cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated clustering-based workload characterization

The demands placed on the mass storage systems at various federal agencies and national laboratories are continuously increasing in intensity. This forces system managers to constantly monitor the system, evaluate the demand placed on it, and tune it appropriately using either heuristics based on experience or analytic models. Performance models require an accurate workload characterization. This can be a laborious and time consuming process. It became evident from our experience that a tool is necessary to automate the workload characterization process. This paper presents the design and discusses the implementation of a tool for workload characterization of mass storage systems. The main features of the tool discussed here are: (1)Automatic support for peak-period determination. Histograms of system activity are generated and presented to the user for peak-period determination; (2) Automatic clustering analysis. The data collected from the mass storage system logs is clustered using clustering algorithms and tightness measures to limit the number of generated clusters; (3) Reporting of varied file statistics. The tool computes several statistics on file sizes such as average, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, frequency, as well as average transfer time. These statistics are given on a per cluster basis; (4) Portability. The tool can easily be used to characterize the workload in mass storage systems of different vendors. The user needs to specify through a simple log description language how the a specific log should be interpreted. The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section two presents basic concepts in workload characterization as they apply to mass storage systems. Section three describes clustering algorithms and tightness measures. The following section presents the architecture of the tool. Section five presents some results of workload characterization using the tool.Finally, section six presents some concluding remarks.
LATE URETERIC OBSTRUCTION FOLLOWING URETERAL REIMPLANTATION FOR REFLUX" A Warning

Abstract Ureterovesical junction obstruction is a well-known complication following ureteral reimplantation to cure reflux. However, little attention has been paid to obstruction as a late complication of ureteral neocystostomy. Two cases of late obstruction following ureteral reimplantation are presented as a warning that intermittent routine excretory urography should be performed in these children even in asymptomatic cases.
National Ignition Facility: Impacts of chemical accidents and comparison of chemical and radiological accident approaches

An environmental assessment was conducted to estimate potential impacts or consequences associated with constructing and operating the proposed National Ignition Facility (NIF). The multidisciplinary assessment covered topics ranging from radiological and chemical health and safety to socioeconomic and land-use issues. The impacts of five chemical accidents that could occur at NIF are compared, and the extent of their consequences for workers and off-site populations are discussed. Each of the five accident scenarios was modeled by a chemical release and dispersion model with a toxicological criterion for evaluating potential irreversible human health effects. Results show that most of the chemical release scenarios considered will not impair the general public in taking protective actions in the event of an accidental release. The two exceptions are the mercury release (equipment failure) scenarios for the conceptual design and the enhanced design. In general, the predicted maximum threat zones are significantly less than the distance to the point of nearest public access.
Associations and Societies for Information Systems Professionals

Several associations and societies have been founded, or have evolved from other groups, since the invention of the electronic digital computer. Keywords: IFIP; IEEE; ACM; SIGMIS; INFORMS; AIS; ICIS; ISR; MISQ; SIM
Accurate garbage collection in uncooperative environments with lazy pointer stacks

Implementing a new programming language by the means of a translator to an existing language is attractive as it provides portability over all platforms supported by the host language and reduces the development time as many low-level tasks can be delegated to the host compiler. The C and C++ programming languages are popular choices for many language implementations due to the availability of efficient compilers on many platforms, and good portability. For garbage-collected languages, however, they are not a perfect match as they provide no support for accurately discovering pointers to heap-allocated data. We evaluate the published techniques, and propose a new mechanism, lazy pointer stacks, for performing accurate garbage collection in such uncooperative environments. We implemented the new technique in the Ovm Java virtual machine with our own Java-to-C++ compiler and GCC as a back-end, and found that our technique outperforms existing approaches.
Agitation, disorientation, and hallucinations in patients on cimetidine: A Report of Three Cases and Literature Review

Cimetidine, the first of a new class of pharmacologic agents that dramatically inhibit basal gastric acid secretion, is achieving widespread use for the treatment of such acid peptic disorders as duodenal ulcers, gastritis, and reflux esophagitis. Three patients are presented who experienced agitation, disorientation, and hallucinations while being treated with cimetidine. A review of the literature revealed that central nervous system side effects of cimetidine can occur within 24 hours of treatment with the drug; are often unrecognized or misdiagnosed by clinicians, and are reversed within 12 to 48 hours after the discontinuation of the medication.
Poly(A) shortening and degradation of the 3' A+U-rich sequences of human c-myc mRNA in a cell-free system

