM values is examined in this study. MEG data from six participants were recorded while the participants looked straight ahead at a cross on a screen for 60 seconds during which no task was performed. Triggers were randomly placed throughout the interval and dSPM values were derived as if the participant was performing a task lasting 100 ms. When the entire mock task was analyzed, the number of significant dSPM values was close to the expected probability. However, when the dSPM images were examined over time on an individual level, it was clear that the significant dSPM values clustered spatiotemporally. This suggests that a systematic non-stochastic process may have resulted in this pattern of Type I error.
Body mass index-independent inflammation in omental adipose tissue associated with insulin resistance in morbid obesity

Abstract Background Obesity is a strong risk factor for resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal, a precursor of type 2 diabetes and other disorders. However, not all obese individuals are insulin resistant. We sought to identify the molecular pathways that might cause obesity-associated insulin resistance in humans by studying the morbidly obese who were insulin sensitive versus insulin resistant, thereby eliminating obesity as a variable. Methods Combining gene expression profiling with computational approaches, we determined the global gene expression signatures of omental and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples obtained from similarly obese patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery. Results Gene sets related to chemokine activity and chemokine receptor binding were identified as most highly expressed in the omental tissue from insulin-resistant compared with insulin-sensitive subjects, independent of the body mass index. These upregulated genes included chemokines (C-C motif) ligand 2, 3, 4, and 18 and interleukin-8/(CC-X motif) ligand 8 and were not differentially expressed in the subcutaneous adipose tissues between the 2 groups of subjects. Insulin resistance, but not the body mass index, was associated with increased macrophage infiltration in the omental adipose tissue, as was adipocyte size, in these morbidly obese subjects. Conclusion Our findings have demonstrated that inflammation of the omental adipose tissue is strongly associated with insulin resistance in human obesity even in subjects with similar body mass index values.
Bayesian Minimum Mean-Square Error Estimation for Classification Error—Part I: Definition and the Bayesian MMSE Error Estimator for Discrete Classification

With the advent of high-throughput genomic and proteomic technologies, in conjunction with the difficulty in obtaining even moderately sized samples, small-sample classifier design has become a major issue in the biological and medical communities. With small samples, training-data error estimation becomes mandatory. Yet none of the popular error estimation techniques have been rigorously designed based on statistical inference and optimization. In this investigation, we place classifier error estimation into the framework of optimal mean-square error (MSE) signal estimation in the presence of uncertainty, which results in a Bayesian approach to error estimation based on a parameterized family of feature-label distributions with the prior distribution of the parameters governing the choice of feature-label distribution. These Bayesian error estimators are optimal when averaged over a given family of distributions, unbiased when averaged over a given family and all samples, and analytically address a trade-off between robustness (modeling assumptions) and accuracy (minimum mean-square error). In this paper, Part I of a two-part study, we define the minimum mean-square error (MMSE) error estimator, discuss its basic properties, provide closed-form analytic estimator representation for discrete classifiers with both non-informative and informative prior distributions, and examine the performance and robustness of the MMSE error estimator via simulations. In Part II of this paper, in this same issue of IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, we address all of these issues, in particular, closed-form representation for linear classification in the Gaussian model with known and unknown covariance matrices. For both the discrete and Gaussian cases, the MMSE error estimator has especially good performance for distributions having moderate true errors.
Tamoxifen: a personal retrospective

Summary Tamoxifen, originally described as an anti-oestrogen and antifertility agent in the rat, is now a pioneering medicine for the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. Its success is the result of an effective collaboration between laboratory research and clinical trial processes. However, this drug is more than just an anti-oestrogen to treat breast cancer. Laboratory and clinical research defined the concept of selective oestrogen receptor modulation in the 1980s. Non-steroidal anti-oestrogens show oestrogenlike activity in bones and lower cholesterol, but block oestrogen action in the breast and uterus. This realisation led to the development of chemical cousins, known as selective oestrogen receptor modulators. One of these compounds, raloxifene, is used for the prevention of osteoporosis, but is currently being tested as a preventive for breast cancer.
An analysis of global youth tobacco survey for developing a comprehensive national smoking policy in Timor-Leste.

