cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reproducibility of the nonlinear regression fit to the FTIR spectra of lysozyme.

Abstract Controversy exists concerning the influence of experimental artifacts on the number of component FTIR vibrational bands which may be resolved from the amide I and II envelopes of proteins in water. Whether these bands represent unique populations of vibrating protein groups in a particular global 2° structure or whether the bands are due to instrumental and environmental fluctuations has been addressed, T.F. Kumosinski and J.J. Unruh, Talanta, 43 (1996) 199–219. The repeatability of the methodology and the apparent uniqueness of the nonlinear regression fits are addressed in this study. We obtained a series of the spectra of lysozyme, and carried-out nonlinear regression analysis of each spectrum. Coefficients of variation (COV) were calculated for the wavenumber and area values of assigned component peaks obtained. Low COVs obtained attest to the precision of the methodology and the apparent uniqueness of the nonlinear regression fits. This methodology for acquisition and analysis of protein FTIR spectra yields results with good precision.
Cyclone tracking using multiple satellite image sources

We present an automated cyclone tracking system that uses images from multiple satellite sources. The system tracks cyclones using infrared images from a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), precipitation images derived from five satellite sources, and ocean surface wind field satellite images. The system consists of three main components: (i) data preprocessing steps for each data source, (ii) cyclone eye detection algorithms for each data source, and (iii) a filter-based tracker that integrates the eye detection results from each data source. Experimental results show that our prototype system is operationally feasible and has better performance than our prior cyclone tracking system.
Participation of brown fat in pathogenesis of experimental poliomyelitis of monkeys.

SummaryFollowing peripheral inoculation, poliomyelitis virus (Type I) proliferates in the brown fat of cortisone-treated monkeys during the preparalytic and paralytic stages of the disease. On subsequent peripheral passage of infected brown fat, the virus can be detected in the brown fat in the absence of cortisone treatment. Characteristic brown fat lesions are incidental to viral proliferation.
Memory scanning of young and old adults: The influence of rate of presentation and delay interval on recognition memory performance

The present study investigated memory scanning of 12 young (mean age = 19.0 years) and 12 old (mean age = 67.7 years) subjects. Reaction times were measured in a recognition memory task developed by Sternberg (1966), using a variety of presentation conditions. The mean scanning rates for young and old subjects were similar to those obtained in previous research when slow rates of presentation were used. However, with rapid rates of presentation, older subjects do just as well as young subjects. An examination of individual subjects’ data indicated that 9 of the 12 old subjects scanned at much the same rate as the young subjects even when slow rates were used, whereas the remaining 3 subjects scanned much more slowly than all others in both age groups.
Rapid intestinal transit as a primary cause of severe chronic diarrhea in patients with amyloidosis

Abstract Objective The cause of severe diarrhea in patients with systemic amyloidosis is obscure. We therefore performed pathophysiological studies in three such patients in an effort to determine the mechanism of amyloid diarrhea. Methods Epithelial cell absorption rate of electrolytes was measured during steady state GI perfusion of a saline-mannitol solution. GI transit time of PEG and absorption of radiolabeled bile acid were measured simultaneously while subjects ingested three meals per day. To obtain a diarrhea control group for transit time and bile acid absorption, normal subjects were studied when they had diarrhea caused by ingestion of Milk of Magnesia (MOM). Results Diarrhea could not be explained by malabsorption of ingested nutrients, bacterial overgrowth, bile acid malabsorption, or epithelial cell malabsorption of electrolytes. However, 25% of polyethylene glycol (PEG) ingested with a standard meal was recovered in stool in 45 min, which is 10 times faster than in normal subjects with equally severe diarrhea caused by ingestion of MOM. All of the patients had autonomic neuropathy that remained unrecognized for 15–36 months after onset of chronic diarrhea; it seems likely that this was the cause of rapid transit. Conclusions Severe chronic diarrhea in three patients with systemic amyloidosis was mediated by extremely rapid transit of chyme and digestive secretions through the intestine.
Folding Rigid Origami With Closure Constraints

Rigid origami is a class of origami whose entire surface remains rigid during folding except at crease lines. Rigid origami finds applications in manufacturing and packaging, such as map folding and solar panel packing. Advances in material science and robotics engineering also enable the realization of self-folding rigid origami and have fueled the interests in computational origami, in particular the issues of foldability, i.e., finding folding steps from a flat sheet of crease patterns to desired folded state. For example, recent computational methods allow rapid simulation of folding process of certain rigid origamis. However, these methods can fail even when the input crease pattern is extremely simple. This paper attempts to address this problem by modeling rigid origami as a kinematic system with closure constraints and solve the foldability problem through a randomized method. Our experimental results show that the proposed method successfully fold several types of rigid origamis that the existing methods fail to fold.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Dynamics-based tools: an unusual path to design integration

