cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin for small fiber neuropathy associated with sarcoidosis

Summary Background Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is commonly associated with sarcoidosis and can cause significant morbidity to afflicted patients. The appropriate treatment of this condition, when associated with sarcoidosis, is not well established. Methods Descriptive case series of three patients with sarcoidosis and SFN. The presenting clinical features, skin biopsy results, autonomic reflex screen and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART) findings, and response to therapy are delineated. Results We describe three patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis who developed intractable neuropathic pain and/or symptoms related to associated autonomic dysfunction despite treatment with various immunosuppressive medications and narcotic analgesics. QSART showed evidence of a postganglionic sudomotor abnormality in one patient and was normal in the other two. Skin biopsy findings were abnormal, demonstrating a non-length-dependent sensory SFN in all three patients. Painful neuropathic symptoms, as well as symptoms related to dysautonomia from SFN responded significantly to treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Conclusion IVIG appears to be effective in relieving symptoms from SFN associated with sarcoidosis, suggesting an underlying immune mechanism. Larger prospective, controlled studies would be needed to confirm this response to IVIG and to further elucidate the underlying pathobiology behind this association with sarcoidosis.
Cerebral mucormycosis : proton MR spectroscopy and MR imaging

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was integrated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of a case of cerebral mucormycosis. MRS showed markedly elevated lactate, depleted N-acetyl aspartate and metabolite resonances attributable to succinate and acetate. The spectroscopy profile is essentially similar to that of bacterial abscess but without the commonly seen resonances of the amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine. Our extensive literature review did not yield any reports of MRS findings on cerebral mucormycosis. MRS prospectively limited the differential diagnoses given the otherwise nonspecific and complex MR imaging findings in our immunosuppressed patient.
Vanadium Nitrogenase: A Two-Hit Wonder?

Nitrogenase catalyzes the biological conversion of atmospheric dinitrogen to bioavailable ammonia. The molybdenum (Mo)- and vanadium (V)-dependent nitrogenases are two homologous members of this metalloenzyme family. However, despite their similarities in structure and function, the characterization of V-nitrogenase has taken a much longer and more winding path than that of its Mo-counterpart. From the initial discovery of this nitrogen-fixing system, to the recent finding of its CO-reducing capacity, V-nitrogenase has proven to be a two-hit wonder in the over-a-century-long research of nitrogen fixation. This perspective provides a brief account of the catalytic function and structural basis of V-nitrogenase, as well as a short discussion of the theoretical and practical potentials of this unique metalloenzyme.
A New Baleen Whale (Mysticeti: Cetotheriidae) from the Earliest Late Miocene of Japan and a Reconsideration of the Phylogeny of Cetotheres

ABSTRACT A new, well-preserved mysticete fossil is described and diagnosed here as Joumocetus shimizui, gen. et sp. nov. The holotype specimen was recovered from the earliest Late Miocene, Haraichi Formation, Annaka Group, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Although many cetotheres have been found from the Pacific realm, the Cetotheriidae sensu stricto is relatively rare in terms of taxonomic diversity and also abundance of specimens. Joumocetus will be the fourth genus of the Cetotheriidae sensu stricto from the Pacific and the geologically earliest and most archaic Cetotheriidae sensu stricto yet reported. Joumocetus retains a number of primitive characteristics, and our phylogenetic analysis indicates that Joumocetus is placed basally among the Cetotheriidae sensu stricto. Our analysis clearly indicates a monophyly of the Cetotheriidae sensu stricto and of a clade that consists of Balaenopteridae, Eschrichtiidae, and cetotheres. The results also indicate the monophyly of the following two groups: cetotheres not ...
Accounting for Nonignorable Verification Bias in Assessment of Diagnostic Tests

A "gold" standard test, providing definitive verification of disease status, may be quite invasive or expensive. Current technological advances provide less invasive, or less expensive, diagnostic tests. Ideally, a diagnostic test is evaluated by comparing it with a definitive gold standard test. However, the decision to perform the gold standard test to establish the presence or absence of disease is often influenced by the results of the diagnostic test, along with other measured, or not measured, risk factors. If only data from patients who received the gold standard test were used to assess the test performance, the commonly used measures of diagnostic test performance--sensitivity and specificity--are likely to be biased. Sensitivity would often be higher, and specificity would be lower, than the true values. This bias is called verification bias. Without adjustment for verification bias, one may possibly introduce into the medical practice a diagnostic test with apparent, but not truly, high sensitivity. In this article, verification bias is treated as a missing covariate problem. We propose a flexible modeling and computational framework for evaluating the performance of a diagnostic test, with adjustment for nonignorable verification bias. The presented computational method can be utilized with any software that can repetitively use a logistic regression module. The approach is likelihood-based, and allows use of categorical or continuous covariates. An explicit formula for the observed information matrix is presented, so that one can easily compute standard errors of estimated parameters. The methodology is illustrated with a cardiology data example. We perform a sensitivity analysis of the dependency of verification selection process on disease.
Structural correspondence as a contour grouping problem

