cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differences in teratogenic response and in capacity to repair in embryos of two inbred strains of mice.

Die Wirkung des Farbstoffes Trypanblau auf die embryonale Entwicklung von 2 Mausestammen, des C57B1/6 Stammes und des Swiss-Albino-Stammes, wurde untersucht und die Ergebnisse wurden miteinander verglichen. Embryonen der beiden Stamme reagierten in verschiedener Weise auf Trypanblau. Die Injektion des Farbstoffes fuhrte zum vollstandigen Entwicklungsstillstand aller C57B1/6-Embryonen, wahrend bei Swiss-Albino-Embryonen hauptsachlich Kopf-, Gehirn-und Schwanzabnormitaten auftraten. Bei Swiss-Embryonen nahm die Schwere der Abnormitat mit fortschreitendem Alter der Embryos betrachtlich ab, obwohl die Anzahl pro Wurf unverandert blieb. Keine Veranderung in der Zahl der Abnormitaten wurde in alteren C57B1/6-Embryonen beobachtet. Die verschiedenartige Reaktion der beiden Stamme auf Trypanblau ist vielleicht darauf zuruckzufuhren, dass genetisch bedingte Unterschiede in der Fahigkeit, zerstortes Gewebe wahrend der embryonalen Entwicklung zu reparieren, vorhanden sind.
Reaction of 578 spring spelt wheat accessions to 35 races of wheat stem rust.

A survey of spelt wheat accessions (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta L.) was made to characterize their reactions to stem rust (Puccinia graminis Rob. ex Desm. f. sp. tritici). Spelt wheat genotypes cross readily with bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and could be used as donor parents in bread wheat breeding programs. Because of the paucity of information on their reaction to stem rust in the litterature, the objectives of this study were to: (i) screen spelt accessions for possible new sources of resistance to wheat stem rust, and (ii) postulate and confirm the presence of known genes for resistance to stem rust (...)
Effect of residual stress on critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7-x thick films

Abstract YBa2Cu3Ox films were fabricated on 10-cm-diameter polycrystalline MgO wafers by spray pryolysis of a metal acetate solution. In-plane residual stress of the films was obtained by shadow Moire interferometry and correlated with crack formation and critical current density. High tensile stresses (0.96 GPa) were measured at the wafer center and decreased toward the edge, which corresponded with the largest number of cracks and lowest critical current density at the wafer center. A major cause of the residual stress (0.5 GPa) was caused by a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition in YBa2Cu3Ox.
Nuclear Localization of DMP1 Proteins Suggests a Role in Intracellular Signaling

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nuclear localization of DMP1 in various cell lines. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Non-synchronized cells show either nuclear or cytoplasmic localization of DMP1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nuclear DMP1 is restricted to the nucleoplasm but absent in the nucleolus. -- Abstract: Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is highly expressed in odontoblasts and osteoblasts/osteocytes and plays an essential role in tooth and bone mineralization and phosphate homeostasis. It is debatable whether DMP1, in addition to its function in the extracellular matrix, can enter the nucleus and function as a transcription factor. To better understand its function, we examined the nuclear localization of endogenous and exogenous DMP1 in C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal cells, MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells and 17IIA11 odontoblast-like cells. RT-PCR analyses showed the expression of endogenous Dmp1 in all three cell lines, while Western-blot analysis detected a major DMP1 protein band corresponding to the 57 kDa C-terminal fragment generated by proteolytic processing of the secreted full-length DMP1. Immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that non-synchronized cells presented two subpopulations with either nuclear or cytoplasmic localization of endogenous DMP1. In addition, cells transfected with a construct expressing HA-tagged full-length DMP1 also showed either nuclear or cytoplasmic localization of the exogenous DMP1 when examined with an antibody against the HA tag. Furthermore, nuclearmore » DMP1 was restricted to the nucleoplasm but was absent in the nucleolus. In conclusion, these findings suggest that, apart from its role as a constituent of dentin and bone matrix, DMP1 might play a regulatory role in the nucleus.« less
What Is the Use of Hypothermia for Neuroprotection After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest?

