cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value-Driven Creation of Functionality in Software Projects: Optimal Sequencing and Reuse

We study the problem of optimally sequencing the creation of elements in a software project to optimize a time-weighted value objective. As elements are created, certain parts of the system (referred to as “groups”) become functional and provide value, even though the entire system has not been completed. The main tradeoff in the sequencing problem arises from elements that belong to multiple groups. On the one hand, creating groups with common elements early in the project reduces the effort required to build later functionality that uses these elements. On the other hand, the early creation of such groups can delay the release of some critical functionality. We formulate the element sequencing problem and propose a heuristic to solve it. This heuristic is compared against a lower bound developed for the problem. Next, we study a more general version of the element sequencing problem in which an element requires some effort to be made reusable. When a reusable element is used in another group, some more effort is needed to specialize the element to work as desired in that group. We study reuse decisions under a weighted completion time objective (i.e., the sum of the completion time of each group weighted by its value is minimized), and show how these decisions differ from those under a traditional makespan objective (i.e., only the final completion time of the project is minimized). A variety of analytical and numerical results are presented. The model is also implemented on data obtained from a real software project. A key finding of this work is that the optimal effort on reuse is never increased (typically lowered) when a weighted completion time objective is used. This finding has implications for managing reuse in projects in which user value influences the order in which functionality is created.
Harnessing Listeria monocytogenes to target tumors.

Because of its cytosolic localization, Listeria monocytogenes (LM) has long been considered an attractive tool for delivering tumor-associated antigens (TAA) antigens in vivoto combat cancer. LM directly infects antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), thereby delivering the TAA into their cytoplasm, resulting in processing, and presentation of the antigen to the immune system. This activates adaptive and innate immune responses to the TAA, mediating tumor cell cytolysis. Recently we discovered additional pathways by which Listeria can be harnessedto induce tumor cell death, which suggest new directions in the development of vaccines or therapies against cancer. In one approach, we have used Listeria to induce immune responses that destroy tumor vasculature. Another new pathway involves selective infection of cancer cells with Listeria, followed by tumor cell death through the production of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and through Listeria-spe...
Rhabdomyolysis: need for high index of suspicion

Rhabdomyolysis, both traumatic and nontraumatic, may be defined as a triad of skeletal muscle injury, pigmented urine, and acute renal failure. Nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis may be more of a subtle diagnosis and requires a high index of suspicion. Pertinent findings in the history as well as clinical evidence of muscle injury with a marked elevation of creatinine kinase will suggest the diagnosis. A disproportionate elevation of serum creatinine to blood urea nitrogen may also occur. Treatment consists of adequate hydration to help prevent oliguric or anuric renal failure without additional calcium or bicarbonate supplementation in most cases. Radiologic studies involving intravenous contrast media as well as urologic instrumentation should be avoided in the acute setting. With early diagnosis and prompt treatment the prognosis for recovery is excellent.
Application of nested PCR for diagnosis of histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that, although not endemic in Japan, has seen a rise in the number of Japanese cases since the mid-1980s. Diagnosis of the disease is not straightforward, and the main method of detection, fungal culture (which has biosafety-related issues), is of low sensitivity in general. Alternative methods that depend on antibody or antigen detection have had limited use. We have developed a histoplasmosis detection method based on PCR amplification of the Histoplasma capsulatum M antigen gene. We compared this method with fungal culture and serological diagnostic techniques. Among five cases that were finally diagnosed as histoplasmosis, the fungal culture method was only successful in identifying one such case. Although the presence of anti-H. capsulatum antibodies was confirmed in three cases, our PCR method identified four of five cases of histoplasmosis. The performance of our PCR method could not be compared with the antigen detection method, which is used in the United States but is not routinely used in Japan. However, the PCR method was shown to have high sensitivity and specificity for H. capsulatum. Although the number of histoplasmosis cases examined in this study was small, our data suggest that the molecular diagnosis technique has potential for increasing the reliability of histoplasmosis diagnosis when used in combination with established methods.
PRECISION MEASUREMENT MEETS ULTRAFAST CONTROL

Optical spectroscopy and frequency metrology at the highest level of precision and resolution are being greatly facilitated by the use of ultracold atoms and phase stabilized light in the form of both cw and ultrashort pulses. It is now possible to pursue simultaneously coherent control of quantum dynamics in the time domain and high precision measurements of global atomic structure in the frequency domain. These coherent light-based precision measurement capabilities may be extended to the XUV spectral region, where new possibilities and challenges lie for precise tests of fundamental physical principles.
Symmetrical bifunctional analogs of pharmacodynamically active substances.

