cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancements of two-stage stochastic decomposition

This paper presents some enhancements associated with stochastic decomposition (SD). Specifically, we study two issues: (a) Are there any conditions under which the regularized version of SD generates a unique solution? (b) Is there a way to modify the SD algorithm so that a user can trade-off solution times with solution quality? The second issue addresses the scalability of SD for very large scale problems for which computational resources may be limited and the user may be willing to accept solutions that are ''nearly optimal''. We show that by using bootstrapping (re-sampling) the regularized SD algorithm can be accelerated without significant loss of optimality. We report computational results that demonstrate the viability of this approach.
Intermedial Representations in Asian Macbeth-s

In her article "Intermedial representations in Asian Macbeth-s" I-Chun Wang discusses three Asian versions of Macbeths that exemplify the cultural meanings through the interaction of landscape, body, and spectacles of power. Shakespeare remains one of the most popular playwrights in the Eastern world, and playwrights in the Asian world find Shakespearean plays attractive to the Asian audience. Among Shakespearean plays, Macbeth fascinates its Asian audience with its theme on kingship, territory of social relationships as well as moral and emotional development. These adaptations oftentimes become cross-cultural reproductions because each adapted text manifests not only crosscultural interpretations but also highlights the ways that Shakespeare is read by audiences in other cultures. By probing into the meanings of spectacle and symbolic representations of landscape, I-Chun Wang analyzes how Asian directors, such as Akira Kurosawa, Vishal Bharadwaj, and Xing-guo Wu highlight cultural meanings of power struggle and territory through intermediality. I-Chung Wang, "Intermedial Representations in Asian Macbeth-s" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 13.3 (2011): Thematic issue New Perspectives on Material Culture and Intermedial Practice. Ed. Steven Totosy de Zepetnek, Asuncion Lopez-Varela, Haun Saussy, and Jan Mieszkowski
Spatial scaling of stable night lights

Abstract City size distributions, defined on the basis of population, are often described by power laws. Zipf's Law states that the exponent of the power law for rank-size distributions of cities is near −1. Verification of power law scaling for city size distributions at continental and global scales is complicated by small sample sizes, inappropriate estimation techniques, inconsistent definitions of urban extent and variations in the accuracy and spatial resolution of census administrative units. We attempt to circumvent some of these complications by using a continuous spatial proxy for anthropogenic development and treat it as a spatial complement to population distribution. We quantify the linearity and exponent of the rank-size distribution of spatially contiguous patches of stable night light over a range of brightnesses corresponding to different intensities of development. Temporally stable night lights, as measured by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Line Scanner (DMSP-OLS), provide a unique proxy for anthropogenic development. Brightness and spatial extent of emitted light are correlated to population density (Sutton et al., 2001), built area density (Elvidge et al., 2007c) and economic activity ( Doll et al., 2006 , Henderson et al., 2009 ) at global scales and within specific countries. Using a variable brightness threshold to derive spatial extent of developed land area eliminates the complication of administrative definitions of urban extent and makes it possible to test Zipf's Law in the spatial dimension for a wide range of anthropogenic development. Higher brightness thresholds generally correspond to more intense development while lower thresholds extend the lighted area to include smaller settlements and less intensively developed peri-urban and agricultural areas. Using both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) to estimate power law linearity and exponent of the resulting rank-size distributions across a range of upper tail cutoffs, we consistently find statistically significant exponents in the range −0.95 to −1.11 with an abrupt transition to very large, extensively connected, spatial networks of development near the low light detection limit of the sensor. This range of exponents and transition are observed at both continental and global scales. The results suggest that Zipf's Law also holds for spatial extent of anthropogenic development across a range of intensities at both continental and global scales. The implication is that the dynamics of urban growth and development may be represented as spatial phase transitions when the spatial extent and intensity of development are treated as continuous variables rather than discrete entities.
Regionalization of Hepatic Resections Is Associated with Increasing Disparities among Some Patient Populations in Use of High-Volume Providers

Background The goal of our study was to determine the temporal trends in provider volume for liver resection procedures. Study Design The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for 1988 through 2003 was used to determine temporal trends in hospital and surgeon volume of liver resection procedures. We also examined whether these trends in provider volume were associated with any changes in postoperative outcomes or in patients' access to high-volume providers. Results Regionalization of liver resection procedures to high-volume surgeons and hospitals has been occurring since 1988 and, in the most recent time period assessed, 25.8% of patients underwent hepatic resection by high-volume surgeons (≥ 17 procedures per year) and 29.9% of patients underwent resection in high-volume hospitals (≥ 45 procedures per year). Unadjusted mortality data suggest that these trends might be associated with a strengthening of the inverse relationship between hospital volume of hepatic resection and postoperative mortality and with an increasing disparity for some patient populations in use of high-volume hospitals. Conclusions Regionalization of liver resections is occurring at both the level of the individual surgeon and the hospitals where these procedures are performed. These trends in provider volume might be associated with increasing discrepancies in outcomes and patient demographics among different volume categories of hospitals.
"The Artist is Present": Artistic Re-enactments and the Impossibility of Presence

