cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probability distribution of the length of the shortest tour between a few random points: a simulation study

Inspired by an application in the field of on-demand public transportation, we perform a Monte Carlo simulation study on the probability distribution of the length of Traveling-Salesman-Problem (TSP) tours between small numbers of random locations. We consider a fixed convex region, where we generate a fixed number of random locations from a known probability distribution and find the corresponding euclidean TSP tour for them. We simulate this process extensively and perform both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the resulting experimental distribution for the TSP tour length. We show that, under certain assumptions on the shape of the region and the probability distribution of locations, the length of the TSP tour is well-approximated by a normal distribution, even for as few as five locations. Furthermore, we propose experimental models for estimating the mean and standard deviation of the tour length.
Don’t Miss This! Red Flags in the Pediatric Eye Examination: Ophthalmoplegia in Childhood

Paralytic strabismus in children is rare, occurring in about 0.1% of children. This rate is far less common than the 3% rate usually noted for comitant strabismus. The relative rates of ocular motor pareses were fourth nerve palsies in 36%, sixth in 33%, third in 22%, with multiple ocular motor nerve palsies in 9%. In a single population series from Minnesota, few cases were associated with neoplasm. However, institutional case series reports a high rate of neoplasm for acquired third nerve and sixth nerve palsies after excluding trauma and congenital causes. Tumor is rare in children with fourth cranial nerve palsies, usually associated with other neurologic disease. Rare causes of external ophthalmoplegia, to be considered when the motility pattern is variable or not fitting an ocular motor nerve pattern, include myasthenia gravis and congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles. Myasthenia most often presents as ptosis with exotropia. Rarer still is involvement of the extraocular muscles in childhood thyroid disease.
A Platform for Rehabilitation of Finger Individuation in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

The brain injury that results in cerebral palsy CP may adversely affect fine motor control of the hand. The degradation of manual dexterity in the fingers profoundly impacts overall functionality of the upper limb, yet research efforts to facilitate rehabilitation of finger individuation in children with CP have been limited. This study describes the development of an integrated hardware and software platform for training and evaluating finger individuation. A pneumatically actuated glove provides extension assistance or flexion resistance independently to each digit in concert with playing a virtual reality keyboard. This setup enables intensive and efficient practice of fine motor control of either or both hands. Bimanual training options range from mirror movements to fully independent motions and rhythms in each hand, thereby enabling maintenance of the proper level of challenge. Additionally, an instrument was created to provide assessment of individuated fingertip force generation in order to evaluate effectiveness of the training. Preliminary data were obtained from children both with and without CP using this tool.
Impact of R&D Offshore Outsourcing on Innovation Performance of Outsourcing Vendors

We study the question of whether emerging economy firms that are offshore outsourcing vendors for R&D activities learn from knowledge spillovers from their clients and gain in innovation performanc...
Genetic Deficiency of Interferon-γ Reveals Interferon-γ–Independent Manifestations of Murine Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

OBJECTIVE Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHLH) is a complex cytokine storm syndrome caused by genetic abnormalities rendering CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells incapable of cytolytic killing. In murine models of FHLH, interferon-γ (IFNγ) produced by CD8+ T cells has been identified as a critical mediator of disease, and an IFNγ-blocking antibody (emapalumab) has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. However, development of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)/macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in patients who are genetically unresponsive to IFNγ questions the absolute necessity of IFNγ in driving disease. This study was undertaken to determine the necessity of IFNγ in driving HLH. METHODS IFNγ-/- Prf1-/- mice were infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), and HLH immunopathologic features, including survival, weight loss, cytopenias, cytokine profiles, and immune cell phenotypes, were assessed. Mixed bone marrow chimeras were created to determine the immune cell-intrinsic role of IFNγ receptor signaling. CD8+ T cell depletion and interleukin-33 (IL-33)/ST2 blockade were performed using monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS LCMV infection of IFNγ-/- Prf1-/- mice resulted in severe HLH-like disease. CD8+ T cells and the IL-33/ST2 axis remained essential mediators of disease; however, IFNγ-independent HLH immunopathology correlated with a 10-15-fold increase in neutrophilia (P < 0.001) and an altered cytokine milieu dominated by IL-6, IL-1β, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, IFNγ regulated CD8+ T cell expression of GM-CSF and neutrophil survival. CONCLUSION IFNγ is not necessary for the development of fulminant HLH, requiring physicians to consider case-by-case treatment strategies. Use of therapies that target upstream activators of CD8+ T cells, such as IL-33/ST2 signaling, may be more universally applicable treatment options that ameliorate both IFNγ-dependent and -independent manifestations of HLH/MAS.
Psychological Capital and Robotic Process Automation: Good, Bad, or Somewhere In-Between?

