cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A servo-controlled capacitive pressure sensor using a capped-cylinder structure microfabricated by a three-mask process

A silicon-micromachined servo-controlled capacitive pressure sensor is described. The use of a capped-cylinder shape with pick-off electrodes external to a sealed cavity permits this device to be fabricated in only three masking steps. Device behavior is evaluated experimentally and by finite element analysis. A fabricated device with 2 mm diameter, 9.7 /spl mu/m structural thickness and 10 /spl mu/m cavity height provides a measured sensitivity of 0.516 V/kPa over a dynamic range of 20-100 kPa gauge pressure, with a nonlinearity of <3.22% of full scale. The open-loop sensitivity of this device averaged over a dynamic range of 0-250 kPa is -408 ppm/kPa. A voltage bias applied to the servo-electrode can be used to tune both the open-loop and servo-controlled sensitivity by more than 30%. An alternative design in which the Si electrode is segmented to relieve residual stress provides 10-20% more open-loop sensitivity with similar structural dimensions. Fabricated devices are sealed within a metal package filled with an inert dielectric liquid. This enhanced open-loop sensitivity by a factor of about 1.7, and in servo-controlled operation, reduced restoring voltage by a similar factor. Measurements and analysis of temperature responses of these devices are presented.
Resource bounded randomness and computational complexity

The following is a survey of resource bounded randomness concepts and their relations to each other. Further, we introduce several new resource bounded randomness concepts corresponding to the classical randomness concepts, and show that the notion of polynomial time bounded Ko randomness is independent of the notions of polynomial time bounded Lutz, Schnorr and Kurtz randomness. Lutz has conjectured that, for a given time or space bound, the corresponding resource bounded Lutz randomness is a proper renement of resource bounded Schnorr randomness. This conjecture is answered for the case of polynomial time bound. Moreover, we will show that polynomial time bounded Schnorr randomness is a proper renement of polynomial time bounded Kurtz randomness. In contrast to this result, we show that the notions of polynomial time bounded Lutz, Schnorr and Kurtz randomness coincide in the case of recursive sets, thus it suces to study the notion of resource bounded Lutz randomness in the context of complexity theory. The stochastic properties of resource bounded random sequences will be discussed in detail. Schnorr has already shown that the law of large numbers holds for p-random sequences. We will show that another important law in probability theory, the law of the iterated logarithm, holds for p-random sequences too. Hence almost all sets in the exponential time complexity class are \hard" from the viewpoint of statistics. c 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Characterization of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition Reveals Differences in Central and Peripheral Endocannabinoid Metabolism

SUMMARY Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a principal degradative enzyme for the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). We recently reported a piperidine carbamate, JZL184, that inhibits MAGL with high potency and selectivity. Here, we describe a comprehensive mechanistic characterization of JZL184. We provide evidence that JZL184 irreversibly inhibits MAGL via carbamoylation of the enzyme’s serine nucleophile. Functional proteomic analysis of mice treated with JZL184 revealed that this inhibitor maintains good selectivity for MAGL across a wide range of central and peripheral tissues. Interestingly, MAGL blockade produced marked, tissue-specific differences in monoglyceride metabolism, with brain showing the most dramatic elevations in 2-AG and peripheral tissues often showing greater changes in other monoglycerides. Collectively, these studies indicate that MAGL exerts tissue-dependent control over endocannabinoid and monoglyceride metabolism and designate JZL184 as a selective tool to characterize the functions of MAGL in vivo.
Oxygen K near-edge fine structure: An electron-energy-loss investigation with comparisons to new theory for selected 3 d Transition-metal oxides

Excitations of the oxygen $1s$ subshell in selected $3d$ transition-metal oxides have been studied by inelastic scattering of 75-keV electrons. Striking variations in the near-edge fine structure are reported and an interpretation is developed based on an empirical molecular orbital energy-level model. We compare our observed fine structure with that evinced in the metal $K$ and ${L}_{3}$ edges in these same oxides. While the molecular-orbital model seems adequate for interpreting the spectra of Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, it fails for at least some of the oxides studied. For example, in the case of NiO, a self-consistent Hartree-Fock computation for the oxygen $1s$ excitation spectrum gives results showing that the near-edge structure is not adequately described by the unoccupied density of states of the solid before core-hole excitation. Instead, the initial spectral peaks are shown to be core excitons. However, for Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, a tight-binding extended H\"uckel calculation neglecting the core hole yields a density of states that displays peaks in good agreement with the experimental data. Speculations on the origin of the difference between the spectra of NiO and Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ are offered.
AVAILABILITY ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE CATEGORY I APPROACH AND LANDING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES.

This paper presents results of a comparative assessment of the availability of alternative differential GPS (DGPS) precision approach and landing system architectures. The baseline availability for comparison is developed based on the performance of the current Instrument Landing System (ILS). The analysis addresses the number and positioning of geostationary satellites that are needed to achieve the availability requirements and identifies a possible role for pseudolites. Analysis of temporal availability characteristics of DGPS provides additional operational insight.
Cognitive development and pediatric consent to organ donation.