We present a novel viewpoint which approaches the structural correspondence across an image stack in the 3D space as solving a contour grouping problem. Finding 3D cellular tubes becomes finding closed contours. We derive grouping cues between cells in adjacent slices based on their ability to relate in the 3D space. Those that form a long 3D tube in the space become the most salient contour, while those of shorter lengths become less salient. In the spectral graph-theoretical framework for contour grouping, such a separation by the contour length is reflected in complex eigenvectors of different magnitudes, from which these 3D tubes of varying lengths can thus be extracted, obviating the need for identifying missing correspondences.
Big Data in Small Hands

"Big data" can be defined as a problem-solving philosophy that leverages massive data-sets and algorithmic analysis to extract "hidden information and surprising correlations." Not only does big data pose a threat to traditional notions of privacy, but it also compromises socially shared information. This point remains under appreciated because our so-called public disclosures are not nearly as public as courts and policymakers have argued — at least, not yet. That is subject to change once big data becomes user friendly.Most social disclosures and details of our everyday lives are meant to be known only to a select group of people. Until now, technological constraints have favored that norm, limiting the circle of communication by imposing transaction costs — which can range from effort to money — onto prying eyes. Unfortunately, big data threatens to erode these structural protections, and the common law, which is the traditional legal regime for helping individuals seek redress for privacy harms, has some catching up to do.To make our case that the legal community is under-theorizing the effect big data will have on an individual’s socialization and day-to-day activities, we will proceed in four steps. First, we explain why big data presents a bigger threat to social relationships than privacy advocates acknowledge, and construct a vivid hypothetical case that illustrates how democratized big data can turn seemingly harmless disclosures into potent privacy problems. Second, we argue that the harm democratized big data can inflict is exacerbated by decreasing privacy protections of a special kind — ever-diminishing "obscurity." Third, we show how central common law concepts might be threatened by eroding obscurity and the resulting difficulty individuals have gauging whether social disclosures in a big data context will sow the seeds of forthcoming injury. Finally, we suggest that one way to stop big data from causing big, un-redressed privacy problems is to update the common law with obscurity-sensitive considerations.
Selection for Resistance to mCry3A-Expressing Transgenic Corn in Western Corn Rootworm

To investigate the development of resistance to mCry3A, a laboratory colony of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, was established from field survivors of mCry3A-expressing (MIR604) corn, Zea mays L. Feral adults emerging from MIR604 (selected) and isoline (control) field plots were collected and returned to the laboratory. Progeny of each colony was reared one generation on isoline corn and then crossed reciprocally with a nondiapausing colony. The resulting nondiapausing progeny were then reared on greenhouse corn in accordance with the wild type parent's origin (on MIR604 or isoline corn). After four, seven, and 10 total generations of selection, the resistance ratio of the selected colony was 0.5, 4.3, and 15.4 in terms of lethal concentration (LC)50 values in toxicity assays, with the latter two LC50 values being significant. After seven generations of selection in total, selected and control colonies were screened on MIR604 and isoline corn under field conditions. There was a significant colony × corn pedigree interaction in terms of plant damage. There was no significant difference in damage between MIR604 and isoline corn, whereas this difference was significant for the control colony. After 14 generations of selection, a seedling bioassay was performed. Again, there was a significant colony × corn pedigree interaction, this time in terms of the number of larvae recovered. There was no significant difference in the number of larvae recovered from MIR604 and isoline corn for the selected colony, whereas this difference was significant for the control colony, although larval size was greater on isoline corn for both colonies. Resistance has developed in western corn rootworm laboratory colonies to all Bt proteins currently registered for corn rootworm management, which emphasizes the importance of adhering to resistance management plans for maintaining product efficacy.
Psychological climate: A comparison of organizational and individual level referents

Psychological climate is defined as individual employee perceptions of their work environment. This study advances our understanding of the psychological climate construct by addressing a generally ignored issue of frame of reference through measuring psychological climate with an organizational referent (PCo) and an individual referent (PCi). PCo reflects employee perceptions of their organizational environment in general; whereas, PCi reflects employee perceptions of their own experiences within an organization. This study found that a) there are mean level differences between the two types of psychological climate, b) the two types of psychological climate uniquely predict job satisfaction, and c) a discrepancy between the two types of psychological climate is found to relate to job satisfaction.
Asthma Morbidity in Adult Chicago Public Housing Residents