The early steps in the degradation of human c-myc mRNA were investigated, using a previously described cell-free mRNA decay system. The first detectable step was poly(A) shortening, which generated a pool of oligoadenylated mRNA molecules. In contrast, the poly(A) of a stable mRNA, ..gamma.. globin, was not excised, even after prolonged incubation. The second step, degradation of oligoadenylated c-myc mRNA, generated decay products whose 3' termini were located within the A+U-rich portion of the 3' untranslated region. These products disappeared soon after they were formed, consistent with rapid degradation of the 3' region. In contrast, the 5' region, corresponding approximately to c-myc exon 1, was stable in vitro. The data indicate a sequential degradation pathway in which 3' region cleavages occur only after most or all of the poly(A) is removed. To account for rapid deadenylation, the authors suggest that the c-myc poly(A)-poly(A)-binding protein complex is readily dissociated, generating a protein-depleted poly(A) tract that is no longer resistant to nucleases.
Does Digital Game-Based Learning Improve Student Time-on-Task Behavior and Engagement in Comparison to Alternative Instructional Strategies?.

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) activities were examined in comparison with effective, research-based learning strategies to observe any difference in student engagement and time-on task behavior. Experimental and control groups were randomly selected amongst the intermediate elementary school students ages 8 to 10 years old. Student observations and attitudinal surveys were completed after eight lesson cycles to determine which student group had a higher level of engagement and time-on-task behavior. Six of the 8 trials showed a higher student survey average in the level of student enjoyment while experiencing DGBL. Six of the 8 trials produced equal or higher class average scores for focus and attentiveness during DGBL versus alternative strategies. Seven out of 8 trials produced higher student table observation averages for DGBL. In conclusion, the data suggests DGBL can be as effective in the classroom as other research-proven instructional strategies.
Treatment of moderate mitral regurgitation and coronary disease by coronary bypass alone: late results.

Abstract Background . In cases of moderate mitral regurgitation and coronary artery disease operative strategy continues to be debated between coronary artery bypass grafting alone and concomitant valve replacement or repair. We previously reported on 58 patients with moderate mitral regurgitation who had coronary artery bypass grafting between 1977 and 1983. We present the late results for this original cohort (test group), and a matched control group of coronary artery bypass grafting patients without mitral regurgitation (n = 58). Methods and Results . In the original cohort, the hospital mortality rate was 3.4% (2 of 58), and 80.4% (45 of 56) of hospital survivors were alive at the time of initial follow-up (mean, 4.3 ± 2.3 years). Hospital mortality in the control group was 6.9% (4 of 58 patients). Follow-up was 98.2% (108 of 110 patients) complete, with a mean follow-up time of 10.3 ± 5.5 years. Kaplan-Meier curves for hospital survivors showed similar 5- and 10-year survival rates between the two groups ( p = 0.59). On multivariate analysis, age 65 years or more, congestive heart failure class III or IV, and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure more than 17 mm Hg were significant ( p Conclusions . Patients with moderate mitral regurgitation and coronary artery disease treated solely with coronary artery bypass grafting had acceptable early and late results. Moderate mitral regurgitation at the time of revascularization does not always warrant operative correction.
Photodamage pilot study: a double-blind, vehicle-controlled study to assess the efficacy and safety of tazarotene 0.1% gel.

Abstract Background: Tazarotene, a potent acetylenic retinoid for topical use, might be expected to benefit photodamaged skin, including improving the classical signs of fine wrinkles, mottled hyperpigmentation, and roughness. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the efficacy and safety of tazarotene 0.1% gel in the treatment of photodamaged dorsal forearm skin. Methods: Ten healthy female volunteers, aged 45 to 65 years, with moderately photodamaged forearm skin applied tazarotene 0.1% gel to one arm and vehicle gel to the other once daily for 12 weeks. The study was a double-blind, randomized, paired-comparison evaluation conducted at a single site. Results: Tazarotene showed beneficial effects for several efficacy variables. It was more efficacious than vehicle in reducing skin roughness and fine wrinkling based on objective measurements. Tazarotene also corrected epidermal atrophy and atypia and improved skin hydration properties. Conclusion: In this 12-week pilot study tazarotene redressed abnormalities associated with photo-damaged skin. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:656-63.)
Racial aspects of comorbidity in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective. To investigate racial differences in the expression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by comparing comorbidity at death among individuals with SLE. Methods. Proportional mortality rates were estimated for common contributing causes of death among white and black females in the United States, 1989–1991, whose death certificates listed SLE as an underlying or contributing cause. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effects of SLE and race on variation in proportional mortality using rates from non SLE deaths as a comparison baseline. Results. Common contributing causes of death listed with SLE included conditions that are known sequelae of the disease. Proportional mortality rates for these conditions varied with race and age. However, among black deaths that listed SLE, the rates of renal disease surpassed those of all other conditions regardless of age. When rates of renal disease among black SLE deaths or among white SLE deaths in any age group were compared to those among white non-SLE deaths, proportional mortality ratios were significantly greater than 1. This also held when rates of renal disease among black non-SLE deaths were compared to rates among white non-SLE deaths. However, across all ages, the proportional mortality ratios for renal disease in black SLE deaths significantly exceeded corresponding ratios for white SLE deaths and for black non-SLE deaths. Conclusion. Black females who die with SLE appear to experience a combination of the excess renal disease reported for persons with SLE and for all blacks. This combination may be a source of the elevated SLE mortality rates observed among US blacks.
Survival and recovery

