cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aspirin and dipyridamole and their limitations in the therapy of coronary artery disease

We have reviewed some of the voluminous literature on the effects of aspirin combined with dipyridamole on coronary thrombosis. There is clear evidence that aspirin is partially effective in preventing platelet aggregation and subsequent thrombosis in experimental constricted and damaged coronary arteries of dogs. Clinical studies show a clear reduction in myocardial infarction in male human subjects who are given aspirin as therapy for unstable angina, or as prophylaxis in asymptomatic individuals. In many studies aspirin and dipyridamole have been combined and are effective. We have not found dipyridamole to be effective in the dog with coronary artery constriction and find no substantial evidence that it is effective in preventing myocardial infarction in man. Until definitive studies show that combining dipyridamole with aspirin is more effective than aspirin alone, we do not recommend its use for prevention of coronary thrombosis.
Crises, Cronyism, and Credit

This paper examines the effects of several potential explanatory factors related to the 1997–1998 East Asian crisis. We find that a crisis can improve a poorly functioning credit system by making domestic lending rates more responsive to market-based returns. We report that the responsiveness of short-term lending rates is directly related to the level of transparency in the economy. Thus, countries with greater transparency (less corruption) are more likely to make credit decisions based on market-wide forces rather than succumb to the influence of special interest groups. Nations with greater transparency also experience significantly shorter and less severe economic downturns.
RELATIONSHIP OF THE HYPOPHYSIS TO HAIR GROWTH IN THE ALBINO RAT

Changes in the character of the skin and changes in the growth and distribution of hair long have been associated clinically with endocrine disturbances, particularly those involving the thyroid, hypophysis and adrenals. In recent times pituitary therapy has been advocated in the treatment of certain types of baldness. Bengtson (1, a, b) has used anterior pituitary extracts clinically with reported success in alopecia areata and alopecia totalis. He has tried a variety of other endocrine preparations and local agents in these conditions with no success. Kohn (2) reported favorably on the use of pituitary therapy in premature baldness, but the results of Lord (3) were negative in this condition. Stanley and Hawkins (4) obtained suggestive results in alopecia in prisoners following pituitary implants. Controlled animal experimental studies have shown a definite relationship between the thyroid and the dermal system (5, a, b) but observations relating the cutaneous structures to the hypophysis have been note...
Model Similarity and Observer Learning

During Phase I 5 groups of 9 Ss each were instructed to say words at a signal to obtain a baseline of animal responses. 4 of the groups then said words intermittently with a taped model during Phase II. Two groups were exposed to a “normal” model and two groups were exposed to a “retardate” model. Half of the Ss under each taped condition received vicarious reinforcement, i.e., hearing “good” from an E when the model gave a critical response. Half under each tape condition received no vicarious reinforcement. The fifth group, a control group, heard no tapes and received no reinforcement. Model-observer similarity emerged as a significant factor. Reinforcement facilitated learning under both model conditions. The control group showed no increment in critical responses across trials.
The Age Threshold for Isoniazid Chemoprophylaxis: A Decision Analysis for Low-Risk Tuberculin Reactors

Isoniazid chemoprophylaxis recommendations include its use in persons who have positive tuberculin reactions, but neither recent conversion nor other activation risk factors, only if they are under age 35 years. Above this threshold, the isoniazid hepatitis risk is said to outweigh the benefit of preventing activation. Because this policy is controversial, we performed a decision analysis contrasting those who take with those who decline isoniazid therapy according to three outcome measures: life expectancy, likelihood of illness (isoniazid hepatitis and active tuberculosis), and likelihood of fatal illness. We found no threshold between ages 10 and 80 years by the measures of life expectancy and likelihood of fatal illness; isoniazid benefits outweigh risks for all, though the margin is small for the elderly. A threshold exists only in the likelihood of illness: isoniazid risks outweigh benefits for those aged 50 to 65 years. Only extreme variations of assumptions affect these findings. Chemoprophylaxis recommendations should include low-risk tuberculin reactors over age 35 years. (JAMA 1986;256:2709-2713)
Radiological mapping of functional transcription units of bacteriophages φX174 and S13. The function of proximal and distal promoters

Abstract We have found that the nearest promoter is not always the primary promoter for making translatable message. The technique of ultraviolet mapping was used to determine the location of promoter sites for translated mRNA coded for by bacteriophages φX174 and S13. The method is based on the theory that the “target size” for u.v. inactivation of expression of a gene is proportional to the distance between the promoter and the 3′ end of the gene. This method has revealed an expected and some unexpected locations for the promoters responsible for gene expression. Ultraviolet-survival curves for expression of phage genes were interpreted in the following way. The contiguous genes D , F , G and H are expressed as a unit under the control of a promoter located near gene D . However, gene B (and probably the adjacent genes K and C ) are controlled by a promoter distant from gene B , possibly in the region of gene H , rather than from a promoter located just before gene B . Likewise, gene A is controlled by a promoter distant from gene A .
Density changes in leukocytes following hemodialysis or exposure to chemotactic factors

