cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verification support for plug-and-play architectural design

In software architecture, connectors are intended to represent the specific semantics of how components interact with each other, capturing some of the most important yet subtle aspects of a system. In practice, choosing the appropriate interaction semantics for the connectors in a system tends to be very difficult. The typical design process often involves not only a choice from commonly used interaction mechanisms, such as remote procedure call, message passing, and publish/subscribe, but also decisions about such details as the particular type and size of a message buffer or whether a communication should be synchronous or asynchronous. Given such a large design space, it is important that designers be able to get feedback about the appropriateness of their design decisions on interaction semantics, based on the correctness of the overall system behavior. In particular, one would like to be able to propose a design, and then use design-time verification to determine whether important properties of the system are satisfied. This practice may repeat until a desired design of the system is achieved.
A flexible multiple mobile robots system

Optimal performance of a manufacturing layout consisting of several mobile robots performing specific transportation tasks is addressed. A synergistic approach based on decentralized path planning, heuristic-algorithm-based navigation, and localized collision avoidance is presented. A comprehensive, flexible multiple mobile robots system (MMRS) consisting of standard patterns, a local controller, and individual mobile robots is described. The mobile robots are capable of performing their own path planning and collision avoidance by means of ultrasonic sensors, standard patterns, and rotary optical encoders. Specially designed algorithms for the mobile robot and local controller are presented. To ensure greater flexibility in designing the layout, the MMRS was interfaced with a specially designed CAD subsystem. Simulations using varying numbers of robots were performed on a sample layout that was designed using the CAD subsystem. The results of the simulation illustrate the validity of the approach. >
r-hn Analytical Model for Multi-group Slotted ALOHA with Capture

The performance of multi-group slotted ALOHA with capture improves dramatically over single-group slotted ALOHA. An analytical model is proposed to evaluate the throughput, delay, and stability of a multi-group slotted ALOHA system with capture. The model approximates a K-group system as K interactive slotted ALOHA systems with independent Bernoulli jamming sources. An iterative procedure is used to find the parameters of the Bernoulli jamming sources. The fairness among groups is improved by assigning different retransmission probabilities to different groups. More balanced throughput and delay can be achieved. In the case that the total input traffic exceeds the system capacity, it might not necessarily lead to the total collapse of the whole system. High-power groups may have acceptable throughput due to the capture effect. The model can be used to evaluate a mobile slotted ALOHA network where the near-far effect approximately divides users into groups with multi-level power.
Pharmacologic Treatments for Behavior Problems

Most of the future advances in therapy with behavioral medicine probably will be pharmacologic. Newer developments in tricyclic antidepressants, specific and nonspecific anxiolytics, narcotic agonist antagonists, and benzodiazepines will have great relevance for veterinary medicine. As the field of behavioral medicine expands, its paradigm hopefully will enlarge to include combination therapy and the implementation of neuropharmacologic intervention as a diagnostic tool. At present, the veterinary practitioner can effectively aid many common behavioral problems, with the glaring exception of most aggressions, using extant drugs.
Combining Contextual Features for Word Sense Disambiguation

In this paper we present a maximum entropy Word Sense Disambiguation system we developed which performs competitively on SENSEVAL-2 test data for English verbs. We demonstrate that using richer linguistic contextual features significantly improves tagging accuracy, and compare the system's performance with human annotator performance in light of both fine-grained and coarse-grained sense distinctions made by the sense inventory.
Encounter and Proximity Norms for Salmon Anglers in California and New Zealand

Abstract To provide high-quality salmon fishing experiences, it is important to understand what social characteristics are involved. With increasing demand for salmon fishing, there are often higher concentrations of anglers at accessible rivers and, subsequently, increased potential for encounters. Surveys of salmon anglers in northern California and New Zealand were conducted to collect data on encounter norms. Tolerance for encounters with other anglers and the structure of encounter norms are compared between groups. Results indicate that social contacts may be less important for the salmon fishing experience than for other types of fishing (e.g., trout fishing) or other types of recreational activities, such as river running or backcountry hiking. In addition, it appears that salmon anglers have less normative agreement concerning tolerable encounters in higher-density fishing situations. The study indicates that contacts have an impact on the salmon fishing experience, and that there is an identifia...
Mesozoic Stratigraphy of Honduras: ABSTRACT

