cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leaf abscission phenology of a scrub oak: consequences for growth and survivorship of a leaf mining beetle

Brachys tessellatus is a leaf-mining beetle that attacks Quercus laevis (turkey oak), a deciduous scrub oak in the fall line Sandhills of the southeastern United States. This oak species varies substantially in leaf abscission phenology. In the fall of 1994 we examined leaf abscission patterns at three sites in central South Carolina and found that leaves containing active miners abscised earlier than leaves without active miners. To quantify the effect of leaf abscission phenology on the survivorship and body size of leaf miners within the abscised leaves, we marked naturally and manually abscised leaves, left leaves on the ground to over-winter, and then collected leaves before beetles emerged the following spring. We found that beetles inside leaves that were abscised early in the season were more likely to be killed by predators, and that they produced smaller pupae than beetles within leaves abscised later in the season. We also evaluated the relationship between adult beetle body size and fecundity; body size of B. tessellatus is positively correlated with lifetime fecundity and daily oviposition rate indicating that effects of leaf-abscission phenology on beetle body size likely translate into effects on beetle fitness. We discuss how B. tessellatus has adapted to variation of leaf abscission phenology of oaks by evolving developmental plasticity that permits successful completion of larval development over a range of season lengths.
Mechanistic aspects of the CH alkynylation reaction of acetylenic triflones. Determination of phenyl versus cyclohexyl migratory aptitude for a vinylidine carbene

Abstract 13C-2 labeled phenyl ethynyl triflone undergoes regiospecific CH alkynylation upon reaction with cyclohexane. The 13C label is found to be exclusively adjacent to the phenyl group in the product phenyl cyclohexyl acetylene, consistent with cyclohexyl radical addition at the α-position. Control studies show preferential phenyl migration from a vinylidine carbene, thus excluding the presence of such an intermediate.
Maximal elements over non-compact subsets of linear topological spaces

Abstract We provide an extension of Browder's fixed point theorem which is used to prove a very general existence of maximal elements result. This result generalizes previous theorems on the existence of maximal elements. It also corrects a recent claim of Mehta.
Comparing ‘old’ and ‘new’ on Lenin: A review article

Louis Fischer, The Life of Lenin. New York, Evanston, & London: Harper & Row, 1964, 707 pp. Robert Service, Lenin, A Political Life. Volume 1, The Strength of Contradiction; Volume 2, Worlds in Collision; Volume 3, The Iron Ring. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1985, 1991, 1995, 246 pp., xviii + 422 pp., xxi + 393 pp., $24.93, $39.95, $29.95. Dmitri Volkogonov, Lenin. A New Biography. Translated & edited by Harold Shukman, New York: The Free Press, 1994, $30.00.
Age related changes in Ca2+ channels in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract 1. 1. The binding of the Ca 2+ channel antagonist [ 3 H]PN200 110 to 1,4-dihydropyridine binding sites in cardiac, brain and vascular smooth muscle preparations from WKY and SHR was studied as a function of age and blood pressure. 2. 2. Binding site density in the heart from prehypertensive SHR (6 weeks) was significantly lower than that of WKY. 3. 3. Between 6 and 12 weeks binding site density in SHR increased and between 12 and 24 weeks there was no difference between WKY and SHR. No changes in affinity occurred. 4. 4. In brain a significant fall in binding site density occurred between 6 and 12 weeks and there was (with limited data) an increase in binding site density in tail artery membranes. 5. 5. A good correlation ( r = 0.82) exists between blood pressure and cardiac binding site density between 6 and 12 weeks of age in SHR.
Exploring Changes in Census Time Series with Interactive Dynamic Maps and Graphics

Interactive graphical tools are available in a number of statistical packages. However, none of them provide interactive tools for visual exploration of time series data that have spatial reference (spatio-temporal data), such as census data. Analysis of spatio-temporal data requires simultaneous representation of their spatial, temporal, and thematic aspects. We propose a system that combines interactive thematic maps, dynamic statistical graphics, and advanced controls for manipulating them. These components as well as interaction between them are specifically designed in order to support visual investigation of changes in data, the ultimate goal being to help users to reveal spatio-temporal trends. The suggested tools facilitate also detecting errors and anomalies in data.
Measurements of the velocity of sound in liquid argon from 90 to 160 K and pressures to 3400 atm

The velocity of sound, W, in liquid argon has been measured with an estimated accuracy of 0.2% at temperatures from 90 to 160 K, and at pressures up to 3400 atm, using a double-transducer acoustic interferometer operating in the frequency range 1.1 to 7.3 MHz. The WPT results, which are in good agreement with previously published data (P < 500 atm), have been used with the PVT equation of state to calculate adiabatic compressibilities for the liquid up to the melting curve. A corresponding-state comparison of the WPT equations of state of liquid argon and liquid krpton (P < 680 atm) shows that with the proper choice of only two independent scale factors, the reduced sound velocities agree to within the experimental accuracy of the measurements.
The intermediate cerebellum may function as a wave-variable processor

