cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of expert system for improved contingency analysis and optimal correction

An expert system technique has been developed for improved power system contingency identification and classification and for immediate corrective measures. The application of the expert system to contingency selection aids in easily partitioning the contingencies so that only harmful cases, which are also further classified, are considered, thereby reducing the computational burden. The expert system aids in the selection of an appropriate performance index and in the choice of weights applicable to the performance index selected. The selected violations are included in the multiple objective optimal power flow program using a generalized quadratic-based model. An appropriate objective function for a given contingency is selected by the aid of the expert system. The expert system is developed using if-then rules derived from the experience of planning engineers and system operators during power system security analysis and corrective activities. The developed algorithm has been tested using several objective functions on actual power systems, and optimal solutions have been reached in relatively few iterations. The algorithm has successively classified and ranked contingencies while preventing masking and misranking phenomena. >
Crude Garlic Extract Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis of Cancer Cells In Vitro.

Abstract Garlic and its lipid-based extracts have played an important medicinal role in humans for centuries that includes antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering properties. The present study was to investigate the effects of crude garlic extract (CGE) on the proliferation of human breast, prostate, hepatic, and colon cancer cell lines and mouse macrophageal cells, not previously studied. The human cancer cell lines, such as hepatic (Hep-G2), colon (Caco-2), prostate (PC-3), and breast (MCF-7), were propagated at 37°C; air/CO2 (95:5 v/v) using the ATCC-formulated RPMI-1640 Medium and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), while the mouse macrophage cell line (TIB-71) was propagated at 37°C; air/CO2 (95:5 v/v) using the ATCC-formulated DMEM and 10% FBS. All cells were plated at a density of ∼5000 cells/well. After overnight incubation, the cells were treated with 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, or 1 μg/mL of CGE an additional 72 h. Inhibition of cell proliferation of 80–90% was observed for Hep-G2, MCF-7, TIB-71, and PC...
Spinal epidural abscess and subdural empyema.

Abstract Spinal epidural abscess is a very serious condition that can result in devastating consequences, irreversible paralysis, and even death. Although the rate of occurrence of this infection has increased remarkably in recent years, a sizable number of cases continue to be misdiagnosed and/or improperly managed. It is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus which can reach the epidural space by either contiguous or hematogenous spread. Although some cases of spinal epidural abscess may be effectively treated with antibiotics alone, combined medical–surgical treatment constitutes the ultimate management. The neurologic condition before decompressive laminectomy is an important predictor of the final neurologic outcome. Although spinal subdural abscess is also most commonly caused by S. aureus , it is much less common than spinal epidural abscess and arises mostly from adjacent infections. As with spinal epidural abscess, the optimal treatment of spinal subdural infection comprises both surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy. A thoughtful multidisciplinary approach is crucial to securing a favorable outcome of both types of spinal infection.
Integrating Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Peer Support for Students with Disabilities: A Social-Ecological Perspective

The purpose of this review was to examine the degree to which augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention research included students with disabilities and their peers as part of t...
The American Muslim Voter: What Explains Voting When Nobody Cares?

This paper explores the predictors of voter turnout, and two-party vote choice among Muslim Americans. Given the overt lack of outreach to Muslim voters in American elections, we explore what influences the decision to vote when mobilization by campaigns may be lacking. Data are presented from 2006-2008 MAPOS study.
DNase Induced After Infection of KB Cells by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 or Type 2 II. Characterization of an Associated Endonuclease Activity

Purified preparations of the "exonuclease" specified by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) possess an endonuclease activity. The exonuclease and endonuclease activities copurify and cosediment in a sucrose density gradient. Endonuclease activity is only observed in the presence of a divalent cation, and Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) is equally effective as a cofactor with an optimal concentration of 2 mM. A slight amount of endonuclease activity is observed in the presence of Ca(2+), whereas no activity occurs in the presence of Zn(2+). In the presence of Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Zn(2+) are inhibitory. Comparison of exonuclease and endonuclease activity in the presence of various divalent cations revealed that, at concentrations of Mn(2+) greater than 1 mM, only endonuclease activity occurs whereas endonuclease and exonuclease activity occur at all concentrations of Mg(2+). The endonuclease was affected by putrescine and spermidine to the same extent as the exonuclease activity, but in marked contrast the endonuclease was inhibited by a 10-fold-lower concentration of spermine compared to the exonuclease. The activity specified by HSV-1 and HSV-2 has very similar properties. HSV-1 and HSV-2 endonuclease cleave covalently closed circular DNA to yield, firstly, nicked circles and then linear DNA which is subsequently hydrolyzed to small oligonucleotides. Cleavage does not appear to be base sequence specific. Conversion of nicked circles to linear DNA and subsequent degradation of linear DNA occurs more rapidly in the presence of Mg(2+) than Mn(2+) presumably by virtue of the presence of the exonuclease activity. Nonsuperhelical covalently closed circular duplex DNA is cleaved by the endonucleases at a rate 60 times slower than the rate observed on the supercoiled form. These data indicate that the HSV-1 and HSV-2 endonuclease preferentially recognize single-stranded DNA regions.
The application of superconducting tunnel junction detectors to astronomy.

