cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policies Affecting Medicaid Beneficiaries' Smoking Cessation Behaviors.

Introduction Smoking rates for Medicaid beneficiaries have remained flat in recent years. Medicaid may support smokers in quitting by covering a broad array of tobacco cessation services without barriers such as copays. This study examines the impact of increasing generosity in Medicaid tobacco cessation coverage policies on smoking and cessation behaviors. Methods We used 2010 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey data merged with information on state tobacco, Medicaid cessation, and Medicaid eligibility policies to estimate state fixed effects models of cessation medication use, counseling use, quit attempts, and current smoking. Results Smokers living in states that cover cessation medications but not counseling services were less likely to use counseling. Smokers were more likely to report having tried to quit in states with higher rates of use of cessation medications among Medicaid beneficiaries. We found no impact of Medicaid policies on use of cessation medications. States that impose copays had higher rates of smoking, while those that require counseling as a condition of receiving medication had lower rates of smoking. Additionally, we found that expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act is associated with decreased smoking prevalence among Medicaid beneficiaries. Conclusion Covering cessation counseling may encourage smokers that want to quit to use this service. Promoting the use of cessation medications may improve the likelihood that smokers try to quit. Medicaid coverage of cessation services is an important but incomplete strategy in addressing smoking among low-income populations. Implications States may be able to improve utilization of cessation counseling by providing Medicaid reimbursement for this service. Encouraging utilization of tobacco cessation medications may help more smokers quit. States should consider how to promote effective cessation methods among clinicians and patients.
Proteomics as a metrological tool to evaluate genome annotation accuracy following de novo genome assembly: a case study using the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Background: The last decade has witnessed dramatic improvements in whole-genome sequencing capabilities coupled to drastically decreased costs, leading to an inundation of high-quality de novo genomes. For this reason, continued development of genome quality metrics is imperative. The current study utilized the recently updated Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) genome and annotation to evaluate a proteomics-based metric of genome accuracy. Results: Proteomic analysis of six tissues provided experimental confirmation of 10 402 proteins from 4 711 protein groups, almost 1/3 of the possible predicted proteins in the genome. There was an increased median molecular weight and number of identified peptides per protein using the current T. truncatus annotation versus the previous annotation. Identification of larger proteins with more identified peptides implied reduced database fragmentation and improved gene annotation accuracy. A metric is proposed, NP10, that attempts to capture this quality improvement. When using the new T. truncatus genome there was a 21% improvement in NP10. This metric was further demonstrated by using a publicly available proteomic data set to compare human genome annotations from 2004, 2013 and 2016, which had a 33% improvement in NP10. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that new whole-genome sequencing techniques can rapidly generate high quality de novo genome assemblies and emphasizes the speed of advancing bioanalytical measurements in a non-model organism. Moreover, proteomics may be a useful metrological tool to benchmark genome accuracy, though there is a need for reference proteomic datasets to facilitate this utility in new de novo and existing genomes.
Whole Exome Sequencing in 20,197 Persons for Rare Variants in Alzheimer Disease

The genetic bases of Alzheimer9s disease remain uncertain. An international effort to fully articulate genetic risks and protective factors is underway with the hope of identifying potential therapeutic targets and preventive strategies. The goal here was to identify and characterize the frequency and impact of rare and ultra-rare variants in Alzheimer9s disease using whole exome sequencing in 20,197 individuals. We used a gene-based collapsing analysis of loss-of-function ultra-rare variants in a case-control study design with data from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project, the Alzheimer9s Disease Sequencing Project and unrelated individuals from the Institute of Genomic Medicine at Columbia University. We identified 19 cases carrying extremely rare SORL1 loss-of-function variants among a collection of 6,965 cases and a single loss-of-function variant among 13,252 controls (p = 2.17 x 10-8; OR 36.2 [95%CI 5.8 - 1493.0]). Age-at-onset was seven years earlier for patients with SORL1 qualifying variant compared with non-carriers. No other gene attained a study-wide level of statistical significance, but multiple top-ranked genes, including GRID2IP, WDR76 and GRN, were among candidates for follow-up studies. This study implicates ultra-rare, loss-of-function variants in SORL1 as a significant genetic risk factor for Alzheimer9s disease and provides a comprehensive dataset comparing the burden of rare variation in nearly all human genes in Alzheimer9s disease cases and controls. This is the first investigation to establish a genome-wide statistically significant association between multiple extremely rare loss-of-function variants in SORL1 and Alzheimer9s disease in a large whole-exome study of unrelated cases and controls.
Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease

Low vitamin D levels are associated with cardiovascular disease and its precursors, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. In this chapter, we review mechanistic studies in animals and tissue culture which suggest the role of vitamin D in controlling the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Multiple observational studies in humans have shown an association between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease and hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Mendelian randomization studies and randomized clinical trials have shown mixed results. Current ongoing clinical trials will clarify whether the vitamin D and cardiovascular disease connection is a causal one.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram and its Security Dynamics in the West African Sub-Region