Our proposed research study will apply Psychological Capital (PsyCap) to the Industry 4.0 literature, and specifically, to Robotic Process Automation (RPA). We examine two potential issues with acc...
CHAPTER 1 – Probability Spaces

Publisher Summary The concept of a probability space completely describes the outcome of an experiment or game. This chapter discusses the concepts of probability space and random variable. The set Ω consists of elements or points, each of which is an individual outcome of a game or experiment or other random phenomenon under consideration. Associated with a sure event Ω, is a nonempty set of subsets of Ω, called a sigma field or sigma algebra of subsets of Ω. The chapter describes the notions of probability and conditional probability. If there is one probability defined over Ω and sigma algebra, then other probabilities called conditional probabilities can be defined. From measure theory, it is known that sums, products, quotients, and limits of sequences of measurable functions are measurable functions. The same is then true for random variables. The simplest kind of a random variable is the indicator.
Post-ACA Trends in the US Primary Care Physician Shortage with Index of Relative Rurality

PURPOSE Index of Relative Rurality (IRR) captures multiple indicators of health care access but is underrepresented in the primary care literature. This research investigates trends in primary care physician supply in US counties with respect to IRR and time since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed. METHODS In this ecologic study, annual ratio of primary care physicians per 100,000 population in US counties was computed for 2010-2017 (3,138 counties over 8 years, N = 25,104). IRR assigned in 2010 placed counties on a rural-urban continuum without the use of a threshold. Primary outcomes were associations of IRR and year with physician ratio and annual change in physician ratio. Multivariable regression models were used to detect associations. The a priori hypothesis was that neither rurality nor year was associated with physician ratio or annual growth. RESULTS IRR and year were independently inversely associated with the ratio of primary care physicians per 100,000 and annual growth in physician ratio. A post-hoc analysis of highly rural US states revealed positive median growth rates in some areas. CONCLUSIONS Despite significant policies in the ACA designed to address the maldistribution of the US primary care physician workforce, more funding and further innovative reforms are urgently necessary to avert a rural workforce crisis in the coming decades. IRR may be a useful continuous, threshold-free metric of rurality in future health services research.
Distributed multimode fiber Φ-OTDR sensor using a high-speed camera

While the vast majority of Φ-OTDR sensors use single mode fiber, multimode fiber is also widely deployed by the telecom industry. From a sensor design perspective, multimode fiber also offers advantages compared with single mode fiber, such as higher nonlinear thresholds and immunity to interference fading. However, most attempts to perform distributed strain sensing in a multimode fiber rely on interrogation systems designed for single mode fiber. As a result, these systems discard most of the backscattered light by coupling the multimode fiber under test to a single mode fiber based receiver. In this work, we present a technique that combines a high-speed camera with a time-gated local oscillator to construct a distributed multimode fiber sensor capable of using the entire backscattered speckle field. We demonstrate quantitative, fully distributed strain sensing across a 2 km multimode fiber with a spatial resolution of 20 m, a bandwidth of 400 Hz, and a noise floor of −61 dB re rad2/Hz (4.9 pe/√Hz). The same system can be electronically reconfigured to probe any single sensor position with a bandwidth of up to 20 kHz and a noise floor of −86 dB re rad2/Hz (0.27 pe/√Hz).
Online Exploration of Tunnel Networks Leveraging Topological CNN-based World Predictions

Robotic exploration requires adaptively selecting navigation goals that result in the rapid discovery and mapping of an unknown world. In many real-world environments, subtle structural cues can provide insight about the unexplored world, which may be exploited by a decision maker to improve the speed of exploration. In sparse subterranean tunnel networks, these cues come in the form of topological features, such as loops or dead-ends, that are often common across similar environments. We propose a method for learning these topological features using techniques borrowed from topological image segmentation and image inpainting to learn from a database of worlds. These world predictions then inform a frontier-based exploration policy. Our simulated experiments with a set of real-world mine environments and a database of procedurally-generated artificial tunnel networks demonstrate a substantial increase in the rate of area explored compared to techniques that do not attempt to predict and exploit topological features of the unexplored world.
Heritable changeability: Epimutation and the legacy of negative definition in epigenetic concepts

Abstract Epigenetic concepts are fundamentally shaped by a legacy of negative definition, often understood by what they are not. Yet the function and implication of negative definition for scientific discourse has thus far received scant attention. Using the term epimutation as exemplar, we analyze the paradoxical like-but-unlike structure of a term that must simultaneously connect with but depart from genetic concepts. We assess the historical forces structuring the use of epimutation and like terms such as paramutation. This analysis highlights the positive characteristics defining epimutation: the regularity, oxymoronic temporality, and materiality of stable processes. Integrating historical work, ethnographic observation, and insights from philosophical practice-oriented conceptual analysis, we detail the distinctive epistemic goals the epimutation concept fulfils in medicine, plant biology and toxicology. Epimutation and allied epigenetic terms have succeeded by being mutation-like and recognizable, yet have failed to consolidate for exactly the same reason: they are tied simultaneously by likeness and opposition to nouns that describe things that are assumed to persist unchanged over space and time. Moreover, negative definition casts the genetic-epigenetic relationship as an either/or binary, overshadowing continuities and connections. This analysis is intended to assist practitioners and observers of genetics and epigenetics in recognizing and moving beyond the conceptual legacies of negative definition.
Effects of rumen-protected choline supplementation in Holstein dairy cows during electric heat blanket-induced heat stress.

