cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Derandomization of Constant Depth Circuits

Nisan [18] and Nisan and Wigderson [19] have constructed a pseudo-random generator which fools any family of polynomial-size constant depth circuits. At the core of their construction is the result due to Hastad [10] that no circuit of depth d and size 2n1/d can even weakly approximate (to within an inverse exponential factor) the parity function. We give a simpler proof of the inapproximability of parity by constant depth circuits which does not use the Hastad Switching Lemma. Our proof uses a well-known hardness amplification technique from derandomization: the XOR lemma. This appears to be the first use of the XOR lemma to prove an unconditional inapproximability result for an explicit function (in this case parity). In addition, we prove that BPAC0 can be simulated by uniform quasipolynomial size constant depth circuits, improving on results due to Nisan [18] and Nisan and Wigderson [19].
'What About Me (Too)?' The Case for Admitting Evidence of Discrimination Against Non-Parties

Plaintiffs alleging workplace discrimination often seek to bolster their argument by introducing evidence of discrimination against other similar employees by different supervisors, or, as it is commonly known, "me too" evidence. Because these witnesses almost by definition lack knowledge of the plaintiff's particular case, many courts have excluded the evidence as irrelevant and unfairly prejudicial under Federal Rules of Evidence 401 and 403. The Supreme Court granted cert on the issue, but decided the case on procedural grounds, leaving district courts to fend for themselves. This Comment attempts to resolve the "me too" quandary by linking the admissibility of "me too" evidence to the underlying claim presented. "Me too" evidence, I assert, will almost always clear the low relevancy bar set by Rule 401, since courts regularly admit evidence of similar reliability. But prejudice under Rule 403 is a distinct inquiry, and I conclude that evidence of a hostile work environment or discriminatory RIF should withstand the Rule 403 balancing test because each occurs with the company's knowledge. By contrast, evidence of individual discrimination - whose link to the plaintiff's case is by definition attenuated, and knowledge of which cannot necessarily be imputed to the employer - should not withstand Rule 403's balancing test.
A Constitutional Right to Self Defense

Is there a constitutional right to self-defense? The skeptic who insists on a citation to the seminal case unequivocally establishing the right may claim that the Supreme Court has not elaborated the right of self-defense the way it has developed the highly litigated provisions of the bill of rights. But as a practical matter, we find the right of self-defense an essentially universal value that the Court and commentators have used as a foundational principle to ground and illuminate other constitutional rights.This article will show that self-defense is a basic raw material of our social and political structure, a right from which other constitutional guarantees have been derived and therefore (even if unenumerated) n5 in the first echelon of fundamental constitutional rights. Section I will summarize the case that self-defense is protected by the Second Amendment. Section II will explain why a basic right to self-defense might be imperfectly enumerated and suggest how the Ninth Amendment [*188] might support it. Section III shows how self-defense has been used as a building block of the constitutional right to abortion. Section IV shows how elaborations of the Fourth and Eighth Amendment are derived from self defense. Section V presents a series of nineteenth century Supreme Court cases that treat self-defense like the sun rising in the east. Section VI shifts the burden of proof, and shows that the independent case against the right of self-defense depends on ideas rooted in the most vile social institution ever to afflict our society. I conclude from all of this that while the stickler might quibble about the fashion in which it has been recognized, the ancient right of self-defense is in the first echelon of fundamental constitutional rights essential to "liberty," first among the rights protected by the Ninth Amendment and at the core of a proper understanding of the Second Amend-ment.
Global synchronous scheduling policies for flexible manufacturing systems

In this paper, we consider global approaches to scheduling flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) of the type considered by Perkins and Kumar (1989). We call the class of global scheduling policies that we consider global synchronous clearing (GSC) policies because they operate by synchronizing the flow of parts through sections (which we call paths) of the FMS. We provide sufficient conditions for the stability of two GSC policies, and we provide some guidelines for the choice of GSC policies vs. distributed policies.
Problems and Solutions: How Applications Drive Data Converters (and How Changing Data Converter Technology Influences System Architecture)

There is a common debate in the circuits world about whether the market drives technology advances (embodied by Edison?s observation that ?necessity is the mother or invention?) or whether technical breakthroughs actually create new markets (embodied by the new invention looking for a ?killer app?). Converter innovation over the last 50 years has seen tremendous contributions from both technology push and market pull forces. Reflecting on data converter evolution through the lens of the converter market applications provides some interesting perspectives as to how we got here and may even offer some insights about what might come next.
Role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in age-related lung disease

The prevalence of many common respiratory disorders, including pneumonia, chronic obstructive lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer, increases with age. Little is known of the host factors that may predispose individuals to such diseases. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a potent upstream regulator of the immune system. MIF is encoded by variant alleles that occur commonly in the population. In addition to its role as a proinflammatory cytokine, a growing body of literature demonstrates that MIF influences diverse molecular processes important for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and may influence the incidence or clinical manifestations of a variety of chronic lung diseases. This review highlights the biological properties of MIF and its implication in age-related lung disease.
Designing a portable technical literacy course for use in California

