cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macro level product development using design for modularity

Abstract Modular design is an engineering methodology that will organize and structure a complex product, process or system into a set of distinct sub-systems and components that may be developed independently of each other and then assembled together. Modular design aims at identifying independent and standard units that could be used to create a variety of products. A structured methodology is proposed for identifying components that can be developed in parallel. In the proposed methodology the needs and product functional requirements are first established. The product is then decomposed based on its functional and physical characteristics. Next, a similarity index is introduced to measure the associativity between the basic components. Finally, a clustering technique is used to integrate the basic components into design modules based on their similarity index.
Identification of the Major Phosphorylation Site of the Hepatitis C Virus H Strain NS5A Protein as Serine 2321

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A protein is phosphorylated by a cellular, serine/threonine kinase. To identify the major site(s) of NS5A phosphorylation, radiolabeled HCV-H NS5A phosphopeptides were purified and subjected to phosphoamino acid analysis and Edman degradation. These data identified the major intracellular phosphorylation site in the HCV-H NS5A protein as Ser(2321), a result verified by two additional, independent methods: (i) substitution of Ala for Ser(2321) and the concomitant disappearance of the major in vivo phosphorylated peptides and corresponding in vitro phosphorylated peptides; and (ii) comigration of the digestion products of a synthetic peptide phosphorylated on Ser(2321) with the major in vivo phosphorylated NS5A peptides. Site-directed mutagenesis of Ser(2321) suggested that phosphorylation of NS5A is dispensable for previously described interactions with NS4A and PKR, a cellular, antiviral kinase that does not appear to catalyze NS5A phosphorylation. The proline-rich nature of the amino acid sequence flanking Ser(2321) (PLPPPRS(2321) PPVPPPR) suggests that a proline-directed kinase is responsible for the majority of HCV NS5A phosphorylation, consistent with previous kinase inhibitor studies.
The many π-meson problem

Abstract It is shown that the properties of a system of N π-mesons are to a considerable extent determined by three quantum numbers (N1N2N3), the “correlation numbers” whose sum equals N. In a state with definite correlation (specific values of N1N2N3) these numbers relate to the number of triples: 3π-subsystems with I = 0; the number of pairs: 2π systems with I = 1 and the remaining singles out of which such a state can be composed by a well-defined prescription. For states with definite correlation, the correlation numbers dictate which I-spin values such states can possibly have. For systems with I The branching ratios for an Nπ-cloud into the various charge distributions compatible with given N and total charge are not uniquely determined if one only gives the I-spin of a specific state. However, it is shown that one gets unique results if one is only given the correlation numbers. General methods are developed for determining these ratios as functions of N1N2N3. Tables are given for these ratios for N = 2–8. In Section II all results are compiled and rules are given for practical use. All mathematical proofs are found in Section IV. It is shown there that the present results can all be obtained without recourse to the explicit use of vector addition coefficients. The basic tools are Young's (nonorthogonal) representations of the symmetric group and Thrall's theorem on its orthonormal idempotents. Applications to annihilation processes are discussed (Section III) with special reference to p -p and p -d annihilation. Zero- and two-prong star theorems are given. A statistical model for p -p and p n -annihilation predicts that, with increasing N, the ratio of the average number of charged π's to the average number of neutral π's produced in Nπ-annihilation becomes nearly equal to 2. However, the predominance of specific correlations could lead to substantially different values for this ratio. The connection between charge correlations and spatial correlations as well as some dynamical aspects of the problem are briefly discussed in Section V.
International technology transfer and economic espionage

(1994). International technology transfer and economic espionage. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 143-160.
Intra- and interspecific predation by adult female Metaseiulus occidentalis and Typhlodromus pyri (Acari: Phytoseiidae) when provisioned with varying densities and ratios of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) and phytoseiid larvae

The phytoseiid mites Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) and Typhlodromus pyri Schueten are used together and alone as biological control agents against tetranychid pest mites of apple. Their effectiveness as control agents may be impacted by intraguild predation. The effects of prey species and prey density on the rates of inter- and intraspecific predation and oviposition by these two predators were investigated through a series of experiments. Adult female predators were given prey as mixed populations of phytoseiid larvae and larvae of a more preferred species, the spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, at different densities and ratios. Typhlodromus pyri, more of a generalist predator, showed higher rates of predation and cannibalism on phytoseiid immatures at most prey densities and ratios. Manly preference indices indicated that T. pyri switched to feed on phytoseiid larvae at higher prey levels and ratios of T. urticae than M. occidentalis. This greater ability to use phytoseiid larvae as prey may help stabilize T. pyri populations when more preferred prey is unavailable. This may, in part, explain the observed persistence of T. pyri populations when M. occidentalis populations were decreasing in orchard test plots.
System-Level Performance Evaluation of HSDPA/HSUPA with TCP-Based Application