ABSTRACT Dairy cows experiencing heat stress (HS) attempt to thermoregulate through multiple mechanisms, such as reducing feed intake and milk production and altering blood flow to increase heat dissipation. Effects of choline on energy metabolism and immune function may yield it a viable nutritional intervention to mitigate negative effects of HS. The primary objective of this experiment was to determine if supplementation of rumen-protected choline during, or before and during, an increased heat load would ameliorate the negative effects of HS on production and immune status. Heat stress was induced via an electric heat blanket model with a 3-d baseline period and 7-d HS period for all cows. Multiparous mid-lactation (208 ± 31 days in milk) Holstein cows were fed the same basal herd diet, blocked by pre-experiment milk yield, and randomly assigned to receive one of the following: (1) no rumen-protected (RP) choline (n = 7); (2) RP choline (60 g/d) via top-dress during the HS period (n = 8); or (3) RP choline (60 g/d) via top-dress during the baseline and HS periods (n = 8). Imposing HS via electric heat blanket raised respiration rate with all cows surpassing the HS threshold of 60 breaths/min. The increase in respiration rate tended to be ameliorated with either schedule of RP choline supplementation. Milk yield tended to increase when RP choline was supplemented in both the baseline period and during HS. Supplementation of RP choline tended to reduce blood fatty acid and triglyceride and tended to increase the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. The role of RP choline supplementation to partially ameliorate the effects of HS should be further explored as a potential nutritional strategy to mitigate the negative consequences of HS on health and production.
The Arabic Version of the Liber Denudationis: How Fāṭimid Controversies Shaped Medieval European Views of Islam

This article investigates an Arabic critique of Islam known as The Book of Clarity with Regard to the Truth (Kitāb al-Wāḍiḥ bi-al-ḥaqq; shortened to Clarity in Truth), composed by the Muslim conver...
Occupational Therapists Tackling Childhood Obesity with School Wide Programs

Children in the United States face higher rates of childhood obesity than in other developed countries. A literature review examined eight different articles to discover why these statistics are so...
Interpretable Machine Learning Model Supported by Parallel Ensemble Learning to Predict Local Recurrence for Patients with Cervical Cancer

Purpose/objective(s) Local recurrence in patients with cervical cancer after definitive chemoradiation can be difficult to treat. Early prediction of local recurrence and risk adapted treatment strategies can lead to improved outcomes. Previous machine learning models using clinical features to predict local failure for cervical cancer have achieved modest discriminatory power with reported AUCs ranging from 0.73 - 0.80. In this study, we aim to improve upon a previously developed clinical model at our institution by using an interpretable machine learning classifier, Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM), and evaluate the impact of a parallel ensemble design on overall model performance. Materials/methods A retrospective cohort of 95 patients with cervical cancer (FIGO stage IB2 - IVA, no para-aortic involvement) treated with definitive chemoradiation between 2009 - 2016 were included. Patients had a mean age of 48.1 years (range, 26.2 - 78.2 years). Most patients had either FIGO stage IB2 (41%) or IIIB (38%) cervical cancer. After a median follow-up period of 59.7 months (range, 3.5 - 135.3 months), 14 patients experienced a local recurrence and there were 27 deaths. An EBM classifier was trained using the clinical features of age, race, histology, year treated, nodal status at diagnosis, stage, and clinical tumor size at diagnosis. The model was trained and tested using 5-fold cross validation. This process was repeated with 25 independent runs, and the predicted scores for each patient were averaged to determine the ensemble score. The clinical ensemble EBM model was compared to the single iteration EBM model (at the median AUC achieved) in a statistical software with paired samples t-test with ROC analysis function. Results The ensemble EBM model achieved an AUC of 0.853 ± 0.090 with the clinical features of age, year treated, stage, and clinical tumor size at diagnosis, which was statistically significantly higher than the single iteration EBM model (AUC 0.752 ± 0.090), P = 0.022. Conclusion Parallel ensemble learning increases the discriminatory power of the proposed interpretable EBM model. The model's performance compares favorably to previous models predicting local failure for cervical cancer using clinical features. This tool could be potentially used to aid clinicians in prognostication for cervical cancer and warrants further evaluation in a separate validation cohort.
The DNA polymerases of Chinese hamster cells: Subcellular distribution and properties of two DNA polymerases☆