Summary form only given. The project discussed has developed a technical literacy course for a non-technical population of students. The focus is to draw examples of engineering systems from the local community so that students already have a "users" understanding of presented systems. First the students explore and study how a particular system works (i.e. how local bridges support loads), and then the basic science is introduced as needed to support the understanding of the application. Demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and tours of local engineering systems are used to engage the students. The course ideas are portable since all colleges have some examples of engineering systems locally.
Acute Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Unique Patient Characteristics and Targets for Therapy

Currently, there are 1.0 million annual hospital discharges for acute heart failure (AHF). The total cost of heart failure (HF) care in the United States is projected to increase to $53 billion in 2030, with the majority of costs (80 %) related to AHF hospitalizations. Approximately 50 % of AHF episodes occur in patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). There is a dearth of evidence-based guidelines for the management of AHF in HFpEF patients. Here, we briefly review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of AHF patients with HFpEF.
Immunologic Aspects of Cicatricial Pemphigoid

A 56-year-old woman presented with the typical findings of cicatricial pemphigoid: vesicular lesions of the mucous membranes and skin. Ocular involvement included symblepharon and dryness. A regimen of 80 mg of oral trimcinolone per day healed the lesions of the skin and mucous membrane. The patient received three injections of 0.5 ml of triamcinolone acetonide into the area of the symblepharon without apparent effect on the ocular disease. Direct immunofluorescent microscopy of the patient's conjunctiva revealed fluorescence of the basement membrane when incubated with fluorescein labeled anti-IgG. The finding of immunologlobulin fixed to be basement membrane in cicatricial pepmhigoid indicates some type of immune mechanism, and would seem to place this entity in the spectrum of the pemphigus-pemphigoid group.
The journal deselection project: The LSUMC-S experience

Abstract Financial constraints, along with several other factors, prompted the library staff of the Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport (LSUMC-S) to evaluate the journal collection through a comprehensive review project. Faculty members were involved throughout the process. After identifying those subject areas most relevant to their disciplines, faculty members received journal lists by subject to rate the titles in importance to their department's work. This subjective input from faculty was considered along with usage statistics and other objective data gathered by library staff. This combination of information assisted the library staff in making difficult decisions in a fair and logical manner.
Alternate Patterns of Premature Ventricular Excitation During Induced Atrial Bigeminy

Alternate patterns of premature ventricular excitation have been observed during induced atrial bigeminy in 18 subjects, including five normal volunteers. Each study was performed in the cardiac catheterization suite where a transvenous catheter electrode was positioned in the right atrium. Coupled or paired stimuli were delivered to the atrium by an isolated battery-powered source at an adjusted interval which resulted in alternate patterns of ventricular excitation from alternate premature beats ("alternating premature ventricular excitation"). In most instances "alternating premature ventricular excitation" occurred when parameters of preceding cycle length, premature coupling interval, and atrioventricular conduction time were constant. In man also some observations were made of His bundle excitation during premature atrial stimulation, and in the intact dog heart some observations were made of alternating premature ventricular excitation during His bundle stimulation. A tenable explanation for altern...
An intranuclear pathogen [nuclear inclusion X (NIX)] associated with massive mortalities of the Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula.

Abstract Between June 1983 and January 1984, certain western North American populations of the Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula , which normally are part of an important regional shellfishery, declined by over 95%. Study of moribund clams revealed an infectious disease process occurring in the clams' gills. Vast numbers of a large presumptively procaryotic organism, descriptively termed nuclear inclusion X (NIX), occurred exclusively within the cell nuclei of nonciliated branchial epithelium. The infectious process resulted in extreme dilation of cell nuclei and rupture of the cytoplasmic membrane, and was associated with extensive and apparently secondary bacterial infections. The microorganism is typically procaryotic by ultrastructural components but is larger than any known bacterium. The organism within the host cell nuclei was as large as 16 × 25 μm. Thus the extraordinarily large size of this apparent procaryotic organism and its apparently exclusive intranuclear localization during observed life stages are unprecedented discoveries.
Comparison of calcium hydroxide and zinc oxide and eugenol pulpectomies in primary teeth of dogs