New computational theories and technologies developed over recent years are expanding the formal language of architecture and renewing interest in the nature of the creative process. While they often depart from strictly Cartesian geometries and traditional architectural form, they frequently converge on broader aesthetics of contemporary design, taking cues from other creative disciplines such as product design.
Measuring a binary response's range of influence in logistic regression

This article proposes a conceptually simple class of diagnostics to determine the potential of a single binary response to affect the outcome of a logistic regression. We simply rerun the regression once for each observation after changing the response and calculate how much the statistics of interest have changed. We show how statistics of this type may be helpful in checking the robustness of a logistic regression and study their relationship to earlier proposed diagnostics.
Tolerance induction to a thymus-dependent antigen in vitro: Treatment of nonadherent cells with tolerogen biologically filtered in vitro

Abstract Highly tolerogenic bovine gamma globulin (BGG), a thymus-dependent antigen, was prepared by biologic filtraration in vitro . It readily induced tolerance in vivo in BALB/c mice and also rendered their nonadherent lymph node cells tolerant after in vitro incubation. Biologic filtration in vitro was carried out by incubating 2.5 × 10 7 lymph node cells with 10 mg of nontolerogenic BGG in 10 ml of Eagle's medium containing 2% normal mouse serum at 37 °C for 6 hr. The BGG-containing medium was clarified by centrifugation and was used without further dilution. For tolerance induction in vitro , lymph node cells were separated into adherent and nonadherent populations on Falcon plastic. These cells were incubated for 0–18 hr at 37 °C with biologically filtered BGG (bBGG). After incubation, the cells were washed three times and (2–2.5) × 10 7 nonadherent or 4 × 10 6 adherent cells were injected iv with their untreated counterpart into lethally irradiated mice which had received 10 6 bone marrow cells. The recipients were then challenged with 300 μg of aggregated BGG, and tolerance was assayed by the elimination of labeled BGG, rosette formation, and passive hemagglutination. Spleen cells were similarly treated for comparison. Our findings show that tolerance was not induced in vitro in adherent lymph node cells. However, in the nonadherent populations, those from the lymph node but not the spleen were rendered tolerant. The acquisition of tolerance in vitro was gradual. It was dependent upon the length of exposure to bBGG and required at least 6 hr.
Synthesis and physico-chemical properties of peptides in soil humic substances.

: Soil humic substances (HS) are heterologous, polydispersive, and multi-functional organometallic macromolecules ubiquitous in soils and sediments. They are key players in the maintenance of the belowground ecosystems and in the bioavailability of both organic and inorganic contaminants. It is widely assumed that the peptidic substructures of HS are readily degraded and therefore do not contribute significantly to interactions with contaminants such as toxic metals. To investigate the turnover of humified peptides, laboratory soil aging experiments were conducted with 13C-glucose or 15N-nitrate for 8.5 months. Evidence for random-coil peptidic structures in the labeled HS was obtained from 2-D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (pyro-GC-MS), and circular dichroism data. Interaction of metals with the peptidic carbonyls of labeled HS was rationalized from the solid-state NMR data. Detailed 13C and 15N labeling patterns of amino acid residues in the acid hydrolysates of HS acquired from NMR and GC-MS revealed two pools of peptides, i.e. one extant (unlabeled) and the other, newly humified with little isotopic scrambling (fully labeled). The persistence of pre-existing peptidic structures indicates their resistance to degradation while the presence of fully labeled peptidic amino acids suggests wholesale incorporation of newly synthesized peptides into HS. These findings are contrary to the general notion that humified peptides are readily degraded.
The Interrogative Model: Historical Inquiry and Explanation

This article commends Jaakko Hintikka's interrogative model of reasoning as an aid to historiography in relation to historical inquiry and explanation. After an initial discussion of David Hackett Fischer's appeal to the "logic of historical thought" in terms of his overlapping complementary emphases with Hintikka's interrogative model, a critical evaluation is given of Fischer's brief but strong comments regarding the role of why-questions in historical explanation. From there the main part of the article is given over to how the interrogative model provides an account of the nature of explanation in general using Hintikka's recently published work on explanation theory. The theory of explanation that uses the interrogative model is applied to historical explanation and illustrated in the way the interrogative model serves a descriptively-valuable role in historiography by reference to historical inquiry and explanation in Herodotus.
A knowledge-based expert systems application in library acquisitions: Monographs

Abstract The decision-making process in any environment, including the library, is potentially subjective and arbitrary. The impetus for this research has been to eliminate the discretionary component in vendor selection by designing a quantitative decision-making model. Technically, the model is based on the artificial intelligence concept known as an expert system. The model uses rules provided by the expert, policies of the individual institution, and quantitative decision techniques to assign orders to vendors. Advantages to this knowledge-based model are the following: (1) assurance of quantitative objectivity; (2) efficient allocation of limited resources; (3) improved use of personnel time; (4) creation of a database of vendor price structuring; and (5) usefulness as a training resource.
Electronic health record implementation and hospitals' total factor productivity