Abstract We have fractionated homogenates of Chinese hamster cells grown in tissue culture, and found that >80% of those cells' DNA-dependent DNA polymerase appears localized in the soluble cytoplasm. The Chinese hamster cytoplasmic DNA polymerase is very similar to DNA polymerases from several mammalian sources: it is large and heterogeneous (165,000–200,000 daltons), sensitive to sulfhydryl-blocking reagents and absolutely requires double stranded templates containing free 3′-OH primers. Two distinct species of DNA polymerase also have been isolated from purified Chinese hamster nuclei. One nuclear DNA polymerase appeared to be identical to DNA polymerase found in the cells' soluble cytoplasm. The second polymerase, comprising 1.5–3% of the total DNA polymerase activity, was found only in nuclear extracts. That enzyme is resistant to sulfhydryl-blocking reagents and has an apparent molecular weight of 49,000. The data discussed in this report suggest that Chinese hamster cells, like other mammalian cell types, possess at least two DNA-dependent DNA polymerases that might participate in replicative DNA biosynthesis.
El Niño and Agricultural Lending in the Southeastern U.S.

We study how agricultural loan portfolios in commercial banks serving agricultural producers are affected by inter-annual climate variability in the Southeast U.S. - a region strongly affected by the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We use panel data for 473 agricultural banks from six southeastern states over the period of 1991-2010, together with several ENSO indexes. We find that non-neutral ENSO years that typically have higher incidence of weather extremes are associated with smaller levels of non-performing loans suggesting that farmers’ losses in extreme years are helped by support mechanisms. Consistent with recent theoretical work, and findings about US community banks, our results suggest that the impact of the ENSO is mitigated by complementary financial markets and support mechanisms.
Assistive Technology Supports for Self Determination and Community Inclusion

A description of media techniques that “give voice” to people with disabilities to engage in assistive technology problem solving, including video collages, interviews, walk-abouts and “how to” demonstrations. Ethical considerations related to publication and dissemination are addressed.
Remote detection of gases by gas correlation spectroradiometry

We will discuss here the application of a pressure modulated radiometer (PMR) to the remote sensing of trace amounts of gases in the atmosphere as well as to the direct measurement of upper atmosphere winds. The range of altitudes which may be covered with this device vary from ground level up to the lower mesosphere. Gas concentrations corresponding to a mixing ratio of 1 ppm in a 10-meter column can be sensed from geosynchronous orbit. Even higher sensitivity can be achieved at shorter distances. The PMR has an extensive history of flight testing and has been used in earth meteorological satellites, numerous high altitude balloon flights and planetary exploration spacecraft.
Suppressor of Fused Is Critical for Maintenance of Neuronal Progenitor Identity during Corticogenesis

Proper lineage progression and diversification of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) ensures the generation of projection neuron (PN) subtypes in the mammalian neocortex. Here, we show that Suppressor of Fused (Sufu) controls PN specification by maintaining the identity of NPCs in the embryonic neocortex. Deletion of Sufu in NPCs of the E10.5 mouse neocortex led to improper specification of progenitors and a reduction in intermediate progenitors (IPs) during corticogenesis. We found that Sufu deletion resulted in unstable Gli2 and Gli3 activity, leading to the ectopic activation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. The role of Sufu in maintaining progenitor identity is critical at early stages of corticogenesis, since deletion of Sufu at E13.5 did not cause similar abnormalities. Our studies revealed that Sufu critically modulates Shh signaling at early stages of neurogenesis for proper specification and maintenance of cortical NPCs to ensure the appropriate generation of cortical PN lineages.
Energetics of chain folding in polyethylene crystals

Abstract Semi-empirical energy calculations have been used to investigate several aspects of chain folding in polyethylene single crystals. Calculations of isolated (110) and (200) folds indicate that the fold energy, relative to the planar zig-zag form of the molecule, is lower in the (200) fold than in the (110) fold. The minimum surface energies for isolated (110) and (200) folds were calculated to be 102.5 and 95.6 erg cm−2, respectively. The energetics of packing the minimum-energy folds into an array representing a portion of a single-crystal fold surface were also investigated. For fully optimized (110) fold packing, the habit corresponding to the Reneker-Geil model I (RG I) was found to be lower in energy than model RG II. However, the packing of (110) folds at experimentally observed unit-cell dimensions in RG I and RG II packing habits gave almost equal packing energies. It was also found that the setting angle was a function of the packing habit. Results of packing (200) folds into a fold surface indicate that a crystallographically reasonable ‘(200)’-type fold surface would appear to be impossible. The interaction energy of a straight-chain segment in the vicinity of a fold surface was also calculated. Not surprisingly, it was found that the lowest-energy situation finds the straight chain somewhat nestled into a groove between the {1 1 0} fold planes.
Organization of sequential sounds in auditory memory