The purpose of this investigation was to compare calcium hydroxide with zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) as root canal obturants in the pulpectomy procedure for irreversibly inflamed primary pulps of dogs. Clinical, radiographic, and histologic comparisons of calcium hydroxide and ZOE root canal filling materials were made in forty-two primary premolars of seven mongrel puppies. When the animals were 6 weeks of age, the pulps of all samples teeth were extirpated and the canals left open to the oral environment. The root canals were assigned to calcium hydroxide, ZOE, and control groups, instrumented, and filled 2 weeks later. The animals were killed 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after filling. Statistical analysis of all categories for comparison at 4 weeks indicated that calcium hydroxide gave significantly more favorable results than ZOE. Canals treated with calcium hydroxide exhibited less inflammation, less resorption, and more hard-tissue apposition than ZOE-treated and control groups.
Hypoxia Inducible Factor Pathways as Targets for Functional Foods

The etiology of most chronic angiogenic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes complications, and cancer includes the presence of pockets of hypoxic cells growing behind a...
Auramine orange stain with fluorescence microscopy is a rapid and sensitive technique for the detection of cervical lymphadenitis due to mycobacterial infection using fine needle aspiration cytology: a case series.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the auramine orange (AO) stain in diagnosing mycobacterial cervical adenitis (MCA) from fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. METHODS: A retrospective review of 19 patients evaluated at 2 urban hospitals from 2000 to 2003 for suspected MCA. FNA specimens were inoculated to culture media and had direct smears stained by the auramine acid fast method.RESULTS: Mycobacteria were identified in 16 (84.2%) of 19 AO-stained FNA specimens, with results available within 4 hours. Corresponding cultures were positive for mycobacteria in 12 specimens, 9 tuberculous and 3 nontuberculous, and grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis from the 3 AO-negative specimens. Three of the 4 patients with negative cultures had previously taken anti-mycobacterial medications.CONCLUSION: The AO stain with fluorescence microscopy is a sensitive and rapid method for detecting tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria. It is a valuable tool for the otolaryngologists and pathologists in th...
Point-transitive actions by certain Abelian real clans

This section consists of self-contained 25-100 line short communications which are prepublications of results, the details of which are to be published in either aequationes mathematicae or other journals with referee systems or equivalent systems of pre-reviewing papers. Aequationes mathematieae will endeavour to publish these short communications in the shortest possible time after the underlying papers have been accepted for publication. Unless indicated otherwise details of results described in this section will appear in subsequent issues of aequationes mathematicae.
Reduced platelet activity is associated with more intraventricular hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious complication of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We hypothesized that antiplatelet medication use and platelet activity would be associated with more IVH. METHODS: We prospectively identified patients with spontaneous ICH and measured platelet activity on admission with the VerifyNow-Aspirin assay (Accumetrics, San Diego, CA). IVH volume was quantified with the Graeb scale, divided into categories of 0 (no IVH), 1 to 2 (minimal IVH), 3 to 5 (moderate IVH), and 6 and above (severe IVH). Antiplatelet medications were prospectively recorded. We used ordinal regression to measure the effect of platelet activity after correcting for ICH location and ICH volume. Outcomes were measured at 14 days or discharge with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and at 28 days and 3 months with the mRS. RESULTS: In our cohort of 73 patients, 36 had no IVH, 11 had minimal IVH, 10 had moderate IVH, and 16 had severe IVH. Aspirin and clopidogrel (P = 0.03 for both) were associated with less platelet activity. More IVH was related to reduced platelet activity (P = 0.01) after correction for ICH volume and location without contribution from aspirin or clopidogrel use. IVH was associated with worse National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (P = 0.002) and mRS score (P = 0.001) at 14 days and with mRS scores at 28 days (P = 0.02) and 3 months (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Reduced platelet activity was related to more IVH as a complication of ICH. The relationship of platelet activity to IVH deserves further study.
Fatty acid biosynthesis and RNA function in fasting, aging and diabetes.

Abstract 1. 1.Acetate incorporation into the total lipid of adipose tissue and mono-unsaturated fatty acid synthesis is markedly depressed in fasted rats. These observations have been associated with a depression in RNA synthesis. Refeeding a fasted animal leads to return of RNA synthesis to normal within 4 hr which precedes the increase of fatty acid biosynthesis. 2. 2.During aging, in the rat, there is a progressive decline in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue. These biosynthetic changes can be restored toward the pattern of young animals either by the feeding of a fat-free diet or by the administration of insulin. The RNA concentration of the adipose tissue from old rats is significantly lower than in young rats, but the specific activity of the RNA species isolated from adipose tissue after incubation with uridine-5-T is significantly greater in the old than in the young. This finding may be due to a decrease in the size of the precursor nucleotide pool. 3. 3.In alloxan diabetes, there is a decrease in acetate incorporation into total lipid and a defect in microsomal monoenoic fatty acid synthesis. These defects are repaired by the administration of insulin after a lag period of 6–12 hr. The coincident administration of actinomycin-D with insulin prevents the restoration of lipid biosynthetic activity but does not modify the hypoglycemic action of the hormone. These observations indicate that insulin stimulates the renewal of cellular RNA necessary for the synthesis of specific anabolic enzymes. The action of insulin on increasing the transport of glucose across cell membranes is not dependent on new enzyme synthesis. Following a single injection of insulin, the restoration of lipid biosynthesis to normal is maintained for more than 24 hr. Evidence has been obtained which indicates that the informational RNA-ribosome complex formed under the influence of insulin is more stable than the enzyme(s) synthesized on the template. 4. 4.From the direct and indirect evidence relating RNA function to fatty acid synthesis, it is proposed that the fundamental disturbances in fasting, aging, and diabetes affect RNA synthesis primarily and the enzymatic failures are secondary to this.
A reconfigurable near-infrared circularly polarizing reflector based on phase changing anisotropic metamaterials