The adoption and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems have been widely promoted as a means for improving health care delivery and controlling costs in U.S. hospitals. To date, the results of efforts to adopt such systems have been mixed and often unsuccessful. This paper uses frontier analysis to measure hospitals' Total Factor Productivity (TFP) during 2006-2008 and compare it to nine different stages of EHR implementation. Overall, we find that hospitals implementing EHR systems have lower TFP gains relative to those facilities that have as yet to adopt. In particular, hospitals that attempt to fully implement an EHR in one year, the 'Big Bang' strategy, have relatively low TFP levels. Therefore, the anticipated savings from increased EHR use may not be realized in the near-term for EHR system adopters. Moreover, an evidence-based approach to developing the 'Meaningful Use' incentive and reward program for EHR implementation is warranted.
Intermittent reinforcement and salt arousal of thirst in rats

Sated rats, previously trained to leverpress for H2O reinforcement on continuous or variable-interval (10-sec or 60-sec) schedules, were given NaCl injections and tested for leverpressing. Under all schedules, responding was an inverted U function of NaCl concentration (0.15M to 3.0M). However, NaCl thirst produced relatively little change in behavior under the VI 60-sec schedule.
Cholinergic Sensitivity: Normal Variability as a Function of Stimulus Background

The sensitivity of the normally innervated iris sphincter to its neuro-transmitter, acetylchloline, and to relatd agents varies inversely with the preexisting physiological stimulus background, that is, the environmental light intnsity. This normal variability suggests the existence of a negative feedback mechahnism whereby sensitivity of the effector cell is modutlated by a product of neuronal activity.
Fault-tolerance: The survival attribute of digital systems

Fault-tolerance is the architectural attribute of a digital system that keeps the logic machine doing its specified tasks when its host, the physical system, suffers various kinds of failures of its components. A more general concept of fault-tolerance also includes human mistakes committed during software and hardware implementation and during man/machine interaction among the causes of faults that are to be tolerated by the logic machine. This paper discusses the concept of faulttolerance, the reasons for its inclusion in digital system architecture, and the methods of its implementation. A chronological view of the evolution of fault-tolerant systems and an outline of some goals for its further development conclude the presentation.
Sulfur Assimilation in Soybean

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a good protein source for both humans and livestock. However, soybean seed proteins are deficient in the sulfur-containing amino adds cysteine and methionine. This deficiency has stimulated efforts to improve the amino acid composition of soybean seed proteins. Our overall goal is to improve the sulfur amino acid content of soybean seed proteins by genetic manipulation. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OAS-TL), a key enzyme that catalyzes the last step in the production of cysteine. A full-length cDNA clone encoding a cytosolic isoform of OAS-TL was isolated by screening a soybean seed cDNA library with a 32 P-labeled expressed sequence tag (EST). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed a single open-reading frame of 978 base pairs (bp) encoding a 34-kDa protein. The authenticity of the isolated cDNA was confirmed by the functional complementation of an Escherichia coll cysteine auxotrophic mutant. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that OAS-TL mRNA was abundant at early stages of seed development. Western blot analysis using antibodies generated against the recombinant soybean OAS-TL demonstrated that the abundance of this protein gradually declined during later stages of seed development. The OAS-TL activity peaked in young developing seeds and declined steadily during the time period when the bulk of seed storage protein accumulation occurred. Thus, elevating the specific activity of OAS-TL during later stages of seed development could lead to an increase in cysteine synthesis in soybean seeds.
A New Strategy for Control of Tandem Cold Metal Rolling

The control of tandem cold rolling of metal strip constitutes a significant engineering challenge to control engineers. This is due mostly to the complexity of the interactions between the process variables, nonlinearities which change with the operating conditions, and long speed- dependent time delays. The present technology is based on control strategies that decompose the problem into several independent control sub-problems and as a result yield limited capability for improvement in performance. This paper describes a new control strategy wherein a state-dependent algebraic Riccati equation is solved pointwise to establish a control law for a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) controller with appropriate trimming functions. The new controller coupled to a nonlinear model of the process was tested by simulations. The resulting tolerance in mill exit thickness was held to about .2% for typical rolling operations, which compares favorably to the tolerances of .5% to .8% using existing controllers. In addition to improved performance, the simplicity of the new control method reduces the efforts required for design, commissioning, and maintenance.
Conflict among Regulators and the Hypothesis of Congressional Dominance