A continuation of a previously reported study on the use of chloromethylation products in the preparation of substances of pharmacologic interest has resulted in the preparation of the following amidines: 4,4′-bis(amidinomethyl)-diphenyl ether, 1,3-bis(4-amidinomethylphenoxy)-propane, and 1,5-bis(4-amidinomethylphenoxy)-pentane. The following were also prepared: the bifunctional amino-ether, 4,4′-bis(2-diethylaminoethoxymethyl)-diphenyl ether; the bifunctional amine, 4,4′-bis(2-aminoethyl)-diphenyl ether; and the bifunctional imidazoline, 4,4′-bis(2-methylene-2-imidazoline)-diphenyl ether. The hydrochlorides of all the compounds prepared are being tested for pharmacologic evaluation.
Individual differences in process outcomes for verbal analogy and classification solution

Abstract Adult performance on verbal analogy and classification problems was assessed in terms of the outcomes of process execution. Measures were obtained for the accuracy of stem processing and subsequent alternative processing. The process-outcome measures obtained within each task accounted for overall performance scores and were differentially related to ability. This was shown by ability differences in the models accounting for subjects' overall accuracy and in the correlational patterns. Analogy and classification problem forms differed in the measures most important for predicting individual differences. Specifically, measures of alternative processing were more important in classification than analogy solution and application was shown to be important for analogy solution. In addition, common process-outcome measures showed the highest correlations across problem forms, consistent with the assumption that both induction tasks tap similar psychological processes. The results are discussed with respect to previous studies assessing commonality and individual differences among children in process-outcomes.
Local School Expenditures and Educational Quality: A Correlation Analysis

A MAJOR factor contributing to the viability of any community is the quality of its educational system. This factor takes on an added dimension in rural areas because many of today's national social problems are thought to be due to the inadequate elementary and secondary education provided to residents of rural areas. Urban problems have been compounded by the migration of poorly educated workers from rural America. And, at the same time, efforts to develop rural economies and reverse the population flow are often hindered by low quality schools. To compound the problems, as rural communities have declined the resources necessary for providing adequate education to the remaining residents have diminished and the quality of the school system has continued to deteriorate. Because of its importance, there has been considerable research done on ways to measure and improve education. Many have focused on the field of educational finance, assuming that the amount a school district spends has a very strong impact on the quality of the local school system. Benchmark surveys have been made showing national or regional differences in spending for education. Attempts have also been made to determine which social and economic characteristics are associated with increased levels of spending for education, such as those of Miner [2] and Shapiro [4]. Finally, there have been attempts to determine whether economies of scale exist for education, and if they do, to determine the optimum size school. Both Hansen [1] and Riew [3] have completed this type of study. A major problem facing all research in this field has been obtaining an adequate measure of the quality of the local educational system. Usually researchers have been forced to assume that per capita or per pupil expenditures bear some direct relationship to education quality and to continue their research on that assumption. There has, however, been almost no testing of the hypothesis that expenditure per pupil or expenditure per capita is a useful and accurate measure of the quality of education. This paper reports the results of a test of the assumption that per pupil expenditure bears a significant relationship to educational quality. In addition, the relationships between several alternative measures of expenditure and educational quality were examined.
Employee Positive Emotion and Favorable Outcomes at the Workplace

This paper draws on writings in psychology, sociology and organizational behavior to develop a conceptual framework that specifies how positive emotion helps employees obtain favorable outcomes at work. We propose that feeling and expressing positive emotions on the job have favorable consequences on: 1 employees independent of their relationships with others e.g., greater persistence, 2 reactions of others to employees e.g., "halo," or overgeneralization to other desirable traits, and 3 reactions of employees to others e.g., helping others. These three sets of intervening processes are proposed, in turn, to lead to work achievement, job enrichment and a higher quality social context. A partial test of this framework is made in an 18-month study of 272 employees. Results indicate that positive emotion on the job at time 1 is associated with evidence of work achievement more favorable supervisor evaluations and higher pay and a supportive social context more support from supervisors and coworkers at time 2. But positive emotion at time 1 is not significantly associated with job enrichment at time 2.
Transition of Temporary Concrete Barrier

The objective of this research was to design a transition from temporary concrete barriers to a permanent concrete barrier for median applications. The researchers at Midwest Roadside Safety Facility utilized a combination of free-standing and tied-down Kansas temporary concrete barriers and a dual-nested thrie beam for the transition to the single-slope permanent barrier as well as a transition cap. Two full-scale vehicle crash tests were performed on the system. Evaluation of the approach transition required testing at two Critical Impact Point (CIP) locations. The first tests was performed using a half-ton pickup truck that impacted the temporary barriers 1,432 mm upstream from the permanent barrier, at a speed and angle of 100.7 km/h and 24.7 degrees, respectively. The second crash test was also performed using a half-ton truck that impacted the temporary barriers 16.6 m upstream from the permanent barrier, at a speed and angle of 100.1 km/h and 26.2 degrees, respectively. Both tests were conducted and reported in accordance with requirements specified in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) and were determined to be acceptable according to the Test Level 3 (TL-3) evaluation criteria.
Somatic stimuli, spinal pathways, and size of cutaneous fibers influencing unit activity in the medial medulary reticular formation ☆

