cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can’t play here: the decline of pick-up soccer and social capital in the USA

In this article, the authors argue that over-bureaucratization of the sport of soccer could have a deleterious impact on both the development of innovative soccer skills and the proliferation of beneficial social interaction – particularly for youth whose only exposure to sports is through pay-to-play leagues. This article relates these concerns to broader questions about democracy and grassroots interaction that have emerged in ‘social capital’ literature over the last twenty years. Curiously, while social capital advocates like Putnam posit a decline in formal participatory organizations, the number of organized youth sports leagues is in fact growing steadily. And, although Putnam would laud the merits of an increase in structured play, the authors highlight the negative repercussions of this occurrence. Specifically, the authors examine literature on the sociology of sport, as well as literature from public administration and political science, to explore the manner in which ‘pick-up’ games fit into t...
Problem and pathological gambling are associated with poorer mental and physical health in older adults.

Objective To evaluate the prevalence and correlates of problem and pathological gambling in older adults. Methods Adults (n = 343) aged 60 years and older attending senior centers, bingo sites and other community activities completed a screening form containing the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Short Form-12 Health Survey, to evaluate physical and mental health. Results Overall, 6.4% of the respondents were classified as problem gamblers and an additional 3.8% as pathological gamblers. Problem and pathological gamblers evidenced significantly greater physical and mental health problems than non-problem gamblers. Conclusions These data suggest that about 10 percent of active older adults experience gambling problems, which are associated with poor physical and mental health. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal and secular variation of wind streaks on Mars - An analysis of Mariner 9 and Viking data

Viking orbiter observations extending over 1 Martian year have been used in conjunction with Mariner 9 data obtained in 1971-1972 to study the seasonal and secular behavior of several kinds of wind streaks. Most bright streaks, inferred to consist of dust storm fallout in the lees of obstacles, have changed very little in form or orientation over a period of 3 Martian years. Some are extremely stable and have experienced no effective eolian action over the 3 years. A few bright streaks changed rapidly during global dust storms; these streaks are located in areas subject to both global and topographic winds. Viking images have shown for the first time that dark, erosional streaks are stable from the time of their formation after major dust storms until the onset of the next episode of major storm activity. Available evidence shows that the large, dark streaks in Oxia Palus consist of material deflated from dune fields within the associated craters. These streaks lengthened secularly since 1972; changes appear to occur episodically during southern summer. The great majority of all streaks reflect winds during the period from late southern spring to early southern fall, although some changes occur throughout the year. The global pattern of wind streaks and the variability of the streaks thus depend strongly upon the current south-north asymmetry of seasons on Mars.
Rock classification in the Haynesville Shale based on petrophysical and elastic properties estimated from well logs

Rock classification can enhance fracture treatment design for successful field developments in organic-shale reservoirs. The petrophysical and elastic properties of formations are important to consider when selecting the best candidate zones for fracture treatment. Rock classification techniques based on well logs can be advantageous compared to conventional ones based on cores, and they enable depth-by-depth formation characterization. We developed and evaluated three rock classification techniques in organic-shale formations that incorporate well logs and well-log-based estimates of elastic properties, petrophysical properties, mineralogy, and organic richness. The three rock classification techniques include (1) a 3D crossplot analysis of organic richness, volumetric concentrations of minerals, and rock brittleness index, (2) an unsupervised artificial neural network (ANN), built from an input of well logs, and (3) an unsupervised ANN, constructed using an input of well-log-based estimates of petrophysical, compositional, and elastic properties. A so-called self-consistent approximation rock-physics model is used to estimate elastic rock properties. This model enables assessment of the elastic properties based on the well-log-derived estimates of mineralogy and shapes of rock components, in the absence of acoustic-wave velocity logs. Finally, we apply the three proposed techniques to the Haynesville Shale for rock classification. We verify the identified rock types using thin-section images and previously identified lithofacies. We determined that well logs can be directly used for rock classification instead of petrophysical, compositional, and elastic properties obtained from well-log interpretation. Direct use of well logs, instead of well-log-derived properties, can reduce uncertainty associated with the physical models used to estimate elastic moduli and petrophysical/compositional properties. The three proposed well-log-based rock classification techniques can potentially enhance fracture treatment for production from complex organic-shale reservoirs through (1) detecting the best candidate zones for fracture treatment and (2) optimizing the number of required fracture stages.
The effect of probenecid on the renal elimination of cimetidine.

