cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed computing with load-managed active storage

One approach to high-performance processing of massive data sets is to incorporate computation into storage systems. Previous work has shown that this active storage model is effective for a variety of problems. This paper explores opportunities to use active storage as a basis for exploiting asymmetric parallelism in applications using a streaming computation model on collections of fixed-size records. This model is the basis for much of the research in I/O-efficient algorithms, which deals with an important class of massive data problems not studied in previous work on active storage. We present an extension of a streaming computation model for an external memory toolkit to support a flexible mapping of computations to storage-based processors. Our approach enables load-managed active storage: it exposes parallelism, ordering constraints, and primitive computation units to the system, which can configure the application to balance load and make the best use of available processing power Emulation results from a sorting application demonstrate the potential of dynamic adaptation in load-managed active storage.
Impact of Dual Disorders, Trauma, and Social Support on Quality of Life Among Women in Treatment for Substance Dependence

Objective: Women with dual disorders report lower levels of social support than women with substance dependence alone, and lower levels of social support have been associated with lower quality of life among individuals with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of trauma symptoms and violence exposure on quality of life for women with dual disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support related to recovery on various domains of quality of life among women in substance abuse treatment. Methods: This study utilized multiple standardized measures and hierarchical ordinary least squares regression to examine quality of life, trauma, and social support in women with dual disorders. Four domains of quality of life were measured (physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains). Participants (N = 369) were recruited from three inner-city women-only addiction treatment programs. Institutional review board approva...
Beyond coexistence Toward a more reflective religious pluralism

If a pluralistic democratic state such as the United States wishes to move beyond coexistence and toward a more reflective religious pluralism, then public schools must take epistemic issues seriou...
Rb Inhibits the Intrinsic Kinase Activity of TATA-Binding Protein-Associated Factor TAFII250

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, Rb, interacts directly with the largest TATA-binding protein-associated factor, TAFII250, through multiple regions in each protein. To define the potential role(s) of this interaction, we examined whether Rb could regulate the intrinsic, bipartite kinase activity of TAFII250. Here, we report that Rb is able to inhibit the kinase activity of immunopurified and gel-purified recombinant TAFII250. Rb inhibits the autophosphorylation of TAFII250 as well as its phosphorylation of the RAP74 subunit of TFIIF in a dose-responsive manner. Inhibition of TAFII250 kinase activity involves the Rb pocket (amino acids 379 to 928) but not its amino terminus. In addition, Rb appears to specifically inhibit the amino-terminal kinase domain of TAFII250 through a direct protein-protein interaction. We further demonstrate that two different tumor-derived Rb pocket mutants, C706F and Deltaex22, are functionally defective for kinase inhibition, even though they are able to bind the amino terminus of TAFII250. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of transcriptional regulation by Rb, involving direct interaction with TAFII250 and inhibition of its ability to phosphorylate itself, RAP74, and possibly other targets.
Variations on one-lung ventilation

One-lung ventilation is a commonly used technique to facilitate surgical visualization during thoracic surgical procedures. New devices for one-lung ventilation have been introduced into clinical practice over the recent years. One such device is the Arndt Endobronchial Blocker which is a bronchial blocker with a central lumen through which a wire with a looped end has been passed. The loop on the distal end is meant to be placed over a fiberoptic bronchoscope which is then used as a guide to facilitate bronchial placement of the balloon-tipped bronchial blocker. Another advantage of the Arndt device is the airway adaptor that contains ports for the anesthesia circuit, the bronchoscope, the bronchial blocker as well as attachment to the endotracheal tube. The port for the bronchial blocker can be tightened down so as to hold the blocker in place during the procedure. However, patient issues such as size or airway alterations such as the presence of a tracheostomy may make necessary certain alterations in airway management. I describe four cases and provide suggestions for minor alterations in airway management that may be used to provide successful options for one-lung anesthesia.
Preparation of benthic substrates for sediment toxicity testing

A jar rolling apparatus was constructed to prepare test substrates using sediments spiked with laboratory chemicals, the toxicity of which were assessed with the Rhepoxynius abronius bioassay Test sediments were mixed by rolling them for several hours in one gallon glass jars Mixing was considered adequate based on the analytical results of sediment samples that were collected at locations along the longitudinal axis within each horizontally lying jar immediately after rolling However, because comparative standards did not exist, definitive conclusions of mixing thoroughness could not be drawn Coefficients of variation, used to assess mixing within jars, were 11.5% or less (mean 5.1%) Mixing was not significantly different among replicated jars but, in some jars, was significantly different among within jar sample locations
Global asymptotic behavior for delay dynamic equations

