cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANALYTICAL APPROXIMATIONS FOR KITTING SYSTEMS WITH MULTIPLE INPUTS

This research analyzes a kitting system where multiple components are grouped to form a predefined kit prior to assembly. The kitting system is modeled as a fork/join synchronization station and component supply is assumed to be from fabrication facilities operating under a kanban control policy. Exact analysis of these systems is computationally intensive even under Markovian assumptions. To evaluate the impact of input parameters on kitting system performance, several easily computable bounds on system throughput are first identified. Using these bounds, closed form approximate expressions for system throughput are derived. The throughput estimate is used to compute other performance measures of interest such as mean queue length and mean waiting time in the system. The accuracy of the approximations is validated using numerical experiments and some performance insights are given.
Determination of penicillin G in milk by high-performance liquid chromatography with automated liquid chromatographic cleanup.

Specific confirmatory tests are needed to identify and quantify β-lactam antibiotic residues detected in milk at levels of <10 parts per 109 (ppb) by screening tests. A liquid chromatographic method for penicillin G was developed using the liquid chromatography system for cleanup as well as analysis. Milk was deproteinized with two volumes of acetonitrile. The acetonitrile was extracted with hexane-methylene chloride (1:1) and the remaining water layer was concentrated by evaporation. The water layer (2 ml = 5 ml milk) was injected onto a Polymer Laboratories PLRP-S column using a WISP autosampler with the solvent, 0.01 M pH 7.0 phosphate buffer (A). Penicillin G was eluted with acetonitrile (B) gradient A−B (100:0) (0–3 min)–(40:60) (25 min). Penicillin G eluted as a narrow band in <0.5 min. A narrow fraction containing penicillin G was collected and rechromatographed on the same type of column at low pH (1.96). This effectively separated penicillin G from interferences. Recoveries were 92±9% with a sensitivity limit near 2 ppb. The approach used is applicable to determination of other β-lactam antibiotics but specific conditions for analysis must be determined for each one. The cleanup procedure can be automated using an autosampler, gradient controller, and fraction collector.
In vivo high-resolution video-rate spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of the human retina and optic nerve.

An ultra-high-speed spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system (SD-OCT) was developed for imaging the human retina and optic nerve in vivo at a sustained depth profile (A-line) acquisition speed of 29 kHz. The axial resolution was 6 µm in tissue and the system had shot-noise-limited performance with a maximum sensitivity of 98.4 dB. 3-dimensional data sets were collected in 11 and 13 seconds for the macula and optic nerve head respectively and are presented to demonstrate the potential clinical applications of SD-OCT in ophthalmology. Additionally, a 3-D volume of the optic nerve head was constructed from the acquired data and the retinal vascular network was visualized.
Reticuloendothelial and hepatic functional alterations following lead acetate administration

Abstract The influence of a single intravenous injection of lead acetate on the phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and on endotoxin-detoxifying ability of liver and spleen homogenates was studied in an effort to delineate the mechanism by which lead enhanced host sensitivity to endotoxin. Lead acetate administered to rats induced a state of phagocytic depression as indicated by an impaired intravascular phagocytosis of colloidal carbon. The employment of the 131I-triolein-labeled lipid emulsion to determine phagocytic alterations in leadtreated animals indicated a lead-induced impairment in hepatic phagocytosis. Liver and spleen homogenates prepared from normal or control rats possessed significant endotoxin-detoxifying ability as bioassayed in actinomycin D-treated mice. Lead acetate significantly reduced the ability of liver and spleen to detoxify endotoxin. Hepatic parenchymal cell function was also deranged by lead administration as indicated by an increased plasma retention of bromsulphalein and an elevated unconjugated bilirubin, serum alkaline phosphatase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. These results demonstrate that while lead acetate induces endotoxin hyperreactivity by impairing the phagocytic as well as the endotoxin-detoxifying properties of macrophages, hepatic parenchymal cell dysfunction may also be a contributing factor. These findings accent the importance of hepatic functional status in host defense against endotoxin as well as the ability of lead to induce acute hepatic injury.
Leucine and its Derivatives as Potential Elicitors of Insulin Secretion in Rats

This report describes the testing of a number of leucine derivatives for their ability to increase serum levels of glucose and immunoreactive insulin, Insulin levels increased in rats when L-leucine, DL-leucine, and L-leucineamide were administered. Esters of L-leucine caused no significant effect on glucose or insulin levels.
Strain Measurements on Individual Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in a Polymer Host: Structure-Dependent Spectral Shifts and Load Transfer

The fluorescence spectra of individual semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes embedded in polymer films were measured during the application of controlled stretching and compressive strains. Nanotube band gaps were found to shift in systematic patterns that depend on the (n,m) structural type and are in excellent agreement with the predictions of theoretical models. Loss of nanotube-host adhesion was revealed by abrupt irregularities in plots of spectral shift vs strain.
Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis evaluation, prevention, and treatment.

