cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medication Reconciliation Limitations: Observation of the Medication Reconciliation Process in the Emergency Department by Two Immersion Pharmacy Students

Multiple medical records may exist for a particular individual based on the various health services he or she receives. Maintaining updated, accurate records remains the responsibility of both practitioners and patients. Medication reconciliation, defined as the process to accurately depict the patient’s current orders and medications, 2 seeks to avoid errors in duplicity, interactions and dosing errors. Medication histories at Moses Cone Hospital are currently recorded by pharmacy technicians who follow specific standards, for instance they cannot remove “house meds”, which are prescribed medications with an active prescription attached. Technicians instead mark these medications for removal, leaving reconciliation to the physician. The physicians in the emergency department are not required to complete a full reconciliation for patient's profiles as this is a task left for the admitting physician. This leads to the question whether the reconciliation process in the emergency department (ED) needs to be re-evaluated. Patients’ “After Visit Summary” reports were used to analyze patient profiles in determining medication reconciliation statuses (whether fully reconciled, partially reconciled, or unreconciled). 280 patients’ profiles were used. 243 records (86.79%) were found unreconciled, 18 (6.43%) were partially reconciled, and 19 (6.79%) were fully reconciled. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties Type: Student Project
Historical harvests reduce neighboring old-growth basal area across a forest landscape

While advances in remote sensing have made stand, landscape, and regional assessments of the direct impacts of disturbance on forests quite common, the edge influence of timber harvesting on the structure of neighboring unharvested forests has not been examined extensively. In this study, we examine the impact of historical timber harvests on basal area patterns of neighboring old-growth forests to assess the magnitude and scale of harvest edge influence in a forest landscape of western Oregon, USA. We used lidar data and forest plot measurements to construct 30-m resolution live tree basal area maps in lower and middle elevation mature and old-growth forests. We assessed how edge influence on total, upper canopy, and lower canopy basal area varied across this forest landscape as a function of harvest characteristics (i.e., harvest size and age) and topographic conditions in the unharvested area. Upper canopy, lower canopy, and total basal area increased with distance from harvest edge and elevation. Forests within 75 m of harvest edges (20% of unharvested forests) had 4% to 6% less live tree basal area compared with forest interiors. An interaction between distance from harvest edge and elevation indicated that elevation altered edge influence in this landscape. We observed a positive edge influence at low elevations ( 800 m). Surprisingly, we found no or weak effects of harvest age (13–60 yr) and harvest area (0.2–110 ha) on surrounding unharvested forest basal area, implying that edge influence was relatively insensitive to the scale of disturbance and multi-decadal recovery processes. Our study indicates that the edge influence of past clearcutting on the structure of neighboring uncut old-growth forests is widespread and persistent. These indirect and diffuse legacies of historical timber harvests complicate forest management decision-making in old-growth forest landscapes by broadening the traditional view of stand boundaries. Furthermore, the consequences of forest harvesting may reach across ownership boundaries, highlighting complex governance issues surrounding landscape management of old-growth forests.
Epilogue: Reflections on the Geographical Turn

Johnson argues that this volume’s essays break through the temporal bias that has constrained studies of Spanish Modernism by offering geographically oriented readings of canonical and non-canonical texts. Considering geographical connections, especially Spain’s cultural relations with the Western Hemisphere–both North and South America–opens up Peninsular literature and thought in a way that is both provocative and fruitful. Such an approach moves us beyond the Spain/Latin America divide that plagues much previous research and curricula. The “geographical turn,” as Johnson calls the orientation of this volume, has the potential to revive Peninsular Studies that have been suffering in some foreign language departments and programs in U.S. colleges and universities. One surprising result of the “geographical turn” is the resuscitation of forgotten figures who are studied in several essays. The essays are uniformly innovative and stimulating and point toward new directions for the future.
MgCl2 Enhances Cluster Formation by Nanoscale Toroidal DNA Condensates

Multivalent cations can cause DNA to condense from its extended state in solution into high-density toroid-shaped particles. Developing methods to control the size and size distribution of DNA toroids is an important goal for the development of artificial gene delivery systems. Here we demonstrate that changes in salt conditions, prior to condensation by multivalent cations, can significantly affect DNA condensation. Specifically, millimolar concentrations of MgCl2 are shown to cause the formation of toroid clusters, whereas NaCl at the same ionic strength does not.
Practical verification of peephole optimizations with Alive

Compilers should not miscompile. Peephole optimizations, which perform local rewriting of the input program to improve the efficiency of generated code, are a persistent source of compiler bugs. We created Alive, a domain-specific language for writing optimizations and for automatically either proving them correct or else generating counterexamples. Furthermore, Alive can be automatically translated into C++ code that is suitable for inclusion in an LLVM optimization pass. Alive is based on an attempt to balance usability and formal methods; for example, it captures---but largely hides---the detailed semantics of the various kinds of undefined behavior. Alive has found numerous bugs in the LLVM compiler and is being used by LLVM developers.
Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Dementia: National Estimates of Functional Disability Trajectories