Smoking is a global public health concern. Timor-Leste is facing a rapidly growing epidemic of tobacco use. The trend of smoking in Timor-Leste seems to be increasing and the magnitude of the problem affects people who smoke before reaching adulthood. One of the factors implicated in the continuously rising trend of smoking among young people in Timor-Leste is clearly due to unavailability of restrictive laws and regulations. Therefore, our study sought to analyze available dataset from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) for developing a comprehensive national smoking policy in order to lower smoking risks among young people in Timor-Leste.
Precursors of premature disease and death: habits of nervous tension.

Patterns of habits of nervous tension (HNT) recorded by medical students who later developed cancer, coronary occlusion, hypertension, or mental illness, or who committed suicide, were compared with those of students who remained healthy 15 to 30 years later. Data came from the 25-item HNT Questionnaire previously reported. Unpaired t tests and two-group discriminant function analyses were the chief statistical methods used. Compared with those of the healthy group, the overall HNT patterns were significantly different for the cancer, coronary occlusion, mental illness and suicide groups. The overall pattern for the hypertension group did not reach significance. It therefore appears that youthful reactions to stress as self-reported in a checklist of habits of nervous tension reflect individual psychobiological differences that are linked with future health or disease. Language: en
Microstructural characterization of Green River shale from GSA inversion

Summary A detailed knowledge of microstructure properties help us to understand the pore connectivity, fluid mobility, which is critical in successful characterization of unconventional shale reservoirs. We used GSA (Generalized Singular Approximation) method to determine the microstructure such as pore/crack shape, and their connectivity for the Green River shale outcrop samples. The optimized anisotropic microstructure properties can be obtained from solving an inverse problem of GSA modeling, by minimizing the objective function, which is defined as the difference of anisotropic P and S velocities between ultrasonic measurements and the GSA calculation.
Impairment based rehabilitation for patellofemoral pain patients

Patellofemoral pain is a common knee pathology that affects a wide range of active individuals. These individuals often seek medical care, with 25% of all patients seen in sports medicine clinics being treated for patellofemoral pain. While conservative treatment produce beneficial short-term results, individuals with patellofemoral pain often have long-term pain and decreased quality of life for many years following their diagnosis. One of the challenges for treating this chronic condition is the heterogeneous presentation of impairments across patients, ranging from soft tissue restriction, muscle weakness, altered movement patterns during functional tasks, and weak core stability. Clinicians need to identify these impairments and develop an individualized impairment-based model for treating patients with PFP. The aim of this review it to provide guidance and recommendations for clinicians who treat PFP in hopes to improve long-term outcomes for the conservative treatment of PFP.
Generalized Convex Sets and the Problem of Shadow

The problem of shadow is solved. It is equivalent to the problem of finding conditions for a point to belong to a generalized convex hull of a family of compact sets.
Online Law Review Rankings

This listing provides a link to submission information for online editions of U.S. law reviews, along with the school's U.S. News Ranking and the Washington & Lee Law Review Ranking.Rankings are posted at Illinois Law Review.
Retroviruses and Oncogenes

The discovery that cancer could be induced in chickens by filtered subcellular or acellular tumor extracts launched the beginning of viral oncology in the early 20th century (Rous, 1910). Although it was not known how the filterable material induced malignancies in animals, the word “virus” (Latin = poison or slime) was coined in the 1890s for agents that were causally associated with tumors. The first virus that induced tumors in chickens was thus designated as the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) after its discoverer Peyton Rous (Rous, 1911). However, it took several decades before this virus was recognized as a prototype of the RNA-containing tumor viruses.
Leptin, the Autonomic Nervous System, and Hypertension

Although the importance of leptin in regulating energy balance and adiposity has been recognized since its discovery 20 years ago, there is considerable evidence that leptin may also play a key role in linking obesity with increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and hypertension. Leptin crosses the blood–brain barrier and activates multiple brain centers that control SNS activity and blood pressure (BP) mainly by activation of central nervous system (CNS) melanocortins. Deletion of leptin receptors specifically in proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons abolishes leptin’s effects to increase BP and renal sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, a key mediator of long-term BP regulation, but does not greatly attenuate leptin’s effects on appetite or energy expenditure. Also, genetic deficiency or pharmacological blockade of melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) in the CNS prevents leptin-induced increases in renal SNS activity and BP as well as obesity-induced hypertension. The crosstalk between peripheral signals (e.g. leptin) and activation of CNS pathways (e.g. the POMC-MC4R axis) in key hypothalamic and brainstem areas that regulate energy balance, SNS activity, and BP represents a potential target for treating obesity and its metabolic and cardiovascular consequences.
Manifold Learning and Recognition of Human Activity Using Body-Area Sensors