Abstract We give conditions under which the trivial solution of a first-order nonlinear variable-delay dynamic equation is asymptotically stable, for arbitrary time scales that are unbounded above. In an example, we apply our techniques to a logistic dynamic equation on isolated, unbounded time scales.
Development of a grower-conducted inoculum detection assay for management of grape powdery mildew

Management of grape powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) and other polycyclic diseases often relies on calendar-based pesticide application schedules that assume the presence of inoculum. An inexpensive, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was designed to quickly detect airborne inoculum of E. necator to determine when to initiate a fungicide application programme. Field efficacy was tested in 2010 and 2011 in several commercial and research vineyards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon from pre-bud break to veraison. In each vineyard, three impaction spore traps were placed adjacent to the trunk. One trap was maintained and used by the grower to conduct the LAMP assay (G-LAMP) on-site and the other two traps were used for laboratory-conducted LAMP (L-LAMP) and quantitative PCR assay (qPCR). Using the qPCR as a gold standard, L-LAMP was comparable with qPCR in both years, and G-LAMP was comparable to qPCR in 2011. Latent class analysis indicated that qPCR had a true positive proportion of 98% in 2010 and 89% in 2011 and true negative proportion of 96% in 2010 and 64% in 2011. An average of 3·3 fewer fungicide applications were used when they were initiated based on spore detection relative to the grower standard practice. There were no significant differences in berry or leaf incidence between plots with fungicides initiated at detection or grower standard practice plots, suggesting that growers using LAMP to initiate fungicide applications can use fewer fungicide applications to manage powdery mildew compared to standard practices.
The Embodied World: Creation Metaphors in the Ancient Near East:

An insight from anthropology is that the human body may serve as a symbol of society. In the ancient Near East, including in Israel, the body mediated symbolic relationship between of people's expe...
Mutational analysis of MLH1 and MSH2 in 25 prospectively-acquired RER+ endometrial cancers

Mutations in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1 and MSH2 have been linked to several human cancers which display the replication error (RER) phenotype. Germline mutations in these two genes have been implicated in about 90% of families with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). A significant proportion of endometrial cancers, the second most common malignancy of the HNPCC syndrome, also exhibit RER. We screened 125 primary endometrial adenocarcinomas with seven microsatellite markers and identified 25 specimens with RER (20%). We used single-strand conformation variant analysis to search for mutations in MLH1 and MSH2. Direct sequencing of variants revealed only one germline mutation in MLH1 and a single somatic mutation in MSH2. However, six previously unreported sequence polymorphisms in MLH1 were identified. Four of these polymorphisms show clear population-based differences in allele frequency. In addition, a highly informative marker for MLH1 was characterized. The low frequency of mutations in MLH1 and MSH2 in this large series of cancers suggests that other MMR genes are responsible for the RER phenotype in endometrial cancers.
ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODIES IN INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS

Abstract By an indirect immunofluorescence technique antinuclear antibodies were detected transiently, and in low concentrations, in the sera of fourteen of twenty-one patients with infectious mononucleosis. Antinuclear antibodies of both the IgG and IgM variety were encountered. Storage of sera with antinuclear antibodies at 4°C resulted in cryoprecipitation with concomitant loss of antinuclear activity in the supernatant and its appearance in the cryoprecipitates. The antinuclear antibodies encountered did not cause the L.E.-cell phenomenon, nor did they precipitate with a variety of nuclear antigens. The relationship of this finding to idiopathic autoimmune disease requires further study.
Some connections between viscoelastic properties of PVC and plasticized PVC and molecular kinetics

A coupling model that has been shown in the past to be capable of relating macroscopically measured relaxation parameters to molecular ones has been presented. In this article the coupling model is applied to the analysis of stress relaxation data collected by Cama and Sternstein on PVC and plasticized PVC. The Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts form, exp — (t/τ*)1−n, using n = 0.77 is found to be capable of describing the stress relaxation master curve at temperatures below the glass transition, Tg. From the temperature-independent apparent activation energy found by Cama and Sternstein, the primitive activation energy of the α-relaxation was calculated to be 7.5 kcal/mol, which is a reasonable value for the energy barrier to internal rotational isomerism in PVC. Support for this value is found from the data on two plasticized PVCs with different Tgs and apparent activation energies. By applying the coupling model in a similar manner, the primitive activation energies were found to be 8.5 kcal/mol for PVC plasticized with 6 pph dioctylphthalate and 7.7 kcal/mol for PVC plasticized with 6 pph tricresyl phosphate. Within experimental uncertainties, the three primitive activation energies can be considered to be the same. This finding is consistent with the physical basis for primitive activation energy and its identification with the internal rotation barrier, which should be independent of the type and amount of plasticizer in the system. Analysis of Cama and Sternstein's data on the effect of repeated stress aging on stress relaxation of quenched samples of PVC and plasticized PVC show that the coupling constant n increases systematically with each successive stress-aging cycle until it approaches the value for slow-cooled samples. These results are consistent with the notion that stress-aging changes the structural state of the glass in ways similar to physical aging.
The Language Demographics of Amazon Mechanical Turk