Springing off from the recent obsession over performance histories in the performance and art domains, "The Artist is Present" takes on claims for authenticity and "presence" by examining the series of recent re-enactments and events featuring Marina Abramovic.
Fundamentals of nucleation and growth

The free energy associated with the formation of the crystalmelt interface ("interfacial tension") is an important parameter in the theory of homogeneous nucleation. In the proximity of a crystal plane the liquid is more ordered than in the bulk. Static structural modeling1, as well as molecular dynamics simulations2, show that the liquid atoms are localized to a varying degree in planes parallel to the interface. The loss in entropy associated with the ordering of the liquid is the main factor contributing to the interfacial tension1 . Density functional calculations on hard sphere systems have confirmed this3.
Composition and properties of vapors over molten silver chloride

Abstract Mass spectrometer analyses of equilibrium vapors over molten AgCl between 772 ° and 1,014 °K, indicate the existence of the vapor molecule Ag3Cl2 in addition to the monomer and trimer. The data predict the monomer concentration to increase with increasing temperature. “Second Law” heats of vaporization for the three vapor species are 41.4 ± 2.2 kcal mole−1 for AgCl, 33.6 ± 3.2 kcal mole−1 for Ag3Cl2, and 26.9 ± 2.7 kcal mole−1 for Ag3Cl3. A value of − 97.3 ± 7.1 kcal mole−1 is derived for the heat of trimerization. A dissociation energy of 3.4 ± 0.4 eV (78.2 ± 9.2 kcalmole−1) for the monomer vapor molecule and a dissociation energy of 0.7 eV (16.1 kcal mole−1) for the molecular monomer ion is calculated from the appearance-potential data.
Potential of the silver-silver chloride reference electrode in liquid ammonia

Abstract An Ag/AgCl (satd) KCl (satd) electrode was devised for use in liquid ammonia at room temperature (10 atm) or at low temperatures. The electrode was shown to be readily reversible. Its reduction potential was measured against the hydrogen electrode, and found to be 622 ± 3 mV at 25°C and 681 ± 9 mV at −40°C (uncorrected for junction potential). The Ag/AgCl electrode was used to measure the potential of the Hg/HgCl 2 (satd) electrode at 25°C, which was found to be 597 ± 3 mV against the standard hydrogen electrode. ΔH and ΔS for the reaction Ag( NH 3 ) 2 + 1 2 H 2 → Ag + NH 4 + + NH 3 were calculated to be −20·5 kcal. mole −1 and −20·9 e.u. respectively.
Laforin, a dual specificity phosphatase that dephosphorylates complex carbohydrates

Laforin is the only phosphatase in the animal kingdom that contains a carbohydrate-binding module. Mutations in the gene encoding laforin result in Lafora disease, a fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, which is diagnosed by the presence of intracellular deposits of insoluble complex carbohydrates known as Lafora bodies. We demonstrate that laforin interacts with proteins known to be involved in glycogen metabolism and rule out several of these proteins as potential substrates. Surprisingly, we find that laforin displays robust phosphatase activity against a phosphorylated complex carbohydrate. Furthermore, this activity is unique to laforin, since several other phosphatases are unable to dephosphorylate polysaccharides. Finally, fusing the carbohydrate-binding module of laforin to the dual specific phosphatase VHR does not result in the ability of this phosphatase to dephosphorylate polysaccharides. Therefore, we hypothesize that laforin is unique in its ability to utilize a phosphorylated complex carbohydrate as a substrate and that this function may be necessary for the maintenance of normal cellular glycogen.
Newsvendor optimization with limited distribution information

Lack of complete distribution calls for stochastically robust models that, after exploiting available limited or partial information, offer risk-shielded solutions, or in other words, solutions that are insensitive to all possible distributions of random variables. We focus on the well-known newsvendor problem in this study, where the distribution of the random demand is only specified by its mean and one of the following: its standard deviation or its support. We propose a stochastically robust model for the newsvendor problem. More specifically, our model tries to minimize the regret that is defined as the ratio of the expected cost based on limited information to that based on complete information, called Relative Expected Value of Distribution REVD. We show how to derive an optimal solution to the REVD model. Numerical examples are provided to compare our model with other similar approaches. The goal is to establish a confidence ratio that the decision from our model is not worse, relatively, too much than the decision based on the true distribution which would be never known exactly in real-world applications.
City scale geo-spatial trajectory estimation of a moving camera