Manifold learning is an important technique for effective nonlinear dimensionality reduction in machine learning. In this paper, we present a manifold-based framework for human activity recognition using wearable motion sensors. In our framework, we use locally linear embedding (LLE) to capture the intrinsic structure and build nonlinear manifolds for each activity. A nearest-neighbor interpolation technique is then applied to learn the mapping function from the input space to the manifold space. Finally, activity recognition is performed by comparing trajectories of different activity manifolds in the manifold space. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of our framework and demonstrate that manifold learning is promising for the task of human activity recognition using wearable motion sensors.
Cost-benefit analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis screening in pregnant women in a high burden setting in the United States.

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States (U.S.) [1] and remains a major public health problem. We determined the cost- benefit of screening all pregnant women aged 15–24 for Chlamydia trachomatis infection compared with no screening. We developed a decision analysis model to estimate costs and health-related effects of screening pregnant women for C. trachomatis in a high burden setting (Brooklyn, NY). Outcome data was from literature for pregnant women in the 2015 US population. A virtual cohort of 6,444,686 pregnant women, followed for 1 year was utilized. Using outcomes data from the literature, we predicted the number of C. trachomatis cases, associated morbidity, and related costs. Two comparison arms were developed: pregnant women who received chlamydia screening, and those who did not. Costs and morbidity of a pregnant woman-infant pair with C. trachomatis were calculated and compared. Cost and benefit of screening relied on the prevalence of C. trachomatis; when rates are above 16.9%, screening was proven to offer net cost savings. At a pre-screening era prevalence of 8%, a screening program has an increased expense of $124.65 million ($19.34/individual), with 328 thousand more cases of chlamydia treated, and significant reduction in morbidity. At a current estimate of prevalence, 6.7%, net expenditure for screening is $249.08 million ($38.65/individual), with 204.63 thousand cases of treated chlamydia and reduced morbidity. Considering a high prevalence region, prenatal screening for C. trachomatis resulted in increased expenditure, with a significant reduction in morbidity to woman-infant pairs. Screening programs are appropriate if the cost per individual is deemed acceptable to prevent the morbidity associated with C. trachomatis.
Are bilateral and multilateral aid-for-trade complementary?

Using the first comprehensive estimates of ad valorem tariff equivalent bilateral trade costs spanning the time period 2002–10, we examine whether the aid‐for‐trade (AFT) inflows reduce bilateral trade costs facing aid recipients. If so, we ask whether the trade costs reduction effects of AFT from bilateral and multilateral sources are complementary. By showing the extent to which the observed trade cost reduction effects of AFT from bilateral (multilateral) sources correlate with the magnitudes of AFT disbursements from multilateral (bilateral) sources, we present plausible explanation for the cross‐country variations in the extent to which AFT promotes trade flows. Our findings have, thus, important policy implications for shaping future discourses on the coordination of disbursements for enhancing the effectiveness of AFT.
Task Variation Within Occupations

This paper investigates trends in task usages within and between occupations, and the validity of assigning job task usages based on occupation code alone. Using data from the German Qualification and Career Survey, I assign analytical, interactive, and manual task usage levels to workers independent of their occupation. Task usages within occupation shifted nontrivially between the surveys considered, and individual characteristics such as age, education, gender, and hierarchical level differentially affect individual task usages and occupation‐mean task usages. Individual task usages are predictors of income, even when controlling for mean occupational task usages as well as worker and job characteristics.
A Multipurpose Global Satellite Navigation System