Systemically administered glucocorticoids are widely used in rheumatology and have many serious side effects. Approximately 30-50% of patients chronically taking glucocorticoids develop osteoporosis. Studies looking at specific rheumatologic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, suggest that subpopulations of rheumatology patients are particularly at risk for development of osteoporosis.Over the last few years, several studies have validated the role of routine administration of calcium and low dose vitamin D. Early limited studies suggest that hormonal replacement of testosterone and estrogen in selected patients may be of value, and newer therapies such as bisphosphonates and calcitonin have revolutionized the prevention and treatment of steroid-induced osteoporosis. These newer therapies, combined with the increased availability and accuracy of tests that measure bone mineral density, such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), make it important to use such tests and to individualize needed interventions for all patients requiring long-term systemic gluocorticoids.
Mouse spermatozoa in high concentrations of glycerol: chemical toxicity vs osmotic shock at normal and reduced oxygen concentrations.

The cryobiological preservation of mouse spermatozoa has presented difficulties in the form of poor motilities or irreproducibility. We have identified several likely underlying problems. One is that published studies have used concentrations of the cryoprotectant glycerol that are substantially lower (0.3 M) than the approximately 1 M concentrations that are optimal for most cells. Another may arise from the known high susceptibility of mouse sperm to free radical damage. We have identified two contributors to damage from higher concentrations of glycerol, namely, chemical toxicity proportional to concentration and exposure time and osmotic damage arising from too rapid an addition and removal of the glycerol. When toxicity is minimized by restricting the exposure time to 1 or 5 min and osmotic shock is minimized by adding and removing the glycerol stepwise, relatively high percentages of the sperm survive contact with 0.8 M glycerol. Free-radical damage in mouse sperm is known to be proportional to the oxygen concentration. We have determined the consequences of reducing the oxygen to <3% of atmospheric by the use of a bacterial membrane preparation, Oxyrase. Oxyrase reduced damage from centrifugation and substantially reduced damage from osmotic shock; however, it did not significantly reduce glycerol toxicity.
Selective dehydrogenation of isobutane over supported Pt/Sn catalysts.

Abstract Catalytic dehydrogenation of isobutane is important because of growing demand for isobutene as a precursor for the production of oxygenates required in reformulated gasoline. It was found that supporting tin and platinum in K-L-zeolite produces catalysts that exhibit high activity and selectivity for isobutane dehydrogenation. Furthermore, Pt/Sn/K-L-zeolite catalysts exhibit high resistance to deactivation at conditions conducive to high dehydrogenation conversions. Fundamental investigations of silica-supported Pt/Sn catalysts show that tin interacts with platinum to form Pt/Sn alloy particles, which reduces the size of surface Pt ensembles and inhibits the formation of highly dehydrogenated surface species required for the competing isomerization, hydrogenolysis, and coking reactions. Similarly, the addition of potassium to Pt/Sn/SiO 2 increases the selectivity for isobutane dehydrogenation by further reducing the size of surface Pt ensembles.
Detection, characterisation and transmission by Macrosteles leafhoppers of watercress yellows phytoplasma in Hawaii

A new yellows disease of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) in Hawaii has symptoms of reduced leaf size, leaf yellowing and crinkling, and occasionally witches’ brooms. This disease is found on all watercress farms on Oahu but has not yet been found on other Hawaiian islands. Watercress plants were tested for phytoplasma infection by polymerase chain reaction assays using phytoplasma-specific primers. Amplicons of the expected sizes were produced from all symptomatic plants but not from healthy plants raised from seed. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that watercress yellows was caused by a phytoplasma in the aster yellows group, with sequence similarity to onion yellows from Japan. Six weed species collected from the vicinity of affected watercress farms, Amaranth sp., Eclipta prostrata, Emilia sonchifolia, Plantago major, Myriophyllum aquaticum and Sonchus oleraceus, were also determined to be hosts of this phytoplasma. Leafhoppers, identified as Macrosteles sp. (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), collected from symptomatic watercress transmitted this phytoplasma to watercress, plantain and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in greenhouse experiments.
Education - Performing Arts - Information Technology: An Impossible Triangle?