Objectives To estimate the associations between diabetes, heart disease, and dementia, which may increase the difficulty of self‐care; model functional disability trajectories jointly with attrition (death or dropout) over 5 years. Design Population‐based complex survey design. Setting National Health and Aging Trends Study. Participants Community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older (N=7,609). Measurements National estimates were generated using sampling weights. Sociodemographic characteristics, self‐reported physician‐diagnosed chronic conditions, six activities of daily living (ADL), and cognitive status were ascertained in annual in‐person interviews. A joint model using group‐based trajectory modeling was used to estimate the number of ADL disabilities and attrition probability. Multinomial logistic regression with survey weights was used to estimate the association between diabetes, heart disease, and dementia and resultant trajectories of disability, with the least disabled trajectory used as a reference. Results Three functional disability trajectories were identified: 26.9 million (76.3%) individuals with no disability and a constant study attrition of 14.3%, 4.9 million (13.9%) with mild and increasing disability and 12% attrition in 2012 and 27.2% in 2015, and 3.4 million (9.7%) with severe and increasing disability and 25.4% attrition in 2012 and 35% in 2015. Persons with possible dementia, possible dementia and diabetes, or possible dementia with diabetes and heart disease had significantly greater odds of being on the mild disability trajectory than those with no disability. Persons with probable dementia, representing more than 1.5 million persons, regardless of concurrent conditions, had significantly greater odds of being on the severe disability trajectory than on the no disability trajectory. Conclusions Methods that generate national estimates and account for attrition and for multiple chronic conditions and cognitive status may be useful for health policy‐makers to make decisions on care provisions and services.
Physical Foundations of Physiology II: Electrical Force, Potential, Capacitance, and Current

This chapter describes Coulomb’s law for the forces between charged particles and introduces the dielectric constant and the idea of electrical potential. Potentials are defined only for conservative forces in which the potential difference depends only on the final and initial states and not the path between them. This chapter describes Gauss’s law and how it is a consequence of Coulomb’s law. Gauss’s law is used to derive the expression for the capacitance of a parallel plate capacitor. It points out that biological membranes are electrical capacitors. This chapter goes on to show how electric forces cause charges to move, thus making currents. If ions in solution carry the charge, the current is also a flow of ions. At steady-state flows, the flow of ions is related to both the magnitude of the potential gradient and the frictional coefficient of the ion moving through the solution. This chapter closes with a demonstration of how the ration of the ionic flux to concentration is the average velocity.
Topographic Organization of the Visual Pathways

The position of ganglion cells within a flat-mounted retina can be described with polar coordinates (r, θ). r represents distance from the optic disc (origin), and θ represents the angle formed by a line connecting a retinal ganglion cell and the origin with respect to a fixed reference line (i.e., polar axis). Thus, θ denotes the position of a retinal ganglion ceil along a circumferential line and r denotes the position of a retinal ganglion cell along a radial line. For vertebrates such as goldfish, r not only represents distance from the optic disc, but it also indicates the relative birthday of a retinal ganglion cell. The first retinal ganglion cells to have become postmitotic are closest to the optic disc and the most recently generated retinal ganglion cells are near the retinal margin. Such animals are never totally postembryonic, and their retinas continue to grow, much like a tree, by the addition of annuli of cells to the retinal margin (Johns, 1977; Meyer, 1978).
Organization of the IBV genome.

We have investigated how the information contained within the large RNA genome of IBV is expressed. We began by examining the structure of IBV-specified RNAs. Infected chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells contain at least 6 IBV RNA species. These consist of the viral genome, RNA F, with an estimated complexity of 23 kb1, and subgenomic RNAs A, B, C, D, and E, which range in size from 2.4 kb to 7.9 kb2. We have recently identified an additional IBV-specified RNA species, RNA M, by Northern blot analysis using a hybridization probe containing cloned IBV cDNA sequences (see below). RNA M is intermediate in size between RNAs B and C (Table 1). Structural analysis of RNAs A, B, C, D, E, and F by ribonuclease T1 fingerprinting revealed that they comprise a 3’ coterminal nested set3. Synthesis of 3’ coterminal RNAs is now known to be a characteristic feature of Coronavirus multiplication4,5.
Fundamentals of safety