Detectors based on the superconducting-insulating-superconducting (SIS) junction long ago surpassed Schottky-diode semiconductor detectors as the most sensitive heterodyne mixers in the millimeter and submillimeter (far-infrared) wavelength range. Other novel superconducting device configurations have been applied as direct detectors. Though still in the early stages of development, and yet to find widespread application, they have demonstrated advantages over traditional semiconductor detectors in specialized situations. Exciting progress has been made in recent years in developing the superconducting tunnel junctions (STJ) as a photon detector for optical and near-optical wavelengths, where silicon CCD's are currently dominant. I examine some of the areas in which the properties of STJ detectors may best match the instrument capabilities that astronomical observations require, and discuss the implications of the intrinsic spectral resolution of the STJ. This capability will enable a significant increase in observing efficiency, once the technology matures, that should justify increased complexity of cryogenic systems, particularly for instruments to be used on the next generation of large ground-based telescopes.
X-rays From Magnetic Flares In Cygnus X-1: The Role Of A Transition Layer

The spectrum of Seyfert 1 Galaxies is very similar to that of several Galactic Black Hole Candidates (GBHCs) in their hard state, suggestive that both classes of objects have similar physical processes. While it appears that an accretion disk corona (ADC) model, where the corona sandwiches the cold accretion disk, is capable of explaining the observations of Seyfert galaxies, recent work has shown that this model is problematic for GBHCs. To address the differences in the spectra of Seyferts and GBHCs, we consider the structure of the atmosphere of the accretion disk in a region near an active magnetic flare (we refer to this region as transition layer). We show that the transition layer is subject to a thermal instability. Due to the much higher ionizing X-ray flux in GBHCs, the only stable solution for the upper layer of the accretion disk is that in which it is highly ionized and is at the Compton temperature ($kT \sim $ a few keV). Using numerical simulations for a slab geometry ADC, we show that the presence of a transition layer can significantly alter the spectrum of escaping radiation for modest optical depths. The presence of the transition layer also leads to a reduction in reprocessing features, i.e., the iron line and the X-ray reflection hump. We find that due to the thermal instability of the surface of the accretion disk, which leads to different endpoints for GBHCs and Seyfert galaxies, the X-ray spectra from these two types of objects can be explained by a single unifying ADC model.
Analysis of sustained interarea oscillations in power systems using kinetic energy approach

In this paper, an energy approach to analysis of sustained interarea oscillations (SIAO) in power systems has been developed. SIAO is characterized as oscillatory behavior, following a disturbance, of the rotor motion with respect to it synchronous reference frame, for two or more generator groups such that there is a periodic interchange of energy between them. A proper coordinate framework is necessary for analysis of energy interchange. We can identify generators exchanging energy during SIAO using phase of kinetic energy expression in synchronous coordinate framework. By comparing the phase of the coefficient of the dominate energy node in the kinetic energy deviation for each generator, we identify the groups for which there are periodic interchanges of energy. The location of these groups in the system provides insight regarding transmission lines over which the energy interchange is taking place. The numerical result of the test system shows that the approach results in improved understanding of the SIAO phenomenon. >
Base pairing between the 3' exon and an internal guide sequence increases 3' splice site specificity in the Tetrahymena self-splicing rRNA intron.

Abstract It has been proposed that recognition of the 3' splice site in many group I introns involves base pairing between the start of the 3' exon and a region of the intron known as the internal guide sequence (R. W. Davies, R. B. Waring, J. Ray, T. A. Brown, and C. Scazzocchio, Nature [London] 300:719-724, 1982). We have examined this hypothesis, using the self-splicing rRNA intron from Tetrahymena thermophila. Mutations in the 3' exon that weaken this proposed pairing increased use of a downstream cryptic 3' splice site. Compensatory mutations in the guide sequence that restore this pairing resulted in even stronger selection of the normal 3' splice site. These changes in 3' splice site usage were more pronounced in the background of a mutation (414A) which resulted in an adenine instead of a guanine being the last base of the intron. These results show that the proposed pairing (P10) plays an important role in ensuring that cryptic 3' splice sites are selected against. Surprisingly, the 414A mutation alone did not result in activation of the cryptic 3' splice site.
Note: A note on the recognition of bisplit graphs

We show that bisplit graphs can be recognized in O(n^2) time. The previous best bound of O(mn) for the problem appeared in a recently published article [A. Brandstadt, P.L. Hammer, V.B. Le, V.V. Lozin, Bisplit graphs, Discrete Math. 299 (2005) 11-32] in this journal.
Ibrutinib in B-cell Lymphomas.

