cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symbolic Consensus in a Fang Reformative Cult1

THE concepts of "consensus" and "symbol," like the proverb to non-literate peoples, appear to be for many students of human behavior work horses of theoretical discourse. Like the proverb, however, these concepts are ambiguous and almost always carry more weight than is analytically useful. Symbols surround us and when, for example, White argues that "all culture depends upon the symbol" (1944:235) we readily assent to their importance if we do not quite still grasp their meaning.2 As for consensus, we see its consequences clearly enough. But, beyond the raising of hands or some other significant statement of allegiance and cohesion, do we really understand what is taking place in acts of consensus? In fact, culture is not something of which everyone carries an equal burden, and the study of symbolic consensus can demonstrate the disparate portions which culture-carriers appropriate or are assigned, and the dynamic consequences that proceed therefrom. In an attempt to contribute to the understanding of these two terms and their relationship, I propose to employ them in discussing the religious ritual of an African reformative cult. I shall avoid such rubrics as "common value
Nonequilibrium Viscous Shock-Layer Flows over Blunt Sphere-Cones at Angle of Attack

A computer program for predicting the three-dimensional nonequilibrium viscous shock-layer flows over blunt sphere-cones at angle of attack has been developed. The method used is the viscous shock-layer approach for nonequilibrium, multicomponent ionizing air. Analysis of flowfields over a sphere-cone has been performed for both shock-slip and no-shock-slip conditions and the results are compared. This code is capable of analyzing equilibrium and noncatalytic wall boundary conditions, whereas the diffusion model is limited to binary diffusion. Results from this code have been compared with those from another code for the axisymmetric case, while the three-dimensional results are presented around the entire body at 10 deg angle of attack.
ATP CAN STIMULATE EXOCYTOSIS IN RAT BROWN ADIPOCYTES WITHOUT APPARENT INCREASES IN CYTOSOLIC CA2+ OR G PROTEIN ACTIVATION

Extracellular ATP activates large increases in cell surface area and membrane turnover in rat brown adipocytes (Pappone, P. A., and Lee, S. C. 1996. J. Gen. Physiol. 108:393-404). We used whole-cell patch clamp membrane capacitance measurements of membrane surface area concurrently with fura-2 ratio imaging of intracellular calcium to test whether these purinergic membrane responses are triggered by cytosolic calcium increases or G protein activation. Increasing cytosolic calcium with adrenergic stimulation, calcium ionophore, or calcium-containing pipette solutions did not cause exocytosis. Extracellular ATP increased membrane capacitance in the absence of extracellular calcium with internal calcium strongly buffered to near resting levels. Purinergic stimulation still activated exocytosis and endocytosis in the complete absence of intracellular and extracellular free calcium, but endocytosis predominated. Modulators of G protein function neither triggered nor inhibited the initial ATP-elicited capacitance changes, but GTPgammaS or cytosolic nucleotide depletion did reduce the cells' capacity to mount multiple purinergic responses. These results suggest that calcium modulates purinergically-stimulated membrane trafficking in brown adipocytes, but that ATP responses are initiated by some other signal that remains to be identified.
Health information use in chronic care cycles

A qualitative field study was conducted to explore the use of health information in the chronic care process. The findings show that health information is organized and used based on what we called chronic care cycles - the repeated rotations of a routine medical visit with the subsequent homecare period. We suggest that future system design consider chronic care cycles to facilitate the use of health information in managing chronic diseases.
The relation between goal orientation and students' motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning

Abstract The relations between three goal orientations and students' motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning were examined in a correlational study of 434 seventh and eighth grade students. Data were collected over two time points (fall and spring) within one school year with self-report questionnaires. Regression analyses revealed that adopting a learning goal orientation and a relative ability goal orientation resulted in a generally positive pattern of motivational beliefs including adaptive levels of task value, self-efficacy, and test anxiety, as well as cognition including higher levels of cognitive strategy use, selfregulation, and academic performance. Results showed that adopting an extrinsic goal orientation led to more maladaptive motivational and cognitive outcomes. These findings were replicated across three different academic subject areas of English, math, and social studies. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for goal theory.
Cancer risk from incidental ingestion exposures to PAHs associated with coal-tar-sealed pavement.