A reconfigurable near-infrared circularly polarizing reflector is presented. The circular polarizing reflector is comprised of a birefringent impedance surface consisting of a periodic array of reconfigurable split ring resonators. Integrated into the metamaterial surface is a phase change material that facilitates the reconfigurability.
Evidence for light-dependent reversible conformational change in spinach chloroplast CF1.

Abstract We have investigated an inhibition of photophosphorylation which occurs during preillumination of isolated spinach chloroplasts. Preillumination for 4–6 min in the absence of a complete set of components required for ATP synthesis inhibits photophosphorylation to a maximum of 25–40%; no inhibition occurs if all components for phosphorylation are present from the time illumination begins. The inhibition is about 40% recoverable by imposing a dark (“rebound”) period after the preillumination. Photoinhibition is accompanied by an increased leakiness of the thylakoid membrane to protons and is prevented by the presence of FCCP during the preillumination. Several lines of evidence implicate changes in conformation of chloroplast coupling factor (CF 1 ) as the cause of both photoinhibition and dark rebound. Conditions which result in photoinhibition also result in a loss of Mg 2+ -dependent ATPase activity which can be elicited from chloroplasts. Both photoinhibition and dark rebound are accompanied by changes in the K m of CF 1 for both ADP and P i . Photoinhibition precludes further inhibition of phosphorylation by light plus N -ethylamleimide (NEM) while phosphorylating activity regained by dark rebound is sensitive to subsequent inhibition by light plus NEM. The results are consistent with the conformational coupling hypothesis in indicating that CF 1 may be able to store energy in a conformational state which can be released by the reversal of that state. The photoinhibition we observe may represent conformational changes in CF 1 which are related to conformational coupling but which lead to photoinhibition under our conditions of preillumination.
Syncytiotrophoblast membrane vesicles: a model for examining the human placental cholinergic system.

A membrane vesicle preparation was used to examine characteristics of the human placental cholinergic system. Plasma membrane vesicles were prepared from the microvillous surface of the human placental syncytiotrophoblast. Membranes were purified 18 -to 20-fold as indicated by 5'-nucleotidase activity. Vesicle cholinesterase activity was enriched and had a substrate preference consistent with that of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine greater than acetyl-beta-methylcholine greater than butyryl-choline). Choline acetyltransferase specific activity was reduced 80%. The synthetic muscarinic ligand, [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), was used to identify two classes of muscarinic cholinergic binding sites. The dissociation constant of QNB binding was 80 pM and 30 nM for the two sites. The sites were saturable and bound 9 fmoles and 910 fmoles per mg protein for the high and low affinity sites, respectively. Specific binding was inhibited by scopolamine, atropine, carbamylcholine (CCH), and diphenhydramine, but not by non-muscarinic ligands-i.e. GABA, glycine, d-amphetamine, kappa-bungarotoxin and nicotine. The cholinergic agonist CCh had no effect on active AIB transport, although pharmacologic doses (lmM) of atropine, scopolamine and lidocaine reduced Na-gradient active transport of kappa-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). No effect on Na-independent AIB transport was observed. Thus, these drugs apparently reduced AIB uptake through their shared local anesthetic activity and not through a central cholinergic mechanism. In contrast, CCh was able to stimulate Ca2+ uptake by the vesicles in a dose-dependent manner paralleling its ability to inhibit QNB binding. The CCh-stimulated Ca2+ uptake was inhibited by scopolamine, implying its mediation via cholinergic-type binding sites. The membrane vesicle preparation therefore provides a useful model for examination of the role of the human placental cholinergic system.
The dorsal nucleus of the lateral leminiscus in the cat: Neuronal types and their distributions