The Honduras basin is an intracontinental salient of a large marginal geosyncline that borders the southern side of the geanticline which divides northern Central America. During Mesozoic and Cenozoic time, 10,000-25,000 feet of sediments were deposited in the Honduras basin. No thick evaporite deposits have been found, suggesting the geosyncline was an open communication with the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Triassic and Jurassic periods are represented by 3,000 feet of deltaic, littoral clastics. The Lower Cretaceous is composed of 2,000 feet of black, shaly limestones containing oil seeps; 2,500 feet of red clastics; 2,000-6,000 feet of massive rudistid and miliolid limestones; and 2,000 feet of conglomerates and clastics derived from the lower formations. The Laramide orogeny divided the Honduras basin into the Ulua basin on the west and the Mosquitia embayment on the east. The main trough of the marginal geosyncline shifted south, and 35,000 feet of sediments were deposited in the area of Lake Nicaragua during Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary time. The Ulua basin received 2,000 feet of Upper Cretaceous and Eocene redbeds and limestones and then remained a positive area during the remainder of Cenozoic time. Compressive folding during the mid-Tertiary Antillean revolution, formed distinct east-west geanticlinal belts. Volcanism, beginning during this period and continuing until recent time, was responsible for the thick cover of flows and tuffs along the Pacific coast of Central America. The Mosquitia area of northeast Honduras and northern Nicaragua became a major embayment during Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary time. Thirteen hundred feet of Upper Cretaceous limestones and shales and 15,000 feet of Tertiary flood-plain and marine clastics underlie the broad Mosquitia continental shelf and extend eastward into the Caribbean Sea 150 miles. The Pliocene-Pleistocene Cascadian orogeny was responsible for the present-day topography of northern Central America. Wrench fault tectonics probably explain the complex structure of this region. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1774------------
On the Bumpy Road to the Dominant Mode

Maximum likelihood estimation in many classical statistical problems is beset by multimodality. This article explores several variations of deterministic annealing that tend to avoid inferior modes and find the dominant mode. In Bayesian settings, annealing can be tailored to find the dominant mode of the log posterior. Our annealing algorithms involve essentially trivial changes to existing optimization algorithms built on block relaxation or the EM or MM principle. Our examples include estimation with the multivariate t distribution, Gaussian mixture models, latent class analysis, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling and a one-way random effects model. In the numerical examples explored, the proposed annealing strategies significantly improve the chances for locating the global maximum.
Do Social and Behavioral Characteristics Targeted by Preventive Interventions Predict Standardized Test Scores and Grades

This study assessed whether characteristics of individuals that are predictors of youth problem behavior such as substance use, delinquency, and violence also predict academic achievement. Longitudinal data from 576 students participating in the Raising Healthy Children (RHC) project were analyzed. The RHC project is a study of students recruited from a suburban Pacific Northwest school district. Tenth-grade academic achievement was measured by scores on a standardized test administered to students in Washington State (as part of compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act) and by student self-report of grades. Measures of social and behavioral characteristics at seventh grade were based on data from student, parent, and teacher surveys. Researchers assessed overall correlations between 7th-grade predictors and 10th-grade academic achievement as well as partial correlations adjusted for demographic characteristics and scores on an earlier achievement test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, in 4th grade. Results indicated that higher levels of school bonding and better social, emotional, and decision-making skills were related to higher test scores and higher grades. Lower test scores and lower grades were predicted by elevated levels of attention problems, negative behavior of peers, and disruptive and aggressive behavior. Lower test scores also were predicted by early use of alcohol and cigarettes. These findings support the premise that school-based social development interventions that address specific risk factors, curb early manifestations of antisocial behavior, and promote school bonding and social and emotional skills are likely to improve student academic achievement.
Phonetic models for generating spelling variants

Proper names, whether English or non-English, have several different spellings when transliterated from a non-English source language into English. Knowing the different variations can significantly improve the results of name-searches on various source texts, especially when recall is important. In this paper we propose two novel phonetic models to generate numerous candidate variant spellings of a name. Our methods show threefold improvement over the baseline and generate four times as many good name variants compared to a human while maintaining a respectable precision of 0.68.
Efficiency Limits for Solar Spectrum Rectification

Optical rectennas are antennas coupled to high-speed diodes used to convert high-frequency optical radiation to DC. Rectennas have been viewed as alternatives to conventional p-n junction solar cells, with the potential of exceeding the Shockley-Queisser conversion efficiency limit of 33 %. Using the theory of photon-assisted tunneling, we analyze the efficiency limits and show that rectennas can achieve efficiencies up to 100 % under monochromatic illumination. For broadband solar illumination, we find that the diode operating voltage plays the role that bandgap plays in conventional solar cells. We study the effects of poor antenna/diode matching and diode reverse leakage currents showing the importance of careful diode design. We highlight the correspondence between rectification in the classical and quantum limits.
Limsup Random Fractals