Abstract A navigation system using information gathered from a cluster of four non-coplanar synchronous orbital satellites is proposed. The system consists of: 1. At least one cluster of four non-coplanar satellites, 2. Auxiliary ground stations for satellite tracking and data processing, 3. User equipment. Since the cost of user equipment, in particular the computing cost, plays a very significant part in commercial feasibility of any satellite navigation technique, a special emphasis is placed upon the simplicity of computation algorithm and the feasibility of a small hard wired special purpose digital computer. The system operates on the range differences and range rate differences between the pair of satellites and the satellite ephemeris obtained by tracking. A tremendous amount of computation simplicity at the user end is achieved by preprocessing the ephemerous information and telemetering instead of the ephemeris data, this preprocessed data. The user computing equipment varies from a special purpose slide rule for a fixed terrestrial user to a simple digital computer for a fast moving aircraft. A sophisticated dispJay equipment can be used to display longitude, latitude, altitude, velocity, and heading. The analytical details for computation and error analysis are shown in the body of the paper. The major contribution of this paper is the development of a computational technique which results in an inexpensive, hard wired, modular type user computing equipment.
Robotic Sacrocolpopexy-Is It the Treatment of Choice for Advanced Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a highly prevalent condition among women that, although non-life threatening, can significantly impact daily activities and quality of life (QOL). Sacrocolpopexy (SC) has been touted by many as the “gold standard,” citing superior anatomic success rates compared to transvaginal approaches for apical prolapse repair. In line with current trends throughout the surgical field, robotic-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (RSC) has rapidly gained popularity. This review will present the most contemporary evidence examining RSC and discuss whether it has met criteria to qualify as the “treatment of choice” for advanced apical vaginal prolapse. Recent findings support the superior durability of SC for apical prolapse repair compared to native tissue vaginal approaches. Recent evidence demonstrates that anatomic outcomes of minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy, including RSC, are no different than those of traditional ASC. Low quality evidence suggests lower rates of dyspareunia with SC compared to vaginal repairs. RSC may be cost-effective when compared to ASC. When compared to LSC, however, RSC is more expensive and associated with longer operating times. RSC is an excellent option for many women who desire the most durable option for definitive repair of advanced apical POP.
Terrestrial laser scanning for the comprehensive structural health assessment of the Baptistery di San Giovanni in Florence, Italy: an integrative methodology for repeatable data acquisition, visualization and analysis

AbstractThe ravages of time, natural and man-made disasters, pollution, fatigue, overexposure, mismanagement, and the unintended consequences of efforts to preserve our cultural patrimony, have all taken a major toll on historical structures. Structural health assessment is the first pivotal step towards creating a strategy for long-term life-cycle management. Historical structures provide an abundance of unique challenges that when combined serve as a great qualifying test for the study of as-built structures. This paper explores the diagnostic value of terrestrial laser scanning for the structural health assessment of the Baptistery di San Giovanni in Florence, Italy and proposes an integrative methodology for repeatable data acquisition, processing, visualization and analysis. The presented study proves that even under challenging circumstances, efficient documentation of entire structures is possible. The case study at the Baptistery demonstrates that even when objectives are not formed prior to the s...
Editing smoke animation using a deforming grid

We present a new method for editing smoke animations by directly deforming the grid used for simulation. We present a modification to the widely used semi-Lagrangian advection operator and use it to transfer the deformation from the grid to the smoke body. Our modified operator bends the smoke particle streamlines according to the deformation gradient. We demonstrate that the controlled smoke animation preserves the fine-grained vortical velocity components and incompressibility constraints, while conforming to the deformed grid. Moreover, our approach enables interactive 3D smoke animation editing by using a reduced-dimensional subspace. Overall, our method makes it possible to use current mesh editing tools to control the smoke body.
Safe integration of depletion mode SiC VJFET power modules into a commercial motor drive

This paper addresses the replacement of enhancement mode Si IGBTs with depletion mode SiC vertical junction field effect transistors (VJFETs) in a commercial motor drive in current production. A Yaskawa A1000 CIMR-AU4A0088FAA motor drive was analyzed and found to have reliability and safety features that can be exploited to introduce normally on SiC transistors with no loss in safety or reliability as compared to the baseline configuration using silicon IGBT power modules. It is found that by utilizing the components and basic architecture of the original drive that are intended to ensure single-point-of-failure reliability with IGBTs, the SiC JFETs can be safely integrated. As a result, a significant efficiency increase of 1 to 2 percentage points over the same motor drive with IGBT modules was measured. In terms of the inverter losses, a mean reduction of 36% across the operating range of the drive was observed.
City-level variations in NOx emissions derived from hourly monitoring data in Chicago