A repeating five-tone pattern was presented at several stimulus rates (200, 400, 600, and 800 ms onset-to-onset) to determine at what temporal proximity the five-tone repeating unit would be represented in memory. The mismatch negativity component of event-related brain potentials was used to index how the sounds were organized in memory when participants had no task with the sounds. Only at the 200-ms onset-to-onset pace was the five-tone sequence unitized in memory. At presentation rates of 400 ms and above, the regularity (a different frequency tone occurred every fifth tone) was not detected and mismatch negativity was elicited by these tones in the sequence. The results show that temporal proximity plays a role in unitizing successive sounds in auditory memory. These results also suggest that global relationships between successive sounds are represented at the level of auditory cortices.
Do You Need a Copyright Librarian

In response to a growing need for protection against infringement claims, institutions of higher learning are hiring copyright specialists. This descriptive study focuses on identifying the characteristics and services of this pioneering branch of library work as it invents itself. Many practicalities inform the choice to create a copyright librarian position. Long-standing associations between librarianship and copyright also make this position a logical development. The article also examines what employers and librarians are doing to define this new role, suggests appropriate qualifications, and discusses ways in which a copyright librarian can integrate copyright reference responsibilities with other library work. There are also anecdotal insights on the experience of being a copyright librarian.
Characterization of a fracture zone using seismic attributes at the In Salah CO2 storage project

AbstractThe In Salah carbon dioxide storage project in Algeria has injected more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide into a water-filled tight-sand formation. During injection, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) reveals a double-lobed pattern of up to a 20-mm surface uplift above the horizontal leg of an injection well. Interpretation of 3D seismic data reveals the presence of a subtle linear push-down feature located along the InSAR determined surface depression between the two lobes, which we interpreted to have to be caused by anomalously lower velocity from the fracture zone and the presence of CO2 displacing brine in this feature. To enhance the seismic interpretation, we calculated many poststack seismic attributes, including positive and negative curvatures as well as ant track, from the 3D seismic data. The maximum positive curvature attributes and ant track found the clearest linear features, with two parallel trends, which agreed well with the ant-track volume and the InSAR obser...
Chill sensitivity of honey bee, Apis mellifera, embryos

Abstract Improved methods for preservation of honey bee, Apis mellifera L., germplasm would be very welcome to beekeeping industry queen breeders. The introduction of two parasites and the emergence of an antibiotic resistant disease have increased demands for resistant stock. Techniques for artificial insemination of queens are available, and semen has been cryopreserved with limited success. However, cryopreservation of embryos for rearing queens would mesh well with current practices and also provide drones (haploid males). Eggs at five ages between twenty-four hours and sixty-two hours were exposed to 0, −6.6, and/or −15 °C for various times, and successful hatch measured. Honey bee embryos show chill sensitivity as do other insect embryos, and the rate of chill injury increases dramatically with decrease in holding temperature. The 48 h embryos in both groups showed the greatest tolerance to chilling, although 44 h embryos were only slightly less so.
The infrared absorption coefficient of alkali halides

Available data on the absorption coefficient of six alkali halides, LiF, NaF, NaCl, KCl, KBr, and KI, were surveyed, evaluated, and analyzed. For the multiphonon absorption region, an equation was formulated to describe the absorption coefficient as a function of both frequency and temperature. Constants in the equation were determined based on data fitting calculations and empirical correlations. The Urbach Rule is applied to the uv absorption edge of the transparent region, and our equation is considered as its counterpart in the IR absorption edge. Comparing with Deutsch's exponential equation, the present expression includes the temperature as an additional independent variable. The calculated values are in concordance with the experimental data.
Genetic and Phenotypic Variation in Randombred White Leghorn Controls over Several Generations

Abstract IT IS A generally accepted fact that adequate controls are essential for the estimation of genetic gain in selection studies. Lerner (1950), Dickerson (1955), Goodwin et al. (1955), Gowe and Johnson (1956), King et al. (1959) and others have recognized and discussed the value of control strains for the separation of genetic and environmental effects. Gowe et al. (1959) clearly demonstrated the value of a control strain by comparing absolute trends of two selected strains with trends estimated by use of deviations from a control population. These workers also studied changes in this White Leghorn Control Population during six years by regressing annual means on generation number. No significant changes in hen-housed and survivor egg production, body weight at housing, March body weight or laying house mortality were noted. A significant increase in March egg weight and a significant decrease in sexual maturity were observed. King et al. (1963) investigated. . .
Convergent enantioselective syntheses of two potential C25–C40 subunits of (−)-caylobolide A

Abstract The convergent syntheses of two possible diastereomers of the C25–C40 subunit resident in (−)-caylobolide A have been accomplished. The key reaction featured a chemoselective Ru-catalyzed cross-metathesis between a fully elaborated type I and two functionalized type II α,β-unsaturated ketones.
The restlessness of “being:” Rousseau's protean sentiment of existence

The question of the sentiment of existence is central to Rousseau's thought. For Rousseau's apparent promise that salvation is to be found on earth for whomever is able to experience it appears as ...
Mask-directed multiphoton lithography.