A newly developed model suggests that the intermediate cerebellum and spinal cord gray matter may contribute to movement control by processing control signals as wave variables. Within specialized communication systems, wave variables are combinations of forward and return signals that ensure stable exchange between two sites despite transmission delays. The composition of signals transmitted in the ventral spinocerebellar tract appears to be consistent with that of a wave variable, and computer simulations of the model yield signals similar to those observed in the monkey interpositus nucleus. Wave-variable communication may enable the animal motor system to maintain stable, high-performance feedback control in the presence of potentially destabilizing signal transmission delays.
Miliaria-rash after neutropenic fever and induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia

Miliaria is a disorder of the eccrine sweat glands which occurs in conditions of increased heat and humidity. It can be associated with persistent febrile states as well as with certain drugs. We presented a 40 year-old female with myelodysplastic syndrome and progression to acute myelogenous leukemia who was admitted to the hospital for chemotherapy induction. The patient was treated with idarubicin and cytarabine. She became pancytopenic and developed neutropenic fever and was started on vancomycin and cefepime, but was persistently febrile with night sweats. Five days into her fevers, she developed diffuse, nonpruritic and fragile vesicles together with drenching nightsweats. The patient's exanthem was diagnosed as Miliaria crystallina, most probably induced by neutropenic fever and idarubucin exposure
Characterization of a nitrogen diluted hydrogen diffusion flame for model validation

Dilute hydrogen diffusion flames have been considered as a gas turbine combustion strategy that provides relatively low levels of NOx emissions for application in integrated gasification combined cycle power generation. These flames also represent a challenging environment for computational modeling efforts due to the complexity of molecular transport effects, turbulence-chemistry interaction, and near extinction flame conditions. In order to provide data for validation of computational modeling efforts, measurements of major species concentration and flame temperature were made in such a flame using spontaneous Raman scattering. Experimental results demonstrate the importance of differential species diffusion, which occurs due to the disparity between diffusion characteristics of hydrogen and nitrogen. Additionally, the flame temperatures observed were quite low relative to the equilibrium flame temperature, due to flame strain. This confirms the fact that suppression of the thermal mechanism of NOx form...
Vacuum-Packaged Precooked Pork from Hogs Fed Supplemental Vitamin E: Chemical, Shelf-Life and Sensory Properties

Precooked longissimus chops and semimembranosus/adductor roasts from pigs (n = 30) given no supplemental vitamin E (CON) or supplemented with 100 mg vitamin E/kg diet (VITE) were evaluated for lipid oxidation, microbial growth, sensory characteristics, cooking/storage losses and reheating losses. Chops and roasts were vacuum packaged, precooked to 60°C and stored at 2°C for 0, 7, 14, 28, or 56 days. Lipid oxidation was lower in VITE chops and roasts than in CON chops and roasts. Off-flavor intensity scores were more acceptable and storage/cooking losses were lower for VITE roasts than for CON roasts. Supplementation of vitamin E in a swine diet provided added protection against lipid oxidation and precooking pork under vacuum provided a palatable product with a shelf-life of ≥ 56 days.
Strongyloides stercoralis age-1: A Potential Regulator of Infective Larval Development in a Parasitic Nematode

Infective third-stage larvae (L3i) of the human parasite Strongyloides stercoralis share many morphological, developmental, and behavioral attributes with Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae. The ‘dauer hypothesis’ predicts that the same molecular genetic mechanisms control both dauer larval development in C. elegans and L3i morphogenesis in S. stercoralis. In C. elegans, the phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinase catalytic subunit AGE-1 functions in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway to regulate formation of dauer larvae. Here we identify and characterize Ss-age-1, the S. stercoralis homolog of the gene encoding C. elegans AGE-1. Our analysis of the Ss-age-1 genomic region revealed three exons encoding a predicted protein of 1,209 amino acids, which clustered with C. elegans AGE-1 in phylogenetic analysis. We examined temporal patterns of expression in the S. stercoralis life cycle by reverse transcription quantitative PCR and observed low levels of Ss-age-1 transcripts in all stages. To compare anatomical patterns of expression between the two species, we used Ss-age-1 or Ce-age-1 promoter::enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter constructs expressed in transgenic animals for each species. We observed conservation of expression in amphidial neurons, which play a critical role in developmental regulation of both dauer larvae and L3i. Application of the PI3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 suppressed L3i in vitro activation in a dose-dependent fashion, with 100 µM resulting in a 90% decrease (odds ratio: 0.10, 95% confidence interval: 0.08–0.13) in the odds of resumption of feeding for treated L3i in comparison to the control. Together, these data support the hypothesis that Ss-age-1 regulates the development of S. stercoralis L3i via an IIS pathway in a manner similar to that observed in C. elegans dauer larvae. Understanding the mechanisms by which infective larvae are formed and activated may lead to novel control measures and treatments for strongyloidiasis and other soil-transmitted helminthiases.
Diagnosis of tuberculosis by using a nucleic acid amplification test in an urban population with high HIV prevalence in the United States.