Attempting to balance the needs and interests of minors with the obligation to protect them from their own potentially harmful decisions poses an ethical challenge for the physician. This problem is further exacerbated when the context is not medical treatment but organ donation. That is, medical treatment scenarios generally involve decisions likely to result in objective improvements to the minor's health status. Consent to organ donation, however, raises several vexing problems. First, how should the provider measure both the cognitive ability and competence to consent of the minor to ensure that the minor comprehends the risks and benefits of donation and that no coercion is involved? Second, given that improvement of one's health is an unlikely scenario, is there a way to measure subjective determinations of satisfaction and altruism enjoyed by a minor following organ donation? If so, should the physician regard these values in a manner analogous to physical improvement? Finally, are parents the appropriate decisionmakers for their children when a sibling-to-sibling donation occurs? Is it possible for parents to always act in the best interests of both children in this event?
Racial/Ethnic Variation in Asthma Status and Management Practices Among Children in Managed Medicaid

Objective. Raciallethnic disparities in hospitalization rates among children with asthma have been documented but are not well-understood. Medicaid programs, which serve many minority children, have markedly increased their use of managed care in recent years. It is unknown whether racial/ethnic disparities in health care use or other processes of care exist in managed Medicaid populations. This study of Medicaid-insured children with asthma in 5 managed care organizations aimed to 1) compare parent-reported health status and asthma care processes among black, Latino, and white children and 2) test the hypothesis that racial/ ethnic variations in processes of asthma care exist after adjusting for socioeconomic status and asthma status. Methods. This cross-sectional study collected data via telephone interviews with parents and computerized records for Medicaid-insured children with asthma in 5 managed care organizations in California, Washington, and Massachusetts. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Children's Health Survey for Asthma was used to measure parent-reported asthma status. We used multivariate models to evaluate associations between race/ ethnicity and asthma status while controlling for other sociodemographic variables. We evaluated racial/ethnic variations in selected processes of asthma care while controlling for other demographic variables and asthma status. Results. The response rate was 63%. Of the 1658 children in the respondent group, 38% were black, 19% were Latino, and 31% were white. Black children had worse asthma status than white children on the basis of the AAP asthma physical and emotional health scores, symptom-days, and school days missed in the past 2 weeks. Latino children had equivalent AAP scores but missed more school days than white children. On the basis of the AAP asthma physical health score, the black-white disparity persisted after adjusting for other sociodemographic variables. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables and asthma status, black and Latino children were less likely to be using inhaled antiinflammatory medication than white children (relative risk for blacks: 0.69; relative risk for Latinos: 0.58). They were more likely to have home nebulizers. Other processes of asthma care, including ratings of providers and asthma care, use of written management plans, use of preventive visits and specialists, and having no pets or smokers at home, were equal or better for minority children compared with white children. Conclusions. Black and Latino children had worse asthma status and less use of preventive asthma medications than white children within the same managed Medicaid populations. Most other processes of asthma care seemed to be equal or better for minorities in the populations that we studied. Increasing the use of preventive medications is a natural focus for reducing racial disparities in asthma. Pediatrics 2002;109:857-865; asthma, race, race/ethnicity, health status, quality of care, processes of care, managed care.
The Influence of an In-Situ Electric Field on H + and He + Implantation Induced Defects in Silicon

The influence of in-situ electronic perturbations on defect generation during 150-keV proton implantation into biased silicon p-n junctions has been investigated. The concentration and spatial distribution of the deep traps were characterized using a modification of the double corelation deep level transient spectroscopy technique (D-DLTS). With the in-situ electric field applied, a decrease in concentration of vacancy-related, as well as H-related, traps was observed. 500 keV He{sup +} implantation was also performed to supplement the above studies and to differentiate any passivation effects due to hydrogen. A model based on the charge states of hydrogen and vacancies was used to explain the observed behaviour.
Thalassemia and pregnancy: Results of an antenatal screening program

Abstract A thalassemia screening program was implemented at our institution using the finding of a mean corpuscular volume
Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain: What Is It, and When Do We Offer It to Patients?

Primary care physicians are the main first-contact providers for patients with both acute and chronic low back pain in the United States. Although most patients presenting with new-onset back pain do well with a brief evaluation, reassurance, and symptomatic treatment, many studies have demonstrated
The WOMQOL instrument measured quality of life in women of reproductive age with no known pathology.