Abstract Analysis of unit activity in the medial medullary reticular formation of unanesthetized, decerebrate and decereballate cats showed that: (i) 66% of the units responding to natural somatic stimuli were influenced only by firm pinching of skin folds or by heavy pressure over some part of their receptive fields; (ii) 86% of the units responding to electrical stimulation of cutaneous nerves required volleys containing both A and A-delta fibers for maximum response; (iii) unit responses to nerve volleys including A-delta fibers could be maintained above 70% of maximum levels even though anodal polarization of the nerve had produced differential block of the larger A fibers; (iv) somatically evoked potentials and unit discharge could be markedly reduced or eliminated by section of the ventolateral spinal cord quadrants, but high cervical section of dorsal and dorsolateral fascicles had no effect; and (v) evoked potentials and unit discharge could be elicited by stimulation in the dorsomedial mid-brain tegmentum and by stimulation of the caudal, but not rostral, cut end of the dorsal columns sectioned between C1 and C2. These findings suggest that a neural population in the medial medullary reticular formation is part of a system subserving responses to noxious stimuli.
Mechanical and thermal properties of hierarchical composites enhanced by pristine graphene and graphene oxide nanoinclusions

Epoxy resin nanocomposites incorporated with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt % pristine graphene and modified graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes were produced and used to fabricate carbon fiber-reinforced and glass fiber-reinforced composite panels via vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. Mechanical and thermal properties of the composite panels—called hierarchical graphene composites—were determined according to ASTM standards. It was observed that the studied properties were improved consistently by increasing the amount of nanoinclusions. Particularly, in the presence of 4 wt % GO in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 15% (21%), 34% (84%), and 40% (68%), respectively. Likewise, with inclusion of 4 wt % pristine graphene in the resin, tensile modulus, compressive strength, and flexural modulus of carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites were improved 11% (7%), 30% (77%), and 34% (58%), respectively. Also, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% GO inclusion was improved 52% (89%). Similarly, thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber (glass fiber) composites with 4% pristine graphene inclusion was improved 45% (80%). The reported results indicate that both pristine graphene and modified GO nanoflakes are excellent options to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of fiber-reinforced polymeric composites and to make them viable replacement materials for metallic parts in different industries, such as wind energy, aerospace, marine, and automotive. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40826.
Simulation studies of the behavior of multihop broadcast networks

The performance (throughput and delay) of the multihop broadcast communication networks is studied via a simulation model that includes channel access, transmission scheduling, buffer, management, and hop-by-hop acknowledgment protocols. The parameters considered are the data and acknowledgment packets transmission probabilities, timeout periods, and buffer sizes. The performance of echo acknowledgment, all-active acknowledgment, and a mixed acknowledgment scheme based on nodes connectivities are also studied. Systems parameters that yield best performance for each configuration are given. Our studies reveal that the string configuration yielded better throughput than the star configuration; further, echo acknowledgment yield better performance than active acknowledgment in a string multihop broadcast network.
An analysis of angler preferences for fishery management strategies

Abstract Multivariate path analysis was used to investigate the causal linkages between independent subsystems composed of user attributes, visit characteristics, perceived site problems, and a dependent subsystem composed of angler preferences for fishery management strategies. Data used in the analysis were collected via a mail‐back questionnaire that was distributed to 450 float anglers using the Madison River, Montana. The response rate was 77 percent. Data analysis revealed that the variables constituting the independent subsystem explained a significant portion of the variance in the dependent subsystem, and that a strong linkage existed between the two. The analysis also indicated that for Madison River float anglers, experience was the single most important variable in determining preferences for management strategies.
Determination of oxygen content in YBa2Cu3O6.5+x

