cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Libya after the Civil War: The Legacy of the Past and Economic Reconstruction

Eyen while the country’s civil war was still raging in 2011, members of Libya’s Transitional National Council in Benghazi realized that the challenges to reconstructing the country in the aftermath of a 42-year long period that was aimed at destroying both the structures of a modern state and of a collective identity, would be enormous. They understood very clearly that this reconstruction would involve, among many other difficult tasks, the creation of modern state institutions, the consolidation of the “monopoly of violence” by a central government, the process of legitimizing whatever new political structures emerge, infusing the rule of law, creating democratic institutions and a sense of citizenship, providing for law and order within an accountable and transparent political system, and creating some sort of mechanism for national reconciliation and for transitional justice. Finally, but crucially, they also knew that Libya would need to rebuild its national economy in such a fashion that it could not once again become the kind of patronage system that for so long kept the Qadhafi government in power and, simultaneously, made most Libyan citizens bystanders if not outsiders of the political and economic life of their own country.
Extent and Impact of Alcohol and Drug Use Problems in the Workplace

To suggest that there is a contemporary concern in North America for understanding the prevalence and consequences of the use of drugs, both licit and illicit, is to state the obvious. Accounts of the social costs of drug use and the problems experienced by drug users appear routinely in the popular media. Scientific and professional treatments of drug-related issues are now commonplace in scholarly literature. Despite this attention, however, there have been few systematic attempts to document these behaviors empirically among employed persons (Backer, 1987; Roman, 1990).
Exploring Relationship Functioning in Premarital Caucasian and Latino/a Couples: Recognizing and Valuing Cultural Differences*

The purpose of this article was to conduct a culturally informed study of patterns of relationship functioning in premarital Caucasian and Latino/a couples. Two strategies were used in this study. ...
Effect of relative humidity on the composition of secondary organic aerosol from the oxidation of toluene

Abstract. The effect of relative humidity (RH) on the chemical composition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from low-NO x toluene oxidation in the absence of seed particles was investigated. SOA samples were prepared in an aerosol smog chamber at 2 % RH and 75 % RH, collected on Teflon filters, and analyzed with nanospray desorption electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (nano-DESI–HRMS). Measurements revealed a significant reduction in the fraction of oligomers present in the SOA generated at 75 % RH compared to SOA generated under dry conditions. In a separate set of experiments, the particle mass concentrations were measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) at RHs ranging from 2 to 90 %. It was found that the particle mass loading decreased by nearly an order of magnitude when RH increased from 2 to 75–90 % for low-NO x toluene SOA. The volatility distributions of the SOA compounds, estimated from the distribution of molecular formulas using the “molecular corridor” approach, confirmed that low-NO x toluene SOA became more volatile on average under high-RH conditions. In contrast, the effect of RH on SOA mass loading was found to be much smaller for high-NO x toluene SOA. The observed increase in the oligomer fraction and particle mass loading under dry conditions were attributed to the enhancement of condensation reactions, which produce water and oligomers from smaller compounds in low-NO x toluene SOA. The reduction in the fraction of oligomeric compounds under humid conditions is predicted to partly counteract the previously observed enhancement in the toluene SOA yield driven by the aerosol liquid water chemistry in deliquesced inorganic seed particles.
Sex-Based Citizenship Classifications and the 'New Rationality'

In the 2001 case, Nguyen v. INS, the United States Supreme Court purported to exercise intermediate scrutiny while upholding a sex-based citizenship classification. Yet, as many commentators — including the dissenting Justices — have pointed out, the scrutiny exercised in that case bore few of the hallmarks of heightened review. Rather than hold the government to a tight fit between statutory ends and means, the majority accepted stereotypes and post hoc rationalizations to uphold distinctions between mothers and fathers for purposes of transmitting derivative citizenship to their out-of-wedlock, foreign-born children. In the 2016 Term, in Lynch v. Morales-Santana, the Supreme Court again considers sex-based classifications in the context of U.S. citizenship law. At issue are the different physical presence requirements for mothers and fathers imposed as a prerequisite to sharing derivative citizenship. Again, those seeking relief from the statute’s discriminatory requirements will argue for intermediate scrutiny. Yet intermediate scrutiny is not the only standard for evaluating sex-based citizenship laws. “Rational basis with bite” has attracted increasing attention in recent years, being utilized in a series of decisions striking down classifications based on sexual orientation. This article will examine sex-based citizenship challenges, including Nguyen and Morales-Santana, through the lens of this new rational basis review. Arguments of irrationality have been successful in expanding individual rights based on sexual orientation and disability, among others. Other high courts and international governing bodies around the world have rejected sex-based citizenship laws as irrational. Perhaps this new rationality standard should be seriously developed as an approach to challenging the sex-based classifications that remain embedded in U.S. citizenship law.
Still a Fight to Get It Right: Verification in the Era of Machine Learning