Integration of IT in performing arts education is often considered to be lagging behind in comparison with other educational fields. This might very well be somewhat of an exaggeration: as Koehler and Mishra (2008) point out the problem of integrating IT in educational settings is ubiquitous. The question this contribution tries to answer is whether on top of these general problems there are specific ones for IT within performing arts curricula that can be held accountable for the perceived arrear. In order to answer this question some main characteristics that determine the nature of the performing arts are briefly discussed: transitivity, collectivity of production and reception, multimediality and the principle of ostension. From these the particular difficulties for integrating IT in performing arts education are traced, mapping the (im)possibilities and pointing out some of the reasons for the relatively slow pace of IT integration. Having thus assessed the major problems and challenges the conclusion discusses the immediate and mid-term developments that would be welcomed by teachers and students in the field of the performing arts.
Quantifying soil and critical zone variability in a forested catchment through digital soil mapping

Abstract. Quantifying catchment-scale soil property variation yields insights into critical zone evolution and function. The objective of this study was to quantify and predict the spatial distribution of soil properties within a high-elevation forested catchment in southern Arizona, USA, using a combined set of digital soil mapping (DSM) and sampling design techniques to quantify catchment-scale soil spatial variability that would inform interpretation of soil-forming processes. The study focused on a 6 ha catchment on granitic parent materials under mixed-conifer forest, with a mean elevation of 2400 m a.s.l, mean annual temperature of 10 °C, and mean annual precipitation of ~ 85 cm yr−1. The sample design was developed using a unique combination of iterative principal component analysis (iPCA) of environmental covariates derived from remotely sensed imagery and topography, and a conditioned Latin hypercube sampling (cLHS) scheme. Samples were collected by genetic horizon from 24 soil profiles excavated to the depth of refusal and characterized for soil mineral assemblage, geochemical composition, and general soil physical and chemical properties. Soil properties were extrapolated across the entire catchment using a combination of least-squares linear regression between soil properties and selected environmental covariates, and spatial interpolation or regression residual using inverse distance weighting (IDW). Model results indicated that convergent portions of the landscape contained deeper soils, higher clay and carbon content, and greater Na mass loss relative to adjacent slopes and divergent ridgelines. The results of this study indicated that (i) the coupled application of iPCA and cLHS produced a sampling scheme that captured the greater part of catchment-scale soil variability; (ii) application of relatively simple regression models and IDW interpolation of residuals described well the variance in measured soil properties and predicted spatial correlation of soil properties to landscape structure; and (iii) at this scale of observation, 6 ha catchment, topographic covariates explained more variation in soil properties than vegetation covariates. The DSM techniques applied here provide a framework for interpreting catchment-scale variation in critical zone process and evolution. Future work will focus on coupling results from this coupled empirical–statistical approach to output from mechanistic, process-based numerical models of critical zone process and evolution.
Implementing the expert object recognition pathway

Brain imaging studies suggest that expert object recognition is a distinct visual skill, implemented by a dedicated anatomical pathway. Like all visual pathways, the expert recognition pathway begins with the early visual system (retina, LGN/SC, striate cortex). It is defined, however, by subsequent diffuse activation in the lateral occipital complex (LOC) and sharp foci of activation in the fusiform gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus. This pathway recognizes familiar objects from familiar viewpoints under familiar illumination. Significantly, it identifies objects at both the categorical and instance (a.k.a. subcategorical) levels, and these processes cannot be disassociated. This paper presents a four-stage functional model of the expert object recognition pathway, where each stage models one area of anatomic activation. It implements this model in an end-to-end computer vision system and tests it on real images to provide feedback for the cognitive science and computer vision communities.
Investigation of gravity-spun, melt-spun, and melt-blown polypropylene fibers using atomic force microscopy

The morphology exhibited in a polymer depends on the particular process and processing conditions used to shape and modify the polymer. This morphology has an important influence on the final polymer product (sheet, molded part, etc.). Ten years ago, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied for the first time on polymer materials. Since then, AFM has been used extensively on polypropylene (PP) surfaces, but still very little has been reported on the use of AFM for analyzing PP fibers. The purpose of our work was to show the modifications of (a) the morphology and (b) the microstiffness of PP fiber surfaces processed under different operating conditions. Three fiber production processes were used: gravity spinning, melt spinning, and melt blowing. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1921–1937, 2000
Controlled placement of highly aligned carbon nanotubes for the manufacture of arrays of nanoscale torsional actuators

We have fabricated ordered arrays of nanoscale torsional actuators consisting of metal mirrors bonded to precisely oriented multiwall carbon nanotubes. The fabrication is facilitated by a new nanotube positioning method which employs localized electron beam activation of polymer residue on a silicon oxide surface.
First Trimester Laparoscopic Cerclage.