This study surveys the security implications of the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria and in the West African sub-region. It draws on the linkage theory as an explanatory paradigm to examine the group’s uprisings on the wider sub-regional security implications. The study finds that the resilient and intractable nature of Boko Haram derives from the internal and external linkages and material supports the group has been exposed to. The insurgent group, as the study further argues, will continue to pose a threat to sub-regional security, as long as, it retains the capacity to withstand and defy military containment. Therefore, a more actionable step to take would be for the government of Nigeria to go beyond the confines of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to solicit the cooperation of all countries in the West African sub-region to confront Boko Haram as a common enemy. Keywords: Boko Haram, Security Dynamics West-Africa’s Sub-Region.
Relation of Logic to Other Sciences

If logic is a science, it must stand in definite relations to other sciences. Either it is identical with some other or subordinated to some other, or at least it is distinguished from other sciences in a determined way. To understand how St. Thomas considers logic to be related to other sciences would throw much light upon his conception of logic itself. And its relations to other sciences will appear if we can discover where he places it in his general classification of sciences.
Of Frege’s Logic II: The Foundations of Arithmetic

In the continuation of Frege’s published work after the Ideography many important metaphysical issues arise. Some of these emerge from the discussion of various themes in his examination of the foundations of arithmetic. I propose to sample a few of them here.
Mapping the Mind

In Chapter 2, we introduced a series of examples of how cartography selects and depicts terrestrial, celestial, and human biological features of physical phenomena. Geographic and oceanographic maps help us to find our way on land and sea. Star maps help us to explore the universe. In this chapter, we turn our attention inwards and explore the design of mind maps, maps that represent our thought, our experience, and our knowledge. In traditional cartography, a thematic map always has a base map and a thematic overlay. For many physical phenomena, a geographic map is probably the best base map we may ever have: intuitive, solid, and real. Now we want to produce a map of the mind. In this category of phenomena, a geographic connection may no longer be valid. A geographic base map cannot be taken for granted. What metaphor do we use to hold something as fluid as our thought together? What are the design principles in constructing a metaphoric base map that can adequately represent what is by its nature invisible, intangible, and intractable?
Dog attack: Physical trauma with associated brain injury

Anna was a spunky and energetic young girl who enjoyed being “mommy 's little helper.” She had been to her mother 's friend 's house many times and was familiar with her dogs. When the women stepped outside during one visit, 8-year-old Anna thought the two dogs might like to play together, so she took down the gate that separated them from each other. She remembers reaching for the rope toy, thinking she would play with them. She remembers the sounds as first the male full-grown dog attacked her and then the adult female joined in, biting her severely, mauling her head and neck. She remembers being dragged across the room and calling out for help.
Adolescents and work: risks and benefits of teenage employment.

1. Adolescent employment, both legal and illegal, has been on the increase in the U.S. during the past 2 decades. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 5.9 million children between the ages of 16 and 19 were legally employed in May 1994. 2. Benefits of employment include self reliance and discipline, improved organizational skills, and financial management as well as a sense of responsibility, teamwork, and exposure to occupational choices. 3. Negative effects of employment include threats to completion of developmental tasks and education, injury, toxic exposure, and illness.
Induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 by tumor necrosis factor-alpha through the 55-kDa receptor is dependent on protein kinase C in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Purpose. To determine second messenger signaling pathways associated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-mediated induction of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 expression on human retinal pigment epithelial (HRPE) cells, a cell type known to express only the 55-kDa TNF receptor (TNFR p55). Methods. SV40-immortalized HRPE (SVRPE) cells were exposed to TNF with and without pretreatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor calphostin C or the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H8. SV40-immortalized HRPE cells also were treated with the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA) or with the PKA activators forskolin plus 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine or dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) alone. Membrane fractions from untreated and treated SVRPE cells were assayed for PKC activity, and whole cell lysates were assayed for cAMP accumulation and PKA activity. Flow cytometry was performed on SVRPE cells using a monoclonal antibody specific to ICAM-1. Results. Activation of TNFR p55 on SVRPE cells with TNF resulted in a rapid increase of PKC activity at 1 minute, with a subsequent downregulation to baseline. There was no increase in intracellular cAMP accumulation or PKA activity within the first 10 minutes ; however, both increased within 30 minutes and returned to baseline within 1 hour. KSV40-immortalized HRPE cells treated with TNF for 1 hour showed maximal induction of ICAM-1 expression at 18 hours. ICAM-1 induction by TNF treatment was inhibited by calphostin C pretreatment and not by H8 pretreatment. Protein kinase C activation with PMA for 3 hours was sufficient to induce ICAM-1 on SVRPE cells at 18 hours, whereas treatment with the PKA activators forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP did not induce ICAM-1 expression. conclusions. Tumor necrosis factor sequentially activates the PKC and PKA pathways in SVRPE cells by way of the TNFR p55. The PKC pathway is necessary for TNF-mediated ICAM-1 upregulation, and specific activation of the PKC pathway with PMA is sufficient to induce ICAM-1 on these cells. SV40-immortalized HRPE cells may serve as a model in which to study further the functional signaling pathways associated with TNFR p55.
Teacher-Coaches’ Perceptions of Life Skills Transfer from High School Sport to the Classroom