Abstract Background and Objectives The Women's Quality of Life Questionnaire (WOMQOL) was developed to measure aspects of the health of women of reproductive age with no known pathology. Methods Five experts in women's health and mental health rated a pool of 140 items as very significant, somewhat significant, or insignificant to women's health. Sixty-seven items were retained and formatted as a self-reported questionnaire with dichotomous responses to each statement (“true” and “false”). A total of 1,207 women completed the instrument during the follicular and late luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. Dichotomous response data from the follicular phases were analyzed using item response theory-based full-information item factor analysis to identify interpretable factors. Measurement invariance of the obtained factors across cycle phases and age cohorts was further evaluated using differential item functioning (DIF). Results Four primary factors, made up of the 10 items with highest factor loading in each factor, were found to measure physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. No items were found to display DIF across the phases of menstrual cycles or age cohorts. Conclusion Although additional studies of diverse groups of women are advised, the final 40-item WOMQOL is a psychometrically sound measure that can be used to evaluate the quality of life of women of reproductive age in the general population.
Reflective thinking, effort, persistence, disorganization and academic performance: a mediational approach

Resumen en: Introduction: This article reports on a two-phase study that was conducted looking at study processing strategies, reflective thinking practice, and acad...
The Importance of Subjective Data for Public Agency Performance Evaluation

Evaluating public agency performance has typically been based on objective measurements. However, some researchers contend that evaluation is not complete without considering client perceptions of agency performance. This study supports combining subjective client perceptions with objective data in the evaluation process. Survey results and internal performance data are examined for a state agency charged with investigating citizen disputes with utility companies. Regression analyses show that the factors that most influence the client’s satisfaction with agency performance are the client’s perception of how long it took to resolve the dispute, based on survey results, and whether the case was decided in the client’s favor, from the agency’s internal records. The “real” resolution time recorded in the agency’s information system was not significant. These results indicate that subjective data provide valuable information for evaluating agency performance.
Silencing of omega-5 gliadins in transgenic wheat eliminates a major source of environmental variability and improves dough mixing properties of flour

The end-use quality of wheat flour varies as a result of the growth conditions of the plant. Among the wheat gluten proteins, the omega-5 gliadins have been identified as a major source of environmental variability, increasing in proportion in grain from plants that receive fertilizer or are subjected to high temperatures during grain development. The omega-5 gliadins also have been associated with the food allergy wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). Recently, transgenic lines with reduced levels of omega-5 gliadins were developed using RNA interference (RNAi). These lines make it possible to determine whether changes in the levels of omega-5 gliadins in response to environmental conditions and agronomic inputs may be responsible for changes in flour end-use quality. Two transgenic wheat lines and a non-transgenic control were grown under a controlled temperature regimen with or without post-anthesis fertilizer and the protein composition of the resulting flour was analyzed by quantitative two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). In one transgenic line, all 2-DE spots identified as omega-5 gliadins were substantially reduced without effects on other proteins. In the other transgenic line, the omega-5 gliadins were absent and there was a partial reduction in the levels of the omega-1,2 gliadins and the omega-1,2 chain-terminating gliadins as well as small changes in several other proteins. With the exception of the omega gliadins, the non-transgenic control and the transgenic plants showed similar responses to the fertilizer treatment. Protein contents of flour were determined by the fertilizer regimen and were similar in control and transgenic samples produced under each regimen while both mixing time and mixing tolerance were improved in flour from transgenic lines when plants received post-anthesis fertilizer. The data indicate that omega-5 gliadins have a negative effect on flour quality and suggest that changes in quality with the growth environment may be due in part to alterations in the levels of the omega gliadins. Because a known food allergen and one of the major sources of environmentally-induced variation in wheat flour protein composition has been eliminated, the transgenic lines may yield flour with both improved end-use quality and more consistent functionality when grown in different locations.
Identification of a Novel Gene Family Involved in Osmotic Stress Response in Caenorhabditis elegans

Organisms exposed to the damaging effects of high osmolarity accumulate solutes to increase cytoplasmic osmolarity. Yeast accumulates glycerol in response to osmotic stress, activated primarily by MAP kinase Hog1 signaling. A pathway regulated by protein kinase C (PKC1) also responds to changes in osmolarity and cell wall integrity. C. elegans accumulates glycerol when exposed to high osmolarity, but the molecular pathways responsible for this are not well understood. We report the identification of two genes, osm-7 and osm-11, which are related members of a novel gene family. Mutations in either gene lead to high internal levels of glycerol and cause an osmotic resistance phenotype (Osr). These mutants also have an altered defecation rhythm (Dec). Mutations in cuticle collagen genes dpy-2, dpy-7, and dpy-10 cause a similar Osr Dec phenotype. osm-7 is expressed in the hypodermis and may be secreted. We hypothesize that osm-7 and osm-11 interact with the cuticle, and disruption of the cuticle causes activation of signaling pathways that increase glycerol production. The phenotypes of osm-7 are not suppressed by mutations in MAP kinase or PKC pathways, suggesting that C. elegans uses signaling pathways different from yeast to mount a response to osmotic stress.
Novel glutamate‐ and GABA‐independent synaptic depolarization in granule cells of guinea‐pig hippocampus