In this modern era, the science of safety mainly concerns all possible danger associated with the utilization of existing and/or developing technologies. Through development of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, the U.S. Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to assure safe and healthy working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing necessary training, outreach, education, and assistance. Occupational safety and health (OSH) primarily deals with cross-disciplinary areas for the safety, health, and welfare of workers. The goal of OSH programs is to foster a safer and healthier work environment for workers, engineers, students, and other participants. This chapter focuses on the fundamental aspects of safety, accidents and their occurrence and prevention, accident recordings, and social and economic implications of accidents. With the advancement of nanotechnology, the exposure to nanomaterials, as well as to the packaging, transportation, handling, storage, and consumption of these materials, poses higher risks and hazards to people engaged in this and related technologies. This chapter emphasizes the possible dangers of nanomaterials and their harmful effects on human health. The guidelines for working with nanomaterials are also summarized in detail.
Public Policy and Its Impact on Children with Autism

Most professionals who serve children and their families are busy at their tasks of treatment, teaching, or research and rarely take time to think of public policy as it relates to their work. We are only dimly aware of actions taken in far-away legislative halls or courts that often affect us and our ability to do our tasks well and to serve our clients effectively. Just as the child, when asked where milk comes from, may answer, “The refrigerator,” we, when asked where our jobs come from, may answer, “The hospital or the university,” without pursuing further why the university decided to use one of its precious positions to focus on our area of specialty.
A Systematic Review of Family Victimization Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth

Sexual minority youth experience substantially higher rates of family victimization than their heterosexual peers. No systematic review has yet identified the predictors and consequences in this vulnerable population of childhood abuse, exposure to sibling abuse and domestic violence, and sibling aggression. This systematic review aims to (a) describe differences in these family victimization rates by sexual orientation, gender, and race/ethnicity; (b) identify potential sexual minority and non-sexual minority-specific risk factors; and (c) identify physical, mental, and behavioral health and extrafamilial victimization correlates. The systematic review, which followed PRISMA guidelines, yielded 32 articles that met study inclusion criteria. Rates of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse were consistently higher for sexual minority youth than for their heterosexual peers. Bisexual youth appear to be at greater risk for physical abuse than their gay and lesbian peers. Younger age at sexual minority milestones (first awareness, disclosure, and same-sex sexual contact) and higher levels of sexual minority-specific (sexuality disclosure, gender non-conformity) and non-sexual minority-specific (delinquent behaviors, parental drinking) risk factors were associated with higher rates of family victimization. Sexual minorities who experienced some form of childhood abuse reported more frequent physical (higher rates of HIV, higher BMIs, lower levels of perceived health), mental (higher rates of depression, PTSD symptoms, experiential avoidance, internalized homophobia), and behavioral (higher rates of suicidality, substance misuse, earlier sexual debut, unprotected anal sex) health problems relative to heterosexual or non-abused sexual minority peers. Sexual minority females who experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse were at greater risk than abused sexual minority males for sexual assault later in life. We conclude this systematic review with recommendations for future research, including the necessity for longitudinal research that utilizes a poly-victimization conceptual framework to identify the developmental pathways connecting risk factors, different types of family victimization, and health and extrafamilial victimization consequences.
Readmissions after Firearm Injury Requiring Vascular Repair.

Background Firearm injuries can be morbid and potentially have high resource utilization. Historically, trauma and vascular surgery patients are at higher risk for readmissions. Our goal was to assess the risk for readmission among patients undergoing vascular repair after a firearm injury. Methods The National Readmission Database was queried from 2011 to 2014. All firearm injuries with or without vascular repair were analyzed. Multivariable analysis was conducted to assess the effect of concurrent vascular repair on readmissions at 30, 90, and 180 days. Results There were 42,184 firearm injury admissions identified, where 93.3% did not undergo vascular repair and 6.7% required vascular repair. The overall in-hospital death rate was 8.2%. Average age was 29.9 ± 0.2 years, and 89.2% were male. Intent was most frequently assault (61.2%) followed by unintentional injury (26.5%), suicide (5.2%), and legal intervention (3.1%). Patients with vascular repair compared to those without vascular repair were more frequently admitted at teaching hospitals (85.2% vs. 81.8%, P = 0.042), had higher Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) extreme severity of illness, AHRQ risk of mortality, New Injury Severity Score (NISS), and had more diagnoses and procedures (P Conclusions Firearm injury resulting in vascular injury was associated with increased readmissions at 90 and 180 days. This study establishes baseline rates for readmission after vascular repair for firearm traumas and allows opportunity for improvement through targeted interventions for these patients. Vascular surgeons can have a more active role in managing this high-profile public health issue.
Welcome to AI matters 4(2)

Welcome to the second issue of the fourth volume of the AI Matters Newsletter. This issue focuses on AI and Ethics, which is very timely given how often these subjects are appearing in the news lately. What really is fairness? How does an algorithm make a decision that can affect human's lives forever? Can it make a decision about whether or not to kill a person, in the case of autonomous weapons or in the case of autonomous cars? These and other other issues are discussed in the Larry Medsker's Policy column, Abhinav Maurya's report on the IEEE Big Data panel discussion about bias and transparency, Toby Walsh's opinion piece of AI as related to robber barons, and Bianca Helena Ximenes' contributed paper on autonomous car decision making.
Turning depths: Evanescent to propagating wave kinetic energy density