Positive youth development is one of the primary goals of high school sport participation, yet the process of how youth transfer life skills from sport to other life domains is in need of greater e...
Environmental and drug-induced hyperthermia. Pathophysiology, recognition, and management

Environmental heat illness may affect the aged and infirm as well as the athletic. In addition, intoxication with a variety of drugs and toxins can produce hyperthermia, which may be indistinguishable from environmental heat illness. This article reviews current concepts of the pathophysiology, recognition, and management of environmental and drug-induced hyperthermia. Language: en
Intracranial Hemorrhage in Infective Endocarditis: Underlying Arterial and Parenchymal Disease (S10.002)

Objective: We aimed to explore radiologic findings that may explain the cause of ICH and the prognosis of these patients. Background: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a known complication of infective endocarditis (IE). The most common intracranial hemorrhagic complication of endocarditis is intraparenchymal hemorrhage that seems to be due to a ruptured mycotic aneurysm. Design/Methods: We reviewed records of infective endocarditis cases with intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebral angiography at a single tertiary center from 2010 to 2014. All patients fulfilled modified Duke’s criteria for infective endocarditis. Results: We identified 36 patients our inclusion criteria. Eleven (30%) had IPH only, 10 (28%) had SAH, and 15 (42%) had both. The most common presenting symptoms were focal neurological deficit (39%, n=14), encephalopathy (25%, n=9), followed by headache (19%, n=7). The hemorrhage was silent in (19%, n=7) cases. Twelve patients (33%) had mycotic aneurysms but only 4 had evidence of rupture (11%). Ten (28%) had distal arterial irregularities on angiography suggestive of vasculitis. Thirteen (36%) had evidence of microabscesses on MRI, and 22 (61%) had cerebral ischemia on MRI, of which 6 had a hemorrhagic transformation. In 24 out of 25 SAH cases cortical sulcal hemorrhage was seen and only one SAH was in the basal cistern. In 14 (56%) of these cortical SAHs had adjacent restricted diffusion lesion on the MRI. Among 21 patients undergoing valvular repair, only 2 (1%) were complicated with new intracranial hemorrhage occurred that had no relation to presence of MRI microhemorrhages (p=0.42). Conclusions: Intracranial hemorrhage in infective endocarditis is rarely related to mycotic aneurysms. Parenchymal involvement of infection or vascular inflammation may be the underlying causes for IPH and SAH in these patients. Disclosure: Dr. Khoury has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rice has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wisco has nothing to disclose. Dr. Uchino has nothing to disclose.
Teaching Children With Autism to Initiate Social Interactions Using Textual Prompts Delivered via Apple Watches

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often engage in low levels of peer social interactions; therefore, we often need to explicitly teach these skills. In the current study, we implemented a combined tactile and textual prompt, delivered via a text message sent to an Apple Watch®, to prompt social initiations from children with ASD to peers during free play. Results showed that the text message prompts increased the frequency of independent social initiations for both participants. Furthermore, 1 participant continued to emit high levels of independent social initiations during a 1-month follow-up with no prompts.
Using H1 instead of H1–H2 as an acoustic correlate of glottal constriction

Bickley (1982) proposed H1–H2 as an index of the stronger H1 observed for breathy vowels compared to modal ones. Because harmonic amplitudes also vary by overall sound pressure level (SPL), H1 amplitude was normalized to that of H2. Studies have also shown that H1–H2 is well perceived and correlates with glottal open quotient, and thus can be used to infer the articulations leading to changes in perceived quality. Yet in some cases, H1–H2 does not distinguish two voice qualities at statistically significant levels. We claim that this might be due not to the same open quotient between two voice qualities, but to the fact that H1–H2 can be especially noisy to estimate: for example, when f0 is irregular (as in creaky voice qualities), H1–H2 often has large variance that isn’t well modeled statistically. Using several corpora, we show that H1 alone (while controlling for SPL) allows for stronger statistical differentiation of voice categories than H1–H2. We further confirm that H1 can stand in place of H1–H2 as a correlate of glottal constriction. When differentiating voice qualities acoustically, researchers should consider measuring H1 (while controlling for differences in overall SPL) instead of, or in addition to, H1–H2.Bickley (1982) proposed H1–H2 as an index of the stronger H1 observed for breathy vowels compared to modal ones. Because harmonic amplitudes also vary by overall sound pressure level (SPL), H1 amplitude was normalized to that of H2. Studies have also shown that H1–H2 is well perceived and correlates with glottal open quotient, and thus can be used to infer the articulations leading to changes in perceived quality. Yet in some cases, H1–H2 does not distinguish two voice qualities at statistically significant levels. We claim that this might be due not to the same open quotient between two voice qualities, but to the fact that H1–H2 can be especially noisy to estimate: for example, when f0 is irregular (as in creaky voice qualities), H1–H2 often has large variance that isn’t well modeled statistically. Using several corpora, we show that H1 alone (while controlling for SPL) allows for stronger statistical differentiation of voice categories than H1–H2. We further confirm that H1 can stand in place of H1–H2 ...
Physical and Optical Properties of Cd(Se,S) Microcrystallites in Glass