The normal population of neurons and their distributions within the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus were studied in both Nissl-stained celloidin and frozen sections and in Golgi impregnations from brains of mature cats. According to axial measurements of somata in Nissl-stained material, neurons of the dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL) were classified by width:length ratio (r) into round (0.80 less than or equal to r less than or equal to 1.0), ovoid (0.65 < r < 0.80), or elongate (r less than or equal to 0.65) types. These same neurons could also be classed by average diameter (Dm) as large (Dm greater than or equal to 22), medium (12.0 less than or equal to Dm < 22.0), or small (Dm < 12.0). A combination of data on ratios (shape) and average diameters (size) provided the following possible categories of Nissl-stained, DNLL neurons: large round (LR), large ovoid (LO), large elongate (LE), medium round (MR), medium ovoid (MO), medium elongate (ME), small round (SR), small ovoid (SQ), and small elongate (SE). Very few small cells were found, however. Quantitative studies of the distributions of cell type within the whole DNLL showed (1) most medium-sized and most LE cells in the caudal third of the DNLL and (2) most LO and LR cells dorsally located in the rostral third of the DNLL. There were progressively more large and more round types along the caudal-to-rostral axis. In Golgi impregnations of the DNLL, all medium and large cell types, but no small cell types (defined in the Nissl study) were found. Golgi material showed (1) subdivisions of the LO class into vertical (LOV) and horizontal (LOH) types, and (2) radiate (MRR) and oriented (MRO) subclasses of MR neurons according to dendritic arbor and cytology, orientation within the DNLL, and axonal morphology. Examples from all classes of large cells (particularly, LE cells) could have ventrally directed axons. These ventrally directed axons might be efferents to the cochlear nucleus, known from our previous work. A strong horizontal orientation of most DNLL cell somata and dendrites, shown in both our Nissl and Golgi material, is discussed in relation to known inputs to the DNLL. Correlations of our morphological findings with limited electrophysiological data on the DNLL are also discussed.
Reducing variation in surgical care.

Requires innovative methods for getting evidence into surgical practice V ariations in surgical care have been recognised since the early 1980s and are generally interpreted as evidence of uncertainty among practitioners regarding optimal care. The prescription for remedying variations in surgical practice has generally included development of better medical evidence to identify best practices, dissemination of medical evidence to surgeons, and use of practice guidelines and care pathways to streamline care. More than 20 years later, there is still abundant evidence that surgical care varies substantially. Why do variations in surgical care persist? And what can be done about them? In this issue of BMJ , Lassen et al (p 1420) report the results of a survey of lead surgeons in five north European countries regarding processes of care for colorectal surgery.1 These processes included use of preoperative bowel preparation, routine postoperative nasogastric decompression, and use of epidural analgesia in the …
Ascorbic acid facilitates chicken myoblast fusion in vitro.

Addition of low concentrations of ascorbic acid (5 μg/ml to 10 μg/ml) to myogenic chick embryo cultures resulted in an early fusion. At 30 h cultures receiving small amounts of ascorbic acid presented fusion rates 3 times that of the control. However, control rates of fusion were not different from those of experimentals at 50 h. No such effect was seen with ascorbic acid added at 24 h of culture, or with ascorbic acid addition to a calcium-deprived system. These findings demonstrate that the calcium binding properties of ascorbic acid can induce precocious myogenic fusion.
Superconductivity and Future Accelerators

For 50 years particle accelerators employing accelerating cavities and deflecting magnets have been developed at a prodigious rate. New accelerator concepts and hardware ensembles have yielded great improvements in performance and GeV/$. The great idea for collective acceleration resulting from intense auxiliary charged-particle beams or laser light may or may not be just around the corner. In its absence, superconductivity (SC) applied both to rf cavities and to magnets opened up the potential for very large accelerators without excessive energy consumption and with other economies, even with the cw operation desirable for colliding beams. HEP has aggressively pioneered this new technology: the Fermilab single ring 1 TeV accelerator - 2 TeV collider is near the testing stage. Brookhaven National Laboratory's high luminosity pp 2 ring 800 GeV CBA collider is well into construction. Other types of superconducting projects are in the planning stage with much background R and D accomplished. The next generation of hadron colliders under discussion involves perhaps a 20 TeV ring (or rings) with 40 TeV CM energy. This is a very large machine: even if the highest practical field B approx. 10T is used, the radius is 10x that of the Fermilab accelerator. An extreme effortmore » to get maximum GeV/$ may be crucial even for serious consideration of funding.« less
Learning from interpretations: a rooted kernel for ordered hypergraphs

The paper presents a kernel for learning from ordered hypergraphs, a formalization that captures relational data as used in Inductive Logic Programming (ILP). The kernel generalizes previous approaches to graph kernels in calculating similarity based on walks in the hypergraph. Experiments on challenging chemical datasets demonstrate that the kernel outperforms existing ILP methods, and is competitive with state-of-the-art graph kernels. The experiments also demonstrate that the encoding of graph data can affect performance dramatically, a fact that can be useful beyond kernel methods.
Contrail: Decentralized and Privacy-Preserving Social Networks on Smartphones