We present a large scale study of the languages spoken by bilingual workers on Mechanical Turk (MTurk). We establish a methodology for determining the language skills of anonymous crowd workers that is more robust than simple surveying. We validate workers’ self-reported language skill claims by measuring their ability to correctly translate words, and by geolocating workers to see if they reside in countries where the languages are likely to be spoken. Rather than posting a one-off survey, we posted paid tasks consisting of 1,000 assignments to translate a total of 10,000 words in each of 100 languages. Our study ran for several months, and was highly visible on the MTurk crowdsourcing platform, increasing the chances that bilingual workers would complete it. Our study was useful both to create bilingual dictionaries and to act as census of the bilingual speakers on MTurk. We use this data to recommend languages with the largest speaker populations as good candidates for other researchers who want to develop crowdsourced, multilingual technologies. To further demonstrate the value of creating data via crowdsourcing, we hire workers to create bilingual parallel corpora in six Indian languages, and use them to train statistical machine translation systems.
WWW-based Visualization of the Real Time Run of a Space Weather Forecasting Model

As use of earth-orbiting space technology increases, so does the need to understand and forecast the space weather. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Eulerian Parallel Polar Ionosphere Model (UAF EPPIM) is a first principles three-dimensional time-dependant Simulation, applied for real-time ionospheric forecasts. Its network-based continuous run uses on-line remote inputs, including current satellite data. Forecasted conditions are continuously visualized and disseminated via two mirrored WWW-sites www.arsc.edu/Space Weather and dac3.gi.alaska.edu/~sergei in various formats such as GIF-files, including their JavaScript animation; NC AR Graphics metafiles; and Vis5D databases. This paper describes practical approaches to issues such as synchronizing the model run to the real-time inputs and achieving the highest possible resolution on a variety of computational platforms. Experience running the model with network inputs continuously for nearly three years is presented and summarized. Examples of remote use of model forecasts are discussed together with new opportunities this real-time approach provides for the U.S. National Space Weather Program.
Data citations within NCAR/UCP

Federal agencies, professional societies, and research organizations in the geo-sciences are moving towards requiring researchers to formally cite data that led to a given research result. This trend promotes transparency in research by offering a direct pathway to the data so the research can be validated or easily carried forward from a known starting point. Such ������data citations������ also raise the profile of data, that is, they promote data as being as valued and rewarded in scientific settings as peer-reviewed publications. This paper is the product of an inter-divisional working group created to study, promote, and implement citations to NCAR/UCP digital resources. The paper describes how citations to NCAR/UCP digital resources could make our research products more accessible, and provides a number of recommendations for creating citations and assigning web-accessible identifiers to digital resources.
Haptic guidance with fuzzy control in simulation-based surgical training

This paper describes a haptic guidance system developed to assist in model-based training of minimally invasive, laparoscopic procedures. The key factor motivating the development of the device called CAST (Computer-Assisted Surgical Trainer) is the need to advance the state-of-the-art in teaching laparoscopy, and ultimately to improve surgical outcomes. In the paper, CAST's exchangeable task scenario and fuzzy logic controller with reference generator are presented. The system, while currently intended for off-line, laboratory use, has an excellent potential for real-time, assistive functions in the operating room.
A Framework for Comparative Judicial Selection Research With an Application to Gender Diversity on High Courts

This paper develops framework for categorizing and analyzing the judicial selection systems in an attempt to encompass judiciaries from multiple legal traditions. This approach allows for researchers to categorize countries based on the actors involved in selecting judges as well as other related selection factors that are important for understanding the relationship between judicial selection and judicial independence. Among these factors are the following: 1) qualification requirements, 2) term length and mandatory retirement, and 3) removal procedures. The result is a parsimonious system that allows researchers to capture the critical differences between judicial selection systems using a common language. This paper concludes with a preliminary empirical application of this framework to the topic of gender diversity in Europe’s high courts.
Understanding Building Structures Using BIM Tools

Knowledge, technology and information sharing is one of these areas that have significantly affected 21 st century students learning process. In this environment, computers and advanced technology play an important supporting role. This research proposes a method to develop and enhance the understanding of fundamental principles of structural analysis using Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools. The study focuses on evaluating the effects of various gravity and lateral loads on portal frames and their relationship to basic static equilibrium equations. BIM tools promote the understanding of structural analysis concepts such as the force equilibrium, support reactions, shear force, and bending moment diagrams. Digital tools, such as Revit Structure and Robot, aid in the investigation and correlation between simple structural systems and static equilibrium equations to understand the conceptual behavior of portal frames. By conceptually understanding the behavior of frames experiencing load combinations, various complex structural computations can be approximated by static equilibrium equations or merely relate to simply supported beam or fully fixed structure. This method will allow engineering students to develop deep learning and long-term retention environment in which conceptual thinking is a core activity.
Chloroform as an obstetrical anesthetic; a report of 18,302 cases.