Since the demonstration of degenerate four-wave mixing in ‘sharp-cut’ filter glasses by Jain and Lind [1], considerable effort has been expended to understand the linear and nonlinear optical properties of glasses containing small amounts of Cd(Se,S) microcrystallites. This class of materials is promising for all-optical photonic switching devices: good optical quality samples are available, waveguide structures can be made using conventional ion-exchange techniques, the location of the absorption edge can be varied by composition changes across a wide range of wavelengths, and photo-recovery times on the order of ~10 ps have been reported [2,3]. Additional scientific interest in these materials comes from the observation of optical effects due to three-dimensional quantum confinement of photo-generated carriers [4] in specially treated samples.
In Reply: Mini-Pterional Craniotomy and Extradural Clinoidectomy for Clinoid Meningioma: Optimization of Exposure Using Augmented Reality Template: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

A "keyhole" approach to a deep-lying skull base lesion, as such a clinoid meningioma, can be a daunting challenge.1-3 The minimally invasive exposure must be precisely placed and adequately wide to accomplish the surgical goal. Surgical rehearsal in virtual reality (VR) can not only increase the confidence of the surgeon through practice on patient-specific anatomy,4 but it can also generate navigation-integrated templates to ensure precise placement and adequate bone openings. In this operative video, we demonstrate the use of an augmented reality (AR) template in a 69-yr-old woman with a growing clinoid meningioma. The 3-dimensional, VR rendering (SNAP VR360, Surgical Theater Inc, Cleveland, Ohio) of her right clinoid meningioma was used in surgical rehearsal for the mini-pterional approach with extradural clinoidectomy. The optimal opening was saved as a VR file and, at surgery, projected into the eye-piece of the navigation-tracked microscope (Synchronized AR v3.8.0, Surgical Theater Inc). In this manner, the surgical opening in the template was visible in AR on the patient's anatomy in real time during surgery. The template enhanced the planning of the incision and soft-tissue exposure, guided the drilling of the sphenoid wing, facilitated the extradural clinoidectomy,5 and ultimately facilitated the accomplishment of the surgical goal of total resection of the meningioma. With this application of novel technology, the surgeon is no longer using navigation to get her/his bearings. Instead, the surgeon is using AR-enhanced navigation to duplicate a plan that is known to work. This is a fundamental paradigm shift. Patient consent was obtained prior to the creation of the video and is available on request.
Microfluidic Ionic Liquid Dye Laser

In this work, by utilizing ionic liquid as the gain medium solvent, which is a new category of materials, we demonstrated a droplet-based dye laser system in a co-flowing microfluidic device. We characterized the droplet laser system and achieved a lasing threshold of 40.1 μJ/mm2. Owning to the unique properties of ionic liquids, such as negligible vapor pressure and good thermal and chemical stability, they offer great potentials for the development of on-chip light sources, tunable optofluidic devices, and sensitive biochemical analysis.
Senior International Officers: Essential Roles and Responsibilities

As internationalization efforts in higher education have grown in scale and impact over the last few decades, sound institutional leadership, policies, and practices that are rooted in a clear appreciation of the purpose of internationalization have become even more crucial for advancing socially responsible standards of success (Brandenburg et al., 2019). Areas such as developing a strategic plan for internationalization and fostering institutional partnerships globally are key responsibilities that require effective leadership and are critical for higher education institutions (Kwai, 2017). Senior International Officers: Essential Roles and Responsibilities is one of the few existing guides on the emerging role of the Senior International Officer (SIO), an administrative position often tasked with the oversight of all matters relating to internationalization.
Viscophobic turning dictates microalgae transport in viscosity gradients