Mobile devices are increasingly used for social networking applications, which share data between devices belonging to different users. Today, such applications are implemented as centralized services, forcing users to trust corporations with their personal data. Although decentralized designs for such applications can provide privacy, these designs are difficult to achieve on current devices due to constraints on connectivity, energy, and bandwidth. Contrail is a communication platform that allows decentralized social networks to overcome these challenges. In Contrail, users install content filters that express their interests on their friends' devices; they subsequently receive new data generated by their friends that match the filters. Both data and filters are exchanged between devices via cloud-based relays in encrypted form, giving the cloud no visibility into either. In addition to providing privacy, Contrail enables applications that are highly efficient in terms of both energy and bandwidth.
Group decision and negotiation support in evolving, nonshared information contexts

Based on evolutionary systems design (ESD), group decision and negotiation support in evolving, nonshared information contexts is discussed. A non-shared information context — one without full information sharing — is associated with what has been loosely called a ‘noncooperative’ context in the group decision and negotiation support systems (GDNSS) literature. Without full information sharing, we have a game with incomplete information that, in general, is evolving. The paper discusses how the GDNSS, MEDIATOR, supports evolution of the group problem representation — a process of consensus seeking (through information sharing, here partial) subject to problem adaptation and restructuring within which compromise is possible.
Postimmunization antibody to the Haemophilus influenzae type b capsule in breast milk.

The origin of antibodies detected in exocrine secretions of humans has not been elucidated completely. In general, there exists a compartmentalization of systemic and mucosal immune systems [1]. Secretory IgA antibody usually is produced by local synthesis at the mucosal site, although a contribution from transport of serum oligomeric (J-chain containing) IgA into breast milk or biliary secretions has been demonstrated. Mucosal antibody can be induced by antigenic stimulation at the local site of antibody secretion or at a different mucosal site that is part of a common mucosal immune system. Parenteral immunization with killed antigens usually does not induce a mucosal antibody response in previously unexposed individuals, and if such a response does occur, it is generally of low magnitude and transient [1]. Mucosal antibody to Haemophilus influenzae type b has been studied because the bacteria is believed to invade systemically after colonization in the nasopharynx. We have demonstrated that the breast milk of lactating women contains low levels of secretory antibody to the H. influenzae type b polysaccharide capsule that persists at an equivalent titer from one to six months after the onset of lactation [2]. Antibody to the capsule also could be detected in adult nasal and salivary secretions. Parenteral immunization with the H. influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide transiently induced a threefold increase in the titer of mucosal antibody to the capsule [3]. As part of a study of the effect of parenteral immunization of pregnant women (at 34-36 weeks of gestation) with the H. influenzae type b capsule on antibody levels in cord blood and in the infant, we examined antibody titers of breast milk for any effects of immunization. As seen in table 1, the colostrum of these immunized women
In vivo total body chlorine measurements using prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis

Total body chlorine (TBC1) provides an estimate of extracellular water. We have examined the feasibility of measuring TBC1 using the 5.6, 6.1, and 8.6 MeV C1 peaks produced during in vivo prompt-gamma neutron activation (dose<0.3 mSv). In subjects, background interference permitted the use of only the 8.6 MeV peak in C1 analysis. Preliminary analyses of the prompt-gamma spectra for 33 healthy females (ages: 24–40 yr) provided a mean estimate of 0.85 g C1 per kg body weight. It is therefore feasible to measure TBC1 concurrently with body nitrogen using relatively low-dose prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis.
Making fusible metal casts of previously fixed lung material

SUMMARY A technique has been developed which will permit fusible metal (Wood's metal) casts to be made of lung tissue previously fixed by formalin inflation.
Incubation temperature affects the behavior of adult leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius)

The leopard gecko has temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD); females are predominantly produced when incubated at 26 degrees C (100%), 30 degrees C (70%), and 34 degrees C (95%), whereas males are predominantly produced at 32.5 degrees C (75%). Exogenous estradiol can override the effect of temperature on sex determination. To compare temperature-determined females with hormone-determined females, eggs from the male-biased temperature were treated with estradiol benzoate during incubation. As adults, animals from a male-biased incubation temperature were more likely to exhibit aggression than animals from female-biased incubation temperatures. Furthermore, females from a male-biased incubation temperature tended to be less attractive than females from female-biased temperatures. Hormone-determined females were both attractive and aggressive. This suggests that incubation temperature is an important development determinant of adult aggressiveness and attractiveness. The 26 degrees C animals ovariectomized on the day of hatch exhibited more frequent aggression and were unreceptive to males, indicating that postnatal ovarian hormones also play a role in adult sociosexual behaviors. The parallel between incubation temperature and intrauterine position in laboratory mammals is discussed.
Keeping the Hubble Space Telescope operating efficiently in its third decade