(1985). Survival and recovery. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Vol. 5, Knowing and not Knowing the Holocaust, pp. 99-130.
A programming contest driving system

This paper describes a system used to manage a programming contest. It has been used at East Tennessee State University for the past two years to determine the college's representatives to the ACM regional contest. The primary objective of the system is centralized automatic control. Its features provide ease of use and preservation of anonymity for the contestants in addition to security, logging, and scoring for the judges.
To the heart of an ancient empire

The Great Temple of the Aztecs: Treasures of Tenochtitlan. By Eduardo Matos Moctezuma. Translated by Doris Heyden. Thames & Hudson:1988. Pp.192. £24. In the US available from W.W. Norton, $29.95.
The X-lectins: A new family with homology to the Xenopus laevis oocyte lectin XL-35

The Xenopus laevis oocyte cortical granule lectin (XL35) has been studied in fertilization and embryonic development. Several nucleic acid sequences that predict proteins homologous to XL35 have since been reported in frog, human, mouse, lamprey, trout, ascidian worm. These proteins also showed high degrees of amino acid sequence homology to a common fibrinogen-like motif that may involve carbohydrate binding. Although their biological functions and carbohydrate binding specificities have not been studied in detail, this new family of lectins has common characteristics. Several independent studies on this new family of lectins strongly suggest that the lectins are expressed and stored in specialized vesicles that may be released upon the infection by pathogens. In addition, some family members have been shown to bind to oligosaccharides from bacterial pathogens. Therefore, this family of lectins likely participates in pathogen surveillance as part of the innate immune system. We propose the name X-lectin family for these homologs of XL35. Published in 2004.
Activation and characterization of FeMnSO42−ZrO2 catalysts

Abstract Changes in FeMnSO 4 2− ZrO 2 catalyst formulations during activation have been observed. In air or an inert gas, the added salt, such as iron and/or manganese nitrate, decomposes over a temperature range of about 200–400°C to produce nitric oxide, oxygen and iron and/or manganese oxide. The crystallization of zirconia occurs at 450°C; when the sample contains sulfate the exothermic event occurs at a temperature that is about 200°C higher. Heating in the presence of hydrogen causes the evolution of nitric oxide to occur over a narrow temperature range and at a lower temperature than when the sample is heated in helium or air. It appears that the nitrate ions associated with Fe, Mn and Zr decompose to produce nitric oxide, and presumably water, at different temperatures when the sample is heated in the presence of hydrogen. Heating samples of sulfated zirconia containing iron and/or manganese in hydrogen causes sulfur evolution at a lower temperature, and a significant fraction of it in the form of H2S.
Drug alterations of punished responding after chlordiazepoxide: Possible screen for agents useful in minimal brain dysfunction

In the present study, the effect of various stimulant drugs on the action of chlordiazepoxide to increase punished responding was studied. Drugs such as d-amphetamine, methylphenidate and imipramine that are effective in attentional deficit disorder (MBD) were found to reverse this benzodiazepine-induced increase in responding. Phenobarbital which worsens this condition enhanced the benzodiazepine effect. Since the impairment caused by chlordiazepoxide may be analogous to the lack of impulse control noted in MBD, the bupropion antagonism of this action of chlordiazepoxide suggests that bupropion may be useful in MBD.
Estimation of local capillary trapping capacity from geologic models

Abstract Local capillary trapping, which is accumulation of CO 2 under local capillary barriers, occurs during buoyancy-driven flow through rocks with fine-scale heterogeneity. However, fine-scale flow simulations that resolve the local heterogeneity and show the local capillary trapping have very large and impractical run times. In this work, we find a fast method to estimate these structures from the geologic model assuming a critical capillary entry pressure for the domain. The algorithm uses the capillary entry pressure field and the critical entry pressure as inputs and finds the potential barriers inside the domain and calculates the holes surrounded by clusters of potential barriers. The holes correspond to local capillary traps and will give us an estimate of the local capillary trapping capacity in the domain. This estimate should be an upper bound, since we cannot judge a priori whether CO 2 will find its way into these holes.
Trivial L-functions for the rational function field

In this paper, we describe a number of interesting l-adic representations V of the Galois group of the rational function field with trivial L-function: L(V,s)=1.
Complex life cycle of Pterygodermatites peromysci, a trophically transmitted parasite of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).