Abstract We have conducted a survey of 22,724 consecutive deliveries, 18,302 of them under chloroform anesthesia either alone or in combination with another agent. Of the maternal deaths in this group, none is directly attributed to the anesthetic agent. We do not propose chloroform as the ideal anesthetic. We feel, however, that its several advantages deserve reappraisal in the light of modern obstetrics and proper administration and should not be lost sight of because of ancient prejudice. If chloroform were to be studied as a new agent by current methods of investigation, along with modern obstetrical techniques, its effectiveness and acceptance might rival that of any of the new agents. A recent favorable report by Lenahan and Babbage 8 is a study of chloroform in a modern setting. Irving W. Potter 9 of Buffalo has used chloroform as his anesthetic of choice in approximately 30,000 deliveries, and continues to use it. We repeat that our observations are purely clinical and we are indebted to others for laboratory work which supports out findings
Metadherin Expression is Associated with Extrathyroidal Extension in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients

Metadherin (MTDH) is widely recognized as a promising molecular marker for tumor recurrence and poor survival in many cancers. By multiple pathways, MTDH promotes oncogenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance. This study investigated the role of MTDH in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) to determine its potential association with aggressive clinical and pathologic features, including its relation in tumors harboring a BRAF V600E mutation. Expression of MTDH was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 96 cases of PTC, including primary thyroid malignancies and lymph node metastases. The status of BRAF V600E mutation was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overexpression of MTDH was observed in 26 % (23/88) of primary PTC cases. High-intensity staining was observed in 75 % (6/8) of lymph nodes with metastatic PTC and moderate staining in 25 % (2/8) of cases. Normal adjacent thyroid tissue and benign thyroid controls were found to have significantly lower MTDH expression than cancer tissue (p < 0.05). Apical staining of MTDH was observed in 19 % of thyroid tumors and not observed in normal thyroid tissue. Interestingly, MTDH expression was associated with extrathyroidal extension (p < 0.05) and not associated with age, gender, overall tumor stage, or BRAF V600E mutation status. In a subset of PTC patients, MTDH was overexpressed and associated with extrathyroidal extension. Further studies are warranted to explore the utility of MTDH to improve risk stratification of current molecular panels for PTC.
An Examination of the Impact of Failure Distribution on Coordinated Checkpoint/Restart

Fault tolerance is a key challenge to building the first exa\-scale system. To understand the potential impacts of failures on next-generation systems, significant effort has been devoted to collecting, characterizing and analyzing failures on current systems. These studies require large volumes of data and complex analysis. Because the occurrence of failures in large-scale systems is unpredictable, failures are commonly modeled as a stochastic process. Failure data from current systems is examined in an attempt to identify the underlying probability distribution and its statistical properties.In this paper, we use modeling to examine the impact of failure distributions on the time-to-solution and the optimal checkpoint interval of applications that use coordinated checkpoint/restart. Using this approach, we show that as failures become more frequent, the failure distribution has a larger influence on application performance. We also show that as failure times are less tightly grouped (i.e., as the standard deviation increases) the underlying probability distribution has a greater impact on application performance. Finally, we show that computing the checkpoint interval based on the assumption that failures are exponentially distributed has a modest impact on application performance even when failures are drawn from a different distribution.Our work provides critical analysis and guidance to the process of analyzing failure data in the context of coordinated checkpoint/restart. Specifically, the data presented in this paper helps to distinguish cases where the failure distribution has a strong influence on application performance from those cases when the failure distribution has relatively little impact.
A REVIEW OF CULTURE ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE; A FOCUS ON NIGERIAN AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT AGENCY

The effect of organizational culture and strategic posture of the organization, and differentiated from organization structure and that structure has more to do with the relationship between individuals in an organization. Descriptive and survey method was used for this research work. The data for the research was collected mainly through the use of well structured questionnaires administered to the personnel's of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Lagos. The major findings of the study reveals that the “ internet" is a catalyst for change, and within successful business practices, these imposed changes must be recognized, respected and anticipated." The paper recommended amongst others that cultural values must be carefully understood and followed in order to set a viable global benchmark needed in the strategic posture and organizational productivity in the organization.
Diffusion of sulfonamides in aqueous buffers and into red cells.