Background Use of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) has been recommended on respiratory specimens submitted for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) testing. It also helps distinguish between TB and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species in a setting where NTM rates are relatively high. The purposes of this study are to describe the trend and characteristics of all AFB smear-positive respiratory samples that underwent amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis direct (MTD) testing, a type of NAAT, and to evaluate the clinical utility and necessity of the test for diagnosis of TB in a population with high-HIV prevalence. Methods Prospective diagnostic testing and retrospective data analyses were conducted on all AFB smear-positive respiratory samples that underwent MTD testing from 2001 to 2011 at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH), Atlanta, USA. The test performance was compared to culture. Results A total of 2,240 AFB smear-positive specimens from 1,412 patients were tested and analyzed in the study. The proportion of specimens that were culture-positive for TB was 28.5%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the MTD were 99.0%, 98.0%, 95.3% and 99.6%, respectively. A downward trend was observed in the yearly numbers as well as the proportions of MTD-positive specimens during the study period (p<0.01). There were 2,027 (90.5%) specimens from patients with known HIV status, of which 70.6% was HIV positive and the majority of them (81.8%) had CD4 counts of less than 200 cells/µL. HIV-positives were more likely to have NTM compared to HIV negatives (67.7% vs. 35.4%, p<0.01). Conclusion Despite the decrease in the incidence of TB, NAAT continues to be an accurate and important diagnostic test in a population with high HIV prevalence, and it differentiates TB and NTM organisms.
Auditory vs visual speech timing cues as external rate control to enhance verbal intelligibility in mixed spastic ataxic dysarthric speakers: a pilot study

Metronome, singing, and board pacing were used as external rate control techniques for the purpose of comparing the effectiveness of auditory and visual speech timing cues for reducing speech rate and increasing intelligibility in three traumatically brain injured mixed spastic-ataxic dysarthric speakers. A single system design with baseline reversal (ABACAD) was used in this preliminary investigation. Results demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.05) changes in increased speech intelligibility during all three pacing conditions for the two more involved subjects. Differences between treatment conditions were not statistically significant. However, auditory metronome cuing showed the best results for the two subjects who benefited from rate control. Lower baseline intelligibility was strongly correlated with higher benefit from rate control. Furthermore, the two auditory rhythmic pacing conditions exhibited a close synthronization effect between the frequency rate of the cue and speech rate. Significant correlation coefficients between decreased speech rate and increased intelligibility were only found for the two more involved subjects. These findings suggested a differential benefit of slowing speech rate to improve intelligibility contingent upon severity of speech deficits.
Predicted Relative Sea-Level Changes (18,000 Years B.P. to Present) Caused by Late-Glacial Retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet

Predictions of global changes in relative sea level caused by retreat of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from its 18,000 yr B.P. maximum to its present size are calculated numerically. When combined with the global predictions of relative sea-level change resulting from retreat of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, the results may be compared directly to observations of sea-level change on the Antarctic continent as well as at distant localities. The comparison of predictions to the few observations of sea-level change on Antarctica supports the view that the Antarctic Ice Sheet was larger 18,000 years ago than at present. The contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to the total eustatic sea-level rise is assumed to be 25 m (25% of the assumed total eustatic rise). If as little as 0.7 m of this 25-m rise occurred between 5000 yr B.P. and the present, few mid-oceanic islands would emerge. If the Antarctic Ice Sheet attained its present dimensions by 6000 yr B.P., however, and if the volume of the ocean has remained constant for the past 5000 years, numerous islands throughout the Southern Hemisphere would emerge. It is suggested that a thorough study of Pacific islands, believed by some to have slightly emerged shorelines of Holocene age, would yield useful information about ocean volume changes during the past 5000 years, and hence on the glacial history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Structures and vibrational frequencies of HBeOH, HBOH, HCOH, HMgOH, HAlOH, and HSiOH

Abstract The SCF procedure is used to determine the structures, stabilities, and normal-mode frequencies of HBeOH, HBOH, HCOH, HMgOH, HAlOH and HSiOH. The HMgOH molecules is found to be linear, the HBeOH molecule to be trans bent, and the other molecules to exist as both cis and trans isomers.
Incorporation of fatty acids into phospholipids of erythrocytes from humans with muscular dystrophy

Abstract Erythrocytes from patients with either Duchenne or myotonic muscular dystrophy exhibit a diminished ability to incorporate exogenous 14C-labeled oleate into membrane phospholipids. In control cells, the incorporation is stimulation by calcium (plus the bivalent cation ionophore A23187); in dystrophic cells the stimulation is considerably lessened. A calcium-induced uptake of unsaturated fatty acids into normal erythrocytes, together with its diminution in dystrophic cells, may account for observations of reduced amounts of palmitoleate in erythrocytes from dystrophic individuals. Defective capacity for acylation of lysophospholipids could account for some of the membrane abnormalities reported to be associated with these diseases.
Semisynthetic analogs of cytochrome c reconstructed from natural and synthetic peptides.