The aim of this study is to experimentally verify the intermediate host of a common gastrointestinal nematode, Pterygodermatites peromysci, infecting the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and describe the complex life cycle. As with other nematodes in the family Rictulariidae, adult worms reside in the small intestine of the host, and infective eggs are shed into the environment where they are ingested by scavenger insects. A field survey of common nocturnal insects on the forest floors of central Pennsylvania was conducted to identify the putative intermediate host. Encysted nematode larvae were recovered from the hemocoel of three species of camel cricket, Ceuthophilus pallidipes, Ceuthophilus guttulosus, and Ceuthophilus gracilipes. The mean prevalence of infection was 11–17%, and the intensity of infection ranged from 1 to 41 cysts per cricket. Laboratory white-footed mice were infected with cysts harvested from the three species of crickets. Cysts taken from the C. pallidipes produced the highest level of infection (41%); the adult worms recovered from the mice were confirmed as P. peromysci. Laboratory infections of naive C. pallidipes with P. peromysci eggs yielded a 70% infection rate, further verifying that the cricket C. pallidipes is a suitable intermediate host for P. peromysci. We discuss the importance of identifying the intermediate host for understanding the transmission dynamics of a trophically transmitted parasite.
Effects of ethanol intake on lipoproteins and atherosclerosis.

Purpose of review This article reviews published studies regarding effects of ethanol intake on lipoprotein levels and function as they relate to atherosclerosis, with special emphasis on recent publications in the past 2 years. Recent findings Some recent studies have explored novel mechanisms of ethanol on atherogenesis via effects on HDL composition and function. Other studies have focused on changes in levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride, and other factors such as inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LpPLA2). Other areas of emphasis have been the effects within specific populations and between genders, as well as contributions of genetic polymorphisms in prediction of response to ethanol. Surprisingly, results of recent studies are often at odds with prior, seemingly well established findings. Summary The association between moderate ethanol consumption and favorable changes in lipoproteins and lipoprotein-related factors in atherosclerosis continues to become better established with the publication of new studies in this field. Continued progress is being achieved in understanding the well established link between moderate intake and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, it remains difficult to implement these findings in clinical practice due to the ongoing lack of randomized, blinded clinical trial data, and the well known hazards of excess ethanol consumption.
Eduction of Coherent Structures in a Numerically Simulated Plane Wake

Coherent structures (CS) are educed using a conditional sampling technique involving alignment of vorticity patches of largest size and strength; hence we educe dominant CS. A numerically simulated spatially evolving wake of a flat plate is used as the database, and the inflow condition for the simulated wake includes random velocity perturbations which emulate turbulent conditions at a plate exit in the laboratory. In addition to previously educed properties such as coherent vorticity and production, and incoherent Reynolds stress and turbulence intensity, other measures such as coherent pressure and passive scalar distributions are also studied. In spite of the geometry difference, the near-wake dynamics of the plate seem quite similar to that of a cylinder. For example, turbulence is mostly produced by vortex stretching of the ribs at the saddle and then advected to the structure center, where it accumulates, and is balanced by incoherent dissipation. The distribution of coherent passive scalar indicates that mixing occurs in the saddle regions and that the mixed fluid is advected into the structure center.
Determinants of simultaneous fast and slow pathway conduction in patients with dual atrioventricular nodal pathways

Double His bundle and ventricular responses to a single atrial impulse caused by a simultaneous fast and slow pathway conduction was observed during electrophysiologic study in three patients with dual-pathway atrioventricular nodal reentrant paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. In patient No. 1 this phenomenon occurred during rapid atrial pacing, in patient No. 2 during both rapid atrial pacing and delivery of a single atrial extrastimulus, and in patient No. 3 during delivery of double atrial extrastimuli. Retrograde unidirectional block in the slow pathway was suggested by retrograde induction of tachycardia at a long ventricular paced cycle length and/or long ventricular coupling interval in all three patients. Our findings suggest that major determinants of this phenomenon include: a sufficient conduction delay in the slow pathway so that the distal tissue is able to respond for the second time, and a retrograde unidirectional block in the slow pathway so that the fast pathway impulse will not enter and collide with the oncoming slow pathway impulse.
Implementation of dietary modifications.