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) refers to the loss of cardiac mechanical activity with hemodynamic collapse in the out-of-hospital setting. If not treated rapidly, OHCA invariably results in death. Survival to hospital discharge after OHCA is low in many communities, ranging between 10.7% (95% confidence interval, 9.9%–11.5%) for adults treated for all rhythms and 31.7% (95% confidence interval, 28.2%–35.1%) for those resuscitated after bystander-witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF).1 The most common cause of death among patients hospitalized after OHCA is neurological injury.2,3 In spite of these unmet challenges, the in-hospital mortality rate of treated patients has declined 11.8% in recent years, from 69.6% in 2001 to 57.8% in 2009.4 This improvement in outcomes is thought to be related in part to the advent of therapeutic hypothermia, as well as implementation of intensive care protocols for those successfully resuscitated but still comatose after OHCA.4 Reperfusion injury occurs in the brain5 and heart6 during and after restoration of blood flow. It includes release of proinflammatory then anti-inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to poor capillary perfusion, tissue ischemia, and microcirculatory dysfunction. Cardiac function decreases then improves during the initial 2 days. Vascular and intestinal permeability increase during the next 3 days. Patients may experience sepsis-like hemodynamic states,7 neurological injury, multiple organ dysfunction, and death. The extent of reperfusion injury is associated with the duration of ischemia, and the adequacy of resuscitation. In turn, long-term prognosis is correlated with the extent of reperfusion injury. Induction of hypothermia during ischemia prolongs the tolerance of organs to ischemia. Hypothermia after reperfusion reduces production of deleterious glutamate, oxygen-free radicals and inflammatory molecules, cerebral oxygen demand, intracranial pressure, and the final extent of neurological injury.8 Thus, induced hypothermia (IH), sometimes called targeted temperature management, which consists of cooling the body to …
Type a incomplete multi-response designs

Srivastava considered the problem of designing and analysis of incomplete multi-response experiments, The main characteristics of the analysis given by her are investigated and a general class of incomplete multiresponse designs (Type A) is obtained on the basis of these investigations.
Systemic versus Nonsystemic Approaches To Quality Improvement

Despite the best of intentions, most quality improvement processes are not producing the desired results. This is frequently because those shaping the process do not understand that the quality improvement movement is simply the latest version of the systems approach, which has been around for about 40 years. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Development of a Skinnerian Based Expert System for Use in a Computer Managed Instructional Feedback System

This article describes efforts to include an expert system software package, based on the theories of B. F. Skinner, into a computer managed instructional system. The purpose of the system is to provide meaningful feedback to students concerning their achievement status on a weekly basis. The process for the development of the system is discussed as well as results in light of the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Conclusions are drawn that suggest that behaviorist techniques can be incorporated into instructional software at a level higher than the traditional task specific feedback.
Dense grid sibling frames with linear phase filters

We introduce new 5-band dyadic sibling frames with dense time-frequency grid. Given a lowpass filter satisfying certain conditions, the remaining filters are obtained using spectral factorization. The analysis and synthesis filterbanks share the same lowpass and bandpass filters but have different and oversampled highpass filters. This leads to wavelets approximating shift-invariance. The filters are FIR, have linear phase, and the resulting wavelets have vanishing moments. The filters are designed using spectral factorization method. The proposed method leads to smooth limit functions with higher approximation order, and computationally stable filterbanks.
The Amino-terminal Domain of Desmoplakin Binds to Plakoglobin and Clusters Desmosomal Cadherin–Plakoglobin Complexes

The desmosome is a highly organized plasma membrane domain that couples intermediate filaments to the plasma membrane at regions of cell–cell adhesion. Desmosomes contain two classes of cadherins, desmogleins, and desmocollins, that bind to the cytoplasmic protein plakoglobin. Desmoplakin is a desmosomal component that plays a critical role in linking intermediate filament networks to the desmosomal plaque, and the amino-terminal domain of desmoplakin targets desmoplakin to the desmosome. However, the desmosomal protein(s) that bind the amino-terminal domain of desmoplakin have not been identified. To determine if the desmosomal cadherins and plakoglobin interact with the amino-terminal domain of desmoplakin, these proteins were co-expressed in L-cell fibroblasts, cells that do not normally express desmosomal components. When expressed in L-cells, the desmosomal cadherins and plakoglobin exhibited a diffuse distribution. However, in the presence of an amino-terminal desmoplakin polypeptide (DP-NTP), the desmosomal cadherins and plakoglobin were observed in punctate clusters that also contained DP-NTP. In addition, plakoglobin and DP-NTP were recruited to cell–cell interfaces in L-cells co-expressing a chimeric cadherin with the E-cadherin extracellular domain and the desmoglein-1 cytoplasmic domain, and these cells formed structures that were ultrastructurally similar to the outer plaque of the desmosome. In transient expression experiments in COS cells, the recruitment of DP-NTP to cell borders by the chimera required co-expression of plakoglobin. Plakoglobin and DP-NTP co-immunoprecipitated when extracted from L-cells, and yeast two hybrid analysis indicated that DP-NTP binds directly to plakoglobin but not Dsg1. These results identify a role for desmoplakin in organizing the desmosomal cadherin–plakoglobin complex and provide new insights into the hierarchy of protein interactions that occur in the desmosomal plaque.
Endogenously-Supplied Visual Attributes of Depth:

Two-dimensional objects misperceived to be three-dimensional, have a smaller “near” face and its elements are sharper and narrower than those of the “far” face. In addition, the object acquires a number of attributes of “real” depth—the “near” face is brighter, more sharply delineated, and clearly is interposed before the “far” face. If the stimulus is rotating, even differential blur due to apparent differences in velocities of “near” and “far” parts is evident as O fixates one or the other face. The first effect, the size constancy scaling mechanism, has been treated elsewhere. Here, an hypothesis is presented that the depth effects result from the operation of another steady-state physiological mechanism that also serves to stabilize visual percepts, the apparent depth mechanism. A third such mechanism becomes evident as a real cube is “seen” in reversed perspective, one involving the perception of depth per se. In contrast to a flat “cube” all evidence of apparent depth disappears in the percept of th...
An MIS Design Framework for Financial Planning and Budgeting Systems

Virtually all businesses must perform financial planning and budgeting. The paper presents a normative design framework for developing a management information system to support these activities. The design sustains planning processes across organizational levels. The system may be evoked with either a modeling or budgeting orientation which supports bottom‐up, top‐down, or in‐side‐out planning. An analysis function forges alink between top‐down and bottom‐up planning. This linkage provides flexibility in developing alternative business plans. The normative design provides a standard for creating and evaluating alternative system designs, to determine the most appropriate system for a particular business situation.
Anisotropic many-body effects in the quasiparticle velocity of Nb

Fermi radii and velocities are determined by deconvoluting de Haas---van Alphen data. Comparison of these data with accurate augmented---plane-wave band-structure results establishes the reliability of the augmented---plane-wave calculations and allows a determination of the anisotropic many-body enhancement factor $\ensuremath{\lambda}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}})$. The Fermi-surface average $〈\ensuremath{\lambda}〉$ of 1.33 suggests a large electron-electron contribution. Our anisotropic $\ensuremath{\lambda}(k)$ provide a detailed test and guide for model calculations of many-body enhancement.
Seizure reduction and quality of life improvements in people with epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: Previous research suggests that seizure freedom may be necessary to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for epilepsy surgery patients, but little is known regarding the seizure-frequency reduction needed to improve HRQOL among medically treated individuals. Methods: With data from 134 adults with refractory complex partial seizures participating in a randomized controlled antiepileptic drug (AED) trial, we compared the change in HRQOL across groups having different levels of change in seizure frequency: 100%, 75–99%, 50–74% reduction, and 0–50% increase or decrease. Changes over time within each seizure-reduction group also were assessed. HRQOL was measured by the QOLIE-31, QOLIE-89, and SF-36. Results: Subjects who became seizure free reported significantly more positive change than those who did not on the QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-89 overall scores, the QOLIE-89 mental health, physical health, and epilepsy-targeted composites, as well as the SF-36 mental health summary score. Changes over time in overall QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-89 scores were significantly more positive for subjects who achieved seizure freedom (i.e., 100% reduction in seizure frequency) than for those who did not. No significant change in QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-89 overall scores was observed for subjects who did not achieve seizure freedom. Conclusions: In this study, HRQOL improvement occurred primarily among patients who achieved complete seizure freedom. Many AED trials use a 50% seizure-frequency reduction criterion as a trial end point, but measurable impacts of this degree of reduction in seizure frequency on HRQOL in this sample were not observed. These results further support striving for seizure freedom as an epilepsy care goal.
Authoritative, Accountable Positioning and Connected, General Knowing: Progressive Themes in Understanding Transfer

Engle's (this issue) analysis of framing students' contributions in learning interactions to construct generality and Marton's (this issue) discussion of learning to discern differences make valuable contributions to the ongoing scientific effort to understand transfer. This commentary characterizes these articles as contributing to 2 valuable themes of recent and ongoing research on transfer. One involves positioning of students in activity systems where they can learn or where their transfer is assessed. The other involves characteristics of knowing in conceptual domains. Based on the contributions of Engle, Marton, and others, this commentary conjectures that positioning with authority and accountability in learning and transfer settings (cf., Engle & Conant, 2002) and learning that develops connected knowing of affordances and constraints that are broadly characteristic of a domain (cf., Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986; Gibson, 1979) are probably important contributing factors in supporti...
Asset Specificity and Corporate Political Activity in Regulated Industries

I examine corporate political activity in regulated industries, which is conceptualized in the literature as transactions in a political marketplace. I incorporate transaction costs in political markets and propose that under high asset specificity, corporate political activity and internalization are substitutes because favorable public policy also mitigates asset specificity. Firms choose corporate political activity when transaction costs are lower than internalization costs. I outline conditions that lower transaction costs and analyze how firms lower transaction costs by embedding political transactions in policy networks.
Bradykinin and phorbol ester but not 5-HT2B receptor activation stimulate phospholipase D activity in the rat stomach fundus.