Background. Residents of public housing can experience socioeconomic disadvantages, inadequate access to health care, and particularly substandard indoor air quality due to inadequate building maintenance. Objective. This study investigates demographic, medical management, severity, and household factors associated with asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Methods .A total of 103 adult participants with asthma from four Chicago housing developments completed surveys and underwent household inspections. Results. Using stepwise multivariate logistic regression, we identified independent predictors of asthma-related emergency department visits: asthma controller medication use, not keeping an asthma-related doctor’s appointment, and frequent nocturnal wheeze episodes. Using stepwise multivariate logistic regression, we identified independent predictors of asthma-related hospitalizations: peeling paint, plaster, or wallpaper, environmental tobacco smoke, written action plan for an asthma-related doctor or emergency department visit, and frequent nocturnal wheeze episodes. Conclusions .I nmultivariate models, factors related to clinical severity and asthma management were related to both emergency department visits and hospitalizations while household conditions were related only to hospitalizations. Interventions to address both asthma management and household environmental triggers may be needed to reduce asthma morbidity in low-income populations.
A Scalable Spectral Element Eulerian Atmospheric Model (SEE-AM) for NWP: Dynamical Core Tests

Abstract A new dynamical core for numerical weather prediction (NWP) based on the spectral element method is presented. This paper represents a departure from previously published work on solving the atmospheric primitive equations in that the horizontal operators are all written, discretized, and solved in 3D Cartesian space. The advantages of using Cartesian space are that the pole singularity that plagues the equations in spherical coordinates disappears; any grid can be used, including latitude–longitude, icosahedral, hexahedral, and adaptive unstructured grids; and the conversion to a semi-Lagrangian formulation is easily achieved. The main advantage of using the spectral element method is that the horizontal operators can be approximated by local high-order elements while scaling efficiently on distributed-memory computers. In order to validate the 3D global atmospheric spectral element model, results are presented for seven test cases: three barotropic tests that confirm the exponential accuracy of...
BASIC PROCESSES UNDERLYING AGROBACTERIUM-MEDIATED DNA TRANSFER TO PLANT CELLS

Article de synthese sur les processus de transformation des cellules vegetales par l'ADN-T du plasmide Tc des souches d'Agrobacterium, reconnaissance cellulaire et developpement du phenotype de galle en couronne
MM5 v3.6.1 and WRF v3.5.1 model comparison of standard and surface energy variables in the development of the planetary boundary layer

Abstract. Air quality forecasting requires atmospheric weather models to generate accurate meteorological conditions, one of which is the development of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). An important contributor to the development of the PBL is the land–air exchange captured in the energy budget as well as turbulence parameters. Standard and surface energy variables were modeled using the fifth-generation Penn State/National Center for Atmospheric Research mesoscale model (MM5), version 3.6.1, and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, version 3.5.1, and compared to measurements for a southeastern Texas coastal region. The study period was 28 August–1 September 2006. It also included a frontal passage. The results of the study are ambiguous. Although WRF does not perform as well as MM5 in predicting PBL heights, it better simulates energy budget and most of the general variables. Both models overestimate incoming solar radiation, which implies a surplus of energy that could be redistributed in either the partitioning of the surface energy variables or in some other aspect of the meteorological modeling not examined here. The MM5 model consistently had much drier conditions than the WRF model, which could lead to more energy available to other parts of the meteorological system. On the clearest day of the study period, MM5 had increased latent heat flux, which could lead to higher evaporation rates and lower moisture in the model. However, this latent heat disparity between the two models is not visible during any other part of the study. The observed frontal passage affected the performance of most of the variables, including the radiation, flux, and turbulence variables, at times creating dramatic differences in the r2 values.
The Economy of Beracia

This chapter discusses the economy of Beracia. The first economic crisis struck in 1957, when world prices of copper—Beracia's principal export—fell sharply. The mines, which were then privately owned, rejected longstanding union demands for pay increases. The period of political stability was used to good effect economically. Investment was sustained at reasonably high levels, and a large new copper mine was opened in late 1962, and other exports grew steadily during the early 1960s so that growing imports could be financed, and, as a consequence, gross national product grew at the unprecedented rate of almost 10% a year from 1960 to 1965. Food grain production fell by about 20%, and income per capita fell for the first time since the 1960 drought. Only a fortuitous increase in copper prices prevented a serious balance-of-payments crisis. The effect on the balance of payments was mitigated somewhat during 1974 by peak copper prices, but in 1975 the copper boom collapsed and Beracia was plunged into a foreign exchange crisis from which it has not emerged.
Measuring the Value of Prescription Drugs

Escalating drug prices have spawned a flurry of initiatives designed to help physicians, payers, and patients understand the value of new therapies and make better choices about their use. But these efforts have revealed numerous analytic and implementation challenges.
NEO ORBIT UNCERTAINTIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON RISK ASSESSMENT

