cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stable behavior and generalized partition

Behavior is stable if the ex ante ranking of two acts that differ only on some event I coincides with their ex post ranking upon learning I. We identify the largest class of information structures for which the behavior of a Bayesian expected utility maximizer is stable. We call them generalized partitions and characterize the learning processes they can accommodate. Often, the information structure is not explicitly part of the primitives in the model, and so becomes a subjective parameter. We propose a way to identify how the individual plans to choose contingent on learning an event, and establish that for a Bayesian expected utility maximizer, stable behavior—formulated in terms of this indirectly observed contingent ranking—is a tight characterization of subjective learning via a generalized partition.
Couple Dynamics in Stepfamilies

The adult couple relationship, whether it is a remarriage or a cohabiting relationship between heterosexual or homosexual partners, is an important one in stepfamilies. After all, most stepfamilies are created because two adults decide to live together or to get married, so it is logical to expect that the couple will be a critical element of most stepfamilies.
Modeling the shear response of granular materials with discrete element assemblages of sphere-clusters

Abstract Numerous high-performance computations of discrete element simulations of the direct-shear test investigate macroscopic and microscopic responses of granular materials. Volumetric dilation and mobilized friction angles are compared with spheres and sphere-clusters to investigate the influence of irregularly-shaped particles. Sphere-clusters are required to obtain realistic strengths and dilation rates. The absence of particle crushing in the simulations causes negligible void ratio reduction with increasing stress, but coordination number and initial stiffness are systematically stress-dependent. The development of the shear zone is shown through particle rotations and displacements, and the fluid-like nature of granular materials in shear is shown through particle velocities.
A Real-Time Personalized Noise Reduction Smartphone App for Hearing Enhancement

This paper presents the development of a personalized noise reduction app that is designed to run in real-time with low-latency on smartphone platforms for hearing enhancement purposes. The personalization is achieved by using an unsupervised noise classifier together with a personalized gain adjustment. After applying a Wiener filtering noise reduction, gains in five frequency bands are adjusted by the user to achieve personalized noise reduction depending on the noise environment identified by the classifier. The other signal processing modules of the app include voice activity detection and compression. Publicly available datasets of speech signals and commonly encountered noise signals are used to test the effectiveness of the app. The results obtained by computing a widely used objective speech quality measure indicate the effectiveness of the app for noise reduction.
Association between radiation dose and outcomes with postoperative radiotherapy for N0-N1 non-small-cell-lung cancer.

7538 Background: To review trends in the use of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in the modern era for N0-N1 margin-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following surgical resection an...
Design of Mobile Service of Intelligent Large-Scale Cyber Argumentation for Analysis and Prediction of Collective Opinions

Issues of national and international importance attract the attention of millions of people who want to share their opinions online. These discussions among a large number of people contain rich information, from which we want to extract the crowd wisdom and collective intelligence. Most of these discussions happen in social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter or debate-centric platforms. Social media platforms are accessible but not structured in a way to effectively facilitate these large-scale discussions, leading many discussions to be fragmented, difficult to follow, and nearly impossible to analyze collective opinions. Debate-centric platforms represent issues with binary solutions and modest analytics. In the cyber-argumentation, a sub-field of AI, argumentations platforms have been developed to facilitate online discussion effectively. These platforms provide structured argumentation frameworks, which allows for meaningful analytics models to mine the argumentation. However, few platforms have mobile service application and those that do provide only basic statistical analytics. In this paper, we present the design of a mobile application service to support intelligent cyber argumentation. This service is designed to facilitate large-scale discussion and report complex analytics on a handheld screen size. The platform has several integrated analytical models, which use AI techniques, to capture collective opinions, detect opinion polarization, and predict missing user opinions. An example of a large-scale discussion is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of bringing intelligent cyber-argumentation into the mobile space.
The Local Lyα Forest. II. Distribution of H I Absorbers,Doppler Widths, and Baryon Content*

In Paper I of this series we described observations of 15 extragalactic targets taken with the Hubble Space Telescope+GHRS+G160M grating for studies of the low-z Lyα forest. We reported the detection of 111 Lyα absorbers at significance level (SL) ≥3 σ, 81 with SL ≥ 4 σ, in the redshift range 0.002 1.6. Similar to the high equivalent width ( > 240 mA) absorbers, the number density of low- absorbers at z = 0 is well above the extrapolation of d/dz from z > 2, but we observe no difference in the mean evolution of d/dz between absorbers of high ( > 240 mA) and low ( ≤ 100 mA) equivalent width. While previous work has suggested slower evolution in number density of lower absorbers, our new data do not support this conclusion. A consistent evolutionary pattern is that the slowing in the evolution of the low column density clouds occurs at lower redshift than for the higher column density clouds. A 4-5 σ signal in the two-point correlation function of Lyα absorbers for velocity separations Δv ≤ 150 km s-1 is consistent with results at high z, but with somewhat greater amplitude. Applying a photoionization correction, we find that the low-z Lyα forest may contain ~20% of the total number of baryons, with closure parameter ΩLyα = (0.008 ± 0.001)h, for a standard absorber size and ionizing radiation field. Some of these clouds appear to be primordial matter, owing to the lack of detected metals (Si III) in a composite spectrum, although current limits on composite metallicity are not strong.
On the Dynamics of Transmission Capacity and Load Loss during Cascading Failures in Power Grids