We live in interesting times. Our systems have unprecedented levels of device integration. Analog and mixed signal components and devices form increasingly large parts of our designs built for low power and high flexibility. New architectures and models of computation that embrace variation like neuromorphic computing are a part of our horizon. Architectures specialized for neural networks and learning algorithms are being built as massive undertakings in contemporary industry as well as with hardware accelerators. Application specific hardware has seen a healthy resurgence for machine learning and vision applications. With all these innovations in architecture and design, how do we know if we're getting them right? As designs get more complicated, the``price of the lunch'' is paid by verification complexity. We have always aspired to build systems we don't know to check. That problem is going to get much more challenging for systems of the future. What does it mean to verify these massively integrated systems, with new features, new models of computation, non-traditional architectures and new applications? How do we characterize, define, execute and sign off on the correctness of the most complex systems known to humans? This paper touches upon these questions and presents challenges in these systems of the future.
Utilization of Supercapacitors in Protection Schemes for Resiliency Against Communication Outages: A Case Study on Size and Cost Optimization

Adaptive protection techniques used for a microgrid rely on a stable communication link to and from protective devices at the point of common coupling to adjust the settings within these corresponding devices for either a grid-connected or islanded mode of operation. However, during communication outages or in the event of a cyberattack, relays’ settings are not changed. Thus, adaptive protection schemes are rendered unsuccessful. Due to their fast response, supercapacitors, which are present in the microgrid to feed pulsed loads, could also be utilized to enhance the resiliency of adaptive protection schemes against communication outages. Proper sizing of the supercapacitors is therefore important in order to maintain a stable system operation and the cost of the protection scheme. This paper presents a two-level optimization scheme for minimizing the supercapacitor size along with optimizing its controllers’ parameters. The latter will lead to a reduction of the supercapacitor fault current contribution and an increase in that of other ac resources in the microgrid in the extreme case of having a fault occurring simultaneously with a pulsed load. It was also shown that the size of the supercapacitor can be reduced if the pulsed load is temporarily disconnected during the transient fault period. Simulation results showed that the resulting supercapacitor size and the optimized controller parameters were feeding enough fault currents for several types of faults in different locations and minimizing the cost of the protection scheme. Experimental results on a hardware microgrid setup validated the simulation results.
Connections that moderate risk of non-suicidal self-injury among transgender and gender non-conforming youth.

Abstract We examined associations between social connections and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth. Data came from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 2168). Logistic regression analyses determined connectedness factors associated with any past-year NSSI and repetitive NSSI, as well as moderating effects of significant connectedness factors on different risk factors. Almost 55% of TGNC students engaged in NSSI, and 40% of self-injurers reported repetitive self-injury. Parent connectedness, connections to non-parental adults, and school safety emerged as robust protective factors. Strategies to prevent/reduce NSSI should focus on fostering connections with prosocial adults, and ensuring schools represent safe places.
A Layman’s Guide to the Reprint Collection

Bias Cabrera and Vladimir Kresin asked me to include in this volume a selection of my papers. Whenever I have seen this done in the past with other authors, I have wanted to know something more of the background to the papers chosen. Why those papers were chosen and what led up to the work reported in them. The papers themselves are largely stripped of history, so to correct for this, I thought it would be interesting to provide something of a commentary, to give a feel for the context in which the work was done and what inspired them. We have lived in exciting times and I would like to convey some of this excitement to the reader, reading this today. In addition, this brief commentary might save the casual reader the necessity of reading all the papers !
POOL: A semantic model for approximate reasoning and its application in decision support

Abstract:POOL—A Semantic Model for Approximate Reasoning—is based on the theory of linguistic fuzzy relations (lfr) and linguistic similarity relations (lsr). The proposed model combines the advantages of linguistic representation and numerical computation. Hence, it can facilitate knowledge representation and approximate reasoning for object/concept relation modeling especially in an environment containing imprecision, ambiguity, and/or uncertainty, which is often the case faced by knowledge engineers in building decision support systems.
Future of Personalized Cardiovascular Medicine: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Abstract Previous decades have seen significant progress in the biological understanding of cardiovascular disease, as well as major advances in computational and information technologies. However, anticipated improvements in outcomes, quality, and cost of cardiovascular medicine at the individual and population levels from these advances have lagged expectations. Further, trends showing widening gaps in the pace of technological development and its successful uptake and application in practice suggests that substantial systemic changes are needed. Recent declines in key U.S. health outcomes have added further urgency to seek scalable approaches that deliver the right treatment to the right patient and to develop information-driven policies that improve health. The clinical care and research enterprises are currently in the midst of assimilating changes entrained by a “fourth industrial revolution” marked by the convergence of biology, physical sciences, and information science. These changes, if managed appropriately, can simultaneously enable cost-effective personalized medical care as well as more effective and targeted population health interventions. In this paper derived from a lecture in honor of cardiologist Paul Dudley White, the author explores how White’s prescient insights into prevention and treatment continue to resonate today as we seek to assimilate ubiquitous computing, sophisticated sensor technologies, and bidirectional digital communication into the practice of cardiology. How the ongoing acceleration in basic science and information technologies can be wedded to the principles articulated by White as we pursue scalable approaches to personalized medicine is also examined.
Use Cases for Evaluation of Machine Based Situation Awareness