1. Dual intracellular recordings of granule cells, hilar interneurons and CA3 pyramidal cells were performed in transverse slices of guinea-pig hippocampus. At resting membrane potential, in the presence of 4-aminopyridine, ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists and the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline, granule cells showed spontaneous, large amplitude depolarizations correlated with synchronous bursting activity of interneurons. 2. Under these conditions, pyramidal cells exhibited large amplitude monophasic GABAB inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) synchronous with the GABAergic interneuron burst discharges. The granule cells also received a GABAB input, which was evident only when the neurons were depolarized by DC injection. The GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 55,845A (CGP) blocked the GABAB IPSPs in both pyramidal cells and granule cells; however, the depolarizing potential in granule cells was unaffected by the drug. 3. The granule cells depolarization in the presence of CGP was monophasic and exhibited linear voltage dependence with a reversal potential around -40 mV, suggesting that it was generated by a synaptic input activating a mixed cationic current. 4. The granule cell depolarization was abolished following the addition of tetrodotoxin to the bath. In addition, perfusing the slice with a low Ca(2+)-containing solution (0.5 mM Ca(2+)-10 mM Mg2+) also abolished the granule cell depolarization, confirming the synaptic origin of the event. 5. (S)-Methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine, L-(+)-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid, propranolol and atropine did not affect the granule cell depolarization, indicating that metabotropic glutamate receptors, beta-adrenergic receptors and muscarinic cholinergic receptors were not involved in generating the granule cell depolarizing synaptic response. 6. These findings indicate that, in the absence of both glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs, synchronous interneuronal activity can produce a depolarizing synaptic response in granule cells. The neurochemical responsible for the depolarization is currently under investigation.
A Component-Based Approach to Hand Verification

This paper describes a novel hand-based verification system based on palm-finger segmentation and fusion. The proposed system operates on 2D hand images acquired by placing the hand on a planar lighting table without any guidance pegs. The segmentation of the palm and the fingers is performed without requiring the extraction of any landmark points on the hand. First, the hand is segmented from the forearm using a robust, iterative methodology based on morphological operators. Then, the hand is segmented into six regions corresponding to the palm and the fingers using morphological operators again. The geometry of each component of the hand is represented using high order Zernike moments which are computed using an efficient methodology. Finally, verification is performed by fusing information from different parts of the hand. The proposed system has been evaluated on a database of 101 subjects illustrating high accuracy and robustness. Comparisons with competitive approaches that use the whole hand illustrate the superiority of the proposed, component-based, approach both in terms of accuracy and robustness. Qualitative comparisons with state of the art systems illustrate that the proposed system has comparable or better performance.
Renal Dysplasia in Beagle Dogs: Four Cases

Anomalies of renal development comprise abnormalities in the amount of renal tissue (agenesis and hypoplasia); anomalies of renal position, form, and orientation; and renal dysplasia. There are previous reports of canine renal dysplasia in different breeds but none in the Beagle breed. This is the first report of renal dysplasia in this breed of dog. Morphologic descriptions of the range of microscopic features observed in four cases of renal dysplasia from preclinical studies in laboratory Beagle dogs are presented (including persistent primitive mesenchyme, persistence of metanephric ducts, asynchronous differentiation of nephrons, and atypical tubular epithelium), along with a basis for the classification of the lesion.
Performance and Scalability of MJ Sequentially Fired Pulse Forming Networks for Linear and Nonlinear Loads

The principal advantages of the sequentially fired pulse forming network (SFPFN) over its passive analog are its utility in both linear and nonlinear load applications. Operation of the SFPFN consists of charging multiple capacitor banks to different voltage levels and sequentially firing these banks into the load at appropriate times. The load characteristics and the desired pulse attributes determine the module charge voltage and sequential firing schedule. This paper describes the pulsed power system and computer control system design of a 750-kJ SFPFN. Typical experimental results in the case of a linear load are presented and compared with simulations, and pulse-shaping capabilities are demonstrated. Scaling considerations are discussed in the case of increasing the SFPFN energy capacity to 7.5 MJ. The SFPFN uses a computer-controlled field programmable gate array to initiate the trigger signal for each module's output switch. The use of a computer-controlled firing circuit provides an opportunity to incorporate real-time load monitoring and feedback to select the optimal firing times and durations based on dynamic load conditions. The incorporation of feedback during a pulse sequence also allows for the firing sequence to be halted in the event of a fault or other potentially harmful event. The charging controller features a computer monitoring and control system to allow a single power supply to charge multiple capacitor modules by an array of switching relays, even though each module may be charged to a different voltage. In linear load testing, the SFPFN provided a relatively constant current pulse to a resistive load. Pulse-shaping capabilities are demonstrated by varying the charge voltage of individual banks prior to a firing sequence. Future applications of the SFPFN include powering a helical launcher
Media involvement and local news effects