Analysis of standard Ficoll-Hypaque separation profiles of peripheral WBC from patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) demonstrated that dialysis caused a marked alteration in the number of cells found at both the interface between the Ficoll-Hypaque and plasma which normally contains mononuclear cells and the cell pellet which normally contains granulocytes. By 30 min into dialysis, there was a 175% increase in white blood cells in the mononuclear band with a corresponding decrease in the number of cells obtained from the cell pellet. When peripheral blood samples from normal donors were pumped through various types of hemodialyzers, a shift in the cell separation profiles similar to that of patients undergoing HD was observed. Differential analysis of the cells obtained from both the interface between the Ficoll-Hypaque and plasma and the cell pellet showed that by 30 min into dialysis, the 'mononuclear' band contained 40-50% polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). To ascertain whether the cell separation changes were possibly due to C5a generation resulting from complement activation by the HD membrane, whole blood was incubated with the purified chemotactic factors C5a, C5ades arg, and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. This resulted in similar alterations in PMN densities. This study demonstrates that both in vivo and in vitro exposure of human peripheral blood to HD membranes as well as the chemotactic factors C5a, C5ades arg, and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine results in density changes in PMN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Petrology and genetic significance of an ultramafic xenolith suite from Tahiti

Abstract A suite of ultramafic xenoliths 2–10 cm in size occurs in basanite near Papeete, Tahiti, and consists of spinel lherzolites with minor dunites and wehrlites. Petrographic examination of xenoliths reveals that they are typically coarse grained with well-developed annealed textures. Microprobe analyses of constituent minerals in 11 xenoliths indicate that bulk compositions of xenoliths are magnesian but with significant variability from xenolith to xenolith especially in Fe/Mg and Cr/Al ratios and in absolute amounts of Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 . Within any single xenolith, however, coexisting minerals are homogeneous and appear to be compositionally equilibrated. Geothermometry of coexisting orthopyroxene and augite indicates temperatures of equilibration of about 1100°C but there is considerable uncertainty in this estimate due to significant non-quadrilateral pyroxene substitutions. There is no accurate way to determine pressures, but the ubiquity of Cr-poor spinel and absence of garnet imply pressures less than about 15–20 kbar. The margins of most xenoliths show significant alteration through reaction with enclosing alkaline magma. Principal reaction features include zoning of spinels and olivines toward compositions in equilibrium with the magma, and reaction-melting of orthopyroxene to a symplectite of olivine plus silica-rich glass. Glass composition profiles across the symplectites indicate that alkalis, titanium and aluminum diffused into the symplectite from the magma and that silica diffused into the magma. All glass analyses show very low iron, magnesium and calcium. Xenolith mineral assemblages and chemistry indicate their origin in the upper mantle at relatively shallow depths. They are therefore not related genetically to the enclosing basanite magma which came from deeper in the mantle, but rather are accidental fragments of country rock picked up by magma on its way to the surface. The details of the reaction features strongly imply that the magma had partially crystallized by the time it reacted with xenoliths, possibly while still in the mantle.
Do proteins denature during droplet evolution in electrospray ionization

Abstract The experiments described in this paper were designed to address the question of whether proteins undergo denaturation on the millisecond timescale of the phase transition in electrospray ionization. The experiments show that it is relatively difficult to induce a change in charge in selected proteins by the application of heat to electrosprayed droplets during their transfer from atmospheric pressure to the vacuum of the mass spectrometer. These findings indicate that the net heat transfer to the droplets is insufficient for denaturation given the short lifetime of the droplets in the heated tube (0.6 ms or less) and provide a partial explanation as to why the charge distribution characteristic of a protein in equilibrium in solution is to some extent preserved into the gas phase. Our findings lead us to suggest general guidelines for improving the information about solution protein conformation and non-covalent associations obtained by electrospray ionization mass spectrometric measurements.
Supraependymal cells of hypothalamic third ventricle: identification as resident phagocytes of the brain

Cells lying on the ventricular surface of the hypothalamic ependyma of the tegu lizard exhibit the pseudopodial and flaplike processes characteristic of macrophages found elsewhere. Since they ingest latex beads, they may be considered a resident phagocytic system of the brain. The importance of ependyma and ventricular phagocytes as a first line of defense against viral invasion of the brain, as well as their role in the pathogenesis of certain virus-related diseases, is suggested by a number of experimental and clinical observations.
Problem solving skills in young yellow-crowned parakeets (Cyanoramphus auriceps).