Orey and Taylor (1974) introduced sets of ``fast points'' where Brownian increments are exceptionally large, ${\rm F}(\lambda):=\{ t\in[0,1]: \limsup_{h\to 0}{ | X(t+h)-X(t)| / \sqrt{ 2h|\log h|}} \ge \lambda\}$. They proved that for $\lambda \in (0,1]$, the Hausdorff dimension of ${\rm F}(\lambda)$ is $1-\lambda^2$ a.s. We prove that for any analytic set $E \subset [0,1]$, the supremum of the $\lambda$ such that $E$ intersects ${\rm F}(\lambda)$ a.s. equals $\sqrt{\text{dim}_p E }$, where $\text{dim}_p E$ is the packing dimension of $E$. We derive this from a general result that applies to many other random fractals defined by limsup operations. This result also yields extensions of certain ``fractal functional limit laws'' due to Deheuvels and Mason (1994). In particular, we prove that for any absolutely continuous function $f$ such that $f(0)=0$ and the energy $\int_0^1 |f'|^2 \, dt $ is lower than the packing dimension of $E$, there a.s. exists some $t \in E$ so that $f$ can be uniformly approximated in $[0,1]$ by normalized Brownian increments $s \mapsto [X(t+sh)-X(t)] / \sqrt{ 2h|\log h|}$; such uniform approximation is a.s. impossible if the energy of $f$ is higher than the packing dimension of $E$.
Birds see the trees inside the forest: The potential impacts of changes in forest composition on songbirds during spring migration

Since European settlement, hardwood dominated forests of the Upper American Midwest have undergone compositional changes due to fire suppression and changes in land use. It is not clear how these changes affect songbirds during spring migration. In 2009 and 2010, we quantified foraging behavior by migratory songbirds during spring migration and collected data on tree and sapling diversity in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve in southwestern Wisconsin. Furthermore, we compared the 1840s distribution of tree species (from Public Land Survey System witness tree records) with current (2010) and estimated future (sapling) tree-composition to better understand how historic and future changes in tree composition may impact migratory songbirds at spring migration stopover sites. Six tree species were selected as foraging substrates in higher proportion than they were available by eight migratory songbirds, including trees adapted to moderate shade such as northern red oak (Quercus rubra), white oak (Quercus alba), American elm (Ulmus americana), and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), and shade-intolerant species such as big-tooth aspen (Populus grandidentata), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera). Whereas three shade-tolerant tree species were selected in far lower proportion than they were available by eight migratory songbirds, including sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), and basswood (Tilia americana). We found evidence that food accessibility, as measured by a novel approach relating a bird’s attacks and search efforts to the average leaf petiole length of a tree species, was strongly inversely related with a bird’s foraging success ( q = 0.96, p-value <0.001). Although tree-species composition changed considerably from the 1840s to 2010, in both time periods the forest was dominated by a mix of sugar maple and oak species. However, sugar maple saplings currently form a nearly continuous layer in the understory and there is very low recruitment of shade-intolerant or moderately shade-tolerant species, suggesting a future shift towards dominance by shade-tolerant species. Our results suggest the current trajectory of forest succession may result in future conditions that provide lower quality foraging for migratory songbirds during spring migration than they currently experience in the Upper American Midwest.
Cardiovascular Prevention in Men

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in the developed world and results in a heavy economic burden on society. It is largely preventable if modifiable risk factors are successfully addressed. In order for preventive efforts to be successful, a concerted approach to care by the clinician, the patient, and their families and larger societal initiatives for both education and creation of the needed infrastructure for a healthier lifestyle are necessary. A good clinician plays a crucial role, as a diagnostician, advisor, and supporter for his/her patient. A multipronged approach at prevention is needed and focuses on the following aspects: supporting increased physical activity especially in sedentary patients; strongly advising tobacco cessation in smokers; encouraging weight loss in overweight and obese patients; discussing a balanced and healthy approach to diet; as well as identifying and treating known cardiovascular disease risk factors of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. It is important for the clinician to be comfortable with both non-pharmacological (lifestyle modification, dietary, etc.) and pharmacological approaches to address most of these critical factors in primary and secondary prevention. Successful prevention efforts have been clearly shown to decrease mortality as well as cardiovascular events and are a critical part of every clinician’s responsibility in prolonging and improving the lives of his/her patients.
Wave Refraction, Diffraction, and Reflection

Consider the design of a protective breakwater for a small marina that is located on the open coast. A typical design concern would be to predict wave conditions at interior points in the marina (where vessels will be moored) for a given deep water design wave height, period, and direction. There must be an analysis of the change in wave height owing to the change in relative depth from deep water to the marina interior (as discussed in Chapters 2 and 3). We must also evaluate the effects of refraction on wave height and crest orientation as the wave propagates over the nearshore bottom contours from deep water to the vicinity of the marina. Then the effects of diffraction and possibly further refraction as the wave propagates into the lee of the marina breakwater must be evaluated. The combined effects of shoaling, refraction, and diffraction will yield the resulting wave height and direction of propagation pattern within the marina. If any of the interior borders of the marina (e.g., vertical bulkheads and quay walls) have a high reflection coefficient, reflected waves may also be active at the points of interest.
Balancing Physical Abuse by the System Against Abuse of the System: Defining 'Imminent Danger' within the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995