This paper presents a novel method for estimating the geospatial trajectory of a moving camera with unknown intrinsic parameters, in a city-scale urban environment. The proposed method is based on a three step process that includes: 1) finding the best visual matches of individual images to a dataset of geo-referenced street view images, 2) Bayesian tracking to estimate the frame localization and its temporal evolution, and 3) a trajectory reconstruction algorithm to eliminate inconsistent estimations. As a result of matching features in query image with the features in the reference geo-taged images, in the first step, we obtain a distribution of geolocated votes of matching features which is interpreted as the likelihood of the location (latitude and longitude) given the current observation. In the second step, Bayesian tracking framework is used to estimate the temporal evolution of frame geolocalization based on the previous state probabilities and current likelihood. Finally, once a trajectory is estimated, we perform a Minimum Spanning Trees (MST) based trajectory reconstruction algorithm to eliminate trajectory loops or noisy estimations. The proposed method was tested on sixty minutes of video, which included footage downloaded from YouTube and footage captured by random users in Orlando and Pittsburgh.
Source apportionment of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at a rural Ohio River Valley site

Abstract Twenty four-hour averaged concentrations of fine particulate matter were collected at Athens, OH between March 2004 and November 2005 in an effort to characterize the nature of PM2.5 and apportion its sources. PM2.5 samples were chemically analyzed and positive matrix factorization was applied to this speciation data to identify the probable sources. PMF arrived at a 7-factor model to most accurately apportion sources of the PM2.5 observed at Athens. Conditional probability function (CPF) and potential source contribution function (PSCF) were applied to the identified sources to investigate the geographical location of these sources. Secondary sulfate source dominated the contributions with a total contribution of 62.6% with the primary and secondary organic source following second with 19.9%. Secondary nitrate contributed a total of 6.5% with the steel production source and Pb- and Zn-source coming in at 3.1% and 2.9%, respectively. Crustal and mobile sources were small contributors (2.5% each) of PM2.5 to the Athens region. The secondary sulfate, secondary organic and nitrate portrayed a clear seasonal nature with the sulfate and secondary organic peaking in the warm months and the nitrate reaching a high in the cold months. The high percentage of secondary sulfate observed at a rural site like Athens suggests the involvement of regional transport mechanisms.
Wheels within Wheels: Clues to the Evolution of the Gnas and Gnal Loci

The Gnas and Gnal loci, which encode the alpha subunits of stimulatory G-proteins, are among the most complex eukaryotic genes. They combine elaborate patterns of imprinting, alternative splicing, and antisense transcription with tissue- and developmental stage-specific expression. Different regions of these genes evolve at drastically different rates such that some show complete conservation, whereas others are virtually unalignable. Yet, the most unusual feature of the Gnas/Gnal complex is the presence of the longest known overlap between coding regions resulting in the production of two unrelated proteins: XLalphas and its putative regulator ALEX. Here we elucidate the evolutionary history of both loci and uncover new complexities. First, alternatively spliced regions of both loci evolve under varying selective regimes echoing their distinct biological roles. Second, an enigmatic alternative transcript of the Gnas locus, known as Nesp, is likely bicistronic. Third, rodent XLalphas and ALEX follow an evolutionary trajectory distinct from that of other mammals and show extensive sequence variation in the internal repeat region, a fact that might be explained by variation in the robustness of imprinting. Fourth, we show that the overlap between the XLalphas and ALEX frames is restricted to eutherian mammals. Finally, we reconcile our findings with extensive physiological data derived from animal models.
From Aging...to Saging--The Ohio State Senior Partners Program: Longitudinal and Experiential Geriatrics Education.

Abstract The Ohio State College of Medicine began its Senior Partners Program (SPP) in 2001 as part of its commitment to integrate geriatric education throughout all four years of the medical curriculum. For participating senior partners and medical students, the SPP has signified a journey through a continuum of aging. Initial evaluations suggest that students have gained appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to care for seniors responsively and cost effectively. Perhaps most important is the attitude change that this experience has brought about in the students, who are now substituting the health model for the traditional disease model of aging, and who have learned to lay aside their stereotypes of aging. Student debriefings and faculty evaluations indicate improved learning of geriatric skills and knowledge associated with the SPP. Ongoing program modification and evaluation will help guide Ohio State's next steps in geriatrics education.
Effect of aliphatic amides on oncogenic transformation, sister chromatid exchanges, and mutations induced by cyclopenta[cd]-pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene

We examined the effects of the aliphatic amides isopropyl-valeramide (IVA) and allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) on oncogenic transformation and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) induced by cyclopenta[cd]pyrene (CPP) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in C3H/10T1/2 cells and on B[a]Pdiol-epoxide (BPDE)-induced mutation at the HGPRT locus in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. IVA and AIA significantly suppressed B[a]P and CPP transformation in vitro. Both amides were effective when given just prior to, simultaneously with, or 24 h after carcinogen exposure. On the other hand, IVA and AIA did not affect cytotoxicity, the frequencies of SCE induced by CPP or B[a]P, nor BPDE-induced mutations in CHO cells. These and previous results suggest that the mechanism of inhibition of transformation by IVA or AIA may be very specific and probably not related to the early initiation event in oncogenic transformation in vitro.
Excess healthcare costs associated with prior workers' compensation activity