Abstract A biologically active semisynthetic hybrid of horse heart cytochrome c has been prepared by combining the heme peptide 1 through 65 (HP 1–65), prepared by CNBr cleavage of natural cytochrome c , with a semisynthetic peptide corresponding to positions 66 through 104. A fully protected synthetic peptide 66–79 was prepared by a modified solid phase peptide synthesis procedure and was converted to its N -hydroxysuccinimide ester. A peptide corresponding to residues 81–104 of cytochrome c was also isolated from the CNBr cleavage mixture and its ϵ-amino groups and tyrosyl hydroxyl group were protected selectively with the t -butyloxycarbonyl group. This partially protected peptide was reacted with t -butyloxtcarbonyl methionine N -hydroxysuccinimide ester to give a derivative having methionine at position 80. This product was deprotected, purified and then t -butyloxycarbonyl groups were again introduced specifically on the ϵ-amino groups to give the peptide, Boc(Lys,Tyr)80–104. A semisynthetic peptide corresponding to residues 66 through 104 of cytochrome c was prepared by condensing the synthetic peptide 66–79 N -hydroxysuccinimide ester with t -butyloxycarbonyl (Lys,Tyr)80–104. The semisynthetic product was deprotected, purified and combined under anaerobic conditions with a heme peptide, HP 1–65, that was isolated from the products of CNBr cleavage of native cytochrome c . The reconstituted semisynthetic cytochrome c was purified by ion exchange chromatography and was shown to have the same oxygen uptake activity as native cytochrome c when assayed in the succinate oxidase system.
Acute and chronic effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on food intake by rats.

The effects of intraperitoneally injected δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were compared with d-amphetamine sulfate (d-AMP) on food intake in rats which were given access to food for 6 hrs each day. Food intake was markedly reduced in a dose-related fashion by THC (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) in the first 2 hrs after drug administration. This anorexic effect persisted for the next 4 hrs and even on the next day. The anorexic potency of d-AMP (1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg) was approximately twice that of THC in the initial 2-hrs interval after a single dose, but during the next 4 hrs and on the next day there was a compensatory increase in food consumption. Daily administration of THC (2.5 mg/kg) for 9 days greatly decreased food intake and body weight gain of animals which were injected immediately before feeding, but had little effect on animals injected 16 hrs before feeding.
Approximate analytical solution of the dynamical system via Decomposition Method

The Modified Adomian Decomposition Method was utilized to study the approximate solutions of the coupled wave system analytically with the velocity feedback boundary controllers. The results were confirmed strongly by the numerical commutations.
Formal Aspects of the TAT—A Neglected Resource

An often-encountered fallacy is the statement that “the Rorschach is a test of the structure of personality, the TAT a test of its content.” I have even seen a question on a preliminary examination for the Ph.D. in clinical psychology, which required the student to accept and justify such a statement. The trouble with this formulation is that it is incomplete; it is a half-truth, which would read just about as accurately the other way around. For certainly research and clinical practice in recent years has shown that Rorschach content can teach us a great deat about strivings, preoccupations, conceptions of self and of others, and other “content” aspects of personality [see Chapter 11, below]. The purpose of this paper is to present arguments and facts to support the position that much can be learned about the structure of personality from,the TAT, primariy from a study of its formal aspects.
Prediction of optimal preform thickness distribution in blow molding

A finite element optimization method is presented that determines the optimal thickness profile of a preform for a blow-molded part having the required wall thickness distribution. The optimization method is based on a method of feasible directions and the design variables are thicknesses of finite elements. The step size is determined by using a Brent 1-dimensional minimization method. Two methods for determining feasible directions are compared. A finite element model is formulated based on the thin membrane approximation, which relates the preform wall thickness distribution to the wall thickness distribution in the blow-molded part. Triangular or conical frustra elements are used to describe deformed shapes of the preform for 2-dimensional axisymmetric deformations. An incompressible nonlinear elastic constitutive model describes the material response. The accuracy of the finite element model used is evaluated by comparing the model predictions to published experimental data and computer simulations.
Improved methods for the study of hadronic physics from lattice QCD