Threat assessment of approaching Near Earth Objects (NEOs) is best based upon the probability of collision since it yields a more accurate measure of risk than simple miss distance. The probability is computed at the point of closest approach using the miss vector, the sizes of the objects, and the covariances. However, the ephemeris and covariance of the NEO is determined at the time the object is detected. To get the values at conjunction, both the trajectory and covariance must be propagated to the time of conjunction. Due to orbital dynamics, the covariance will grow in size as time progresses. Since the probability of collision is dependent upon the covariance, the dynamically induced covariance growth directly impacts the computation of the probability and hence the capability to conduct risk assessment for a conjunction in the future. In this study, approximate analytic expressions are developed that relate the largest possible probability at conjunction to any time before conjunction and to the NEO state uncertainty at epoch. This largest probability sets an upper bound that any actual probability cannot exceed, thus enabling decision makers to evaluate a conjunction more effectively.
Molecular imaging of thrombosis using FBP8-PET allows whole-body thrombus detection and fibrin content estimation

78 Objectives Thrombosis is often the underlying cause of major cardiovascular diseases including heart attack, stroke and venous thromboembolism, leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thrombus imaging relies on different diagnostic modalities that are specific for distinct vascular territories, but a single-modality approach is still missing. Moreover, imaging techniques to assess thrombus stage and composition are underdeveloped, although therapeutic strategies may benefit from such information. Here, we tested whether the fibrin-specific PET probe FBP8 is suitable for whole-body thrombus detection and fibrin content estimation. Methods The fibrin-binding probe FBP8 was synthesized by conjugation of a short cyclic peptide with high affinity for fibrin to a macrocyclic chelator (NODAGA), followed by labeling with 64Cu. Thrombosis was induced by ferric chloride application on the carotid artery and femoral vein of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats, and FBP8-PET was performed 1, 3 or 7 days after thrombus induction. The whole-body thrombus detection capabilities of FBP8-PET were further assessed in a model of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (DVT-PE, n=7). Results Arterial and venous thrombi were clearly localized on fused PET/CT images, with an accuracy >97% (95% confidence interval 92-100%). PET imaging showed that probe uptake was greater in fresh clots than in older ones for both arterial and venous thrombosis (P Conclusions We demonstrated that FBP8-PET is a feasible approach for whole-body thrombus detection and for non-invasive evaluation of fibrin content. FBP8-PET represents a novel and valuable diagnostic strategy for translation in clinical imaging of thrombosis. Research Support HL109448 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Dr. Caravan).
Survey results of health literacy among residents in Jinshan District of Shanghai City

[Objective] To understand the level of residents' health literacy and its influencing factors in Jinshan District of Shanghai City.[Methods] The unified Health Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese Citizen designed by Chinese Centre For Health Education was adopted to conduct face-to-face survey by trained investigators[Results] A total of 1 080 individuals were investigated.The rate of having basic health literacy was 9.17%.The rates of having health knowledge and ideas,healthy behavior and lifestyle,basic skills were 18.62%,11.76%,and 15.00%.The rates of having scientific outlook on health,infectious diseases prevention,chronic disease prevention,safety and emergency,basic medical literacy were 37.04%,16.67%,7.50%,21.02%,and 6.20%.Age and education level had impact on population health literacy.Mastery rates of basic health knowledge,health behaviors and health skills were 58.41%,58.19%,and 57.26%.[Conclusion] The rate of health literacy of residents was low in Jinshan District of Shanghai City.Age and education level were important influencing factors.
Treatment of the premenstrual tension syndrome with ethisterone and other agents.

A group of 149 women with the premenstrual tension syndrome were given two compounds containing ethisterone and other agents; one compound contained perphenazine. Forty-two had complete relief of symptoms, and 76 per cent were improved. Further trial of these agents is warranted.
Differential effects of omega-3 fish oils on protein kinase activities in vitro.

We studied the in vitro effects of omega-3 fish oils and other fatty acids on the activity of crude protein kinase C from S49 lymphoma cells, on partially purified enzyme from rat cerebrum, on homo...
The Responding Self

In the context of modernity, this chapter suggests the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of narrative meanings. The proposed alternative of working with decontexted experience of moments is discussed as a way to ground the self in the inherent coherence of moments and bring awareness to narrative meanings that constrain and shield immediate experience. In critiquing narrative psychology, a shift of attentional orientation away from answering the question “Who am I?” to that of “What is happening?” is proposed.
Transcription Factor HIF-1α Controls Expression of the Cytokine IL-22 in CD4 T Cells