Diffusion characteristics of eight sulfonamides including five carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and three antibacterial drugs were studied in detail. There was very little variation in magnitudes of aqueous diffusion coefficients among the drugs. The diffusivities into red cells were 10-4 to 10-8 those in aqueous medium. Drugs showed a range of 4000-fold in rates of red cell penetration. Lipid solubilities of the various drugs were approached by means of the CHCl3:H2O partition coefficients which covered a range of 2.5 x 105. A diffusion constant for drugs into red cells was calculated using the square root of the lipid solubility; the range of penetration rates was thereby reduced from 4000 to 100. All these drugs appeared to diffuse passively down a concentration gradient into the red cells. It was proposed that the rate-limiting step in the passage of these drugs into the red cell is at the cell membrane and that aqueous diffusion normally is of little significance in affecting the overall rates of penetration. From penetration kinetics of sulfonamides into dog and human red cells, it was concluded that the two most important characteristics which influence these rates are plasma drug binding and lipid solubility, as measured at physiological pH. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We would like to express appreciation to Dr. Thomas H. Maren for his many constructive suggestions and much kind assistance. Supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grant NB-01297 and Training Grant GM 760. The work is part of the Student Research Program in the Medical Curriculum and the Training Program in Pharmacology.
Who Should Define the “Social” in “Social Enterprise”: Elected Governments or Partnered Corporations?

During the past decade, new legal forms termed social enterprises have been introduced in the United States, purportedly to create opportunities for altruistic companies to be more socially respons...
A Test in Context: E/A and E/e′ to Assess Diastolic Dysfunction and LV Filling Pressure

Diastolic dysfunction represents a combination of impaired left ventricular (LV) relaxation, restoration forces, myocyte lengthening load, and atrial function, culminating in increased LV filling pressures. Current Doppler echocardiography guidelines recommend using early to late diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E/A) to assess diastolic function, and E to early diastolic mitral annular tissue velocity (E/e') to estimate LV filling pressures. Although both parameters have important diagnostic and prognostic implications, they should be interpreted in the context of a patient's age and the rest of the echocardiogram to describe diastolic function and guide patient management. This review discusses: 1) the physiological basis for the E/A and E/e' ratios; 2) their roles in diagnosing diastolic dysfunction; 3) prognostic implications of abnormalities in E/A and E/e'; 4) special scenarios of the E/A and E/e' ratios that are either useful or challenging when evaluating diastolic function clinically; and 5) their usefulness in guiding therapeutic decision making.
An Anxiety-Reduction Modification of Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (STDP)

The focus of this chapter is a modification of the conventional models of short term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP) (McCullough, 1991,1992). Although this approach retains the fundamental components of its short-term precursors (Davan-loo, 1980; Malan, 1979; Mann, 1973; Sifneos, 1979); it differs in three ways: (1) the use of supportive and self-psychological approaches to reduce rather than provoke anxiety; (2) the intentional incorporation of behavioral, gestalt, psychodynamic, and self-psychological techniques to achieve treatment goals; and (3) the concrete operationaliza-tion of treatment techniques.
Annulated Dialkoxybenzenes as Catholyte Materials for Non-aqueous Redox Flow Batteries: Achieving High Chemical Stability through Bicyclic Substitution

1,4-Dimethoxybenzene derivatives are materials of choice for use as catholytes in non-aqueous redox flow batteries, as they exhibit high open-circuit potentials and excellent electrochemical reversibility. However, chemical stability of these materials in their oxidized form needs to be improved. Disubstitution in the arene ring is used to suppress parasitic reactions of their radical cations, but this does not fully prevent ring-addition reactions. By incorporating bicyclic substitutions and ether chains into the dialkoxybenzenes, a novel catholyte molecule, 9,10-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanenoanthracene (BODMA), is obtained and exhibits greater solubility and superior chemical stability in the charged state. A hybrid flow cell containing BODMA is operated for 150 charge–discharge cycles with a minimal loss of capacity.
Sample Size and Power Calculation in Comparing Diagnostic Accuracy of Biomarkers with Pooled Assessments

When testing of a biomarker is costly, pooling of samples becomes a useful and efficient alternative (Faraggi et al., 2003). In this paper, we develop procedures for sample size and power calculations for planning a study comparing the accuracy of biomarkers in diagnosis of diseases with pooled samples. Explicit formulas are derived for several important pooling strategies. The effects of pooling samples on sample size and power of the test are also discussed.
Stacking Fault Energies in Al-Based Alloys

Al-based alloys such as Al-Cu and Al-Mg have interesting superplastic properties which are usually assigned to sliding at grain boundaries. Even though the underlying mechanisms of superplastic behavior and grain boundary sliding are not understood at an atomic scale, some empirical relations between structural and superplastic properties are known. Among them is the observation, that grain boundary sliding and therefore superplasticity are favored in alloys with small grains that have wide grain boundary regions.
The Center for Social Innovation at Boston College.