Recent (2009–10) studies documented significantly higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in settled house dust in living spaces and soil adjacent to parking lots sealed with coal-tar-based products. To date, no studies have examined the potential human health effects of PAHs from these products in dust and soil. Here we present the results of an analysis of potential cancer risk associated with incidental ingestion exposures to PAHs in settings near coal-tar-sealed pavement. Exposures to benzo[a]pyrene equivalents were characterized across five scenarios. The central tendency estimate of excess cancer risk resulting from lifetime exposures to soil and dust from nondietary ingestion in these settings exceeded 1 × 10–4, as determined using deterministic and probabilistic methods. Soil was the primary driver of risk, but according to probabilistic calculations, reasonable maximum exposure to affected house dust in the first 6 years of life was sufficient to generate an estimated exc...
The effect of three α‐keto acids on 3‐mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase activity

3-Mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase catalyzes the transfer of sulfur from 3-mercaptopyruvate to several possible acceptor molecules, one of which is cyanide. Because the transsulfuration of cyanide is the primary in vivo mechanism of detoxification, 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase may function in the enzymatic detoxification of cyanide in vivo. Three alpha-keto acids (alpha-ketobutyrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and pyruvate) have previously been demonstrated to be cyanide antidotes in vivo, and it has been suggested that this is due to the nonenzymatic binding of cyanide by the alpha-keto acid. However, it has also been proposed that alpha-keto acids may increase the activity of enzymes involved in the transsulfuration of cyanide. Thus, the effect of these three alpha-keto acids on the enzyme 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase was examined. All three alpha-keto acids inhibited 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase in a concentration-dependent manner and were determined to be uncompetitive inhibitors of MST with respect to 3-mercaptopyruvate. The inhibitor constant Ki was estimated by two methods for each inhibitor and ranged from 4.3 to 6.3 mM. The I50, which is the inhibitor concentration that produces 50% inhibition, was calculated for all three alpha-keto acids and ranged between 9.5 and 13.7 mM. These observations add further support to the hypothesis that the mechanism of the alpha-keto acid antidotes is the nonenzymatic binding of cyanide, not stimulation of enzymes involved in the transsulfuration of cyanide to thiocyanate.
A safety evaluation of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with severe sepsis: lessons in clinical research.

A safety evaluation of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with severe sepsis: lessons in clinical research
Frequency response of an inchworm motor fabricated with micromachined interlocking surface mesoscale actuator device (MAD)

The development and frequency response of a novel proof-of- concept prototype Mesoscale Actuator Device (MAD) is described in this paper. The MAD is similar to piezoelectric driven inchworm motors with the exception that mechanically interlocking microridges replace the traditional frictional clamping mechanisms. The interlocked microridges, microfabricated from single crystal silicon, are shown to support macroscopic loads. Tests conducted on the current design demonstrate that the interlocked microridges support 16 MPa in shear or that two sets of 3 X 5 mm locked chips support a 50 kgf. Operation of three generations of prototype MAD device containing microridges are accomplished at relatively large frequencies using an open loop control signal. Synchronizing the locking and unlocking of the microridges with the elongating and contracting actuator requires a dedicated waveform in the voltage signal supplied and permitted large operational frequencies. First generation operates at 0.6 Hz and demonstrated 1000s microridges can be engaged without problem, second generation moves like an inchworm up to 32 Hz, and the third generation including an external force was successfully operated from 0.2 Hz to 500 Hz corresponding to speeds from 2 micrometers /s to 5 mm/s. The upper limit (500 Hz) was imposed by software limitations and not related to physical limitations of the current device.
Recurrent speech patterns as cues to the segmentation of multisyllabic sequences.

Abstract First and second language acquisition both require that speech be segmented into familiar, multiphonemic units (e.g., words and common phrases). The present research examines one segmentation cue that is of considerable theoretical interest: the repetition of fixed sequences of speech. On each trial, subjects heard repetitions (‘pre-exposures’) of two artificially-constructed, multisyllabic patterns that shared an embedded segment 1 or 2 syllables long (e.g., 2 shared syllables: [ga-li-s E ] and [li-s E -stu]). There were 2 and 6, 4 and 4, or 6 and 2 repetitions of the two patterns, randomly ordered. Subjects were then to indicate the groupings they perceived within a subsequent, longer sequence containing both of the pre-exposed patterns (e.g., [ga-li-s E -stu]). Responses varied systematically with the size of the embedded segment, the repetition frequencies of the two pre-exposed patterns, and the serial position of each pre-exposure. The results illustrate how investigations of the processing of speech patterns may contribute to an understanding of some elementary aspects of language learning.
Infected Cell Protein (ICP)47 Enhances Herpes Simplex Virus Neurovirulence by Blocking the CD8+ T Cell Response