Situation awareness (SA) is important both for human decision making and for complex automated decision making. The presumption is that improving the accuracy of SA will lead to better decisions. While there has been significant research on measuring the accuracy of human SA, there has not been as much work on machine-based SA. Unlike humans, complex systems have many levels of decision making that may operate independently and may run at very different timescales. The accuracy of SA for each decision making process, determined in isolation, need not contribute to overall system performance. Moreover, achieving more accurate SA may require devoting resources that are disproportionate to the benefits. We propose that one should focus on the net value of SA to the system rather than simply on the accuracy. In this article, we present some use cases for determining the value of machine-based SA. The purpose is to illustrate how one can quantitatively evaluate SA so that one can optimize important issues for automated decision making processes such as system performance and stability.
Health Insurance and Disparities in Mortality among Older Survivors of Critical Illness: A Population Study.

Objectives The 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who survive intensive care each year have a high post-hospitalization mortality rate. We aimed to determine whether mortality after critical illness is higher for Medicare beneficiaries with Medicaid compared with those with commercial insurance. Design A retrospective cohort study from 2010 through 2014 with 1 year of follow-up using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Setting A New York State population-based study of older (age ≥65 y) survivors of intensive care. Participants Adult Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years or older who were hospitalized with intensive care at a New York State hospital and survived to discharge. Intervention None. Measurement Mortality in the first year after hospital discharge. Results The study included 340 969 Medicare beneficiary survivors of intensive care with a mean (standard deviation) age of 77 (8) years; 20% died within 1 year. There were 152 869 (45%) with commercial insurance, 78 577 (23%) with Medicaid, and 109 523 (32%) with Medicare alone. Compared with those with commercial insurance, those with Medicare alone had a similar 1-year mortality rate (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .99-1.04), and those with Medicaid had a 9% higher 1-year mortality rate (aHR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.05-1.12). Among those discharged home, the 1-year mortality rate did not vary by insurance coverage, but among those discharged to skilled-care facilities (SCFs), the 1-year mortality rate was 16% higher for Medicaid recipients (aHR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.12-1.21; P for interaction Conclusions Older adults with Medicaid insurance have a higher 1-year post-hospitalization mortality compared with those with commercial insurance, especially among those discharged to SCFs. Future studies should investigate care disparities at SCFs that may mediate these higher mortality rates. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2497-2504, 2019.
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Formulary Restrictions After Postmarket FDA Black Box Warnings.

BACKGROUND: The boxed warning (also known as ”black box warning”) is one of the FDA’s strongest safety actions for pharmaceuticals. After the FDA issues black box warnings for drugs, prescribing ch...
Application of resampling techniques to estimate exact significance levels for covariate selection during nonlinear mixed effects model building: some inferences.

Purpose. One of the main objectives of the nonlinear mixed effects modeling is to provide rational individualized dosing strategies by explaining the interindividual variability using intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors (covariates). The aim of the current study was to evaluate, using computer simulations and real data, methods for estimating the exact significance level for including or excluding a covariate during model building.
Ribosome biogenesis is a downstream effector of the oncogenic U2AF1-S34F mutation

U2 Small Nuclear RNA Auxiliary Factor 1 (U2AF1) forms a heterodimeric complex with U2AF2 that is responsible for 39 splice site selection. U2AF1 mutations have been identified in Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, the most common of which is a single missense substitution of serine-34 to phenylalanine (S34F). However, there is no clear set of splicing alterations which explain the tumorigenic role of the U2AF1-S34F mutation. Previously, we reported that the U2AF1-S34F mutation enhances the translation of U2AF1 target mRNAs which are enriched for ribosome biogenesis factors. Among the translationally upregulated targets of U2AF1-S34F are Nucleophosmin1 (NPM1) and Importin 7 (IPO7). Here we report that U2AF1-S34F promotes global mRNA translation. Depletion of NPM1 or IPO7 impairs the viability of wt/S34F cells, and the cells have a lower proliferative capacity and suffer rRNA processing defects. Our results indicate an unanticipated connection between U2AF1, NPM1, ribosome biogenesis.
Utilizing Full UHPC Compressive Strength in Steel Reinforced UHPC Beams