Despite the long divergent evolutionary history of birds and mammals, early avian and primate cognitive development have many convergent features. Some of these features were investigated with a series of tasks designed to assess human infant development. The tasks were presented to young parakeets to assess their means-end problem solving abilities. Examples of these early skills are: attaining and playing with objects, retrieving rewards through use of a stick or rake, or by pulling in rewards on supports or on the ends of strings. Twelve such tasks were presented to 11 young yellow-crowned parakeets (Cyanoramphus auriceps) to investigate their natural abilities; there was no attempt to train them to do those tasks that they did not spontaneously perform. Six of the birds were parent-raised and five were hand-raised. The birds completed 9 of the 12 tasks, demonstrating all the Piagetian sensorimotor circular reactions, but they failed to hand-watch ("claw-watch"), to stack objects, or to fill a container. Their ordinality on the tasks differed from that of human infants in that locomotion to obtain objects occurred earlier in the avian sequence of development and the mid-level tasks were performed by the two groups of avian subjects in a mixed order perhaps indicating that these abilities may not emerge in any particular order for these birds as they supposedly do for human infants. The hand-raised group needed fewer sessions to complete these means-end tasks.
Direct microscopic observation of membrane formation by nonsolvent induced phase separation

Abstract Membrane formation by nonsolvent induced phase inversion was directly observed using light microscopy. Polysulfone (PSf) was used as a model polymer while 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), water and glycerol were used as model solvents and nonsolvents. Direct observation and kinetic analyses suggest finger-like macrovoids formed by convective flow of nonsolvent into the polymer–solvent solution; convective flow arose from interfacial energy gradients at the polymer solution–nonsolvent interface. Convective nonsolvent flow into the polymer solution was hindered by the formation of surface skin layers or viscous gel layers within the polymer solution film. Viscous gel layers were often formed when using a poor nonsolvent, poor solvent, or an insufficient supply of a good nonsolvent. Greater viscous hindrance resulted in membranes with shorter or no finger-like macrovoids. Large finger-like macrovoids propagated only when nonsolvent convective flows into the polymer solution film exceeded viscous hindrance forces, i.e., when a good solvent, ample supply of good nonsolvent, and polymer solution of relatively lower viscosity were used.
Discovering free energy basins for macromolecular systems via guided multiscale simulation.

An approach for the automated discovery of low free energy states of macromolecular systems is presented. The method does not involve delineating the entire free energy landscape but proceeds in a sequential free energy minimizing state discovery, i.e., it first discovers one low free energy state and then automatically seeks a distinct neighboring one. These states and the associated ensembles of atomistic configurations are characterized by coarse-grained variables capturing the large-scale structure of the system. A key facet of our approach is the identification of such coarse-grained variables. Evolution of these variables is governed by Langevin dynamics driven by thermal-average forces and mediated by diffusivities, both of which are constructed by an ensemble of short molecular dynamics runs. In the present approach, the thermal-average forces are modified to account for the entropy changes following from our knowledge of the free energy basins already discovered. Such forces guide the system away from the known free energy minima, over free energy barriers, and to a new one. The theory is demonstrated for lactoferrin, known to have multiple energy-minimizing structures. The approach is validated using experimental structures and traditional molecular dynamics. The method can be generalized to enable the interpretation of nanocharacterization data (e.g., ion mobility – mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, chemical labeling, and nanopore measurements).
Proinflammatory effects of cookstove emissions on human bronchial epithelial cells.

Approximately half the world’s population uses biomass fuel for indoor cooking and heating. This form of combustion typically occurs in open fires or primitive stoves. Human exposure to emissions from indoor biomass combustion is a global health concern, causing an estimated 1.5 million premature deaths each year. Many ‘improved’ stoves have been developed to address this concern; however, studies that examine exposure-response with cleaner-burning, more efficient stoves are few. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of traditional and cleaner burning stove emissions on an established model of the bronchial epithelium. We exposed well-differentiated, normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells to emissions from a single biomass combustion event using either a traditional three-stone fire or one of two energy-efficient stoves. Air-liquid interface cultures were exposed using a novel, aerosol-to-cell deposition system. Cellular expression of a panel of three pro-inflammatory markers was evaluated at 1 and 24 hours following exposure. Cells exposed to emissions from the cleaner burning stoves generated significantly fewer amounts of pro-inflammatory markers than cells exposed to emissions from a traditional, three stone fire. Particulate matter emissions from each cookstove were substantially different, with the three-stone fire producing the largest concentrations of particles (by both number and mass). This study supports emerging evidence that more efficient cookstoves have the potential to reduce respiratory inflammation in settings where solid fuel combustion is used to meet basic domestic needs.
"Failed" States and Global Security: Empirical Questions and Policy Dilemmas'