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) infected cell protein (ICP)47 blocks CD8+ T cell recognition of infected cells by inhibiting the transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP). In vivo, HSV-1 replicates in two distinct tissues: in epithelial mucosa or epidermis, where the virus enters sensory neurons; and in the peripheral and central nervous system, where acute and subsequently latent infections occur. Here, we show that an HSV-1 ICP47− mutant is less neurovirulent than wild-type HSV-1 in mice, but replicates normally in epithelial tissues. The reduced neurovirulence of the ICP47− mutant was due to a protective CD8+ T cell response. When compared with wild-type virus, the ICP47− mutant expressed reduced neurovirulence in immunologically normal mice, and T cell–deficient nude mice after reconstitution with CD8+ T cells. However, the ICP47− mutant exhibited normal neurovirulence in mice that were acutely depleted of CD8+ T cells, and in nude mice that were not reconstituted, or were reconstituted with CD4+ T cells. In contrast, CD8+ T cell depletion did not increase the neurovirulence of an unrelated, attenuated HSV-1 glycoprotein (g)E− mutant. ICP47 is the first viral protein shown to influence neurovirulence by inhibiting CD8+ T cell protection.
Polymer Composite with Three Electrochromic States

The electrochromic properties of an electrodeposited polymer composite consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with poly(3-methyl-2-{[3-(4-vinyl-benzyl)-3H-benzothiazol-2-ylide...
Left ventricular hypertrophy and performance: therapeutic options among the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

The goal of antihypertensive therapy is the reduction in morbidity and mortality associated with high blood pressure. Despite our ability to reduce blood pressure, «standard» antihypertensive therapy has not produced a general decrease in coronary heart disease. This failure might be related to the adverse metabolic consequences of diuretics and β-adrenergic receptor-blocking agents used in most clinical trials. In the hypertensive patient population, however, the principal physiologic abnormality is increased systemic vascular resistance
Youth sport: Positive and negative impact on young athletes

Organized youth sports are highly popular for youth and their families, with approximately 45 million children and adolescent participants in the US. Seventy five percent of American families with school-aged children have at least one child participating in organized sports. On the surface, it appears that US children are healthy and happy as they engage in this traditional pastime, and families report higher levels of satisfaction if their children participate. However, statistics demonstrate a childhood obesity epidemic, with one of three children now being overweight, with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for most children and teenagers. Increasing sports-related injuries, with 2.6 million emergency room visits a year for those aged 5-24 years, a 70%-80% attrition rate by the time a child is 15 years of age, and programs overemphasizing winning are problems encountered in youth sport. The challenges faced by adults who are involved in youth sports, from parents, to coaches, to sports medicine providers, are multiple, complex, and varied across ethnic cultures, gender, communities, and socioeconomic levels. It appears that an emphasis on fun while establishing a balance between physical fitness, psychologic well-being, and lifelong lessons for a healthy and active lifestyle are paramount for success.
Corn/broiler price transmissions and structural change since the 1950s

Monthly vector autoregressions of corn, farm broiler, and retail broiler prices were estimated for 1956:1–1968:12 (early period) and 1973:1–1985:11 (recent period), and then validated 36 months beyond each sample. Statistically significant evidence suggests that the dynamic manner in which corn price increases elicit broiler price changes has changed since the 1950s. Corn price increases are now more likely to be passed on to broiler consumers, and more immediately. Evidence further suggests that since the early period, significant change has occurred at the retail level, and that corn price has become a more important broiler price determinant.
The Influences of Human Communication on Health Outcomes

This article examines the many assertions made in the health communication literature about the importance of communication as an essential process in promoting effective health care. If these assertions are true, then researchers should be able to demonstrate the ways in which communication influences the accomplishment of health care goals—how communication influences health outcomes. The links between health communication and health outcomes are examined, as well as the health outcomes literature. The authors propose a conceptual model of the role of communication in achieving advantageous outcomes in health care and health promotion based on the systems transformation model. The model can serve as a template for both guiding research on communication and health outcomes and for directing the health communication activities of interdependent participants in the modern health care system to promote desired health outcomes in health care/health promotion efforts.
Framing Culture within Classroom Practice: Culturally Relevant Teaching

Abstract The article explores the pedagogy of four elementary teachers of culturally diverse students in the Southeastern United States. It examines the ways in which these elementary school Teachers' construct culturally relevant practices in their diverse classrooms in terms of teaching approaches, strategies, activities, and lessons. Culturally relevant practices “build upon students' cultural and experiential strengths to help them acquire new knowledge” (Lipman, 1995, p. 230). Findings reveal that the four elementary teachers attempt to connect what they do in the classroom to the students' cultural backgrounds by helping students understand themselves and others, structuring social interactions, and recognizing culture as a strength to draw upon within the schooling context.
Comparative organophosphate-induced effects observed in adult and neonatal sprague–dawley rats during the conduct of multigeneration toxicity studies