The standard frontline therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) includes the use of chemoimmunotherapy and/or radiation therapy. When patients with these diseases relapse or are refractory to therapy, their diseases are considered incurable outside of the setting of an autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplant, which many patients are not candidates for due to age or comorbidities. The oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, ibrutinib, targets the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway that is critical in the survival of these malignancies. It has shown promising activity in certain subtypes of DLBCL, in relapsed or refractory FL, and in relapsed or refractory MCL for which it has recently received FDA approval and should be considered for use in patients in first relapse. Ibrutinib is an oral therapy taken daily that has been well tolerated by patients. Given the high response rates, tolerability, and acceptable toxicities of ibrutinib therapy, it is now being evaluated in combination therapy both in relapsed B-cell malignancies and frontline studies in DLBCL and MCL. Several other promising agents targeting different kinases in the BCR signaling pathway also are currently under investigation.
Cooling cycle effects on low temperature cracking characteristics of asphalt concrete mixture

The effect of cooling cycles on the low temperature behavior of asphalt concrete mixtures is investigated using a recently developed acoustic emission (AE) test device. In an attempt to link the local AE response of the asphalt mixtures to the pavement global response obtained through mechanical tests, the AE-based results were validated using traditional mechanical pavement performance testing methods namely, the disk-shaped compact tension [DC(T)] test and the indirect tensile test (IDT) method. Field-aged pavement cores, which were expected to have a gradient in binder aging properties (more aging near the surface of the pavement), were collected and tested. Test results revealed that significant damage resulted from cyclic cooling, effecting the fracture energy and stress relaxation ability of the asphalt mixture. The AE results collected were consistent with the results obtained using the DC(T) and the IDT test methods. The so-called Felicity effect was observed by evaluating AE activity occurring in a sample subjected to multiple cooling cycles and an AE based healing index was introduced to evaluate the amount of healing that resulted from warming cycles. Low temperature induced microdamage was also investigated using X-ray computer micro-tomography, in an effort to better understand the physical nature of microcracking in asphalt mixtures at low temperatures and the source of AE emissions detected.
Reduction of biting and chewing of horses using differential reinforcement of other behavior

Abstract Biting and chewing by horses on crossties can result in injury to the handler and damage to equipment. Operant-conditioning techniques have been used to train horses and could be used to reduce or eliminate undesirable biting and chewing. Presently, a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) schedule, in the context of a reversal design, was effective in reducing biting and chewing in two horses. In DRO schedules, a reinforcer is delivered contingent on the absence of a target behavior for a specified interval. Positive-reinforcement procedures offer an alternative to aversive-control techniques typically used in equine training and may provide for better equine welfare and horse–human interaction.
Effectiveness of Purge-and-Trap for Measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds in Aged Soils.

The U.S. EPA-recommended method for measurement of trace levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil, purge-and-trap, measures the readily desorbable organic contaminants from soil pore spaces and external soil surfaces. It does not, however, measure contamination that has diffused into internal micropores of soil matrix. Thus, the purge-and-trap method measures only a small fraction of total soil contaminants, especially in long-contaminated soils, where ∼90−99% of contamination may be in the interior of the soil matrix. We compared three methods for determination of VOCs in aged field samples: purge-and-trap, methanol immersion, and hot solvent extraction. Hot solvent extraction proved to be much more effective than the U.S. EPA-approved purge-and-trap technique. For three long-contaminated soils containing such VOCs as trichloroethene, benzene, toluene, chloroform, methylene chloride, and cis-1,1-dichloroethylene, recovery from purge-and-trap ranged between 1.5 and 41.3% that of hot solvent ex...
A comparison of light and temperature entrainment: evidence for a multioscillator circadian system.

. Both photoperiodic and thermoperiodic cycles synchronize circadian calling activity of male crickets, Teleogryllus commodus (Walker). Because the phase relationships between these cycles and the entrained singing activity are clearly distinguishable, we studied the relative power of these factors in affecting the circadian clock. Upon resumption of constant conditions after exposure to a thermoperiodic cycle, singing activity sometimes splits into two daily bouts, each with a distinctive period. This observation, together with results derived from simultaneous fluctuation of both factors in and out of phase, suggests that the system integrating environmental input is composed of multiple oscillators.
An efficient method for finding intersections of many manifolds with application to patch based image processing