Weak and impoverished states and ungoverned areas are not only a threat to their people and a burden on regional economies, but are also susceptible to exploitation by terrorists, tyrants, and international criminals. We will work to bolster threatened states, provide relief in times of crisis, and build capacity in developing states to increase their progress (2006 National Security Strategy of the United States of America). One of the dominant influences shaping contemporary North‐South relations is the perception that the main threats to international security emanate disproportionately from poorly governed states in the developing world. Beyond representing the hard core of today’s development challenge, such countries are said to enable a host of transnational dangers from terrorism to weapons proliferation, organized crime, pandemic disease, environmental degradation, regional conflict, humanitarian catastrophes, and energy insecurity (Crocker 2003; Fearon and Laitin 2004:13; Fukuyama 2004:92; Rice 2006). This perception is particularly prominent within advanced market democracies, and notably the United States, where it has gained the status of conventional wisdom. In response, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) governments have begun to adapt their defense, diplomatic, and development policies and instruments to help prevent state failure and respond to its aftermath as well as to try to quarantine themselves from the presumed ‘‘spillover’’ effects of state weakness. Such moves have been mirrored by those of international institutions, including the United Nations and the World Bank. What is striking is how little empirical analysis has been undertaken to document and explore the connection between state failure and transnational security threats (Patrick 2006a). Scholars and policymakers have advanced blanket associations between these two sets of phenomena, often on the basis of anecdotes or single examples (e.g., al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan) rather than through sober analysis of global patterns or in-depth case studies that reveal causal linkages. These sweeping generalizations provide little analytical insight or guidance for policymakers, since they fail to distinguish among categories of weak and failing states or to ask whether (and how) particular developing countries are associated with particular threats. Three things have been missing from the discussion. One is appreciation that states in the developing world vary along a continuum in terms of institutional strength, both overall and in particular spheres; equally important, their level of dysfunction can represent a variable mixture of inadequate capacity and insufficient will (Patrick 2006b). A second is a nuanced appreciation of the complex linkages between state weakness, on the one hand, and a country’s propensity to
Changing dietary patterns

Previously traditional dietary patterns in Japan are no longer typical. The current changing conditions provide an opportunity to examine more closely some important health conditions associated with the changed lifestyle and concentrations of dietary total fat and saturated fatty acid, and the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet.
Several scales of biodiversity affect ecosystem multifunctionality

Society values landscapes that reliably provide many ecosystem functions. As the study of ecosystem functioning expands to include more locations, time spans, and functions, the functional importance of individual species is becoming more apparent. However, the functional importance of individual species does not necessarily translate to the functional importance of biodiversity measured in whole communities of interacting species. Furthermore, ecological diversity at scales larger than neighborhood species richness could also influence the provision of multiple functions over extended time scales. We created experimental landscapes based on whole communities from the world’s longest running biodiversity-functioning field experiment to investigate how local species richness (α diversity), distinctness among communities (β diversity), and larger scale species richness (γ diversity) affected eight ecosystem functions over 10 y. Using both threshold-based and unique multifunctionality metrics, we found that α diversity had strong positive effects on most individual functions and multifunctionality, and that positive effects of β and γ diversity emerged only when multiple functions were considered simultaneously. Higher β diversity also reduced the variability in multifunctionality. Thus, in addition to conserving important species, maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality will require diverse landscape mosaics of diverse communities.
The Case for Applying the Point of Care Testing Standard to Home Monitoring Devices

Diabetes is a major health concern that is growing rapidly. Daily point-of-care testing (POCT) of one's blood sugar using a glucose meter plays an integral role in managing diabetes. By integrating these self-monitoring devices with a centralized information system both patients and providers can view the blood sugar readings. This capability facilitates collaborative disease management that can lead to better control and education for the patient. In the current proprietary environment however, capturing the data stored in a glucose meter is not straightforward. Although a POCT standard has been developed to address connectivity issues for POC devices, the standard has been applied to devices used in clinic settings rather than home settings. As care of chronic diseases moves towards remote management, the need for device connectivity will propel the application of the POCT1-A standard to include devices, like glucose meters that are used outside of a clinic setting. This paper demonstrates the immediate need for standardization of connectivity to glucose meters so that patients and providers can use the readings to improve diabetes control
Min-max feedback model predictive control with state estimation

This paper proposes a state estimation scheme for output feedback min-max model predictive control (MPC). A set-membership state estimator bounds the current states of the physical system. A standard state estimator provides state feedback for the state feedback control law in MPC optimization over the prediction horizon. The paper presents a recursive method for the set-membership state estimation and conditions for bounded stability of the closed-loop system. The approach is illustrated with an example.
Optogenetic manipulation of neural activity in freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans

We present an optogenetic illumination system capable of real-time light delivery with high spatial resolution to specified targets in freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans. A tracking microscope records the motion of an unrestrained worm expressing channelrhodopsin-2 or halorhodopsin in specific cell types. Image processing software analyzes the worm's position in each video frame, rapidly estimates the locations of targeted cells and instructs a digital micromirror device to illuminate targeted cells with laser light of the appropriate wavelengths to stimulate or inhibit activity. Because each cell in an unrestrained worm is a rapidly moving target, our system operates at high speed (∼50 frames per second) to provide high spatial resolution (∼30 μm). To test the accuracy, flexibility and utility of our system, we performed optogenetic analyses of the worm motor circuit, egg-laying circuit and mechanosensory circuits that have not been possible with previous methods.
Effect of Tannin Content of Grain Sorghums on Their Feeding Value for Growing Chicks

Abstract FROM an agronomic standpoint grain sorghum varieties with open heads and brown seeds are better adapted to the humid Southeast than are those having compact heads and white, red, or yellow seeds. Characteristically the brown seeded varieties are also higher in tannin which is commonly thought to affect their palatability for livestock. McClymont (1952) found that grain sorghum could be used successfully to replace wheat in the diet of laying hens, but when grain sorghum was used in the ration of growing chicks at levels of 28–63%, a growth depression up to 50% occurred. He concluded that the effect was most likely caused by some toxic factor. Berry (1954) reported that white or red grain sorghum (milo) can replace, corn, wheat or oats in the scratch feed of laying hens without loss of egg production. Thayer et al. (1957) compared several new varieties of grain sorghums based upon their…
Low-complexity max-product algorithms for problems of multiple fault diagnosis

In this paper, we propose low-complexity max-product algorithms for the problem of multiple fault diagnosis (MFD). The MFD problem is described by a bipartite diagnosis graph (BDG) which consists of a set of components, a set of alarms and a set of connections (or causal dependencies) between them. Given the alarm observations, along with a probabilistic description of the system and the dependencies among components, our goal is to find the combination of component states that has the maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability. Iterative belief propagation max-product algorithms (developed in our earlier work for the MFD problem) work well on systems associated with sparse BDGs (especially when connections and/or alarms are unreliable). However, these iterative algorithms are exponentially dependent on the maximum number of components per alarm and hence, not suitable for many practical applications. In this paper, by limiting during each iteration the maximum number of possibly faulty components per alarm, we study low-complexity versions of these existing max-product algorithms. On acyclic bipartite graphs, we show that under certain conditions on the solutions, the low-complexity algorithms are guaranteed to return the MAP solution. For arbitrary bipartite graphs, our experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithms still perform comparably to the original (more computationally expensive) algorithms.
Doing Business in the New Russia: Rebirth of the Russian Nation

This article describes the political and economic development of the Russian Federation from its emergence from the dissolution of the USSR through the years of the presidency of Boris Yeltsin to the first year of the government of President Vladimir Putin. When Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985 he instituted some fundamental reforms in the Soviet system. His glasnost and perestroika campaigns were designed to recreate the moribund command economy of the USSR. The principal unintended consequence of the changes he instigated was the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. As the dominant entity within the Soviet Union, Russia had been experimenting with political and economic reforms under Gorbachev. When the Russian Federation became an independent sovereign state with Boris Yeltsin as its President even more radical changes were implemented. The economic chaos of the 1990's brought drastic economic changes to Russia. I describe many of the principal legal developments with the goal of explaining how it is possible to do business in the New Russia in the 21st century.
Large scale test of sensor fingerprint camera identification

This paper presents a large scale test of camera identification from sensor fingerprints. To overcome the problem of acquiring a large number of cameras and taking the images, we utilized Flickr, an existing on-line image sharing site. In our experiment, we tested over one million images spanning 6896 individual cameras covering 150 models. The gathered data provides practical estimates of false acceptance and false rejection rates, giving us the opportunity to compare the experimental data with theoretical estimates. We also test images against a database of fingerprints, simulating thus the situation when a forensic analyst wants to find if a given image belongs to a database of already known cameras. The experimental results set a lower bound on the performance and reveal several interesting new facts about camera fingerprints and their impact on error analysis in practice. We believe that this study will be a valuable reference for forensic investigators in their effort to use this method in court.
Parental training of the plural morpheme in normal toddlers1.