Five organophosphates: tribufos, oxydemeton-methyl, fenamiphos, coumaphos, and trichlorfon were evaluated for their potential to produce reproductive and neonatal toxicity following continuous dietary exposure during multigenerational reproduction toxicity studies in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Dietary concentrations were selected to demonstrate parental effects in the high dose and provide for a no-adverse effect level at the low dose. There were no clinical signs observed in the adults or neonates during either generation. Significant effects on body weight and food consumption, when observed, were typically observed only with the highest dietary concentration and were greater in the second generation. Reproductive effects, including decreased fertility and mating indices, were only observed with test compounds and at dietary concentrations demonstrating effects on body weight and/or food consumption. Similarly, pup body weight was also affected by those test compounds that produced significant maternal effects during lactation. Significant inhibition of parental cholinesterase activities (plasma, erythrocyte, and brain) was similarly observed in both generations with all test compounds, with at least the highest concentrations. In general, females demonstrated greater enzyme inhibition than the males. For example, mean PChe inhibition considering both generations and all test compounds was 74% for the females, whereas inhibition was 51% in the males. Effects on cholinesterase activities in the neonates (Lactation Day 4) were, for most test compounds, below 10% at the highest dietary concentration. However, by Lactation Day 21, inhibition of enzyme activity (considering all test compounds at the highest concentration and all enzymes) was approximately 30%. The increase in inhibition is attributed to the consumption of the treated feed during the latter stages of lactation. Considering the relative maternal (termination) and neonatal (Lactation Day 4) cholinesterase effects at the highest dietary concentration, it was observed that the effects in the neonate were, for all organophosphates tested, significantly less than those observed in the dam.
Abstract 5584: Green tea polyphenols inhibit histone deacetylases and modulate p53 transcriptional activities in human prostate cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) are emerging as a promising class of anticancer drugs. HDAC inhibitors have been demonstrated to induce cellular activities similar to p53-mediated responses such as induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in various malignant cells. Green tea polyphenols (GTP) have shown protective effects against development and progression of various human cancers. GTP-mediated cellular responses include p53 activation, cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. In the present study, we sought to determine whether GTP-mediated cellular responses are similar to that elicited by HDAC inhibitors. For these studies, we used human prostate cancer LNCaP cells, possessing wild-type p53, infected with short hairpin (sh) RNA vector and sh-p53 RNA vector to generate isogenic cell lines. Knockdown of p53 in LNCaP cells caused an increase in the activity of class I HDACs with specific increase in the protein expression of HDAC viz. 1 and 8, respectively. Treatment of both cell lines with 20, 40 and 80 mcg/mL doses of GTP for 24 h resulted in dose-dependent decrease in the total HDAC activity and protein expression of HDAC 2, 3 and 8 and HDAC 1, albeit at highest GTP dose. Similar dose-dependent responses were achieved by trichostatin A (TSA), a well known pharmacological inhibitor of class I and II HDACs in these cells. Interestingly, chemosensitization by GTP was more pronounced in the cells expressing p53 than the isogenic cell lines lacking p53 as observed by cell cycle analysis and annexin V flow cytometric analysis. Furthermore, GTP treatment resulted in marked increase in acetylation of p53 at its C-terminal amino acid positions K373 and K382, other than K305 along with increase in the acetylated forms of histone H3 and H4 which correlated with increased p53 expression, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that interaction of HDACs with p53 probably results in p53 deacetylation, thereby reducing the transcriptional activity; whereas GTP has the ability to cause deacetylation of p53 by reducing the levels of class I HDACs. This seems likely to be, in part, the mechanism for GTP-mediated p53 activation, a similar response elicited by HDAC inhibitors, which are developed as a promising class of drugs for the treatment of various human malignancies. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5584. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5584
Convective heat transfer characteristics of toothed leaves

Model leaves were used to test the hypothesis that serrate leaves have more convective heat loss than entire leaves of the same average size. Convection coefficients were positively correlated with size of teeth, supporting the hypothesis. Experimental results were in close agreement with theoretical predictions, which assumed an inverse correlation between depth of serration and effective leaf dimension.
The Geometry of Plain and Rib Knit Cotton Fabrics and Its Relation to Shrinkage in Laundering

The geometry of six plain and six rib circular-knit cotton fabrics with three different finishes was studied. Data on both gray and finished fabrics for stitch length, diameter of yarn, and wale an...
Potentially hazardous elements in coal: Modes of occurrence and summary of concentration data for coal components