It is generally assumed that the systems involved in the transport of organic cations and organic anions in the renal proximal tubule are substrate selective (i.e., organic anions do not inhibit organic cation transport and vice versa). However, recent data obtained in vitro have suggested that the organic anion probenecid inhibits the renal transport of the organic cation cimetidine. We addressed the question of whether this interaction is biologically relevant in human beings. The study involved a two-treatment, randomized crossover design. Six healthy male subjects were given an intravenous infusion of 300 mg cimetidine alone as one treatment and, as the other treatment, received multiple oral doses of probenecid before receiving the cimetidine infusion. The renal clearance of cimetidine and inulin was determined in each period. There were no significant differences between treatments in cimetidine plasma concentrations, apparent volume of distribution, systemic clearance, half-life, amount of drug excreted unchanged in the urine, or nonrenal clearance. Probenecid significantly decreased the renal clearance of cimetidine by decreasing both the filtration clearance and the net secretory clearance. These effects were most evident in the first 1/2 to 1 hour after cimetidine administration, when probenecid levels in plasma and renal tissue would have been the highest. Because there was no effect of probenecid on cimetidine plasma concentrations, this interaction is not clinically relevant to the therapeutic use of these two compounds. However, the study demonstrates that renal interactions between organic cations and organic anions can occur in human beings. The mechanism of this interaction and the implications to other drug combinations are being explored.
Low-Quality, High-Cost Hospitals, Mainly In South, Care For Sharply Higher Shares Of Elderly Black, Hispanic, And Medicaid Patients

As policy makers design national programs aimed at managing the quality and costs of health care, it is important to understand the potential impact on minority and poor patients and the hospitals that provide most of their care. We analyzed a range of hospital data and assigned hospitals to various categories, including “best”—high-quality, low-cost institutions—and “worst”—where quality is low and costs high. We found that the “worst” hospitals—typically small public or for-profit institutions in the South—care for double the proportion (15 percent versus 7 percent) of elderly black patients as the “best” hospitals—typically nonprofit institutions in the Northeast. Similarly, elderly Hispanic and Medicaid patients accounted for 1 percent and 15 percent, respectively, of the patient population at the best hospitals, while at the worst hospitals, these groups represented 4 percent and 23 percent of the patients. Patients with acute myocardial infarction at the worst hospitals had 7–10 percent higher odds ...
Surgery for Postinfarction Ventricular Aneurysm

Abstract Seventeen patients have undergone left ventricular aneurysmectomy combined with aorta-to-coronary artery vein bypass grafts. Three patients died at operation, and 1 patient died during the follow-up period of 9 to 36 months. All deaths occurred in patients with multiple vessel obstructions in whom only a single graft was inserted, and all were the result of coronary artery disease. Comparison of this series with a previous series in which aneurysmecto-my was not combined with coronary revascularization shows that the operative mortality is not altered but suggests that long-term survival is improved when aneurysmectomy is combined with coronary revascularization.
A two level optical star WDM metropolitan area network

We propose a metropolitan area network which is a two level optical star network. The stations are grouped into clusters based on geographical proximity and communication demands. The stations within a cluster communicate using a local WDM star network and a station in one cluster communicates to a station in another cluster through a remote star in a single hop. The multiwavelength filtering capability of acoustooptic tunable filters is used to isolate the wavelengths of one cluster from the wavelengths used in another cluster. Hence, the wavelengths used for local communication in a cluster can be completely reused in another cluster. We present three media access protocols for this network based on group time division multiplexing (GTDM). We present analytical models for these protocols for the uniform traffic case and obtain the system performance in terms of the average delay.
Male mask size is correlated with mating success in the common yellowthroat

Many socially monogamous species have sexually dimorphic traits. The evolution of these traits is puzzling as sexual selection is often thought to be relatively weak in monogamous species. However, sexual selection in monogamous species could be stronger than generally believed if the males possessing more dimorphic traits gain a reproductive advantage by increasing the probability of: (1) gaining a mate, (2) mating with a female of relatively higher quality (more fecund), or (3) gaining extrapair fertilizations. We used a combination of DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite markers to study male traits associated with social and extrapair mating success of males in the common yellowthroat, Geothlypis frichas. In this species the male has a black facial mask that is absent in females. The mask varies almost two times in size among males on our study area. We found that males with larger masks gained both a social and extrapair mating advantage. In terms of social mating success, males with larger masks were more likely to gain a mate. However, there was no clear evidence that these males also gained more fecund mates. In a populationwide analysis, males with larger masks were also more likely to gain extrapair fertilizations and they sired a larger number of extrapair young. Similarly, in a pairwise comparison, extrapair sires had larger masks than the males that they cuckolded. Over the season, males that obtained extrapair fertilizations sired more young (within-pair and extrapair) than males that failed to gain extrapair fertilizations. Most of this difference was due to extrapair rather than within-pair mating success. These results suggest that sexual selection has the potential to influence mask size as a consequence of variation in both the social and extrapair components of mating success.
Detection of Periodicities in Gene Sequences: A Maximum Likelihood Approach

A novel approach is presented to the detection of homological, eroded and latent periodicities in DNA sequences. Each symbol in a DNA sequence is assumed to be generated from an information source with an underlying probability mass function (pmf) in a cyclic manner. The number of sources can be interpreted as the periodicity of the sequence. The maximum likelihood estimates are developed for the pmfs of the information sources as well as the period of the DNA sequence. The statistical model can also be utilized for building probabilistic representations of RNA families.
Solution and solid-phase halogen and C–H hydrogen bonding to perrhenate