This study considered the influence of cognitive and emotional involvement on two local news effects: information holding and parasocial interaction with a local newscaster. Adult local news viewers (N = 305) completed questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that local news information holding was explained by lower levels of local news affinity and entertainment viewing motive, higher levels of information viewing motive, and more elaboration on news stories. Parasocial interaction was predicted by higher levels of news realism, less recognition of news, and feeling happy while watching the news.
Hybrid Organizations as Shape-Shifters: Altering Legal Structure for Strategic Gain:

Social entrepreneurs navigate a complex landscape of legal structures in which they need to select among forprofit, nonprofit, and mixed-entity structures. This study of 48 hybrid organizations identifies why social entrepreneurs chose one legal structure over another and explains what motivates half of them to change their legal structure as they build their enterprise. It highlights the critical desire for flexibility among social entrepreneurs, discusses the implications that changes to legal structure may have for companies and hybrids in partnerships, and explores how companies can leverage hybrid structures to go beyond their current scope of CSR initiatives.
Chapter 6: Gay Latinos and AIDS:

AIDS education, prevention strategies, and support services for gay and bisexual Latinos have traditionally been inadequate, even though surveillance data demonstrate that the risk of contracting AIDS is two and one-half times greater for gay or bisexual Latino men than for their white counterparts. Language, culture, disproportionate poverty, and different definitions of gay or bisexual identity in Latino communities must be considered when addressing AIDS issues among Latino groups in the United States. It should not be assumed that outreach, education and prevention programs which may be appropriate for whites or African Americans will be appropriate for Latinos. This article offers a theoretical framework for developing a culturally-sensitive AIDS prevention program for gay and bisexual Latino men.
The lost decade of global polio eradication and moving forward

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was aimed to eradicate poliomyelitis by the year 2000, however, polio eradication is still not in sight even in 2010, over 10 years after the initial target date. In 2010, indigenous transmission of wild polioviruses has been interrupted throughout the world except four countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nigeria. Despite the intense use of monovalent oral polio vaccines, type 1 and type 3 wild polioviruses still circulate in the four remaining polio-endemic countries, and multiple importations of wild polioviruses have also occurred extensively from Nigeria and India to a number of previously polio-free countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Furthermore, the emergence of type 2 vaccine-derived polioviruses has raised concerns about low level of immunity against type 2 poliovirus in some polio-endemic areas like Nigeria and India. On the other hand, operational improvements in 2009 were reported in high-risk states in northern Nigeria and transmission of type 1 and type 3 polioviruses in Nigeria is markedly declining from 2009 to 2010. Moreover, bivalent oral polio vaccine containing Sabin 1 and Sabin 3 strains has been introduced in 2010 as a promising tool to improve and simplify the supplemental immunization activities in high-risk areas. Although there was no apparent decline in the annual number of polio cases in 2000-2009 globally, it would be critical to review our experience during "the lost decade of global polio eradication" to move forward into the final stage of global polio eradication.
Magnetic Exchange Couplings from Noncollinear Perturbation Theory: Dinuclear CuII Complexes

To benchmark the performance of a new method based on noncollinear coupled-perturbed density functional theory [J. Chem. Phys. 138, 174115 (2013)], we calculate the magnetic exchange couplings in a series of triply bridged ferromagnetic dinuclear CuII complexes that have been recently synthesized [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 1966 (2013)]. We find that for any basis-set the couplings from our noncollinear coupled-perturbed methodology are practically identical to those of spin-projected energy-differences when a hybrid density functional approximation is employed. This demonstrates that our methodology properly recovers a Heisenberg description for these systems, and is robust in its predictive power of magnetic couplings. Furthermore, this indicates that the failure of density functional theory to capture the subtle variation of the exchange couplings in these complexes is not simply an artifact of broken-symmetry methods, but rather a fundamental weakness of current approximate density functionals for th...
Improvements and Generalizations of Stochastic Knapsack and Multi-Armed Bandit Approximation Algorithms: Extended Abstract.

The multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem features the classical tradeoff between exploration and exploitation. The input specifies several stochastic arms which evolve with each pull, and the goal is to maximize the expected reward after a fixed budget of pulls. The celebrated work of Gittins et al., surveyed in [8], presumes a condition on the arms called the martingale assumption. In [9], A. Gupta et al. obtained an LP-based 1 48 -approximation for the problem with the martingale assumption removed. We improve the algorithm to a 4 27 -approximation, with simpler analysis. Our algorithm also generalizes to the case of MAB superprocesses with (stochastic) multi-period actions. This generalization captures the framework introduced by Guha and Munagala in [11], and yields new results for their budgeted learning problems. Also, we obtain a ( 1 2 − e)-approximation for the variant of MAB where preemption (playing an arm, switching to another arm, then coming back to the first arm) is not allowed. This contains the stochastic knapsack problem of Dean, Goemans, and Vondrak in [6] with correlated rewards, where we are given a knapsack of fixed size, and a set of jobs each with a joint distribution for its size and reward. The actual size and reward of a job can only be discovered in real-time as it is being scheduled, and the objective is to maximize expected reward before the knapsack size is exhausted. Our ( 1 2 − e)-approximation improves the 1 16 and 1 8 approximations in [9] for correlated stochastic knapsack with cancellation and no cancellation, respectively, providing to our knowledge the first tight algorithm for these problems that matches the integrality gap of 2. We sample probabilities from an exponential-sized dynamic programming solution, whose existence is guaranteed by an LP projection argument. We hope this technique can also be applied to other dynamic programming problems which can be projected down onto a small LP.
Morphoproteomics identifies constitutive activation of the mTORC2/Akt and NF-κB pathways and expressions of IGF-1R, Sirt1, COX-2, and FASN in peripheral T-cell lymphomas: Pathogenetic implications and therapeutic options

Background: Gaining a better understanding of the molecular circuitries and pathways implicated in the malignant growth and biological behavior of T cell lymphomas may identify potential cellular targets with clinical therapeutic potential. The immunohistochemical characterization of key cellular proteins participating in these pathways can provide surrogate markers of biological activity. The mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) signaling pathway has been implicated in T-cell lymphopoiesis. The mTORC2 pathway involves downstream activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and p-Akt (Ser 473). Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) are expressed upstream of the mTORC and NF-κB signaling pathways. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 products influence these pathways. Our goal was to use morphoproteomics to characterize the expression patterns of the proteins in various peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Design: Ten cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) were examined for expression of proteins along the mTORC, Akt and NF-κB pathways and affiliated tumorigenic molecules. These included two angioimmunoblastic PTCL, one natural killer/PTCL, one anaplastic large PTCL, and six PTCL not otherwise specified. Immunostaining for phosphorylated (p) mTOR (Ser 2448), p-Akt (Ser 473), p-NF-κBp65 (Ser 536), IGF-1R (Tyr1165/1166), silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Sirt1), COX-2 and FASN was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue for each case. Percent expression was scored using bright-field microscopy with high expression designated as more than 50% of the cells with positive stain in the appropriate subcellular compartment. Results: All ten cases demonstrated nuclear staining for p-mTOR (Ser 2448) corresponding to mTORC 2, and all cases showed strong, diffuse nuclear staining for p-NF-κBp65 (Ser 536). All ten also showed nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for p-Akt (Ser 473) and cytoplasmic staining for IGF-1R. High expressions for nuclear Sirt1, and cytoplasmic COX-2 and FASN were detected in 7, 9, and 8 out of 10 cases, respectively. Six out of 10 cases demonstrated high expression of all the mentioned markers. Conclusion: The constitutive activation of mTORC2, NF-κB, p-Akt and the concomitant expression of IGF-1R suggests convergence of these molecular pathways in T-cell lymphoma. The results of this study also suggest that mTORC2 may be a common denominator among this heterogeneous group of lymphomas. Interference of key nodes of this pathway may carry a clinical therapeutic benefit. Agents that may be considered based on existing data include: bortezomib to inhibit NF-κB pathway activation; metformin to inhibit both NF-κB and mTORC2 and histone deacteylase inhibitors to inhibit mTORC2 pathway signaling. Furthermore, panobinostat inhibits Sirt1 pathway when present, and celecoxib inhibits NF-κB pathway activation independent of COX2.
Limitations in the use of [U-13C6]glucose to estimate gluconeogenesis

the efforts of Drs. J. Kelleher, W.-N. P. Lee, and J. Radziuk to resolve the differences between our formulas and those of Drs. J. A. Tayek and J. Katz are greatly appreciated. However, with deep regret and due respect for Drs. Radziuk and Lee, they ([26][1]) misinterpret the contributions of my
Femoral Neck Stress Fracture: Can MRI Grade Help Predict Return-to-Running Time?

Background:Limited research is available regarding return-to-running (RTR) time after femoral neck stress fractures. While studies have shown the prognostic value of image-based grading scales for stress fractures at other sites, few have included femoral neck stress fractures.Purpose:To determine if the grade of femoral neck stress fractures based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics correlates with RTR time.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:This study included 24 patients (mean age, 32.9 years; range, 18-51 years) who were diagnosed with 27 femoral neck stress fractures by MRI from 2009 to 2015 at a single sports medicine clinic. All fractures were compression sided and were treated nonoperatively. Charts were reviewed for patient demographics and RTR time. Images were graded from 1 to 4 using the Arendt stress fracture severity scale. Statistical analysis was performed using survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard model to compare the RTR time between grades. ...
Physiological studies and clinical experience in patients with synchronous and asynchronous pacemakers.