Abstract 1. 1. Serotonin has been implicated as a mediator involved in migraine headache, an effect that may involve central 5-HT;B receptor activation. 5-HT2B receptor signal transduction is controversial. 2. 2. Rat stomach fundus contraction to serotonin has been used as a model for 5-HT2B receptor activation. Serotonin-induced contractility involves intracellular calcium release and activation of protein kinase C without stimulation of phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis. 3. 3. Since phospholipase D (PLD) activation results in phosphatidic acid production, which can release intracellular calcium and provide diacylglycerol for PKC activation, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the 5-HT2B receptor coupled to PLD activation using the rat stomach fundus as a model system. 4. 4. Using phosphatidylethanol production to measure PLD activity, both bradykinin (0.01–1 μM) and phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu, 1 μM) stimulated PLD activity in rat stomach fimdal strips, indicating that this tissue possesses an active PLD system. 5. 5. Under identical conditions, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) failed to stimulate PLD activity over a concentration range (1 nM–1 μM) documented to induce 5-HT2B receptor-mediated contraction in rat stomach fundus. Thus, the 5-HT2B contractile receptor in rat stomach fundus is not coupled to PLD activation, whereas both bradykinin and phorbol ester do couple to PLD.
Exploring the divide between two unified theories of cognition: modeling visual attention in menu selection

Two cognitive modeling efforts (EPIC & ACT-R) have proposed computational models of a simple menu selection task involving searching for a single digit in an unordered, pull down menu. This paper presents an empirical study which extends the menu selection task in two dimensions (distance between menu items and whether the items are digits or words). Each of these manipulations should make a difference in selection time according to one of the models but not the other. An analysis of response times reveals that both factors produce significant differences in the direction predicted by the cognitive models. The magnitude of these differences, however, are smaller than predicted (7% for distance and only 3% for word vs. digit). Implications for future modeling of visual attention is briefly addressed.
Depth estimation from image defocus using fuzzy logic

A method for improving the accuracy of depth-from-defocus is presented. Fuzzy logic is combined with a depth-from-defocus technique to correct for uncertainty and imprecision in depth estimation. Two inputs to the fuzzy algorithm are the focus quality and the focal error. Focus quality is a measure of the amount of defocus in an image. Focal error is the difference in focus between corresponding points in images with different apertures. The output is the depth estimation for objects in images that may be either blurred or in focus. Experiments show that fuzzy logic significantly improves depth estimation compared to the nonfuzzy depth-from-defocus method. The estimation error using fuzzy logic is less than 1.5% over an object distance from 7 to 11 feet. Therefore, this method improves the accuracy of the depth-from-defocus method, while maintaining simplicity. This method was implemented using a standard camera lens and an ANDROX imaging board. >
A post-disaster mobility model for delay tolerant networking

Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) considers how to provide communication in contexts where it is unreasonable to assume end-to-end connectivity. Network devices exchange buffered messages when they come into communication range; messages may be buffered and carried physically several times before ultimately being received. Service characteristics of a DTN depend intimately on the underlying movement of devices through physical space; correspondingly, an assessment of DTN technology (e.g. routing protocols, message exchange policies, etc.) depends on that same movement. Existing mobility models provided in simulators lack characteristics one expects in post-disaster communication. We propose a mobility model that includes the impact of the disaster on the transportation network, and that models population and relief vehicle movement. We augment the "Opportunistic Network Environment" (ONE) simulator of DTNs with required extensions and show that characteristics of the DTN are very different using the new model than it is under models that ONE currently provides.
Event-based feedback control of nonlinear oscillators using phase response curves

The phase response curve for a nonlinear oscillator describes the phase-shift of the oscillation due to an impulsive perturbation as a function of the phase at which the perturbation occurs. We propose a novel feedback control mechanism which allows one to control the phase of an oscillation, assuming only that the phase response curve is known and that a once-per-period marker event, such as the time at which a neuron fires, can be detected. The effectiveness of this control method is demonstrated through analytical and numerical results. This work represents a first step toward a closed-loop form of electrical deep brain stimulation, a treatment for neuromotor disorders such as Parkinson's disease, with symptoms characterized by pathological neural synchronization.
Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA

Summary With non-communicable conditions accounting for nearly two-thirds of deaths worldwide, the emergence of chronic diseases as the predominant challenge to global health is undisputed. In the USA, chronic diseases are the main causes of poor health, disability, and death, and account for most of health-care expenditures. The chronic disease burden in the USA largely results from a short list of risk factors—including tobacco use, poor diet and physical inactivity (both strongly associated with obesity), excessive alcohol consumption, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and hyperlipidaemia—that can be effectively addressed for individuals and populations. Increases in the burden of chronic diseases are attributable to incidence and prevalence of leading chronic conditions and risk factors (which occur individually and in combination), and population demographics, including ageing and health disparities. To effectively and equitably address the chronic disease burden, public health and health-care systems need to deploy integrated approaches that bundle strategies and interventions, address many risk factors and conditions simultaneously, create population-wide changes, help the population subgroups most affected, and rely on implementation by many sectors, including public–private partnerships and involvement from all stakeholders. To help to meet the chronic disease burden, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses four cross-cutting strategies: (1) epidemiology and surveillance to monitor trends and inform programmes; (2) environmental approaches that promote health and support healthy behaviours; (3) health system interventions to improve the effective use of clinical and other preventive services; and (4) community resources linked to clinical services that sustain improved management of chronic conditions. Establishment of community conditions to support healthy behaviours and promote effective management of chronic conditions will deliver healthier students to schools, healthier workers to employers and businesses, and a healthier population to the health-care system. Collectively, these four strategies will prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases, foster early detection and slow disease progression in people with chronic conditions, reduce complications, support an improved quality of life, and reduce demand on the health-care system. Of crucial importance, with strengthened collaboration between the public health and health-care sectors, the health-care system better uses prevention and early detection services, and population health is improved and sustained by solidifying collaborations between communities and health-care providers. This collaborative approach will improve health equity by building communities that promote health rather than disease, have more accessible and direct care, and focus the health-care system on improving population health.
An IP address based caching scheme for peer-to-peer networks

Distributed hash tables (DHTs), used in a number of current peer-to-peer systems, provide efficient mechanisms for resource location. Systems such as Chord, Pastry, CAN, and Tapestry provide strong guarantees that queries in the overlay network can be resolved in a bounded number of overlay hops, while preserving load balance among the peers. A key distinction in these systems is the way they handle locality in the underlying network. Topology-based node identifier assignment, proximity routing, and proximity neighbor selection are examples of heuristics used to minimize message delays in the underlying network. We investigate the use of source IP addresses to enhance locality in overlay networks based on DHTs. We first show that a naive use of source IP address potentially leads to severe resource imbalance due to nonuniformity of peers over the IP space. We then present an effective caching scheme that combines a segment of the source IP with the queried hash-code to localize access and affect replication effectively. Using detailed experiments, we show that this scheme achieves performance gains of up to 41%, when compared to Pastry in combination with the proximity neighbor selection heuristic.
PowerNap: an efficient power management scheme for mobile devices

We present PowerNap, an OS power management scheme, which can significantly improve the battery life of mobile devices. The key feature of PowerNap is the skipping of the periodic system timer ticks associated with the operating system. On an idle device, this modification increases the time between successive timer interrupts and enables us to put the processor/system into a more efficient low power state. This saves the energy consumed by workless timer interrupts and the excess energy consumed by the processor in less efficient low power states. PowerNap is tightly integrated with the kernel and is designed for optimal control of the latency and energy associated with transitioning in and out of the low power states. We describe an implementation of PowerNap and its impact on system software. Experiments with IBM's WatchPad verify the ability of PowerNap to extend battery life. An analytical model that quantifies the ability of the scheme to reduce power is also presented. The model is in good agreement with experimental results. We apply the model to small form-factor devices which use processors that have a PowerDown state. In such devices, PowerNap may extend battery life by more than 42 percent for small processor workloads and for background power levels below 10 mW.
QVZ: lossy compression of quality values

MOTIVATION Recent advancements in sequencing technology have led to a drastic reduction in the cost of sequencing a genome. This has generated an unprecedented amount of genomic data that must be stored, processed and transmitted. To facilitate this effort, we propose a new lossy compressor for the quality values presented in genomic data files (e.g. FASTQ and SAM files), which comprise roughly half of the storage space (in the uncompressed domain). Lossy compression allows for compression of data beyond its lossless limit. RESULTS The proposed algorithm QVZ exhibits better rate-distortion performance than the previously proposed algorithms, for several distortion metrics and for the lossless case. Moreover, it allows the user to define any quasi-convex distortion function to be minimized, a feature not supported by the previous algorithms. Finally, we show that QVZ-compressed data exhibit better performance in the genotyping than data compressed with previously proposed algorithms, in the sense that for a similar rate, a genotyping closer to that achieved with the original quality values is obtained. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION QVZ is written in C and can be downloaded from https://github.com/mikelhernaez/qvz. CONTACT mhernaez@stanford.edu or gmalysa@stanford.edu or iochoa@stanford.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Multiparameter light scattering for rapid virus identification