Experimental studies with young normal children can provide useful strategy for the functional analysis of language. Research by Whitehurst (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1972, 13, 502–515) exemplifies this approach, in which 2-yr-old children were exposed to a training procedure that involved imitation and differential reinforcement for a two-word productive sequence of the adjective-noun form. Results indicated that these young children could be trained to produce rudimentary novel utterances that were grammatically appropriate. More recently, Hursh and Sherman (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1973, 15, 328–339) reported the existence of a functional relationship between parental modelling and reinforcement of vocalizations, and increased instances of these vocalizations in young (15- to 20-month-old) children. These demonstrations relate to a summary of findings with linguistically deviant populations discussed by Sherman (Advances in Child Development, 1971). The present study attempts to extend these “generative” investigations to normal children and to provide useful information for those interested in teaching speech forms to them. Modelling and differential reinforcement were used by three mothers to establish the use of the plural morpheme in the speech of their 19- to 25-month-old children. During training trials, verbal praise was presented contingent on correct labelling of singular and plural items, while correct labelling was modelled if the child responded incorrectly. Children learned to label specifically trained sets of singular and plural items and also exhibited correct labelling when asked to label never-trained singular and plural items. After establishing correct usage, the same training procedures were used to train reversed labelling (plural responses to single items and singular responses to plural items). This produced a corresponding reversal of responding (both trained and untrained items) by each child for the plural items but not for singular items. Correct singular and plural labelling was recovered by returning to the initial procedures.
Power modeling and reduction of VLIW processors

In this chapter, we first present a cycle-accurate power simulator based on the IMPACT toolset. This simulator allows a designer to evaluate both VLIW compiler and micro-architecture innovations for power reduction. Using this simulator, we then develop and compare the following techniques with a bounded performance loss of 1% compared to the case without any dynamic throttling: (i) clock ramping with hardware-based prescan (CRHP), and (ii) clock ramping with compiler-based prediction (CRCP). Experiments using SPEC2000 floating point benchmarks show that the power consumed by floating point units can be reduced by up to 31% and 37%, in CRHP and CRCP respectively.
The electron-phonon coupling at the Mo(112) surface

We investigated the electron?phonon coupling (EPC), in the vicinity of the Fermi level, for the surface-weighted states of Mo(112) from high resolution angle-resolved photoemission data taken parallel to the surface corrugation (i.e.?). The surface-weighted bandwidth may be discussed in terms of electron?electron interactions, electron impurity scattering and electron?phonon coupling and exhibits a mass enhancement factor ? = 0.42, within the Debye model, determined from the experimentally derived self-energy. Gold overlayers suppress the mass enhancement of the Mo(112) surface-weighted band crossing the Fermi level at 0.54? ? ? 1.
Using Design Principles to Teach Technical Communication.

In teaching a technical communication course, I introduced document design principles before discussing traditional verbal rhetoric. A comparison of the writing of two students—a competent writer and a weak one—before and after the design discussion indicates that a basic understanding of design principles helped them improve document macrostructure. They saw the need to involve the audience, to provide an introduction and a forecast, and to organize and highlight information using headings. The design discussion, however, appears to have had little effect on document microstructure. Although more research needs to be conducted to better understand the relationship between verbal and visual rhetoric in technical communication, integrating document design principles early appears to be a promising pedagogical technique.
Manganese induces oligomerization to promote down-regulation of the intracellular trafficking receptor used by Shiga toxin

Manganese (Mn) protects cells against lethal doses of purified Shiga toxin by causing the degradation of the cycling transmembrane protein GPP130, which the toxin uses as a trafficking receptor. Mn-induced GPP130 down-regulation, in addition to being a potential therapeutic approach against Shiga toxicosis, is a model for the study of metal-regulated protein sorting. Significantly, however, the mechanism by which Mn regulates GPP130 trafficking is unknown. Here we show that a transferable trafficking determinant within GPP130 bound Mn and that Mn binding induced GPP130 oligomerization in the Golgi. Alanine substitutions blocking Mn binding abrogated both oligomerization of GPP130 and GPP130 sorting from the Golgi to lysosomes. Further, oligomerization was sufficient because forced aggregation, using a drug-controlled polymerization domain, redirected GPP130 to lysosomes in the absence of Mn. These experiments reveal metal-induced oligomerization as a Golgi sorting mechanism for a medically relevant receptor for Shiga toxin.
Orthotopic heart transplant versus left ventricular assist device: a national comparison of cost and survival