Abstract A method for determining the oxygen content of the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6.5+x is described. The superconductor is dissolved in 4.4 M hydrobromic acid, forming bromine. The mixture is then diluted with hydrochloric acid to obtain a solution of bromine and Cu(II) in 0.44 M hydrobromic acid and 1.1 M hydrochloric acid. As(III) is added in slight excess of that required to react with the bromine and the unreacted As(III) is determined by titration with potassium bromate. Oxygen does not interfere. The results of this method are in agreement with those of other iodimetric procedures. The dissolution of the superconductor in 4.4 M hydrobromic acid is much faster than in hydrochloric acid, the medium used in one iodimetric technique. YBa2Cu3O6.5+x sintered fibers and powder samples weighing from ca. 0.5 to 200 mg were analyzed for oxygen content.
Two crystalline pentofuranosyl bromides: tri-O-(p-nitrobenzoyl)-β-D-ribofuranosyl bromide and tri-O-(p-nitrobenzoyl)-α,β-D-xylofuranosyl bromide

Abstract Methyl α,β- D -ribofuranoside was p -nitrobenzoylated to give methyl tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-β- D -ribofuranoside ( 2 ),and this was treated with HBr in acetic acid to give tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-β- D -ribofuranosyl bromide ( 3 ). Bromide 3 could be converted into 2,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)- D -allononitrile ( 4 ) with Hg(CN) 2 , or hydrolyzed to 2,3,5-tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)- D -ribose ( 5 ). On p -nitro- benzoylation, 5 gave tetra- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-β- D -ribofuranose ( 6 ). The synthesis of tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-α-β- D -xylofuranosyl bromide ( 11 ) started with methyl 3,5- O -isopropylidene-β- D -xyldfuranoside ( 7 ), which was p -nitrobenzoylated to give ester 8 ; this was then hydrolyzed, and the product p -nitrobenzoylated to give methyl tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)-β- D -xylofuranoside ( 10 ) which, on treatment with HBr in CH 2 Cl 2 , afforded the desired bromide ( 11 ). Nucleophilic replacement with Hg(CN) 2 afforded 2,5-anhydro-3,4,6-tri- O -( p -nitrobenzoyl)- D -gulononitrile ( 12 ).
Differential effects of clathrin and actin inhibitors on internalization of Escherichia coli and Salmonella choleraesuis in porcine jejunal Peyer’s patches

Peyer's patches constitute both an inductive immune site and an enteropathogen invasion route. Peyer's patch mucosae from porcine jejunum were mounted in Ussing chambers, and either Salmonella choleraesuis vaccine strain SC-54 or non-pathogenic rodent and porcine Escherichia coli strains contacted the Peyer's patch mucosa for 90 min. Internalized bacteria were quantified by a gentamicin resistance assay. Monodansylcadaverine (300 μM, luminal addition), an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, significantly inhibited internalization of both E. coli strains relative to tissues untreated with the inhibitor; internalization of SC-54 was unaffected. The actin-disrupting agent cytochalasin D (10 μM, luminal addition), inhibited internalization of pig-adapted E. coli but not that of rodent-adapted E. coli or SC-54. Internalization of SC-54 and non-pathogenic E. coli in Peyer's patches appears to occur through different cellular routes.
Speed-dependent automatic zooming for browsing large documents

We propose a navigation technique for browsing large documents that integrates rate-based scrolling with automatic zooming. The view automatically zooms out when the user scrolls rapidly so that the perceptual scrolling speed in screen space remains constant. As a result, the user can efficiently and smoothly navigate through a large document without becoming disoriented by extremely fast visual flow. By incorporating semantic zooming techniques, the user can smoothly access a global overview of the document during rate-based scrolling. We implemented several prototype systems, including a web browser, map viewer, image browser, and dictionary viewer. An informal usability study suggests that for a document browsing task, most subjects prefer automatic zooming and the technique exhibits approximately equal performance time to scroll bars , suggesting that automatic zooming is a helpful alternative to traditional scrolling when the zoomed out view provides appropriate visual cues.
Two Linear Programming Algorithms for Unbiased Estimation of Linear Models

Abstract Consider the estimation of in the familiar linear model . It is well-known that the least squares estimation principle yields an un-biased estimator . Two alternative estimation principles sometimes considered are the minimization of the sum of absolute residuals and the minimization of the maximum absolute residual. Since these alternative principles do not usually lead to a unique estimator, the latter depends on the computational algorithm used. We develop two algorithms which are based upon these alternative principles and yield unbiased estimators. The algorithms' essential features are the use of linear programming and an “antisymmetrical” initial estimator.
COEFFICIENT CHANGE, PRICE EFFECTS, AND IMPLICIT ELASTICITIES: ESTIMATING MICROECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OVER TWO TIME PERIODS