Steel reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (R/UHPC) flexural members commonly fail by fracture of the steel reinforcement after crack localization rather than crushing of the cement-based matrix as expected in traditional reinforced concrete. When failing after crack localization, R/UHPC specimens show low drift capacity and the high composite compressive strength is not utilized. In an effort to develop design approaches that might fully utilize the high compressive strength of UHPC and guarantee a minimum drift capacity, this study investigates anR/UHPC flexural element failing by crushing. Four-point bending tests are performed on two R/UHPC beams that are designed to fail in one case after crack localization and in the other after UHPC crushing. Experimental measurements include load, mid-span deflection, UHPC surface strain, and reinforcement strain. Surface strains are used to characterize compressive zone behavior for an ultimate strength prediction. Test results demonstrate that theR/UHPC specimen that failed after crushing had a larger drift capacity than the R/UHPC specimen that failed by fracture of the reinforcement after crack localization. The maximum compressive strain in the UHPC at crushing was measured to be 0.0065,at which point the reinforcement had significantly strain hardened. The observed compressive zone behavior and reinforcement behavior are incorporated into a new proposed strength prediction method.
Two Cases of Graves’ Hyperthyroidism Treated With Homeopathic Remedies Containing Herbal Extracts from Lycopus spp. and Melissa officinalis

Background: Plant extracts from species of Lycopus (bugleweed) and Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) have long been used as folk remedies in the treatment of hyperthyroidism1. In vitro studies have shown that extracts from bugleweed and lemon balm inhibit stimulation of thyroid hormone production by both TSH and Graves’ antibodies1. An in vivo study in rats showed that oral bugleweed extract alters extra-thyroidal T4 conversion2. Case 1: A 64 year-old woman presented for routine examination and was found to have a TSH of 0.01 mIU/L on 6/6/2016. Labs the next month showed FT4 1.4ng/dL (0.8-1.8) and FT3 4.7pg/mL (2.3-4.2). TSI was elevated to 275% (Normal<140%), consistent with Graves’. She did not have symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The patient’s cat had been treated for hyperthyroidism with Thyrosoothe (TS), a formulation containing extracts from bugleweed and lemon balm. After being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, the patient began taking TS. On 9/12/16 the patient’s labs were improved with TSH 0.02mIU/L, FT4 0.88 ng/dL (0.8-1.8) and Total T3 86 (76-181). Three months later, the patient’s TSH was 1.89 with normal FT4, Total T3 and TSI. She took TS for 9 months. Her thyroid function tests have remained normal since starting TS, without the need for any other anti-thyroid medications. Case 2: A 46 year-old female presented with periorbital edema in July 2018 and was referred to an ophthalmologist, who diagnosed her with thyroid eye disease. She was also complaining of palpitations and “jitteriness”. She was found to be hyperthyroid on labs and was treated with methimazole (MMI) between August 2018 and February 2019, requiring doses of up to 10mg BID. In March 2019 she stopped MMI due to transaminitis and began taking a thyroid tincture containing bugleweed and lemon balm extract. She has remained euthyroid on the herbal tincture, her transaminitis has resolved, and she has not required any further anti-thyroid medication. Her TSI, which was 0.84 IU/L (Normal<0.55) in May 2019, normalized to 0.36 IU/L in June 2020, after 15 months on this tincture, which she is still taking. Conclusion: In vitro and rat studies of bugleweed and lemon balm extract have demonstrated anti-thyroidal effects. This is the first report of the use of these plant extracts in the treatment of two patients with Graves’ disease, in whom it led to restoration of euthyroidism and normalization of TSI titers. Further study of the anti-thyroidal effects of bugleweed and lemon balm in humans is warranted to evaluate its potential role as an adjunctive therapy in Graves’ disease.References: 1. Auf’Mkolk, M., et al. “Extracts and Auto-Oxidized Constituents of Certain Plants Inhibit the Receptor-Binding and the Biological Activity of Graves’ Igs*.” Endocrinology, vol. 116, no. 5, May 1985, pp. 1687–93. 2. Winterhoff, H., et al. “Endocrine Effects of Lycopus Europaeus L. Following Oral Application.” Arzneim. Forsch., vol. I, no. 44, 1944.
Idcube Lite – A Free Interactive Discovery Cube Software for Multi And Hyperspectral Applications

Multi- and hyperspectral imaging modalities encompass a growing number of spectral techniques that find many applications in geospatial, biomedical and machine vision fields. The rapidly increasing number of applications requires a convenient easy-to-navigate software that can be used by new and experienced users to analyze data, develop, apply, and deploy novel algorithms. Herein, we present our platform, IDCube that performs essential operations in hyperspectral data analysis to realize the full potential of spectral imaging. The strength of the software lies in its interactive features that enable the users to optimize parameters and obtain visual input for the user. The entire software can be operated without any prior programming skills allowing interactive sessions of raw and processed data. IDCube Lite, a free version of the software described in the paper, has many benefits compared to existing packages and offers structural flexibility to discover new hidden features.
Construction of Kleinian Groups