A number of "new institutional" scholars have proposed, contrary to conventional analysis, that Congress has available to it all the means necessary to insure that agencies make policy in a fashion consistent with congressional preferences. This has come to be known as the congressional dominance hypothesis. This line of theorizing suggests that we should not expect to find evidence of substantial and persisting disagreements between regulators. The research presented here reexamines the theoretical underpinnings of the congressional dominance hypothesis and concludes that the original theoretical formulation in fact anticipated a significant degree of regulatory discretion. The modified hypothesis is evaluated by examining a particularly apt case, a protracted controversy over so-called nonbank banks.
The Nudix hydrolases of Deinococcus radiodurans

All 21 of the Nudix hydrolase genes from the radiation-resistant organism Deinococcus radiodurans have been cloned into vectors under the control of T7 promoters and expressed as soluble proteins in Escherichia coli. Their sizes range from 9.8 kDa (91 amino acids) to 59 kDa (548 amino acids). Two novel proteins were identified, each with two Nudix boxes in its primary structure, unique among all other known Nudix hydrolases. Extracts of each of the expressed proteins were assayed by a generalized procedure that measures the hydrolysis of nucleoside diphosphate derivatives, and several enzymatic activities were tentatively identified. In addition to representatives of known Nudix hydrolase subfamilies active on ADP-ribose, NADH, dinucleoside polyphosphates or (deoxy)nucleoside triphosphates, two new enzymes, a UDP-glucose pyrophosphatase and a CoA pyrophosphatase, were identified.
Optical Film Thickness Measurements Using a Reflectance Mode Swept-Field Confocal Microscope

Multiphase flow in microchannels is frequently encountered in microdevices. Predicting the behavior of the multiphase flow has been difficult. The dynamics of liquid films inside of capillaries is important to microfluidic flows. At high flow rates with gas-liquid flows, the dynamics of liquid films on the interior surfaces of the microchannels can have a global affect on device operation. Measurement via optical microscopy of velocities in these liquid films and interface dynamics has been hampered by the inability to correctly image near dyanamic interfaces due to optical reflection and very short time scales of the flow. A novel technique for optically measuring liquid film thicknesses within circular microchannels has been developed. A swept-field confocal microscopy unit has been modified to capture the reflected light by replacing the dichroic mirror, commonly used in fluorescence confocal microscopy, with a 50/50 beam splitter. “Optical slicing” in the x-y plane, coupled with precision z-axis stepping allows for the detection of the gas-liquid interface by blocking out-of-focus light.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The co-chaperones Fkbp4/5 control Argonaute2 expression and facilitate RISC assembly

Argonaute2 (Ago2) protein and associated microRNAs (miRNAs) or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) form the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) for target messenger RNA cleavage and post-transcriptional gene silencing. Although Ago2 is essential for RISC activity, the mechanism of RISC assembly is not well understood, and factors controlling Ago2 protein expression are largely unknown. A role for the Hsc70/Hsp90 chaperone complex in loading small RNA duplexes into the RISC has been demonstrated in cell extracts, and unloaded Ago2 is unstable and degraded by the lysosome in mammalian cells. Here we identify the co-chaperones Fkbp4 and Fkbp5 as Ago2-associated proteins in mouse embryonic stem cells. Pharmacological inhibition of this interaction using FK506 or siRNA-mediated Fkbp4/5 depletion leads to decreased Ago2 protein levels. We find FK506 treatment inhibits, whereas Fkbp4/5 overexpression promotes, miRNA-mediated stabilization of Ago2 expression. Simultaneous treatment with a lysosome inhibitor revealed the accumulation of unloaded Ago2 complexes in FK506-treated cells. We find that, consistent with unloaded miRNAs being unstable, FK506 treatment also affects miRNA abundance, particularly nascent miRNAs. Our results support a role for Fkbp4/5 in RISC assembly.
Modeling autistic features in animals

A variety of features of autism can be simulated in rodents, including the core behavioral hallmarks of stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social interaction and communication. Other behaviors frequently found in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) such as neophobia, enhanced anxiety, abnormal pain sensitivity and eye blink conditioning, disturbed sleep patterns, seizures, and deficits in sensorimotor gating are also present in some of the animal models. Neuropathology and some characteristic neurochemical changes that are frequently seen in autism, and alterations in the immune status in the brain and periphery are also found in some of the models. Several known environmental risk factors for autism have been successfully established in rodents, including maternal infection and maternal valproate administration. Also under investigation are a number of mouse models based on genetic variants associated with autism or on syndromic disorders with autistic features. This review briefly summarizes recent developments in this field, highlighting models with face and/or construct validity, and noting the potential for investigation of pathogenesis, and early progress toward clinical testing of potential therapeutics. Wherever possible, reference is made to reviews rather than to primary articles.
Quantifying predation on soybean aphid through direct field observations