BACKGROUND: Workers compensation (WC) does not fully compensate workplace injuries and illnesses. This work examines whether cost shifting occurs to group health insurance for work-related injuries and illnesses. METHODS: Thomson Reuters MarketScan databases of medical insurance claims were used. WC and other benefit system data, employee status and types of medical insurance coverage were also available. Medical cost was analyzed using two-part models: the first part modeled the monthly probability of a worker having any group health medical claims, and the second part modeled the total monthly cost of those medical claims. Models included an estimate of a worker's annual medical costs prior to a WC claim. The predicted monthly medical costs were derived by retransformation using Duan's smearing factor. RESULTS: Individuals with prior WC claims were more likely to file a group health medical claim compared to those with no prior WC claims (OR = 1.25) and incurred a higher average monthly medical costs (among nonunion hourly men aged 18-34 years with prior WC claims: $203.72 vs. $160.29 with no prior claim, an increase of $43). These increases were observed in all industrial sectors with the service sector having the highest monthly increase ($66). DISCUSSION: The results reveal that individuals with prior WC claims had higher probability of filing a group health medical claim and higher average monthly medical costs in all sectors. This suggests that a part of employer liability costs related to WC gets shifted to the group health medical insurance system. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
Design and initial evaluation of a treatment planning software system for MRI-guided laser ablation in the brain

An open-source software system for planning magnetic resonance (MR)-guided laser-induced thermal therapy (MRgLITT) in brain is presented. The system was designed to provide a streamlined and operator-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) for simulating and visualizing potential outcomes of various treatment scenarios to aid in decisions on treatment approach or feasibility. A portable software module was developed on the 3D Slicer platform, an open-source medical imaging and visualization framework. The module introduces an interactive GUI for investigating different laser positions and power settings as well as the influence of patient-specific tissue properties for quickly creating and evaluating custom treatment options. It also provides a common treatment planning interface for use by both open-source and commercial finite element solvers. In this study, an open-source finite element solver for Pennes’ bioheat equation is interfaced to the module to provide rapid 3D estimates of the steady-state temperature distribution and potential tissue damage in the presence of patient-specific tissue boundary conditions identified on segmented MR images. The total time to initialize and simulate an MRgLITT procedure using the GUI was $$<$$ 5 min. Each independent simulation took $$<$$ 30 s, including the time to visualize the results fused with the planning MRI. For demonstration purposes, a simulated steady-state isotherm contour $$(57\,^{\circ }\hbox {C})$$ was correlated with MR temperature imaging (N = 5). The mean Hausdorff distance between simulated and actual contours was 2.0 mm $$(\sigma \,=\,0.4\,\hbox {mm})$$ , whereas the mean Dice similarity coefficient was 0.93 $$(\sigma =0.026)$$ . We have designed, implemented, and conducted initial feasibility evaluations of a software tool for intuitive and rapid planning of MRgLITT in brain. The retrospective in vivo dataset presented herein illustrates the feasibility and potential of incorporating fast, image-based bioheat predictions into an interactive virtual planning environment for such procedures.
On the relative contribution of acetylene and aromatics to soot particle surface growth

This communication shows that the growth of soot particle surface is dominated by H-abstraction-C 2 H 2 -addition mechanism and not by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Question of Gauge: Nonresonant Two-Photon Absorption

The transition probability per unit time for nonresonant two-photon absorption from the $1s$ to the $2s$ state of atomic hydrogen is obtained analytically using both the electric-dipole interaction $\ensuremath{-}e\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{E}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}}$ and the Coulomb-gauge interaction $\ensuremath{-}(\frac{e}{m})\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{A}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{p}}$. The two rates are different, except in the case of resonance. In situations like this, gauge invariance can be used to show that results calculated from the $\ensuremath{-}e\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{E}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}}$ interaction are always correct.
Application of Metabolomics in Drug Resistant Breast Cancer Research

The metabolic profiles of breast cancer cells are different from normal mammary epithelial cells. Breast cancer cells that gain resistance to therapeutic interventions can reprogram their endogenous metabolism in order to adapt and proliferate despite high oxidative stress and hypoxic conditions. Drug resistance in breast cancer, regardless of subgroups, is a major clinical setback. Although recent advances in genomics and proteomics research has given us a glimpse into the heterogeneity that exists even within subgroups, the ability to precisely predict a tumor’s response to therapy remains elusive. Metabolomics as a quantitative, high through put technology offers promise towards devising new strategies to establish predictive, diagnostic and prognostic markers of breast cancer. Along with other “omics” technologies that include genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, metabolomics fits into the puzzle of a comprehensive systems biology approach to understand drug resistance in breast cancer. In this review, we highlight the challenges facing successful therapeutic treatment of breast cancer and the innovative approaches that metabolomics offers to better understand drug resistance in cancer.
Atomistic measure of the strength of MgO nanorods