We assess the system-level performance of 3GPP Release 5 and Release 6 systems with a downlink-oriented TCP- based application (FTP). We first investigate whether the traffic due to the TCP acknowledgments sent to the server can overload the capacity of the Release 5 uplink when a set of high performance UEs simultaneously download. Next we investigate the download performance with realistic uplink scheduling delays in Release 5 and the benefit due to the uplink enhancements brought by HSUPA (Release 6). It is found that, although the TCP acknowledgments do not overload the capacity of the uplink in Release 5, significant improvements will be obtained with Release 6 thanks to the faster uplink scheduling.
Dynamics of cerebral blood flow regulation explained using a lumped parameter model

The dynamic cerebral blood flow response to sudden hypotension during posture change is poorly understood. To better understand the cardiovascular response to hypotension, we used a windkessel model with two resistors and a capacitor to reproduce beat-to-beat changes in middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (transcranial Doppler measurements) in response to arterial pressure changes measured in the finger (Finapres). The resistors represent lumped systemic and peripheral resistances in the cerebral vasculature, whereas the capacitor represents a lumped systemic compliance. Ten healthy young subjects were studied during posture change from sitting to standing. Dynamic variations of the peripheral and systemic resistances were extracted from the data on a beat-to-beat basis. The model shows an initial increase, followed approximately 10 s later by a decline in cerebrovascular resistance. The model also suggests that the initial increase in cerebrovascular resistance can explain the widening of the cerebral blood flow pulse observed in young subjects. This biphasic change in cerebrovascular resistance is consistent with an initial vasoconstriction, followed by cerebral autoregulatory vasodilation.
Recognizing the protruding eye.

It is currently unknown how much exophthalmos may be noticeable to an observer. The authors determined the threshold for detection of exophthalmos may be 4 millimeters. Purpose: To determine the threshold for detection of exophthalmos by an observer. Methods: The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Ophthalmic Plastics imaging database was used to select 28 photographs of patients with unilateral exophthalmos measuring between 1 to 11 mm for the study group and 28 photographs of patients without exophthalmos for the control group. One hundred ophthalmology attendings, residents, medical students, and technicians reviewed each photograph. Participants commented on whether the patient appeared “normal” or “abnormal.” Results: Eighty-one percent of the control patients were correctly identified as “normal.” In comparison, 60% of patients with 1 mm of exophthalmos (p < 0.001), 53% of patients with 2 mm of exophthalmos (p < 0.001), 46% of patients with 3 mm of exophthalmos (p < 0.001), 35% of patients with 4 mm...
Dimannosyldiacylglycerol serves as a lipid anchor precursor in the assembly of the membrane-associated lipomannan in Micrococcus luteus

luteus has been proposed. In this study, a [ 3 H]mannose-suicide selection procedure has been used to identify temperaturesensitive (ts) mutants defective in LM assembly. Two micrococcal mutants with abnormal levels of Man2-DAG and LM at the nonpermissive temperature (37 � C), mms1 and mms2, have been isolated and characterized. In vivo and in vitro biochemical assays indicate that mms1 cells have a defect in the mannosyltransferase catalyzing the conversion of ManDAG to Man2-DAG, and mms2 has a temperature-sensitive defect in the synthesis of Man-P-Und. Because mms1 cells are depleted of endogenous Man2-DAG, membranes from this mutant efficiently converted purified, exogenous [ 3 H]Man2DAG to [ 3 H]LM by a Man-P-Und-dependent process. An obligatory role for Man-P-Und as a mannosyl donor in the elongation process was also demonstrated by showing that the conversion of exogenous [ 3 H]Man2-DAG to [ 3 H]LM by membranes from mms1 cells in the presence of GDP-Man was inhibited by amphomycin. In addition, consistent with Man2DAG serving as a lipid anchor precursor for LM assembly, endogenous, prelabeled [ 3 H]Man2-DAG was converted to [ 3 H]LM when membranes from mms2 cells were incubated with purified, exogenous Man-P-Und. These studies provide the first direct proof for the role of Man2-DAG as the lipid anchor precursor for LM, and suggest that Man2-DAG may be essential for the normal growth of M. luteus cells.
Neuroadapted yellow fever virus strain 17D: a charged locus in domain III of the E protein governs heparin binding activity and neuroinvasiveness in the SCID mouse model.