Recent improvements to the planning and scheduling process of the Hubble Space Telescope will maximize scientific return over the telescope's remaining years. The return to 3-gyro operations increased the scheduling opportunities for science on HST. Improvements to the scheduling of programs through the South Atlantic Anomaly optimized efficiency. To address an RA-asymmetry in the HST target distribution, "exclusion zones" were implemented in the Cycle 20 Call for Proposals. These process improvements not only allow the continuation of groundbreaking science, but also serve as a bridge to the planning and scheduling systems of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Excitation modeling and synthesis for plucked guitar tones

The analysis and synthesis of plucked-guitar tones via source-filter approximations is a popular and established method for modeling the resonant behavior of the string as well as the driving excitation signal. By varying the source signal, a nearly unlimited number of unique tones can be produced using a given filter model. However, it as unclear as to how exactly the model excitation signals should be parameterized in order to capture the nuances of a guitarist's articulation from a recorded performance. In this paper, we apply principal components analysis to a corpus of excitation signals derived from plucked-guitar recordings in order to design a codebook that captures the unique characteristics of certain string articulations. The development of an excitation codebook has several applications, including expressive synthesis of guitar tones for virtual music interfaces and insight into the expressive intentions of a performer through audio analysis.
Demographic and seasonal influences on human serum pesticide residue levels.

This study was intended to characterize more fully the distribution of serum concentrations of 16 pesticide residues with regard to key demographic and seasonal variables in a subsample of persons from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between the ages of 12 and 74 yr old. Blood sera in 2‐ml aliquots were analyzed, and the results were confirmed for 5994 persons. Almost all participants (99.5%) had p,p‘‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p‘‐DDE) concentrations ≥1 ppb, ranging as high as 378.6 ppb. For the other pesticide residues, only β‐benzene hexachloride (β‐BHC) (quantified in 17.2% of the sera), dieldrin (10.6%), and another DDT‐related residue, p,p‘‐dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p’‐DDT) (35.7%) were found at quantifiable levels in more than 10% of the serum specimens. Of the remaining analytes, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), trans‐nonachlor (TNC), and heptachlor epoxide (HE) were found at quantifiable concentrations in 1–10% of the specimens, whereas o,p’‐DDT, o,p‘‐DDE, p,p...
Effects of poloxamer 188 on human PMN cells.

Background Poloxamer 188 (P188), a nonionic block copolymer chemical surfactant known to have cytoprotective, rheologic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic activity, has shown promise in the management of selected trauma patients. We studied human PMN oxidative burst and adhesion molecule expression when exposed to P188. Methods After RBC lysis of whole blood samples, white blood cell components were primed with phosphotidylcholine, primed and activated with fMLP, primed and activated with PMA, or left unstimulated. Each group was treated with vehicle or P188 (0.005–15 mg/ml concentrations). Flow cytometry quantified: (1) PMN superoxide anion production and (2) PMN marker expression of CD11b and L-selectin. Results Among non-PMA activated PMNs, P188 increased superoxide anion production. PMA-activated PMNs decreased superoxide anion production, proportional to P188 dose. Among fMLP-activated PMNs, the highest P188 dose increased the expression of CD11b. Among PMA-activated PMNs, decreased CD11b expression was seen for the mid-range doses. Conclusions PMNs altered their oxidative burst and marker expression after exposure to P188. When used at lower doses, P188 may increase the oxidative burst response and, when used at very high doses, increase CD11b expression. However, if PMNs are in a maximally activated state, a higher dose of P188 may decrease the oxidative burst response and decrease CD11b expression.
Burning Speeds and Autoignition of Jet Fuel and JP-8/Air Mixtures

In this paper, the laminar burning speed of Jet Fuel (Jet-A) and three different samples of JP-8 are investigated. The autoignition properties of JP-8 fuels are also explored. These experiments have been done in a spherical vessel at high temperatures and pressures with different equivalence ratios. The pressure data were recorded by a Kistler pressure transducer, and intense fluctuations of pressure data were observed during the explosion of the unburned gas zone. It is observed that Jet Fuel and JP-8/air mixtures have very similar burning speed. Also, autoignition of these fuels is very sensitive to a specific range of temperature rather than pressure.© 2011 ASME
Coregistration of Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography with high-resolution Mars images

Spacecraft continue to send back extraordinary amounts of data from Mars leaving scientists with the considerable task of analyzing an ever-increasing wealth of information. There are abundant uses for coregistered topography and images, but coregistering various datasets can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. We have developed a set of C-shell Unix scripts and Interactive Data Language (IDL) programs that overlay individual Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topography footprints on high-resolution Mars images including those from the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), and the Context Camera (CTX). After all programs are installed, initial file customizations are made, and raw data are obtained, a user enters only three commands to overlay color-coded, scaled, and labeled topographic data on a high-resolution image. The codes have a variety of options including incremental labeling, zooming in on the topography, and shifting large-scale features to align with topography. They can be used as a group or individually. Our codes minimize human interaction in the coregistration process and produce usable, effective products.
Development of a Lifetime Merit-based selection index for US dairy grazing systems