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to study material response of MgO nanorod subjected to uniaxial tension loading. The simulations show in detail the atomic-scale mechanism of the deformation and failure process during tension. The effects of strain rate, system size and environment temperature on the strength of MgO nanorods are observed. It is found that the materials appear more ductile at lower strain rate, and the tensile strength of the nanorod decreases as the diameter of system cross-section decreases and as temperature increases.
Behavioral responses of epidermal Langerhans cells in situ to local pathological stimuli.

Pathological stimuli provoke coordinated changes in gene expression, surface phenotype, and function of dendritic cells (DCs), thereby facilitating the induction of adaptive immune responses. This concept of DC maturation was established mainly by studying epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs), a prototypic immature DC subset at the environmental interface. Taking advantage of I-A β -enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) knock-in mice in which LCs can be visualized in intact skin, we recorded the dynamic movement of EGFP + LCs by time-lapse confocal microscopy. LCs exhibited a unique behavior, termed dendrite surveillance extension and retraction cycling habitude (dSEARCH), characterized by rhythmic extension and retraction of dendrites through intercellular spaces between keratinocytes. When monitored after skin organ culture or subcutaneous injection of tumor necrosis factor α , LCs showed amplified dSEARCH and amoeba-like lateral migration between keratinocytes. Intravital imaging experiments further revealed steady-state dSEARCH motion in 5–10% of LCs. Topical application of a reactive hapten, DNFB, augmented dSEARCH and triggered lateral migration of LC in vivo . These observations introduce a new concept that in situ maturation of LCs is further accompanied by coordinated reprogramming of motile activities.
Changes in Specific Heat of Corn Starch Due to Gelatinization

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to measure apparent specific heat and heat of gelatinization for corn starch at a 13.4 to 79.1% moisture and 30°C to 100°C. Apparent specific heat of granular and heated starch was determined as a function of moisture content, temperature, and gelatinization. Effect of gelatinization was maximum at 42.3% moisture (wet basis) where the ratio of starch/water caused the largest differences in apparent specific heats. The largest difference corresponded to a degree of gelatinization of 0.429. A model was developed to predict apparent specific heats and provided values with a ±2.57% standard error (compared to experimental values) for heated starch with partial gelatinization over the range from 13.4 to 79.1% moisture.
Influence of humic, fulvic and hydrophilic acids on the growth, photosynthesis and respiration of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (Pavillard) Schiller

Abstract Blooms of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum often occur in coastal regions characterized by variable salinity and elevated concentrations of terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Humic, fulvic and hydrophilic acid fractions of DOC were isolated from runoff entering lower Narragansett Bay immediately after a rainfall event and the influence of these fractions upon P. minimum growth, cell yield, photosynthesis and respiration was examined. All organic fractions stimulated growth rates and cell yields compared with controls (no organic additions), but the extent of stimulation varied with the fraction and its molecular weight. Greatest stimulations were observed with humic and fulvic acids additions; cell yields were more than 2.5 and 3.5 times higher than with hydrophilic acid additions while growth rates were 21 and 44% higher, respectively. Responses to additions of different molecular weight fractions of each DOC fraction suggest that growth rate effects were attributable to specific molecular weight fractions: the >10,000 fraction of humic acids, both the >10,000 and 10 μm ml−1. Low concentrations (5–10 μg ml−1) of humic acid had no statistically significant effect upon production, but exposure to concentrations >25 μg ml−1 resulted in a 30% decrease in O2 evolution, probably due to light attenuation by the highly colored humic acid fraction. Respiration rates ranged from 1.2 to 2.7 pg O2 cell−1 h−1 and were elevated upon exposure to both fulvic and hydrophilic acids, but not to humic acid. These results demonstrate that terrestrially derived DOC fractions play an active role in stimulation of P. minimum growth via direct effects upon growth, yield and photosynthesis as well as via indirect influences such as interactions with nitrogen and effects upon light attenuation.
The pathology of silent otitis media: A predecessor to tympanogenic meningitis in infants ☆