ABSTRACTEstablished in 2011, the Center for Social Innovation at Boston College has focused on fostering “effective, sustainable social innovations that enhance social justice.” the Center is commi...
SIGHT DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVING HORIZONTAL CURVES

Recent AASHTO design policy developments and research have increased needed stopping sight distance lengths on horizontal curves. The mathematical methodology recommended by AASHTO for calculating needed sight clearances across the inside of horizontal curves exists only for the case where the curve is longer than the needed sight distance. There is no explicit exact solution available for the case where the sight distance is longer than the curve, a situation expected to happen more frequently as sight distance needs are increased. This research provides exact solutioons for the case where the sight distance is greater than the curve length for a moving observer. It relates the available sight distance; horizontal curve geometric elements; and location of observer, road object, and clearances to an obstacle to vision located inside the driving path of the observer. The lesser clearances required for these cases are often as much as 50 percent smaller than those obtained using the longer curve case. User-friendly design procedures and aids using these results have been developed and are presented in the paper. They are easily programmable, and can, hence, serve as a part in a decision support system. The methodology should be valuable in evaluation of safety and operation of critical highway locations.
ACE: The Advanced Cryptographic Engine.

This document describes the Advanced Cryptographic Engine (ACE ). It specifies a public key encryption scheme as well as a digital signature scheme with enough detail to ensure interoperability between different implementations. These schemes are almost as efficient as commercially used schemes, yet unlike such schemes, can be proven secure under reasonable and well-defined intractability assumptions. A concrete security analysis of both schemes is presented.
Expression of VEGF and N-cadherin in adrenal cortical cancers and a mouse xenograft model to assess possible new therapeutic targets

5274 Adrenocortical cancer (ACC) is a rare tumor optimally treated with surgical resection. Unfortunately in many patients tumors are not amenable to surgical resection, while others suffer a subsequent relapse, so that there is a need for more effective systemic therapies. The availability of agents directed at novel targets offers the opportunity to identify new agents with activity in ACC. The recent approval of both sunitinib and sorafenib for renal cell carcinoma offers multi-targeted kinase inhibitors that may be active in other malignancies. A putative target for these drugs is the VEGF receptor. VEGF, often produced in tumors can be secreted and can activate the VEGFR in both tumor cells and vascular endothelium. We examined VEGF expression in 16 adrenal tumors by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Compared with a p53 mutant colon cancer used as the positive control, VEGF levels were much higher in 3/16, intermediate defined as comparable to that in the colon cancer cells in an additional 10, and low in 3 ACC tumors. Analysis of HIF1α in a subset of the patients found high to very high levels of nuclear HIF1α in some providing a potential pathway for VEGF activation. N-cadherin a member of a superfamily of transmembrane proteins responsible for cell-to-cell adhesion in vertebrate is expressed predominantly in neural and mesodermal epithelia. Over-expression of N-cadherin is associated with tumor progression and metastasis in breast, prostate, lung and bladder cancer and agents targeting this pathway are in development. Little is known about the role of cadherins in ACC. The adrenal gland is composed of the cortex and medulla, arising from the mesoderm and neuroectoderm respectively. We examined expression of N-cadherin by IHC and immunoblot in 16 ACC tumors, and in H-295R cells grown in vitro and as xenografts with SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells as positive control. Ki 67 a marker of proliferation was also analyzed. N-cadherin was expressed in 5/16 tumors, and 2/2 xenografts by IHC. Expression was principally membranous, but also cytoplasmic. 4/16 tumors, and 2/2 H295R xenografts were positive by immnunoblotting. There was no correlation Ki 67 and N-cadherin expression. These results show that VEGF and N-cadherin are expressed in a significant fraction of ACC and targeting these proteins may offer an alternative treatment. Studies are ongoing to determine the in vivo efficacy of agents targeting VEGF and N-cadherin using the H-295R xenograft model.
Characterization of mayonnaise properties prepared using frozen-thawed egg yolk treated with hydrolyzed egg yolk proteins as anti-gelator

Abstract Egg yolk plays a crucial role in mayonnaise making. As an emulsifier, egg yolk controls the texture and stability of mayonnaise. Freezing extends the shelf-life of the yolks, however it causes gelation which negatively alters the functional properties of the yolk including its emulsifying ability. At 10% wt/wt concentration, sucrose and sodium chloride are effective gelation inhibitors that have been widely used over the years. Recently, it was found that hydrolyzed egg yolk proteins (HEY) can prevent egg yolk gelation at only 5% (wt/wt) concentration, nevertheless further research is still needed to evaluate the resulting yolk characteristics. In this study, frozen-thawed yolk products containing 5% HEY, 10% salt, and 10% sugar were used as emulsifiers in mayonnaise. Rheological properties (i.e. firmness, thixotropy, yield stress, stability), heat stability, and particle size distribution were characterized and compared to those of mayonnaise prepared with fresh yolk without additives and fresh yolk containing 5% HEY. Results showed that the mayonnaise prepared with frozen-thawed HEY yolk has very high heat stability as well as comparable rheological properties, texture and microstructure to the mayonnaise formulated using fresh yolk.
Development Status and Comprehensive Evaluation Method of Battery Energy Storage Technology in Power System