In 1996, Congress passed the Prison Litigation Reform Act, making it more difficult for inmates to assuage constitutional violations suffered while incarcerated. The Act and its effects on prisoners' civil rights have proven highly controversial. This Note concentrates on the Act provision that makes it more difficult for indigent prisoners to file in forma pauperis. Under a thinly-worded exception within the statute, a limited number of such prisoners are allowed in forma pauperis status if they are "under imminent danger of serious physical injury." The Third Circuit Court of Appeals interpreted the word "imminent" to refer to the time of the alleged incident underlying the complaint. This Note examines the "imminent danger" exception, demonstrates why the Third Circuit's approach is in error under traditional canons of statutory construction, and argues that Congress must break its silence and address the Act's legal ambiguities in order to ensure uniformity and fairness within this important arena of prisoner rights.
Apoptotic and immunomodulatory effects of green tea extracts (GTE) on chemoresistant human tumor cells

e22101 Background: GTE and Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenol in GTE, have been shown to exert inhibitory effects on carcinogenesis; modulatory effects on tumor prolife...
A flat histogram method for computing the density of states of combinatorial problems

Consider a combinatorial state space S, such as the set of all truth assignments to N Boolean variables. Given a partition of S, we consider the problem of estimating the size of all the subsets in which S is divided. This problem, also known as computing the density of states, is quite general and has many applications. For instance, if we consider a Boolean formula in CNF and we partition according to the number of violated constraints, computing the density of states is a generalization of both SAT, MAXSAT and model counting. We propose a novel Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to compute the density of states of Boolean formulas that is based on a flat histogram approach. Our method represents a new approach to a variety of inference, learning, and counting problems. We demonstrate its practical effectiveness by showing that the method converges quickly to an accurate solution on a range of synthetic and real-world instances.
Factors associated with biosafety level-2 research workers' laboratory exit handwashing behaviors and glove removal compliance

ABSTRACTBiosafety level-2 laboratories are designated for work with human-derived samples or moderate-risk microorganisms that transmit primarily by direct contact exposures. Many laboratory procedures generate unseen droplets that contaminate workers' hands, equipment, and work surfaces. Workers' strict adherence to glove removal and handwashing is required prior to laboratory exit to prevent inadvertent transmission of pathogens to self or others. However, little is known about biosafety level-2 workers' compliance with these behaviors. In this article, glove removal and handwashing compliance upon laboratory exit were measured by direct observation of 93 biosafety level-2 research workers from 21 university laboratories. Participants completed a 41-item survey measuring social cognitive theory-based variables related to handwashing, self-reported compliance, and demographic factors. Survey items, observed exit frequency, and laboratory characteristics were evaluated for associations with handwashing co...
Fraunhofer/wavelength atomic resonance filter

The atomic resonance filter (ARF) is art ultra- high-Q (105–106) optical filter that is isotropic and insensitive to environmental factors and possesses a 180° acceptance angle.1 We are developing a novel ARF for satellite applications. Our filter operates in a Fraunhofer dip in the solar spectrum, thereby offering the key advantage of reduced solar background noise. Other important operational characteristics of the filter are: a projected conversion efficiency of blue-green light into the wavelength-shifted output light of ~90%, a 10-ns response time, and an output in the near UV, a spectral region that is efficiently detected by commercial large-area long-lived photomultiplier tubes.
006.3 Host-directed therapeutics as adjunctive therapy for antibiotic-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae

Background Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance, novel therapies such as host-directed therapeutics (HDT) are being explored as adjunctive therapies against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc). Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACi) are HDTs that restore the balance between host histone acetylases and HDAC, the latter of which are induced by pathogens to enhance infection. We recently reported that sulforaphane (SFN), a natural HDACi, induced effectors with anti-Gc activity in tissue culture cells and reduced colonisation of female mice. Here we tested SFN against the multidrug-resistant strain HO41 and its potential to increase the susceptibility of this strain to antibiotics. Methods ME180 cervical epithelial cells were treated with 40 or 80 µM SFN or no SFN for 24 h. Cell culture supernatants were then incubated with HO41; in some experiments, sub-lethal concentrations of ciprofloxacin (CIP) or cefixime (CFX) were added to the supernatants. The number of viable Gc recovered after a 4-hour incubation was determined by quantitative culture. Results Supernatants from cervical cells treated with 40 or 80 µM SFN reduced the survival of strain H041 to 53% and 20%, respectively, relative to recovery from supernatants from untreated cells. Addition of sub-inhibitory concentrations of CIP or CFX to supernatants from SFN-treated (40 µM) cells resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in survival, with 4 µg/ml CIP resulting in 27% survival. Two and 4 µg/ml doses of CFX resulted in 13% and 7% survival, respectively. Addition of 1, 2 and 4 µg/ml of CFX to supernatants from cells treated with 80 uM SFN reduced survival to 15%, 8% and 1%, respectively. Conclusion The susceptibility of strain HO41 to CIP or CFX is enhanced when tested in tissue culture media containing SFN-induced host effectors. These findings suggest that a combination of HDACi and antibiotics may be an effective adjunct therapy against antibiotic-resistant Gc. Disclosure of interest statement This project was funded by grant RO1 AI43053 from the US NIH. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study.
Hybrid gate dielectric materials for unconventional electronic circuitry.