1H NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic investigations of a 1,3-bis(4-ethynyl-3-iodopyridinium)benzene scaffold with perrhenate reveal strong halogen bonding in solution, and bidentate association in the solid state. A nearly isostructural host molecule demonstrates significant C–H hydrogen bonding to perrhenate in the same phases.
Effects of Age and Sex on 3H-Cortisol Uptake, Binding and Metabolism in Liver and on Enzyme Induction Capacity

The effects of age and sex upon the uptake, metabolism and binding of 3H-cortisol by rat liver and on the induction of hepatic tyrosine aminotransferase were studied. The livers of fetal rats, one day before term, concentrate the hormone only 20% as well as adult livers. Fetal hepatic cytosol proteins bind only 9% as much of the injected hormone as do those from adult female rats. Hormone uptake and binding reach nearly adult levels in 24-hr-old rats. The major binding proteins are named I, II and III in the order of increasing affinity for DEAE Sephadex A-50. After fractionation of adult cytosol proteins, 3–5, 4–10 and 80–90% of the recovered cortisol radioactivity associates with Binders I, II and III, respectively. The amount of radioactivity in Binder I is constant regardless of age. However, the relative amounts of radioactivity associated with Binders II (68–73%) and III (22–28%) in fetal cytosols are reversed from the adult pattern. After 16 days, the radioactivity in Binder II begins to fall and t...
Pituitary insufficiency from large unruptured supraclinoid internal carotid artery aneurysm

A 59-year-old female presented with headache and fatigue. Angiography revealed a giant superior hypophyseal aneurysm with intrasellar extension. Serum endocrine panel demonstrated pituitary insufficiency. The aneurysm was treated with a pipeline flow-diverting stent and the hypopituitarism was treated with hormone replacement. Pituitary insufficiency from aneurysmal compression is extremely rare.
Maternal Perinatal Diet Induces Developmental Programming of Bone Architecture

Maternal high-fat (HF) diet can alter offspring metabolism via perinatal developmental programming. This study tests the hypothesis that maternal HF diet also induces perinatal programming of offspring bone mass and strength. We compared skeletal acquisition in pups from C57Bl/6J mice fed HF or normal diet from preconception through lactation. Three-week-old male and female pups from HF (HF-N) and normal mothers (N-N) were weaned onto normal diet. Outcomes at 14 and 26 weeks of age included body mass, body composition, whole-body bone mineral content (WBBMC) via peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, femoral cortical and trabecular architecture via microcomputed tomography, and glucose tolerance. Female HF-N had normal body mass and glucose tolerance, with lower body fat (%) but higher serum leptin at 14 weeks vs. N-N (P<0.05 for both). WBBMC was 12% lower at 14 weeks and 5% lower at 26 weeks, but trabecular bone volume fraction was 20% higher at 14 weeks in female HF-N vs. N-N (P<0.05 for all). Male HF-N had normal body mass and mildly impaired glucose tolerance, with lower body fat (%) at 14 weeks and lower serum leptin at 26 weeks vs. N-N (P<0.05 for both). Serum insulin was higher at 14 weeks and lower at 26 weeks in HF-N vs. N-N (P<0.05). Trabecular BV/TV was 34% higher and cortical bone area was 6% higher at 14 weeks vs. N-N (P<0.05 for both). These data suggest that maternal HF diet has complex effects on offspring bone, supporting the hypothesis that maternal diet alters postnatal skeletal homeostasis.
Bacterial-Dependent Up-Regulation of Intestinal Bile Acid Binding Protein and Transport is FXR-Mediated Following Ileo-Cecal Resection

Background Bile acid (BA) reclamation following ileo-cecal resection (ICR) may prevent colonic mucosa from chronic injury. In this study, we hypothesized that in a murine model of ICR the remnant colon would upregulate the cellular machinery necessary for BA reclamation and would do so in an FXR- and bacteria-dependent manner. Methods Conventional (WT), conventional FXR knockout (FXR null) and germ-free (GF) mice were randomized to undergo either ICR or sham operation. The ascending colon was harvested for histology and immunohistochemistry and changes in bile acid homeostatic gene expression determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 7 days following surgery. Results Following ICR WT mice showed significant increases in the expression of genes regulating bile acid transport including IBABP, Asbt, Ostβ and FGF 15. Increased expression of IBABP and Asbt was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Induction of bile acid transport genes was absent or attenuated in FXR null and GF mice. Conclusion Bacterial dependent up regulation of IBABP is FXR mediated in the colon following ICR. Mice lacking microbiota (GF) or FXR are unable to increase the expression of IBABP or FGF 15.
A Grammar-Based Web Service Enabling Multi-domain Distributed Interoperation of Command/Control and Simulation Systems