Summary Physiological studies and clinical experience in 34 patients in whom synchronous or asynchronous pacemakers were implanted were analyzed. Studies were performed defining the hemodynamic abnormalities in complete heart block, the beneficial effect of increasing ventricular rate, and the further beneficial effect of atrial and ventricular synchronization. Complete heart block with Adams-Stokes attacks, and complete heart block with profound lethargy and congestive heart failure were the main indications for pacemaker implantation. The average age at the time of implantation was 68 years. Two patients died in the hospital. There were five late deaths due to the following causes: infection (1), electrode breakage (1), coronary artery disease (2), and unknown (1). Eighty per cent of the patients are surviving to date with improved cardiac function and are relieved of their Adams-Stokes attacks. The main problems were related to unit failure (5 patients) and wire breakage (7 patients).
Integration of High Tc Materials in Micro-SMES

The University of Wisconsin - Madison is providing technical assistance in the form of magnet design, development of HTS current leads and magnets, and integration of cryocoolers for a program directed at marketing of micro-SMES systems for power conditioning in the range of 3 MJ and 1.5 MW. The design approach incorporates BSCCO 2212 elements and an orifice pulse tube (OPT) cryocooler in the HTS current leads, and a neon based Joule Thomson cryocooler for testing HTS magnets. This report describes efforts in progress and provides detail in the design approaches being adopted in the various micro- SMES activities.
Ethanol yields and elevated amino acids in distillers dried grains with solubles from maize grain with higher concentrations of essential amino acids

Abstract Concentrations of the essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan, present in corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are insufficient to fully meet the nutritional requirements in non-ruminant feeds. Mutations known to increase lysine and tryptophan concentrations were combined by breeding into two maize hybrid backgrounds that differ for grain protein concentration (FR1064 × Mo17 normal protein, FR1064 × IRHP1 high protein). These mutant hybrids were compared to their non-mutant control isolines for field performance and ethanol and DDGS processing using laboratory scale procedures: conventional dry grind process and modified dry grind process using granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme (GSHE). The mutant hybrid grain contained higher concentrations of a number of amino acids, with notable increases to at least 0.55% w/w lysine and 0.18% w/w tryptophan. Due to lower grain yield and starch concentrations, final ethanol yields of FR1064 × Mo17: o2; asaC28 hybrid were reduced compared to control for both the conventional and modified dry grind processes. However, with the modified process, ethanol yield for FR1064 × IRHP1: o2; asa2-C28 hybrid was similar to its control isoline. DDGS yields increased for both mutant hybrids compared to controls. Although amino acid profiles were similar for DDGS recovered from both the conventional and modified processes, DDGS from the mutant hybrids contained higher concentrations of lysine (1.48–1.70% w/w) and tryptophan (0.32–0.39% w/w) compared to controls (1.09% w/w lysine, 0.22% w/w tryptophan). Using these mutant corn hybrids at an ethanol plant resulted in lower ethanol yields; however, this loss can be recovered with the higher DDGS yield and increased nutritional value of the DDGS.
A CAM enabled fast video motion estimation based on locality sensitive signatures

Motion estimation consumes the major part of time and power in both video compression standards — HEVC and H.264. This paper presents a Fast Motion Estimation algorithm, which targets Full Search quality even at HD resolution. It is an enhancement of existing Fast Motion Estimation algorithms with the main purpose of reducing cost and power consumption for devices performing Motion Estimation while collecting and transmitting video data (used for deep learning). The proposed algorithm is based on dimensionality reduction and uses Content Addressable Memories (CAMs) and locality sensitive signatures to achieve “Quantitative Expression of Similarity”. The algorithm also presents an enhancement to one of the most efficient existing Fast Motion Estimation algorithms for lower resolutions — HMDS. The quality achieved with the new algorithm is only 3dB below Full Search.
20 renewable biowastes derived carbon materials as green counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract Twenty types of biowastes derived carbon materials (BCM) synthesized by a facile one-step pyrolysis were developed as counter electrodes for the configuration of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The biowastes selected for the BCM preparation were divided into three groups: (i) eleven woods, including weeping willow, phoenix, camphor, Chinese fir, maple, peach, poplar, cypress, tea-oil camellia, orange, and chinaberry; (ii) seven leaves, including pine needles, camphor, palm, maple, poplar, Chinese fir, and red after-wood; and (iii) two papers, namely filter paper and facial tissue. Each of the BCM based DSSCs shows a higher efficiency than the graphite based counterparts. The efficiencies of the DSSCs employing the BCM prepared from woods and leaves vary in a range 1.23% -1.91% and 1.07%-1.85%, respectively, while that of the devices using the graphite is 0.77%. The peak efficiency in both groups of the wood and leaf based cells is achieved by employing the phoenix wood and the palm leaf as the raw materials, respectively. Compared with the porous BCM obtained from the woods and leaves, the fibrous BCM fabricated from the papers show better efficiencies of around 4.70% for use in the DSSCs. The high efficiency is mainly attributed to the superior catalytic activity and faster electron transportation for tri-iodide ( I 3 − ) reduction induced by the unique morphological and structural characteristics of the paper derived BCM, such as hierarchical fibrous carbon skeletons at nanometer and micron scales, abundant exposed microcrystal edges and defects, rough surface at nanoscale with rich burrs and convex microstructures, and oxygen-containing surface functional groups. Furthermore, the efficiency of the DSSCs employing the paper derived BCM is equal to about 88% of that of the devices using the mesoporous carbon synthesized from the phenolic resin mixtures based on polymerization-induced phase separation.
Characteristics of Neurotransmitter Competition Studies Using Constant Infusion of Tracer