A molecular clone of yellow fever virus (YFV) strain 17D was used to identify critical determinants of mouse neuroinvasiveness previously localized to domain III of the neuroadapted SPYF-MN virus envelope protein. Three candidate virulence substitutions (305F→V, 326K→E, and 380R→T) were individually evaluated for their roles in this phenotype in a SCID mouse model. The virus containing a glutamic acid residue at position 326 of the envelope protein (326E) caused rapidly lethal encephalitis, with a mortality rate and average survival time resembling those of the parental SPYF-MN virus. Determinants at positions 380 (380T) and 305 (305V) did not independently affect neuroinvasiveness. Testing a panel of viruses with various amino acid substitutions at position 326 revealed that attenuation of neuroinvasiveness required a positively charged residue (lysine or arginine) at this position. Molecular-modeling studies suggest that residues 326 and 380 contribute to charge clusters on the lateral surface of domain III that constitute putative heparin binding sites, as confirmed by studies of heparin inhibition of plaque formation. The neuroinvasiveness of YFVs in the SCID model correlated inversely with sensitivity to heparin. These findings establish that residue 326 in domain III of the E protein is a critical determinant of YFV neuroinvasiveness in the SCID mouse model. Together with modeling of domain III from virulent YFV strains, the data suggest that heparin binding activity involving lysine at position 326 may be a modulator of YFV virulence phenotypes.
Negotiating National Identity: Immigrants, Minorities, and the Struggle for Ethnicity in Brazil

Negotiating National Identity: Immigrants, Minorities, and the Struggle for Ethnicity in Brazil. Jeffrey Lesser. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999. 281 pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index.
A numerical study of low-grazing-angle backscatter from ocean-like impedance surfaces with the canonical grid method

A numerical study of 14-GHz low-grazing-angle (LGA) backscattering from ocean-like surfaces described by a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum is presented. Surfaces rough in one dimension are investigated with Monte Carlo simulations performed efficiently through use of the canonical grid expansion in an iterative method of moments. Backscattering cross sections are illustrated at angles from 81/spl deg/ to 89/spl deg/ from normal incidence under the impedance boundary condition (IBC) approximation with the efficiency of the numerical model enabling sufficiently large profiles (8192 /spl lambda/) to be considered so that angular resolution problems can be avoided. Variations with surface spectrum low-frequency cutoff (ranging over spatial lengths from 175.5 m to 4.29 cm) at 3 m/s wind speed are investigated and initial assessments of the small perturbation method (SPM), composite surface theory, operator expansion method (OEM), small slope approximation (SSA), and curvature corrected SPM predictions are performed. Numerical results show an increase in horizontal (HH) backscatter returns as surface low-frequency content is increased while vertical (VV) returns remain relatively constant, as expected, but none of the approximate models considered are found to produce accurate predictions for the entire range of grazing angles. For the cases considered, HH scattering is always observed to be below VV, further demonstrating the importance of improved hydrodynamical models if "super-event" phenomena are to be modeled.
Evading Subspaces Over Large Fields and Explicit List-decodable Rank-metric Codes

We construct an explicit family of linear rank-metric codes over any field F that enables efficient list decoding up to a fraction rho of errors in the rank metric with a rate of 1-rho-eps, for any desired rho in (0,1) and eps > 0. Previously, a Monte Carlo construction of such codes was known, but this is in fact the first explicit construction of positive rate rank-metric codes for list decoding beyond the unique decoding radius. Our codes are explicit subcodes of the well-known Gabidulin codes, which encode linearized polynomials of low degree via their values at a collection of linearly independent points. The subcode is picked by restricting the message polynomials to an F-subspace that evades certain structured subspaces over an extension field of F. These structured spaces arise from the linear-algebraic list decoder for Gabidulin codes due to Guruswami and Xing (STOC'13). Our construction is obtained by combining subspace designs constructed by Guruswami and Kopparty (FOCS'13) with subspace-evasive varieties due to Dvir and Lovett (STOC'12). We establish a similar result for subspace codes, which are a collection of subspaces, every pair of which have low-dimensional intersection, and which have received much attention recently in the context of network coding. We also give explicit subcodes of folded Reed-Solomon (RS) codes with small folding order that are list-decodable (in the Hamming metric) with optimal redundancy, motivated by the fact that list decoding RS codes reduces to list decoding such folded RS codes. However, as we only list decode a subcode of these codes, the Johnson radius continues to be the best known error fraction for list decoding RS codes.
Trace Amounts of Albumin Protect Against Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Isolated Rat Hearts

Albumin is used to provide colloid osmotic pressure in some resuscitation and organ preservation protocols. These solutions are expensive and carry the risks of using high concentrations of blood products. Used as a carrier of drugs and substrates, the concentration of albumin present in perfusates may be considerably lower in experimental ischemia. The present study examined if trace amounts of albumin (0.0004%) reduce injury from ischemia and reperfusion in isolated rat hearts. Hearts were perfused by the Langendorff technique (60 mmHg) with an intraventricular balloon. Zero-flow ischemia (20 min, 37 degrees C) was followed by reperfusion (35 min, 37 degrees C). Recovery of contractile function during reperfusion was significantly improved by the presence of fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin (BSA) (22 290+/-1280 mmHg/min, pressure-rate product) or rat serum albumin (RSA) (21 095+/-2836 mmHg/min) compared with Krebs-Henseleit buffer with no albumin (KHB) (9660+/-2324 mmHg/min). Release of lactate dehydrogenase activity, formation of tissue edema and accumulation of tissue malonyldialdehyde were significantly reduced in hearts receiving BSA or RSA compared with KHB alone. These parameters were not altered by the presence of albumin in non-ischemic control hearts or in the pre-ischemic values of the hearts subjected to ischemia and reperfusion. Development of ischemic contracture with an extended period of ischemia (27 min) was not altered by the presence of BSA, suggesting that protection observed with albumin occurred during reperfusion, rather than during ischemia. Reperfusion following 45 min of ischemia with bovine serum albumin resulted in similar myocardial injury to hearts that were reperfused following 20 min of ischemia without bovine serum albumin. Thus, trace amounts of albumin provide significant reduction in myocardial injury from ischemia and reperfusion, probably via antioxidant mechanisms.
A comparison of rigid -v- video thoracoscopy in the management of chest trauma