Abstract The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is the most important insect pest attacking soybeans in North America since 2000. Several studies have documented strong impacts of generalist natural enemies on A. glycines populations using predator exclusion cages and correlating predator and aphid abundances. However, to date no studies directly observed and quantified the natural enemy groups that attack A. glycines in North America under field conditions. In 2005, we conducted 72 h of direct observations of predation on natural populations of A. glycines in Michigan. The observations were conducted during three consecutive weeks during morning, afternoon and evening, in replicated 1 m2 areas. A total of 643 predators within 12 groups and 211 predation events on A. glycines were observed. Transient predators such as Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) accounted for most of the observed mortality and were very effective on a per capita basis, despite relatively short residence time in the observed patches. Transient predators responded positively to increased A. glycines field densities. Resident predators, particularly Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), were abundant and accounted for many predation events, but they were not as effective on a per capita basis and did not respond to changes in aphid density. Lower predation was obtained on A. glycines located at the bottom portion of the plants and on alate aphids. We concluded that coccinellids exerted most of the mortality observed and have the potential to rapidly respond to changes in aphid density with high per capita rates of predation.
SLAC accelerator operations report: 1992-1995

Operational statistics for the linear accelerator programs at SLAC are presented, including run-time records for the SLC, FFTB, and fixed target programs. Also included are summaries of reliability and maintenance-related statistics and a discussion of the analysis tools used to study error messages generated by the control system.
Silicone-Based Tissue-Mimicking Phantom for Needle Insertion Simulation

Silicone-based tissue-mimicking phantom is widely used as a surrogate of tissue for clinical simulators, allowing clinicians to practice medical procedures and researchers to study the performance of medical devices. This study investigates using the mineral oil in room-temperature vulcanizing silicone to create the desired mechanical properties and needle insertion characteristics of a tissue-mimicking phantom. Silicone samples mixed with 0, 20, 30, and 40 wt. % mineral oil were fabricated for indentation and needle insertion tests and compared to four types of porcine tissues (liver, muscle with the fiber perpendicular or parallel to the needle, and fat). The results demonstrated that the elastic modulus and needle insertion force of the phantom both decrease with an increasing concentration of mineral oil. Use of the mineral oil in silicone could effectively tailor the elastic modulus and needle insertion force to mimic the soft tissue. The silicone mixed with 40 wt. % mineral oil was found to be the best tissue-mimicking phantom and can be utilized for needle-based medical procedures.
State‐Sponsored Terrorism: In Decline, Yet Still a Potent Threat

State sponsorship has played a significant facilitating role in terrorist violence. The scope and impact of state support has not, however, remained fixed; nor has its threat potential. This article identifies and depicts three distinct phases of state sponsorship: the peak (1970s-80s), intermediate (1990-2001), and low (2001-present) phases. The causal factors behind the steady pattern of decline in the number of states sponsoring terrorism and the intensity of support provided to terrorist clients are analyzed here. Despite this clear contraction, state sponsorship continues to merit close attention as the salience of state-sponsored terrorism relates not only to the number of sponsors and level of support, but also to the threat potential of the support sponsors can provide. Therefore, paradoxically, at a time when the number of state sponsors is at its nadir, the threat potential of terrorism is at its apex, as the proliferation of nuclear technology to terrorist sponsors has significantly elevated the potential consequences of state sponsorship. Related Articles Owens, John. 2006. “Presidential Power and Congressional Acquiescence in the ‘War’ on Terrorism: A New Constitutional Equilibrium?” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 258-303. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2006.00015.x/abstract Dumbrell, John. 2006. “Working with Allies: The United States, the United Kingdom, and the War on Terror.” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 452-472. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2006.00021.x/abstract Maggio, J. 2007. “The Presidential Rhetoric of Terror: The (Re)Creation of Reality Immediately after 9/11.” Politics & Policy 34 (2): 810-835. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00085.x/abstract Related Media Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs. 2013. “Nuclear Terrorism.” http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/topic/6/nuclear_terrorism.html Council on Foreign Relations. 2013. “State Sponsors of Terrorism.” http://www.cfr.org/issue/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/ri151
Elizabethkingia Meningoseptica Engodenous Endophthalmitis – a case report

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is a nosocomial non-fermenting gram-negative bacillus that has an increasing prevalence in health care settings, especially in intensive care environments. While it has long been recognized as a rare but serious cause of neonatal meningitis and sepsis, its role as a cause of ocular pathology is not well-known. We report the first case of E. meningoseptica endogenous endophthalmitis caused by bacteraemia by the same organism. In view of its aggressiveness and virulence in the eye, and the high rate of misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis especially given its low incidence, we may wish to consider screening all cases of E. menigoseptica bloodstream infections for endophthalmitis in future, similar to how it has become routine to refer all patients with Klebsiella bacteraemia to ophthalmologists for screening for endophthalmitis in our local hospitals.
Best constants in Sobolev inequalities for ultraspherical polynomials