Recommendations for dietary fiber intake for adults fall within the range of 20-35 g/day, or 10-13 g/1,000 kcal. However, popular U.S. foods are not high in dietary fiber, and common serving sizes of grains, fruits, and vegetables contain only 1-3 g of dietary fiber. In spite of the widespread dissemination of the recommendations for fiber consumption, however, the usual intake of dietary fiber in the United States remains lower than these recommended levels, averaging only 14-15 g/day. It is generally recommended that constipation be treated with a concentrated source of insoluble fiber, and cholesterol can be lowered with soluble fiber, as suggested by claims made for oat bran and psyllium. Scientific evidence supports the role of wheat bran fiber in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, yet this message needs to be delivered to the average consumer. Most surveys suggest that coarse, brown fiber is not well accepted, as consumers say such foods "taste bad." Implementation of guidelines for increased intake of wheat bran fiber will require public education on the importance of this recommendation. Further, consumers need to be convinced that wheat bran fiber can taste good by the development of a wide range of products high in wheat bran fiber that can be consumed throughout the day.
Speciation of a tropical fungal species pair following transoceanic dispersal

This study focuses on a pair of fungal species, Moelleriella libera and M. raciborskii (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) from the neotropics and paleotropics, respectively, that are phenotypically nearly indistinguishable. Molecular analyses based on DNA sequences from RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2), translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α) and β-tubulin genes confirm that they are recently derived sister species. Speciation appears to have followed an historical transoceanic dispersal event. Models of population structure and migration from TCS, IM, and coalescent-based analyses suggest there is little gene flow between the two species. The direction of dispersal, investigated using the progression rule and coalescent-based gene genealogies, was likely from the New World to the Old World.
Implicit Transfers in IMF Lending, 1973-2003

We compute realized transfers implicit in IMF lending from 1973-2003, based on 2003 IMF repayment projections and promised debt relief. IMF lending rates to high- and middle-income countries fell short of industrial country borrowing rates by 30-150 basis points over the period as a whole, but exhibited a small premium after 1987. The subsidy received by low-income and HIPC countries was much higher (400-600 basis points, respectively). In 2002 NPV terms, cumulative transfers were 12-15 percent of 2002 GDP for the HIPCs, 2-3 percent for low income countries, and less than ¾ percent for the emerging market countries.
Role of diuretics in treatment of essential hypertension

Oral diuretics have traditionally been first-line (step 1) agents for initiating antihypertensive therapy in the stepped-care approach to management. They have a generally favorable side effects profile as well as several other attributes that make them particularly useful in this role. They are effective as monotherapy in many patients, convenient, easy to titrate, comparatively inexpensive and are well tolerated by most patients. They do not cause salt and water retention, which can lead to pseudotolerance. Monotherapy with a diuretic adequately controls hypertension in many patients with mild hypertension (diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 104 mm Hg). When therapy is initiated with a nondiuretic agent and an additional drug is needed, a diuretic can be used to advantage as step 2 in many patients.
Seven warrants for qualitative health sociology.

The biomedical and public health sciences have established a clear warrant for their existence. A warrant is a broadly shared justification for a research-based discipline (Katz, 1997). From the post World War II WHO proclamation aiming for “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being” to a recent reconceptualization of health as “the ability to adapt and self-manage” (Huber et al., 2011), thewarrant for the health sciences is to provide the knowledge base for the collective achievement of individual optimization. In spite of a diversity of interpretations about health priorities, the applied health disciplines have rallied around this mandate with research to prevent mortality and cure morbidity, and to alleviate the human, social, and economic costs of health or a lack of health. Articulated in grant proposals, enshrined in the notion of evidence-based medicine, and repeated in research institute’s vision statements, the broad purpose suggests a common interest beyond narrow disciplinary borders. The warrant to improve population and individual health offers a ready answer to the critic’s question of why we should bother with health research. Given that biomedical and public health research is united by the goal of optimizing the ability to adapt and self-manage, does health sociology need a separate warrant? Robert Straus (1957) famously distinguished two communities: researchers studying sociology in medicine and sociology of medicine. Sociologists in medicine would answer the question of the need for a separate warrant negatively. These social scientists have hitched their wagon to the broader health mandate: aiming to provide knowledge that directly benefits health and, more often, health care. They
Influence of age, body weight, and sex on susceptibility of mice to the lethal effects of X-radiation.