The solution of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) on a lattice provides a first-principles method for understanding QCD in the low-energy regime, and is thus an essential tool for nuclear physics. The generation of gauge configurations, the starting point for lattice calculations, requires the most powerful leadership-class computers available. However, to fully exploit such leadership-class computing requires increasingly sophisticated methods for obtaining physics observables from the underlying gauge ensembles. In this paper, we describe a variety of recent methods that have been used to advance our understanding of the spectrum and structure of hadrons through lattice QCD.
Purification and characterization of an intracellular carboxylesterase from Arthrobacter viscosus NRRL B-1973

Abstract An intracellular carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1) was isolated from Arthrobacter viscosus NRRL B-1973 and purified to homogeneity. Purification of extracted enzyme was achieved by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by separation with Phenyl-Sepharose, DEAE-Sepharose, and Sepharose CL-6B. This carboxylesterase exhibits a specific activity of 55.4 μmol min −1 mg −1 based on the hydrolysis of p -nitrophenyl acetate at pH 7.4 and 30°C. The apparent molecular mass was 16.7 ± 0.4 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE. The isoelectric point was estimated to be 5.6 and optimum activity for the enzyme was found at pH 7.4 and 40°C. The enzyme removed acetyl residues from xanthan, alginate, glucose pentaacetate, cellobiose octaacetate, and the native exopolysaccharide produced by A. viscosus and also deacetylated p -nitrophenyl propionate, naphthyl acetate, isopropenyl acetate, and triacetin. This enzyme demonstrates a restricted chain-length specificity for deacetylation of a wide variety of low and high molecular weight esters. Preliminary investigations indicate that it can also catalyze transesterifications from selected acyl donors to polymeric acceptors, notably cellulose.
A motor-generator and supercapacitor based system for microgrid frequency stabilization

This research introduces an energy storage system to deliver microgrid frequency response - the coupling of a doubly-fed induction generator and a squirrel cage induction machine as a motor/generator set to deliver an immediate inertial response to the change of frequency, as well as an inverter and supercapacitors to deliver short term energy response. This paper outlines the simulation, design and hardware testing results of this system. A control system is created to monitor the grid frequency and activate an inverter to either charge or discharge a bank of capacitors depending on the measured conditions. For example, when the frequency is measured below 60 Hz, the system injects power into the microgrid to arrest the frequency deviation; above 60 Hz the energy storage system absorbs power. For a microgrid with a high penetration of distributed renewable generation such as small scale solar and wind systems, stabilizing inertia, which is typically provided by large-scale synchronous generators, will be minimal. This system adds rotating inertia and short-term energy storage to stabilize the microgrid frequency. A description of the major components as well as their simulation and hardware testing results is described herein.
Densification Mechanisms in Hot–Pressing of Magnesia with a Fugitive Liquid

Densification of MgO with LiF additions depends on the formation of a liquid that is initially a lubricant for rearrangement of particles and later a material transport medium for pressure–enhanced liquid–phase sintering. The rate–controlling process in the latter stage is viscous flow of the liquid through grain–boundary channels. After the liquid is distributed as a uniformly thin film between the MgO grains, it can be removed by evaporation, and transparent polycrystalline specimens are produced.
Poverty and Our Social Order: Implications and Reservations

A FTER six years of war on poverty, the outcome remains indecisive. We know where the enemy is (although we continue to find new sanctuaries) and we know his numbers (although these numbers are always changing). We have appropriated funds, mobilized the troops, and laid down a barrage of programs. We have devised some grand strategies and we have won a few skirmishes. We have had many fine reports from the field and victory has seemed within our grasp. Yet, the war on poverty has become stalemated and the early optimism moderated. What went wrong? I propose that we retrace our steps and look at the origins of poverty within our society. Perhaps there are some structural clues in our social and economic systems that throw light on the poverty problem and on our human dilemma in trying to do something about it. Among the points I would like to examine are these: (1) our failure to conceptualize poverty in terms of social stratification; (2) our failure to recognize that American society is based to an important degree on inequality; (3) our unwillingness to face up to certain basic premises of our free enterprise system; (4) our failure to get overwhelming commitment to the war on poverty from the body politic; and (5) our unwillingness to admit the true nature of our national priorities. Consideration of these points certainly will not solve our problem, but facing up to realities may be helpful if we really want to do something about rural poverty.
Revising Plants, man and life: Edgar Anderson reshapes a classic book

On at least four occasions, Edgar Anderson (1897–1969) began revising his book Plants, man and life (1952). Given both its place in Anderson's career and his place in the development of evolutionary theory in the mid-twentieth century, the emendations are noteworthy. Though a popular work, Plants, man and life served as the distillation of Anderson's ideas on hybridization as an evolutionary mechanism, the need for more scientific attention on domesticated and semi-domesticated plants, and the opportunities such plants provided for the study of evolution. Anderson was an active participant in several key events in what historians have come to call the Evolutionary Synthesis. For example, he and Ernst Mayr shared the 1941 Jesup Lectures on “Systematics and the origin of species”. Anderson's proposed revisions to his book reflect both an attempt to soften certain acerbic comments as well as an attempt to recast the book as a whole.
Extensive Parameterization And Tuning of Architecture-Sensitive Optimizations