In this paper, a novel analytical model is proposed to predict the average transmission-capacity loss and load loss during a cascading failure as a function of time and their steady state values. Cascading failures in the power grid are described using a Markov-chain approach, in which the state transition probabilities depend on the number and capacities of the failed lines. The transition matrix is characterized parametrically using Monte Carlo simulations of cascading failures in the power grid. The severity of cascading failure is estimated using two metrics: the expected number of transmission-line failures and the amount of load shedding/load loss (inferred from the average transmission capacity loss) in the steady state. These two metrics provide critical information regarding the severity of a cascading failure in a power grid (in terms of both the distribution of blackout sizes and the amounts of load shedding). One of the benefits of this model is that it enables the understanding of the effect of initial failures and of the operating parameters of the power grid on cascading failures.
Day Roosts of Myotis (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in an Arid Riparian Corridor in Southwestern New Mexico

Riparian corridors in the western United States harbor diverse biological communities that are threatened by reductions in available freshwater, changes to natural disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic disturbances. Limited data are available about bat roosts in riparian habitats in the southwestern United States. We examined day roosts of 3 sympatric Myotis species, the southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus), Arizona myotis (Myotis occultus), and Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis), along the Mimbres River in southwestern New Mexico. We tracked 3 M. auriculus, 3 M. occultus, and 1 M. yumanensis to 16 Fremont's cottonwoods (Populus fremontii), 2 velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina), and 1 Arizona walnut (Juglans major) within the floodplain. Roost trees generally had a greater diameter and greater likelihood of exhibiting fire damage than nearby trees. Moreover, several roosts were in tree species not previously known to be used by these bat species, and bats did not roost in human-made structures in this arid riparian corridor.
Chapter 7 – Drug Metabolism

This chapter explores the chemistry behind the major metabolic transformations that xenobiotic molecules undergo in the body. Phase I metabolism adds new functional groups or modifies existing ones to produce products that are usually more polar than the original compound. The largest class of phase I metabolism involves oxidation. Aromatic rings, alkenes, certain alkyl groups, alcohols, aldehydes, imines, amines, sulfides, and sulfoxides all undergo metabolic oxidation. Alkyl groups are removed from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, and halogen from aliphatic carbons by oxidative metabolisms. Reduction of ketones, nitro- and azo groups, and occasionally aldehydes and sulfoxides is another important metabolic process. Hydrolysis of esters and amides to carboxylic acids and alcohols or amines is yet another class of phase I metabolism. Phase II metabolism usually appends a highly polar molecule to a parent compound or a phase I metabolite to increase its water solubility for eventual excretion. Among the common phase II metabolites are glucuronide, sulfate, amino acid, and glutathione conjugates. Acetylation and methylation are also included among the phase II metabolic processes.
Mutual Information and Machine Learning Based Distinguishers for Pseudo Random Bit Sequences

In cryptology, a strong pseudo random bit sequence must be indistinguishable from pure random bit sequence or other strong pseudo random bit sequence. In this paper, distinguishers based on machine learning and mutual information are presented to distinguish various pseudo random bit sequences (generated by AES, 3DES, IDEA, Blowfish, RC4, and ‘rand’ function of C) from the strong pseudo random bit sequence of AES in CBC mode. Significant features are selected by using mutual information from the extracted features. SVM, Resilient Propagation ANN, and Multinomial Naive Bayes classifiers are used to distinguish. It is observed that pseudo random bit sequences of four block ciphers in ECB mode are distinguishable with more than 99% accuracy as compared to CBC and OFB mode. Bit sequences generated by RC4 stream cipher and ‘rand’ function of C are also significantly distinguishable.
Discovery of the Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica LeSueur 1817) in Far Northeastern Mississippi