Gradients in fluid viscosity characterize microbiomes ranging from mucus layers on marine organisms1 and human viscera2,3 to biofilms4. Although such environments are widely recognized for their protective effects against pathogens and their ability to influence cell motility2,5, the physical mechanisms regulating cell transport in viscosity gradients remain elusive6–8, primarily due to a lack of quantitative observations. Through microfluidic experiments, we directly observe the transport of model biflagellated microalgae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) in controlled viscosity gradients. We show that despite their locally reduced swimming speed, the expected cell accumulation in the viscous region9,10 is stifled by a viscophobic turning motility. This deterministic cell rotation—consistent with a flagellar thrust imbalance11,12—reorients the swimmers down the gradient, causing their accumulation in the low-viscosity zones for sufficiently strong gradients. Corroborated by Langevin simulations and a three-point force model of cell propulsion, our results illustrate how the competition between viscophobic turning and viscous slowdown ultimately dictates the fate of population-scale microbial transport in viscosity gradients. Microswimmers tend to accumulate in regions where their speed is significantly reduced, but experimental and numerical evidence now points towards a viscophobic turning mechanism that biases certain microalgae away from high-viscosity areas.
Research on the interaction mechanism of flexible demand resources

As the types and scenarios of customer-side flexible resources interactive operation become more and more abundant, flexible resources put forward higher requirements for the quality of information interaction. In this paper, firstly, starting from the diversified business that supports flexible resource interaction, we study and analyze the customer-side flexible resource interaction requirements and interaction content, and then design information interaction models and mechanisms oriented to multiple business characteristics and priorities. finally, we introduce relevant algorithms into the proposed model to improve the quality of information interaction. Simulation results show that the method proposed in this paper can effectively improve the interaction quality of flexible resources.
The ALSUntangled Table of Evidence (I8-5E)

Background: Patients with ALS (PALS) often consider alternative or off-label treatments (AOTs) they read about on the Internet. Information about AOTs usually ranges from absent to flawed to grossly inaccurate. In 2009, the North American ALS Research Group started ALSUntangled to scientifically review AOTs and allow PALS to make more informed decisions about them. Our review team now consists of 90 clinicians and scientists from 10 different countries. To date we have received requests to investigate more than 160 different AOTs, and have completed 26 reviews which are available free on our website (www.alsuntangled.com). Recently, to make our reviews even more objective and to facilitate updating them when new information arises, we decided to construct a Table of Evidence. Methods: We found no precedent for grading the types of evidence we review, so we used a “crowd sourcing” approach to create the Table. One ALSUntangled reviewer (RB) constructed a first draft. The rest of the team then suggested edits via emails over 2 months. Finally a subset of reviewers met in person and validated the utility of the Table by attempting to convert the evidence from all 26 prior ALSUntangled reviews into this. Results: Five iterations of the Table occurred. Reviewers ultimately selected the following categories of evidence for the Table: Mechanism, Pre-Clinical Data, Anecdotal Data, Trials, and Risks. We decided on an ordinal, rather than numeric grading system within each category. Specific cutoffs for achieving grades of A, B, C, D, F and U were developed. During the in person meeting, information from all prior ALSUntangled reviews was translatable to the Table, consensus between reviewers was easily obtained, and new information could be quickly incorporated into the Table to update a review. Conclusions: The ALSUntangled Table of Evidence facilitates simple, objective, reliable and timely reviews of AOTs. Disclosure: Biogen
EVOLUTION OF SOLAR WIND FLUCTUATIONS AND THE INFLUENCE OF TURBULENT ‘MIXING’

We present various numerical and analytical solutions for the transport of solar wind turbulence. The model used takes into account the effects of convection, expansion, and wave propagation, as well as the recently illuminated effects of (non-WKB) 'mixing' terms. The radial evolution of the fluctuating kinetic energy, magnetic energy, and normalized cross helicity is computed, and, it is demonstrated that in appropriate limits the solutions converge to the WKB forms. In the general case, solutions which differ substantially from those predicted by WKB theory are obtained. The degree of turbulent 'mixing' shows considerable dependence on the nature of the turbulence, giving rise to varying levels, at 1 AU, of the ratio of 'inward' and 'outward' fluctuation energies and the ratio of kinetic to magnetic energies in the fluctuations. The transport properties described here may provide at least a partial explanation for the observed mixing of cross helicities with increasing heliocentric distance in the solar wind.
An algorithm for generalized Sylvester-observer equation in state estimation of descriptor systems

An algorithm for solving the generalized Sylvester-observer equation arising in state estimation of descriptor systems is proposed. The algorithm is structure preserving and rich in BLAS-3 computations and thus suitable for high performance computing. The algorithm is a generalization of the one recently proposed by Datta and Sarkissian in state-estimation of standard first-order state space systems. The algorithm can be used in state estimation of matrix second-order control systems, and an algorithm for this purpose is given.
Cost Minimization Using Renewable Cooling and Thermal Energy Storage in CDNs