ConspectusRecent advances in semiconductor performance made possible by organic π-electron molecules, carbon-based nanomaterials, and metal oxides have been a central scientific and technological research focus over the past decade in the quest for flexible and transparent electronic products. However, advances in semiconductor materials require corresponding advances in compatible gate dielectric materials, which must exhibit excellent electrical properties such as large capacitance, high breakdown strength, low leakage current density, and mechanical flexibility on arbitrary substrates. Historically, conventional silicon dioxide (SiO2) has dominated electronics as the preferred gate dielectric material in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated transistor circuitry. However, it does not satisfy many of the performance requirements for the aforementioned semiconductors due to its relatively low dielectric constant and intransigent processability. High-k inorganics such as hafnium dioxid...
Quantum Dot Spectral Tuning of Multijunction III-V Solar Cells

Improving the production of photocurrent in the middle junction of a InGaP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple-junction solar cells (TJSC) can improve the overall conversion efficiency of cell. One possible method to improve the middle junction photocurrent is inserting a quantum dot (QD) superlattice (SL) into the stack. It has been predicted that QD-SL enhanced TJSCs have an efficiency ceiling of 47% under a one-sun AM0 illumination spectrum. Additionally, QD array enhanced GaAs cells have the added benefit of possible intermediate band effects, anisotropic absorption and enhanced radiation tolerance. Embedding InAs quantum dots (QDs) in a single junction GaAs solar cell can increase sub-GaAs bandgap photocurrent generation. This method has been shown to improve the short circuit current density (Jsc ) of single junction cells under simulated 1 sun air mass zero (AM0) illumination. However, the increase in strain due to the InAs QD self-assembly may cause defects that reduce the minority carrier lifetime resulting in losses in the cell open circuit voltage (Voc ) on the order of 300-500 mV. The introduction of strain compensation (SC) layers into the superlattice (SL) structure of a QD solar cell has previously been shown to improve the device performance, including the partial recovery of Voc . Strain compensation can be used effectively to balance the residual strain, impede dislocation formation, and improve the solar cell characteristics. The effect of GaP strain compensation on the solar cell electrical and material properties was investigated. High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) scans along the symmetric (004) Bragg peak show weak intensity and wide FWHM at the zero order SL peak (SL0) for non-SC samples. Optimum SC thickness was theoretically determined using a zero in plane stress method and experimentally verified using HRXRD. Optimal strain compensation was then used to increase the QD SL stacking from 5x to 10x and 20x. Use of SC resulted in shifting of the SL0 peak toward the substrate peak as well as reduced FWHM and improved SL peak definition. Kinematical diffraction modeling of the QD structures using numerical simulation indicated this peak shift resulted from reduced overall strain in the SL stack up to 5ML of SC. The material quality improvement in the SC QD solar cells was manifested in an improved spectral response and Jsc . The optoelectronic results for GaAs solar cells with QD SL’s demonstrate a strong dependence on GaP SC layer thickness. In addition, comparison of multi junction (MJ) solar cells which incorporate the SC QD SL’s demonstrate the utility of additional sub-GaAs bandgap current contribution as a tool for additional current-matching optimization in MJ solar cells.
Signalling couples hair follicle stem cell quiescence with reduced histone H3 K4/K9/K27me3 for proper tissue homeostasis

Mechanisms of plasticity to acquire different cell fates are critical for adult stem cell (SC) potential, yet are poorly understood. Reduced global histone methylation is an epigenetic state known to mediate plasticity in cultured embryonic SCs and T-cell progenitors. Here we find histone H3 K4/K9/K27me3 levels actively reduced in adult mouse skin and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) during G0 quiescence. The level of marks over specific gene promoters did not correlate to mRNA level changes in quiescent HFSCs. Skin hypomethylation during quiescence was necessary for subsequent progression of hair homeostasis (cycle). Inhibiting BMP signal, a known HFSC anti-proliferative factor, elevated HFSC methylation in vivo during quiescence prior to proliferation onset. Furthermore, removal of proliferation factors and addition of BMP4 reduced histone methylases and increased demethylases mRNAs in cultured skin epithelial cells. We conclude that signalling couples hair follicle stem cell quiescence with reduced H3 K4/K9/K27me3 levels for proper tissue homeostasis.
Protection of ischemic hearts by high glucose is mediated, in part, by GLUT-4.