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a special case of the following Conjecture. Let D be a plane domain, and let G he a group of conformai autohomeomorphisms of D. Then there exists a schlicht function f, mapping D onto a plane domain D’, so that every element of f o G o f -1 is a Mobius transformation.
Core self-evaluation can help in making better recruitment and selection choices

Purpose – Describes and explains features of the measure named core self-evaluation (CSE). Reviews current information and research concerning CSE and its value in identifying potential employees who have personal dispositions that are typically desired in an employment setting. Offers suggestions for business people. Design/methodology/approach – Examines research and opinion for the past several years. Summarizes information to help business people regarding the content and linkages of the CSE measure. Findings – Explains that, in the past 15 years, a body of more than 150 research studies has reliably established that the personality measure CSE has many positive linkages with valued employee attitudes and/or behavior such as job performance; voluntary, helpful employee behavior; job satisfaction; and life satisfaction. Practical implications – Reveals that the measure – a short, 12-item survey – has strong statistical properties per validity and reliability and is economical, is easy to administer and score and provides an added dimension to what we may learn about job applicants. Social implications – Advances the view that the use of the measure seems underrepresented in the human resource management field. Originality/value – Gives an overview and summary of recent research and opinion with regard to the CSE measure that is not readily available in other sources. While the measure of CSF is not an iron-clad predictor of employee attitudes and performance, the measure connects with many very positive personal characteristics that are usually valued in organizations.
The Fourth Paradigm: Data-Intensive Scientific Discovery

This presentation will set out the eScience agenda by explaining the current scientific data deluge and the case for a “Fourth Paradigm” for scientific exploration. Examples of data intensive science will be used to illustrate the explosion of data and the associated new challenges for data capture, curation, analysis, and sharing. The role of cloud computing, collaboration services, and research repositories will be discussed.
Review of "Atlas of EEG, Seizure Semiology, and Management, Second Edition," by Karl E. Misulis

Atlas of EEG, Seizure Semiology, and Management is a revised version of the previous first edition Atlas of EEG & Seizure Semiology. In the preface, the author mentions that “…it has been five year...
Book Review of Philip K. Howard, Life Without Lawyers: Restoring Responsibility in America

Contrary to its title, Philip K. Howard’s Life Without Lawyers is not an anti-lawyer screed. It does not argue for a society without lawyers and suggests only in passing that America has too many lawyers. A more apt title would be “Life Without Rules” or maybe “Life Without Law.” Howard argues that America’s enormous inventory of laws and bureaucratic rules is crippling society by making it impossible for people and institutions to do their jobs effectively. In his opinion, the primary reason is because they live in fear of potential legal consequences. He asserts that the rights-explosion of the 1960s has led to a rights-obsessed, risk-averse culture that overvalues individual rights to the detriment of broader communitarian interests. His principal solution is to grant judges and administrators more discretion to make decisions without the necessity of having a legally supportable record to back up their decisions. McClurg’s review contains some critique, but concludes overall that Howard’s book is a powerful one that is worth reading.
Abstract 16004: The Prognostic Value of Automatically Detected Early Repolarization - A Focus on Hispanics

Introduction: Early repolarization (ER) associated with sudden cardiac death is based on the presence of >1mm J-point elevations in inferior and/or lateral leads with horizontal/downsloping ST-segments. Automated ECG readings of early repolarization (AER) obtained in clinical practice, on the other hand, are defined by ST segment elevation (ascending/upsloping ST-segments) in addition to J-point elevation. Nonetheless, such automated readings may cause alarm. Methods: We therefore assessed the prevalence and prognostic significance of AER in 238,456 individuals aged 18-75 years. The study was performed at a tertiary medical center serving a racially diverse urban population with a large proportion of Hispanics (43%). The first recorded ECG of each individual during 2000-2012 was included. Patients with ventricular paced rhythm or acute coronary syndrome at the time of acquisition were excluded from the analysis. All automated ECG interpretations were reviewed for accuracy by a board certified cardiologist. The primary endpoint was death during a median follow up of 8.0±2.6 years. Results: AER was present in 3,450 (1.6%) subjects. The prevalence varied significantly with race: African Americans 2.2%, Caucasians 0.9%, and Hispanics 1.5% (p<0.01), and sex: male 2.4% vs. female 0.6% (p<0.001). In a Cox-proportional Hazards model (Figure 1) controlling for age, smoking status, heart rate, QTc, systolic blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, BMI, and CAD, there was no significant difference in mortality regardless of race or sex (RR 0.98 (95% CI: 0.89-1.07). This was true even if J-waves were present. Conclusion: The prevalence of AER in Hispanics was intermediate to that of African Americans and Caucasians. This ECG finding was not associated with an increased risk of death, regardless of race or sex, and should not trigger additional diagnostic testing. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Coordinating Garbage Collectionfor Arrays of Solid-State Drives