Abstract Control on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the United States of America have led to reductions in concentrations in urban areas by up to a factor of two in the last decade. The Air Quality System monitoring network provides surface measurements of concentrations at hourly resolution over multiple years, revealing variations at the annual, seasonal, day of week and diurnal time scales. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate the temporal profiles in the NOx concentrations as well as the impact of meteorology, ozone concentrations, and boundary layer heights. The model is applied to data from 2005 to 2016 available at 6 sites in Chicago, Illinois. Results confirm the 50% decrease in NOx over the length of the time series. The weekend effect is found to be stronger in more commercial areas, with 32% reductions on Saturdays and 45% on Sundays and holidays; and weaker in more residential areas with 20% reductions on Saturdays and 30% reductions on Sundays. Weekday diurnal profiles follow a double hump with emission peaks during the morning and afternoon rush hours, but only a shallow drop during the middle day. Difference in profiles from the 6 sites suggest that there are different emission profiles within the urban area. Diurnal profiles on Saturdays have less variation throughout the day and more emissions in the evening. Sundays are very different from both weekdays and Saturdays with a gradual increase until the early evening. The results suggest that in addition to vehicle type and vehicle miles traveled, vehicle speed and congestion must be taken into account to correctly quantify morning rush hour emissions and the weekend effect.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Violacein-Producing Iodobacter sp. from the Hudson Valley Watershed

Iodobacter species are among a number of freshwater Gram-negative violacein-producing bacteria. Janthinobacterium lividum and Chromobacterium violaceum have had their whole genomes sequenced and annotated. This is the first report of a draft whole-genome sequence of a violacein-producing Iodobacter strain that was isolated from the Hudson Valley watershed.
Physiological Adaptations of Protists

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the physiological diversity that has evolved among the many protistan groups. The chapter discusses single-celled eukaryotes, or protists, including a variety of groups, autotrophic or plant-like, phagotrophic or osmotrophic and animal-like, and many with a combination of these traits. The chapter discusses the physiological diversity in three aspects—molecular diversity, organellar diversity, and cellular diversity. The chapter discusses several related concepts, including biophysical constraints of scale and the example of filter-feeding, energetic adaptations and fermentative microbodies, and structures with unknown functions, such as rhoptries, apicoplastids, the paraflagellar rod, extrusomes and others. The dimensions of most protists and their appendages, the values of relative velocity in water, and the viscosity of water all combine to yield Reynolds numbers (R = dv/n) much smaller than one. Similar to other cells, protists take in nutrients and other materials by a variety of passive and active mechanisms. Protists without cell walls that live in hypotonic media (freshwater species) have contractile vacuoles (CV), which periodically excrete fluid. Although aerobic protists have mitochondria similar to those in other cells, the earliest protists may have lacked mitochondria. Hydrogenosomes have been found in several unrelated groups, including parasitic flagellates and free-living protists. The organelle has a double membrane and was named for its ability to produce hydrogen gas while oxidizing pyruvate, produced by cytosolic glycolysis. Ambient light is a source of energy to autotrophic protists. The interferometric light antenna is found in a phylogenetically diverse array of flagellates, including many genera of green algae, dinoflagellates, and cryptophytes. The chapter discusses extrusomes, which are vesicles that contain some organized substance or apparatus, which usually changes its form when released to the exterior in exocytosis. Symbiotic relationships, including cellular endosymbiosis, are widespread in biology. In protists, this tendency appears to be accentuated, and many new physiological opportunities have been produced by endosymbiotic combinations.
Response of a WC-Co Alloy to Thermal Shock

WC-6%Co specimens were subjected to thermal shock treatments by means of induction heating and subsequent controlled quenching to determine their resistance to fracture. Resistance to fracture is correlated to the thermal amplitude required to produce cracking. Typical thermal amplitudes ranged from 500° to 1200° C. Specimens with a thickness of 2.3 mm. required higher thermal amplitudes for failure than did specimens of twice this thickness. The fracture surfaces of thin specimens are perpendicular to the surface of largest area indicating that a plane stress situation exists. Fracture surfaces of 4.6 mm. thick specimens deviate from this condition. Scanning electron micrographs show that the fracture path has proceeded through both the Co matrix and the WC grains. The ability of thermal shock testing to discriminate between surface treatments was also investigated. Surface treatment was found to influence the thermal amplitude required for fracture. The applicability of thermal shock test results to actual cutting conditions is discussed, and, in light of these results, recommendations as to tool design are given.
Quantum Mechanical Insights into Biological Processes at the Electronic Level