We report a strategy to direct the multiphoton photocrosslinking (MPP) of proteins using mask objects or transparency-based masks. This approach enables rapid prototyping and generation of microstr...
Medical management of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common worldwide disorder. Most patients have typical symptoms of heartburn, regurgitation and exacerbation of symptoms with large meal volumes, fatty meals, recumbency or bending forward. Patients who show typical symptoms for under 10 years may be treated empirically with lifestyle and dietary modifications plus acid-suppressing medications. The recent decrease in cost, established safety and wide availability of proton pump inhibitors make them the best choice for monotherapy. Other medical therapies include antacids, H2 receptor antagonists and prokinetic agents. Patients who have alarm symptoms or long-standing symptoms should have an esophagoscopy to evaluate for complications of reflux. Patients who do not respond to therapy should have a test to confirm the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Mammalian Cdc7–Dbf4 protein kinase complex is essential for initiation of DNA replication

The Cdc7–Dbf4 kinase is essential for regulating initiation of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Previously, we identified a human Cdc7 homolog, HsCdc7. In this study, we report the identification of a human Dbf4 homolog, HsDbf4. We show that HsDbf4 binds to HsCdc7 and activates HsCdc7 kinase activity when HsDbf4 and HsCdc7 are coexpressed in insect and mammalian cells. HsDbf4 protein levels are regulated during the cell cycle with a pattern that matches that of HsCdc7 protein kinase activity. They are low in G 1 , increase during G 1 –S, and remain high during S and G 2 –M. Purified baculovirus‐expressed HsCdc7–HsDbf4 selectively phosphorylates the MCM2 subunit of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein complex isolated by immunoprecipitation with MCM7 antibodies in vitro . Two‐dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide‐mapping analysis of in vivo 32 P‐labeled MCM2 from HeLa cells reveals that several major tryptic phosphopeptides of MCM2 comigrate with those of MCM2 phosphorylated by HsCdc7–HsDbf4 in vitro , suggesting that MCM2 is a physiological HsCdc7–HsDbf4 substrate. Immunoneutralization of HsCdc7–HsDbf4 activity by microinjection of anti‐HsCdc7 antibodies into HeLa cells blocks initiation of DNA replication. These results indicate that the HsCdc7–HsDbf4 kinase is directly involved in regulating the initiation of DNA replication by targeting MCM2 protein in mammalian cells.
Nuclear Data Sheets for 183Hg

Abstract Nuclear structure data pertaining to 183 Hg have been compiled and evaluated, and incorporated into the ENSDF data file. This evaluation of 183 Hg supersedes the previous publication (R.B. Firestone, Nuclear Data Sheets 65 , 589 (1992) (literature cutoff date 9 January 1991)), and includes literature available by 25 September 2000. The newly incorporated references are: 1992BoZO, 1993Bi17, 1995Au04, 1995La10, 1995Sh04, 1999An10, 1999An36, 1999Ba45, 2000By02.
WE-D-BRB-09: Dosimetric Evaluation of the Gynsite Device for Vaginal Apex Irradiation

Purpose: In a recent ABS survey, over 90% of those surveyed used a single channel vaginal cylinder for endometrial cancerbrachytherapy. Here, we establish the clinical and dosimetric advantage of using the Mammosite™ balloon in an intravaginal delivery of radiation to the vaginal apex as compared to a standard cylinder. We have called the use of the balloon in this manner “GynSite®.” Method and Materials: Twenty patient treatments were analyzed for each delivery method. Each patient was imaged either with CT or MR with the device in place. Using Brachyvision v8.2, the prescription dose was optimized to the surface of each device. The Dose Homogeneity Index (DHI) and the FWHM of the differential DVH were analyzed for each delivery. The dose to the 1 mm vaginal lymphatic channel was determined and the V100 and V150 reported. Results: The GynSite® delivers a dose distribution similar to that of the standard cylinder. However, it allows more patient‐specific delivery of the radiation to the vaginal apex because of the flexibility and variable size of the balloon. Cylinders only come in discrete sizes (diameter of 2.0, 2.5 cm, etc.) whereas the balloon has variable shapes (spherical or elliptical) and fill volumes (35cc – 125cc). This flexibility allows the device to better conform to the patient's anatomy thus reducing air gaps between the applicator and the target vaginal mucosa at 1mm depth. Additionally, it is more comfortable for the patient because it is inserted and removed in a deflated state. The DHI and FWHM were similar between the cylinder and the GynSite® deliveries. Conclusion: The GynSite® is clinically superior to a standard cylinder since it conforms better to the patient's anatomy and therefore delivers a better dose to the lymphatic channel and possibly improves tumor control.
High-Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Plasma Dobutamine Concentrations