A family of sharp Sobolev-type inequalities for functions on the classical measure spaces associated with the ultraspherical or Gegenbauer polynomials is obtained. These estimates generalize the Sobolev inequalities for the n-sphere S n given by Beckner, and are derived from a sharp Sobolev inequality for functions on the real line. Spectral considerations allow these estimates to be expressed as multiplier inequalities for functions which have expansions in terms of Gegenbauer polynomials.
Achieving power-efficiency in clusters without distributed file system complexity

Power-efficient operation is a desirable property, particularly for large clusters housed in datacenters. Recent work has advocated turning off entire nodes to achieve power-proportionality, but this leads to problems with availability and fault tolerance because of the resulting limits imposed on the replication strategies used by the distributed file systems (DFS) employed in these environments, with counter-measures adding substantial complexity to DFS designs. To achieve power-efficiency for a cluster without impacting data availability and recovery from failures and maintain simplicity in DFS design, our solution exploits cluster nodes that have the ability to operate in at least two extreme system level power states, characterized by minimum vs. maximum power consumption and performance. The paper describes a cluster built with power-efficient node prototypes and presents experimental evaluations to demonstrate power-efficiency.
Cyclic AMP Enhances the Sexual Agglutinability of Chlamydomonas Flagella

Sexual adhesion between Chlamydomonas reinhardtii gametes elicits a rise in intracellular cAMP levels, and exogenous elevation of intracellular cAMP levels in gametes of a single mating type induces such mating responses as cell wall loss, flagellar tip activation, and mating structure activation (Pasquale, S. M., and U. W. Goodenough. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 105:2279-2292). Here evidence is presented that sexual adhesion mobilizes agglutinin to the flagellar surface, and that this mobilization can be induced by exogenous presentation of cAMP to gametes of a single mating type. It is proposed that Chlamydomonas adhesion entails a positive feedback system--initial contacts stimulate the presentation of additional agglutinin--and that this feedback is mediated by adhesion-induced cAMP generation.
On standardizing the MR image intensity scale.

The lack of a standard image intensity scale in MRI causes many difficulties in image display and analysis. A two-step postprocessing method is proposed for standardizing the intensity scale in such a way that for the same MR protocol and body region, similar intensities will have similar tissue meaning. In the first step, the parameters of the standardizing transformation are “learned” from a set of images. In the second step, for each MR study these parameters are used to map their histogram into the standardized histogram. The method was tested quantitatively on 90 whole-brain studies of multiple sclerosis patients for several protocols and qualitatively for several other protocols and body regions. Measurements using mean squared difference showed that the standardized image intensities have statistically significantly (P < 0.01) more consistent range and meaning than the originals. Fixed gray level windows can be established for the standardized images and used for display without the need of per case adjustment. Preliminary results also indicate that the method facilitates improving the degree of automation of image segmentation. Magn Reson Med 42:1072–1081, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of disk fenestration on sagittal kinematics of the canine C5-C6 intervertebral space.

Objective— To determine the effect that ventral intervertebral disk fenestration has on the sagittal range of motion about the C5-C6 intervertebral space. Study Design— A repeated measures in vitro mechanical study of spinal range of motion under controlled loading conditions before and after fenestration. Sample Population— A total of 10 canine cervical vertebral specimens (C4-C7) collected from clinically normal animals within 12 hours of euthanasia. Methods— Specimens were loaded as cantilever beams fixed at C7. Weights (1 to 5 kg) were progressively applied to C4 to produce flexion or extension in the sagittal plane. Radiographs were taken at each load, 3 times before and 3 times after fenestration of the C5-C6 disk. The positions of radiodense markers embedded in the vertebrae were used to calculate flexion and extension angles and range of motion. Results— Range of motion (difference between flexion and extension) and flexion and extension angles (individually) significantly increased after fenestration (P < .0001). Conclusion— Ventral fenestration produces sagittal instability of the C5-C6 disk space. Clinical Relevance— In surgical fusion of caudal cervical intervertebral spaces in dogs, radiographically normal disks adjacent to the affected space are often fenestrated to facilitate distraction before surgical stabilization. This study shows that ventral fenestration produces instability of a caudal cervical intervertebral space in the model used. Such instability may contribute to the development of the secondary instability (“domino lesions”) seen in some surgically treated dogs.
Race and Sex Differences in Consistency of Care With National Asthma Guidelines in Managed Care Organizations