The realm of biology is always governed by underlying electronic effects. These effects are often treated implicitly and may go nearly unnoticed in classical biomolecular simulations, such as Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics. It is important to remember, however, that these classical methods always operate on the single, ground electronic potential energy surface (PES). Furthermore, classical methods assume the classical behavior of the atomic nuclei, and thus rely on the so-called Born–Oppenheimer approximation (BAO) heavily used in quantum mechanics, as discussed in detail below. Due to the BAO, the ground PES can be obtained by finding the optimal electronic solution for every position of stationary classical nuclei. The combined electronic and nuclear energy as a function of nuclear coordinates in the PES. The Born–Oppenheimer PES is usually very close to the chemical reality. Parameters of classical force fields are optimized to reproduce this ground PES, either calculated quantum mechanically or derived from the experiment. Thus, electronic structure is always an active player in classical simulations through the parameters of the force field in use. However, when it comes to the assessment of the mechanism of a biochemical reaction that involves breaking and forming of covalent bonds, quantum mechanics is an almost exclusive reliable approach, with a prominent classical exception being the empirical valence bond method. Furthermore, there is a large class of biological processes that simply cannot be assessed without explicit quantum mechanical treatment. An obvious example is electron transfer in enzymes or DNA that plays a pivotal role in every oxidation or reduction event in living cells.
On the Break-Up of Invariant Tori with three Frequencies

We construct an approximate renormalization operator for a two and one half degree of freedom Hamiltonian corresponding to an invariant torus with a frequency in the cubic field Q(τ), where ?3 + ?2 - 2? - 1 =0. This field has irrational vectors that are most robust in the sense of supremal Diophantine constant. Our renormalization operator has a critical fixed point, but it is not hyperbolic. Instead it has a codimension three stable manifold with one unstable eigenvalue, δ ≈ 2.88, and two neutral eigenvalues.
The Use of Gibbs Distributions In Image Processing

In this chapter, we discuss the potential of Gibbs distributions (GDs) as models in image processing applications. We briefly review the definitions and basic concepts of Markov random fields (MRFs) and GDs and present some realizations from these distributions. The use of statistical models and methods in image processing has increased considerably over the recent years. Most of these studies involve the use of MRF models and processing techniques based on these models. The pioneering work on MRFs due to Dobrushin [1], Wong [2], and Woods [3] involves extending the Markovian property in one dimension to higher dimensions. However, due to lack of causality in two dimensions the extension is not straightforward. Some properties in one dimension, for example, the equivalence of one-sided and two-sided Markovianity, do not carry over to two dimensions. The early work by Abend et al. [4] presents a causal characterization for a class of MRFs called Markov mesh random fields. This work also includes a formulation pointing out the Gibbsian property of a Markov chain without fully realizing the connection. Other attempts in extending the Markovian property to two dimensions include the autoregressive models: the “simultaneous autoregressive” (SAR) models and the “conditional Markov” models introduced by Chellappa and Kashyap [5].
Performance Evaluation of a Bridge Infrastructure Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning Technology

Monitoring techniques, used to assess the condition of infrastructures, have been impacted by the rapid developments in remote sensing technology. While these technologies have improved performance evaluation, cogent procedures for evaluating ground movements have yet to be developed. This article presents an application of the three-dimensional terrestrial laser scanning (3D-TLS) technology for assessing the performance of bridge infrastructures, including highway embankments, bridge decks, approach slabs, abutments, and columns supported on drilled shafts. In this research study, a framework was developed, using 3D-TLS technology, to evaluate the ground movements. The survey process, variables, and analysis were demonstrated by performing the field operations at a rehabilitated bridge infrastructure located in North Texas. The analysis depicted vertical movements that were experienced by the approach slab during different time periods. The validation of 3D-TLS results was performed by comparing the vertical movements from the four horizontal inclinometers installed underneath the pavement. The comparison studies revealed similar movement patterns of both inclinometers and processed scans, while the latter provided detailed soil movements over a larger area.
Puberty-Blocking Treatment and the Rights of Bad Candidates.