The conservation of species at the periphery of their ranges has been gaining increased attention. The northern map turtle (Graptemys geographica) is a wide-ranging species that is considered globally stable. However, some states/provinces may have only peripheral populations of the species with either few existing populations or a small area occupied. In Mississippi, only a small portion of northeastern Mississippi occurs in the Tennessee River drainage, a drainage occupied by G. geographica, and range maps project that the species may occur in a small fraction of the state in Tishomingo County. However, no specimen or photographic vouchers had previously been collected for the species. We conducted canoe and visual point count surveys within creeks of the Tennessee River drainage to determine if G. geographica is present and, if so, to further assess the distribution and abundance of the species in northeastern Mississippi. We discovered the species in 2 confluent creeks in Tishomingo County, but only 1 appears to hold a viable population. The habitat of these creeks, including bedrock or gravel substrate, is similar to localities previously described for the species; the species was absent from areas surveyed dominated by clay- or sandy-bottomed creeks. Peripheral populations of a species are usually the first populations to exhibit declines, and it is therefore important to manage those populations accordingly and protect their genetic integrity. For these reasons, we suggest listing the species as critically imperiled (S1) and endangered in Mississippi. These designations would afford state protection to what is now likely Mississippi's rarest turtle species.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap in pediatric patients with a focus on newer antiepileptic drugs: A 25-year retrospective study at a single tertiary care center

Background Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis Syndrome (TEN) are rare immune-mediated diseases. Extensive research on adult triggers of SJS and TEN is available; however, research in children is more limited. Objective We sought to investigate and report the experience with pediatric SJS and TEN in our center, identifying associated medications. Methods A retrospective review from 1990 to 2015 at the Shriner's Burn Hospital in Galveston, Texas was performed to identify patients diagnosed with SJS, SJS/TEN overlap, and TEN. Data pertaining to demographic characteristics, medical history, physical exam, treatment, and outcomes were collected. Results We identified SJS/TEN overlap or TEN in 51 patients. Antiepileptic drugs were the most common group of causative agents, closely followed by antibiotics. The most common causative agents were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, phenytoin, and lamotrigine used concomitantly with valproic acid. Newer generation agents, with the definition of agents approved after 1990, were the cause in 13/51 (25.5%) cases. Newer generation agents included lamotrigine, clobazam, and zonisamide. Seven patients died, resulting in a 13.7% mortality rate. Renal failure, liver failure, sepsis, and gastrointestinal involvement each had a statistically significant association with mortality. SCORTEN was statistically significantly greater in patients who died compared to children who lived (3 vs 2). Limitations This is a retrospective study. Conclusion Three drugs introduced into the market since 1990 have emerged as causes of SJS/TEN overlap and TEN: lamotrigine, clobazam, and zonisamide. These medications are being used more widely to treat seizures, as well as mood disorders. It is also important for clinicians to be aware of the extremely commonly used medications such as amoxicillin, tetracyclines, NSAIDs, and acetaminophen that can rarely cause SJS and TEN.
Partisan Voices on the African Airwaves: A Field Experiment on the Political Effects of Exposure to Talk Radio

How does exposure to partisan media affect political attitudes and behaviors in a new democracy? Local-language FM radio programs, and partisan broadcasts in particular, are depicted as both a help and a hindrance to democracy in Africa. Some observers celebrate the full diversity of programming; they argue that strident rhetoric and partisan appeals can engage citizens who might otherwise tune out more temperate political content. Others blame partisan broadcasts for sowing seeds of political and ethnic polarization, intolerance or cynicism. To date, limited research on the effects of media on political attitudes and behaviors has been conducted in the developing world. Research on the relationship between exposure to partisan media content and any of these outcomes is plagued by potential identification problems; since individuals in most situations self-select the media they will consume, establishing causal relationships between message and outcome is difficult. In order to measure the effects of partisan media exposure on outcomes such as mobilization, polarization, intolerance, and cynicism, we conducted a field experiment in Ghana with 1200 subjects in October-November 2012, several weeks before the country’s December general elections. While Ghana is one of the most stable democracies in Africa, domestic observers in recent years have blamed the country’s print and broadcast media, which tend to be affiliated with one of the two major parties in the country, for apparent increases in inter-partisan and –ethnic polarization in the country. Our experiment involved randomly assigning tro-tros (commuter minivans) to play selected live political radio programs on their sound systems during morning commute hours in the capital, Accra. Commuters in these tro-tros were thereby exposed to one of four treatments: 1) a pro-government station; 2) a pro-opposition station; 3) a politically neutral station; and 4) a no radio control. As passengers exited these tro-tros, we collected survey responses as well as behavioral measures to evaluate whether their levels of political engagement, strength of partisanship, tolerance for non co-partisans and non co-ethnics, and political cynicism varied according to the type of political programming they were exposed to during their commute.
Is spatially integrated entropy production useful to predict the dynamics of ecosystems