With the advent of the smart grid and energy Internet era, the scale of new energy generation such as wind energy and photovoltaics is growing rapidly. The power systems in the world are changing from traditional to intelligent, and the application of energy storage technology will become an important part of this transformation. This paper introduces the development status and technical economy of energy storage batteries in power systems, and proposes a comprehensive evaluation method of battery energy storage technology, which comprehensively evaluates the application of energy storage technology in different fields. According to the factors of comprehensive evaluation system and the characteristics of different types of battery energy storage technology, the application of battery energy storage technology in different fields is evaluated comprehensively and relevant suggestions are put forward to provide reference for government authorities and power enterprises.
The Changing Meaning of Race: From Individualism to BFOQS (Bonafide Occupational Qualifications)

Scholars generally agree that race is a constructed category; one with no rational or inherent meaning. Although this has long been an unsuccessful aspiration in the United States, in recent years, in many segments of politics and society, it no longer remains even an aspiration. In particular, I look at job requirements that mandate a specific racial identity to successfully carry out the tasks. This BFOQ has become accepted by many courts for a variety of reasons. In this paper, I look at this court activity with an eye towards racial and liberal theory. What does this activity by courts mean for how we understand race? What does it suggest for the historical development of racial constructions, one that upholds liberalism but has swung from quasi-biological to cultural to now job required race-based identities?
Near-tip crack displacement measurements during high-temperature fatigue

A laser-based interferometric technique was used to measure crack opening displacements near the tips of fatigue cracks in superalloy compact tension specimens at 23 and 650°C. Measured compliances showed reasonable agreement with predictions of linear elastic fracture mechanics at both temperatures. The opening load ratios were easily determined by the minicomputer-controlled measurement system and where found to be independent of temperature, crack length, and precracking level when they were measured at positions more than half the specimen thickness away from the tip.
On the Sensory Analysis of Matter and Materials

If you want to know the weight of a wine glass, you can use a scale. Yet for the wine’s taste, you have to use your tongue, aka the sensory analysis. Still, are there really such two different types of quantities, one that is purely physical and another that is the sensory type? Here, we argue that instinctively designating certain materials attributes as sensory perceptions is unnecessary, considering every scientific concept has (in essence) originated from experience of our sensory organs/brains, i.e., all quantities were initially human perceptions. It seems an attribute or quantity ending up being sensory or not entirely depends on whether initially its physical core in the “perception body” was cleanly extracted, eradicating the physiological and psychological connections.
Store independent Ca2+ entry regulates the DNA damage response in breast cancer cells

Although the mainstay of treatment for hormone responsive breast tumors is targeted endocrine therapy, many patients develop de novo or acquired resistance and are treated with chemotherapeutic drugs. The vast majority (80%) of estrogen receptor positive tumors also express wild type p53 protein that is a major determinant of the DNA damage response. Tumors that are ER+ and p53WT respond poorly to chemotherapy, although the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. We describe a novel link between store independent Ca2+ entry (SICE) and resistance to DNA damaging drugs, mediated by the secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase, SPCA2. In luminal ER+/PR+ breast cancer subtypes, SPCA2 levels are high and correlate with poor survival prognosis. Independent of ion pump activity, SPCA2 elevates baseline Ca2+ levels through SICE and drives cell proliferation. Attenuation of SPCA2 or depletion of extracellular Ca2+ increased mitochondrial ROS production, DNA damage and activation of the ATM/ATR-p53 axis leading to G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Consistent with these findings, SPCA2 knockdown confers chemosensitivity to DNA damaging agents including doxorubicin, cisplatin and ionizing radiation. We conclude that elevated SPCA2 expression in ER+ p53WT breast tumors drives pro-survival and chemotherapy resistance by suppressing the DNA damage response. Drugs that target store-independent Ca2+ entry pathways may have therapeutic potential in treating receptor positive breast cancer.
Septic Stability? Gut Microbiota in Young Adult Mice Maintains Overall Stability After Sepsis Compared to Old Adult Mice