Abstract Between December 1, 1994 and April 1,1998, 44 thoracoscopic procedures were performed in 42 patients following chest injuries. Indications included exploration in 15, retained haemothorax in 10, continued bleeding after chest tube placement in 3, air leak in 5 and empyema in 11. Video thoracoscopy was used in 24 cases and rigid thoracoscopy in 20, including 14 patients in whom video thoracoscopy was contraindicated. There was no difference in the operative times, length of stay or incidence of complications. Two formal and 3 “mini” thoracotomies were used in the video thoracoscopy group. Three “mini” thoracotomies were required in the rigid thoracoscopy group. Rigid thoracoscopy is an effective tool that, in selected cases, increases the utility of thoracoscopy in the management of chest trauma and its complications.
Passage of Campylobacter jejuni through the chicken reservoir or mice promotes phase variation in contingency genes Cj0045 and Cj0170 that strongly associates with colonization and disease in a mouse model.

Human illness due to Camplyobacter jejuni infection is closely associated with consumption of poultry products. We previously demonstrated a 50 % shift in allele frequency (phase variation) in contingency gene Cj1139 (wlaN) during passage of C. jejuni NCTC11168 populations through Ross 308 broiler chickens. We hypothesized that phase variation in contingency genes during chicken passage could promote subsequent colonization and disease in humans. To test this hypothesis, we passaged C. jejuni strains NCTC11168, 33292, 81-176, KanR4 and CamR2 through broiler chickens and analysed the ability of passaged and non-passaged populations to colonize C57BL6 IL-10-deficient mice, our model for human colonization and disease. We utilized fragment analysis and nucleotide sequence analysis to measure phase variation in contingency genes. Passage through the chicken reservoir promoted phase variation in five specific contingency genes, and these ‘successful’ populations colonized mice. When phase variation did not occur in these same five contingency genes during chicken passage, these ‘unsuccessful’ populations failed to colonize mice. Phase variation during chicken passage generated small insertions or deletions (indels) in the homopolymeric tract (HT) in contingency genes. Single-colony isolates of C. jejuni strain KanR4 carrying an allele of contingency gene Cj0170 with a10G HT colonized mice at high frequency and caused disease symptoms, whereas single-colony isolates carrying the 9G allele failed to colonize mice. Supporting results were observed for the successful 9G allele of Cj0045 in strain 33292. These data suggest that phase variation in Cj0170 and Cj0045 is strongly associated with mouse colonization and disease, and that the chicken reservoir can play an active role in natural selection, phase variation and disease.
Form and content in computer science

An excessive preoccupation with formalism is impeding the development of computer science. Form-content confusion is discussed relative to three areas: theory of computation, programming languages, and education.
The Transmeta Code Morphing/spl trade/ Software: using speculation, recovery, and adaptive retranslation to address real-life challenges

Transmeta's Crusoe microprocessor is a full, system-level implementation of the x86 architecture, comprising a native VLIW microprocessor with a software layer, the Code Morphing Software (CMS), that combines an interpreter, dynamic binary translator, optimizer, and run-time system. In its general structure, CMS resembles other binary translation systems described in the literature, but it is unique in several respects. The wide range of PC workloads that CMS must handle gracefully in real-life operation, plus the need for full system-level x86 compatibility, expose several issues that have received little or no attention in previous literature, such as exceptions and interrupts, I/O, DMA, and self-modifying code. In this paper we discuss some of the challenges raised by these issues, and present the techniques developed in Crusoe and CMS to meet those challenges. The key to these solutions is the Crusoe paradigm of aggressive speculation, recovery to a consistent x86 state using unique hardware commit-and-rollback support, and adaptive retranslation when exceptions occur too often to be handled efficiently by interpretation.
Phase Transfer Controlled Selective Oxidation of Diarylsulfides to Diarylsulfoxides Using Potassium Hydrogen Persulfate

Abstract The use of biphasic reaction conditions and a phase transfer catalyst controls the oxidation reaction of potassium hydrogen persulfate with diarylsulfides yielding predominately sulfoxides. This is in contrast to the reaction in polar solvents where sulfones are the major products.
An application of Random Forests to a genome-wide association dataset: Methodological considerations & new findings