Production of entropy by macroscopic systems in far from equilibrium as estimated from the spatial integration of entropy production density have been considered as an important concept that could help understand and predict the evolution of open systems. In this study we have used an extensive dataset of energy fluxes recorded in Ameriflux sites to compute the entropy production across different climates and ecosystems in order to analyze whether there are clear patterns showing a higher entropy production in more vegetated sites or in more developed stages. The entropy budget has been defined over a conceptualized system defined by the Earth's Critical Zone. Based on previous studies we have recognized four different formulations for the estimation of entropy production in macroscopic systems: (i) a total entropy production that accounts for all the energy fluxes including radiation fluxes, (ii) an entropy production that includes only those fluxes of energy absorbed within the open system, (iii) an entropy production that includes only living components and accounts for biochemical energy absorbed during photosynthesis and its further dissipation in the form of heat via respiration, and (iv) an entropy production that includes only incoming and outgoing heat fluxes into the open system that occurs at different temperatures. We quantified these entropy productions at different sites and stages of ecosystem development using available information recorded in 36 Ameriflux sites. We observed rather different magnitudes and patterns in all these formulations of the entropy production. Therefore, these formulations cannot be compared or considered as the same concept as has been done previously because they represent different scales and processes. In addition, we did not find a clear evidence of a maximum entropy production in more vegetated sites and at more mature stages of development, for any of these four entropy production formulations. These results suggest that hypotheses based on a maximum entropy production estimated from spatial integration over macroscopic systems in far from equilibrium should not be considered as a fundamental principle to understand or predict the evolution of these systems.
Cervical incisions in present-day obstetrics.

Abstract 1. 1. Fifty-nine cases of cervical incisions, occurring in a 5½ period are presented. 2. 2. There was one fetal and one neonatal death in infants delivered after cervical incisions. There were no maternal deaths in the group. 3. 3. The conditions and indications for cervical incisions, and their role in operative obstetrics, are discussed.
Some Macdonald-Mehta Integrals by Brute Force

Bombieri and Selberg showed how Mehta’s [6; p. 42] integral could be evaluated using Selberg’s [7] integral. Macdonald [5; §§5,6] conjectured two different generalizations of Mehta’s integral formula. The first generalization is in terms of finite Coxeter groups and depends on one parameter. The second generalization is in terms of root systems and the number of parameters in equal to the number of different root lengths. In the case of Weyl groups Macdonald showed how the first generalization follows from the second. We give a proof of the 13 case of the first generalization and the F4 case of the second generalization. As well we give a two parameter generalization for the dihedral group H2 2n. The parameters are constant on each of the two orbits. We note that the G 2 case of the second generalization follows from our two-parameter version for H6 2. Our proofs draw on ideas from AomotO’s [1] proof of Selberg’s integral and Zeilberger’s [10] proof of the G v 2 case of the Macdonald Morris [5; Conj. 3.3] constant term root system conjecture. The problem is reduced to solving a system of linear equations. These equations were generated and solved by the computer algebra package MAPLE.
Reforming the Russian legal system: Pre-revolutionary Russian law

The trouble with us Russians is that the Tartar is so close behind us. We are a semi-barbarous people still. We put Parisian kid gloves on our hands instead of washing them. At one moment we bow and utter polite phrases, and then go home and flog our servants. Ivan S. Turgenev (1818–1883) During his travels to London in 1698 Peter the Great encountered some English barristers wearing their wigs and gowns. “Who are those men?” Peter inquired of his escort. “Lawyers,” was the reply. “Lawyers!” exclaimed Peter, “What is the use of so many? I have only two in my whole empire, and I mean to hang one of them as soon as I return.” The law and lawyers have not traditionally been accorded much power or status in Russia. Yet, like Peter, a current generation of Russian leaders wishes to reform and modernize Russian society and, in so doing, is eagerly adopting Western practices, concepts, and mores. At the heart of these reforms is the need to create a society based on the rule of law (Rechtsstaat) . However, in order to establish such a legal system, Russia must overcome not only three-quarters of a century of communist rule, but also several hundred years of legal backwardness under the tsars.
Photocatalytic reaction of 2-propanol over WO3SiO2 using high flux radiation

The decomposition of 2-propanol is used as a model to investigate the photocatalytic properties of tungsten (VI) oxide on silica gel. A high flux, simulated solar radiation source is utilized as the energy source for the reactions. The UV-visible photocatalytic activity decreases with an increase in percent of WO3 loading on SiO2 from 1% to 3%. IR radiation, carrier gas, and the lamp power also play an important role in this reaction. The IR and the higher lamp power tend to enhance thermal reaction by heating the surface of the catalyst. In contrast to helium, use of argon carrier gas also enhances thermal reaction. Presumably the catalyst surface temperature is greater in the presence of argon due to the lower gaseous thermal conductivity of argon. UV-visible photocatalytic activity is most obvious when a water filter is used to remove the IR radiation and helium is used as the carrier gas. This study also supports a procedure established earlier to evaluate photochemical reactions, including photocatalysis.
Establishing Personal Identity in Reincarnation: Minds and Bodies Reconsidered