Study objective To review the indications, rationale, and technique for abdominal cerclage, specifically focusing on a laparoscopic approach to this procedure during the first trimester of pregnancy. Design This is an educational video directed toward gynecologic surgeons. Patient consent was obtained for use of surgical video footage, and Institutional Review Board exemption was granted. A patient case is discussed and a step-by-step description of the technique used to perform laparoscopic cerclage in the first trimester of pregnancy is demonstrated using surgical footage. Setting The estimated incidence of cervical insufficiency affecting pregnancy is as high as 1%. Cervical cerclage placement is the treatment for this condition. Although most cerclages are placed transvaginally via the Shirodkar or McDonald technique, abdominal cerclage is necessary in women with a previous failed transvaginal cerclage or in those with minimal cervical tissue accessible vaginally [1,2]. Both laparoscopic and robotic approaches to this procedure have been developed, allowing patients to enjoy a more rapid recovery as well as to avoid an unnecessary laparotomy[3-6]. The observational studies reporting outcomes for laparoscopic-assisted abdominal cerclage quote fetal survival rates of >85%, which is comparable to the rates for abdominal cerclage[7-18]. Complication rates are low, also congruent with the laparotomic approach[12-18]. Intervention The patient, a 35-year-old gravida 3, para 1, 0, 1, 1, at 11 weeks gestation, had a history of a full-term vaginal delivery followed by an excisional procedure for cervical dysplasia, and then an early second trimester pregnancy loss. She was referred for laparoscopic-assisted abdominal cerclage after a severely shortened cervix was noted on examination. Laparoscopic cerclage placement was uncomplicated, with minimal blood loss encountered. The patient did well in the immediate postoperative period and was discharged home on postoperative day 1. The remainder of the pregnancy was uneventful, and she delivered via scheduled cesarean section at term. Conclusion With proper patient selection and operative planning, the technique of laparoscopic cerclage is both safe and advantageous in terms of faster recovery. Obstetric outcomes are equivalent, if not superior, to an open abdominal approach to this procedure.
The Pains of Permanent Imprisonment: Examining Perceptions of Confinement Among Older Life Without Parole Inmates

Previous research has found commonality in the pains of imprisonment reported by English and American long-term inmates. Using a triangulated research methodology, this study examined the hardships associated with permanent incarceration as reported by 18 older male inmates serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Strong agreement existed between the present sample and previous samples as to the most and least difficult aspects of imprisonment. Consistent with the previous studies, outside problems were perceived as being more severe than inside problems. Overall, this study found agreement in the pains of long-term imprisonment, regardless of the exact length or type of sentence.
Asymptotic Performance of a Censoring Sensor Network

We consider the problem of decentralized binary detection in a sensor network where the sensors have access to side information that affects the statistics of their measurements, or reflects the quality of the available channel to a fusion center. Sensors can decide whether or not to make a measurement and transmit a message to the fusion center ("censoring"), and also have a choice of the mapping from measurements to messages. We consider the case of a large number of sensors, and an asymptotic criterion involving error exponents. We study both a Neyman-Pearson and a , Bayesian formulation, characterize the optimal error exponent, and derive asymptotically optimal strategies for the case where sensor decisions are only allowed to depend on locally available information. Furthermore, we show that for the Neyman-Pearson case, global sharing of side information ("sensor cooperation") does not improve asymptotic performance, when the Type I error is constrained to be small.
First Among Equals: The Effect of Team Leader Characteristics on the Internal Dynamics of Cross-Functional Product Development Teams

Drawing on the path-goal theory of leadership, the present study examines the effect of team leader characteristics on an array of conflict resolution behavior, collaboration, and communication patterns of cross-functional new product development (NPD) teams. A hierarchical linear model analysis based on a survey of 246 members from 64 NPD teams suggests that participative management style and initiation of goal structure by the team leader exert the strongest influence on internal team dynamics. Both these leadership characteristics had a positive effect on functional conflict resolution, collaboration, and communication quality within the NPD team while discouraging dysfunctional conflict resolution and formal communications. Comparatively, team leader's consideration, initiation of process structure, and position had a surprisingly weak effect on internal team dynamics. Further, the findings underscore the differential effects on various dimensions of team dynamics, the importance of controlling for project and team characteristics, and the use of multilevel modeling for studying nested phenomena related to NPD teams. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Development of Low-Cost Modular Designs for Photovoltaic Array Fields

A low-cost modular photovoltaic array field design developed for commercial/industrial installations is discussed. Key features of the design include minimum site preparation requirements, circuit designs which result in low life-cycle maintenance costs, low cost easily installed support structures, and economical approaches to lightning protection, grounding and electromagnetic interference (EM) suppression.
Scheduling for the Dedicated Machine Constraint in Semiconductor Manufacturing Using a Goal-Oriented Approach

Semiconductor manufacturing with the dedicated machine constraint is a new challenge for scheduling problems. Previous studies have either not taken this constraint into account or proposed heuristic approaches which might not provide the efficient makespan and the efficient time. This paper proposes a goal-oriented approach called the Optimization of Makespan, Load, and Execution time (OMLE) approach which considers the above issues. The desired goals find a schedule for machines which simultaneously optimizes the makespan and the load among machines in an efficient time. Experiments are presented to validate the approach.
Excitatory Interactions between Olfactory Processing Channels in the Drosophila Antennal Lobe