This paper presents and estimates an input–output model in which input coefficient changes are functions of changing prices. The model produces results that mirror the characteristics of input demand functions based on the model of cost minimization subject to producing a desired level of output. It does not rely on the specification of a functional form for input coefficients, and it does not require the use of assumptions regarding the elasticity of substitution. Instead, it allows the actual price and coefficient changes that occur between periods to identify the implicit elasticities and own- and cross-price derivatives. Using this model, it is shown how accurate measures of price effects, including the full array of own and cross-elasticities of demand, can be estimated for models comprising up to 15 sectors given data for only two time periods.
Transforming growth factors released from Kirsten sarcoma virus transformed cells do not compete for epidermal growth factor membrane receptors

Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (KiMSV)-transformed rat kidney cells (KNRK) release small polypeptides (M, 12,500–15,300) into the culture medium that are capable of stimulating normal rat kidney cells (NRK) to form colonies in soft agar. The transforming growth factors (TGFs) did not compete with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for its receptor and did not induce specific phosphorylation of EGF receptor on NRK cell membranes. These properties differ from the TGFs isolated by other investigators. Our data further establish the heterogeneity of the materials produced by transformed cells that induce transformation-specific changes in normal cells.
Extended abstract: The roles of networked learning, collaboration, and connectedness in the classroom

Contemporary technical communication pedagogies often place intense focus on networked and collaborative learning. These forms of learning can include the formation of networks, activity within networks, or understanding the unspoken rules of collaboration within a networked community. Over the past ten years, the emergence of social media platforms, such as Google Docs, Twitter, wikis, etc., have expanded the tools and skills that industry professionals use to collaborate in both local and global teams. Effective digital collaboration has become an essential skill for students who will likely engage in symbolic-analytical work after graduation [1]. Simply adding technologies that enable networked collaboration to the classroom is insufficient [2]; rather, social media must be included in strategic ways that foster a critical mindset for evaluating adoption, deployment, and effective use for connectivity and collaboration.
Effects of several common long chain fatty acids on the properties and lipid composition of the very low density lipoprotein secreted by the perfused rat liver.

Abstract 1. 1. Livers from normal fed male rats were perfused in vitro with a bloodless medium which contained initially 3% bovine serum albumin and 100 mg% glucose. Albumin alone, or myristate (14: 0), palmitate (16: 0), palmitoleate (16: 1), stearate (18: 0), oleate (18: 1), or linoleate (18: 2) was infused at a constant rate (496 μmol/4 h), as a complex with albumin, during the experiment. 2. 2. The very low density lipoprotein secreted by the liver after infusion of unsaturated fatty acids (16:1,18:1, 18:2) had a faster rate-zonal mobility in the ultracentrifuge and is, therefore, probably a larger particle with fewer moles of phospholipid and cholesterol relative to triacylglycerol (triacylglycerol/phospholipids/cholesterol = 100/25.1/16.4) than the very low density lipoproteins produced after infusion of saturated (14:0,16:0,18:0) fatty acids (triacylglycerol/phospholipids/cholesterol = 100/30.1/19.1). The molar ratio of phospholipids/cholesterol of the very low density lipoprotein was similar regardless of which fatty acid was infused. The predominant fatty acid of the very low density lipoprotein or hepatic triacylglycerol, in all cases, was the infused acid. 3. 3. We conclude that free fatty acid regulates the quantity and proportions of triacylglycerol, phospholipids, and cholesterol secreted by the liver in the very low density lipoprotein, and therefore, may secondarily influence concentrations of lipids in the very low density lipoprotein and other plasma lipoproteins circulating in vivo.
Heinz Kohut's Self Psychology—And Ours: Transformations of Psychoanalysis

This essay—presented originally as the Kohut Memorial Lecture at the 29th annual international conference on The Psychology of the Self in 2006—deals with my subjective appraisal of Heinz Kohut's work; what has endured and what has changed in the last 25 years since his death. In this survey I spell out how I have reacted to and learned from the new trends in what is our contemporary, expanded self psychology. The essence of what I have learned can be summed up briefly as follows: I have searched for new empirical data in the various contributions to see whether or not my self psychology could account for the same data with its own concepts. With this question in mind, I have briefly examined intersubjectivity, relational analysis, and the motivational systems theory from my perspective. I ended my presentation with an imaginary conversation with Heinz Kohut, related to the issues presented on three of the panels at this 29th self psychology conference. Este ensayo trata sobre los cambios inevitables y co...
Regulated activity of the distal promoter-like element of the human corticotropin-releasing hormone gene and secondary structural features of its corresponding transcripts