Little is known about how the minds and bodies of reincarnated agents are represented. In three studies, participants decided which individual, out of multiple contenders, was most likely to be the reincarnation of a deceased person, based upon a single matching feature between the deceased and each of the candidates. While most participants endorsed reincarnation as entailing a new body, they reasoned that candidates with a similar physical mark (e.g., a mole) or a similar episodic autobiographical memory to the deceased, when alive, were more likely than candidates with other physical or psychological based similarities to be the reincarnation of the deceased. As predicted, by increasing the distinctiveness of a matching physical mark and an episodic autobiographical memory, while holding others constant, likelihood judgments for the candidate with the similar distinctive physical mark were significantly higher than candidates with non-distinctive physical marks, but differences between the distinct and general episodic autobiographical memory condition did not reach statistical significance. These findings support the claim that we intuitively represent reincarnated agents as psychologically determined but physically embodied, and that different assumptions underpin the use of physical and psychological features to establish identity in reincarnation contexts.
New recursive methods for scan statistic probabilities

Abstract Glaz and Naus (1991) and Naus (1982) developed tight bounds and sharp approximations for the distribution of the maximum of moving sums of independent and identically distributed integer-valued random variables. These distributions are of importance in a wide variety of applications. To apply the bounds and approximations certain quantities need to be evaluated. We derive new recursive methods to compute efficiently these necessary quantities. An important area of application of our results is testing the significance of regions of high net charge in DNA and Protein sequences. We apply our results to reanalyze a set of data on charges in the Epstein-Barr Virus.
Signatures of blood in William Wells Brown's Clotel

(1999). Signatures of blood in William Wells Brown's Clotel. Nineteenth-Century Contexts: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 115-134.
Mechanical characterization of short fiber reinforced phenolic foam

The mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced phenolic foam is characterized and compared with unreinforced foam in terms of friability, compression and shear properties, and flexural behavior of simple sandwich beams. Compared with conventional phenolic foam, foam reinforced with aramid fibers exhibits significantly lower friability, higher resistance to cracking, and more isotropic behavior, while glass fiber-reinforced foam is significantly stiffer and stronger. Sandwich structures with reinforced phenolic foam cores show unique failure behavior, in which catastrophic collapse of the structure is not only delayed, but avoided altogether. The findings in this paper, coupled with earlier results, demonstrate the potential of reinforced phenolic foam as a fire-resistant, tough and low-cost engineering material.
Initial nanoheteroepitaxial growth of GaAs on Si(100) by OMVPE

Initial growth studies of GaAs on an array of Si islands nanostructured on (100) oriented silicon-on-insulator substrates show that growth occurs through a mixture of selective-area and 3D growth modes. An optimum initiation growth temperature must tune the growth conditions to the geometry of the seed array so that selective-area control is maintained while defect density is minimized. The optimum temperature for a square array of Si islands, 500 nm in pitch, and 100 nm to 280 nm in diameter, is ∼600 C. This temperature yields single-crystal nucleation on each Si island while maintaining selective-area growth mode control. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of optimized and non-optimized grown GaAs/Si heterostructures show that they accommodate 0.4–0.7% strain. Further reduction in stacking-fault defects attributed to side wall growth may be possible through masking of side wall or annealing.
War B. Traven Oscar Wildes Neffe? Eine skandinavische Variante des Identitäts‐syndroms

In der Spekulation um die Identitat B. Travens ist gelegentlich, namentlich in einem (ernstgemeinten?) Aufsatz von Torsten Ekbom und Olle Orrje der Gedanke vertreten worden, B. Traven sei kein anderer als der 1918 in Mexiko verschollene Englisch und Franzosisch schreibende Arthur Cravan (Fabian Avenarius Lloyd). Die Frage des Titels wird negativ beantwortet. Zugleich wird der «Fall» als symptomatisch verstanden fur das nicht nur literarische Interesse an dem Phanomen des gelungenen Identitatswechsel.
Application of Multicriteria Decision Analysis with A Priori Knowledge to Identify Optimal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Plans

AbstractControl of agricultural nonpoint sources of pollution is achievable through implementation of conservation practices at the farm or field level. There are several approaches to achieve a targeted implementation of conservation practices at the watershed scale. Recent studies have shown that optimization methods hold great promise for optimal allocation of nonpoint source pollution control measures. However, the use of optimization is a computationally intensive task and ultimately depends upon availability of automated optimization tools and expertise to analyze the results. In this study, a novel multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is proposed to identify a near-optimal suite of conservation practices at the watershed scale using a priori knowledge about the system. The proposed framework requires: (1) selecting a set of criteria, depending upon the objectives of the study, that should be considered in ranking the alternatives; (2) constructing an evaluation matrix; and (3) using a c...
Not all roads lead to rome: A response to michel boyer's paper entitled “matching hypnotic interventions to pathology types”