Maura Priest (2019) argues that puberty-blocking treatment (PBT) should be made available to gender-dysphoric adolescents “who (after an evaluation) are deemed good candidates” (XX), even in the fa...
Lean Enterprise Transformation in VA: a national evaluation framework and study protocol

The goal of Lean Enterprise Transformation (LET) is to go beyond simply using Lean tools and instead embed Lean principles and practices in the system so that it becomes a fundamental, collective mindset of the entire enterprise. The Veterans Engineering Resource Center (VERC) launched the Veterans Affairs (VA) LET pilot program to improve quality, safety, and the Veteran’s experience. A national evaluation will examine the pilot program sites’ implementation processes, outcomes and impacts, and abilities to improve LET adoption and sustainment. This paper describes the evaluation design for the VA LET national evaluation and describes development of a conceptual framework to evaluate LET specifically in healthcare settings. A targeted literature review of Lean evaluation frameworks was performed to inform the development of the conceptual framework. Key domains were identified by a multidisciplinary expert group and then validated with key stakeholders. The national evaluation design will examine LET implementation using qualitative, survey, and quantitative methods at ten VA facilities. Qualitative data include site visits, interviews, and field observation notes. Survey data include an employee engagement survey to be administered to front-line staff at all pilot sites. Quantitative data include site-level quality improvement metrics collected by the Veterans Services Support Center. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods analyses will be conducted to examine implementation of LET strategic initiatives and variations in implementation success across sites. This national evaluation of a large-scale LET implementation effort will provide insights helpful to other systems interested in embarking on a Lean journey. Additionally, we created a multi-faceted conceptual framework to capture the specific features of a Lean healthcare organization. This framework will guide this evaluation and may be useful as an assessment tool for other organizations interested in implementing Lean principles at an enterprise level.
Characterization of two bi-functional anti-HER2/neu IgG3-cytokine fusion proteins with potential use as cancer therapeutics

4669 A number of studies have now reported that combining different cytokines will have powerful synergistic effects resulting in an enhanced immune response against cancer. The synergistic effects of cytokines IL12/IL2 and IL12/GM-CSF in enhancing the immune response make these combinations attractive as potential therapeutic tools. Furthermore, targeting of cytokines to the tumor microenvironment through linkage to monoclonal antibodies can significantly improve the therapeutic indexes of the cytokines. We have previously demonstrated that anti-HER2/neu IgG3-(IL2), (IL12)-IgG3 and IgG3-(GM-CSF) fusion proteins exert significant anti-tumor activity against a murine tumor expressing human HER2/neu. To further explore the utility of antibody fusion proteins in the treatment of cancer, we have now produced two novel bi-functional anti-human HER2/neu IgG3-cytokine fusion proteins (bi-Ab-FPs) with scIL12 fused to the N-terminus of IgG3-(IL2) and of IgG3-(GM-CSF). Both constructs, expressed in murine myeloma cells, were properly assembled and secreted. ELISA experiments showed that the bi-Ab-FPs bind specifically to the soluble extracellular domain of human HER2/neu and flow cytometry demonstrated that both bi-Ab-FP can bind to human HER2/neu expressed on the surface of the murine colon carcinoma cell line CT26. Both bi-Ab-FPs retained the IL12 activity as demonstrated by dose-dependent enhancement of the proliferation of human PBMC cells pulsed with PHA. The IL12/IL2 bi-Ab-FP also showed dose dependent enhancement of the proliferation of the IL2 dependent cell line CTLL2. Finally, (IL12)-IgG3-(GM-CSF) was able to support proliferation of GM-CSF dependent FDC-P1 cells as measured by MTS colorimetric assay. All bioactivity assays were specific for the tested cytokines and were unaffected by the presence in the same molecule of the other cytokine. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of producing bi-functional anti-human HER2/neu IgG3-cytokine fusion proteins which should direct the functional activity of both cytokine components to their tumor target. It is expected that the combination of the two cytokines in the same molecule may result in potent synergistic anti-tumor response in patients bearing cancers from breast and ovary that shows marked over-expression of HER2/neu, a condition that is associated with poor prognosis. Further in vivo and in vitro studies are currently underway.
Aegean: replication beyond the client-server model

This paper presents Aegean, a new approach that allows fault-tolerant replication to be implemented beyond the confines of the client-server model. In today's computing, where services are rarely standalone, traditional replication protocols such as Primary-Backup, Paxos, and PBFT are not directly applicable, as they were designed for the client-server model. When services interact, these protocols run into a number of problems, affecting both correctness and performance. In this paper, we rethink the design of replication protocols in the presence of interactions between services and introduce new techniques that accommodate such interactions safely and efficiently. Our evaluation shows that a prototype implementation of Aegean not only ensures correctness in the presence of service interactions, but can further improve throughput by an order of magnitude.