Although solid-state drives (SSDs) offer significant performance improvements over hard disk drives (HDDs) for a number of workloads, they can exhibit substantial variance in request latency and throughput as a result of garbage collection (GC). When GC conflicts with an I/O stream, the stream can make no forward progress until the GC cycle completes. GC cycles are scheduled by logic internal to the SSD based on several factors such as the pattern, frequency, and volume of write requests. When SSDs are used in a RAID with currently available technology, the lack of coordination of the SSD-local GC cycles amplifies this performance variance. We propose a global garbage collection (GGC) mechanism to improve response times and reduce performance variability for a RAID of SSDs. We include a high-level design of SSD-aware RAID controller and GGC-capable SSD devices and algorithms to coordinate the GGC cycles. We develop reactive and proactive GC coordination algorithms and evaluate their I/O performance and block erase counts for various workloads. Our simulations show that GC coordination by a reactive scheme improves average response time and reduces performance variability for a wide variety of enterprise workloads. For bursty, write-dominated workloads, response time was improved by 69 percent and performance variability was reduced by 71 percent. We show that a proactive GC coordination algorithm can further improve the I/O response times by up to 9 percent and the performance variability by up to 15 percent. We also observe that it could increase the lifetimes of SSDs with some workloads (e.g., Financial) by reducing the number of block erase counts by up to 79 percent relative to a reactive algorithm for write-dominant enterprise workloads.
Role of Vitamin K in the Synthesis of Clotting Factors

The discovery of vitamin K in the mid-1930s grew out of experiments by Henrik Dam on the possible essentiality of cholesterol in the diet of the chick. Dam was investigating reports that chicks did not thrive on diets that had been extracted with nonpolar solvents to remove the sterols; he noted that in such animals subdural or muscular hemorrhages developed and that blood taken from these animals clotted slowly. It was shown in these initial experiments that the addition of cholesterol, lemon juice, yeast, or cod liver oil to the diet did not decrease the incidence of this lesion. The disease was subsequently observed by others, and a period followed during which attempts were made by various groups to identify the active component of the diet. Dam continued to study the distribution and lipid solubility of the active component in vegetable and animal sources, and proposed that the antihemorrhagic vitamin of the chick was a new fat-soluble vitamin, which he called vitamin K (Dam, 1935). K was the first letter of the German word koagulation and was also the first letter of the alphabet which had not been used to describe an existing or postulated vitamin activity at that time. Dam’s report of the discovery of a new vitamin was followed by an independent report by Almquist and Stokstad (1935), which described their success in curing the disease with ether extracts of alfalfa and clearly pointed out that microbial action in fish meal and bran preparations could lead to the development of antihemorrhagic activity.
Japanese buyers attitudes toward U.S. supply sources

Abstract This paper reports the findings of a mail survey of Japanese industrial buyers. Attitudes toward U.S. companies as supply sources were measured. Generally, Japanese buyers hold favorable attitudes but feel that U.S. firms do not practice the marketing concept in their international marketing efforts.
High-data-rate ultrasonic through-metal communication

A link-adaptive frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) ultrasonic physical layer is proposed for high-datarate communications through metal walls. The ultrasonic link allows for communication without physical penetration of the metal barrier. Link-adaptive OFDM mitigates the severe frequency- selective fading of the ultrasonic channel and greatly improves throughput over impulse or narrowband communication systems. Throughput improvements of 300% are demonstrated over current narrowband low-frequency techniques, and show improved spectral efficiency over high-frequency techniques found in the literature.
Core decompression of the distal radius for the treatment of Kienböck's disease: a biomechanical study.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effect of core decompression of the distal radius for the treatment of Kienbock's disease. Methods In 7 fresh cadaver upper extremities, axial loads were applied and the pressure in the radiocarpal joint measured using pressure-sensitive film before and after core decompression of the distal radius. Results Biomechanically, the stiffness of the distal forearm statistically decreased significantly from 229.4 N/mm to 198.6 N/mm after core decompression. No or minimal changes in the distribution of the force in each radiocarpal fossa and ulnocarpal fossa, the area of contact in each fossa, and the location of the centroid of force were observed. Conclusions Core decompression of the distal radius in the setting of Kienbock's disease has been documented good clinical outcomes, yet the biomechanical analysis of this surgical technique does not demonstrate obvious unloading of the lunate.
Evaluation of a Health and Fitness Social Media Experience