Multiparameter light scattering (MLS) is a term we have used to describe the simultaneous measurement of multiple elements of the Mueller matrix at specific wavelengths and scattering angles. This 4 Χ 4 matrix describes the polarization sensitive transformation of an incident beam of light into a scattered beam of light by a scattering object such as a virus or suspension of virus particles. The Mueller matrix contains a great deal of information about the internal structure and shape of the virus particle. This information is sufficient in many cases to enable discrimination among a wide variety of different viruses of clinical significance.
Competitive Equilibrium Bitrate Allocation for Multiple Video Streams

We consider the problem of simultaneous bitrate allocation for multiple video streams. Current methods for multiplexing video streams often rely on identifying the relative complexity of the video streams to improve the combined overall quality. In such methods, not all the videos benefit from the multiplexing process. Typically, the quality of high motion videos is improved at the expense of a reduction in the quality of low motion videos. In our approach, we use a competitive equilibrium allocation of bitrate to improve the quality of all the video streams by finding trades between videos across time. A central controller collects rate-distortion information from each video user and makes a joint bitrate allocation decision. Each user encodes and transmits his video at the allocated bitrate through a shared channel. The proposed method uses information about not only the differing complexity of the video streams at every moment but also the differing complexity of each stream over time. Using the competitive equilibrium bitrate allocation approach for multiple video streams, simulation results show that all the video streams perform better or at least as well as with individual encoding. The results of this research will be useful both for ad hoc networks that employ a cluster head model and for cellular architectures.
Performance assessment and improvement of yard crane rehandling strategies for improving port drayage operations

Seaport terminals recognise the need to change current practices in order to improve regional air quality while enhancing their terminals' competitiveness. One area that terminals can do better at is to improve their yard crane operations and in turn reduce the trucks in-terminal delay. This study examines various container rehandling strategies by the yard cranes with the goal of improving the time it takes for a drayage truck to pick up an import container and hence reducing the time of engine idling and the stop-and-go lugging. Simulation results highlight the benefit of having truck arrival information, and they indicate that this study's proposed rehandling methods, which take advantage of truck arrival information, perform well compared to other methods. Also, the proposed backfilling method appears to be quite effective in reducing truck wait time.
Parkinsonism and dystonia in Lubag disease respond well to high pulse width/low-frequency globus pallidus interna DBS

Lubag disease ( DYT3 ), an X-linked neurodegenerative condition featuring dystonia and parkinsonism, is caused by mutations in the TAF1 gene.1 DYT3 has been reported to respond to globus pallidus interna (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) using frequencies above 100 Hz (table). We describe the first case of DYT3 responding to high pulse width and low-frequency stimulation.
Random number generators using Cellular Automata implemented on FPGAs

Cellular Automata (CA) have been found to make good pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs), and these CA-based PRNGs are well suited for implementation on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). To improve the quality of the random numbers that are generated, the basic CA structure is enhanced in two ways. First, the addition of a super-rule to each CA cell is considered. The resulting Self-Programmable CA (SPCA) uses the super-rule to determine when to make a dynamic rule change in each CA cell. The super-rule takes its inputs from neighboring cells and can be considered itself a second CA working in parallel with the main CA. When implemented on an FPGA, the use of lookup tables in each logic cell removes any restrictions on how the super-rules should be defined. Second, a hybrid configuration is formed by combining a CA with a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR). This is advantageous for FPGA designs due to the compactness of the LFSR implementations. The suite of statistical tests found in the Diehard program is utilized to evaluate the quality of random numbers. Some of the hybrid CA/LFSR were found to pass all the Diehard tests.
ENDOSCOPIC MAPPING OF RENAL PAPILLAE FOR RANDALL'S PLAQUES IN PATIENTS WITH URINARY STONE DISEASE

AbstractPurpose: Papillary "Randall's plaques" are theorized to act as nidi for urinary stone formation. The aim of this study was to document the presence, pattern and distribution of Randall's plaques in patients undergoing endoscopic procedures for urinary stone disease.Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing either ureteroscopy or percutaneous nephroscopy for removal of urinary stones underwent endoscopic mapping of accessible calices. These patients were compared to a smaller group of patients undergoing endoscopic procedures for conditions unrelated to urinary stone disease. In patients found to have papillary plaques the presence, location and pattern of plaques were recorded. Plaque formation was correlated with patient age and sex, and primary composition of extricated stone.Results: Endoscopic evidence of papillary Randall's plaques was found in 74% of 57 patients having ureteroscopic (21) or percutaneous (36) stone removal. Of 7 patients having endoscopic procedures for conditions unrelated ...
Thermal and viscous boundary layers in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