Content delivery networks (CDNs) employ hundreds of data centers that are distributed across various geographical locations. These data centers consume a significant amount of energy to power and cool their servers. This paper investigates the joint effectiveness of using two new cooling technologies - open air cooling (OAC) and thermal energy storage (TES) - in CDNs to reduce their dependence on traditional chiller-based cooling and minimize its energy costs. Our Lyapunov-based online algorithm optimally distributes workload to data centers leveraging price and weather variations. We conduct a trace based simulation using weather data from NOAA and workload data from a global CDN. Our results show that CDNs can achieve at least 64% and 98% cooling energy savings during summer and winter respectively. Further, CDNs can significantly reduce their cooling energy footprint by switching to renewable open air cooling. We also empirically evaluate our approach and show that it performs optimally.
HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY OF BACH3(X 2A1) : FINE AND HYPERFINE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The pure rotational spectrum of BaCH3(X 2A1) in its ground vibrational state has been recorded using millimeter/submillimeter direct absorption techniques, the first spectroscopic information obtained for this molecule. The radical was created using Broida-type oven/d.c. discharge methods by the reaction of barium vapor and Sn(CH3)4. Twenty-eight rotational transitions of the main isotopomer 138BaCH3 were recorded, as well as five for 136BaCH3 and three for the 137BaCH3 species. Being a prolate symmetric top, K ladder structure was observed in all transitions for BaCH3, as well as fine structure splittings which arise from the unpaired electron in the molecule. For the 137Ba isotopomer, hyperfine interactions were also resolved, arising from the spin of the barium nucleus. The complete data set has been analyzed with a 2A Hamiltonian, and rotational, spin-rotational, and magnetic hyperfine/nuclear quadrupole parameters accurately determined. The fine and hyperfine structure constants established from thi...
A robust stabilizing controller for a class of fuzzy systems

This paper discusses the construction of a robust stabilizing controller for a Takagi-Sugeno class of fuzzy systems. It should be clear at the outset that the fuzzy system is inherently uncertain due to the vagueness of the associated linguistic terms, even though crisp and useful results are obtained via inferencing and defuzzification. This vagueness uncertainty is the essential fuzziness of the system as introduced via the membership functions. However, the fuzzy system considered here is uncertain for two other reasons. One, the parameterized membership functions are not completely known but the bounds of the characterizing parameters are known. Two, the mathematical model itself is uncertain via parameters whose bounds are known. The problem is cast within a robust bounded parameter design which then allows analysis within that framework. The parameters of the membership functions considered are those that determine its spread, and therefore the fuzziness, in the universe of discourse. It is shown that by knowing the bounds of the parametric uncertainties in both the system model and the membership functions, and using a matching condition, the local feedback controller gains can be selected so that the overall control law stabilizes the system. Furthermore, it is shown that the resulting Lyapunov equation that needs to be solved for global stability is indeed dependent on the fuzzy firing order which has not been the case with previous results.
Equilibrium points of non-atomic games: Asymptotic results

Abstract An elementary proof, as well as an asymptotic version of David Schmeidler's theorem on the equilibrium points of non-atomic games is presented.
Thermal Stability of Escherichia coli–Salmonella typhimurium Deoxyribonucleic Acid Duplexes

Single-stranded, labeled deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments from Escherichia coli were incubated at 60 and 66 C with a large excess of single-stranded, unlabeled DNA fragments from E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The resulting reassociated DNA was adsorbed to hydroxylapatite and eluted in a series of washes at increasing temperatures. The thermal stability of the reassociated DNA was determined by means of this procedure. Neither the extent of reassociation nor stability of the reassociated E. coli DNA was affected by increasing the incubation temperature from 60 to 66 C. The double-stranded molecules resulting from the reassociation of E. coli DNA with S. typhimurium DNA had a markedly lower thermal stability than reassociated E. coli DNA. More reassociation occurred between E. coli and S. typhimurium at 60 C than at 66 C. In addition, the product of interspecies reassociation occurring at 66 C had a higher thermal stability than that occurring at 60 C. Preliminary results indicate that the decreased thermal stability of the interspecies duplex is in part the result of unpaired bases.
Monitoring Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the Real World: Gaps and Opportunities

In clinical trials, in which treatment algorithms and monitoring schedules are tightly prescribed by research protocols, outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have been excellent, with > 90% 5-year survival rates. However, outside of clinical trials in the so-called real world, monitoring schedules are more variable, with < 40% of patients undergoing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) molecular testing 3 to 4 times during the first year after diagnosis as recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network/European Leukemia Net (NCCN/ELN) evidence-based guidelines. Results from chart reviews, claims-based databases, and observational databases suggest that carefully monitored patients with CML are more likely to be adherent to medications, incur fewer hospitalizations, experience lower overall treatment costs, and have better progression-free survival and overall survival compared with patients who are not monitored. Regular monitoring provides valuable early information on treatment responses that physicians can use to modify treatment. Unfortunately, physician-perceived resource barriers, lack of familiarity, and lack of agreement have restricted monitoring guideline adoptions. Multifaceted approaches to encourage appropriate monitoring are needed to improve clinical outcomes and reduce costs in the real world.
A tool for predicting breast carcinoma mortality in women who do not receive adjuvant therapy