Mode-of-occurrence data are summarized for 13 potentially hazardous elements (Be, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Hg, Pb, Th, U) in coal. Recent work has refined mode-of-occurrence data for Ni, Cr, and As, as compared to previous summaries. For Cr, dominant modes of occurrence include the clay mineral iliite, an amorphous CrO(OH) phase, and Cr-bearing spinels. Nickel is present in Fe-sulfides (pyrite and marcasite) and is also organically bound. Arsenic-bearing pyrite may be the dominant host of As in bituminous coals. Concentration data for the 13 HAPs, obtained primarily by quantitative microanalysis techniques, are compiled for mineral and organic portions of coal. HAPs element concentrations are greatest in Fe-sulfides, and include maxima of 2,300 ppm (Co), 4,500ppm (Ni), 4.9wt.% (As), 2,000ppm (Se), 171 ppm (Hg), and 5,500ppm (Pb). Trace-element microanalysis is a significant refinement over bulk methods, and shows that there is considerable trace-element variation on a fine scale for a given coal, a...
Treatment of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

Postoperative atrial fibrillation can occur in approximately 30% of patients. Although often a benign complication, it can result in significant morbidity and prolong hospitalization with attendant increased expenditure of health care resources. A rigid approach for prophylaxis and treatment is illogical, but with separate focus on rate control and cardioversion, a sinus mechanism can be safely and reliably achieved with minimal patient discomfort.
Between Civilization and Barbarism: Women, Nation, and Literary Culture in Modern Argentina

Masiello's book 'sheds light on a relatively little-known group of extremely interesting women in the formative period of a major literature...[It] breaks new ground and will be a standard reference for the subject' - Margaret Sayers Peden. Evoking the famous watchwords of Argentine president Domingo Sarmiento (1868-74), "Between Civilization and Barbarism" explores the positioning of women within the Argentine nation and argues that women neither sought alliance with the 'civilizing' agenda of leading statesmen nor found identity in the extreme poses of 'barbarism', to which some intellectuals had condemned them. Instead, women used literary and political texts to surpass the tightly outlined roles assigned to them. Beginning with literary and journalistic texts written by and about women from the time of Sarmiento, Francine Masiello traces strategic shifts in the discourse on gender at moments of national crisis.She considers not only novels and guides to female behavior written by and for privileged women but also newspapers and political tracts produced by women of the working class. Extending her study into the urban expansion and modernization of the 1920s, Masiello explores the nature of gender relations posited in treatises on crime and public disorder and in the texts of avant-garde and social-realist writers. In addressing such representations of women, as well as the effects of ideology and history on writing, Masiello offers bold new insights into the development of Latin American women's literature and illuminates the role of women in forming the culture of present-day Argentina. Francine Masiello is an associate professor of Spanish and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. She is the author of "Lenguaje e ideologia: las escuelas argentinas de vanguardia" (1986) and coauthor of "Women, Culture, and Politics in Latin America" (1990).
Alternating forms and transitive locally grid geometries

Shult proved that a geometric hyperplane of the d-Grassmann space is precisely the set of degenerate d-spaces for some fixed alternating d-linear form. Here the attenuated and Pfaffian geometric hyperplanes are discussed and characterized in terms of the action of the associated isometry group on the hyperplane complement.
Branched DNA molecules: intermediates in T4 recombination.

Abstract Multiple infection of Escherichia coli with T4 phages defective in both DNA polymerase and ligase leads to the accumulation of DNA structures that are intermediates in recombination. When examined with the electron microscope, up to 25% of these phage DNA molecules contained one or more double-stranded branches of varying lengths and arrangements. Infection at a multiplicity of one failed to give rise to branched molecules. Differences in the frequency of the branched molecules were observed when the infecting phage carried genetic defects in addition to those in polymerase and ligase. DNA of hybrid density extracted from bacteria mixedly-infected with 13C15N32P-labeled and 3H-labeled T4 polymerase-ligase mutants was enriched in branched molecules, indicating that the branches were generated in the course of DNA exchange. These findings have suggested a molecular mechanism for recombination based on a process termed “branch migration”, in which there is a concerted dissociation of two sets of homologous parental DNA double helices and reassociation of two sets of hybrid recombinant complements, with a resulting displacement of the branch point sequentially along the interacting DNA molecules. Strand exchange is thus effected without the necessity of exposing long stretches of single-stranded DNA.
The “Agnes Fast” Craniotomy: The Modified Pterional (Osteoplastic) Craniotomy

The “Agnes Fast” craniotomy is a fast and simple way of performing the pterional craniotomy while preserving the temporalis muscle, together with its fascia and bony attachment. Using this technique, the surgeon need not divide the temporalis muscle, separate it from its bony attachment, or perform an interfacial dissection. With a little practice, this craniotomy can be performed in less than 5 minutes and is highly recommended in emergent settings. The modified pterional craniotomy was performed in 10 cadaveric specimens, preserving the temporalis muscle with its attachment. An interfascial dissection was not performed while exposing the frontozygomatic process. The exposure gained, the length of the procedure, and the ease of application were recorded for all heads studied. In all heads studied, the Agnes Fast craniotomy was performed, with complete preservation of the temporalis muscle and its attachments. This procedure was performed quickly, with complete preservation of the fascial nerve and its branches. The muscle was put back in its natural place following the craniotomy. The Agnes Fast craniotomy offers a fast way of performing a pterional craniotomy while preserving the temporalis muscle, with its blood supply, neural innervation, bony attachment, and fascia intact. Replacing the muscle is also fast and simple and involves placement of two CranioFix (Aesculap, Inc., Center Valley, PA) holders to the bone, with no suture material. This approach does not limit the exposure gained and offers the same exposure as the “usual” pterional craniotomy.
Experimenting with IDA* search algorithm in heterogeneous pervasive environments