Solving inverse problems in signal processing often involves making prior assumptions about the signal being reconstructed. Here the appropriateness of the chosen model greatly determines the quality of the final result. Recently it has been proposed to model images by representing them as sets of smaller patches arising from an underlying manifold. This model has been shown to be surprisingly effective in tasks such as denoising, inpainting, and superresolution. However, such a representation is fraught with the difficulty of finding the intersection of many presumably non-linear manifolds in high-dimensional space, which precludes much of its potential use. This paper proposes an efficient method of solving this problem using a kernel methods variant of the projection onto convex sets algorithm to quickly find the intersection of many manifolds while learning their non-linear structure. Indeed the final solution can even be expressed in closed form. We foresee our method allowing a patch-based regularization to be applied across a wide variety of inverse problems, including compressive sensing, inpainting, deconvolution, etc. Indeed, as a proof of concept of our approach, we show how it can be employed in the regularization of an image denoising problem. Here, it even outperforms a state-of-the-art denoising technique, non-local means.
Risk Reporting in the Chinese News Media in Response to Radiation Threat From the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Crisis

On March 11, 2011, the northeastern coast of Japan was struck by 9.0-magnitude earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami. Aside from the huge toll in people’s lives and severe damages to property, the tremor sent the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on a tailspin, causing hydrogen explosions in three reactors, and sending radioactive materials into the air and bodies of water. Declared the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, the crisis threatened neighboring countries, including China (International Business Times, 2011). On March 28, low levels of iodine-131, cesium-137 and strontium, believed to have drifted from Japan, were detected in the air over Heilongjiang province in the northeast part of China and in seawater samples collected in the eastern coastal areas (Qianjiang Eve News, 2011). Because these chemicals can enter the food chain and adversely affect human health (Ifeng.com, 2011), people became understandably anxious and the government had to avert panic. This study asks: How did the Chinese media report the risks attendant to this event?A content analysis of 45 straight news reports published by the Chinese press from March 16, 2011 to April 25, 2011 was conducted. The analysis focused on how the media explained the risk, portrayed potential harm, reported on government actions to safeguard public health, and provided suggestions to reduce public fear. The sources of information cited in the reports were also identified. The articles examined were collected from People.com, a comprehensive online archive of news reports, using “Fukushima” and “nuclear radiation” as search terms.The results indicated journalistic practices that left much to be desired in terms of risk reporting. First, the articles explained little about the technical aspects of the radiation leaks and failed to give audiences a general indication of levels of risk. Second, the media over-emphasized the government’s position that the environment was safe despite the more rampant word-of-mouth reports to the contrary, a slant that may have done nothing to allay public fear. Third, there was a dearth of information about what the government intends to do to alleviate the situation and suggestions about what people can do to protect themselves. The themes of news reports may be attributed to experts from research institutions and government officials who were the most frequently cited sources of facts, analyses, interpretations, and opinions. Scientists and nuclear experts were cited the most in the news reports.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Men and women as mediators: disputant perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a quantitative analysis of existing research comparing perceptions about male and female mediators to understand better the extent a mediator's gender is related to the disputing individuals' view of the mediation.Design/methodology/approach – Several databases were searched extensively (1967‐2007) for relevant research studies and articles reporting disputant perceptions and mediator gender. Unpublished research was solicited from dissertations, the internet, as well as directly from authors. Articles were screened; those meeting predetermined criteria were included in the meta‐analysis.Findings – Existing studies indicated that male mediators were perceived more favorably than their female counterparts were.Research limitations/implications – Despite a very extensive search of existing studies, only five contained the information necessary for this meta‐analytic review.Practical implications – The results suggest that additional barriers and challenges ex...
Super-resolution imaging with near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)

Abstract Optical imaging with resolution exceeding the diffraction limit is demonstrated with near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). The concept behind the technique and its experimental implementation is discussed. Images are presented which attest to its reproducibility and super-resolution capabilities. Although distinct, NSOM has technical features in common with scanning tunneling microscopy. However, since it is optically based it also shares many of the advantages of conventional optical microscopy, including non-destructiveness, speed, flexibility, and the ability to generate contrast in numerous ways.
Music for the Seasons: Seasonal Music Preferences in College Students