BACKGROUND Among the several proposed risk classification schemes for predicting survival in women with breast carcinoma, one of the most commonly used is the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI). The goal of the current study was to use a continuous prognostic model (similar to those that have already been demonstrated to possess greater predictive accuracy than risk group–based models in other malignancies) to predict breast carcinoma mortality more accurately compared with the NPI. METHODS A total of 519 women who had been treated with mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) between 1976 and 1979 met the following requirements for study inclusion: confirmation of the presence of invasive mammary carcinoma, no receipt of neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy, no previous history of malignancy, and negative lymph node status as assessed on routine histopathologic examination. Paraffin blocks were available for 368 of the 519 eligible patients. All available axillary lymph node tissue blocks were subjected to enhanced pathologic analysis. The competing-risk method was used to predict disease-specific death, and the accuracy of the novel prognostic model that emerged from this process was evaluated using the concordance index. Jackknife and 10-fold cross-validation predictions yielded by this new model were compared with predictions yielded by the NPI. RESULTS Of the 348 women for whom complete data were available, 73 died of disease; the 15-year probability of breast carcinoma–related death was 20%. On the basis of these 348 cases, the authors developed a prognostic model that took patient age, disease multifocality, tumor size, tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, and enhanced lymph node staining into account, and using competing-risks regression analysis, they found that this new model predicted disease-specific death more accurately compared with the NPI. CONCLUSIONS The authors have developed a model for predicting breast carcinoma–specific death with improved accuracy. This tool should be useful in counseling patients with regard to their specific need for adjuvant therapy. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Relationships of Fossil and Living Elasmobranchs

Preliminary cladistic analysis corroborates the hypothesis that the Elasmobranchii and the Holocephali are sister groups, and that the Chondrichthyes are more closely related to the Teleostomi (Acanthodi plus Osteichthyes) than either is to the Placodermi. In regard to the Paleozoic and Mesozoic elasmobranchs, a theory of relationships has been proposed for six better known genera ( Xenacanthus, Denaea, Cladoselache, Hybodus, Ctenacanthus and Paleospinax ) by evaluation of certain characters in the skull, postcranial axial skeleton, fin supports, and fins.
Learning mixtures of arbitrary gaussians

Mixtures of gaussian (or normal) distributions arise in a variety of application areas. Many techniques have been proposed for the task of finding the component gaussians given samples from the mixture, such as the EM algorithm, a local-search heuristic from Dempster, Laird and Rubin~(1977). However, such heuristics are known to require time exponential in the dimension (i.e., number of variables) in the worst case, even when the number of components is $2$.This paper presents the first algorithm that provably learns the component gaussians in time that is polynomial in the dimension. The gaussians may have arbitrary shape provided they satisfy a “nondegeneracy” condition, which requires their high-probability regions to be not “too close” together.
B3LYP calculation of 17O quadrupole coupling constants in molecules

Abstract The B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3p) model for the calculation of 17 O nuclear quadrupole coupling constants (NQCC) in molecules is shown to yield results superior to calculations previously performed at the more demanding MP4 level of theory. For 10 molecules for which experimental NQCCs and accurate molecular structures are known, the root-mean-square difference between the calculated and experimental NQCCs is 0.12 MHz (2.2%).
Automated single-column analysis of amino acids using ascorbic acid as reductant for air-stable ninhydrin

The procedure for operation of a constant-temperature, single-column automated amino acid analyser in the sub-nanomole range is described. The cycle time for a complete analysis is 90 min including equilibration for next cycle. Eluting buffers can be made in the laboratory or commercially available concentrates (Pico-Buffers) can be used. A novel reducing agent, ascorbic acid, incorporated into the column buffers was used to reduce air-stable ninhydrin.
Plasmodium falciparum: protein localization along a novel, lipid-rich tubovesicular membrane network in infected erythrocytes.

Abstract Erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum contain a novel network of tubovesicular membranes which can be prominently labeled by fluorescent sphingolipids and have been implicated in trafficking pathways in infected red cells. We have developed a method to simultaneously image lipids of the tubovesicular membrane network and exported parasite proteins by high-resolution confocal microscopy. Our results indicate that Exp1 (a 23-kDa protein marker of the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane and intraerythrocytic loops) concentrates in membrane domains on the periphery of the parasite and in the tubovesicular membrane network. In contrast, a 45-kDa protein localized to the Maurer′s clefts is distributed in punctate domains along lipid labeled tubovesicular membranes, frequently along the periphery of the network juxtaposed to the red cell membrane. These results strongly suggest that the lipid-rich tubovesicular membranes are a complex network containing domains of parasite proteins.
The influence of Miroslav Fiedler on spectral graph theory

Abstract This note is a write up of a talk given at the ILAS meeting in Braunschweig, 2011, at the minisymposium celebrating the 80th birthday of Miroslav Fiedler. The purpose of the talk is to outline the impact of Fiedler’s work on the development of spectral graph theory. Fiedler is best known for putting forward the algebraic connectivity and its eigenvector. These two topics were genuine gold strikes which have motivated thousands of studies in pure and applied science. But there is more in Fiedler’s work that influences spectral graph theory, and still more waiting to be discovered.
Identification of connexin-interacting proteins: application of the yeast two-hybrid screen.