Objectives Orthotopic heart transplantation is the standard of care for end-stage heart disease. Left ventricular assist device implantation offers an alternative treatment approach. Left ventricular assist device practice has changed dramatically since the 2008 Food and Drug Administration approval of the HeartMate II (Thoratec, Pleasanton, Calif), but at what societal cost? The present study examined the cost and efficacy of both treatments over time. Methods All patients who underwent either orthotopic heart transplantation (n = 9369) or placement of an implantable left ventricular assist device (n = 6414) from 2005 to 2009 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were selected. The trends in treatment use, mortality, and cost were analyzed. Results The incidence of orthotopic heart transplantation increased marginally within a 5-year period. In contrast, the annual left ventricular assist device implantation rates nearly tripled. In-hospital mortality from left ventricular assist device implantation decreased precipitously, from 42% to 17%. In-hospital mortality for orthotopic heart transplantation remained relatively stable (range, 3.8%-6.5%). The mean cost per patient increased for both orthotopic heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device placement (40% and 17%, respectively). With the observed increase in both device usage and cost per patient, the cumulative Left ventricular assist device cost increased 232% within 5 years (from $143 million to $479 million). By 2009, Medicare and Medicaid were the primary payers for nearly one half of all patients (orthotopic heart transplantation, 45%; left ventricular assist device, 51%). Conclusions Since Food and Drug Administration approval of the HeartMate II, mortality after left ventricular assist device implantation has decreased rapidly, yet has remained greater than that after orthotopic heart transplantation. The left ventricular assist device costs have continued to increase and have been significantly greater than those for orthotopic heart transplantation. Because of the evolving healthcare economics climate, with increasing emphasis on the costs and comparative effectiveness, a concerted effort at LVAD cost containment and judicious usage is essential to preserve the viability of this invaluable treatment.
Associations of child sexual and physical abuse with obesity and depression in middle-aged women.

Abstract Objective Examine whether (1) childhood maltreatment is associated with subsequent obesity and depression in middle-age; (2) maltreatment explains the associations between obesity and depression; and (3) binge eating or body dissatisfaction mediate associations between childhood maltreatment and subsequent obesity. Methods Data were obtained through a population-based survey of 4641 women (mean age = 52 years) enrolled in a large health plan in the Pacific Northwest. A telephone survey assessed child sexual and physical abuse, obesity (BMI ≥ 30), depressive symptoms, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models incorporating sampling weights. Results Both child sexual and physical abuse were associated with a doubling of the odds of both obesity and depression, although child physical abuse was not associated with depression for the African American/Hispanic/American Indian subgroup. The association between obesity and depression (unadjusted OR = 2.82; 95% CI = 2.20–3.62) was reduced somewhat after controlling for sexual abuse (adjusted OR = 2.54; 1.96–3.29) and for physical abuse (adjusted OR = 2.63; 2.03–3.42). Controlling for potential mediators failed to substantially attenuate associations between childhood maltreatment and obesity. Conclusions This study is the first to our knowledge that compares associations of child abuse with both depression and obesity in adults. Although the study is limited by its cross-sectional design and brief assessments, the fact that child abuse predicted two debilitating conditions in middle-aged women indicates the potential long-term consequences of these experiences.
Invited perspective: bryophytes as models for understanding the evolution of sexual systems

One of the first life history characters that students of bryology learn is the bryophyte life cycle. Roughly half of the bryophytes have separate sexes (dioicous) and half are hermaphroditic (monoicous). This variation is important for taxonomic purposes but also has major consequences for nearly every aspect of bryophyte biology. For example, dioicous species generally reproduce less frequently than monoicous species (Longton & Schuster 1983) but harbor more genetic variation than monoicous species (Eppley et al. 2006). More broadly, however, the maintenance of both sexual systems at nearly equal frequencies in the bryophytes is quite unusual among the eukaryotes. This situation makes bryophytes an important model system for studying the evolutionary consequences of changes in sexual system. Bryophytes have a long history as model systems in cytology and genetics. Sex chromosomes in plants were first discovered in the liverwort Sphaerocarpus donnellii (Allen 1917), and the term ‘‘heterochromatin’’ was coined for the dark staining heteromorphic pair of chromosomes in many bryophytes (Heitz 1932). Bryophytes have long served as model genetic systems because the dominant part of the life cycle (i.e., the gametophyte) is haploid, and the phenotype of the plant directly reflects its genotype without the masking of dominance (Allen 1919; Ashton & Cove 1977; Engel 1968; von Wettstein 1924). More recently, efficient gene targeting via homologous recombination was discovered in Physcomitrella patens (Kammerer & Cove 1996; Schaefer & Zryd 1997; Strepp et al. 1998) and Ceratodon purpureus (Brucker et al. 2005; Mittmann et al. 2009; Trouiller et al. 2007). With this tool researchers can construct powerful tests for associations between genes and traits. In addition, the genome of P. patens has now been completely sequenced (Rensing et al. 2008), and sequencing projects for C. purpureus (http://www.jgi.doe.gov/ sequencing/why/ceratodon.html), Phaeoceros laevis (http://ldl.genomics.org.cn/page/searchplant. jsp?speciesname5phaeoceros), and Marchantia polymorpha (http://www.jgi.doe.gov/sequencing/ why/99191.html) are now underway. Together the natural variation in sexual system and the potential for laboratory study make bryophytes ideal for studying the causes and consequences of changes in sexual system. The purpose of this perspective is to highlight areas where interdisciplinary research can provide new insights into the evolution of bryophyte sexual systems. We have structured the perspective around three major evolutionary transitions: 1) the evolution of dioicy; 2) the evolution of sex chromosomes; and 3) the evolution of monoicy. We first provide a brief outline of the evolutionary theory underlying each of these phenomena. Since much of this theory was developed for angiosperms, we suggest how it can be applied to bryophytes. Second, we indicate how 3 Corresponding author’s e-mail: stuartmcdaniel@ufl.edu DOI: 10.1639/0007-2745-115.1.1
Accurate Measurement of Blood Alcohol Concentration with Isothermal Rebreathing