Neuroreceptor radioligands have been shown to be sensitive to the level of endogenous neurotransmitter. One method used to study neurotransmitter competition is the bolus + infusion (B/I) method, in which an initial bolus injection is followed by a constant infusion in order to achieve an equilibrium level of tracer in plasma and tissue. Subsequently, stimulus-induced alterations of endogenous ligand concentration cause the tracer level to change from the original equilibrium level. The change in tracer concentration has been assumed to reflect the magnitude of neurotransmitter release. Previously, the conventional receptor compartment model was extended to describe B/I competition studies using [ 11 C]raclopride. This chapter applied the extended model in simulation studies of the B/I method. A wide range of tracer kinetic parameters was used for simulations: K 1 0.1–1.0 ml/min/ml, V e = 0.3–6.0 ml/ml, k on B max = 0.1–1.0 min −1 , and k off = 0.02–0.25 min −1 . For tracers within the simulated range, the extended model predicts that the change in tracer concentration measured with the B/I protocol is strongly correlated with the integral of the neurotransmitter pulse. The maximum change in tracer concentration following a neurotransmitter pulse was used as a measure of the sensitivity to displacement by neurotransmitter release. Tracers with binding potential in the range 1–4 were the most sensitive to displacement. Faster tissue-to-blood transport and lower nonspecific binding improved sensitivity. These simulations determine how tracer characteristics affect the sensitivity to neurotransmitter release. However, the accuracy of the extended model and signal-to-noise issues must be considered in determining the ultimate sensitivity of a tracer method.
Translation and contact languages: the case of motion events

In this study we use a translation corpus of English novels translated into two closely related Celtic languages, Welsh and Breton, as one way of shedding light on the extent to which languages can influence each other over time: Welsh has a long history of contact with English, and Breton with French. Ever since the work of Leonard Talmy (1991, 2000 etc.), linguists have recognized that languages fall into a small number of types with respect to how they prefer to talk about motion events. English is a good exemplar of the satellite-framed type, whereas French exemplifies the verb-framed type. Translation scholars have observed that translating between languages of two different types raises interesting questions ( Slobin 2005 ; Cappelle 2012 ), and the topic is also of interest from the perspective of language contact: is it possible for a language of one type, in a situation of prolonged and intense bilingualism with a language of another type, to be influenced or perhaps even to change its own rhetorical preferences? The translation corpus provides a body of data which holds constant the starting point – the cue in each case was an English motion event in the source text. We do indeed find that Welsh and Breton have diverged in important ways in terms of their preferences for encoding motion events: Breton is revealed to have moved significantly in the direction of French with respect to these preferences.
Relationship among aqueous copper half-lives and responses of Pimephales promelas to a series of copper sulfate pentahydrate concentrations

Copper algaecide exposures in situ are often of shorter duration than exposures for static toxicity experiments because aqueous concentrations in situ dissipate as a function of site-specific fate processes. Consequently, responses of organisms to static copper exposures may overestimate effects following in situ exposures. To understand the role of exposure duration for altering responses, Pimephales promelas survival was compared following static (96 h) and pulse (1.5, 4, 8, and 15 h half-lives) exposures of CuSO4•5H2O. Copper concentrations sorbed by fry indicated a consequence of different exposures. Responses of P. promelas to static exposures resulted in 96 h LC50s of 166 µgCu/L (95% confidence interval [CI], 142–189 µgCu/L) as soluble copper and 162 µgCu/L (CI, 140–183 µgCu/L) as acid soluble copper. Relative to static 96 h LC50s, exposures with half-lives of 1.5, 4 and 8 h resulted in LC50s 10, 3 and 2 times greater, respectively, for responses measured 96 h after exposure initiation. Copper concentrations extracted from fry exposed for 1.5, 4 and 8 h half-lives were less than the static experiment. However, copper sorbed by fry in the 15 h half-life experiment was not different than the static experiment. The relationship between 96 h LC50 and 1/half-life was expressed using the equations y = 116 + 1360 × (R2 = 0.97) for soluble copper and y = 147 + 1620 × (R2 = 0.98) for acid soluble copper. Incorporation of exposure duration for predictions of P. promelas responses to copper pulse exposures increases prediction accuracy by an order of magnitude.