As computational power improves, the application of more advanced machine learning techniques to the analysis of large genome-wide association (GWA) datasets becomes possible. While most traditional statistical methods can only elucidate main effects of genetic variants on risk for disease, certain machine learning approaches are particularly suited to discover higher order and non-linear effects. One such approach is the Random Forests (RF) algorithm. The use of RF for SNP discovery related to human disease has grown in recent years; however, most work has focused on small datasets or simulation studies which are limited. Using a multiple sclerosis (MS) case-control dataset comprised of 300 K SNP genotypes across the genome, we outline an approach and some considerations for optimally tuning the RF algorithm based on the empirical dataset. Importantly, results show that typical default parameter values are not appropriate for large GWA datasets. Furthermore, gains can be made by sub-sampling the data, pruning based on linkage disequilibrium (LD), and removing strong effects from RF analyses. The new RF results are compared to findings from the original MS GWA study and demonstrate overlap. In addition, four new interesting candidate MS genes are identified, MPHOSPH9, CTNNA3, PHACTR2 and IL7, by RF analysis and warrant further follow-up in independent studies. This study presents one of the first illustrations of successfully analyzing GWA data with a machine learning algorithm. It is shown that RF is computationally feasible for GWA data and the results obtained make biologic sense based on previous studies. More importantly, new genes were identified as potentially being associated with MS, suggesting new avenues of investigation for this complex disease.
Direct production of functional matrix metalloproteinase--14 without refolding or activation and its application for in vitro inhibition assays.

Human matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-14, a membrane-bound zinc endopeptidase, is one of the most important cancer targets because it plays central roles in tumor growth and invasion. Large amounts of active MMP-14 are required for cancer research and the development of chemical or biological MMP-14 inhibitors. Current methods of MMP-14 production through refolding and activation are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often associated with low recovery rates, lot-to-lot variation and heterogeneous products. Here, we report direct production of the catalytic domain of MMP-14 in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. 0.5 mg/L of functional MMP-14 was produced without tedious refolding or problematic activation process. MMP-14 prepared by simple periplasmic treatment can be readily utilized to evaluate the potencies of chemical and antibody-based inhibitors. Furthermore, co-expression of both MMP-14 and antibody Fab fragments in the periplasm facilitated inhibitory antibody screening by avoiding purification of MMP-14 or Fabs. We expect this MMP-14 expression strategy can expedite the development of therapeutic drugs targeting MMPs with biological significance.
Introductory instruction in programming

Cornell, like most other large schools, has been struggling with the problem of introductory programming instruction for years. The problem is not yet solved but in the last few years we have done some experimenting and seem to have made some progress. The situation seems worth reporting so that others can perhaps benefit from what has been successful and avoid what has not.The major problems seem to be volume and variety. Pedagogical techniques that are obviously effective with small classes are sometimes impractical when faced with more than a thousand students per year. This may be largely a question of economics, since one could presumably allocate enough resources to the task to have small classes, but this is just not realistic at Cornell and the real question becomes one of finding practical large-scale techniques. For example, the central computing facility at Cornell (a 360/65 under OS/HASP) cannot support a sufficient number of interactive terminals to make that mode of instruction practical.Hence our solution must operate within the constraint of a conventional non-inter-active computer service.
Deviant Heroes: Nonconformists as Agents of Justice and Social Change

Sociologists usually define deviance as a fluid construct, relative to given social circumstances, and something that is neither negative nor positive in and of itself. Despite the rejection of absolutist approaches, the vast majority of texts and studies concerning deviant behavior implicitly or explicitly present deviance as either a morally bad or morally neutral behavior. Such literatures wrongly conflate deviant behavior with villainous actions. We argue that some of the most important deviants have been at the leading forefront of positive social change and the creation of a more just, fair, and humane society. Deviant heroes are those individuals who violate unjust norms and laws, facing the repercussions of social control, while simultaneously effecting positive social change. This article considers the theoretical role of the deviant hero within classical and contemporary sociological traditions and identifies new directions for social research.
Postoperative irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: 35-year experience†‡

Background. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing outcome in patients who received postoperative irradiation for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.
Sexual Strategies of a North American ‘Tarantula’ (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Despite their general notoriety and popularity as pets, little is known of the behavioural ecology of ‘tarantulas’ or theraphosid spiders. We studied a theraphosid of the Arizona deserts, Aphonopelma sp., to determine behavioural events crucial to successful courtship and mating. Males search for spatially scattered females and, at short range, may detect females by substrate-borne cues. When two males are present with a single female, no direct competition such as aggression is observed. Both males may mate with a single female in rapid succession, with no evidence of post-copulatory mate guarding. Despite the potential for sexual cannibalism, courtship and mating behaviour patterns exhibit few aggressive elements and males nearly always survive sexual encounters with females. The mating system of this Aphonopelma species may best be described as a type of scramble-competition polygyny, in which the ability of males to locate receptive females is an important determinant of mating success in males. Multiple mating by females renders predictions concerning fertilization success uncertain, due to the possibility of sperm competition and ‘cryptic’ female mate choice.
Ultrasonic polar backscattering for NDE of stitched graphite-epoxy composites