Evanescent regions exist in numerous areas of the deep ocean where the stratification also varies with depth. Using theoretical predictions and experiments, the kinetic energy density in propagating internal waves generated from these evanescent regions is explored.
A 'misplaced chapter' in the history of photosynthesis research; the second publication (1796) on plant processes by Dr Jan Ingen-Housz, MD, discoverer of photosynthesis

In 1779, the Dutch physician Jan Ingen-Housz (1730–1799) obtained a leave-of-absence from his post as Court Physician to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in order to do research (in England) on plants during the summer months. He performed more than 500 experiments, and described the results in his exceptional book Experiments Upon Vegetables (1779). In addition to proving the requirement for light in photosynthesis, Ingen-Housz established that leaves were the primary sites of the photosynthetic process. Later, Ingen- Housz published research papers on various subjects but aside from his 1779 book, he published only one more communication on photosynthesis and plant physiology. This was entitled 'An Essay on the Food of Plants and the Renovation of Soils'. The essay was published in 1796 as an appendix to an obscure British government report, which is rare and virtually unknown. The present paper describes the 1796 essay, which is particularly interesting in that it shows how Ingen-Housz's concepts were modified by new interpretations of chemical phenomena described in Lavoisier's great and revolutionary book Traite Elementaire de Chimie (1789). Ingen-Housz not only discovered photosynthesis, but plant respiration as well, and the 1796 essay is testimony to his remarkable insights.
Youth Perspectives regarding the Regulating of Bathroom Use by Transgender Individuals

Regulations regarding bathroom use by transgender people affect youth across the United States. This study examines youth opinions on bathroom use regulations. Data were obtained from MyVoice, a weekly text messaging survey of youth aged 14-24 years. Youth were recruited nationally at community events and online; Southeast Michigan was overrepresented. Mixed methods analysis was performed using grounded theory methodology. The majority of respondents (n = 683) were white (71.4%) and had education beyond high school (56.5%). Most (79%) stated that bathroom use by transgender people should not be restricted, rationalizing: 1) bathroom use is private and should be a personal decision; 2) choosing bathrooms is a matter of equality, freedom, and human rights; 3) transgender people are not sexual perpetrators; and 4) forcing transgender people to use particular bathrooms puts them at risk. Contrary to the current policy in many schools, respondents do not support restrictions on bathroom use by transgender people.
Estimation of the Evolutionary Spectra With Application to Stationarity Test

In this paper, we propose a new inference procedure for understanding non-stationary processes, under the framework of evolutionary spectra developed by Priestley. Among various frameworks of modeling non-stationary processes, the distinguishing feature of the evolutionary spectra is its focus on the physical meaning of frequency. The classical estimate of the evolutionary spectral density is based on a double-window technique consisting of a short-time Fourier transform and a smoothing. However, smoothing is known to suffer from the so-called bias leakage problem. By incorporating Thomson's multitaper method that was originally designed for stationary processes, we propose an improved estimate of the evolutionary spectral density, and analyze its bias/variance/resolution tradeoff. As an application of the new estimate, we further propose a non-parametric rank-based stationarity test, and provide various experimental studies.
Vapor pressure and vaporization enthalpy studies of the major components of ginger, α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene and (-) ar curcumene by correlation gas chromatography

Abstract The vaporization enthapies and vapor pressures of three major components in ginger, α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, and (-) ar-curcumene are evaluated by correlation gas chromatography using two set of standards, n-alkanes and a series of cyclic and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Vaporization enthalpies are reproduced by both sets of standards. Vapor pressures as a function of temperature are fit to a second order polynomial and the results compared to available literature data. Vapor pressures as evaluated by both sets of standards are in general agreement at ambient temperatures but begin to diverge somewhat at elevated temperatures. The n-alkanes appear to provide the best agreement with the limited amount of available experimental data.
Study of thermal and spatial dependent electric field-induced phase transition in relaxor ferroelectric crystals using Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Electric field-induced phase transition in perovskite relaxor ferroelectric crystals has been studied using Raman spectroscopy. The findings revealed that by switching the applied electric field, the intensity ratio of the Raman spectra of the electric field-induced phase transition in relaxor ferroelectric potassium tantalate niobate KTa0.61Nb0.39O3 (KTN) crystals can be a function of temperature and thermal history, which is explained by the two-stage kinetic model of first-order phase transition in disordered ferroelectrics. Moreover, because of the charge injection by the applied voltage, the non-uniform electric field-induced phase transition in KTN was spatially resolved by Raman mapping. The results of this study will be of use for fundamental scientific studies on the physical mechanisms of the electric field-induced phase transition in perovskite relaxor ferroelectric materials and has practical applications for electromechanical and electro-optic devices and systems.
Childhood Maltreatment and Psychosis: A Comparative Validity Study of Maltreatment Indices:

Childhood maltreatment is a robust risk factor for psychosis, but it remains unclear whether different measurement methods provide equivalent validity in predicting psychotic symptoms. This study compared the predictive validity of two common indices of maltreatment at age 12-children's self-report and Child Protective Services (CPS) reports-on the development of psychotic symptoms at age 18 using data from a large, multisite longitudinal study (N = 629). Consistent with prior research, agreement was low between indices, with the prevalence of self-reported maltreatment being 2-3 times higher. A quarter of the sample endorsed at least one psychotic symptom at age 18, most commonly delusions. While CPS-indicated maltreatment was generally not associated with later psychotic symptoms, all forms of self-reported maltreatment were. Sexual abuse demonstrated a particularly strong relationship with psychosis, especially hallucinations. These results suggest that self-reports may provide stronger predictive validity than CPS indications of maltreatment in the assessment of psychosis risk, indicating that a child's interpretation of trauma matters more than the traumatic event itself in this regard.
Identification of the Active Sites in the Dehydrogenation of Methanol on Pt/Al2O3 Catalysts

Conversion of oxygenates derived from biomass is a promising strategy for production of fuels and chemicals. The needed H2 can be supplied simultaneously (and sustainably) via aqueous phase reformi...
A 22nm 96KX144 RRAM Macro with a Self-Tracking Reference and a Low Ripple Charge Pump to Achieve a Configurable Read Window and a Wide Operating Voltage Range

An RRAM macro equips a hybrid self-tracking reference and a low ripple charge pump is presented. It realizes configurable read windows and a consistent write performance at operation voltage range of 1.62V∼3.63V. It shows 6.5ns and 10ns access time at 0.7V can be achieved for OTP (one-time-program) and 10K endurance applications, respectively.
Effect and measurement of residual water in CaCl 2 intended for use as electrolyte in molten salt electrochemical processing

CaCl2 has applications for electrochemical processing of nuclear materials. Thermal dehydration leads to formation of oxide ions, which are shown to react and cause precipitation of dissolved CeCl3 that was selected as a surrogate for actinide chlorides. Thus, measurement of residual water in CaCl2 is an essential capability. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was shown to underestimate starting water concentration. Subsequent analysis of solid samples via acid–base titration and cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the molten salt yielded consistent values within 5% for residual water. Hydroxides were shown to be unstable, thus oxygen is retained as oxide ions. Thus, total water in a sample of CaCl2 can be quantified by combining TGA with with either CV of molten salt or titration of salt samples. The importance of quantifying residual water in the salt was demonstrated by showing that cerium chloride (surrogate for actinide chlorides) will react with oxide ions in CaCl2 to form insoluble oxides and oxychlorides.
Hard-Switched Overvoltage Robustness of p-Gate GaN HEMTs at Increasing Temperatures

An essential ruggedness characteristic of power devices is the capability to withstand the transient overvoltage in power electronic applications. As the newly commercialized GaN HEMTs can switch faster, and under higher voltage biases, it is important to identify their true overvoltage limitations in transient switching events. For the first time, this work characterizes the transient overvoltage capability and failure mechanisms of GaN HEMTs under hard-switched turn-off conditions at increasing temperatures, by using a clamped inductive switching circuit with a variable parasitic inductance. This test method allows a flexible control over both the magnitude and the dV/dt of the transient overvoltage. The overvoltage robustness of two commercial enhancement-mode (E-mode) p-gate HEMTs was extensively studied: one with the Ohmic-type gate and the other with the Schottky-type gate. The overvoltage failure of the two devices was found to be determined by the overvoltage magnitude rather than the dV/dt. Tests were repeated at increasing temperatures (100 °C and 150 °C), and the failures of both devices were consistent with room temperature results. The two types of devices show different failure behaviors and the underlying mechanisms have been revealed by physics-based device simulations.
Cross-scale interaction of host tree size and climatic water deficit governs bark beetle-induced tree mortality.