We present the results from numerical simulations of turbulent Rayleigh–Benard convection for an aspect ratio (diameter/height) of 1.0, Prandtl numbers of 0.4 and 0.7, and Rayleigh numbers from to . Detailed measurements of the thermal and viscous boundary layer profiles are made and compared to experimental and theoretical (Prandtl–Blasius) results. We find that the thermal boundary layer profiles disagree by more than 10 % when scaled with the similarity variable (boundary layer thickness) and likewise disagree with the Prandtl–Blasius results. In contrast, the viscous boundary profiles collapse well and do agree (within 10 %) with the Prandtl–Blasius profile, but with worsening agreement as the Rayleigh number increases. We have also investigated the scaling of the boundary layer thicknesses with Rayleigh number, and again compare to experiments and theory. We find that the scaling laws are very robust with respect to method of analysis and they mostly agree with the Grossmann–Lohse predictions coupled with laminar boundary layer theory within our numerical uncertainty.
How Much Should We Pay for a New HIV Diagnosis? A Mathematical Model of HIV Screening in US Clinical Settings:

Objective. To develop a model to assist clinical setting decision makers in determining how much they can spend on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and still be cost-effective. Design. ...
Loss of periodontal attachment is a strong predictor for tooth loss

Abstract Original article Gilbert GH, Shelton BJ, Chavers LS, Bradford EH Jr. Predicting tooth loss during a population-based study: Role of attachment level in the presence of other dental conditions. J Periodontol 2002;73:1427-36. Level of evidence 2b Purpose To investigate whether probing attachment loss is a predictor for tooth loss that is independent of patient, and tooth, factors Source of funding National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Type of study/design Cohort
Novel autoproteolytic and DNA-damage sensing components in the bacterial SOS response and oxidized methylcytosine-induced eukaryotic DNA demethylation systems.

The bacterial SOS response is an elaborate program for DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and adaptive mutagenesis under stress conditions. Using sensitive sequence and structure analysis, combined with contextual information derived from comparative genomics and domain architectures, we identify two novel domain superfamilies in the SOS response system. We present evidence that one of these, the SOS response associated peptidase (SRAP; Pfam: DUF159) is a novel thiol autopeptidase. Given the involvement of other autopeptidases, such as LexA and UmuD, in the SOS response, this finding suggests that multiple structurally unrelated peptidases have been recruited to this process. The second of these, the ImuB-C superfamily, is linked to the Y-family DNA polymerase-related domain in ImuB, and also occurs as a standalone protein. We present evidence using gene neighborhood analysis that both these domains function with different mutagenic polymerases in bacteria, such as Pol IV (DinB), Pol V (UmuCD) and ImuA-ImuB-DnaE2 and also other repair systems, which either deploy Ku and an ATP-dependent ligase or a SplB-like radical SAM photolyase. We suggest that the SRAP superfamily domain functions as a DNA-associated autoproteolytic switch that recruits diverse repair enzymes upon DNA damage, whereas the ImuB-C domain performs a similar function albeit in a non-catalytic fashion. We propose that C3Orf37, the eukaryotic member of the SRAP superfamily, which has been recently shown to specifically bind DNA with 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine and 5-carboxycytosine, is a sensor for these oxidized bases generated by the TET enzymes from methylcytosine. Hence, its autoproteolytic activity might help it act as a switch that recruits DNA repair enzymes to remove these oxidized methylcytosine species as part of the DNA demethylation pathway downstream of the TET enzymes. This article was reviewed by RDS, RF and GJ.
Edward Polloway (Ed.). (2015). The Death Penalty and Intellectual Disability. Washington, DC: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (231 pp., $39.95 paperback, ISBN# 978-1-937604-13-4)

Atkins v. Virginia, 2002, established that execution of a person with intellectual disability violates the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the eighth amendment. According to editor Edward Po...
Five-Day Tropical Cyclone Track Forecasts in the North Atlantic Basin

Abstract Statistical analyses of the most recent 40 yr of hurricane tracks (1956–95) are presented, leading to a version of the North Atlantic climatology and persistence (CLIPER) model that exhibits much smaller forecast biases but similar forecast errors compared to the previously used version. Changes to the model involve the inclusion of more accurate historical tropical cyclone track data and a simpler derivation of the regression equations. Nonlinear systems analysis shows that the predictability timescale in which the average errors increase by a factor e is approximately 2.5 days in the Atlantic basin, which is larger than that found by similar methods near Australia. This suggests that 5-day tropical cyclone track forecasts may have some benefit, and therefore a version of CLIPER extended to 5 days to be used as a baseline to measure this skill is needed.
Modeling divertor concepts for spherical tokamaks NSTX-U and ST-FNSF