(2001). Not all roads lead to rome: A response to michel boyer's paper entitled “matching hypnotic interventions to pathology types”. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis: Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 361-363.
Laparoscopic hysterectomy for persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

We performed laparoscopic hysterectomy in a woman with persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. The procedure offered advantages over vaginal hysterectomy in that intraabdominal inspection was possible, morcellation was avoided, and the uterine arteries were transected before uterine manipulation to avoid potential tumor embolization. In addition, an abdominal incision was not required, and the patient had shorter hospitalization and less pain than she would have had with the standard abdominal procedure. Persistent, locally invasive gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) develops in 15% of women after dilatation and evacuation for molar pregnancy. Chemotherapy and hysterectomy are curative in virtually all patients. Numerous factors are considered in deciding the primary mode of therapy. Women in whom fertility is not an issue may choose hysterectomy, which decreases the amount of chemotherapy required to achieve cure. Traditionally, this has been performed with an abdominal approach. We performed laparoscopic hysterectomy to manage GTN.
Interface Effects in Interlaminar Fracture of Thermoplastic Composites

Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness was determined on a series of unidirectional poly(phenylene oxide)/carbon fiber composites using the double cantilever beam test. Initial toughness for growth of a delamination from an insert depends on fiber type, and ranges from 190 to 440 J/sq m, with intermediate modulus fibers tending to give lower values than high-strain fibers. Low toughness values are attributed to poor fiber-matrix adhesion. As a delamination progress down the beam, fiber bridging increases the apparent toughness by up to a factor of 7, depending on the fiber.
FINDING PARAMETERS FOR CHUA’S OSCILLATOR WHICH IS TOPOLOGICALLY CONJUGATE TO SYSTEMS WITH A SCALAR NONLINEARITY

Chua’s oscillator is topologically conjugate to a large class of vector fields with a scalar non-linearity. In this letter, we give an algorithm which, given a vector field in this class, finds the parameters for Chua’s oscillator for which Chua’s oscillator is topologically conjugate to it. We illustrate this by transforming Sparrow’s system and the chaotic Colpitts oscillator into equivalent Chua’s oscillators.
Fish performance, fillet characteristics, and health assessment index of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets containing adequate and high concentrations of lipid and vitamin E

The recent trend for rainbow trout feeds to be higher than 15% lipid may improve feed conversion ratios (FCRs) and increase the lipid concentration of the fish. However, one disadvantage of the higher lipid concentration in fish is the potential for increased rates of lipid oxidation, which could affect fish health and contribute to off-flavors in fillets. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of adequate and high concentrations of dietary lipid and the antioxidant vitamin E on fish performance, fish health, and fillet product quality of rainbow trout. A 10-week feeding trial was conducted with diets containing either 15 or 30 g lipid/100 g feed, and either 300 (e) or 1500 (E) mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed (15e, 15E, 30e, and 30E). Fish fed 30% lipid diets had significantly higher final body weight, specific growth rate (SGR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) than fish fed 15% lipid diets. All health parameters of fish measured in the experiment were within normal ranges of healthy fish although several parameters were affected by increasing dietary lipid concentration. Lipid concentration in fish body (whole body, fillets, and viscera) reflected dietary lipid concentration. Increasing the lipid concentration in the feed from 15% to 30% increased the fillet lipid concentration from 8.4 to 9.6 g lipid/100 g fillet. Vitamin E concentrations in fillets reflected dietary vitamin E concentration and ranged from 8.3 mg/kg (30e) to 49.1 mg/kg (15E) (P<0.05). Fish fed the 30% lipid diets had significantly higher concentration of malonaldehyde [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)] in fillets than fish fed the 15% lipid diets, and fish fed the “E” diets had significantly lower concentration of malonaldehyde in fillets than fish fed the “e” diet. Principal components analysis of sensory evaluation results showed that the 30e fillet had higher scores than other treatments on a “fishy” axis, which was highly correlated with overall flavor intensity, fishy, musty, sour, and bitter attributes. “Fishy” scores of the 30E fillets were lower than the 30e fillets, and were comparable to those of the 15e fillets. These results suggested that increasing the concentration of vitamin E in the feed from 300 to 1500 mg/kg could reduce the “fishy” aroma in fillets of trout fed a 30% lipid diet.
Rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria by volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis

Developments in rapid detection technologies have made countless improvements over the years. However, because of the limited sample that these technologies can process in a single run, the chance of capturing and identifying a small amount of pathogens is difficult. The problem is further magnified by the natural random distribution of pathogens in foods. Methods to simplify pathogenic detection through the identification of bacteria specific VOC were studied. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium were grown on selected agar medium to model protein, and carbohydrate based foods. Pathogenic and common spoilage bacteria (Pseudomonas and Morexella) were screened for unique VOC production. Bacteria were grown on agar slants in closed vials. Headspace sampling was performed at intervals up to 24 hours using Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) techniques followed by GC/MS analysis. Development of unique volatiles was followed to establish sensitivity of detection. E. coli produced VOC not found in either Trypticase Soy Yeast (TSY) agar blanks or spoilage organism samples were - indole, 1-decanol, and 2-nonanone. Salmonella specific VOC grown on TSY were 3-methyl-1-butanol, dimethyl sulfide, 2-undecanol, 2-pentadecanol and 1-octanol. Trials on potato dextrose agar (PDA) slants indicated VOC specific for E. coli and Salmonella when compared to PDA blanks and Pseudomonas samples. However, these VOC peaks were similar for both pathogens. Morexella did not grow on PDA slants. Work will continue with model growth mediums at various temperatures, and mixed flora inoculums. As well as, VOC production based on the dynamics of bacterial growth.
Automated Assembly and Hermetic Packaging of MOEMS for Applications Requiring Extended Shelf-Lives

In this paper we describe two modular automated microassembly systems, along with a several packaging processes that have been integrated to produce reliable and cost-effective MOEMS devices. The automated and packaging systems consists of robotics such as pick and place, insertion and fastening, machine vision and controls, and processes such as die attach, solder reflow by laser, wire bonding and seam sealing. The target MOEMS devices are intended for applications requiring a minimum twenty year shelf-life.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Innate immune-directed NF-κB signaling requires site-specific NEMO ubiquitination.

Summary While the I kappa kinase (IKK) scaffolding protein NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) binds to polyubiquitin chains to transmit inflammatory signals, NEMO itself is also ubiquitinated in response to a variety of inflammatory agonists. Although there have been hints that polyubiquitination of NEMO is essential for avoiding inflammatory disorders, the in vivo physiologic role of NEMO ubiquitination is unknown. In this work, we knock in a NEMO allele in which two major inflammatory agonist-induced ubiquitination sites cannot be ubiquitinated. We show that mice with a nonubiquitinatable NEMO allele display embryonic lethality. Heterozygous females develop inflammatory skin lesions, decreased B cell numbers, and hypercellular spleens. Embryonic lethality can be complemented by mating onto a TNFR1 −/− background, at the cost of severe steatohepatitis and early mortality, and we also show that NEMO ubiquitination is required for optimal innate immune signaling responses. These findings suggest that NEMO ubiquitination is crucial for NF-κB activity in response to innate immune agonists.
The Role of Quantitative Models in Building Scalable Cloud Infrastructures

Planetary scale cloud computing requires hugely scalable infrastructures for compute, storage, network, and services that support programming models such as Map Reduce. There are many design choices that arise in the construction of cloud infrastructures. Examples include: scheduling policies for compute clusters, caching and replication policies for storage, and approaches to integrating bandwidth management with application requirements for quality of service (QoS). These design choices must be evaluated in terms of their impact on QoS considerations such as throughput, latency, and jitter as well as the consumption of power, compute, storage, and network bandwidth. The scale of cloud infrastructures typically makes it impractical or ineffective to do these evaluations using test systems, and, for the most part, it is too costly and time-consuming to evaluate designs by building and deploying multiple implementations. This talk discusses ways in which Google uses quantitative models to evaluate design decisions for cloud infrastructures. In some cases, we incorporate quantitative models into production systems to improve the quality of on-line decision making. Since the effectiveness of these quantitative model relies on the type and accuracy of workload characteristics, the talk also addresses workload characterization. The talk addresses a number of research challenges with employing performance models in practice.
NiMoS/γ-Al2O3Catalysts: The Nature and the Aging Behavior of Active Sites in HDN Reactions☆

Abstract The work presented in this paper is a continuation of our earlier work aimed at acquiring a fundamental understanding of sulfided Ni-Mo/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts in HDN catalysis. A series of temperature-programmed desorption and reduction experiments were performed over in-situ sulfided bare γ-alumina support, alumina-supported monometallic Ni, Mo, and bimetallic NiMo catalysts. The TPD and TPR results were linked to the active site assignment of Ni- and Mo-associated centers in HDN reactions. Postreaction XPS and SEM characterizations were performed for catalysts used in HDN for up to 1000 h. One of the major changes during the aging of the Ni-Mo/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts was the loss of some active sites associated with the Ni promoters. The decreased Ni content over the catalyst surface was consistent with the observed decrease in the hydrogenation function of the catalyst. Two possible mechanisms are suggested for the loss of Ni active sites. One is coking that spreads from the alumina support to the nickel sites. Another is segregation of some Ni atoms from the Ni-Mo-S structure due to loss of structural sulfur.
Origins of Selectivities in Proline-Catalyzed α-Aminoxylations