IL-22 is expressed by activated lymphocytes and is important in modulation of tissue responses during inflammation. The cytokine induces proliferative and antiapoptotic pathways in epithelial cells allowing enhanced cell survival. This can have positive effects, such as in the maintenance of epithelial barriers in the gastrointestinal tract, but also negative effects, such as contributing to colorectal tumorigenesis. Because IL-22 can be dual-natured, we hypothesized that its biological activity should be tightly regulated to limit IL-22 expression to the sites of inflammation. One such environmental cue could be low oxygen, which often accompanies inflammation. We show that in CD4 T cells IL-22 expression is upregulated in hypoxia. The Il22 promoter contains a putative conserved hypoxic response element suggesting that the transcription factor HIF-1α may influence IL-22 expression. Differentiation in the presence of dimethyloxallyl glycine, a stabilizer of HIF-1α at normoxia, increased IL-22 expression. Using HIF-1α-deficient CD4 T cells, we show that hypoxic IL-22 upregulation is dependent on HIF-1α. These findings have implications on the regulation of Il22 gene expression and the presence of the cytokine in different inflammatory environments.
Abstract 018: Sox6 is a Critical Factor in Renin Cell Fate in Development and Pathology

Introduction: the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is an important component of blood pressure regulation in mammals. Renin, primarily expressed and secreted by kidney Juxtaglomerular (JG) cells, catalyzes the rate limiting step in RAS. However, the transcriptional mechanisms that govern the specification of renin expressing cells in development and under normal or pathophysiological conditions remain poorly understood. We sought to determine new regulators of renin cell fate during kidney development and JG recruitment. Methods: Gene expression profiles of renal MSC and JG cells were determined by Affymetrix Mouse 430 2.0 array. JG cells and renal MSC were isolated from adult C57Bl6 Ren1c YFP mice by collagenase digestion of the kidney, followed by flow cytometry to select for the cells. Renin expression in vitro was induced by treatment with IBMX and Forskolin. Renal MSCs were transduced with lentivirus carrying vectors for Sox6, Sox6 shRNA or controls. Ex vivo analysis was performed in embryonic kidneys (14.5 dpc) isolated and transduced with Sox6 shRNA or scrambled shRNA. The kidneys were then cultured for 4 days. Results: Microarray data showed that the transcription factor Sox6 was highly expressed in FACS isolated JG cells compared to renal MSC (96-fold, n=3, P ex vivo model of kidney development resulted in a 70% reduction of renin expression (N=4, P Conclusion: Our results support a novel and critical role for the transcription factor Sox6 in renin cell fate and in renal development and physiology. Further studies can provide an in-depth understanding of the role of Sox 6 in hypertension and its therapy.
Final report on studies of nutrient cycling on white and black water areas in Amazonia

Abstract Studies were conducted near Manaus, Brazil in cooperation with INPA to try to establish how nutrient cycling influences the formation of black water and white water. The studies measured the rate of decay of Caryocar villosum leaves on spodosol and oxisol terrestrial and aquatic sites when the leaves were untreated, and treated with a bacteriostat, or insecticide or fungicide. It also measured litter, animal populations, and the elemental content of ten biologically important elements in soils and decomposing litter. Results show considerable differences in the rates of decay and the agents and end products of decay which indicate that black water and white water formation are closely tied to the rate and type of decay and to basic soil types and their associated vegetation, except for the rediments in white water.
Maternal Anatomical and Physiological Adaption to Pregnancy

The state of pregnancy is not pathological. Pregnancy is not a disease. Uncomplicated pregnancy, however, does cause significant anatomical and physiological alterations in the gravid female. Generally, these changes are reversible and do not interfere with good outcome.
Professor robert s. Elliott: A role-model educator, writer and researcher

The 1988 IEEE AP-S Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, Prof. Robert S. Elliott, was born on March 9, 1921, in Brooklyn, NY, and passed away on September 24, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 88. This paper is a tribute to his legacy based on a collaborative writing which was done for UCLA and my interaction with Prof. Elliott that has significantly influenced my professorship career. Bob was an eloquent writer, superb teacher and first rate researcher whose work particularly in the area of slot array antennas produced many industrial applications. His books are considered classics and have inspired many generations of electromagnetic and antenna enthusiasts.
A unified framework for performance-based wind engineering of tall buildings in hurricane-prone regions based on lifetime intervention-cost estimation

Abstract Accurate evaluation of structural performance is necessary in modern tall building design. In wind engineering, the current approach employed by researchers is the Monte-Carlo sampling method. Structural failure probability is calculated by combining structural fragility curves with the random variability of wind speed and direction, depending on local wind climate. In the hurricane-prone regions of the USA, wind climate and its effects on building response require accurate assessment of wind-induced structural performance. This paper proposes a simulation framework for tall buildings that combines fragility analysis with local wind climate information to evaluate structural vulnerability. Hurricane wind climate information directly considers maximum wind speed, wind direction along with their correlation at hurricane landfall. Consequently, structural fragility surfaces will be generated, conditional on these two variables. This result will be used to examine lifetime intervention cost accumulation, associated with nonstructural damage on the building facade, and to determine an “optimal” wind-direction-dependent building orientation.
Political Protest in Contemporary Africa