The joint battle management language (JBML) project is at the forefront of the current interest in supporting development of distributed systems with simulation elements by means of Web services. This paper reports on work to develop an extensible capability to serve as a basis to expand JBML coherently, in multiple domains of warfare simulation (land, air, and maritime). The project has created a schema for a Web service that serves as the external interface for orders being pushed into the Web service by the different military components' domain-unique command and control (C2) systems, and pulled from the service by different simulations that function as a cooperating system. The Web service consists of multiple, re-usable layers in an open source implementation that is intended to serve as a basis for an expanding open standards development effort for the coalition battle management language. We report on the approach used to design and develop the schema and supporting Web service based on a lexical grammar, and the results when three C2 systems and two simulation systems were combined, using the Web service as its core.
Rumi functions as both a protein O-glucosyltransferase and a protein O-xylosyltransferase

Mutations in rumi result in a temperature-sensitive loss of Notch signaling in Drosophila. Drosophila Rumi is a soluble, endoplasmic reticulum-retained protein with a CAP10 domain that functions as a protein O-glucosyltransferase. In human and mouse genomes, three potential Rumi homologues exist: one with a high degree of identity to Drosophila Rumi (52%), and two others with lower degrees of identity but including a CAP10 domain (KDELC1 and KDELC2). Here we show that both mouse and human Rumi, but not KDELC1 or KDELC2, catalyze transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to an EGF repeat from human factor VII. Similarly, human Rumi, but not KDELC1 or KDELC2, rescues the Notch phenotypes in Drosophila rumi clones. During characterization of the Rumi enzymes, we noted that, in addition to protein O-glucosyltransferase activity, both mammalian and Drosophila Rumi also showed significant protein O-xylosyltransferase activity. Rumi transfers Xyl or glucose to serine 52 in the O-glucose consensus sequence () of factor VII EGF repeat. Surprisingly, the second serine (S53) facilitates transfer of Xyl, but not glucose, to the EGF repeat by Rumi. EGF16 of mouse Notch2, which has a diserine motif in the consensus sequence (), is also modified with either O-Xyl or O-glucose glycans in cells. Mutation of the second serine (S590A) causes a loss of O-Xyl but not O-glucose at this site. Altogether, our data establish dual substrate specificity for the glycosyltransferase Rumi and provide evidence that amino acid sequences of the recipient EGF repeat significantly influence which donor substrate (UDP-glucose or UDP-Xyl) is used.
Figurines, materiality and social life in ancient Mesoamerica

Reading these two books is like peering into a magnifying lens. One is able to focus in and reflect on small details, but is also made aware that these details are inextricably linked to, and informed by, other elements in the field of view. In Material relations: the marriage figurines of Prehispanic Honduras and Maya figurines: intersections between state and household, the authors carry out focused analyses of ceramic figurines from pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. Through the theoretical lenses of materiality, practice and mimesis, they show how figurines, as individual objects or assemblages, created social life through their portability, transferability and biographies. Furthermore, because of their association with households, they show how figurines can speak to the lives of women, children and commoners, the dynamics of households, and the relationship between non-states or culturally peripheral areas and the state. These two books stand as nuanced exemplars of microscale approaches in archaeology and a concern with intimate practices to reveal larger social phenomena.
Low-temperature microdiamond aggregates in the Maksyutov Metamorphic Complex, South Ural Mountains, Russia

The Middle Paleozoic Maksyutov Complex is an important component of the Eurasian collisional orogeny. It consists of dominant mica-rich garnet schist and mica-poor quartzofeldspathic gneiss enclosing minor mafic eclogite boudins (unit no. 1). Employing Raman spectroscopy, we identified three cuboidal microdiamond inclusions (~2‐3 micrometers in diameter) in garnet hosts from two different mica-poor gneissic samples. Broad spectral bands and high magnification SEM images suggest that the cuboids are fine-grained nanocrystalline diamond aggregates characterized by limited long-range ordering. Their poor crystallinity is compatible with relatively low-temperature, solid-state growth in the absence of both melt and a C-O-H-N fluid. Poor crystallinity, and small grain size suggest that such aggregates may represent the lowest temperature microdiamonds yet identified in nature. Their formation required ultrahigh-pressures (UHP) at a minimum of 3.2 GPa, and a metamorphic temperature of ~650 ∞C. Blocky graphite up to 10+ mm across in the matrix of mica-rich carbonaceous garnet schist may represent pseudomorphs after much larger neoblastic diamonds. Thermobarometric calculations for analyzed coexisting garnet + omphacite + phengite from six Maksyutov unit no. 1 mafic eclogites indicate retrograde physical conditions of 610‐680 ∞C, 1.7‐2.6 GPa, slightly lower-pressure conditions than the coesite stability field. Complete conversion of diamond to blocky graphite in the mica-rich schists, and recrystallization of coesite to quartz in the schists, quartzofeldspathic gneisses, and eclogite pods reflect relatively slow exhumation from ~110 km depth to upper crustal levels over 60‐90 m.y. Phengite inclusions in zircon and garnet hint at modest activity of H2O during prograde UHP metamorphism of the eclogites and mica-poor gneisses. The latter have retained rare, tiny microdiamond inclusions in garnet on decompression. Abundant white mica in the carbonaceous garnet schists probably reflects a C-O-H-N fluid-mediated, kinetically enhanced prograde production of diamond, and efficient obliteration of this phase accompanying leisurely ascent of the subduction complex. In contrast, associated micapoor gneisses and eclogites were relatively dry during exhumation, so retained rare nanocrystalline microdiamond inclusions in garnet.
Pleurotus, Omphalia, Mycena, and Collybia Published in North American Flora