Abstract Objective To determine the association of bacteria embedded within a fibrous matrix in the middle and inner ear in infants with tympanogenic meningitis. Methods Thirty-one cases with meningitis from the human temporal bone collection at the University of Minnesota were screened to select those with tympanogenic meningitis. Inclusion criteria for tympanogenic meningitis were acute meningitis with histopathological evidence of chronic otitis media, and no other source of infection. The presence of labyrinthitis and pathologic changes such as granulation tissue, fibrosis, cholesterol granuloma, cholesteatoma, tympanic membrane perforation, tympanosclerosis, and the type of effusion were noted. The extent and location of bacteria embedded in a fibrous matrix were also explored. Results Seventeen temporal bones, from nine cases that included two females and seven males, ranging in age from five to twenty-three months, met our criteria of tympanogenic meningitis. Eighty two percent of these temporal bones had bacteria within the fibrous matrices (BFM). BFM were located in one anatomical region in one temporal bone and multiple anatomic regions in sixteen temporal bones. The most common locations were the areas near the oval and round windows. They were also commonly seen in the epitympanum, facial recess, and supratubal recess. BFM within the inner ear were observed in the scala tympani and modiolus in the middle and basal turns of the cochleae of nine temporal bones. In one of these temporal bones, BFM were seen in the internal auditory canal. Labyrinthitis was seen in all ears. The tympanic membrane was intact in all cases. BFM were not seen in three temporal bones from two patients. In one case only one side was available for study. Conclusions Our findings show an association between the presence of BFM in the ear with chronic pathologic changes and tympanogenic meningitis. Potential pathways of bacteria from the middle ear include hematogeous spread and/or direct spread to dura through the tympanic tegmen, and/or to the inner ear through the oval and round windows, and from there to the modiolus and the meninges. Chronic pathologic changes in the middle ear behind an intact tympanic membrane and the lack of ear symptoms may result in potentially serious sequelae and complications in infant age groups. There should be a heightened awareness of this condition.
A wavelet-based approach to blending observations with deterministic computer models to resolve the intraurban air pollution field.

Recent interest in near-road exposure to air pollutants and related health and environmental justice issues has highlighted the importance of improving the accuracy of intraurban ambient concentration estimates. Unfortunately, except in rare cases, no single source of information can accurately estimate the concentration at the desired spatial and temporal resolution over the full time period of epidemiological interest. However, it is possible to blend information from several sources so as to exploit the strengths and offset the weaknesses of each. Specifically, we are interested in combining data from ambient monitors with output from deterministic air pollution computer models. Monitor networks are sparse in both space and time, are costly to maintain, and are usually designed expressly to avoid detecting local-scale features. We use two types of computer models to compensate for these drawbacks. The first, a grid-based regional photochemical model, Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ), covers larg...
The Role of the C2 Domain of Voltage Sensing Phosphatase (VSP)

The voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) is a voltage-activated enzyme that dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs). VSP is unique because it is the only example of an enzyme activated by voltage, providing the first direct link between lipid signaling pathways and membrane potential. Along with the voltage sensing domain, VSP also has a catalytic domain and a C2 domain. To date, the role of the VSP C2 domain is not understood. C2 domains are generally known as lipid binding domains, however, previous work has suggested the VSP C2 has a role in catalytic activity. Specifically, the crystal structures [1,2] show the 522-loop of the C2 forms a portion of the enzyme active site and the mutation Y522A altered enzyme activity [2]. We further probed the role of Y522 by introducing a phenylalanine instead of an alanine. We found the Y522F mutation also shifts the voltage dependence of catalytic activity, suggesting that hydrogen bonding is not a factor when this residue participates in VSP activity. A role in catalysis does not exclude the VSP C2 from also contributing to lipid binding. To investigate this possibility, we started by fully deleting the C2 domain from Ci-VSP and found that the presence of the full C2 domain is necessary for normal phosphatase function. We then combined more specific C2 mutations with the ability to manipulate PIP concentrations using a rapamycin-induced system in order to further address the possible roles of the C2 in VSP function. Our goal is to investigate how the C2 domain contributes to VSP function.[1] Matsuda, M. et al. JBC, 286, 23368-77 (2011).[2] Liu, L. et al. NSMB, 19, 633-641 (2012).
ADP-ribosylation of the G Protein Rho Inhibits Integrin Regulation of Tumor Cell Growth

Using a gastric derived tumor line, we investigated the involvement of beta 1 integrin and Rho in cell growth regulation in response to collagen. The addition of C3 exoenzyme from clostridium botulinum to specifically ribosylate and inhibit the function of the rho gene products inhibited cellular proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. C3 exoenzyme exhibited broad cytostatic activity toward a number of tumor lines and induced G0/G1 accumulation, cyclin A inhibition, and pronounced alterations in cell morphology. Integrin-mediated adhesion to collagen led to the expression of the cyclin A gene whose expression could be blocked using anti-beta 1 integrin monoclonal antibodies. Phospholipid levels were induced upon beta 1 integrin-mediated adhesion to collagen, and the phospholipid induction was inhibited by either antibodies to beta 1 integrin or pretreatment of cells with C3 exoenzyme. Significant reduction in phospholipid levels correlated with proliferation for a panel of tumor lines deprived of adhesion to substrate. These results implicate a novel role for integrins and Rho in the regulation of tumour growth in response to matrix.
Evidence concerning the morphogenesis of saccular receptors in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).