Summary Each odorant receptor gene defines a unique type of olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) and a corresponding type of second-order neuron. Because each odor can activate multiple ORN types, information must ultimately be integrated across these processing channels to form a unified percept. Here, we show that, in Drosophila , integration begins at the level of second-order projection neurons (PNs). We genetically silence all the ORNs that normally express a particular odorant receptor and find that PNs postsynaptic to the silent glomerulus receive substantial lateral excitatory input from other glomeruli. Genetically confining odor-evoked ORN input to just one glomerulus reveals that most PNs postsynaptic to other glomeruli receive indirect excitatory input from the single ORN type that is active. Lateral connections between identified glomeruli vary in strength, and this pattern of connections is stereotyped across flies. Thus, a dense network of lateral connections distributes odor-evoked excitation between channels in the first brain region of the olfactory processing stream.
TNF alpha antagonist-induced lupus-like syndrome: report and review of the literature with implications for treatment with alternative TNF alpha antagonists.

Background In patients with various autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, a drug-induced lupus-like syndrome (DILS) has been reported with the use of adalimumab, cerrolizumab pegol, etanercept, and infliximab. Objective To review clinical characteristics of patients who develop tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha antagonist-induced lupus-like syndrome (TAILS) and review implications for further TNF alpha antagonist therapy. Materials and methods We describe a 62-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who developed a pruritic photo-distributed rash two months after the initiation of etanercept therapy. Her skin biopsy showed lupus erythematosus, and she had positive serum ANA, anti-Sjogren's syndrome A (SSA)/Ro, and anti-Sjogren’s syndrome B (SSB)/La antibodies. Her symptoms resolved after discontinuation of the drug, topical and systemic corticosteroids, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate. Subsequently, her rheumatoid arthritis was treated with golimumab for six months without recurrence of skin lesions. Published reports of individuals who have developed TAILS and those who have continued treatment with alternative TNF alpha antagonists are reviewed. Results TAILS is most commonly associated with the use of etanercept and infliximab. It occurs most often in women in the fifth decade of life. Onset of symptoms ranges from less than one month to more than four years. Syndrome-associated cutaneous lesions and induction of autoantibodies are common. There is no definitively established mechanism of pathogenesis. Treatment can include discontinuation of the drug, corticosteroids, immunosuppressives, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate. To date, 10 patients with TAILS have continued therapy with an alternative TNF alpha antagonist without recurrence of lupus symptoms. Conclusions Development of a DILS after one TNF alpha antagonist does not preclude continued treatment with an alternative TNF alpha antagonist.
Spectrum of myelinated pulmonary afferents.

Recently, it has been recognized that a single airway sensory unit may contain multiple receptive fields and that each field houses at least one encoder. Since some units respond to both lung inflation and deflation, we hypothesized that these units contain heterogeneous encoders for sensing inflation and deflation, respectively. Single unit activities were recorded from the cervical vagus nerve in anesthetized, open chest, and mechanically ventilated rabbits. Fifty-two airway sensory units with multiple receptive fields that responded to both lung inflation and deflation were identified. Among them, 13 units had separate receptive fields for inflation and deflation, where one of the fields could be blocked by local injection of 2% lidocaine (10 μl). In 8 of the 13 units, the deflation response was blocked without affecting the unit's response to inflation, whereas in the remaining five units, the inflation response was blocked without affecting the deflation response. Our results support the hypothesis that a single mechanosensory unit may contain heterogeneous encoders that can respond to either inflation or deflation.
A new interleaved isolated boost converter for high power applications

Isolated boost converter is desirable in the low-to-high dc/dc application where isolation is required or a large step up is in a need. The challenge of designing such a converter for high power applications is how to handle the high current at the input and high voltage at the output. An effective way is to parallel the inputs and series the outputs of the isolated boost converters. Based on this concept, a new interleaved and isolated boost converter is proposed in this paper that has two inductors in parallel at the input to share the current and two capacitors in series at the output to share the voltage. The current stresses and voltage stresses of the converter are both alleviated. The two boost converter cells realize demagnetizing by helping each other, which simplifies the transformer structures. With interleaved operation, the current ripple is smaller; therefore, it is possible to use smaller capacitors at the input and output of the converter. All these features make the new interleaved isolated boost converter desirable for high power low-to-high dc/dc applications. The proposed interleaved isolated boost converter is presented based on the basic isolated boost converter, but the interleaved structure is applicable to other isolated boost converters including the full-bridge converter, the push-pull converter, and the L-type half-bridge converter. The theoretical analysis is verified by a 200W prototype.
Complete Condensation of Forced Convection Two-Phase Flow in a Miniature Tube