The importance of interaction of exhaled air with the airway surface was evaluated by comparing the effects of different breathing maneuvers and inhaled air temperature on the relationship between breath alcohol concentration (BRAC) and blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Breath alcohol was measured with an infrared absorption unit. Blood and simulator liquid alcohol concentrations were measured by gas chromatography. Breath samples were measured after both low and high exhaled volumes and after rebreathing. Breathing maneuvers were per- formed after either hyperventilation, breathhold or normal breathing. Inspired air temperature was varied between O oC and 40oC. The rebreathing method for sampling alveolar alcohol samples was evaluated with a new isothermal rebreather that was designed to provide a substantial amount of heat to the rebreathed air in order to heat the airway surfaces. Using a single breath test, the indicated BAC values vary from 14% above the actual BAC to as low as 55% below the actual BAC. Hyperventilation caused a significant decrease in BRAC and breathhold caused a significant increase in BRAC. When isothermal rebreathing is applied to such tests, the breath test results were always within + 10% of the true BAC, even with an altered breathing pattern. Isothermal rebreathing provided an accurate sample of alveolar air that was not affected by altered breathing pattern or air temperature. (J. Stud. Alcohol 51: 6-13, 1990)
Stress-induced cathodic and anodic regions on the boundary between an elliptic hole and a medium

We establish a relationship between the field of mechanical stresses and the shift of electrode potential on the contour of an elliptic through hole filled with a medium. In the limiting case, this relationship enables one to evaluate the shifts of the electrode potential caused by the stress-strain state near the tip of an elliptic crack. For this purpose, we numerically solve the Helmholtz-type system of equations and establish deviations of the electric and electrode potentials under the action of external mechanical forces from the similar potentials obtained in the absence of these forces. Finally, we estimate the cathodic and anodic regions induced by the stress fields on the boundary between the elliptic hole and the medium.
Gang membership of California middle school students: behaviors and attitudes as mediators of school violence

Empirical evidence examining how risk and protective behaviors may possibly mediate the association between gang membership and school violence is limited. This study utilizes a statewide representative sample of 152 023 Latino, Black and White seventh graders from California to examine a theoretical model of how school risk (e.g. truancy, school substance use and risky peer approval) and protective (e.g. connectedness, support and safety) behaviors and attitudes mediate the effects of gang membership on school violence behaviors. The dataset was collected in the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 academic school years using the ongoing large-scale California Healthy Kids Survey conducted by WestEd for the State of California. Approximately 9.5% of the sample considered themselves to be a member of a gang. The findings indicate that school risk behaviors and attitudes mediate the association between gang membership and school violence behaviors. Although the direct negative association between gang membership and school violence perpetration is weak, the positive indirect effect mediated by school risks behaviors and attitudes is strong. This indicates that when gang members engage in school risk behaviors, they are much more likely to be school violence perpetrators. Implications for further research, theory and practice for both gang and school violence researchers are discussed.
Smartphones: Getting smarter every day

In this issue, we highlight four papers from Mobisys 2015 that push the limits of computation and sensing on smartphones.
Structurally Defined αMHC‐II Nanobody–Drug Conjugates: A Therapeutic and Imaging System for B‐Cell Lymphoma

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) of defined structure hold great promise for cancer therapies, but further advances are constrained by the complex structures of full-sized antibodies. Camelid-derived single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs or nanobodies) offer a possible solution to this challenge by providing expedited target screening and validation through switching between imaging and therapeutic activities. We used a nanobody (VHH7) specific for murine MHC-II and rendered "sortase-ready" for the introduction of oligoglycine-modified cytotoxic payloads or NIR fluorophores. The VHH7 conjugates outcompeted commercial monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for internalization and exhibited high specificity and cytotoxicity against A20 murine B-cell lymphoma. Non-invasive NIR imaging with a VHH7-fluorophore conjugate showed rapid tumor targeting on both localized and metastatic lymphoma models. Subsequent treatment with the nanobody-drug conjugate efficiently controlled tumor growth and metastasis without obvious systemic toxicity.