Background In the United States, morbidity from asthma disproportionately affects African Americans and women. Although inadequate care contributes to overall asthma morbidity, less is known about differences in asthma care by race and sex. Subjects and Methods To examine the relationships of race and sex with asthma care, we analyzed responses to questionnaires administered to adults enrolled in 16 managed care organizations participating in the Outcomes Management System Asthma Study between September and December 1993. Indicators of care consistent with National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (1991) recommendations were assessed. Of a random sample of 8640 patients asked to participate, 6612 (77%) completed the survey. This study focused on 5062 (14% African American, 72% women) patients with at least moderate asthma symptom severity. Results Fewer African Americans than whites reported care consistent with recommendations for medication use (eg, daily inhaled corticosteroid use, 34.9% vs 54.4%; P = .001), self-management education (eg, action plan, 42.0% vs 53.8%; P = .001), avoiding triggers (37.6% vs 53.6%; P = .001), and specialist care (28.3% vs 41.0%; P = .001). Differences in asthma care by sex were smaller and tended to favor women except for daily inhaled corticosteroid use (women vs men: 49.6% vs 58.3%; P = .001) and having specialist care (37.7% vs 43.1%; P = .001). Similar race and sex differences were observed after adjusting for age, education, employment, and symptom frequency. Conclusions Even among patients with health insurance, disparities in asthma care for African Americans compared with whites exist and may contribute to race disparities in outcomes. Women generally reported better asthma care but may benefit from greater use of inhaled corticosteroids.
Twenty Years of Mandatory Arrest Police Decision Making in the Face of Legal Requirements

More than 20 years ago, state legislation began moving toward a mandatory arrest approach for police officers who handle domestic violence. It is expected that officers have shifted from an “undere...
Criteria for determining sand‐transport by surface‐creep and saltation

One of the most important problems relating to sand-movement by wind or water is the determination of the conditions for initial movement. Experimenters have recognized what appear to be three distinct methods of sand-and-silt movement by fluids: Surface-creep (called bed-load movement in hydraulics literature); saltation; and suspension. These three classifications seem to be fundamentally sound since each type of movement is controlled by a different set of forces acting on the sand-particles.
Cloud Droplet Growth by Collection

Abstract Calculations of cloud droplet growth over the radius range from 4 to 200 μ for collection kernels representing hydrodynamic capture, electric field capture, and geometric sweep-out show that the rate of droplet growth is proportional to the magnitude of the kernel, and the pattern of growth depends upon a derivative of the kernel with respect to droplet size. Below 60 μ a large kernel derivative causes the distribution to spread. Above 6O μ the derivative of each kernel decreases to a common value that causes water to accumulate on large drops. This leads to a self-preserving distribution, similar to Golovin's, asymptotic solution, in about 5 min when the liquid water content is 1 gm m−3. The stochastic model produces a growth rate nearly equal to the continuous model but transfers much more water to larger drops.
The Effects of Changing Attention and Context in an Awake Offline Processing Period on Visual Long-Term Memory.

There is accumulating evidence that sleep as well as awake offline processing is important for the transformation of new experiences into long-term memory. Yet much remains to be understood about how various cognitive factors influence the efficiency of awake offline processing. In the present study we investigated how changes in attention and context in the immediate period after exposure to new visual information influences long-term memory consolidation. After presentation of multiple naturalistic scenes within a working memory paradigm, recognition was assessed 30 minutes and 24 hours later in three groups of subjects. One group of subjects engaged in a focused attention task (the Revised Attentional Network Task (R-ANT)) in the 30 minutes after exposure to the scenes. Another group of subjects remained in the testing room during the 30 minutes after scene exposure and engaged in no goal- or task-directed activities. A third group of subjects left the testing room and returned 30 minutes later. A signal detection analysis revealed no significant differences among the three groups in hits, false alarms, or sensitivity on the 30-minute recognition task. At the 24-hour recognition test, the group that performed the R-ANT made significantly fewer hits compared to the group that left the testing room and didn’t perform the attention ask. The group that performed the R-ANT and the group that remained in the testing room during the 30-minute post-exposure interval made significantly fewer false alarms on the 24-hour recognition test compared to the group that left the testing room. The group that stayed in the testing room and engaged in no goal- or task-directed activities exhibited significantly higher sensitivity (d’) compared to the group that left the testing room and the group that performed the R-ANT task. Staying in the same context after exposure to new information and resting quietly with minimal engagement of attention results in the best ability to distinguish old from novel visual stimuli after 24 hours. These findings suggest that changes in attentional demands and context during an immediate post-exposure offline processing interval modulate visual memory consolidation in a subtle but significant manner.
Design reviews

The best design engineers are adept at accepting valid criticisms of their ideas and proposals.
Calorimetric and Rheological Studies on Cyclopentane Hydrate-Forming Water-in-Kerosene Emulsions

The effect of salt, a thermodynamic inhibitor of hydrate, on a density-matched cyclopentane hydrate-forming water-in-kerosene emulsion with a fixed aqueous phase mass fraction of 0.4 is presented, based on studies by microdifferential scanning calorimetry (μDSC) and rheometry. Kerosene is a candidate material for flow loop studies. Microdifferential scanning calorimetry data are presented on the equilibrium temperature (liquidus line); water-to-hydrate conversions are computed using the liquidus line. Mechanical properties obtained using a stress controlled rheometer are correlated to thermodynamic properties. Effects of subcooling, salt concentration, and shear rate dependence are studied and presented along with oscillatory rheometric and yield stress measurements. Critical time is defined as the onset of a viscosity jump, and the viscosity evolution time is the time from the initial jump to 90 % attainment of the final viscosity; both times are shortened by higher subcooling. The final viscosity, stora...
LIPID METABOLISM IN CULTURED CELLS. V. COMPARATIVE LIPID NUTRITION IN SERUM AND IN LIPID-FREE CHEMICALLY DEFINED MEDIUM.