A physical and mathematical model of annular film condensation in a miniature tube has been developed. In the model the liquid flow has been coupled with the vapor flow along the liquid-vapor interface through the interfacial temperature, heat flux, shear stress, and pressure jump conditions due to surface tension effects. The model predicts the shape of the liquid-vapor interface along the condenser and the length of the two-phase flow region. The numerical results show that complete condensation of the incoming vapor is possible at comparatively low heat loads. Observations from a flow visualization experiment of water vapor condensing in a horizontal glass tube confirm the existence and qualitative features of annular film condensation leading to the complete condensation phenomenon in small diameter (d < 3.5 mm) circular tubes
Adaptive data partition for sorting using probability distribution

Many computing problems benefit from dynamic partition of data into smaller chunks with better parallelism and locality. However, it is difficult to partition all types of inputs with the same high efficiency. This paper presents a new partition method in sorting scenario based on probability distribution, an idea first studied by Janus and Lamagna in early 1980's on a mainframe computer. The new technique makes three improvements. The first is a rigorous sampling technique that ensures accurate estimate of the probability distribution. The second is an efficient implementation on modern, cache-based machines. The last is the use of probability distribution in parallel sorting. Experiments show 10-30% improvement in partition balance and 20-70% reduction in partition overhead, compared to two commonly used techniques. The new method reduces the parallel sorting time by 33-50% and outperforms the previous fastest sequential sorting technique by up to 30%.
Spatial and temporal patterns of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) spawning in the eastern Bering Sea inferred from egg and larval distributions

Walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma (pollock hereafter) is a key ecological and economic species in the eastern Bering Sea, yet detailed synthesis of the spatial and temporal patterns of pollock ichthyoplankton in this important region is lacking. This knowledge gap is particularly severe considering that egg and larval distribution are essential to reconstructing spawning locations and early life stages drift pathways. We used 19 yr of ichthyoplankton collections to determine the spatial and temporal patterns of egg and larval distribution. Generalized additive models (GAMs) identified two primary temporal pulses of pollock eggs, the first occurring from 20 February to 31 March and the second from 20 April to 20 May; larvae showed similar, but slightly lagged, pulses. Based on generalized cross-validation and information theory, a GAM model that allowed for different seasonal patterns in egg density within three unique areas outperformed a GAM that assumed a single fixed seasonal pattern across the entire eastern Bering Sea. This ‘area-dependent’ GAM predicted the highest densities of eggs (i.e., potential spawning locations) in three major areas of the eastern Bering Sea: near Bogoslof Island (February‐April), north of Unimak Island and the Alaska Peninsula (March‐April), and around the Pribilof Islands (April‐August). Unique temporal patterns of egg density were observed for each area, suggesting that pollock spawning may be more spatially and temporally complex than previously assumed. Moreover, this work provides a valuable baseline of pollock spawning to which future changes, such as those resulting from climate variability, may be compared.
RF and microwave network characterization - a concept-map-based tutorial

Characterization of RF and microwave networks based on scattering parameters formalism is one of the most basic themes that microwave engineers need to fully comprehend. This topic is included in most of the common textbooks on microwave circuits. However, alternative tutorial presentations that help in clearer understanding of the topic are always welcome. This tutorial is such an attempt and makes use of the "concept-maps and concept-modules" approach discussed in another paper in this TRANSACTIONS . Concept maps are visual representations of relationship among various concepts relevant to topic and contribute to better understanding of concepts. In addition to S-parameters, this tutorial includes A-, Z-, and Y-parameters and their relevance to microwave network representation and design.
Horizontally acquired genes for purine salvage in Borrelia spp. causing relapsing fever

Unlike Borrelia burgdorferi, the relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii and the related Borrelia miyamotoi had purA and purB genes of the purine salvage pathway. These were located among the rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes had a different evolutionary history than those of orthologs in other spirochetes.
Overrepresentation of Minority Students in Special Education: A Continuing Debate

Approximately 25 years ago, Lloyd Dunn (1968) and Evelyn Deno (1970) provided us with analyses regarding the problems and pitfalls of special education. One of the primary areas of focus was the overrepresentation of minority and low-income students in programs for students with mild mental retardation. Unfortunately, this problem continues to hover over us today and has extended to other special education categories. Based on our analysis of the problem then and now, we extend the recommendations provided by advocates, educators, researchers, and policymakers.
Bicycle Tubes Inside Out