Today, mobile and smart phones are often viewed as enablers of pervasive computing systems because they provide anytime and anywhere access to information services and computational resources. However, mobile devices are inherently constrained in their computational power and battery capacity making them mere "dumb terminals" connected to a resource-rich pervasive environment. If they are ever to play a more prominent role as true elements of a pervasive environment, mobile devices must be able to embed more application logic and delegate processing requests to pervasive infrastructure. In this paper we discuss distribution and offloading of computationally intensive tasks in pervasive environments populated by mobile devices. This approach is illustrated by experimenting with a distributed version of iterative deepening A* search algorithm. In our approach, the solution space of a problem being solved is partitioned and distributed among heterogeneous mobile devices, which yields a significant increase in the time of finding an optimal solution. Distributed IDA* search algorithm does not require any coordination or communication between mobile devices, but added inter-processor communication through shared memory further increases the efficiency of the algorithm. This paper presents the results of our experiments with the algorithm and discusses a number of issues related to its implementation.
Factors affecting rejection of bariatric patients from an academic weight loss program.

Abstract Background To determine the factors affecting rejection of bariatric candidates at an accredited, American College of Surgeons Level 1A, bariatric program. Bariatric surgery "Centers of Excellence" use a multidisciplinary team to screen patients for eligibility for surgery using insurance, medical history, psychological evaluation findings, and the surgeon assessment. Few studies have reported on the frequency or reasons for patients not being accepted for surgery among high-volume academic bariatric programs. Methods From March to September 2007, 299 consecutive patients were accepted for evaluation into an accredited bariatric program and tracked for the incidence of rejection for weight loss surgery. The primary reasons for rejection included a lack of insurance coverage, being medically unfit, psychological or social inappropriateness, and a body mass index (BMI) that did not meet the cutoff (BMI 2 or 2 without co-morbid conditions). Results Of 299 screened patients, 90 (30.1%) were not accepted for surgery by the multidisciplinary team. The most frequent reason was the lack of insurance coverage (47.8%). Primary care physicians were the most common source of patient referral. All but 1 of the patients excluded because of an inadequate BMI (n = 13) had been referred by friends, co-workers, or themselves from information received from the Internet or television. Conclusion Approximately one third of screened patients were not accepted for surgery by an academic bariatric program. Self- or social referral appeared to correlate with rejection because the BMI did not meet the criteria for surgery. This suggests inadequate information among social referral networks and/or in the media. Long-term follow-up will determine the health outcomes of patients not cleared for weight loss surgery.
Reliability analysis of frame structures with brittle components

Abstract A review is provided of the recent developments in the reliability analysis of ductile (elastic-plastic) systems and of the stable configuration approach of structural system reliability analysis. These are combined to obtain a methodology for evaluating the reliability of frames that have primarily ductile components but also a few brittle components. The methodology is applied to two frame structures.
Effect of target position and size on adaptive sensitivity of the surround mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells

The spatial distribution of the surround's adaptive sensitivity was assessed in the receptive fields of cat retinal ganglion cells. The results provide evidence that the surrounds adaptive sensitivity is higher in the center of the receptive field of Y-cells than X-cells.
Depositional Processes in Deltaic Environment: ABSTRACT

Factors controlling depositional processes are analyzed for three of the world's major river delta systems: the Mississippi, Ganges-Brahmaputra, and Mekong. Despite variations in amount of factual data available it is apparent that these three river systems have developed different delta types which are of interest to the geologist attempting to compare ancient with modern deltaic environments. Four basic factors control and influence delta formations: (1) sediment load--both quantity and particle sizes transported by the river to its delta; (2) river regime--in particular its sediment-carrying ability and seasonal variations in that ability; (3) coastal processes--essentially the influence of waves, currents, and tides in the deltaic environment, and (4) structural behavior of the depositional site--progradation across a stable platform or subsidence contemporaneously with sediment deposition. Although the deltas which are considered here differ to some degree in most of the parameters involved, certain factors play dominant roles. The Mississippi delta area is characterized by rapid subsidence and its deposits are subject only to minor modification by coastal processes. Several overlapping deltas have formed during the Recent as sedimentation sites have shifted systematically during progradation. Rapid burial and minor modification by coastal processes preclude the development of laterally continuous sand bodies. The Ganges-Brahmaputra delta is tectonically controlled. River courses and sedimentation sites have shifted erratically in response to structural change. Coastal processes are dominated by high tides which have created an extensive tidal plain of predominantly fine-grained sediments. Laterally continuous sands are not typical of this delta. The Mekong has created a single delta system which has prograded across an essentially rigid platform. Contemporaneously, coastal processes (tides, waves, and currents) have reworked the delta front creating sand beaches which merge laterally to form sheet sands in the deltaic plain. End_of_Article - Last_Page 475------------
Maternal role of clerical workers: a feminist analysis.