Background Older adults have worse outcomes after sepsis than young adults. Additionally, alterations of the gut microbiota have been demonstrated to contribute to sepsis-related mortality. We sought to determine if there were alterations in the gut microbiota with a novel sepsis model in old adult mice, which enter a state of persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism (PICS), as compared with young adult mice, which recover with the sepsis model. Methods Mixed sex old (∼20 mo) and young (∼4 mo) C57Bl/6J mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture with daily chronic stress (CLP+DCS) and were compared with naive age-matched controls. Mice were sacrificed at CLP+DCS day 7 and feces collected for bacterial DNA isolation. The V3-V4 hypervariable region was amplified, 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed, and cohorts compared. α-Diversity was assessed using Chao1 and Shannon indices using rarefied counts, and β-diversity was assessed using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity. Results Naive old adult mice had significantly different α and β-diversity compared with naive adult young adult mice. After CLP+DCS, there was a significant shift in the α and β-diversity (FDR = 0.03 for both) of old adult mice (naive vs. CLP+DCS). However, no significant shift was displayed in the microbiota of young mice that underwent CLP+DCS in regards to α-diversity (FDR = 0.052) and β-diversity (FDR = 0.12), demonstrating a greater overall stability of their microbiota at 7 days despite the septic insult. The taxonomic changes in old mice undergoing CLP+DCS were dominated by decreased abundance of the order Clostridiales and genera Oscillospira. Conclusion Young adult mice maintain an overall microbiome stability 7 days after CLP+DCS after compared with old adult mice. The lack of microbiome stability could contribute to PICS and worse long-term outcomes in older adult sepsis survivors. Further studies are warranted to elucidate mechanistic pathways and potential therapeutics.
Crosslinked PVDF based hydrophilic-hydrophobic dual-layer hollow fiber membranes for direct contact membrane distillation desalination: from the seawater to oilfield produced water

Abstract Crosslinked polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based hydrophilic-hydrophobic dual-layer hollow fiber membranes were fabricated for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). PVDF/ammonia/water dope solution was formulated with a spinning process delay of 9 days for the formation of a mechanically robust and hydrophobic crosslinked PVDF outer layer, and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000) was introduced to create a thick hydrophilic PVDF/PEG-6000 inner layer. The influences of ammonia/water contents and the spinning process delay on the membrane morphology were studied. The DCMD performances were investigated using both simulated seawater and actual oilfield produced water as the feed solutions. The incorporation of ammonia/water mixture allowed a slow PVDF crystallization in the dope solution during the 9 days of spinning process delay. The obtained membrane DN2H2-9 showed contact angles of 133.6° and 47.1°on the surfaces of the crosslinked PVDF outer layer and PVDF/PEG-6000 inner layer, respectively. The membrane DN2H2-9 showed a superior permeate water flux of 97.6 kg m−2 h−1 and an energy efficiency of 92.8% to desalinate a 3.5% NaCl solution. The result from a 200 h continuous DCMD operation revealed a stable permeate water flux and more than 99.9% of salt rejection, which was attributed to a relatively high liquid entry pressure (LEP) of 1.95 bar and the simultaneously enhanced mechanical strength of the membrane. The membrane DN2H2-9 also demonstrated promising DCMD performance in the desalination of the real oilfield produced water with a high total dissolved solids (TDS), including almost 100% of permeate water recovery and more than 99.9% of salt rejection in 72 h of operation.
Validation of a Hearing-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire for Parents and Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Infants and Toddlers.

ObjectiveTo design and validate a hearing-related quality-of-life questionnaire targeted toward parents and deaf or hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers: the Hearing-Related Infant/Toddler and Pare...
Health Information Exchange as a Multi-Sided Platform: Adoption, Usage and Practice Involvement in Service Co-Production

Health Information Exchanges (HIE) are becoming integral parts of the national healthcare reform efforts, chiefly owing to their potential impact on cost reduction and quality enhancement in healthcare services. However, the potential of a HIE platform can only be realized when its multiple constituent users actively participate in using its variety of services. In this research, we model HIE systems as multisided platforms that incorporate self-service technologies whose value to the users depends on both user-specific and network-specific factors. We develop a model of adoption, usage and the involvement of clinical practices in the co-production of the HIE services. This model is grounded in social network theory, service operations theory, and institutional isomorphism theory. A longitudinal study of actual adoption and usage behaviors of 2054 physicians within 430 community medical practices in Western New York over a three year period has been carried out to evaluate the proposed model. This study has been supported by HEALTHeLINK, the Regional Health Information Organization of Western New York, with an extensive database comprising of over half a million transactions on patient records by the HIE users. We extracted panel data on adoption, usage and service co-production behaviors from this database and carried out a detailed analysis using metrics derived from the foundational theories. Positioning practices within two distinct but interrelated networks of patients and practitioners, we show that adoption, usage and service co-production behaviors are influenced by the topographies of the two networks, isomorphic effects of large practices on the smaller ones, and practice labor inputs in HIE usage. Our findings provide a comprehensive view of the drivers of HIE adoption and usage at the level of medical practices. These results have implications for marketing and revenue management of HIE platforms, besides public health and national/regional healthcare policy making.