The recent Californian hot drought (2012–2016) precipitated unprecedented ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) mortality, largely attributable to the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis; WPB). Broad-scale climate conditions can directly shape tree mortality patterns, but mortality rates respond non-linearly to climate when local-scale forest characteristics influence the behavior of tree-killing bark beetles (e.g., WPB). To test for these cross-scale interactions, we conduct aerial drone surveys at 32 sites along a gradient of climatic water deficit (CWD) spanning 350 km of latitude and 1000 m of elevation in WPB-impacted Sierra Nevada forests. We map, measure, and classify over 450,000 trees within 9 km2, validating measurements with coincident field plots. We find greater size, proportion, and density of ponderosa pine (the WPB host) increase host mortality rates, as does greater CWD. Critically, we find a CWD/host size interaction such that larger trees amplify host mortality rates in hot/dry sites. Management strategies for climate change adaptation should consider how bark beetle disturbances can depend on cross-scale interactions, which challenge our ability to predict and understand patterns of tree mortality. The 2012–2016 drought and western pine beetle outbreaks caused unprecedented mortality of ponderosa pine in the Sierra Nevada, California. Here, the authors analyse drone-based data from almost half a million trees and find an interaction between host size and climatic water deficit, with higher mortality for large trees in dry, warm conditions but not in cooler or wetter conditions.
Sampling Rate Distribution for Flow Monitoring and DDoS Detection in Datacenter

Monitoring all the internal flows in a datacenter is important to protect a victim against internal distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Unused virtual machines (VMs) in a datacenter are used as monitors and flows are copied to the monitors from software defined networking (SDN) switches by adding some special rules. In such a system, a VM runs a machine learning method to detect DDoS behavior but it can only process a limited number/amount of flows. When the amount of flows is beyond the capacities of all monitor VMs, the system sub-samples each flow probabilistically. The sampling rate affects the DDoS detection rate of the monitors. Besides, the DDoS detection rates of different types of flows are different for the same sampling rate. A uniform sampling rate might not produce a good overall DDoS detection rate. Assigning different sampling rates to different flows may produce the best result. In this paper, we propose a flow grouping approach based on behavioral similarity among the VMs followed by hierarchical clustering of VMs. The sampling rate is uniform among all the flows in a group. We investigate the relationship between the sampling rate and the DDoS detection rate. Then, we formulate an optimization problem for finding an optimal sampling rate distribution and solve it using mix-integer linear programming. We conduct extensive experiments with Hadoop and Spark and present results that support the feasibility of our model.
Enhancing motivation by developing cyclical self-regulated learning skills

Developing self-regulated learning (SRL) processes (i.e., goal-setting, strategy use, self-monitoring, and attributions) can enhance motivational beliefs including self-efficacy, interest, and task...
Triptolide induces cytosolic translocation of lysosomal hydrolases and mitochondrial permeabilization in MCF-7 cells

Triptolide is a Chinese herb that has been shown to induce apoptosis in various tumor cells. We have previously demonstrated that triptolide induces lysosomal-mediated apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These findings are significant because MCF-7 cells lack caspase-3, a key executioner caspase, causing them to be resistant to chemotherapeutics. In the present study, we examine whether triptolide can induce apoptosis by targeting lysosomes and mitochondria. The effects of triptolide on lysosomal membrane integrity, subcellular localization of cathepsin B, mitochondrial localization, and mitochondrial membrane permeabilization in MCF-7 cells were assessed via fluorescence microscopy. Acridine orange staining demonstrated that triptolide caused rupture of lysosomal membranes. This effect on disruption of the lysosomal membrane was confirmed by immunofluorescent detection of cathepsin B in the cytosol. MitoTracker Green staining revealed mitochondria limited to the cytosol in control cells while mitochondria were observed in nuclear regions in experimental cells. Triptolide caused depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, as assessed by JC-1 staining. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time in MCF-7 cells that triptolide induces apoptosis by lysosomal- and mitochondrial-dependent pathways. Our study provides a mechanism that may be used to develop novel breast cancer therapies wherein triptolide sensitizes resistant breast cancer cells to cell death.
Using DUNE to Shed Light on the Electromagnetic Properties of Neutrinos

We study future DUNE sensitivity to various electromagnetic couplings of neutrinos, including magnetic moments, milli-charges, and charge radii. The DUNE PRISM capabilities play a crucial role in constraining the electron flavored couplings. We find that DUNE will be able to place the strongest terrestrial constraint on the muon-neutrino magnetic moment by improving on LSND's bounds by roughly a factor of two, although Borexino's solar constraint will still be stronger. For the muon neutrino milli-charge DUNE can place the leading experimental bound, with two orders of magnitude improvement compared to the existing COHERENT constraint. Finally, DUNE may be able to test the SM prediction for the muon neutrino charge radius, by placing a constraint two times better than CHARM-II and CCFR experiments.
YREE scavenging in seawater: A new look at an old model