The present research examined music preferences in relation to the seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer. Across two studies, male and female college students (N = 232 and 199) were primed to think about the seasons and indicate their music preference from Rentfrow and Gosling’s (2003) music classification scheme. Participants were predicted to prefer reflexive and complex music when primed with fall/winter and energetic and rhythmic and upbeat and conventional music when primed with spring/summer. Study 1 had participants read winter or summer season scenarios and Study 2 had participants write their own fall, winter, spring, or summer seasonal experiences. Overall, results were consistent with predictions for the reflexive and complex and energetic and rhythmic classifications, indicating an environmental influence of musical preferences.
Impact of pulmonary hemodynamics on 6-min walk test in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Summary Objectives Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been associated with decreased functional capacity in patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We aimed to evaluate the true impact of altered pulmonary hemodynamics on functional capacity in a cohort of patients with IPF. Methods Between January 1990 and December 2007, 124 patients [73M/51F; 111 Caucasians] with IPF underwent right heart catheterization and 6-min walk test (6MWT). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was defined as mPAP≥25 and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP)≤15mmHg, and Pre-PH as mPAP>20 and Results Fifty four (44%) patients had PH. There were no significant differences between the PH and the non-PH groups in measures of pulmonary function other than P aO 2 . Patients with PH and PAH had significantly lower 6-min walk distance (6MWD) ( p =0.008 and p =0.03 respectively) and distance saturation product (DSP) ( p =0.002 and p =0.006 respectively) compared to non-PH patients. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was the best predictor of 6MWD by multivariate analysis ( p =0.0006). Increasing mPAP was associated with a statistically significant decline in 6MWD ( p =0.02) and DSP ( p =0.01). Patients with ‘Pre-PH' had lower 6MWD compared to patients with mPAP≤20mmHg ( p =0.07). Conclusions Relative to measures of pulmonary function and hypoxia, altered pulmonary hemodynamics had a greater impact on 6MWD in patients with IPF. Higher mPAP was associated with more significant exercise impairment. Mild abnormalities in pulmonary hemodynamics (so called ‘Pre-PH') were associated with reduced 6MWD.
Molecular Mechanism of Dream -Presenilin-1 Interactions

Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator (DREAM), also known as calsenilin or potassium channel interacting protein 3 (KChIP3), interacts with presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2) to promote accumulation of β-amyloid peptide in brain. To understand the molecular mechanism by which DREAM mediates β-amyloid formation, the interactions between calsenilin and presenilin were characterized using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy techniques. In addition, the structural changes in DREAM oligomerization state triggered by presenilin binding were studied. Here, we report the interaction between DREAM and a short segment of PS1 C-terminus (helix-9). The binding of DREAM to helix-9 is calcium dependent. The dissociation constant for Ca2+DREAM:helix-9 complexes was determined to be 0.77 ± 0.03 μM, whereas the Mg2+DREAM:complex helix-9 exhibits lower affinity, Kd = 19.3 ± 0.5 μM. Moreover, association of Ca2+DREAM to helix 9 results in slower depolarization with the rotational correlation time of Ф = 22.5 ± 0.1 ns, which matches w the estimated rotational correlation time for DREAM dimer bound to a helix-9. These results suggest that DREAM binds to presenilin in its dimeric form and the formation of the inter-protein complex in regulated by Ca2+.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
The relationships among physical, geometrical and mechanical properties of bone, with a note on the properties of nonhuman primate bone

Since bone reacts to imposed loads by formation and resorption of tissue, analysis of tissue distribution within a bone provides evidence of the adaptation of that bone to a given mechanical function. Definition of these structure-function relationships permits the physical anthropologist to clarify the wide variety of behavioral/morphological adaptations to specific ecological niches in extant primates. From this information, behavior and locomotor function can ultimately be inferred in fossil primates. This paper reviews research which shows the relationships between the physical, geometrical and mechanical properties of bone, so that researchers who are investigating the properties of bone are aware of the numerous interpretations which may be made about structure and function from basic data. In addition, this paper is an attempt to apprise investigators working with primates that comparative data on the properties of primate bone are available, though sparse.
Eleven new species of Grandiella Lombardini (Acarina: Canestrinidae)

ABSTRACT The canestriniid genus Grandiella Lombardini is redefined and eleven new species are described, viz., brevispinata, conula, echinoderma, gambosa, kimseyi, platysma, rugosita, sicula, spicantis, squarrosa, vatia, all taken from chrysomellid beetles. Two of Lombardini's species of Grandiella, tetracaudata and esacaudata, are illustrated and all of his species in this genus are included in a key to species.
Contentiousness vs. sensitivity: improving contention aware runtime systems on multicore architectures

Runtime systems to mitigate memory resource contention problems on multicore processors have recently attracted much research attention. One critical component of these runtimes is the indicators to rank and classify applications based on their contention characteristics. However, although there has been significant research effort, application contention characteristics remain not well understood and indicators have not been thoroughly evaluated.In this paper we performed a thorough study of applications' contention characteristics to develop better indicators to improve contention-aware runtime systems. The contention characteristics are composed of an application's contentiousness, and its sensitivity to contention. We show that contentiousness and sensitivity are not strongly correlated, and contrary to prior work, a single indicator is not adequate to predict both. Also, while prior work argues that last level cache miss rate is one of the best indicators to predict an application's contention characteristics, we show that depending on the workloads, it can often be misleading. We then present prediction models that consider contention in various memory resources. Our regression analysis establishes an accurate model to predict application contentiousness. The analysis also demonstrates that performance counters alone may not be sufficient to accurately predict application sensitivity to contention. Our evaluation using SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks shows that when predicting an application's contentiousness, the linear correlation coefficient R2 of our predictor and the real measured contentiousness is 0.834, as opposed to 0.224 when using last level cache miss rate.
The Chemical Master Equation Approach to Nonequilibrium Steady-State of Open Biochemical Systems: Linear Single-Molecule Enzyme Kinetics and Nonlinear Biochemical Reaction Networks