The compact nature of the spherical tokamak (ST) presents an economically attractive path to fusion commercialization, but concentrates power exhaust, threatening the integrity of plasma-facing components. To address this challenge, experimentally constrained divertor modeling in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is extrapolated to investigate divertor concepts for future ST devices. Analysis of NSTX Upgrade with UEDGE shows that the secondary snowflake X-point position can be adjusted for favorable neutral transport, enabling stable partial detachment at reduced core densities. For a notional ST-based Fusion Nuclear Science Facility, divertor concepts are identified that provide heat flux mitigation (<10 MW m−2) and low temperatures (<10 eV) compatible with high-Z targets. This research provides guidance for upcoming experiments and a basis for continued development of predictive capability for divertor performance in STs.
Changes in the Social Status of Lutheranism in Ninety Chicago Suburbs, 1950–1960

Changes in the distribution of Lutheran membership in suburban Chicago municipalities at status intervals between 1950 and 1960 are presented. Summarized, the changes are: a mild decline in representation at the very top and very bottom of the scale, sharp increases in representation in the middle and upper middle intervals, and a very sharp decline in representation in the lower middle interval. Three hypotheses-not necessarily mutually exclusive-are advanced to account for the changes. These relate to the following factors: denominational mission policies, selective migration patterns within the suburbs, and, relying on Weber's famous hypothesis concerning the Protestant Ethic, an hypothesized greater attraction of Lutheranism as compared to other Protestant denominations for the 'new suburbanite" of the 1950's.
Design and testing of experimental free-piston cryogenic expander

An experimental free piston cryogenic expander was designed and constructed as a part of a feasibility test. Unlike most cryogenic expanders, there were no physical connections for controlling or monitoring the position of the piston. Rather, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) was designed and constructed on the outside of the cylinder wall to non-intrusively monitor the piston’s position. Signals from the LVDT, pressure transducers and thermocouples were collected by a data acquisition system and integrated into a control routine. The control routine digitally switched valves on the warm and cold ends of the expander to control the pressure-volume relation in the cold end of the expander. Results from experimental testing were compared with theoretical thermodynamic and dynamic analysis of the single-stage apparatus to determine the expander’s performance. Comparisons showed that the expander’s behavior closely resembled the theoretical models, and identified design considerations and improvements for a second-generation expander. Although the expander was not insulated for thermal performance, significant cooling was evident under testing conditions.
The Multiplication Operator in L 2 Over a Localizable Space and Bochner’s Theorem

In 1929 Bochner [1] showed that a continuous linear operator T on L2(IR) to itself, which commutes with translations, is the Fourier-Plancherel (FP) transform of a multiplication operator Mϕ in which the multiplier ϕ is a Borel measurable, essentially bounded function on IR to Ȼ. In this paper we shall give the extension of this result for a closed densely defined linear operator T in the space L2(Γ), where Γ is any locally compact abelian group and the measure is a Haar measure over Γ (Thm. 4.10). This extension will be derived by FP transformation from a more direct result asserting that such a T, which commutes with the characters of Γ, is itself a multiplication operator (Thm. 4.6). In turn this last result will be deduced from our Main Thm. 3.5 concerning closed operators T densely defined in the L2 space over any localizable measure space and commuting with multiplication by the indicator functions.
PULSED NEUTRON MEASUREMENT OF CONTROL ROD WORTHS

Reactivity measurements made by the pulsed neutron technique were compared with results obtained by conventional techniques. The pulsed neutron results were in good agreement with those obtained by stable period measurement and rod drop. Differential effectiveness of partially inserted rods was shown to be well represented by elementary perturbation theory. Finally, the pulsed neutron technique was found to be the only good method for measurement of large reactivtty changes. (auth)
Aspects of Samaritan and Jewish History in Late Persian and Hellenistic Times

In 1962, papyri of the fourth century B.C. were discovered by Beduin in a desolate canyon north of Jericho on the rim of the Jordan rift. These documents, known by their place of discovery as the Wâdī Dâliyeh Papyri, were inscribed in Samaria during the half century before the conquest of Alexander the Great. The papyri are without exception legal documents, not a few executed before the governor and prefect of Samaria. Among the surprises to be found in the new documents is the appearance twice of the name Sanballat, or more properly Sin'uballiṭ. In each instance Sanballat is listed as father of the governor of Samaria, once on an official sealing inscribed in Palaeo-Hebrew script, once in Aramaic in the context of a document of about the mid-fourth century.
Intractable Seizures after Antiepileptic Withdrawal

The frequency of relapse and occurrence of intractable epilepsy following withdrawal of antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment in a Nova Scotia population-based cohort of children with epilepsy was studied at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.