The mechanisms, transition structures, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity of proline-catalyzed α-aminoxylation reactions were studied with density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31G(d)). The most favorable transition structure involves the nucleophilic attack of the (E)-proline enamine to the oxygen of the nitrosobenzene with proton transfer from the carboxylic acid to the nitrogen. Enamine attack to the oxygen is favored over the attack on the nitrogen due to the greater basicity of the nitrogen. Previously proposed zwitterionic enaminium pathways are highly disfavored due to the energetic penalty associated with charge separations.
Certification patterns and requirements for school psychologists

Abstract A questionnaire was sent to 50 state superintendents of public instruction and to directors of education in five U.S. territories. Information was requested relevant to state certification for school psychologists, including minimal academic, teaching, and internship requirements. Fifty-five questionnaires were returned. Forty-four states and territories indicated certification standards which were subsequently discussed in detail. Trends noted were: more states requiring certification for school psychologists, higher academic requirements, increasing levels of certification, and a shift away from a mandatory teaching certificate for state certification as a school psychologist.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE ECOLOGY AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF THE ANCHIALINE SHRIMP PROCARIS ASCENSIONIS

ABSTRACT The shrimp Procaris ascensionis occurs in landlocked pools that are under tidal influence. Individuals occur in shaded areas in deep crevices and almost never occur in sunlit or open areas. Although this species has been considered to be rare, our field observations during March 1983 revealed densities of 18.2 ± 4.9 individuals m–3 in lava caves leading off surface pools. Size segregation is evident in pools and caves, with smaller individuals spending most of their time in crevices and among the coenocytic alga Valonia and branching green algae. Large individuals primarily spend a large portion of their time in the water column swimming upside down using pereiopodal exopods and pleopods. While on the cave bottom large individuals move through algae, extending the achelate pereiopods laterally, apparently searching for prey. When a prey item is encountered, Procaris extends all five pereiopods and pulls the prey ventrally, trapping it against the gnathothorax with the aid of the third maxillipeds. Procaris then swims upside down holding the prey within a cage formed by the spinous pereiopods. Detection of prey is probably accomplished by mechano- or chemoreceptors borne on the pereiopods and third maxillipeds. Sections through the reduced eye revealed no ommatidia, suggesting that this shrimp is blind. Procaris is a voracious predator on the gammarid amphipod Melita and the atyid shrimp Typhlatya rogersi, although detailed gut analyses produced equal amounts of animal parts and plants (filamentous algae and benthic diatoms). The reproductive biology of Procaris remains unknown.
Real-time intelligent program stock trading

An intelligent program stock trading system is a system that will constantly monitor the price differential between the stock index futures and the underlying basket of stocks and to automatically initialize, execute and complete a transaction when the price differential between the two markets are out of synchronization. Traditionally, when there is a large price differential, index arbitrageurs will enter the market to buy the side that is price lower and sell the other side that is priced higher to make a profit. This work is to apply real-time system research in designing a new type of intelligent program stock trading system to automate this process. The proposed intelligent program stock system is required to handle large amounts of data with time constraints imposed on the data and on the transactions that access the data. Traditional database technology, however, is not designed to manage perishable (time-constrained) data of these financial applications, such as "current" stock prices and trading volumes in program stock trading transactions. However, real-time systems are designed to meet deadlines in transactions scheduling. In this paper, we will discuss using real-time object-oriented database system, the quantifying technique in index arbitrage (a form of program stock trading) transaction scheduling. We will also discuss using several other real-time technologies in building program stock trading systems.
Reactive-flow computations on a massively parallel computer

Results are described of recent research and model developments for performing large-scale multidimensional compressible reacting-flow computations on the Connection Machine, a very fine-grained, parallel computer capable of multigigaflop performance. We are interested both in having general-purpose computer programs for routine production computations and in evaluating the architecture of the computer for a wide range of computational fluid dynamics and reacting-flow applications. We describe the hurdles involved in rethinking the structure and the algorithms to best suit this kind of computer, provide some relative timings for different programs, and describe ways of dealing with special constraints (such as periodic boundary conditions) imposed by the architecture. Finally, representative results are presented for several reacting and nonreacting computations, including the development and propagation of a spark in a hydrogen-oxygen mixture, an imploding detonation, and the generation of beam-channel turbulence.