We develop the stochastic, chemical master equation as a unifying approach to the dynamics of biochemical reaction systems in a mesoscopic volume under a living environment. A living environment provides a continuous chemical energy input that sustains the reaction system in a nonequilibrium steady state with concentration fluctuations. We discuss the linear, unimolecular single-molecule enzyme kinetics, phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle (PdPC) with bistability, and network exhibiting oscillations. Emphasis is paid to the comparison between the stochastic dynamics and the prediction based on the traditional approach based on the Law of Mass Action. We introduce the difference between nonlinear bistability and stochastic bistability, the latter has no deterministic counterpart. For systems with nonlinear bistability, there are three different time scales: (a) individual biochemical reactions, (b) nonlinear network dynamics approaching to attractors, and (c) cellular evolution. For mesoscopic systems with size of a living cell, dynamics in (a) and (c) are stochastic while that with (b) is dominantly deterministic. Both (b) and (c) are emergent properties of a dynamic biochemical network; We suggest that the (c) is most relevant to major cellular biochemical processes such as epi-genetic regulation, apoptosis, and cancer immunoediting. The cellular evolution proceeds with transitions among the attractors of (b) in a “punctuated equilibrium” manner.
Simulated flight through JAWS wind shear

The Joint Airport Weather Studies (JAWS) Project was designed to investigate low altitude wind shear of the type believed to have caused several recent air carrier accidents, including the crash of Pan Am Flight 759 in New Orleans in 1983 Approximately 70 microbursts and numerous gust fronts have been identified by Doppler radar, the primary instrument used in JAWS, and several have been chosen for high-resolution, three dimensional wind field reconstruction using multiple Doppler radar techniques Of these, one case in particular has been investigated with a six degree of-freedom "piloted" numerical aircraft model Several approach to landings and takeoffs were made through this case to investigate landing and takeoff phase aircraft flight dynamics through the different wind shears Results indicate that apparently similar wind structures within the same weather feature, separated by only a few hundred meters, can produce radically different flight paths Methods of incorporating these data into training and research flight simulators are presented and discussed
Macromolecular conformational energy minimization: An algorithm varying pseudodihedral angles

Abstract The algorithms which have been traditionally used in the minimization of the conformational energies of macromolecules do not move groups of atoms coll
ESTIMATION OF MANATEE (TRICHECHUS MANATUS LATIROSTRIS) PLACES AND MOVEMENT CORRIDORS USING TELEMETRY DATA

Effective stewardship of Florida's coast requires, in part, detailed characterizations of ecological components of the marine system. Characterization of one component, manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), involves mapping its distribution and abundance and identifying features of the landscape that are intimately associated with its life history. In this study, we developed a raster-based spatial model that transformed radio-telemetry point data to surfaces illustrating the areas manatees visited frequently for relatively long periods, called “places,” and areas visited frequently for short periods, called “movement corridors.” This work involved (1) simulating manatee movement paths between sequential telemetry points using a cost surface based on manatee bathymetric preferences that were derived from empirical associations between telemetry locations and water depth, (2) distributing movement time to cells that were crossed by the simulated movement path, and (3) extracting cells from the movemen...
Contemporary and emerging technologies in abdominal magnetic resonance imaging.

Over the past 2 decades, the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for abdominal imaging applications has dramatically evolved, from a limited technical curiosity into a robust clinical tool. Traditionally, the detection and characterization of abdominal lesions on MRI has been based on the use of T1- and T2-weighted sequences, including dynamic postcontrast T1-weighted imaging. More recently, several new MRI techniques have been introduced in abdominal imaging, which offer additional benefits for lesion detection and tissue characterization—these include diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), hepatocyte-specific contrast agents (HSCA), fat-quantification techniques, and MR elastography. Although these techniques were originally used only in large tertiary care centers and research environments, there has been more broad adoption in routineclinicalpractice.Thisarticle brieflyreviewsthetechnical features and obstacles of these sequences and discusses the current or emerging clinical utility with case examples.
Antilymphocyte serum produced in closely related species of baboons with stored spleen cells from individual donors.