(1916). Pleurotus, Omphalia, Mycena, and Collybia Published in North American Flora. Mycologia: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 218-221.
Early TV Viewing and Childhood Attention Deficits

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a nationally representative longitudinal data set, was used at the University of Washington, Seattle, to test the hypothesis that early television exposure (at ages 1 and 3) is associated with attentional problems (AP) at age 7.
Present Status of Rotenone and Rotenoids

One of the most amazing developments in American agriculture during the past decade has been the rapid growth in the use of derris, cube, timbo, and barbasco as insecticides. These plants, all closely related botanically and belonging to the family Fabaceae, owe their toxicity to rotenone and a group of structurally related compounds called rotenoids.
CAUSE ANALYSIS OF UNSTABLE VIBRATION ON BEARING NO.9 OF SUPERCRITICAL 660 MW UNIT AND DISPOSAL THEREOF

The phenomenon and characters in climbing and suddenly changing of vibration on bearing no.9 of unit no.5 after overhaul in the process of start-up at Huangdao Power Plant have been presented,especially the rapid changing of vibration,boasting certain typical and representative characters.The causes leading to climbing and suddenly changing of vibration have been analysed,and disposal measures,such as controlling the tightness of coupling bolts between generator and slip-ring within 1700～2000 kNm,and controlling the swaying at bearing neck no.9 within 0.05 mm,being put forward.After implementation,the shaft vibration under constant speed 3000 r/min,and in the process of carrying load,is less than 90 μm,achieving the excellent level.
Knowledge about HIV /AIDS among urban and rural residents in 5 provinces of west China-a telephone survey

Objective To investigate the knowledge and influence factors of human immunodeficiency virus/ac-quired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in urban and rural residents of 5 provinces in west China. Methods The telephone numbers were chosen with stratified random sampling and telephone survey was used to collect information among residents aged 15-60 years in Inner Mongolia,Sichuan,Gansu,Qinghai and Ningxia province. A structured ques-tionnaire was used to collect information about general demographic characteristics and the knowledge about HIV / AIDS. Results A total of 2 653 residents from the 5 provinces were interviewed. The average knowledge rate of HIV /AIDS was 77. 3%(49. 1%-88. 0%) for the 5 provinces. The average knowledge rate of HIV / AIDS control policy was 92. 7%. The knowledge rates among urban residents,young residents and the residents with high education were signifi-cantly higher than those of other residents(P0. 01). Multiple regression showed that living in rural area(odds ratio(OR)=0. 770),with low education(OR=0. 182,0. 344 and 0. 436),living in Sichuan province(OR=0. 260) were risk factors for HIV / AIDS control hnowledge,while at the age between 31-45 years(OR=1. 455),living in Gansu pronince(OR=2. 213),Ningxia(OR=1. 912) or Inner Mongolia(OR=2. 305) were protective factor. Conclusion Health edu-cation on HIV / AIDS needs to be carried out based on the characteristics of the residents in west China.
Heart rate reduction improves myocardial ischemia in swine: role of interventricular blood flow redistribution.

Regional myocardial blood flow (MBF) distribution and function upon slowing the heart rate (HR) during ischemia were studied in anesthetized swine, a species without coronary collaterals. Perfusion of the left anterior descending artery by a pump allowed controlled production of regional ischemia. Slowing tachycardia by electrical pacing (127 to 87 beats/min) caused marked improvement of regional dysfunction [% wall thickening (WTh) from 9 to 27%] and increased subendocardial MBF [from 0.31 to 0.55 ml.min-1.g-1 (P less than 0.001)] without change of subepicardial MBF. Total left ventricular (LV) MBF increased, whereas right ventricular (RV) MBF fell by 18% (P less than 0.02). The mechanism of MBF changes during slowed HR was assessed by surgically excluding the RV and comparing findings with previous experiments with RV intact when HR was slowed from 96 to 60 beats/min. A similar improvement of regional LV function occurred (8% vs. 30% WTh) with the RV excluded, but without a change in total flow to the LV bed, whereas subendocardial MBF increased and subepicardial MBF fell, indicating transmural redistribution only. These findings show that the RV vascular bed can contribute to LV perfusion in swine during ischemia, and they document the potential for "reverse RV steal" during slowed heart rate in this setting.
System-Level Transparent Checkpointing for OpenSHMEM