Abstract In the ocean, yttrium and the rare earth elements (YREEs) show nutrient-like vertical profiles. Since the YREEs have no manifest biological function, their removal from solution (scavenging) is probably caused by sorption on particles rather than active microbial uptake, yet the exact nature of these particles is uncertain. An existing theoretical model describes scavenging as an equilibrium between complexation with dissolved inorganic ligands and with functional groups on particle surfaces. This model was able to predict input-normalized (i.e., shale-normalized) YREE abundance patterns in seawater without requiring poorly known parameters like particle concentrations or the site densities of functional groups. Employing well-established stabilities of inorganic YREE complexes, while assuming that the sorbent particles are organic with functional groups represented by a mixture of simple monocarboxylic acids, it reproduced some key features of seawater YREE patterns, specifically the characteristic increase of shale-normalized abundance with atomic number and distinctive anomalies of certain trivalent REEs (La and Gd). The familiar negative Ce anomaly of seawater, however, is due to redox reactions that were not explicitly accounted for. In this study, we refined calculations of YREE solution speciation by adding complexation with desferrioxamine B to gauge the influence of strong organic ligands prevalent near the ocean surface. The scavenging model was then inverted by subtracting high-quality YREE abundance patterns, reported for the open ocean, from this solution speciation to yield an average pattern of relative YREE affinities for the sorbent particles. The resulting affinity pattern is compared with patterns of distribution coefficients, derived from laboratory experiments, for YREE sorption on relevant solid phases including hydrated Fe and Mn oxides (HFO/HMO), calcite, and the green macroalga Ulva lactuca as a substitute for marine organic matter. For deep seawater, the best agreement is observed with HMO, which may thus be the dominant carrier of YREEs to the sediment. Since Ce is catalytically oxidized on manganese oxide surfaces, this could have implications for the evolution of the Ce anomaly. Direct comparisons of distribution coefficient patterns with YREE analyses of suspended particles from the Atlantic Ocean also favor HMO, but this may be dictated in one case by the use of a selective leaching method. For shallow seawater, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean, the best agreement is observed with U. lactuca and calcite, although the latter is offset by the low YREE contents of this biogenic mineral. Matches with HFO are generally less convincing. The aforementioned mixture of simple monocarboxylic acids is not a good proxy for the sorptive properties of marine organic matter.
Beyond Physiology: Closing the Behavior–Physiology Loop

The eating behavior of humans is unique because it is, on the one hand, controlled by biological states of need (short- and long-term) and, on the other hand, cognitively mediated—that is, we make reasoned decisions about what and what not to eat. We are the only species on the planet “in which hungry individuals will voluntarily refuse to consume readily available, appealing food”171 in order to meet some particular objective—from achieving aesthetic or health goals to demonstrating a moral conviction (e.g., as in a political hunger strike).172
Market Simulation and Segmentation with Descriptive Statistics, Inference, Hypothesis Tests, and Regression

Deb Henretta is about to commit substantial resources to launch Pampers Preemies. The following article from the Wall Street Journal describes Procter & Gamble’s involvement in the preemie diaper market:
Independent Effects of Surface and Gas Temperature on Coal Fly Ash Deposition in Gas Turbines at Temperatures up to 1400 °C

Deposition of coal flyash in gas turbines has been studied to support the concept of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). Although particle filters are used in IGCC, small amounts of ash particles less than 5 μm diameter enter the gas turbine. Previous deposition experiments in the literature have been conducted at temperatures up to about 1288°C. However, few tests have been conducted that reveal the independent effects of gas and surface temperature, and most have been conducted at gas temperatures lower than 1400°C.The independent effects of gas and surface temperature on particle deposition in a gas turbine environment were measured using the Turbine Accelerated Deposition Facility (TADF) at Brigham Young University. Gas temperatures were measured with a type K thermocouple and surface temperatures were measured with two-color pyrometry using the RGB signals from a camera. This facility was modified for testing at temperatures up to 1400°C. Subbituminous coal fly ash, with a mass mean diameter of 4 μm, was entrained in a hot gas flow at a Mach number of 0.25. A nickel base super alloy metal coupon 2.5 cm in diameter was held in this gas stream to simulate deposition in a gas turbine. The gas temperature (and hence particle temperature) governs the softening and viscosity of the particle, while the surface temperature governs the stickiness of the deposit.Two tests series were therefore conducted. The first series used backside cooling to hold the initial temperature of the deposition surface (Ts,i) constant at 1000°C while varying the gas temperature (Tg) from 1250°C – 1400°C. The second series held Tg constant at 1400°C while varying the initial Ts,i from 1050°C to 1200°C by varying the amount of backside cooling. Capture efficiency and surface roughness were calculated. Capture efficiency increased with increasing Tg. Capture efficiency also initially increased with Ts,i until a certain threshold temperature where capture efficiency began to decrease with increasing Ts,i.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
REVIEW ARTICLE: THE METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES, FATS AND BILE PIGMENTS BY THE LIVER AND THE ALTERATIONS IN HEPATIC DISEASE; A REVIEW OF RECENT ADVANCES