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a major role in the coordination of the stress response. Its gene is expressed in multiple brain regions, the peripheral sympathetic system and the placenta, as well as in peripheral inflammatory sites where CRH acts as a pro-inflammatory cytokine. The human (h) CRH gene, in addition to its primary promoter (TATA box I), has a second distal promoter-like structure (TATA box II) and a functional cyclic adenosine monophosphate-responsive element, all of which are preserved in the rat and ovine genes. To examine the functionality of TATA II, we positioned a 881-bp-long segment of the 5' flanking region of the hCRH gene containing TATA II, but lacking TATA I, upstream from a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene cloned in a pUC vector. We transfected COS-7 cells with this construct and examined responsiveness of CAT activity to potential stimulants and inhibitors. Phorbol ester (TPA) and forskolin had mild but clear stimulatory effects on CAT expression (approximately 1.5- and approximately 1.3-fold, respectively), with a combined effect of approximately 1.9-fold. Dexamethasone (DEX) inhibited TPA-stimulated CAT activity by approximately 2.6-fold. In contrast, in the presence of a co-transfected glucocorticoid receptor cDNA expression plasmid, DEX augmented TPA-stimulated CAT expression by approximately 3.1-fold. The predicted secondary structures of the primary transcripts employing the distal and proximal promoters had significant differences, which could affect their stability and translatability.2
2DEQ: an intuitive audio equalizer

The complexity of music production tools can be a significant bottleneck in the creative process. Here we describe the development of a simple, intuitive audio equalizer with the idea that our approach could also be applied to other types of music production tools. First, users generate a large set of equalization curves representative of the most common types of modifications. Next, we represent the entire set of curves in 2-dimensional space and determine the spatial location of common auditory adjectives. Finally we create an interface, called 2DEQ, where the user can drag a single dot to control equalization in this adjective-labeled space.
Wildfire-resistant biological soil crusts and fire-induced loss of soil stability in Palouse prairies, USA

Abstract Frequent low-intensity fires are a natural component of the ecology of the Palouse prairies of northwestern North America. To study the effects of fire upon biological soil crusts (BSCs) occurring in these grasslands, we sampled three burned (in 2000) sites and three unburned sites in the Hell’s Canyon area (OR, USA) ∼1 year post-fire. We measured vascular plant and BSC cover, soil microbe pigmentation, texture and chemistry, and soil surface physical properties (stability and rugosity). Festuca idahoensis was two times more abundant in unburned plots (P=0.0006), and vascular plant and litter cover were generally higher in unburned plots. At the community scale, there was no difference in the lichen and moss species composition, suggesting much less drastic effects of fire on BSCs than reported in other systems. Soil surface stability (measured using slake value) was significantly lower in burned sites than unburned sites (median value=5 versus 6, P=0.008), a result which is likely due to the greater density of lichens and mosses encountered in the unburned plots. Soil microbe pigmentation was lower in burned plots (P=0.03), suggesting that the biomass of photosynthetic microbes had decreased; however, the presence of intra- and extracellular pigments in burned soils indicates that microorganisms were not eradicated. Pigments most strongly associated with cyanobacteria were more abundant in unburned sites, suggesting that cyanobacteria may have been more strongly impacted by the fire than other BSC components. Composition of nutrients and surface rugosity did not differ significantly between treatments. We hypothesize that Palouse prairie soil crusts are relatively resistant to wildfire because of low fire intensity and their occupation of space away from the vascular plant fuel load.
Guardrail: a high fidelity approach to protecting hardware devices from buggy drivers

Device drivers are an Achilles' heel of modern commodity operating systems, accounting for far too many system failures. Previous work on driver reliability has focused on protecting the kernel from unsafe driver side-effects by interposing an invariant-checking layer at the driver interface, but otherwise treating the driver as a black box. In this paper, we propose and evaluate Guardrail, which is a more powerful framework for run-time driver analysis that performs decoupled instruction-grain dynamic correctness checking on arbitrary kernel-mode drivers as they execute, thereby enabling the system to detect and mitigate more challenging correctness bugs (e.g., data races, uninitialized memory accesses) that cannot be detected by today's fault isolation techniques. Our evaluation of Guardrail shows that it can find serious data races, memory faults, and DMA faults in native Linux drivers that required fixes, including previously unknown bugs. Also, with hardware logging support, Guardrail can be used for online protection of persistent device state from driver bugs with at most 10% overhead on the end-to-end performance of most standard I/O workloads.
Approximate Analytical Solutions for Solute Transport in Two-layer Porous Media*