The complexity of modern architectures require compilers to apply an increasingly large collection of architecturesensitive optimizations, e.g., parallelization and cache optimizations, which interact with each other in unpredictable ways. We present a framework to support fine-grained parameterization of these optimizations and flexible tuning of their configuration space. Instead of directly generating optimized code, we extend an optimizing compiler to output its optimization decisions in POET, a scripting language designed for extensive parameterization of source-to-source program transformations. We then use a transformation-aware (TA) search algorithm to support flexible tuning of the parameterized transformation scripts to achieve portable high performance. We have used our framework to apply 6 highly interactive optimizations, parallelization via OpenMP, cache blocking, array copying, unroll-and-jam, scalar replacement, and loop unrolling, and present results of exploring their combined configuration space.
3-Axis magnetic field mapping and fusion for indoor localization

As location-based services have grown increasingly popular, they have become limited by the inability to acquire accurate location information in indoor environments, where the Global Positioning System does not function. In this field, magnetometers have primarily been used as compasses. As such, they are seen as unreliable sensors when in presence of magnetic field disturbances, which are frequent in indoor environment. This work presents a method to account for and extract useful information from those disturbances. This method leads to improved localization in an indoor environment. Local magnetic disturbances carry enough information to localize without the help of other sensors. We describe an algorithm allowing to do so as long as we have access to a map of those disturbances. We then expose a fast mapping technique to produce such maps and we apply this technique to show the stability of the magnetic disturbances in time. Finally, the proposed localization algorithm is tested in a realistic situation, showing high-quality localization capability.
Relating the Size of Molecularly Defined Clusters of Tuberculosis to the Duration of Symptoms

Molecular profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates has improved recognition of tuberculosis case clusters, but the determinants of cluster size are unknown. We hypothesized that longer duration of symptoms prior to initiation of tuberculosis therapy would be associated with increased cluster size. All patients with tuberculosis in Harris County, Texas, identified between 10/1/95 and 12/31/97 through a prospective population-based project were interviewed, had their medical records reviewed, and had M. tuberculosis isolates molecularly characterized. There were 506 symptomatic, evaluable patients in 74 clusters, ranging in size from 2 patients (32 clusters) to 61 patients (1 cluster). The median duration of symptoms was 46 days (range, 1-471 days). There was no association between the log-transformed duration of symptoms and cluster size in univariate or multivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, age and HIV coinfection were inversely related to cluster size, but only weakly. The size of molecularly defined clusters of tuberculosis was not related to the duration of symptoms of most patients who belonged to clusters.
Integrated Terminal System Development: The HC3 Reference Architecture

Recent communication system projects within the U.S. government have been driven by the Software Communications Architecture (SCA). While the SCA provides software architecture guidelines, it does not address the overall communications system architecture. Consequently, benefits such as waveform portability, hardware upgrades, and use of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) hardware and software have not been realized to the extent anticipated. The High Capacity Communications Capability (HC3) project is defining a common reference architecture for a high-capacity terminal system. This paper presents a design approach utilizing the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). SysML supports traditional systems engineering activities and integrates with the Unified Modeling Language (UML). This enables a single, integrated view of the system hardware and software architecture heretofore not easily achieved. This paper explores the application of these modeling technologies from the context of the HC3 system.
Thera-Network: a wearable computing network to motivate exercise in patients undergoing physical therapy

There is a growing field of smart medical devices for home use. The Thera-Network is designed for patients under the care of a physical therapist. A 2004 survey by the author found that motivation and regulation are the largest deterrents for patients participating in a course of at home exercise between therapy sessions. With the Thera-Network, motivation is offered through an on-line buddy network, and regulation occurs through distant monitoring by physical therapists between sessions. This device is designed for patients recovering from various types of temporary knee pain and is currently in the prototype phase. The goal of this technology is to hasten the healing process through better patient-therapist communication and a networked support system. Insurance companies also stand to benefit from the system. Therapists can easily monitor their patient leading to patients who are more likely to adhere to their home-exercise program; all reducing time from injury to wellness.
Cortical imaging of sensorimotor rhythms for BCI applications

Rhythmic electroencephalographic (EEG) activities associated with movement imaginations are widely used in developing noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) towards replacing or restoring the lost motor function in the paralytics. And it is of great importance to develop imaging techniques to enhance the spatial resolution and specificity of the EEG modality. In our work, we developed an innovative approach of imaging the distributed rhythmic brain activity in the spectral domain. In the present study, we evaluated the proposed technique in experimental data of offline and online imaginations in naive and well-trained BCI subjects. Our results identified the cortical origins of sensorimotor rhythms. We also applied the source imaging approach to classifying mental states for BCI applications and demonstrated its feasibility and superior performance.
Aggressive Erotica and Violence Against Women