Abstract Background: University health and fitness faculty members are continually striving to enhance the health knowledge of their students. Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to survey student reflections of a social media experience. Methods: Students were placed into one of two groups: Learners (N = 92) or Pre-Service Health and Fitness Professionals (N = 35). The interaction with social media began when Learners posted health and fitness questions to a Facebook group site. Survey questionnaires were given to all participants. Results: The responses of the Learner group revealed that 51.1% believed long-term use of a social media site benefit their fitness routine. A supporting Learner response, “I feel more informed and aware of proper fitness.” The responses of the Pre-Service Health and Fitness Professionals group revealed that 52.9% learned from peers. A supporting PSHFP response, “I learned that some of my peers are quick to establish more ways to improve a workout…” Discussion: Both Le...
Structural Elements of an Orphan Nuclear Receptor–DNA Complex

Abstract The nuclear hormone receptors form the largest known family of transcription factors. The current notion of receptor DNA discrimination, based solely on one major type of hexameric half-site and a highly conserved 66-residue core DNA-binding domain (DBD), does not adequately describe how more than 150 nonsteroid receptors differentiate among response elements. Here, we describe the 2.3 A crystal structure of the DNA-binding region of the orphan receptor RevErb arranged as a tandem homodimer on its optimal response element. The structure reveals the presence of a second major protein–DNA interface adjacent to the classical one involving the half-sites. A sequence comparison of orphan receptors suggests that unique minor-groove interactions involving the receptor hinge regions impart the necessary DNA and dimerization specificity.
Electronic mail for geophysicists

Electronic mail (e‐mail for short) originated as a way for computer users to send message files to other users on the same computer system. E‐mail’s usefulness has greatly increased today because so many of the world’s computers are connected to networks. A network can be as humble as one between two machines in a room, or as big as a globe‐spanning behemoth linking tens of thousands of machines at US military bases around the world. Whatever their size, more and more local networks are now interconnected with other networks. The link can be as inexpensive as the Unix program UUCP, a simple‐minded automatic program that uses a modem to call up other computers on the telephone, or as fancy as special‐purpose gateway hardware linking multiple fiber‐optic networks.
Strategic and deterrent pricing responses to antitrust investigations

Abstract This paper examines the issue of the effects of antitrust on pricing through two empirical studies. The first analyzes time series of prices in five industries involved in antitrust cases to determine whether the various stages of the antitrust process influenced pricing behavior. Some evidence of a ‘deterrent’ effect is found, with real prices lower than their pre-investigation level following the conclusion of the case; a major part of the pricing reaction occurs prior to the filing of formal charges. The second study provides additional evidence of the existence of such a ‘strategic’ reaction to the onset of investigation through an examination of prices in 23 industries investigated but not charged with price fixing.
Transmembrane molecular transport during versus after extremely large, nanosecond electric pulses

Recently there has been intense and growing interest in the non-thermal biological effects of nanosecond electric pulses, particularly apoptosis induction. These effects have been hypothesized to result from the widespread creation of small, lipidic pores in the plasma and organelle membranes of cells (supra-electroporation) and, more specifically, ionic and molecular transport through these pores. Here we show that transport occurs overwhelmingly after pulsing. First, we show that the electrical drift distance for typical charged solutes during nanosecond pulses (up to 100 ns), even those with very large magnitudes (up to 10 MV/m), ranges from only a fraction of the membrane thickness (5 nm) to several membrane thicknesses. This is much smaller than the diameter of a typical cell (∼16 μm), which implies that molecular drift transport during nanosecond pulses is necessarily minimal. This implication is not dependent on assumptions about pore density or the molecular flux through pores. Second, we show that molecular transport resulting from post-pulse diffusion through minimum-size pores is orders of magnitude larger than electrical drift-driven transport during nanosecond pulses. While field-assisted charge entry and the magnitude of flux favor transport during nanosecond pulses, these effects are too small to overcome the orders of magnitude more time available for post-pulse transport. Therefore, the basic conclusion that essentially all transmembrane molecular transport occurs post-pulse holds across the plausible range of relevant parameters. Our analysis shows that a primary direct consequence of nanosecond electric pulses is the creation (or maintenance) of large populations of small pores in cell membranes that govern post-pulse transmembrane transport of small ions and molecules.
Microradiography of the mineralization pattern in developing teeth of the frog, Rana pipiens.