Mathematical models for transport in layered media are important for investigating how restricting layers affect rates of solute migration in soil profiles; they may also improve the analysis of solute displacement experiments. This study reports an (approximate) analytical solution for solute transport during steady-state flow in a two-layer medium requiring continuity of solute fluxes and resident concentrations at the interface. The solutions were derived with Laplace transformations making use of the binomial theorem. Results based on this solution were found to be in relatively good agreement with those obtained using numerical inversion of the Laplace transform. An expression for the flux-averaged concentration in the second layer was also obtained. Zero- and first-order approximations for the solute distribution in the second layer were derived for a thin first layer representing a water film or crust on top of the medium. These thin-layer approximations did not perform as well as the ‘binomial’ solution, except for the first-order approximation when the Peclet number,P, of the first layer, was low (P<5). Results of this study indicate that the ordering of two layers will affect the predicted breakthrough curves at the outlet of the medium. The two-layer solution was used to illustrate the effects of dispersion in the inlet or outlet reservoirs using previously published data on apparatus-induced dispersion.
Low-grade clear cell renal cell carcinoma mimicking hemangioma of the kidney: a series of 4 cases

Context.— Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) has a rich, sinusoid-like vascularity frequently used as a diagnostic criterion. CCRCC with predominantly vascular architecture has not been described. Objective.— To describe 4 unusual CCRCC cases, primarily presenting with hemangioma-like morphologic pattern. Design.— Clinicopathologic and selected immunohistochemical analysis of 4 cases of CCRCC mimicking hemangioma. Results.— Cases were seen in 1 woman and 3 men (average age, 48.8 years; range, 40–66 years). Grossly, tumors were red-brown (3 of 4) with scant bright-yellow foci in 1. The average tumor size was 4 cm (range, 2.5–5.5 cm). Microscopically, all were composed of varying proportions of a rich, arborizing, sinusoid-like vasculature with focal hobnail appearance of endothelial cells. Entrapment of renal tubules between blood vessels was seen at the periphery of the tumors. This morphology was reminiscent of anastomosing hemangioma. Isolated tumor cells resembling lymphocytes with clear halos wer...
Guanylyl cyclase C in colorectal cancer: susceptibility gene and potential therapeutic target

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of tumor-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. While mechanisms underlying this disease have been elucidated over the past two decades, these molecular insights have failed to translate into efficacious therapy. The oncogenomic view of cancer suggests that terminal transformation reflects the sequential corruption of signal transduction circuits regulating key homeostatic mechanisms, whose multiplicity underlies the therapeutic resistance of most tumors to interventions targeting individual pathways. Conversely, the paucity of mechanistic insights into proximal pathophysiological processes that initiate and amplify oncogenic circuits preceding accumulation of mutations and transformation impedes development of effective prevention and therapy. In that context, guanylyl cyclase C (GCC), the intestinal receptor for the paracrine hormones guanylin and uroguanylin, whose early loss characterizes colorectal transformation, has emerged as a component of lineag...
A performance analysis of hierarchical shortest path algorithms

The shortest-path problem is an essential component of many applications including Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), computer networks, etc. A hierarchical routing algorithm decomposes the original graph into a set of fragment graphs and also into a boundary graph which summarizes the fragment graphs. A fully memoized hierarchical routing algorithm pre-computes and stores the shortest-path data structure and the shortest-path-cost data structure for the graph fragments, as well as for the boundary graph. The storage cost of the fully memoized approach can be reduced by a virtual or a hybrid memoization approach, where few or none of the relevant data structures have been pre-computed. This paper achieves two firsts. We use a real graph with 123,000 nodes and 313,000 edges, which is two orders of magnitude larger than the graphs used in related work. Second, the paper analyzes the effect of memoizing individual data structures for the storage overhead and computation time of A/sup */-based hierarchical routing algorithms. Analysis and experiments with the Twin Cities metropolitan road-map show that memoizing the shortest-path-cost data structure for the boundary graph provides the best savings in computation time, for a given amount of storage and a small number of fragments. Memoizing the relevant part of the shortest-path-cost data structure for the fragment graphs provides the next best savings, followed by memoizing the shortest-path data structure for the boundary graph.
New Possibilities and Future Pathways of Nanoporous Thin Film Technology to Improve Concrete Performance

Aggregates are often considered as inexpensive inert filler material in concrete. However, the mixture of the aggregate with the cement paste creates one of the most vulnerable areas of concrete, the interface of aggregate and cement paste. The judicious application of nanoporous thin films (NPTFs) on the aggregate's surface is an effective way to improve those interfaces. The most recent work on concrete shows that the use of different types of NPTF can induce changes in different properties of concrete or in an aggregate's mineralogy. In particular, the observed changes in mechanical properties such as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths; modulus of elasticity; and drying shrinkage can ameliorate longitudinal and transverse cracking, corner breaks, punchouts, and D-cracking. Several mechanisms are proposed to explain the changes observed in concrete and the implications for its ultimate performance. These new results open doors for new applications of NPTFs and indicate possible future research...
High-Confinement Strained MQW for Highly Polarized High-Power Broadband Light Source

This letter presents highly polarized edge light-emitting diodes with high-confinement, strained, multiple quantum-well active regions. We demonstrate +40 dB of polarization extinction along with 16 dBm of output power from an 800-mum-long centered quantum-well device. By characterizing the polarization extinction and gain of devices with different lengths and optical confinement, we show that the polarization extinction is dominated by the polarization sensitivity of the gain
Clinical progress and the future of HIV exceptionalism.