To examine the effects of aggressive-erotic stimuli on male aggression toward females, 120 male subjects were angered or treated in a neutral manner by a male or female confederate. Subjects were then shown either a neutral, erotic, or aggressive-erotic film and given an opportunity to aggress against the male or female via the delivery of electric shock. Results indicated that the aggressive-erotic film was effective in increasing aggression overall, and it produced the highest increase in aggression against the female. Even nonangered subjects showed an increase in aggression toward the female after viewing the aggressive-erotic film. Results are discussed in terms of the arousal and aggressive cue value of the films.
Modeling of tension stiffening in reinforced cement composites: Part I. Theoretical modeling

A numerical tension stiffening model based on nonlinear finite difference method is proposed to simulate tensile cracking behavior of fiber and fabric reinforced cementitious composites. Main variables of the model include matrix strength; nonlinear bond–slip interfacial characteristics; slack in fabrics; and mechanical anchorage provided by cross yarn junctions. Parametric studies were conducted to identify the sensitivity of material responses caused by the main variables. It is found that the increase in bond and junction strengths slightly improve the postcrack stiffness of composite tensile stress–strain response while the increase in matrix strength is more effective. The tension stiffening is directly correlated to the interfacial bond and interlock mechanisms that transfer load to the cracked portions of brittle materials. An increase in slack level causes larger tensile strains during early crack evolution but does not change the late-term post-crack stiffness. Numerical simulations successfully explain general tensile behavior and crack evolution process observed in experiments.
Multiple-bus multiprocessor systems

A multiple-bus multiprocessor system (MMS) is a tightly coupled architecture that utilizes several parallel buses to interconnect multiple processors, shared memory, and shared I/O. An analysis of an MMS is presented, showing that it can provide significant processing power with a small number of buses compared to the number of processors. Results are given for the processing power in an MMS with exponentially distributed memory cycle and service times. These distributions are believed to be an excellent representation of many engineering and scientific applications. >
Density Perturbations in Hybrid Inflation Using a Free Field Theory Time-Delay Approach

We introduce a new method for calculating density perturbations in hybrid inflation which avoids treating the fluctuations of the "waterfall" field as if they were small perturbations about a classical trajectory. We quantize only the waterfall field, treating it as a free quantum field with a time-dependent $m^2$, which evolves from positive values to tachyonic values. Although this potential has no minimum, we think it captures the important dynamics that occurs as $m^2$ goes through zero, at which time a large spike in the density perturbations is generated. We assume that the time-delay formalism provides an accurate approximation to the density perturbations, and proceed to calculate the power spectrum of the time delay fluctuations. While the evolution of the field is linear, the time delay is a nonlinear function to which all modes contribute. Using the Gaussian probability distribution of the mode amplitudes, we express the time-delay power spectrum as an integral which can be carried out numerically. We use this method to calculate numerically the spectrum of density perturbations created in hybrid inflation models for a wide range of parameters. A characteristic of the spectrum is the appearance of a spike at small length scales, which can be used to relate the model parameters to observational data. It is conceivable that this spike could seed the formation of black holes that can evolve to become the supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies.
Non-dimensionalization and mixing quantification of laminar twin semi-confined jets

Abstract Two-dimensional laminar simulations of two parallel jets issuing into a semi-confined space were conducted. Critical Reynolds numbers were noted when the flows transitioned from a steady state symmetrical flow to the formation of secondary downstream recirculations and ultimately to transient flow. To better understand the characteristics of the flow, simulations were run at a fixed jet spacing with altered inlet sizes. It was found that using a momentum based Reynolds number instead of the standard volumetric flow method allowed better prediction of secondary downstream recirculations. However, when comparing simulations run with the same geometric setup, but with two different inlet velocity profiles, the Reynolds number based on flow rate is more consistent than the momentum based Reynolds number. A modified Reynolds number is proposed and tested across four jet spacings to determine the robustness of the new non-dimensionalization. Furthermore, a new method of quantifying and visualizing mixing is used to maximize mixing under varying jet spacings. It was seen that the majority of mixing occurred in the space between the two jets. Placing the jets along the walls of the confined space allowed for the most efficient mixing.
Medical Education Research As Translational Science

Research on medical education is translational science when rigorous studies on trainee clinical skill and knowledge acquisition address key health care problems and measure outcomes in controlled laboratory settings (T1 translational research); when these outcomes transfer to clinics, wards, and offices where better health care is delivered (T2); and when patient or public health improves as a result of educational practices (T3). This Commentary covers features of medical education interventions and environments that contribute to translational outcomes, reviews selected research studies that advance translational science in medical education at all three levels, and presents pathways to improve medical education translational science.
Sequential, machine-independent characterizations of the parallel complexity classes AlogTIME, AC k , NC k and NC