Fault tolerance is an active area of research for OpenSHMEM programs. In this work, we present the first approach using system-level transparent checkpointing. This complements an existing approach based on application-level checkpointing. Application-level checkpointing has advantages for algorithm-based fault tolerance, while transparent checkpointing can be invoked by the system at an arbitrary time. Unlike the earlier application-level work of Hao et al., this system-level approach creates checkpoint images in stable storage, thus enabling restart at a later time or even process migration. An experimental evaluation is presented using NAS NPB benchmarks for OpenSHMEM. In order to support this work, The design of DMTCP (Distributed MultiThreaded CheckPointing) was extended to support shared memory regions in the absence of virtual memory.
A Fully Synthetic Transcriptional Platform for a Multicellular Eukaryote

Summary Regions of genomic DNA called enhancers encode binding sites for transcription factor proteins. Binding of activators and repressors increase and reduce transcription, respectively, but it is not understood how combinations of activators and repressors generate precise patterns of transcription during development. Here, we explore this problem using a fully synthetic transcriptional platform in Drosophila consisting of engineered transcription factor gradients and artificial enhancers. We found that binding sites for a transcription factor that makes DNA accessible are required together with binding sites for transcriptional activators to produce a functional enhancer. Only in this context can changes in the number of activator binding sites mediate quantitative control of transcription. Using an engineered transcriptional repressor gradient, we demonstrate that overlapping repressor and activator binding sites provide more robust repression and sharper expression boundaries than non-overlapping sites. This may explain why this common motif is observed in many developmental enhancers.
A nomogram associated with high probability of malignant nodes in the surgical specimen after trimodality therapy of patients with esophageal cancer (EC).

e14547 Background: The presence of malignant lymph nodes (+ypNodes) in the surgical specimen after preoperative chemoradiation (trimodality therapy) in patients with EC portends a poor prognosis fo...
Novel salicylic acid-based chemically crosslinked pH-sensitive hydrogels as potential drug delivery systems

In this work, salicylic acid (SA), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, was chemically incorporated into hydrogel systems to achieve sustained SA release profiles. With its anti-inflammatory properties, sustained release of SA would be relevant for treating diseases such as diabetes and cancer. In this work, SA was chemically incorporated into hydrogel systems via covalent attachment to an itaconate moiety followed by UV-initiated crosslinking using acrylic acid and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. The chemical composition of the hydrogel system was confirmed using FT-IR spectroscopy. The SA-based hydrogels were designed as pH-responsive hydrogels, collapsing at acidic pH (1.2) values and swelling at higher pH (7.4) values for gastrointestinal-specific delivery. The hydrogel systems exhibited a pH-dependent SA release profile: SA release was much slower at pH 1.2 compared to pH 7.4. Under acidic pH conditions, 30wt% SA was released after 24h, whereas 100wt% SA was released in a sustained manner within 24h in pH 7.4 PBS buffer. The pore structure of the gel networks were studied using SEM and exhibit appropriate pore sizes (15-60μm) for physically encapsulating drugs. In addition, rheological studies of the hydrogels proved that these systems are mechanically strong and robust. Mucoadhesive behaviors were confirmed using a Texture Analyzer, the work of adhesion for the hydrogels was around 290 g·mm and the maximum detachment force was around 135g. The SA-based hydrogels demonstrate great potential for oral delivery of bioactives in combination with SA to treat serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
Electroosmotically Induced Hydraulic Pumping on Microchips

We report the design and testing of microchips with salt-bridge junctions that were capable of inducing hydraulic pumping electroosmotically. The salt-bridge junction was a thin gap or channel (< 100 nm deep) connecting two closely spaced microchannels. When an electric potential was applied across the junction, the electroosmotic flow was lower in the thin channel relative to the microchannels. This generates a pressure at the junction that in turn produces hydraulic flow.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Medicine: Quantitative Tissue Characterization

The medical community has long practiced the art of nondestructive evaluation in its various diagnostic imaging branches. Only within about the last decade, however, has there been an attempt to provide quantitative information to the clinical radiologist. The most important example of a system providing such information is the computed x-ray tomography (CT) scanner. The resulting digitally created images portray maps of an approximation to the electron density at discrete sampling points within the subject. Density resolution of the order of 0.1% and spatial resolution reaching 0.5 mm have become readily available.
Nanomaterials for dental and craniofacial tissue engineering