In the 18 years since the first cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the epidemic has undergone profound transformations, and so, too, has the sociomedical context within which public health policy is fashioned and implemented. The early years of neglect and panic were also characterized by relative therapeutic impotence and deep uncertainty about the epidemiological course the new threat would take. In the United States and in other economically advanced nations, the threat of contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has abated. The incidence of infection has declined, and the prevalence of infection has stabilized and, in some instances, begun to fall. The pattern of HIV spread, where it has continued, has been dramatically circumscribed to marginalized populations.The panic of the mid-1980s has passed, and in many nations, AIDS has lost its salience as a public issue. A sense of therapeutic impotence no longer prevails, and a new mood of triumphalism has taken hold. How have these crucial changes affected AIDS policies in America?
Extension of ATM networks with SHF DAMA SATCOM

This paper investigates techniques for integrating asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) signaling protocols with the super high frequency (SHF) demand assigned multiple access (DAMA) standard for better resource allocation and overall network performance. ATM has emerged as a promising technology capable of supporting integrated traffic transmission. Advantages for the use of ATM include the fact that it provides a migration path to a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) baseband interface for military communications. SHF satellite communication (SATCOM) is an important military communications resource because of its global coverage and its potential for substantial data rates. The capability of the DAMA system for flexible resource allocation of SATCOM resources is of great importance in the efficient use of transponding satellite assets. The merging of ATM and DAMA promises to provide better satellite resource utilization and overall network performance by providing statistical multiplexing advantages on two different and complementary time scales.
Gas-phase ligand exchange of select transition-metal acetylacetonate and hexafluoroacetylacetonate complexes

Gas-phase ligand exchange reactions between M(acac)2 and M(hfac)2 species, where M is Cu(II) and/or Ni(II), were observed to occur in a double-focusing reverse-geometry magnetic sector mass spectrometer. The gas-phase mixed ligand product, [M(acac)(hfac)]+, was formed following the co-sublimation of either homo-metal or hetero-metal precursors. The gas-phase formation of [Cu(acac)(hfac)]+ from hetero-metal precursors is reported herein for the first time. The [Ni(acac)(hfac)]+ complex is also observed for the first time to form following the co-sublimation of not only Ni precursors, but also from separate Ni and Cu precursors. The corresponding fragmentation patterns of these species are also presented, and the mixed metal mixed ligand product [NiCu(acac)2(hfac)]+ is observed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pronouns and terms of address in Neues Deutschland

Pronouns and terms of address in interviews, letters, and speeches in Neues Deutschland reflect a variety of address norms. They depend on the participants' social status, geographic origin, party membership, and other factors, and show pronoun avoidance in a number of cases. Sociolinguistic methods applied to written texts can thus reveal possible changes in address norms in the German Democratic Republic. (Sociolinguistics, text linguistics, pronouns of address, language in the German Democratic Republic)
Noise robust speech recognition with a switching linear dynamic model

Model based feature enhancement techniques are constructed from acoustic models for speech and noise, together with a model of how the speech and noise produce the noisy observations. Most techniques incorporate either Gaussian mixture models (GMM) or hidden Markov models (HMM). This paper explores using a switching linear dynamic model (LDM) for the clean speech. The linear dynamics of the model capture the smooth time evolution of speech. The switching states of the model capture the piecewise stationary characteristics of speech. However, incorporating a switching LDM causes the enhancement problem to become intractable. With a GMM or an HMM, the enhancement running time is proportional to the length of the utterance. The switching LDM causes the running time to become exponential in the length of the utterance. To overcome this drawback, the standard generalized pseudo-Bayesian technique is used to provide an approximate solution of the enhancement problem. We present preliminary results demonstrating that, even with relatively small model sizes, substantial word error rate improvement can be achieved.
An area-efficient multi-level single-track pipeline template

This paper presents a new asynchronous design template using single-track handshaking that targets medium-to-high performance applications. Unlike other single-track templates, the proposed template supports multiple levels of logic per pipeline stage, improving area efficiency by sharing the control logic among more logic while at the same time providing higher robustness to timing variability. The template also yields higher throughput than most four-phase templates and lower latency than bundled-data templates. The template has been incorporated into the asynchronous ASIC flow Proteus and experiments on ISCAS benchmarks show significant improvement in achievable throughput per area.