In the spirit of A. Cobham’s algebraic, machine-independent characterization of the collection FP of polynomial time computable functions in [Cob65] (see also [Ros84]), we characterize the collection AC O of functions computable with uniform constant depth polynomial size circuits and the collection NC of functions computable in polylogarithmic time with a polynomial number of processors on a parallel random access machine (PRAM). From these characterizations, we obtain level-by-level characterizations of the intermediate classes AC k and NC k . The class AC O is the closure of certain simple initial functions under composition and a variant of bounded primitive recursion called concatenation recursion on notation. The class NC is obtained from the same initial functions by adding a second variant of bounded primitive recursion called weak bounded recursion on notation. Thus, well known parallel complexity classes are characterized in a machine-independent manner using sequential operations. As a corollary, one can give Backus-Naur for a sequential programming language fragment of Pascal which “captures” the parallel complexity class NC, in the sense that functions, which can be programmed in this fragment, are exactly those which are computable in polylogarithmic time with a polynomial number of processors on a PRAM Note that this latter result is much more than a simple serialization of parallel code.
Social environment influences the relationship between genotype and gene expression in wild baboons

Variation in the social environment can have profound effects on survival and reproduction in wild social mammals. However, we know little about the degree to which these effects are influenced by genetic differences among individuals, and conversely, the degree to which social environmental variation mediates genetic reaction norms. To better understand these relationships, we investigated the potential for dominance rank, social connectedness and group size to modify the effects of genetic variation on gene expression in the wild baboons of the Amboseli basin. We found evidence for a number of gene–environment interactions (GEIs) associated with variation in the social environment, encompassing social environments experienced in adulthood as well as persistent effects of early life social environment. Social connectedness, maternal dominance rank and group size all interacted with genotype to influence gene expression in at least one sex, and either in early life or in adulthood. These results suggest that social and behavioural variation, akin to other factors such as age and sex, can impact the genotype–phenotype relationship. We conclude that GEIs mediated by the social environment are important in the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in wild social mammals, including individual differences in responses to social stressors.
Changes in Some Physical and Nutritional Properties of Tarhana, a Turkish Fermented Cereal Food, Added Various Phytase Sources

The effects of three different levels of baker's yeast, barley malt flour and a microbial phytase supplement have on fermentation loss, colour, pH, total and HCl-extractable ash (HEA) and HCl-extractable phosphorus (HEP) ratio of Turkish tarhana were investigated. Fermentation loss, expressed as dry matter loss, was used for estimation of tarhana processing yield, including the fermentation, drying and grinding processes, and found on average to be 12.96%. Fermentation loss provided a proportional increase in the total ash and phosphorus content of the samples and pH decreased by adding microbial phytase. HEA and HEP content as a measurement for mineral bioavailability increased from 68.32% (dough) to 82.07% (tarhana), and from 60.45% to 83.63%, respectively, during the production process. Additions of yeast, barley malt and phytase significantly raised the HEA and HEP content (p<0.01). Among the phytase sources, yeast was the most effective additive on the ash and phosphorus extractability. The combination of 2.5% yeast and 4% malt was the optimum treatment to obtain a low fermentation loss and high HEA and HEP. Increasing HEA and HEP values could mean higher bioavailability of minerals bound by phytic acid.
Modeling and simulation of tricycle landing gear at normal and abnormal conditions

This paper presents the development of a tricycle landing gear simulation model including several classes of system failures such as component degradation and jamming. The model is integrated with the dynamics of a business jet aircraft within a Matlab/Simulink ® simulation environment aimed at providing tools for the design and analysis of fault tolerant control laws, landing gear development, and flight simulation for use in an academic environment. The formulation of the models at normal and abnormal conditions is presented in detail along with simulation results for representative cases.
Stage prediction of embryonic stem cell differentiation from genome-wide expression data

Motivation: The developmental stage of a cell can be determined by cellular morphology or various other observable indicators. Such classical markers could be complemented with modern surrogates, like whole-genome transcription profiles, that can encode the state of the entire organism and provide increased quantitative resolution. Recent findings suggest that such profiles provide sufficient information to reliably predict the cell's developmental stage. Results: We use whole-genome transcription data and several data projection methods to infer differentiation stage prediction models for embryonic cells. Given a transcription profile of an uncharacterized cell, these models can then predict its developmental stage. In a series of experiments comprising 14 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus, we demonstrate that the approach is robust and has excellent prediction ability both within a specific cell line and across different cell lines. Availability: Model inference and computational evaluation procedures in the form of Python scripts and accompanying datasets are available at http://www.biolab.si/supp/stagerank. Contact: blaz.zupan@fri.uni-lj.si Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.