The use of through-the-thickness stitching in composite structures offers new challenges for quantitative ultrasonic nondestructive examination (NDE). The polar backscatter approach is used to examine the stitches, rather than the laminae themselves, in stitched composites. By generating refracted waves which are nearly perpendicular to the stitches, maximum sensitivity may be achieved to the scattering from the stitches relative to the background fibers. The basic principles of the approach are demonstrated by examining specimens consisting of isolated fiber tows case in neat resin in order to simulate stitches. Measurements from a stitched composite are presented and discussed. >
Reweighted ℓ1 minimization method for stochastic elliptic differential equations

Abstract We consider elliptic stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) with random coefficients and solve them by expanding the solution using generalized polynomial chaos (gPC). Under some mild conditions on the coefficients, the solution is “sparse” in the random space, i.e., only a small number of gPC basis makes considerable contribution to the solution. To exploit this sparsity, we employ reweighted l 1 minimization to recover the coefficients of the gPC expansion. We also combine this method with random sampling points based on the Chebyshev probability measure to further increase the accuracy of the recovery of the gPC coefficients. We first present a one-dimensional test to demonstrate the main idea, and then we consider 14 and 40 dimensional elliptic SPDEs to demonstrate the significant improvement of this method over the standard l 1 minimization method. For moderately high dimensional (∼10) problems, the combination of Chebyshev measure with reweighted l 1 minimization performs well while for higher dimensional problems, reweighted l 1 only is sufficient. The proposed approach is especially suitable for problems for which the deterministic solver is very expensive since it reuses the sampling results and exploits all the information available from limited sources.
Proximal NDVI derived phenology improves in-season predictions of wheat quantity and quality

Abstract Automated, low-cost and field-deployable remote sensing tools are well suited for continuously monitoring crop growth and providing growers with timely information about crop performance. Because automated sensors provide information about crop development and performance across time, we examined the hypothesis that ground-based canopy reflectance data might define crop phenology in new ways over the course of the season that can better forecast crop yield, protein, biomass, and grain nitrogen at harvest. This study examines the utility of daily Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to monitor crop phenology over two complete growing seasons. Spectral reflectance data was collected at a total of sixteen plots under four different applied nitrogen (N) and soil water availability scenarios in rainfed soft white spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Using NDVI at solar noon, four phenological periods were derived from the data using a non-parametric regression locally weighted smoothing parameter (loess) to account for day to day variability, and piecewise linear regression to determine inflection points in the seasonal NDVI curve. The NDVI derived phenological metrics (i.e. the change in NDVI per day, and duration (in days) of each phenological period) were compared against daily NDVI values throughout the season to predict harvest metrics. Daily NDVI data were generally poor predictors of harvest metrics early in the growing season, and reached maximum predictive power at the onset of heading, and the middle of ripening for biomass and yield (R2 ∼ 0.50 and ∼0.25 during heading, respectively, and R2 ∼ 0.50 during early ripening). Conversely, using both simple and multiple regression analysis, we found that harvest metrics were better explained using the rate and duration of NDVI derived phenological periods. Simple regressions between NDVI derived phenological metrics revealed several physiologically and management relevant correlations including strong, statistically significant (p
Clinical Significance of CD11c Expression Levels in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

CD11c is an adhesion molecule that is expressed by different B-cell lymphomas including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). CLL/SLL is primarily a peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) disease, however, a subset of patients may present with lymphadenopathy (LAP) and/or splenomegaly. Here we study the relation between CD11c expression in CLL/SLL with the clinical presentation and outcome …
The Playfulness of the Picturesque the Mirth of the Material

Much is lost from literature when it is no longer thought to be divinely inspired nor concerned with permanent, spiritual values; but much remains also of vitality and vividness — the curve of beauty and even a base in sexuality. The physiology of artistic taste and the discovery of the imagination as a material function of the brain opened up literature to something akin to technological development, to progress. Darwin was one of many “engineers” of the imagination in the second half of the 18th century. He experimented with sensation and “imaginative motions,” as he termed them, in order to build an art based on the theory that pleasure comes from the lively recombinations of sense perceptions at the near sub-conscious level of involuntary animal motion. In other words, he believed that pleasure could be engineered out of matter, that it did not spring whole from supernatural virtue. Wordsworth believed the same thing when he described “the very world, which is the world / Of all of us, — the place where, in the end, / We find our happiness, or not at all!”1
The Practicalities and Pitfalls of the Smallest Saleable Patent Practicing Unit Doctrine: A Review of Teece and Sherry