Metabolic interventions that promote glucose use during ischemia have been shown to protect ischemic myocardium and improve functional recovery on reperfusion. We evaluated whether the cardioprotec...
193 IN SILICO KNOCKIN/KNOCKOUT IN MODEL NEOCORTEX SUGGESTS ROLE OF Ca++-DEPENDENT K+ CHANNELS IN SPIKE-TIMING INFORMATION TRANSFER

Purpose Large-scale processing of sensory information across regions of neocortex is poorly understood. In particular, it remains unclear whether millisecond-precise action potential timing, rather than mean spike rates, contributes to the unexcelled ability of real brains to process information. If so, a deeper understanding could accelerate the development of novel augmentative devices and genetic therapies for brain disorders, and biologically-based artificial intelligence. We hypothesized that Ca++-dependent K+ AHP channels, because of their sensitivity to preceding interspike intervals patterns, would be more important than slowly reacting K+ channels for carrying information. Methods We used a biologically-realistic computational model of spiking neurons, representing excitatory and multiple inhibitory subtypes. Each neuron included voltage and Ca++-sensitive potassium channels (A-, M-, and AHP-type) and dynamic synapses. A recording of a 3-second spoken sentence was decomposed into 100 frequency bands, and input into a custom brain simulation of auditory A-I cortex, which was recurrently connected to two A-II association columns (total of 900,000 synapses among 3,000 neurons). Shannon information was computed for spiking patterns in response to the sentence at (1) baseline and under M-knockin/AHP-knockout, and (2) under both conditions, with 10-100% auditory noise. (figure) Results KI/KO resulted in a loss of 8.5 bits/sec information-carrying capacity, despite identical mean spiking rates. With the addition of auditory noise, the information loss increased up to 13 bits/sec. (figure) Conclusions The information-carrying capacity of neural tissue may depend on millisecond-precise spike timing, which in turn may depend on AHP (or similar Ca++-dependent K+) channels. In this model of auditory neocortex, loss of spike timing tremendously deteriorates (1) information-carrying capacity and (2) robustness to noise.
Citius, Altius, Fortius: Is Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa More Resilient?

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a region grew at an unprecedented pace over the past two decades. This period of growth resurgence, coined as Africa Rising, witnessed many countries having an annual average GDP growth rate that exceeded 5%. This phenomenon lifted the boats of resource-rich, resource-poor and some fragile countries. It was supported partly by a very favourable external environment and an improvement of institutional and macroeconomic policy frameworks. The goal of this paper is two-fold first, we examine the resilience of SSA over the past 20 years by assessing whether the growth acceleration of 1995–2008 (relative to 1974–1994) was accompanied by improved structural and macroeconomic indicators. Second, we evaluate whether African economies have replenished liquidity and policy buffers during the post-global financial crisis (2009–14 versus 2003–08). We find that improved macroeconomic frameworks allowed some African nations to withstand the 2008–09 crisis and implement countercyclical policies. However, restricted macroeconomic policy space during the post-crisis period may limit the region's response to current external headwinds (end of commodity super cycle and normalisation of US monetary policy) and growing macroeconomic vulnerabilities (rising fiscal deficits and external imbalances).
Progressive Talipes Equinovalgus Due to Trauma or Degeneration of the Posterior Tibial Tendon and Medial Plantar Ligaments

Summary Two patients with talipes equinovalgus secondary to laceration of the posterior tibial tendon have been presented. One patient with a seven year old lesion was managed by transfer of the flexor hallucis longus and reconstruction and advancement of the medial ligaments. The anatomic and functional result was essentially a normal foot. A second patient with a laceration of the posterior tibial tendon was managed by tendon transfer of the adjacent flexor digitorum longus without reconstruction of ligaments, because only five months had elapsed between injury and repair. In this patient also normal anatomic and physiologic relationships were re-established. Six patients with progressive talipes equinovalgus unrelated to specific trauma were managed by various operative procedures. Plication of the posterior tibial tendon was insufficient to eliminate pain completely and restore the longitudinal arch. Reinforcement by an adjacent flexor hallucis longus or flexor digitorum longus tendon alone was insufficient to re-establish a foot that was totally pain-free with an adequate longitudinal arch but did produce a better result than plication of the tendon alone. The evidence favors managing this kind of foot by plication and reinforcement of the medial plantar calcaneonavicular ligament, and by reinforcement of the diseased posterior tibial tendon with the flexor hallucis longus or flexor digitorum longus. If this treatment is done before degenerative joint changes occur, satisfactory function should be re-established and triple arthrodesis should be avoided.
Vasectomy : an appraisal for the obstetrician-gynecologist