A sensitive and specific high-pressure liquid chromatographic method was developed for measuring dobutamine in human plasma samples. Nylidrin is employed as an internal standard. Following extraction and separation on a C18 reversed-phase column, the drug is detected by a fluorescence detector with an excitation wavelength of 195 nm and a 330-nm emission cutoff filter. The retention times of dobutamine and nylidrin are 5.2 and 19.2 min, respectively. The minimum level of sensitivity is 10 ng/ml. Reproducibility was ± 5% over a 25–300-ng/ml range. Several drugs were screened for possible interference, but none interfered with the dobutamine analysis.
On the Unsteady and Turbulent Characteristics of the Three-Dimensional Shear-Driven Cavity Flow

The three-dimensional shear-driven cavity flow is numerically investigated at Reynolds numbers of 5000 and 10000. This investigation focuses on the unsteadiness and turbulent characteristics of the flow. At the moderate Reynolds number (Re=5000) where the cauity flow is fully laminar, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) is used whereas large-eddy simulation (LES) methodology is adopted to predict the cavity flow at the higher Reynolds number (Re=10000). Establishing a suitable form for the subgrid scale (SGS) turbulence model in this complex flow is guided by the DNS results at Re=5000. Additionally, the SGS model is verified against DNS results at Re=7500 where the cavity flow is known through experimentation to be locally transitional
Marginal Likelihood From the Metropolis–Hastings Output

This article provides a framework for estimating the marginal likelihood for the purpose of Bayesian model comparisons. The approach extends and completes the method presented in Chib (1995) by overcoming the problems associated with the presence of intractable full conditional densities. The proposed method is developed in the context of MCMC chains produced by the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm, whose building blocks are used both for sampling and marginal likelihood estimation, thus economizing on prerun tuning effort and programming. Experiments involving the logit model for binary data, hierarchical random effects model for clustered Gaussian data, Poisson regression model for clustered count data, and the multivariate probit model for correlated binary data, are used to illustrate the performance and implementation of the method. These examples demonstrate that the method is practical and widely applicable.
Improvement in the estimation of dominate wavenumber and direction from spaceborne SAR image spectra when corrected for ocean surface movement

Because a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a Doppler device, ocean surface movement can degrade a SAR ocean image. Ocean surface movement causes the redistribution of apparent radar cross section in a SAR image to neighboring image elements. It is demonstrated in this paper that this aspect of SAR imaging can be treated as a simple resolution loss in a linear system. Such an approach explains the falloff in response at high azimuth wavenumbers experienced in SAR image spectra. More importantly, this approach allows for a straightforward method to alleviate the problem of ocean surface motion. Correction of SAR image spectra using a linear systems approach results in SAR image spectra in which the locations in wavenumber-space of surface wave spectral peaks are more consistent with the estimated location of storm sources than are the locations of peaks from uncorrected spectra.
Spatial estimation of wafer measurement parameters using Gaussian process models

In the course of semiconductor manufacturing, various e-test measurements (also known as inline or kerf measurements) are collected to monitor the health-of-line and to make wafer scrap decisions preceding final test. These measurements are typically sampled spatially across the surface of the wafer from between-die scribe line sites, and include a variety of measurements that characterize the wafer's position in the process distribution. However, these measurements are often only used for wafer-level characterization by process and test teams, as the sampling can be quite sparse across the surface of the wafer. In this work, we introduce a novel methodology for extrapolating sparsely sampled e-test measurements to every die location on a wafer using Gaussian process models. Moreover, we introduce radial variation modeling to address variation along the wafer center-to-edge radius. The proposed methodology permits process and test engineers to examine e-test measurement outcomes at the die level, and makes no assumptions about wafer-to-wafer similarity or stationarity of process statistics over time. Using high volume manufacturing (HVM) data from industry, we demonstrate highly accurate cross-wafer spatial predictions of e-test measurements on more than 8,000 wafers.
Tunneling spectroscopy in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8: Is the energy gap anisotropic?

Abstract Electron tunneling experiments have been performed on single crystals of the superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 using point contact and break junction configurations. For tunnel current injected in the the a-b plane and c-axis directions, the respective current-voltage characteristics suggest zero-temperature energy gap values of Δab ≈ 23meV and Δc ≈ 12meV, corresponding to 2Δab/kBTc=6.2±0.3 and 2Δc/kBTc=3.3±0.3. The observed gap temperature dependence is in good agreement with BCS (mean field) behavior.
The Agent in the Gift: Hidden Exchange in Inner New Guinea