In early 2016, David Teece and Edward Sherry released a new paper assessing the economics of the “Smallest Saleable Patent Practicing Unit” (SSPPU) doctrine. The doctrine was first espoused in 2009 by Judge Randall Rader in Cornell v. Hewlett Packard. In the simplest terms, the SSPPU doctrine calls for setting the revenue base for reasonable royalty patent infringement damages at the smallest possible product level that still reflects the patented invention. In their new paper, Teece and Sherry walk through the justifications expressed in support of applying the SSPPU doctrine and discuss the assumptions embedded within those justifications. The authors also explain a number of the limitations of the doctrine, both logical and practical. In this brief review, I summarize the key findings reported in the Teece and Sherry paper and highlight the policy implications.
Survival of Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) in contact with residues of insecticides on cotton

Survival of Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) adults exposed to residues of insecticides applied at recommended rates to cotton was measured in 1989. In unsprayed check treatments, survival was 91.4% after 24 h. The organophosphates profenofos and acephate and the new-generation pyrethroid bifenthrin were highly toxic to M. croceipes . All other compounds tested showed some selectivity, including esfenvalerate, cypermethrin, thiodicarb, oxamyl, dicrotophos, dimethoate, and cyhalothrin in order of decreasing survival. The effectiveness of M. croceipes as a biocontrol agent of the bollworm and tobacco budworm might be improved through selective use of insecticides to which the parasitoid is tolerant.
Drained and undrained analyses of cylindrical cavity contractions by bounding surface plasticity

This paper develops a rigorous semi-analytical approach for drained–undrained cylindrical cavity contraction problems in bounding surface elastoplastic geomaterials. For undrained situations, the e...
Influence of induced abortion on subsequent pregnancy

Objective To explore the influence of induced abortion on subsequent pregnancy.Method A retrospective study on the influence of induced abortion on subsequent pregnancy was applied to compare pregnant women with induced abortion with those without induced abortion.Data of 1,286 women randomly obtained from perinatal care manuals of Gongshu District were analyzed from July 2007 to March 2008.Results The rate of early hemorrhage and and postpartum hemorrhage among the pregnant women with induced abortion are more significantly higher than that of the pregnant women without induced abortion(P0.05).Conclusion Induced abortion can increase the rate of early hemorrhage and postpartum hemorrhage in subsequent pregnancy.
The International Criminal Court

Key facts Headquarters: The Hague Members: 110 countries Mandate: “to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of” war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, “and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes” (ICC Preamble). Key structure: an “assembly of states parties” to oversee the treaty; plus, a criminal court of eighteen judges with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of international concern, supported by a prosecutor's office and a staff branch known as the “registry.” Key obligations: the Court may have jurisdiction over a crime if it occurred on the territory of a state party or was committed by a citizen of a state party, and if the domestic courts prove themselves unwilling or unable to genuinely carry out an investigation or prosecution. Enforcement: the Court can impose prison sentences on those found guilty. It has no police or military capability and relies on national governments to capture and deliver to it suspects. Key legal clauses of the Statute of the ICC: Articles 5–9 defining the crimes relevant for the Court. Article 12 on jurisdiction by territory or citizenship. Article 13 on the three paths by which the Court may take up a case. Articles 17 and 20 on “complementarity,” the genuineness test, and relations to domestic courts. Article 27 declaring that senior government officials have no special rights or immunities at the Court. Article 28 on the responsibility of commanders for conduct of their subordinates. Article 33 limiting the defense of “just following orders” Article 55 on the rights of accused persons.
Unhappy metropolis (when American city is too big)

Abstract Most scholars in urban studies and public policy/administration support city living, that is, they suggest that people are happy in cities or at least they focus on how to make people happy in cities. Planners also largely focus on making cities happy places. Economists emphasize agglomeration economies. Urbanism is popular and fashionable. The goal of this study is to challenge this common wisdom and stimulate discussion. I use the General Social Survey to calculate subjective wellbeing or happiness by size of a place to find out when a place is too big. Malaise or unhappiness increases with size of a place (with a bump around 10k people) and reaches a significant level when population exceeds several hundred thousand. Results are robust to the operationalization of an urban area, and to the elaboration of the model with multiple controls known to predict happiness. This study concerns only the US, and results should not be generalized to other countries or historical contexts. Directions for future research are discussed.
The 2016 Basal Ganglia Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

The second bi-annual Basal Ganglia Gordon Research Conference (GRC) was held 28 February through 4 March 2016 in Ventura, California, USA. Two hundred attendees participated and 46 lectures and 127 posters were presented. The meeting also incorporated a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), held between February 27–28, organized exclusively by and for graduate and post-doctoral researchers. The GRC and GRS attracted scientists from across the globe with 4 continents and 18 countries represented. Research was presented in oral and poster formats during themed sessions. Lecturers ranged from graduate and post-doctoral trainees to junior and more established principal investigators. Both basic and clinician scientists were also well represented. The latest basal ganglia research discoveries on both normal function and diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), addiction and compulsive disorders, were communicated. In addition, government, industry, and clinical leaders delivered an optional Translational Cafe that focused on therapy development. In summary, the 2016 Basal Ganglia GRC and GRS showcased state-of-the-art research, promoted discussion, and interaction throughout the research community, and most likely inspired the next wave of fundamental and translational scientific discoveries in this brain region.
Upconversion laser action at 469.7 and 560.6 nm in Er:YLiF 4