Data regarding the efficacy of vasectomy are limited, but the procedure appears to be highly effective. Efficacy may vary by the method of vas occlusion. Death attributable to vasectomy in the United States is exceedingly rare, and major perioperative morbidity is quite uncommon. No long-term adverse health effects have been documented, and much evidence supports the conclusion that vasectomy does not increase the risk of subsequent atherosclerosis. Vasectomy, like tubal sterilization, should be considered a permanent decision, because reversal surgery is expensive and requires substantial surgical expertise. Although vasectomy reversal is often successful, it cannot be guaranteed even in the best of circumstances, and when the vasectomy has caused epididymal obstruction, reversal is often unsuccessful. Vasectomy represents a safe and effective alternative to tubal sterilization for couples who decide that the male should be sterilized.
WE-AB-202-03: Quantifying Ventilation Change Due to Radiation Therapy Using 4DCT Jacobian Calculations.

Purpose: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) and image registration can be used to determine regional lung ventilation changes after radiation therapy (RT). This study aimed to determine if lung ventilation change following radiation therapy was affected by the pre-RT ventilation of the lung. Methods: 13 subjects had three 4DCT scans: two repeat scans acquired before RT and one three months after RT. Regional ventilation was computed using Jacobian determinant calculations on the registered 4DCT images. The post-RT ventilation map was divided by the pre-RT ventilation map to get a voxel-by-voxel Jacobian ratio map depicting ventilation change over the course of RT. Jacobian ratio change was compared over the range of delivered doses. The first pre-RT ventilation image was divided by the second to establish a control for Jacobian ratio change without radiation delivered. The functional change between scans was assessed using histograms of the Jacobian ratios. Results: There were significantly (p 10% expansion) showed a greater response (1.2% reduction/10 Gy). Contiguous high function regions > 1 liter occurred in 11 of 13 subjects. Conclusion: There is a significant change in regional ventilation following a course of radiation therapy. The change in Jacobian following RT is dependent both on the delivered dose and the initial ventilation of the lung tissue: high functioning lung has greater ventilation loss for equivalent radiation doses. Substantial regions of high function lung tissue are prevalent. Research support from NIH grants CA166119 and CA166703, a gift from Roger Koch, and a Pilot Grant from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Abstract 813: The association of androgen metabolizing enzymes and prostate cancer in a multiethnic study

Introduction: Uridine 5’-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B (UGT2B) genes code for enzymes that catalyze the clearance of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and DHT metabolites in the prostate basal and luminal tissue. The expression of the UGT2B15, UGT2B17, and UGT2B28 enzymes has not been evaluated in prostate tissue samples from hormone therapy-naive patients. Methods: We determined the expression of the three enzymes in 190 prostate tissue samples from surgical specimens of a multiethnic cohort of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The association between each biomarker9s percent positive and H-score and the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) was tested using separate Cox proportional hazards models. In an exploratory analysis, UGT2B17 total positive and H-score were split at the median and we tested the association between UGT2B17 group and risk of BCR. Results: The median follow-up was 118 months (IQR: 85-144). We found no association between UGT2B15 or UGT2B28 and risk of BCR. However, there was a trend between UGT2B17 and BCR (HR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02, p = 0.11), though not statistically significant. Upon further investigation, we found patients with UGT2B17 total positive above the median had a significant increased risk of BCR on univariable analysis (HR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.02-2.43, p = 0.041) but this association was attenuated in the adjusted model (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.94-2.40, p = 0.088). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that UGT2B17 overexpression was associated with a significant increased risk of BCR. These results are consistent with previous reports that show UGT2B17 significantly expressed in prostate cancer metastases. Citation Format: Delores J. Grant, Lauren Howard, Emily Wiggins, Amanda De Hoedt, Adriana Vidal, Skyla T. Carney, Jill Squires, Clara E. Magyar, Jiaoti Huang, Stephen J. Freedland. The association of androgen metabolizing enzymes and prostate cancer in a multiethnic study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 813.
Regulation of Ion Channels and Neurotransmitter Release by Protein Kinase C

It has long been established that activation of neurotransmitter receptors can induce transient changes in the electrical properties of effector neurons that last on the order of milliseconds. Such short-lived changes, known as post-synaptic potentials, can be inhibitory or excitatory and result from changes ia the conductances of ligand-regulated ion channels such as the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or GABAA receptor chloride channel. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that brief activation of neurotransmitter receptors can also induce more prolonged changes in neuronal function that last minutes, hours, or even days or months. Such long-lasting changes in neuronal function play a critical role in regulating animal behaviour and can include changes in a cell’s electrical properties or changes in important cellular processes such as neurotransmitter synthesis or release. Generally, responses that persist after the neurotransmitter has been activated are brought about by formation of second messengers within the cell. The best-known example of a second messenger is adenosine-3′,3′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP).
A Structure-preserving Model Reduction Algorithm for Dynamical Systems with Nonlinear Frequency Dependence