Summary and Conclusions(1) The age at which mice are irradiated profoundly alters their resistance to a single exposure of whole body irradiation. Mortality is low after irradiation at 1 and 15 days of age, very high at 30 days, and decreases rapidly with increasing age thereafter. The possible mechanisms of this effect are discussed. (2) The response of mice to whole body irradiation is not related to body weight except insofar as weight reflects a particular age range. (3) In general, sex appears to exert no significant influence on the capacity of mice to withstand whole body irradiation.
Nanodot-Cavity Electrodynamics and Photon Entanglement

Quantum electrodynamics of excitons in a cavity is shown to be relevant to quantum operations. We present a theory of an integrable solid-state quantum controlled-phase gate for generating entanglement of two photons using a coupled nanodot-microcavity-fiber structure. A conditional phase shift of O(pi/10) is calculated to be the consequence of the giant optical nonlinearity keyed by the excitons in the cavities. Structural design and active control, such as electromagnetically induced transparency and pulse shaping, optimize the quantum efficiency of the gate operation.
Early meiosis of male germ cells in fetal testis of Felis domestica.

Abstract In the ovary of a female cat fetus several days before birth, most oocytes were in first meiotic prophase; in the testis of a male fetus sharing the same uterus, it was noticed that a few spermatocytes were also in first meiosis. At a certain stage of development, it is likely that fetuses of either sex exert or receive similar hormonal stimuli which in females provoke all oocytes to complete up to diplotene stage of meiosis. In males, however, response is limited to only a few germ cells which undergo first meiosis then degenerate.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge to Recovery, Bridge to Ventricular Assist Device and Bridge to Heart Transplantation: A Retrospective Review of Data From a Single Tertiary Care Institution

s S79 Purpose: We set out to re-investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and survival after lung transplant in the post-LAS era. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 9073 adults who underwent lung transplantation in the U.S. between May 4, 2005 and June 14, 2011 to examine the association between BMI and 1-yr mortality using Cox models controlling for donor and recipient factors (OPTN data). Additionally, we studied 609 Lung Transplant Outcomes Group (LTOG) study participants to examine the association between plasma leptin (highly correlated with total body adipose mass) and 1-yr mortality using similar Cox models. We also performed a cross-sectional study examining agreement between obesity determined by BMI and by % body fat using whole-body dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 142 lung transplant candidates at Columbia University and UCSF. Results: Compared to normal weight, a BMI of 30-34.9 kg/m2 was not associated with increased 1-yr mortality (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.881.23, p = 0.64), but a BMI> 35 kg/m2 was associated with an 82% increased mortality rate (adjusted HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.24-2.66, p = 0.002, n = 104). In the LTOG cohort, there was a significant interaction (p = 0.036) between leptin level and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in 1-yr survival models even after adjustment for BMI, LAS, and other factors: among those who did not undergo CPB, higher leptin levels were associated with an increased rate of death (adjusted HR 1.86 per natural log increase in leptin, 95% CI 1.08-3.20, p = 0.03), but not among those without CPB (p = 0.20). In the Columbia/ UCSF cohort, despite strong correlation between BMI and total body fat by DXA (r = 0.57, p 30 kg/m2 was only 26% sensitive for obesity by DXA. Conclusion: In contrast to the pre-LAS era, a BMI of 30 to 34.9 kg/m2 was not associated with 1-yr mortality after lung transplantation in the United States in the LAS era. Yet, the association of higher plasma leptin levels with mortality suggests that adiposity remains an important determinant of transplant outcomes. Since BMI may be a poor measure of adiposity in lung transplant candidates, alternate measures of adiposity should be explored.
Growth increments in Gomphotherium tusks and implications for late Miocene climate change in North America

Abstract Changes in mammalian faunas in North America during the late Miocene are thought to have been caused by the replacement of woodland habitats with grassland or steppe. The proposed cause of this habitat shift is the transition from the relatively low-seasonality early Miocene climate to a more highly seasonal climate regime by the end of the Miocene. Tusks, which are highly modified incisor teeth, of late Miocene Gomphotherium (Mammalia, Proboscidea) were sectioned to document the nature of tusk growth in this genus and to test for patterns of seasonal growth. Both the dentin and enamel of Gomphotherium tusks preserve incremental growth lines. Dentin has increments on three scales, inferred to represent annual (first-order), weekly (second-order), and daily (third-order) periodicities. Luminance and second-order increment thickness profiles were measured on transverse thin sections of tusk dentin viewed at low magnification, and the data were examined with bivariate plots and autocorrelation. Autocorrelograms of luminance data support the consistent identification and measurement of second-order increments within and among the tusks sampled. Profiles of second-order increment thickness in three tusks from the Barstovian North America Land Mammal Age (NALMA) show no indication of seasonal patterns of growth. One tusk from the late Clarendonian and one from the early Hemphillian NALMA have patterns of growth consistent with an increase in seasonality during the late Miocene, an interpretation supported by autocorrelation of the increment thickness data from these tusks. The growth patterns are consistent with the hypothesized changes in North American climate during the late Miocene and are suggestive of an increase in aridity and development of a wet season. Tests of this hypothesis are suggested.
Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity in fischer rats : Release of tumor necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta by pulmonary alveolar macrophages