The old rubber sheet geometry discussed surfaces which could be bent, stretched, or twisted, while they were kept smooth and whole. One popular topological pastime is to try to visualize what a bicycle tube would look like turned inside out. As far as I know, these curiosities have no serious implications for mathematics, but they can be used to cultivate flexibility in visual thinking.
Atherosclerosis in youth.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) and the related diseases due to atherosclerosis continue to be major public health problems in the industrialized countries and are likely to become serious problems in the developing countries. Treatment of end stage disease has improved, and risk factor modification has succeeded in reducing risk among adults. However, the age at which to begin risk factor control for long-range primary prevention is controversial. METHODS: A multicenter cooperative study, Pathobiological Determinants of Atheroscle-rosis in Youth (PDAY), was organized in 1985 to examine the relationship of the risk factors for adult CHD to preclinical atherosclerotic lesions in youth. Fourteen participating centers collected arteries, blood, other tissue, and data from 3,000 persons 15-34 years of age who died from external causes and were autopsied in forensic laboratories. Central laboratories evaluated atherosclerosis in the aorta and coronary arteries, measured lipoproteins and thio-cyanate (for smoking) in serum, glycohemo-globin in red blood cells (for blood glucose), thickness of small renal arteries (for hypertension), and body mass index (for obesity). The data were analyzed to determine the progression of atherosclerosis with age in both sexes and the association of the risk factors with atherosclerotic lesions. RESULTS: Raised lesions of the coronary arteries, the advanced lesions of atherosclerosis that lead directly to CHD, are associated positively with non-HDL cholesterol concentration, hypertension, obesity (in men), and blood glucose concentration; and inversely, with HDL cholesterol concentration. Smoking affects predominantly the abdominal aorta. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-range prevention of CHD should begin in adolescence or at least in young adulthood with control of the major established risk factors for adult CHD.
Adverse outcomes and variations in organization of care delivery.

OBJECTIVES. This article evaluates the state of the science with respect to morbidity, mortality, and adverse effects as outcomes indicative of variations in organizational variables in care delivery systems. METHODS. Eighty-one research papers research examining relations among organizational structures or processes and mortality/adverse effects were reviewed, assembled from electronic and manual searches of the biomedical and health services research literature. RESULTS. Most research relating mortality and other adverse outcomes to organizational variables has been conducted in acute care hospitals since 1990, with these outcome indictors linked more frequently to organizational structures than to organizational or clinical processes. There is support in some studies, but not in others, that nursing surveillance, quality of working environment, and quality of interaction with other professionals distinguish hospitals with lower mortality and complications from those with higher rates of these adverse effects. Increasing sophistication of risk adjustment methods suggests that variations in mortality and complications are influenced by patient variables more than by organizational variables. Adverse events may be a more sensitive marker of differences in organizational quality in acute care hospitals and long-term care. CONCLUSIONS. Taken together, the acute care studies are not conclusive regarding the extent to which the organizational features of care delivery systems positively influence such bottom-line outcomes as mortality. As severity-adjustment methods become more refined for hospital patients, many of the small differences currently seen in mortality and complications may disappear. However, given that adverse events appear more closely related to organizational factors than is mortality, researchers need to refine and better define such events that are logically related to the coordinative organizational processes among caregivers. Finally, researchers need to go much beyond mortality, morbidity, and adverse events in evaluating the linkage between the organization of care and outcomes.
Death Rituals and Social Change among the Aymara of Peru: The Subversive Strength of Ritual:

After six centuries of domination, first by the Incas then by the Spaniards and their heirs, the Aymara people have adapted and changed to survive. A critical step in that adaptation was the appropriation of a syncretic Catholicism during the Spanish Conquest. The rituals, especially those related to death, manifest a complex culture and provide strength for this people to face the challenges of modernity.
A New Family of Protura from California

Hesperentomon macswaini is described and a new family, the Hesperentomonidae, is proposed for the genus. Hesperentomon resembles the Acerentomonidae in lacking spiracles and tracheae, and in possessing abdominal laterotergites and transverse abdominal sutures. It differs significantly in possessing three pairs of twosegmented vestigial abdominal appendages.
Writing Between the Lines: Aaliyah's Dialogic Strategies for Overcoming Academic Writing Disengagement

This case study report uses the conceptual framework of Bakhtinian notions of dialogism to explore how a highly motivated 10th grade English student, Aaliyah, developed strategies for combating her disengagement in academic writing. Aaliyah‟s anxiety and boredom stemmed from multiple factors relating to the distance between her home and school literacy: a desire for dialogic exchange with a partner within her Discourse community, writing topics and modalities that conflicted with her notion of what constitutes purposeful writing, and lack of knowledge of disciplinary writing conventions. Findings revealed that Aaliyah‟s strategy of infusing her compositional practices with opportunities for dialogical exchange with, about, and beyond the text, helped her successfully navigate feelings of boredom and anxiety.
Designing polyester magnet wires to service requirements

Designs of magnet wire should be based upon customers' needs and the unique properties of particular polymers should be used to appropriate advantage. In order to be able to design wires which fill the customer's needs, the wire engineer must understand these needs and also be able to translate these requirements into meaningful tests which correlate with actual performance. Three tests which do this are the arbor winding test, the revised heat shock test and the core-coil burn-out test.
Parapraxes in the plays of William Shakespeare.