We report cw upconversion laser action in Er:YLiF4 on two new transitions in the green (560.6-nm) and blue (469 7-nm) spectral regions. Earlier, upconversion lasing was reported at 551 and 671 nm.1,2 The present experiments were carried out using 3-mm long crystals of 1% Er:YLiF4 with mirror coatings directly applied to spherically polished (R = 2-cm) faces and an output coupling of 1% The crystals were mounted with their c-axes perpendicular to the laser axis in a gas flow liquid helium cryostat where the temperature could be varied between 2 and 300 K.
WE-AB-207B-12: Prospective Study of the Relationship Between Dose-Volume Clinical Toxicity and Patient Reported Outcomes in Lung Cancer Patients Treated with SBRT

Purpose: To determine in a prospective study, the correlation between radiation dose/volume, clinical toxicities and patient-reported, quality of life (QOL) resulting from lung SBRT. Methods: For 106 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving SBRT (12 Gy × 4), symptoms including cough, dyspnea, fatigue and pneumonitis were measured at baseline (before treatment), after treatment and 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Toxicity was graded from zero to five. Dosimetric parameters such as the MLD, D10%, D20%, and lung subvolumes (V10 and V20) were obtained from the treatment plan. Dosimetric parameters and number of patients demonstrating toxicity ≥ grade 2 were tabulated. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate correlations between MLD and D10, D20, V10 and V20. Results: The percentages of patients with > grade 2 pneumonitis, fatigue, cough, and dyspnea over 3 to 12 months increased from 0.0% to 3.5%, 3.2% to 10.5%, 4.3% to 8.3%, and 10.8% to 18.8%, respectively. Computed dose indices D10%, D20% were 7.9±4.8 Gy and 3.0±2.3 Gy, respectively. MLD ranged from 0.34 Gy up to 9.9 Gy with overall average 3.0±1.7 Gy. The averages of the subvolumes V10 and V20 were respectively 8.9±5.3% and 3.0±2.4%. The linear regression analysis showed that V10 and D10 demonstrated the strongest correlation to MLD; R2= 0.92 and 0.87, respectively. V20, and D20 were also strongly correlated with MLD; R2 = 0.81 and 0.84 respectively. A correlation was also found to exist between MLD > 2 Gy and ≥ grade 2 cough and dyspnea. Subvolume values for 2Gy MLD were 5.3% for V10 and 2% for V20. Conclusion: Dosimetric indices: MLD ≥ 2Gy, D10 ≥ 5Gy and V10 ≥ 5% of the total lung volume were predictive of > grade 2 cough and dyspnea QOL data. The QOL results are a novel component of this work. acknowledgement of the Varian grant support.
Cryogenic amplifiers for a superconducting nanowire single photon detector system

We study an electrical readout scheme for superconducting nanowire single photon detectors using commercial off-the-shelf amplifiers operating at cryogenic temperatures. Low power consumption and improved noise performance enable multichannel readout circuit solution with high timing resolution.
Current Knowledge and Management of Hypersensitivity to Perioperative Drugs and Radiocontrast Media

Perioperative anaphylaxis is an iatrogenic clinical condition, most often after anesthetic induction. Several mechanisms are implicated, including IgE- and non–IgE-mediated mechanisms. Perioperative anaphylaxis tends to be severe and has a higher mortality rate than anaphylaxis in other settings. This is partly due to factors that impair early recognition of anaphylaxis. Neuromuscular blocking agents, latex containing products, and antibiotics are the most common etiology. Chlorhexidine and dyes are increasingly culprits. The newest emerging cause is sugammadex, which is used for reversal of the effects of steroidal neuromusclar agents, such as rocuronium. Latex-induced allergy is becoming less common than in the 1980s due to primary and secondary prevention measures. Serum tryptase levels during the time of anaphylaxis and skin testing to suspected agents as an outpatient are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Management includes epinephrine and aggressive fluid therapy. With radiocontrast media allergy, patients with a history of immediate hypersensitivity reactions to radiocontrast media should receive steroid and antihistamine premedication before re-exposure. Because IgE-mediated anaphylaxis to radiocontrast media is rare, there is a universal consensus that routinely skin testing all patients with a past reaction is not effective.
Intrinsic reliability characterization for stand-alone MEMS switch technology

This work presents a device level reliability (DLR) characterization for the Analog Devices proprietary metal contact microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch technology. Stand-alone device characterizations in both hold-down and toggle operation modes are described. An alternative operation mode to analyze is the so called “hot switching”. The switch pull-in voltage and the contact resistance are the main physical parameters that have been analyzed. This DLR characterization methodology can be considered a first step towards a standard that will be performed in parallel to typical product qualifications in order to assess the device long term reliability.