A dichotomy of hair-cell types has been found in the bullfrog sacculus, and considerable evidence supports the view that one type (“peripheral”) is transformed during macular growth to the other type (“central”). Between the periphery and the center of the macula, one finds a gradation of form from “peripheral” to “central” type. Occasionally in adults and more often in stage-26 tadpoles one finds the presumably younger peripheral type of hair cell occurring well beyond the limits of the macula proper. The apparent morphogenic sequence for saccular hair cells is (1) development of a kinocillum on an endolymphatic epithelial cell, (2) gradual transformation of microvilli into stereocilia, (3) growth of the stereocilia and development of kinociliary bulb, (4) achievement of final size and form.
Finding small two-qubit circuits

An important result from the mid nineties shows that any unitary evolution may be realized as a sequence of controlled-not and one-qubit gates. This work surveys especially efficient circuits in this library, in the special case of evolutions on two-quantum bits. In particular, we show that to construct an arbitrary two-qubit state from |00>, one CNOT gate suffices. To simulate an arbitrary two-qubit operator up to relative phases, two CNOTs suffice. To simulate an arbitrary two-qubit operator up to global phase, three CNOTs suffice. In each case, we construct an explicit circuit and prove optimality in the generic case. We also contribute a procedure to determine the minimal number of CNOT gates necessary to simulate a given two-qubit operator up to global phase. We use this procedure to discuss timing a given Hamiltonian to simulate the CNOT and to determine an optimal circuit for the two-qubit Quantum Fourier Transform. Our constructive proofs amount to circuit synthesis algorithms and have been coded in C++.
An economic utility theory approach to spatial interaction

The results show that the utility framework is consistent with the observed shopping and work-trip patterns in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Specifically, they show that an entropy utility function (exponential resistance function) explains the data better than a gravity utility function (power resistance function). Tripmaking is influenced by the income and location of the individual. The low-income households made fewer trips than the higher income households which is most likely related to the lack of automobile availability particularly in a region like Detroit where public transportation is underdeveloped. Various suggestions have emerged for further research in spatial interaction.
Complete Genome Sequence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis 167 Carrying Lancefield Group C Antigen and Comparative Genomics of S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis Strains

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging human pathogen that causes life-threatening invasive infections such as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Recent epidemiological studies reveal that invasive SDSE infections have been increasing in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Almost all SDSE carry Lancefield group G or C antigen. We have determined the complete genome sequence of a human group C SDSE 167 strain. A comparison of its sequence with that of four SDSE strains, three in Lancefield group G and one in Lancefield group A, showed approximately 90% coverage. Most regions showing little or no homology were located in the prophages. There was no evidence of massive rearrangement in the genome of SDSE 167. Bayesian phylogeny using entire genome sequences showed that the most recent common ancestor of the five SDSE strains appeared 446 years ago. Interestingly, we found that SDSE 167 harbors sugar metabolizing enzymes in a unique region and streptodornase in the phage region, which presumably contribute to the degradation of host tissues and the prompted covRS mutation, respectively. A comparison of these five SDSE strains, which differ in Lancefield group antigens, revealed a gene cluster presumably responsible for the synthesis of the antigenic determinant. These results may provide the basis for molecular epidemiological research of SDSE.
Achieving high data rates in a distributed MIMO system

A distributed MIMO system consists of several access points connected to a central server and operating as a large distributed multi-antenna access point. In theory, such a system enjoys all the significant performance gains of a traditional MIMO system, and it may be deployed in an enterprise WiFi like setup. In this paper, we investigate the efficiency of such a system in practice. Specifically, we build upon our prior work on developing a distributed MIMO testbed, and study the performance of such a system when both full channel state information is available to the transmitters and when no channel state information is available. In the full channel state information scenario, we implement Zero-Forcing Beamforming (ZFBF) and Tomlinson-Harashima Precoding (THP) which is provably near-optimal in high SNR conditions. In the scenario where no channel information is available, we implement Blind Interference Alignment (BIA), which achieves a higher multiplexing gain (degrees of freedom) than conventional TDMA. Our experimental results show that the performance of our implementation is very close to the theoretically predicted performance and offers significant gains over optimal TDMA. We also discuss medium access layer issues in detail for both scenarios. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the theoretical high data rates of multiuser MIMO systems have been showcased in a real world distributed MIMO testbed.
Dietary Boron and Hormone Replacement Therapy as Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in Women