Parapraxes in the psychopathology of everyday life are "mistakes" that reveal the workings of the unconscious. (Obviously they existed before Freud's time, but it was Freud who gave them a name and dissected their complex psychological meanings.) When they occur in a great work of art (as in Shakespeare's plays) they are obviously not "mistakes" at all but carefully planted details of the artist's over-all aesthetic conception. Just as fictional dreams, as in Jensen's Gradiva, seem to follow the rules of nocturnal dream process and can be subjected to psychoanalytic scrutiny, fictional parapraxes are doubly interesting because they not only express the inwardness of a protagonist but reveal something of the writer's aesthetic method as well. This paper attempts to address these double points of entry into the mystery of Shakespeare's plays, posing the question, "Can the seemingly trivial or irrelevant (a handful of parapraxes in 38 plays) shed any light on the most complex characters in Western literature and the extraordinary mind of their creator?"
Diagnostic challenges in thyroid cytopathology

Abstract Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a long-standing modality used to obtain diagnostic material from patients with thyroid nodules. However, some common and uncommon situations exist in which diagnostic categorization of an FNA specimen is not straightforward. Diagnostically challenging thyroid lesions are typically either benign entities with cytomorphology that mimics malignancy, or malignant entities with unusual cytomorphology that causes difficulty in classification. Awareness of such diagnostic challenges can help broaden one's differential diagnosis when encountering such lesions on FNA. However, in many instances a definitive diagnosis may not be possible and providing an indeterminate diagnosis is most appropriate.
Nephroblastoma with Right Atrial Extension: Preoperative Diagnosis and Management

AbstractA 14-year-old black boy, with a large nephroblastoma of the right kidney, had preoperative identification of inferior vena caval and right atrial involvement. Renal arteriography revealed linear arterial channels in the anatomic distribution of the inferior vena cava and venography revealed total caval occlusion and a right atrial mass. Radical excision, using a cardiopulmonary bypass, resulted in a 6-month postoperative survival.
Extended LQR: Locally-Optimal Feedback Control for Systems with Non-Linear Dynamics and Non-Quadratic Cost

We present Extended LQR, a novel approach for locally-optimal control for robots with non-linear dynamics and non-quadratic cost functions. Our formulation is conceptually different from existing approaches, and is based on the novel concept of LQR-smoothing, which is an LQR-analogue of Kalman smoothing. Our approach iteratively performs both a backward Extended LQR pass, which computes approximate cost-to-go functions, and a forward Extended LQR pass, which computes approximate cost-to-come functions. The states at which the sum of these functions is minimal provide an approximately optimal sequence of states for the control problem, and we use these points to linearize the dynamics and quadratize the cost functions in the subsequent iteration. Our results indicate that Extended LQR converges quickly and reliably to a locally-optimal solution of the non-linear, non-quadratic optimal control problem. In addition, we show that our approach is easily extended to include temporal optimization, in which the duration of a trajectory is optimized as part of the control problem. We demonstrate the potential of our approach on two illustrative non-linear control problems involving simulated and physical differential-drive robots and simulated quadrotor helicopters.
Skin Tightening of the Arms and Legs with Radiofrequency and Broadband Light

With increasing age, skin that was once full and firm begins to sag, developing laxity and redundancy. Traditionally, a surgical procedure was required for treatment of this laxity as in rhytidectomy, browlift, or brachioplasty. More recently, technological advances have shifted the treatments toward nonsurgical alternatives in place of plastic surgery. Further refinement toward nonablative tissue remodeling has proven popular because of its efficacy and markedly reduced downtime and complication rate. The major emphasis in the field of nonablative tissue remodeling has been on facial rejuvenation; however, these techniques can be applied to other areas of the body as well. Of particular interest has been the development of the nonsurgical techniques for areas of loose skin on the posterior upper arms and around the knees, sites of concern particularly for many women. These areas of tissue redundancy are troublesome as they can be difficult to otherwise treat and are not necessarily a reflection of body weight or thinness. Certain devices, particularly radiofrequency (RF) and broadband light sources, have demonstrated utility for tightening and nonsurgical contouring of mild to moderate skin laxity in these regions.
Lymphatics in Neurological Disorders: A Neuro-Lympho-Vascular Component of Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease?

Lymphatic vasculature drains interstitial fluids, which contain the tissue's waste products, and ensures immune surveillance of the tissues, allowing immune cell recirculation. Until recently, the CNS was considered to be devoid of a conventional lymphatic vasculature. The recent discovery in the meninges of a lymphatic network that drains the CNS calls into question classic models for the drainage of macromolecules and immune cells from the CNS. In the context of neurological disorders, the presence of a lymphatic system draining the CNS potentially offers a new player and a new avenue for therapy. In this review, we will attempt to integrate the known primary functions of the tissue lymphatic vasculature that exists in peripheral organs with the proposed function of meningeal lymphatic vessels in neurological disorders, specifically multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. We propose that these (and potentially other) neurological afflictions can be viewed as diseases with a neuro-lympho-vascular component and should be therapeutically targeted as such.