THE ASTONISHING success of chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of infectious diseases has rendered the management of such cases relatively simple and rewarding thereby shifting emphasis to less common clinical problems in pediatrics. A decade ago, metabolic diseases constituted a mere fraction of the clinical problems encountered; but now make up a large segment of those cases that call for unusual skill and wide knowledge of disease. A clear understanding of metabolic processes has therefore become necessary for the study and management of such cases. The main factors concerned with the normal function of an organ are its constituent enzymes and the forces that influence enzyme function. The latter are chiefly hormonal and nutritional influences. In recent years, there has been a very rapid advance in our knowledge of the enzyme systems involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and the factors that affect the function of those systems. These advances have placed before the student of metabolism a pattern of stepwise processes that determine the direction and efficiency of metabolism in synthesis or degredation. These orderly processes make it possible to predict more or less accurately, the metabolic picture that may result from a defect in any one particular step. It was with this in mind that a few metabolic diseases were studied and precise biochemical lesions discovered. In some instances these defects were enzymatic and in others essentionally hormonal. This is truly a reversal of the course of events more commonly encountered, because it is often the metabolic disease that furnishes the stimulus for the advances in the physiology of metabolism. Knowledge for knowledge9s sake has characterized this era of rapid physiological advances. The more advanced and orderly this process is, the easier it shall be for the clinician to understand and treat disease.
MEMS flextensional actuator using lead zirconate titanate thin film

Piezoelectric flextensional microactuators have been designed and fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques. A lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film is used as the piezoelectric actuator material. A fabrication process using five photolithography steps and a final release step has been developed. Static displacement of the actuators was measured using a white light interference microscope. Displacements in the range of 2.3-12.7 /spl mu/m at 200 kV/cm for actuators with four different lengths were measured. From these measurements an amplification factor of 1.5 compared to unimorph actuator was deduced. Corresponding resonance frequencies in the range of 407-32.6 kHz were obtained using an Agilent 4294A impedance analyzer in a vacuum ambient of 5/spl times/10/sup -4/ mbar.
Clinical Implications of Basic Science Discoveries: Immune Homeostasis and the Microbiome—Dietary and Therapeutic Modulation and Implications for Transplantation

Links between the human microbiome and the innate and adaptive immune systems and their impact on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are only beginning to be recognized. Characterization of the complex human microbial community is facilitated by culture-independent nucleic acid sequencing tools and bioinformatics systems. Specific organisms and microbial antigens are linked with initiation of innate immune responses that, depending on the context, may be associated with tolerogenic or effector immune responses. Further complexity is introduced by preclinical data that demonstrate the impacts of dietary manipulation on the prevention of genetically determined, systemic autoimmune disorders and on gastrointestinal microbiota. Investigation of interactions of complex microbial populations with the human immune system may provide new targets for clinical management in allotransplantation.
An Efficient Algorithm for Quiescence Detection in a Distributed System

A message-efficient quiescence detection algorithm is presented that does not employ a pre-defined ring or tree structure among processes.
The future of ageing

Advances in our knowledge of age-associated diseases have far outpaced advances in our understanding of the fundamental ageing processes that underlie the vulnerability to these pathologies. If we are to increase human life expectancy beyond the fifteen-year limit that would result if today's leading causes of death were resolved, more attention must be paid to basic research on ageing. Determination of longevity must be distinguished from ageing to take us from the common question of why we age to a more revealing question that is rarely posed: why do we live as long as we do? But if the ability to intervene in ageing ever becomes a reality, it will be rife with unintended and undesirable consequences.
Chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis ☆: Correlation of circulating lymphocyte fluctuations with disease activity in suppressed and unsuppressed animals

Abstract Groups of juvenile Strain 13 guinea pigs sensitized for chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) with isogeneic central nervous system (CNS) tissue in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were either left to develop late-onset chronic EAE (unsuppressed), or given a series of injections of bovine myelin basic protein (MBP) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) to suppress the disease. All unsuppressed animals developed disease and all suppressed animals remained healthy over a 27-month period of study. Some unsuppressed and suppressed animals were rechallenged with CNS tissue in CFA 12 or 26 months post-inoculation (PI). Unsuppressed animals all became sick 2–4 weeks after rechallenge, while rechallenged, suppressed animals were protected, indicating that the suppression was permanent. Pathologic findings in the CNS complemented the clinical changes. Circulating lymphocyte studies were performed on animals from all groups. Early (active, high-affinity rosetting) T cell levels in unsuppressed animals showed significant decreases during exacerbations (P
Alternative models of program evaluation

Carol H. Weiss is Senior Research Associate, Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University, New York, New York. This article is a revised version of a paper presented at a Symposium on the Evaluation of Human Ser vice Programs, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, June 1973. The relative ineffectiveness of program eval uation in activating program change—even when evaluative data clearly show that pro grams are not attaining their goals—is often explained away by referring to "vested inter ests." The context is usually that agencies have vested interests in their programs; pro gram staff have vested interests in their jobs and in the services they give; boards of directors, legislatures, or federal bureau crats have vested interests in the interven