Abstract Protein–protein interactions are recognized as one of the fundamental mechanisms for relaying the intra- and intercellular signals that are required for normal cellular activities affecting growth, development, and maintenance of homeostasis in tissues and organs. The yeast two-hybrid screen has become a valuable tool for identifying protein–protein interactions. The gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) has been implicated in a number of biological processes including development and cellular growth control. To further advance our understanding of the ways in which Cx43 may influence these cellular activities, and to extend our knowledge of the regulation of Cx43 function and/or processing, we have employed the yeast two-hybrid screen technique to identify Cx43-interacting proteins. We present detailed methods for the yeast two-hybrid screen of a mouse embryonic cDNA library using the C terminus of Cx43 as “bait.” We also describe additional methods to confirm the interactions between Cx43 and the identified proteins. These methods include in vitro binding assays, coimmunoprecipitation, and subcellular localization using immunofluorescence microscopy.
Alcohol Dependence Is Associated with Blunted Dopamine Transmission in the Ventral Striatum

Background A decrease in dopamine type 2 receptors (D 2 ) and mesolimbic dopamine transmission predisposes animals to consume alcohol. This study measured D 2 receptors and dopamine transmission in human alcohol-dependent (AD) subjects using positron emission tomography (PET) and [ 11 C]raclopride. Methods Fifteen AD and 15 healthy control (HC) subjects were scanned before and after a psychostimulant challenge (amphetamine .3 mg/kg intravenous). The outcome measures for baseline D 2 receptor availability were binding potential (BP) and the equilibrium partition coefficient (V 3 ″). Amphetamine-induced [ 11 C]raclopride displacement was measured as the difference in V 3 ″ between the two scans. Results [ 11 C]raclopride BP was significantly reduced by 16.6% in the limbic striatum, 19.2% in the associative striatum, and 21.3% in the sensorimotor striatum in AD subjects compared with HC. The alcohol-dependent subjects showed a blunting of amphetamine-induced dopamine release in the limbic striatum: [ 11 C]raclopride displacement was −5.2% ± 3.6% in AD subjects compared with −13.0% ± 8.8% in HC. However, no significant difference in [ 11 C]raclopride displacement was seen in the associative (−4.6% ± 5.8% in AD subjects vs. −6.7 ± 5.4% in HC) and sensorimotor (−12.3% ± 7.3% in AD subjects vs. −13.7 ± 7.5% in HC) subdivisions of the striatum between the two groups. Conclusions Alcohol dependence was associated with a decrease in D 2 receptors in each striatal subdivision, whereas amphetamine-induced dopamine release was reduced in the limbic striatum only.
Solving Propagation Problems Using Filter Functions and Mellin Transforms

Finding the solution to propagation problems through turbulence requires one to develop and evaluate an expression representing the quantity of interest for particular yparameter ranges. Techniques to develop and evaluate the expression are described.
“SOCIOECONOMIC DIVERSITY IS OVERRATED”: WHITE ATTITUDES ON RACE AND CLASS IN A RACIALLY INTEGRATED NEIGHBORHOOD

This article investigates homeowners' perceptions of race and class within a racially integrated neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. Forty-two semi-structured interviews were completed with 59 white homeowners between September 2005 and September 2006. Adding a social class component to Bonilla-Silva's (2006) color-blind racism perspective, I ask if white homeowners in a racially-integrated neighborhood accept a color-blind worldview, or if they have an alternate framework for understanding race. Akin to O'Brien's antiracists (2001), there was a range of rejection of color-blindness, from selective to reflexive race cognizance. Most homeowners recognized the institutional basis of racial inequality and their own white privilege. However, many conflated race and class and argued that it was really class differences that caused racial differences. While many supported more racial integration, most rejected class integration in the neighborhood. This paradoxical set of attitudes will most likely continue to...
Intron Distribution in Ancient Paralogs Supports Random Insertion and Not Random Loss

The intron positions of ten different protein families were examined to determine (the statistical likelihood of) whether spliceosomal introns are the result of random insertion events into previously intronless genes, on the one hand, or the result of random loss from common ancestral introns, on the other. The number of expected matches for the alternative scenarios was calculated for a binomial distribution by considering currently observed introns relative to all possible locations for insertion or loss. Introns occurring at approximately the same location (hereafter called a ``match'') were tallied for each of the paired proteins. Matches were identified by their positions in the multiple alignment and were defined as any two introns occurring within a window of 11 possible nucleotide positions, thereby allowing for possible alignment errors and ``intron sliding.'' Matches were tallied from the raw data and compared with the expected number of matches for the two different scenarios. The results suggest that the distribution of introns in genes encoding proteins is due to random insertion and not random loss.