Abstract Very large-scale dynamical systems, even linear time-invariant systems, can present significant computational difficulties when used in numerical simulation. Model reduction is one response to this challenge but standard methods often are restricted to systems that are presented as standard first-order realizations; in the frequency domain such systems will be linear in the frequency parameter. We consider here dynamical systems with a nonlinear frequency dependence; systems for which either a standard first-order realization is unknown or inconvenient to obtain. Such systems may nonetheless have realizations that reflect important structural features of the model and we may wish to retain this structure in any reduced model used as a surrogate. In this work, we present a structure-preserving model reduction algorithm for systems having quite general nonlinear frequency dependence. We take advantage of recent algorithms that produce high quality rational interpolants to transfer functions that only require transfer function evaluation, thus allowing for nonstandard realizations that are nonlinear in the frequency parameter. However, our final reduced model will have a structure that reflects the structure of the original system, and indeed, may not have a rational transfer function. We illustrate our approach on a benchmark problem that offers a transcendental transfer function.
Digital facsimiles on CD-ROM: A potential solution to the interlibrary Loan of Rare books

Despite the approval, nearly ten years ago, of the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Guidelines for the Loan of Rare Materials, few special collections departments regularly loan materials to other universities. For the researcher, obtaining rare books and manuscripts (or copies of the same) via interlibrary loan continues to be difficult if not impossible. The last ten years have shown a phenomenal growth in the production and marketing of digital facsimiles of rare books. This article examines research on digital facsimile CD-ROM collection patterns and presents the results of a survey on interlibrary loan lending practices in an effort to understand the impact that CD-ROMs may have on interlibrary loan and access to rare materials.
Frequency stabilization of an islanded microgrid using droop control and demand response

Microgrids (MGs) are attracting a significant amount of attention from researchers for their potential to increase grid reliability through the use of energy storage and local generation, making them ideal for incorporating renewable energy sources as well as smart grid applications. Much work has been done on frequency regulation of islanded MGs from generation-side management as well as through demand response (DR). This paper investigates frequency stabilization of islanded MGs through DR and generation-side management, using droop control on each, allowing them to share generation imbalances. This method proves to be effective by reducing transient time, lowering the frequency deviations, and preventing generators from exceeding their power ratings during disturbances. The MG modeled in this system consists of a synchronous generator and two full converter models to demonstrate transient stability in an MG during a sudden loss of renewable generation. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Long-Term Results After Total Knee Arthroplasty with Contemporary Rotating-Hinge Prostheses.

Background:Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with a rotating-hinge prosthesis is considered a salvage procedure. While excellent immediate stability is achieved, the historically high failure rate has tempered its use. The goal of this study was to determine clinical outcomes, radiographic results, and
Finality and the Capital/Non-Capital Punishment Divide

This book chapter examines the role that concerns about finality have played in both capital cases and juvenile life-without-parole sentencing cases. It will describe how finality has shaped the Supreme Court’s death penalty cases, as well as the role it has played in recent juvenile life-without-parole cases. It will then offer some tentative thoughts on whether the non-capital finality concerns – specifically, the perceived need for post-sentencing assessments – should be extended to capital defendants and how post-sentencing assessments might inform the ongoing debate over the death penalty abolition in the United States.
Experimental and modeling study of visible light responsive photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) materials for toluene degradation.

Abstract Only limited research has examined the development and application of visible light responsive photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), although such materials have great potential for mitigating concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when applied to building surfaces. This study evaluates the performance and characteristics of a visible light responsive photocatalyst, specially, a co-alloyed TiNbON compound with a band energy of 2.3 eV. The PCO material was developed using urea-glass synthesis, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods, and VOC removal efficiency was measured under visible light for toluene (1–5 ppm) at room temperature (21.5 °C) over a range of relative humidity (RH: 25–65%), flow rate (0.78–7.84 cm/s), and irradiance (42–95 W/m2). A systematic parametric evaluation of kinetic parameters was conducted. In addition, we compared TiNbON with a commercial TiO2-based material under black light, estimated TiNbON’s long-term durability and stability, and tested its ability to thermally regenerate. Using mass transfer and kinetic analysis, three different Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) type reaction rate expressions were proposed and evaluated. A LH model considering one active site and competitive sorption of toluene and water was superior to others. The visible-light driven catalyst was able to remove up to 58% of the toluene, generated less formaldehyde than the commercial TiO2, could be fully regenerated at 150 °C, and had reasonable durability and stability. This evaluation of TiNbON shows the potential to remove VOCs and improve air quality for indoor applications. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential for harmful by-products, to identify optimal conditions, and to use field tests to show real-world performance.