From spray-painted slogans in Senegal to student uprisings in South Africa, twenty-first century Africa has seen an explosion of protests and social movements. But why? Protests flourish amidst an emerging middle class whose members desire political influence and possess the money, education, and political autonomy to effectively launch movements for democratic renewal. In contrast with pro-democracy protest leaders, rank-and-file protesters live at a subsistence level and are motivated by material concerns over any grievance against a ruling regime. Through extensive field research, Lisa Mueller shows that middle-class political grievances help explain the timing of protests, while lower-class material grievances explain the participation. By adapting a class-based analysis to African cases where class is often assumed to be irrelevant, Lisa Mueller provides a rigorous yet accessible explanation for why sub-Saharan Africa erupted in unrest at a time of apparent economic prosperity.
Managing Heterogeneous Datacenters with Tokens

Ensuring fairness in a system with scarce, preferred resources requires time sharing. We consider a heterogeneous system with a few “big” and many “small” processors. We allocate heterogeneous processors using a novel token mechanism, which frames the allocation problem as a repeated game. At each round, users request big processors and spend a token if their request is granted. We analyze the game and optimize users’ strategies to produce an equilibrium. In equilibrium, allocations balance performance and fairness. Our mechanism outperforms classical, fair mechanisms by 1.7×, on average, in performance gains, and is competitive with a performance maximizing mechanism.
Bovine testicular heparin sulfamidase

Heparin sulfamidase was purified 2200-fold in 7% yield from bovine testis by a procedure which consisted of homogenization of the tissue in the presence of Triton X-100, ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, and chromatofocusing. As shown by SDS-PAGE, the most highly purified preparation contained one major component, which had a mobility corresponding to a molecular weight of 55 000. Chromatography of the active enzyme on Sephacryl S-300 indicated a molecular weight of 100 000, suggesting that the native enzyme consisted of two subunits. KM for the purified enzyme was 1.6 μM, assayed with [N-35S]heparin as a substrate; Vmax was 4.4 pmol of sulfate released per min per μg of protein. A pH of 6.7 was estimated from the elution profile on chromatofocusing and was corroborated by cold focusing electrophoresis. The enzyme was optimally active between pH 4.8 and 5.1. Maximum activity was observed in the presence of 0.175 M NaCl, while lower activities were observed upon addition of other salts.
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome: end organ and systemic inflammatory response in a mouse model of nonseptic origin

The authors measured the peripheral blood pro-inflammatory cytokine responses (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and related end organ responses ti intraperitoneal zymosan-saline suspension over 5 days in CD-1 mice. Other indicators of local and systemic inflammation included wet:dry weight ratios of lung, liver, kidneys, spleen, and bowel; peripheral blood hematocrit, white blood cell count, and platelet count; lung myeloperoxidase activity; lung protein leak; and bacterial translocation to liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes. The initial event in responses to zymosan A injection was a sharp rise in the peripheral blood TNF-alpha level, which crested within 1 h of injection. This response was followed by a peripheral blood leukocytosis also within 1 h, and a peak lung myeloperoxidase activity within 1-2 h of injection. The maximum lung permeability index occurred 8 h after injection (zymosan, .398 +/- .019 [n = 10]; saline vehicle, .266 +/- .007 [n = 10], p < .001) followed by the maximum lung wet:dry weight ratio, which occurred 18 h after injection. The peak wet:dry weight ratios for the other organs occurred between 12 and 24 h after injection as well. Peripheral blood IL-6 maxima followed TNF-a maxima after lags of several hours. The release of pre-formed TNF-a is likely the most proximal event following injection of zymosan, and may set in motion the processes that result in end-organ injury and secondary multiple organ dysfunction, particularly activation of leukocytes. The precise roles of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the pathogenesis of end-organ injury, however, are not addressed.
The Need for BYOD Mobile Device Security Awareness and Training

In 2013, people will purchase 1.2 billion mobile devices, surpassing PC’s as the most common method for accessing the Internet. The leading two mobile device platforms, Android and iOS, both have security concerns surrounding their operating systems and application markets. The popularity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), where employees use their own devices for both personal and work situations, potentially brings insecure devices into the organization. While most IT professionals agree mobile devices pose major security risks, there is a major lack of mobile device security awareness and training programs in organizations. This paper reports the results of a survey of 131 college students entering the workforce, which demonstrates a lack of security awareness and the need for mobile device security awareness and training in organizations. This paper also reviews the major security concerns with mobile devices and makes some general security recommendations.
Chemical Oceanography and the Marine Carbon Cycle: Gases and air–water exchange