THE heterologous antisera to lymphocytes (ALS) have been produced in a number of species, but nobody except Balner1 seems to have used non-human primates to produce them. Most investigators seem to have used freshly prepared cells from different donors at each inoculation. We have immunized gelada baboons with stored spleen cell suspensions of individual cynocephalus baboons. These baboons represent closely related, but different, species.
ROAD-SALT TOXICITY OF SELECT MICHIGAN WETLAND MACROINVERTEBRATES UNDER DIFFERENT TESTING CONDITIONS

This study determined lethal dose levels of road salt on selected macroinvertebrates from a Michigan, USA wetland under different testing conditions and related those levels to in situ chloride con- centrations of standing water habitats along multi-lane highways. We conducted simultaneous acute (24 and 96 h) and chronic (15 d) toxicity experiments using laboratory containers, containers adjacent to a wetland, and in situ modular field PVC microcosms. Data showed thatCallibaetis fluctuans, Physella integra, Hyallela azteca, and Chaoborus americanushad relatively high tolerance to elevated road-salt levels. Depending on test condition, road-salt 96 h LC 50 estimates ranged from greater than 5000 mg l 21 21 , with 75% ,334 mg l 21 , indicating that macroinvertebrate LC 50 chloride estimates for the study species are well above most concentrations of the 43 wetlands.
17O NMR investigation of the hydration of L-alanine and L-proline in water/Me2SO mixtures.

Abstract The hydration state of L-Alanine and L-Proline has been assessed via 17 O NMR. At neutral and basic pH, two water molecules are hydrogen bonded at the carboxylate group, one to each oxygen, whereas a third water molecule is hydrogen bonded to the protonated COOH group at acidic pH, via the hydroxyl hydrogen. The possibile formation of dimers and/or higher complexes in DMSO is indicated not only from the chemical shift but also from the linewidth of the amino acids.
Optimizing the Classification Performance of Logistic Regression and Fisher'S Discriminant Analyses:

Logistic regression analysis (LRA) and Fisher's discriminant analysis (FDA) are two of the most popular methodologies for solving classification problems involving a dichotomous class variable and two or more attributes. Like other suboptimal classification methodologies, neither LRA nor FDA explicitly maximizes percentage accuracy in classification (PAC) for the training sample (the sample on which the model is based). A heuristic is described that shows early promise of increasing the PAC of suboptimal models. The heuristic involves refining the cutpoint used by the suboptimal model to classify observations. This refinement is accomplished by applying univariate optimal discriminant analysis (UniODA) to the predicted response function values obtained by using the suboptimal model for training data. The UniODA cutpoint, rather than the cutpoint of the suboptimal model, is then employed to classify both training and validity (hold-out) data. UniODA-refinement of LRA models is demonstrated by using 12 exam...
Two teenage males with hypocalcemia and elevated parathyroid hormone levels

Vitamin D deficiency is not a rare disorder, particularly in minority groups. The Institute of Medicine recommends serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH)D levels >20 ng/mL and The Endocrine Society recommends levels >30 ng/mL for good health. In contrast, the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported average total 25-(OH)D concentrations of 25.6 ± 0.4 ng/mL in whites, 19.5 ± 0.5 ng/mL in Mexican Americans, and 14.8 ± 0.4 ng/mL in blacks. Pediatric patients with vitamin D deficiency may be asymptomatic or may present either with rickets, hypocalcemia, or seizures. Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare disorder characterized by parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance with (type 1a) or without (type 1b) the Albright Hereditary Os-teodystrophy (AHO) phenotype of short stature, brachydactyly, and mental retardation. Patients with PHP have elevated PTH levels and may have hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia. However, the same laboratory values can be seen in children with vitamin D deficiency, and diagnostic confusion is common. We report two cases of vitamin D deficiency with presentations suggestive of PHP.
From yellow stickies to the world-wide web: the evolution of problem tracking at the University of Houston

In 1990, IT Technology Support Services (TSS) was formed by combining several IT support departments. Cases were distributed to the four or five support people by the simple expedient of putting sticky notes on their office doors. A support person would return from an office call to find his/her office door covered in sticky notes. Missing cases, lost phone numbers and angry customers were common events. With an enrollment of 30,000 students and rising, something had to give. A variety of solutions were tried. First we had a VMS based system called Tracker. Stalker was next which proved to be much more flexible and paved the way to our current setup. More than anything else, using Stalker helped us begin to train ourselves to use an electronic tracking tool. Finally, we purchased Remedy for both helpdesk and account management use. Many internal and external departments have partnered with TSS to use the system. Now integrated with AskShasta our customers are able to submit their own cases via the web. This allows customer problems to enter the department's workflow directly, which greatly speeds time to resolution and provides the best service possible while reducing the need for new FTEs.
A method for rapid attainment of the steady state in two-dimensional time-marching supersonic flow calculations☆