SummaryMammalian cells in tissue culture derive most of their lipid requirements from serum customarily used in growth medium. L-strain mouse fibroblasts were grown both on serum supplemented medium and on a recently developed chemically defined lipid-free medium (NCTC 109). Lipid composition of cells was essentially independent of growth medium used. When grown in synthetic medium, cell lipids were synthesized de novo from C14-acetate added to medium. In serum supplemented medium de novo synthesis from C 14-acetate was almost completely depressed. C14-labeled cell lipids were fractionated on silicic acid columns. Serum depressed acetate incorporation approximately equally in all lipid classes. It seems possible that this represents operation of feedback type mechanism for control of cellular lipid composition.
Intracorporeal needle breakage: an unusual complication of papaverine injection therapy for impotence.

AbstractWe report an unusual complication of papaverine injection therapy for impotence. After 2.5 years of uneventful injections excessive syringe manipulation following needle insertion resulted in needle breakage and a retained intracavernous needle fragment requiring surgical extraction. A synopsis of the presentation, diagnosis and therapy is presented.
Pre-emptive mergers and downstream cost asymmetry

Abstract With sufficient downstream cost asymmetry a horizontal merger will be chosen over a vertical merger. This results because the technology transfer is large and the incentive to vertically merge shrinks as the horizontal merger eliminates a cost asymmetry induced “bottleneck.”
Managing uncertainty and imprecision in spatio-temporal databases

Miniaturization of computing devices, and advances in wireless communication and sensor technology force to propagate computing from the stationary desktop to the mobile scenario in which spatio-temporal information is generated and managed. There exist much ineluctable uncertainty and imprecision in the spatio-temporal information management. Four of them are covered. The first uncertainty problem is that the raw data is noisy and error prone. In most cases, the motion of a vehicle occurs on a road network, and thus the error can be corrected by matching/snapping it onto the road in the map. We propose a 3D weight-based map matching algorithm for this purpose. This algorithm is applicable to both the offline and online cases, and superior to the straightforward snapping method. The second uncertainty problem is that, given that the location of a moving object changes continuously, but the central database cannot be updated continuously. To address this problem, distance and deviation update policies are presented which use less updates to enable the same accuracy of the location information in the database. And a method of generating realistic synthetic spatio-temporal points is developed to test these two policies. The third uncertainty problem arises when we manage the spatio-temporal information in MObile Peer-to-peer NETworks (MOPNET's). Several inherent characteristics of MOPNET's, i.e., dynamic network topology, limited communication throughput, and lack of global knowledge, challenge the uncertainty management. We develop broadcast-based data dissemination algorithms to disseminate the most relevant queries and resource information (namely reports) while maximizing the communication throughput. We demonstrate that our algorithms outperform existing data dissemination methods, periodic flooding and PSTree. The final uncertainty problem occurs in using resource information to discover local competitive resources, that is, an object has the information of many different resources, which one it should choose to acquire. To address this problem, we rank the resource reports based on the availability of the resource; design a strategy that objects always go to the resource with the largest rank value; and quantify the benefits of using reports to discover resources.
Leveraging a User Research Framework to Guide Research Investments: Windows Vista Case Study

During the development of Windows Vista we had the opportunity to invest in new methods to understand user behavior. We leveraged standard usability methods to work on feature areas during development; however, we had to invent and adapt new approaches to measure holistic experiences. In this area user research methods are evolving, due to the integration of technologies and changes in the definition of a successful experience. While considering the methods that suited our needs, a user research framework was created. This helped us manage investments in research activities. The framework is organized along two dimensions: perspective and time. Perspective refers to the breadth of the experience being considered: `narrow' defines a focus on an individual feature area or small product area, and `broad' defines a focus on an integrated experience. Time can indicate either a product cycle or real time. For product cycle most of the research is spent on the evaluation of the designs of the features and experiences related to predicting user behavior for a particular release of a product, whereas real time is our research investment into understanding how products are used in the wild without our intervention. Each quadrant of the two-dimensional framework highlights different research methods and purposes. It's important to realize that the value of the framework comes from the integration of findings that provides a rich holistic picture of our users to ultimately guide product decisions. This paper describes some of the methods that were evolved and created during the development of Windows Vista and their relationship to the user research framework. The methods described in the paper include user experience score-carding, measurement of desirability, and the impact of the consumer adoption program. These methods continued to be used today in the development of Windows 7.