Pasture-based dairy producers in the United States face costs, revenue streams, and management challenges that may differ from those associated with confinement dairy production systems. Three Grazing Merit indices (GM$1, GM$2, and GM$3), parallel to the US Lifetime Net Merit (NM$) index, were constructed using economic values appropriate for grazing production in the United States. Milk prices based on averages from the previous 5 yr were used for GM$1, whereas GM$2 and GM$3 used milk prices found in NM$. Cull prices and interest rates from NM$ were used in GM$3 but were updated for GM$1 and GM$2. All other inputs remained constant among GM$1, GM$2, and GM$3. Economic costs and revenues were obtained from surveys, recent literature, and farm financial record summaries. Derived weights for GM$ were then multiplied by the predicted transmitting abilities of 584 active artificial insemination Holstein bulls to compare with NM$. Spearman rank correlations for NM$ were 0.93 with GM$1, 0.98 with GM$2, and 0.98 with GM$3. Traits (and their percentages of weight) comprising GM$1, GM$2, and GM$3, respectively, included milk volume (24, 0, 0%), Fat yield (16, 21, 21%), protein yield (4, 17, 17%), productive life (7, 8, 7%), somatic cell count (−8, −9, −9%), feet and legs composite (4, 4, 4%), body size composite (−3, −4, −4%), udder composite (7, 8, 8%), daughter pregnancy rate (18, 20, 20%), calving ability (3, 3, 3%), and dairy form (6, 6, 6%). These weights compared with NM$ weights of 0, 19, 16, 22, 10, 4, 6, 7, 11, 5, and 0% for the same traits, respectively. Dairy form was added to GM$ to offset the decrease in strength associated with selection to reduce stature through selection against body size. Emphasis on productive life decreased in GM$ because grazing cattle are estimated to remain in the herd considerably longer, diminishing the marginal value of productive life. Although NM$ provides guidance for grazing dairy producers, a GM$ index based upon appropriate costs and revenues allows for selection of cows and bulls for more optimal genetic progress.
The ΔI=1/2 rule in non‐leptonic hyperon decays

This paper reviews non‐leptonic hyperon weak decays, which are marked by the dominance of ΔI=1/2 transitions. It summarizes the existing experimental data, and comments on how recent improvements in theoretical predictions call for improved measurements. For each hyperon, the experimental evidence for ΔI=3/2 decay components is presented, revealing cases where uncertainties dominate. Preliminary results of new Ξ0 lifetime and Ξ− decay asymmetry measurements, which partially address these needs, are presented.
Purification and preliminary characterization of brain aspartoacylase

Aspartoacylase catalyzes the deacetylation of N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) in the brain to produce acetate and L-aspartate. An aspartoacylase deficiency, with concomitant accumulation of NAA, is responsible for Canavan disease, a lethal autosomal recessive disorder. To examine the mechanism of this enzyme the genes encoding murine and human aspartoacylase were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. A significant portion of the enzyme is expressed as soluble protein, with the remainder found as inclusion bodies. A convenient enzyme-coupled continuous spectrophotometric assay has been developed for measuring aspartoacylase activity. Kinetic parameters were determined with the human enzyme for NAA and for selected N-acyl analogs that demonstrate relaxed substrate specificity with regard to the nature of the acyl group. The clinically relevant E285A mutant reveals an altered enzyme with poor stability and barely detectable activity, while a more conservative E285D substitution leads to only fivefold lower activity than native aspartoacylase.
Sindbis virus replication, is insensitive to rapamycin and torin1, and suppresses Akt/mTOR pathway late during infection in HEK cells

Genetically engineered Sindbis viruses (SIN) are excellent oncolytic agents in preclinical models. Several human cancers have aberrant Akt signaling, and kinase inhibitors including rapamycin are currently tested in combination therapies with oncolytic viruses. Therefore, it was of interest to delineate possible cross-regulation between SIN replication and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. Here, using HEK293T cells as host, we report the following key findings: (a) robust SIN replication occurs in the presence of mTOR specific inhibitors, rapamycin and torin1 or Ly294002--a PI3K inhibitor, suggesting a lack of requirement for PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling; (b) suppression of phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR and its effectors S6, and 4E-BP1 occurs late during SIN infection: a viral function that may be beneficial in counteracting cellular drug resistance to kinase inhibitors; (c) Ly294002 and SIN act additively to suppress PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway with little effect on virus release; and (d) SIN replication induces host translational shut off, phosphorylation of eIF2α and apoptosis. This first report on the potent inhibition of Akt/mTOR signaling by SIN replication, bolsters further studies on the development and evaluation of engineered SIN genotypes in vitro and in vivo for unique cytolytic functions.