A finite-difference method is used in conjunction with the RICE computer code in order to minimize the amount of CPU time required in supersonic flow calculations.(AIP)
Simulation of Use-Dependent Uptake of Ion Channel Blocking Agents by Excitable Membranes

Ion channel blocking agents have been difficult to characterize kinetically due to the use-and frequency-dependent nature of the observed channel blockade process. A model of ion channel blockade is presented which is based on single channel observations derived from patch clamp studies and a Hodgkin-Huxley-type channel gate that controls the diffusion path between ligand pool and the channel binding site. This model facilitates estimation and simulation of the pharmacodynamic properties of many local anesthetics and antiarrhythmic agents. The resulting model is easily implemented on small digital computers.
Golgi, trafficking, and mitosis dysfunctions in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells exposed to monocrotaline pyrrole and NO scavenging

Although the administration of monocrotaline (MCT) into experimental animals is in widespread use today in investigations of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the underlying cellular and subce...
Valence band spectra in pseudomorphically strained wurtzite quantum wells

Abstract A theory for the effects of size quantization and strain on the hole energy spectra in wurtzite AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN quantum wells is presented. The subband structure and dispersion relations for holes in pseudomorphically strained rectangular wells are obtained using an analytical solution of Schrodinger's equation with 3 × 3 matrix Hamiltonian blocks. The effects of strain are interpreted using an analogy between wurzite structures and prestrained zincblende crystals.
Two new species of caddisflies from East Asia (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae, Psychomyiidae)

A new species of Kisaura Ross (Philopotamidae) from Japan and a new species of Psychomyia Latreille (Psychomyiidae) from Russia are described. Kisaura imparis n. sp. is closest to Kisaura aurascens (Martynov, 1934), but the lateral processes of tergum X are asymmetrical and the apex of tergum X is different. Psychomyia poltavkaensis n. sp. resembles Psychomyia n. sp., but the shape of tergum IX+X is more rounded, the apex of the basoventral process of each preanal appendage is unforked, and the inferior appendages are branched.
A reduced mechanism for methanol oxidation in supercritical water

Abstract We reduced the complexity of a previously reported 151 reaction, 22 species, freeradical reaction mechanism for the oxidation of methanol in supercritical water by using a net rate analysis and sensitivity analysis. The reduced mechanism contains only 17 reactions and 14 chemical species, yet the model based on this mechanism predicts concentrations of methanol, formaldehyde, CO and CO 2 that are essentially indistinguishable from those of the complete mechanism under the range of reaction conditions of interest. The successful development of such a reduced mechanism points to the possibility of using mechanism-based kinetics models, rather than empirical global models, in supercritical water oxidation reactor engineering studies. We used the reduced mechanism to assess the effect of the uncertainty in the rate constants on the model predictions. This uncertainty analysis employed a Monte Carlo approach wherein the value of the rate constant for each elementary reaction was chosen randomly from within the range of values encompassed by the confidence interval for that rate constant. The results of this uncertainty analysis revealed the approximate ranges of the products’ molar yields that would fall within the model’s uncertainty for a given set of reaction conditions. By assessing the uncertainties in both the reduced mechanism-based model and in previous experimental results, we show that the reduced mechanism reported herein provides an accurate description of the reaction rates and product selectivities for methanol oxidation in supercritical water.
Efficient multicasting over large-scale WLANs through controlled association

Support for efficient multicasting in WLANs can enable new services such as streaming of TV channels, radio channels, and visitor's information. With increasing deployments of large-scale WLANs, such services can be made available to a large number of users. However, any new multicast based services must minimally impact the existing unicast services which are currently the core services offered by most WLANs. In this paper, we leverage the flexibility of associating with different access-points (APs), which occurs often due to overlapping coverage of APs, to optimize the network's objective. Motivated by different revenue functions and network scenarios, three different optimization objectives are considered which are: maximizing the number of admitted users (MNU), balancing the load among APs (BLA), and minimizing the load of APs (MLA). We show that these problems are NP-hard and present centralized approximation algorithms and distributed approaches to solve them. These algorithms compute which AP a user should be associated with. Using simulations we evaluate their performance and compare them to a naive approach in which users associate to the AP with the best RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).
Treating chronic anal fissure with botulinum neurotoxin

Recent reports confirm that the management of chronic anal fissure has undergone extensive re-evaluation during the past few years. This rejuvenation of interest is attributable to the application of neurochemical treatment, which has contributed to the tendency to treat the disease on an outpatient basis. The use of botulinum neurotoxin seems to be a promising and safe approach for the treatment of chronic anal fissure, particularly in patients at high risk for incontinence. Indeed, botulinum neurotoxin has been successfully used selectively to weaken the internal anal sphincter as a treatment for chronic anal fissure. It is also more efficacious than nitrate therapy, and is not related to the patient's willingness to complete treatment.