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug with numerous side effects, the most serious being the development of pulmonary toxicity. We have previously reported that a single intratracheal instillation of amiodarone to Fischer 344 rats results in pulmonary fibrosis within 6 wk of treatment. Presently, the mechanism of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity is unknown. Cytokines that stimulate fibroblast proliferation and/or collagen production may play a role in amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity. To investigate this possibility, female rats were given a single intratracheal instillation of amiodarone (6.25 mg/kg), its metabolite desethylamiodarone (5 mg/kg), or vehicle (sterile water). At 1, 2, 3, or 6 wk after treatment the lungs were lavaged and the recovered cells were counted and identified. The alveolar macrophages were isolated by attachment to plastic petri dishes, cultured overnight, and the spent media collected for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) analyses. Desethylamiodarone treatment resulted in a neutrophilic alveolitis, but the levels of TNF-alpha and TGF-beta were not significantly different from control animals. In contrast, amiodarone treatment resulted in a lymphocytic alveolitis and significantly higher amounts of TNF-alpha were observed at 3 and 6 wk after treatment. A trend toward higher levels of TGF-beta was also noted in the amiodarone-treated group at wk 1-3 but the values were not significantly different from those of controls. In conclusion, the release of TNF-alpha may play a role in the development of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity.
Miocene burial and exhumation of the India-Asia collision zone in southern Tibet: Response to slab dynamics and erosion

The India-Asia collision zone in southern Tibet preserves a record of geodynamic and erosional processes following intercontinental collision. Apatite fission-track and zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He data from the Oligocene–Miocene Kailas Formation, within the India-Asia collision zone, show a synchronous cooling signal at 17 ± 1 Ma, which is younger than the ca. 26–21 Ma depositional age of the Kailas Formation, constrained by U-Pb and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology, and requires heating (burial) after ca. 21 Ma and subsequent rapid exhumation. Data from the Gangdese batholith underlying the Kailas Formation also indicate Miocene exhumation. The thermal history of the Kailas Formation is consistent with rapid subsidence during a short-lived phase of early Miocene extension followed by uplift and exhumation driven by rollback and northward underthrusting of the Indian plate, respectively. Significant removal of material from the India-Asia collision zone was likely facilitated by efficient incision of the paleo–Indus River and paleo–Yarlung River in response to drainage reorganization and/or intensification of the Asian monsoon.
Effects of the substrate on the optical properties of plasmonic subwavelength apertures

It is shown that the optical properties of metallic nano-apertures on dielectric substrates exhibit dramatically different behaviors than apertures immersed in dielectrics and scale with refractive index more complicatedly than predicted by analytical models.
I'm glad the future doesn't need us: a critique of Joy's pessimistic futurism

In his well-known piece, Why the future doesnt need us, Bill Joy argues that 21st century technologiesgenetic engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology (GNR)will extinguish human beings as we now know them, a prospect he finds deeply disturbing. I find his arguments deeply flawed and critique each of them in turn.
Facilitating School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Enhancing Student Mental Health: An Overview of the Special Series

At least one in five school children in the United States have significant mental health problems, with only 60% of these children actually receiving services for their difficulties. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of the systems impacting children’s mental health, key partnerships are needed to efficiently and effectively address the mental health needs of children and youth. Through multisystemic partnerships, school and pediatric psychologists collaborate with family and community partners to co-develop assessment and intervention procedures. The main purpose of this article was to describe extant models of partnership in order to provide a basis for conceptualizing an optimal process for delivering mental health services across a variety of contexts. Common elements across the various models were noted and linked to the contributions made by the articles contained within this special edition. The papers included in this series are also reviewed briefly.
Effects of City Size, Shape, and Form, and Neighborhood Size and Shape in Agent-Based Models of Residential Segregation: Are Schelling-Style Preference Effects Robust?:

This paper investigates the effects of city size, shape, and form, and neighborhood size and shape in agent-based models of residential segregation. We find that, in many key respects, model-generated segregation outcomes are not influenced in important ways by variation in these factors. For example, the expression of segregation based on agent preferences for coethnic contact in agent-based models does not vary with city size, city shape, city form, or the shape of neighborhoods involved in agent vision, or the use of distance-decay functions for evaluating neighbors. These findings indicate that results obtained from model-based segregation studies are likely to be robust relative to choices regarding these aspects of model specification. We do find important effects of the size or scale of neighborhoods involved in agent vision: model-generated segregation outcomes vary in complex ways with agent vision. Significantly, however, the effect of neighborhood size or scale does not appear to vary in import...
Optical Implementation Of A Spatially Adaptive Image Data Compression System