Abstract Thin ground buccolingual sections of teeth at different developmental stages were examined microradiographically. To compare radiographie and light microscopic images, the sections were demineralized and examined with phase contrast optics. The earliest radiographie evidence of enamel mineralization was a narrow band of uniformly radiodense matrix along the dentine-enamel junction (DEJ) at the labial surfaces of the cusps. Its radiodensity was less than that of the underlying dentine. As the enamel layer increased in thickness, the matrix adjacent to the DEJ increased in radiodensity, becoming greater than that of the dentine. This radio-dense band gradually spread toward the surface of the enamel. The enamel matrix was acid-insoluble in this stage. Simultaneously, the lingual dentine surfaces exhibited less density than circumpulpal dentine. Teeth in the late stage of development had an even pattern of radiodensity in the enamel significantly greater than that of the underlying dentine, and the enamel matrix was acid soluble. The previously less-radiodense dentine at the lingual surfaces of the cusps exhibited increased radiodensity at the late stage, but less than the underlying dentine; in erupted teeth, there was no difference in radiodensity between the two. Enamel mineralization in the frog appears to follow a pattern similar to that in mammals; the lingual surface layers of frog coronal dentine mineralize later than the circumpulpal dentine.
Interferometric analysis of nanostructured surface profiles: correcting material-dependent phase shifts

We present a technique to correct interferometry for the material-dependent phase shift that accompanies reflection. Such corrections are needed for nanometer accuracy of surfaces that are not of homogeneous composition. We adapt the general theory of reflection from surfaces in which there are irregular and unresolved areas of several materials to treat the specific case in which only two materials are present, as is the case for many practical applications. We show, for the approximation of a large numerical aperture that collects all reflected light, how measurements of three quantities, together with known values of the optical constants, allow determination of the material-dependent phase shift at each position on the surface. We demonstrate with numerical simulation, appropriate to measuring a surface of alumina in which optically unresolved titanium carbide granules are embedded, that our approach also succeeds, with nanometer accuracy, when the numerical aperture is small. The method is discussed for use with a miniature interferometric phase sensor, but it has application to any interferometer.
Triage and Outcome of Patients with Mediastinal Penetrating Trauma

Background A retrospective study was conducted detailing an experience with echocardiography and contrast-enhanced helical computed tomographic angiographic (CTA) scans in the evaluation of stable patients with mediastinal penetrating trauma (MPT). Methods Unstable patients underwent emergent operative intervention, and stable patients underwent chest roentgenogram, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and CTA. Further testing (angiogram, bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, esophagogram) was done only if one of these studies revealed evidence of a trajectory in the vicinity of major vasculature or viscera. Results Between 1997 and 2003, 207 patients had MPT. Seventy-two (35%) were unstable (45 gun shot wounds, 27 stab wounds) and 19 died in the emergency department. Fifty-three had emergent intervention and 32 survived. Work-up was done on 135 stable patients (65%) consisting of 46 gunshot wounds and 89 stab wounds, of which 5 had a positive TTE result and underwent a repair of a cardiac injury. CTA evaluation was normal in almost 80% of patients, who subsequently did not require further evaluation or treatment. In the stable patients, endoscopy or esophagography confirmed one tracheal injury and no esophageal injury. In the entire group, 10 patients (7%) had occult injury, and there were no deaths or missed injuries. Conclusions In cases of MPT, unstable patients require surgery, and in stable patients, TTE and chest CTA are effective screening tools. Patients with a negative TTE and CTA results can be observed and may not require further testing or endoscopy, whereas patients with positive TTE or CTA results require further assessment to exclude occult injury.
Modulation of antibody synthesis by cholera exotoxin: influence on helper thymocytes.

Abstract This report demonstrates that a major biological influence of cholera exotoxin (CT) on antibody formation to sheep erythrocytes is mediated by the toxin's influence on the helper function of thymic lymphocytes. Hemolytic plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses for lethally X-irradiated mice repopulated with isologous thymus-marrow cell suspensions were stimulated three- to fivefold when 1.0 μg CT was administered at cell transfer. For mice given marrow cells only, CT did not elevate the PFC response; however, CT stimulated as many PFC in spleens of mice given marrow and 1 × 10 7 thymus cells as mice given marrow and 4 × 10 7 thymus cells. In other transfer experiments, depressed PFC responses were observed when irradiated mice were given marrow and thymus cells from donor mice inoculated with CT 24 hr prior to cell preparation and infusion, or given marrow cells from normal mice and thymus cells from CT-treated mice. In contrast, mice given marrow from CT-treated mice and thymus cells from normal mice responded as well as mice repopulated with normal thymus-marrow cell suspensions.
Effectiveness of Four School Health Education Projects Upon Substance Use, Self-Esteem, and Adolescent Stress

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of school health education projects on substance use, self-esteem, and stress. The subjects were 161 adolescents in fifth through eighth grades in four school health education projects funded through the Ohio Department of Health. Data collection included pretest/post test questionnaires on self-report use of tobacco products, alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. In addition, the Hare Self-Esteem and the Adolescent Stress Sympto mology Scales were utilized. There was a six-week interval between pretest and post test administration. MANCOVA, with age as a covariate, was used to compare pretest/ posttest scores for self-esteem and stress symptomology. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with project staff about the educational methodology of their inter vention. The results revealed that the predominate educational method used by the projects was lecture/discussion. There were no significant differences between pretest/ posttest question...