Abstract This paper presents the qualitative findings about women's maternal role from an interview study of role integration and health in a U.S. sample of 87 women clerical workers. The data draws from clerical women's perceptions of the satisfactions and stresses they experience in their roles as mothers, the coping strategies they use, and the resources available to them. The analysis provided is based on participants' descriptions of their subjective experiences as mothers within the larger context of managing domestic responsibilities and fulltime jobs outside their homes. Results suggest that women in clerical jobs find many aspects of their maternal role satisfying, like participating in their children's growth, nurturing them, receiving unconditional love, and finding companionship. However, they identify multiple and pervasive stresses including boundless worries, strained relationships, overload, child care problems, and financial burdens. Many of their coping strategies are solitary in nature, although they also engage in active problem-solving, especially when they have to juggle child care and occupational responsinilities. Many do not view their spouses as sources of emotional and tangible support in childrearing. In addition to an in-depth discussion of qualitative findings, the authors examine implications for social policy, intervention, and future research about multiple roles and health.
The Arithmetical Theory of Birkhoff Lattices

In the development of lattice theory considerable work has been devoted to the study of the arithmetical properties of modular and distributive lattices. Indeed most of the decomposition theorems of abstract algebra have been extended to these more general domains. Nevertheless, there are lattices with very simple arithmetical properties which come under neither of these classifications. For example, the lattices with unique irreducible decompositions, which were studied by the author in a previous paper [3]1 satisfy the Birkhoff condition2 which is even less restrictive than the modular axiom. Furthermore, there are important algebraic systems which give rise to non-modular, Birkhoff lattices. Thus, since every exchange lattice (Mac Lane [4]) is a Birkhoff lattice, the systems which satisfy Mac Lane’s exchange axiom form lattices of the type in question. In this paper we shall study the arithmetical structure of general Birkhoff lattices and in particular determine necessary and sufficient conditions that certain important arithmetical properties hold.
A 3MPixel Multi-Aperture Image Sensor with 0.7μm Pixels in 0.11μm CMOS

In this paper we describe the first complete MA-imager chip comprising a 166x76 array of 16x16, 0.7mum pixel FT-CCD apertures, per-column ADCs, control logic and chip readout circuits fabricated in 0.11mum CMOS technology. The aperture control buses are globally connected to the FT-CCDs. The RS signal and the decoded ROW bus are used to address the readout circuits for each row of FT-CCDs. The MUX blocks contain column bias circuitry, inputs for external testing of the ADC and support for analog pixel readout through AOUT. The ADCs share an output bus that is decoded by COL and buffered for digital readout.
Mo1496 A Comparative Analysis of Physician and Practice Characteristics Among Gastroenterologists Who Perform ERCP At Varying Frequency: A National Survey

number of strictures, number of stents or number of interventions. All recurrences were successfully retreated endoscopically. All patients have been managed without surgical revision or retransplantation, resulting in 100% success by an intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusions: Aggressive endoscopic treatment of biliary strictures in LDLT using combined biliary dilation and maximal stent placement can resolve strictures without the need for surgical intervention or re-transplantation. However, ABS with IC may be more likely to have stricture recurrence. Studies with larger sample size will be needed to confirm the relationship.
Effect of shear deformation on optimal design of elastic beams

Abstract In order to avoid unbounded local stresses in the optimal structure, a realistic optimal design must include the effect of shear deformation. In this paper, such effect on the optimal design of elastic beams is illustrated by a problem of a circular ring. The cross section of the ring is assumed to be rectangular with given depth and variable width. Timoshenko beam theory is employed in the analysis. It is found that the optimal ring with shear deformation is more uniform in its cross section distribution than the optimal ring without shear deformation. Thus, by including the effect of shear deformation, the efficiency of optimal design is reduced.
A Boyfriend to Die For: Edward Cullen as Compensated Psychopath in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight

This article is an analysis of the teen-targeted vampire novel Twilight. The series and related merchandise have been a runaway financial success. Illustrative quotes from Twilight are presented according to Guggenbuhl-Craig’s concept of the “compensated psychopath” (CP)—an individual who approaches the psychological extreme of psychopathy but is able to pass for functional in society. The author argues the lead male character Edward Cullen is a CP and that the representation is problematic. The book’s main female character, Bella Swan, becomes completely dependent on Edward, desires him in part because he seems unattainable, and is willing to die and live a life of predation in order to be with him. The largely uncriticized idealization of Edward as top boyfriend material flies under the radar of contemporary concern for girls’ psychic and physical well-being.
THE DECLINE OF CALIFORNIA'S NORTH COAST REDWOOD REGION

The Redwood Timber Region of Northern California has experienced a gradual decline in its natural resource base combined with intensified struggles over preservation and conservation. This region is used as a case study for examining the historic pattern of resource decline, the ambiguous roles of environmentalist pressure, the failure of public regulation, and a range of regional responses to economic decline. In this case, more intense forest management techniques (herbicides, fertilizer, thinning), more public investment in timber regeneration programs, and the emergence of an underground economy in marijuana growing are core elements of the response to resource decline. Theoretical, political, and environmental problems with these approaches are examined.
Astronomy: supernova bursts onto the scene.

The stellar explosions known as supernovae are spectacular but common cosmic events. A satellite telescope's chance observation of a burst of X-ray light might be the first record of a supernova's earliest minutes.
Cis- and trans-acting ribozymes from a human pathogen, hepatitis delta virus

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains two self-cleaving RNA sequences (ribozymes) that may naturally function as such in human cells. A pseudo-knot-containing structural motif, which is distinct from the well-characterized secondary structures of self-cleaving RNAs common to the plant pathogenic RNAs, is shared by the cis-acting HDV ribozymes. Definition of the sequences and secondary structures of the HDV ribozymes has facilitated the design of novel catalytic molecules, such as small RNA circles, capable of site-specific cleavage of RNA in trans.
Sendai virus recombinant vaccine expressing hPIV-3 HN or F elicits protective immunity and combines with a second recombinant to prevent hPIV-1, hPIV-3 and RSV infections

The human parainfluenza viruses (hPIVs) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are the leading causes of serious respiratory illness in the human pediatric population. Despite decades of research, there are currently no licensed vaccines for either the hPIV or RSV pathogens. Here we describe the testing of hPIV-3 and RSV candidate vaccines using Sendai virus (SeV, murine PIV-1) as a vector. SeV was selected as the vaccine backbone, because it has been shown to elicit robust and durable immune activities in animal studies, and has already advanced to human safety trials as a xenogenic vaccine for hPIV-1. Two new SeV-based hPIV-3 vaccine candidates were first generated by inserting either the fusion (F) gene or hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene from hPIV-3 into SeV. The resultant rSeV-hPIV3-F and rSeV-hPIV3-HN vaccines expressed their inserted hPIV-3 genes upon infection. The inoculation of either vaccine into cotton rats elicited binding and neutralizing antibody activities, as well as interferon-γ-producing T cells. Vaccination of cotton rats resulted in protection against subsequent challenges with either homologous or heterologous hPIV-3. Furthermore, vaccination of cotton rats with a mixture of rSeV-hPIV3-HN and a previously described recombinant SeV expressing the F protein of RSV resulted in protection against three different challenge viruses: hPIV-3, hPIV-1 and RSV. Results encourage the continued development of the candidate recombinant SeV vaccines to combat serious respiratory infections of children.
Flow between eccentric rotating cylinders: Bifurcation and stability

Abstract The effect of cylinder eccentricity on Couette-Taylor transition is investigated here for flow between infinite rotating cylinders. The method of analysis is Fourier expansion of the conservation equations in the axial direction, followed by projection onto a polynomial subspace. Critical points of the solution, which are characterized by singularity of the Jacobian matrix, are located via parametric continuation. This computational scheme permits an extension of the DiPrima and Stuart results to higher values of the eccentricity ratio; it also makes it possible to move far from the critical point into the supercritical Reynolds number regime. The first bifurcation from Couette flow is found to be supercritical, while supercritical flow is shown to consist of regions of plane motion with recirculation, separating toroidal vortex regions. The domain of recirculating flow is asymmetric with respect to the line of centers, and on increasing the supercritical Reynolds number its axial dimension decreases while its radial dimension, in the plane separating the vortex cells, increases. The results established here for critical Reynolds number agree well with those of DiPrima and Stuart at eccentricities where their small perturbation solution is applicable, and there is good agreement with the experimental data of Vohr. The torque calculations compare favorably with the experimental data of Donnelly and Simon for the concentric case and with the data of Castle and Mobbs for non-zero eccentricity.