The increasing complexity and variety of image sensors has been the source of interest in the development of data compression for images. Image data has become one of the most active topics of research in digital image processing as a result [1]. The continued evolution of digital circuitry has caused the focus of data compression research to lie in digital implementations. However, there is also a potential for optical computations in image data compression, as was demonstrated in the concepts of interpolated DPCM [2]. The method of DPCM data compression is one of the most thoroughly studied techniques. DPCM achieves data compression by separating the image information into two parts: the low-spatial frequencies and the high-spatial frequencies. Low-spatial frequencies are re-tained by exploiting their predictability; high-spatial frequencies are retained at fewer significant bits, and substantial data compression is achieved. Interpolated DPCM is a mechanism for separating an image into low- and high- spatial frequency components, with a similar amount of data compression being achieved. The computations to achieve the sep-aration can be implemented by simple incoherent optical devices [2].© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Extreme precipitation events in the south-central United States during May and June 2010: Historical perspective, role of ENSO, and trends

AbstractAn analysis of extreme daily precipitation events that occurred in the south-central United States during May and June 2010 is carried out using gridded station data and reanalysis products in use at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Various aspects of the daily extremes are examined from a climate perspective using a 62-yr (1948–2010) period of record, including their historical ranking, common circulation features, moisture plumes, and the possible influence of ENSO. The analysis also considers how the frequency and intensity of daily extremes is changing in the United States. Each of the 2010 flash flood events examined here was associated with historic daily rainfall totals. Several of the events had meteorological conditions in common at upper and lower levels of the atmosphere, and all of the events fit well into an existing classification scheme for heavy precipitation events associated with flash flooding. Each case exhibited characteristics of the “Maya Express” fl...
Spin dynamics in a frustrated magnet with short-range order

We analyze the stability of Neel and collinear orders for the frustrated {ital J}{sub 1}-{ital J}{sub 2} model on a square lattice as a function of {ital S} and {ital J}{sub 2}/{ital J}{sub 1} within the Schwinger-boson mean-field theory. For Neel order and {ital finite} {ital S}, the domain of stability extends beyond the classical boundary {ital J}{sub 2}/{ital J}{sub 1}=1/2, suggesting the possibility of stabilizing (with the help of quantum fluctuations) a state that is classically forbidden. We use the solution with short-range Neel order as an effective model for the magnetic properties of high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} Cu oxides. Predictions are made for the static susceptibility, the dynamical structure factor, and the nuclear relaxation rates (all observable experimentally) at all temperatures. We show that the spin waves are overdamped even at low {ital T} and that a gap opens in the spin-fluctuation spectrum. The susceptibility is nearly linear on a wide intermediate temperature range and obeys a Curie law at high temperature in agreement with 1/{ital N} fermionic expansion.
Evolutionarily Stable Growth Rates in Size-Structured Populations Under Size-Related Competition

Abstract The competitive interactions between individuals in size-structured populations usually change as a function of the individuals′ sizes. A general model of a density-dependent size-structured population is used to investigate the size-specific birth and death rates that result when growth rates can be adjusted adaptively. If there is no cost associated with faster growth, the evolutionarily stable growth rates result in an ideal free distribution of individuals among size classes, provided that competition within size classes is stronger than competition between size classes. When the population is stationary, this ideal free distribution is characterized by identical ratios of expected number of offspring per unit time to probability of death per unit time for all size classes with growth rates less than the physiologically maximum level. If more rapid growth reduces birth rate or increases death rate, the size-specific ratios of births to mortality increase with the organism′s size. If the population is growing in a density independent manner, but there is a cost to growth, there should be an increase with size in the ratio of reproductive output to the quantity (population growth rate minus survival probability). Available evidence about size-specific birth and death rates in some size-structured populations is discussed.
Nudity of female and male models in primetime TV advertising across seven countries

This study partially replicates and extends previous research on nudity by examining TV advertising across multiple countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, South Korea, Thailand and the United States) and by incorporating multiple factors (cultural values, advertising regulation and product type). Results show that female (but not male) nudity differed substantially across countries, and females were portrayed in greater states of undress than males. US and Chinese commercials showed the lowest level of nudity, whereas German and Thai ads showed the highest level. Cultural values (masculinity/ femininity) and advertising regulation (pre-clearance policy) explain only minimally the degree of model nudity in ads across the countries. Although each of the three factors offers some value for predicting degrees of male and female nudity, congruent product category appears to be the most significant predictor, supporting a match-up hypothesis and congruency theory. Results are discussed in terms of global ad...