In many ways the atmosphere is the great integrator of global metabolic processes and human influences on the environment. The gaseous products of extremely heterogeneous reactions on land and in the sea are averaged into a nearly homogeneous signal in the atmosphere because of its rapid circulation. Changes in atmospheric gas concentrations play a delicate and sometimes uncertain role in the processes that dominate global climate. In order to understand the mechanisms that control the concentration of gases in the atmosphere one must understand the importance of the bottom boundary, three-fourths of which is the ocean. Gases play important roles as tracers of air–water gas exchange in the chemical perspective of oceanography. Among other things these fluxes are used to determine the rate of marine biological production and the fate of anthropogenically produced gases in the sea. Much of atmospheric chemistry deals with the concentrations and processes that control trace gases (less than several ppm, parts per million, e.g., moles gas mole air − 1 ) such as ozone, O 3 , carbon monoxide, CO, and many other trace compounds of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Most of the reactions that create and destroy these compounds in the troposphere are driven by photochemical processes. Reaction times are often very fast and in some locations natural processes are heavily impacted by fossil fuel burning and other anthropogenic effects. This subject is a main topic of atmospheric chemistry, and we refer the reader to books on this subject (e.g. Jacob, 1999) for a discussion of these processes.
Local Decision Making for Implementing Social Distancing in Response to Outbreaks.

Objectives:Social distancing is the practice of restricting contact among persons to prevent the spread of infection. This study sought to (1) identify key features of preparedness and the primary ...
Hidden from View: Disability, Segregation and Work

The employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 were intended to bring working-age people with disabilities into the workplace by providing options for them to seek and gain meaningful, integrated employment. Although the ADA has made significant gains, the rate of progress in employment has been disappointing. While the lack of progress of people with disabilities in the traditional workplace has received attention, the work done by many, especially those with severe disabilities in segregated workplaces, remains hidden in sheltered workshops. This chapter explores the intersection of the concepts of disability, invisibility, and work and identifies the ways in which different and conflicting social and legal constructions of disability perpetuate the segregation and invisibility of people with disabilities in the workplace.
Financing the Illicit Economy

As with the legal economy, finance furnishes the lifeblood for illicit activity. With the exception of pure barter—for example, the direct exchange of drugs for weapons—there must be a reliable means of transferring value for transnational criminal, insurgent, and terrorist organizations to function as ongoing concerns and to maintain their infrastructure. Like the production, transport, and distribution of illicit commodities via a network of black spots, illicit financial flows inhabit a spatial mosaic of their own. In some cases, the mapping of illicit financial flows mirrors the geographic journey of trafficked goods and people. In other cases, illicit finance becomes its own network. This chapter focuses on the methods used to finance the illicit economy, particularly its honed techniques for laundering money. Such methods include recourse to the international banking system, traditional remittance vehicles known as hawala (from the Arabic word ‘to transfer’), cash couriers, non-bank money exchange institutions, creation of untraceable or impenetrable shell and front companies, and prepaid access devices as well as the use of free trade zones and offshore financial centers. This chapter surveys these various methods of financing the illicit economy today. Since no single method of money laundering or transfer is fool-proof, we note where the underwriters of criminal activities have improvised in response to state efforts to clamp down on their customary channels. Our black spots case studies provide us with important clues regarding the particular paths chosen for the movement of funds.
Considerations on alternative organic Rankine Cycle congurations for low-grade waste heat recovery

Abstract When organic Rankine cycles (ORC) are employed to convert waste heat into work, the thermal efficiency is not recommended as a key performance metric because waste heat recovery and power output are not generally maximized at the point of peak efficiency. In such an application, maximization of the net power output should be the objective. Two alternative cycle configurations that can increase the net power output from a heat source with a given temperature and flow rate are analyzed and compared to a baseline ORC. These cycle configurations are: an ORC with two-phase flash expansion (TFC) and an ORC with a zeotropic working fluid mixture (ZRC). A design-stage ORC model allowed a consistent comparison of multiple ORC configurations with finite capacity of the source and heat sink fluids. Simulation results indicated that the TFC offered the most improvement over the baseline ORC, but required a highly efficient two-phase expansion. The ZRC shows improvement over the baseline as long as the condenser fan power requirement is not negligible. At the highest estimated condenser fan power, the TFC is no longer beneficial. Finally, a partial-evaporating ZRC (PE-ZRC) has also been considered to reduce the volume ratio requirements of a flash expansion.
‘Chicago’s Renaissance woman’: the life, activism, and diasporic cultural feminism of Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs

This article analyzes the life of Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, a teacher, writer, artist, and public historian who founded Chicago’s DuSable Museum of African American History in 1961. Throu...
Planning fatigue experiments and analyzing fatigue data with the random fatigue-limit model and modified sudden death tests