Abstract: This chapter highlights the auspicious prospects that nanotechnology has for engineering craniofacial and dental tissues. We discuss current and promising strategies applying nano-alteration to scaffolding materials to biomimetically regenerate craniofacial bone, tooth tissues as well as the compelling potential for whole tooth regeneration. The chapter also considers nanotechnology applications to enhance tissues vascularization and approaches to control spatiotemporal release of biological factors by integrated gene and drug nano-delivery systems. We finally include the potential of micro/nano-arrays libraries with high-throughput characterization to funnel nanotechnology strategies and efforts into the optimum biomimetic approach for tissues regeneration.
Methods for the measurement of oxygen equilibrium curves of red cell suspensions and hemoglobin solutions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of methods available for the measurement of oxygen equilibrium curves of red cell suspensions and hemoglobin solutions. An important factor in determining the efficiency of oxygen transport by blood is the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. Subsequently, the most accurate way to determine the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin is to record a complete oxygen equilibrium curve (OEC). Two parameters necessary to construct an OEC are the fractional saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen (% saturation) and the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in the gas phase. Methods developed for determining the OEC are divided into two main categories—discontinuous and continuous. In the methods classified as discontinuous or static, the PO2 and % saturation are determined at distinct points along the curve. Continuous, or dynamic, methods simultaneously measure the constantly changing PO2 and % saturation along the curve. The continuous methods are generally faster, more automated, and require smaller sample volumes than the discontinuous methods. The great variety of methods developed for the determination of OECs may reflect the difficulty and complexity of accurately measuring the necessary parameters, PO2, and % saturation. The automatic OEC analyzer and procedures described can minimize many of the problems associated with the measurement because the OEC is determined under controlled pH, PCO2, and temperature conditions.
The Role of Phage in the Adaptation of Bacteria to New Environmental Niches

Bacteria and their viruses (bacteriophages or phages) have a complex relationship that is in constant flux. Studies in natural environments, and by manipulations of phages and bacteria in a laboratory setting, have demonstrated that phages can profoundly influence bacterial populations. Phages can alter the density of different bacteria by lytic infection, and the genetic makeup of bacteria can be altered by lysogeny or transduction. Phages are promiscuous mediators of genetic exchange and often carry genes capable of altering the phenotypes of their bacterial hosts. The genetic traits acquired from phages can influence adaptation of bacteria to an environment by providing enhanced or novel metabolic properties, resistance to other phages or protozoan predators, and acquisition of antibiotic resistance or new virulence traits. The improvement in sequencing technology that sparked the microbial metagenomic revolution has provided another tool for understanding the impact of phages on bacterial populations. Metagenomic analysis of virus populations (“viromics”) has provided insight into the surprising extent that phages modulate the bacterial genome. While the benefit to the phages for transferring novel properties to its host is often poorly understood, this relationship clearly provides a selective advantage because these properties are maintained in many environments and including otherwise adverse conditions for the bacterial host. In this chapter, we will discuss how phages influence the fitness of bacteria in particular environmental niches.
Establishment and control of spacecraft formations using artificial potential functions

Abstract The automated control of spacecraft formations in specified relative orbits is a challenging problem that is computationally intensive using traditional methods of numerically integrating trajectories and applying optimal control theory. In this paper, relative orbital elements and artificial potential functions are combined into a methodology that allows full control of the relative orbits of spacecraft formations. This method enables the intuitive design of geometrically complex formations, and allows collision avoidance during the formation establishment. The effectiveness of the control algorithm is illustrated with the numerical simulation of the establishment of various formation geometries.
Multiple Accounts Detection on Facebook Using Semi-Supervised Learning on Graphs

In social networks, a single user may create multiple accounts to spread his/her opinions and to influence others, by actively commenting on different news pages. It would be beneficial to both social networks and their communities to demote such abnormal activities, and the first step is to detect those accounts. However, the detection of multiple accounts is challenging, because they may have very realistic names and reasonable activity patterns. In this paper, we investigate three different approaches, and propose using graph embedding together with semi-supervised learning to predict whether multiple accounts are created by the same user. We carry out extensive experimental analyses to understand how changes in the input data and algorithmic parameters of optimization affect the prediction performance. We also note that local information have higher importance than the global ones for such prediction, and point out the threshold leading to the best results. We test the proposed approach with 6700 Facebook pages from the Middle East, and achieve the averaged accuracy at 0.996 and AUC (area under curve)at 0.952 for users with the same name; with the U.S. 2016 election dataset, we obtain the best AUC at 0.877 for users with different names.
For a Personal Foundation

This chapter begins our inquiry into whether the foundation of existence is personal. Rasmussen seeks to uncover relevant clues. The bulk of the chapter is about four clues: (i) organized complexity, (ii) consciousness, (iii) morality, and (iv) reason. Rasmussen gives a Bayesian assessment of each of these and suggests why they independently point to a common root: intentional powers of a foundational mind. Rasmussen then adds a new, deductive argument for the same result. This argument is an extension of his argument from arbitrary limits. This deduction follows a path from (i) no arbitrary, unexplained limits, to (ii) a maximally powerful foundation, and then to (iii) a foundation with intentional powers.
MPC simplification for established model-based mask process correction solutions