In November 1984, during my second year of research among the Atbalmin people of Papua New Guinea, I participated in two distributions of pork. The first followed a highly visible killing of 11 pigs. It was staged jointly by two neighboring settlements and drew participants from many other settlements. Eleven days later, I witnessed a very different distribution of pork. Planned covertly, it was held in the depths of the forest with only a small group of people. I was told not to tell others in the village about it. The feast in the forest is an example of what I will call hidden exchange.' The Atbalmin people exchange a great deal of food and other valued objects in a manner meant to keep those not directly involved unaware of what has occurred. This raises a problem that is at once of ethnographic and theoretical significance. In general, anthropologists have approached exchange as if it were an open matter, known and visible to all members of society. The basic perspective, made clear by Marcel Mauss in his classic essay The Gift, is that people have every reason to be seen by others as they give and reciprocate gifts. Mauss opens with the question of why "the gift received has to be repaid" (1967[1925]: 1) and goes on to argue that this behavior is determined in many different ways. Reciprocal exchange serves simultaneously, he explains, as a means of pursuing selfinterest, of fulfilling obligations to others, and of conforming to social and moral codes. Ultimately, Mauss argues that reciprocity is the essential principle through which individual actions reflect and help to sustain the "ends and peace" of the social "whole" (1967:73). He suggests that even competition and inequality in exchange is in harmony with some kinds of social order. Mauss's positive view of how exchange works to link individuals to each other and to their social order was sustained by the theoretical refinements of functionalism and structuralism. But in recent years, an increasingly negative view has emerged of how exchange reflects and creates divisions. A growing body of literature explores how the systematic exclusion of specific groups,
Evaluation of experimental and analytical data for orbital refueling systems.

Excessive extrapolation limitations in applying transient data to low gravity fluid behavior for orbital refueling systems, presenting orbital fluid transfer experiment
Effects of Freezing on Colloidal Halloysite: Implications for Temperate Soils

The literature reports that freezing of aqueous aluminosilicate clay suspensions can produce clay aggregates that disperse with agitation. Our experiments indicate that colloidal suspensions extracted from north Idaho loess soils (Boralfs), when frozen, form silt- and sand-sized agglomerates that resist dispersion with agitation. XRD and TEM analyses showed that colloids are dominantly halloysite between 0.10 to 0.30 μm in diameter. The colloidal halloysite has anomalously high mole ratios of Si/Al and a high Fe content. Freeze-produced agglomerates are light yellow to yellowish-brown in color, occur in the form of plates, wedges, cuspates, or laths, and often exhibit uniform optical properties, suggesting a crystalline product. Selected area electron diffraction, however, indicates that the agglomerates are polycrystalline. With proper orientation, agglomerates produce acute bisectrix interference figures that are optically negative with variable 2V, generally μ30°. XRD analyses and IR spectra imply that the agglomerates are halloysite. Measured optical properties, however, are difFerent than those reported for halloysite and may be affected by the high Fe content and polycrystalline nature of the agglomerates. Grains, exhibiting similar optical properties as laboratory-produced agglomerates, are a minor proportion of the very-fine sand fraction in some horizons of the soils studied. Freeze-aided agglomeration of colloidal material may be an important process in temperate climates. It may be overlooked because of particle destruction by soil pretreatments or morphological order and/or optical similarity to some micaceous minerals.
Model genetic circuits encoding autoregulatory transcription factors

Multiple steady-state levels of autoregulatory transcription factors are capable of specifying alternative heritable phenotypes of a cell or an organism. Switching among steady states can result in long-term phenotypic change. In this paper, six model genetic circuits are presented, each encoding a set of autoregulatory transcription factors. The steady-state rate equations for each genetic circuit are formulated and solved to determine conditions under which multiple steady states exist. Each steady state of the genetic circuit constitutes an alternative heritable phenotype resulting from a single genotype.
Heat transfer in the last decade

Abstract Two questions were posed as the theme of the session and the questions were answered. Yes - a lot was accomplished and our understanding of many heat transfer problems has increased very significantly. Concrete evidence of this progress was given and the advances in two-phase flow and fouling represent good examples. Specific suggestions for future research were also made, including a great variety of topics such as ultra short transients in conduction and the transport mechanism at the interface of two phases. In achieving the results of the last decade, full advantage was taken of the computer on the one hand and of modern experimental techniques on the other. The feeling was expressed that the emphasis during the last decade was on solving existing problems and that this was accomplished to a large degree by relying on fundamental knowledge developed during the previous two decades. Strong emphasis was given to the necessity of encouraging and supporting long range fundamental research, to maintain a sound basis for future developments.
On approximating the conditional wait process of general multiserver queueing systems

Abstract In view of the extremely difficult task of analyzing G/G/K queueing systems, relatively few general results have been established. Most of the literature dealing with the G/G/K system has been concerned with the heavy traffic situation. Of special note are the bounds given by Kingman[7] on the wait process, the weak convergence theorems established by Iglehart and Whitt[4] and Loulou[8], and the many server approximations due to Newell[9]. In this paper a presentation will be made of new formulas constructed to approximate the mean and variance of the conditional wait process. Two key concepts play major roles behind the formulas to be presented. They are: (a) the use of a continuous (diffusion-type) process to approximate the steady-state probabilities of the number in the queue, and (b) the substitution of the original process of interdeparture times by a process of independent variables. In order to assess the quality of the suggested approximation for the mean and variance of the conditional wait process, the approximation will be numerically compared with the results obtained from Kingman's[7] and Kendall's[5] exact formula for the special case of the G/M/K system, and will be tested against point estimate simulations.