In a fatigue-limit model, test units tested below the fatigue limit (also known as the threshold stress) theoretically will never fail. This paper uses a random fatigue-limit model to describe: a) the dependence of fatigue life on the stress level, b) the variation in fatigue life, and c) the unit-to-unit variation in the fatigue limit. We fit the model to actual fatigue data sets by maximum likelihood methods and study the fits under different distributional assumptions. The 0.01 and 0.05 quantiles of the life distribution are often of interest to designers. Lower confidence bounds based on likelihood-ratio methods are obtained for these quantiles. To assess the fits of the model, we construct diagnostic plots and perform goodness-of-fit tests and residual analyses.
Letermovir and Maribavir for the Treatment and Prevention of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Solid Organ and Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

Until recently, available drugs for cytomegalovirus (CMV) prevention and treatment in transplant patients included (val)ganciclovir, foscarnet, and cidofovir. Use of these drugs is limited by toxicity and the development of resistance. The 2017 approval of letermovir for prevention of CMV after stem cell transplant marked the first approval of an anti-CMV agent since 2003. The role of letermovir in treatment of established CMV infection or disease remains largely unstudied, although early reports suggest that a low barrier to resistance will likely limit efficacy as primary therapy for patients with refractory or resistant disease. The investigational agent maribavir has shown promise as pre-emptive treatment; in patients with refractory or resistant disease the emergence of resistance while on treatment has been observed and ongoing studies will define efficacy in this population. Both agents have unique mechanisms of action limiting cross resistance, and neither exhibit myelotoxicity or nephrotoxicity.
Component ordering policies for selective assembly

Selective assembly is an approach in which high-precision assemblies can be produced from relatively low-precision components or subassemblies. This research investigates component ordering policie...
Testing for Idiosyncratic Treatment Effect Heterogeneity

This paper provides asymptotically valid tests for the null hypothesis of no treatment effect heterogeneity. Importantly, I consider the presence of heterogeneity that is not explained by observed characteristics, or so-called idiosyncratic heterogeneity. When examining this heterogeneity, common statistical tests encounter a nuisance parameter problem in the average treatment effect which renders the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic dependent on that parameter. I propose an asymptotically valid test that circumvents the estimation of that parameter using the empirical characteristic function. A simulation study illustrates not only the test's validity but its higher power in rejecting a false null as compared to current tests. Furthermore, I show the method's usefulness through its application to a microfinance experiment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this experiment and for outcomes related to loan take-up and self-employment, the tests suggest that treatment effect heterogeneity does not seem to be completely accounted for by baseline characteristics. For those outcomes, researchers could potentially try to collect more baseline characteristics to inspect the remaining treatment effect heterogeneity, and potentially, improve treatment targeting.
QQ-NET - using deep learning to solve quantitative susceptibility mapping and quantitative blood oxygen level dependent magnitude (QSM+qBOLD or QQ) based oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) mapping.

Purpose To improve accuracy and speed of quantitative susceptibility mapping plus quantitative blood oxygen level-dependent magnitude (QSM+qBOLD or QQ) -based oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) mapping using a deep neural network (QQ-NET). Methods The 3D multi-echo gradient echo images were acquired in 34 ischemic stroke patients and 4 healthy subjects. Arterial spin labeling and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) were also performed in the patients. NET was developed to solve the QQ model inversion problem based on Unet. QQ-based OEF maps were reconstructed with previously introduced temporal clustering, tissue composition, and total variation (CCTV) and NET. The results were compared in simulation, ischemic stroke patients, and healthy subjects using a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results In the simulation, QQ-NET provided more accurate and precise OEF maps than QQ-CCTV with 150 times faster reconstruction speed. In the subacute stroke patients, OEF from QQ-NET had greater contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between DWI-defined lesions and their unaffected contralateral normal tissue than with QQ-CCTV: 1.9 ± 1.3 vs 6.6 ± 10.7 (p = 0.03). In healthy subjects, both QQ-CCTV and QQ-NET provided uniform OEF maps. Conclusion QQ-NET improves the accuracy of QQ-based OEF with faster reconstruction.
Multi-phenotypic Cellular Arrays for Biosensing

The term “biosensor” is a broad based term referring to a sensor that uses a biological molecule as the sensing element. A“cell-based” biosensor, then,would utilize a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell or cell line as the sensing agent (Figure 5.1). Single phenotype biosensors use one type prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell line as the sensing elements, which are contrasted to single-cell biosensors that may use, as the name implies, one cell as the sensing element. Though many methods have measured chemical toxins have utilized chemical, nucleic acid, and antibody approaches [1], sensing technology as a whole would be improved through the introduction of whole cell based biosensors. Whole cell-biosensors have several inherent advantages over DNA, RNA, and protein arrays. Foremost, a whole cell biosensor can offer functional information, i.e., information about the effect of a stimulus on a living system [2]. Functional information includes the effects of stimuli on cell health (toxicity) as well as cell function. Secondly, the use of cell-based biosensors eliminates the need for costly purification steps, such as the isolation and retrieval of RNA and DNA. A cell based biosensor also provides natural signal amplification of a response through cellular pathways and cellular cascades [3].