With 193nm optical lithography being extended to 12nm design rules and beyond, quality and performance requirements for photomasks are becoming increasingly challenged to support the increased pattern complexity. Additionally, interactions between mask, the lithography process, and OPC (Optical Proximity Correction) are becoming a more critical tool in tolerance reduction. One of the tools being used to reduce this variation is Mask Process Correction (MPC). Model-based Mask Process Correction (MB-MPC) is one of the key tools used to improve photomask Critical Dimension (CD) uniformity and provide high fidelity, and increase patterning stability of resolution limited features, such as assist features (SRAFs) at today’s leading-edge nodes. Since 2017, participants in the eBeam Initiative Mask Maker Survey have reported that MPC is considered a requirement for 16nm and below. Reduction of systematic photomask CD errors with MPC enables improvement of the accuracy of Optical Proximity Correction models by reducing mismatch between actual and modelled masks. While model-based MPC has been demonstrated to reduce mask fidelity and dimensional errors to sub 1nm on mask, one of the downsides is that it is a slow and resource intensive solution. An advanced model based MPC requires massive numbers of CPUs and their associated EDA licenses. In this paper, we will teach a technique for mitigation by use of a Rule-Based MPC (RB-MPC) solution with MB-MPC accuracy to reduce Mask Data Prep (MDP) runtime with no loss in patterning quality. We report on a full cycle of model to rule-based MPC simplification approaches and verification. We will describe the process by which we have been able to migrate a model-based MPC (MB-MPC) solution to a more cost effective, and equally accurate Rule-based MPC (RB-MPC) solution. This will included the methodology for derivation, implementation, and verification of the modified RB-MPC, which is based on both mask, and wafer performance metrics, and characterization of limitations of this process, as the challenges in converting to a RB-MPC from a MBMPC solution by application, including technology, mask process, target layer, and wafer-performance metrics.
Room-Temperature Printing of Micron-Scale-Wide Metal Lines for Microsystems via Atmospheric Microsputtering

We report a novel ion drag beam-focused, atmospheric pressure microplasma sputterer that allows, for the first time, direct-write additive manufacturing of electronics-quality conductive lines on temperature-sensitive substrates. Gold lines as narrow as $1.7\ \mu \mathrm{m}$ (i.e., on par with state-of-the-art CMOS metallization, and up to two orders of magnitude finer than reported values from competing microsputtering reactors), with electrical resistivity as low as $30\ \mu\Omega-\mathrm{cm}$ without annealing (i.e., half the reported resistivity value from low-temperature silver nanoparticle ink imprints), and roughness as low as 1.3 nm are reported. Smooth, conductive lines with thickness in the 30 nm to 250 nm range were successfully created.
Poster: Adversarial Examples for Hate Speech Classifiers

With the advent of the Internet, social media platforms have become an increasingly popular medium of communication for people. Platforms like Twitter and Quora allow people to express their opinions on a large scale. These platforms are, however, plagued by the problem of hate speech and toxic content. Such content is generally sexist, homophobic or racist. Automatic text classification can filter out toxic content so some extent. In this paper, we discuss the adversarial attacks on hate speech classifiers. We demonstrate that by changing the text slightly, a classifier can be fooled to misclassifying a toxic comment as acceptable. We attack hate speech classifiers with known attacks as well as introduce four new attacks. We find that our method can degrade the performance of a Random Forest classifier by 20%. We hope that our work sheds light on the vulnerabilities of text classifiers, and opens doors for further research on this topic.
Deriving parametric multi-way recursive divide-and-conquer dynamic programming algorithms using polyhedral compilers

We present a novel framework to automatically derive highly efficient parametric multi-way recursive divide&conquer algorithms for a class of dynamic programming (DP) problems. Standard two-way or any fixed R-way recursive divide&conquer algorithms may not fully exploit many-core processors. To run efficiently on a given machine, the value of R may need to be different for every level of recursion based on the number of processors available and the sizes of memory/caches at different levels of the memory hierarchy. The set of R values that work well on a given machine may not work efficiently on another machine with a different set of machine parameters. To improve portability and efficiency, Multi-way Autogen generates parametric multi-way recursive divide&conquer algorithms where the value of R can be changed on the fly for every level of recursion. We present experimental results demonstrating the performance and scalability of the parallel programs produced by our framework.
Epidemiology and Burden of Disease

Autoimmune hepatitis is an uncommon chronic liver disease that affects women more frequently than men. This chapter will focus on epidemiology of AIH describing differences in incidence and prevalence among countries and regions, differences by gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as burden of disease. The highest incidence and prevalence of AIH are seen in Scandinavian countries and native Alaskans. Blacks and Latinos present with more severe disease and advanced fibrosis. The economic burden and hospitalizations are also described.