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce lung cancer risk. Dietary boron may have actions similar to those of HRT; however, no previous study has reported the associations between dietary boron intake and lung cancer risk or the joint effects of boron intake and HRT use on lung cancer risk. The authors examined the associations between boron intake and the joint effects of boron intake and HRT on lung cancer risk in women. In an ongoing case-control study in Houston, Texas (July 1995 through April 2005, end date for this analysis), 763 women were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 838 were matched healthy controls with data on both diet and HRT. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the associations between dietary boron and HRT with lung cancer risk. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratios for lung cancer with decreasing quartiles of dietary boron intake were 1.0, 1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.90), 1.64 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.24), and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.42, 2.68) mg/day, respectively, for all women (p(trend) < 0.0001). In joint-effects analyses, compared with women with high dietary boron intake who used HRT, the odds ratio for lung cancer for low dietary boron intake and no HRT use was 2.07 (95% CI: 1.53, 2.81). Boron intake was inversely associated with lung cancer in women, whereas women who consumed low boron and did not use HRT were at substantial increased odds.
Relationships between the Irrigation-Pumping Electrical Loads and the Local Climate in Climate Division 9, Idaho

Abstract The electrical load from irrigation pumps is an important part of the overall electricity demand in many agricultural areas of the U.S. west. The date the pumps turn on and the total electrical load they present over the summer varies from year to year, partly because of climate fluctuations. Predicting this variability would be useful to electricity producers that supply the region. This work presents a contingency analysis and linear regression scheme for forecasting summertime irrigation pump loads in southeastern Idaho. The basis of the predictability is the persistence of spring soil moisture conditions into summer, and the effect it has on summer temperatures. There is a strong contemporaneous relationship between soil moisture and temperature in the summer and total summer pump electrical loads so that a reasonable prediction of summer pump electrical loads based on spring soil moisture conditions can be obtained in the region. If one assumes that decision makers will take appropriate acti...
Single-Case Experimental Designs and Program Evaluation

Single-case experimental designs have received little attention in the program evaluation literature. This article provides an overview of single-case methodology, with a specific focus on the A-B-A and multiple baseline designs. The potential utility of these designs for evaluating social programs is discussed, and several examples are provided. Internal validity, statistical conclusion validity, external validity, construct validity, and cost-effec tiveness are considered. Single-case designs offer essentially equivalent protection against threats to experimental validity compared to traditional randomized group designs. It appears that these designs offer, at a minimum, viable methodological alternatives in situations where traditional randomized group designs are infeasible.
Autoxidation of Spin Finishes

Spin finishes, including lubricants, emulsifiers, antistatic agents, and wetting agents are used to facilitate the manufacturing and processing of textiles. Autoxidation of ten spin finish components was studied by subjecting them to air and heat over time. Chemical changes were observed visually and evaluated using UV/Vis spectroscopy, viscosity measurements, and Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Yellowing occurred for HCO-16, TMP, wetting agent, coconut oil ethoxylate, and coconut oil. Changes in solubility were observed for wetting agent. Significant changes in viscosity were measured for CO-16, HCO-25, anti-static agent, and wetting agent. Finally, changes in FTIR spectral ratios were observed for CO-25, HCO-16, CO-16, and antistatic agent. Chemical changes observed were consistent with autoxidation of spin finish components.
Applications of the Lindeberg Principle in Communications and Statistical Learning

We use a generalization of the Lindeberg principle developed by S. Chatterjee to prove universality properties for various problems in communications, statistical learning and random matrix theory. We also show that these systems can be viewed as the limiting case of a properly defined sparse system. The latter result is useful when the sparse systems are easier to analyze than their dense counterparts. The list of problems we consider is by no means exhaustive. We believe that the ideas can be used in many other problems relevant for information theory.
Selecting a new computed tomography scanner: things to consider.

The decision to purchase a new computed tomography (CT) scanner can be a complicated one with many factors to consider. On the other hand, the decision may be an easy one: just buy the latest and greatest scanner with the most slices, fastest rotation time, and highest heat capacity tube. Even if you can afford that scanner, what about all of the options that they come with? Do you need all of these? And what about service? The purpose of this article is to describe some of the factors to consider as well as some of the features that one may be able to choose among scanners. Another purpose of this article is to describe the various roles that members of your own department can play in that equipment selection. One of the first things to decide is the purpose of the CT scanner. The more clearly defined the purpose of the new scanner and the specific kinds of work you expect to do with it, the clearer the basis for making decisions on scanner selection and options. These issues will need discussion with your facility’s radiologists, technologists, physicists, and administrators. They can assist in discussions that involve the implications of some of these decisions. This team approach will become even more important in the next phase. Once a description of the needs has been developed, the next phase should be to consider the workflow for the type of scanning that is expected to be done. This is when input from all of your facility’s team members is just as important as in the previous phase, if not more important. That is, once the patient mix and types of scanning that are expected to be performed are clear, then each group (technologists, physicists, and radiologists) can help evaluate how a specific scanner would affect the components of the workflow that each knows best. Some of these factors are as follows: ● integration with the patient scheduling system,