cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symbolic verification of timed asynchronous hardware protocols

Correct interaction of asynchronous protocols requires verification. Timed asynchronous protocols add another layer of complexity to the verification challenge. A methodology and automated tool flow have been developed for verifying systems of timed asynchronous circuits through compositional model checking of formal models with symbolic methods. The approach uses relative timing constraints to model timing in asynchronous hardware protocols - a novel mapping of timing into the verification flow. Relative timing constraints are enforced at the interface external to the protocol component. SAT based and BDD based methods are explored employing both interleaving and simultaneous compositions. We present our representation of relative timing constraints, its mapping to a formal model, and results obtained using NuSMV on several moderate sized asynchronous protocol examples. The results show that the capability of previous methods is enhanced to enable the hierarchical verification of substantially larger timed systems.
QoS provisioning for large-scale multi-ap WLANs

Large-scale deployment of IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs (WLANs) with a high density of access points (APs) has become commonplace due mainly to its potential for numerous benefits, such as ubiquitous service coverage, seamless handover, and improved link quality. However, the increased AP density can induce significant channel contention among neighboring cells, thus causing severe performance degradation and throughput imbalance between cells. There have been a plethora of research efforts to improve the WLAN performance, but most of them focused only on single WLAN environments without accounting for inter-cell contention. The de facto QoS-provisioning mechanism for WLANs, i.e., the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), is no exception to this. The EDCA focuses only on inter-flow priority distinction and has not considered the effect of inter-cell contention which significantly restricts its efficiency. This paper presents an enhanced QoS provisioning framework that takes into account inter-cell level differentiation as well as inter-flow level priority, which may be viewed as extension of QoS provisioning from a single-WLAN domain to a multi-WLAN domain. We also propose an architecture for managing multi-AP systems in which a central controller regulates the wireless channel occupancy of APs by adaptively configuring the cell-level QoS parameters. Our extensive simulation results show that the proposed inter-AP cooperative QoS scheme overcomes the limit of legacy 802.11e and provides a high level of fairness in large-scale densely-deployed WLANs.
Bilateral dislocation of in-the-bag posterior chamber intraocular lenses in a patient with intermediate uveitis.

Abstract We present a case of bilateral dislocation of in-the-bag intraocular lenses (IOLs) in a patient with intermediate uveitis. The IOLs dislocated into the vitreous cavity 24 and 41 months postoperatively. A complete pars plana vitrectomy with sutured posterior chamber IOL implantation was performed after each dislocation. The final visual acuity was 20/20 – in each eye.
Fetal Rat Chondrocytes Sequentially Elaborate Separate Growth- and Differentiation-Promoting Peptides during Their Development in Vitro

Chondrocytes isolated from the calvaria of rat fetuses proliferate and form cartilage when cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free medium, suggesting that they may elaborate self-regulatory factors. Conditioned media obtained from these chondrocytes stimulated DNA synthesis and proliferation when added to separate cultures of chondrocytes and the closely related osteoblast-like cells, but were not very effective in skin fibroblasts isolated from the same fetuses, as judged by [3H]thymidine incorporation and cell proliferation. Chondrocyte- conditioned medium also promoted chondrocyte differentiation, augmenting 35SO4 incorporation, and the accumulation of type II collagen and cartilage-specific proteoglycan. Stimulation of growth and differentiation appears to be attributable to separate activities, released into the medium sequentially by the cultured chondrocytes during their proliferation and maturation phases. Media obtained from growing chondrocytes stimulated growth, but had little effect on 35...
Temperature preferences and tolerances of three fish species inhabiting hyperthermal ponds on mangrove islands

The fish species Cyprinidon artifrons, Floridichthys carpio, and Gambusia yucatana inhabit shallow mangrove ponds off the coast of Belize. Portions of these ponds experience a diurnal temperature change from 26 °C at night to 40 °C and above during midday. Repeated field observations indicate Cyprinidon prefer the warmer (and much larger) portions of the ponds whereas the other two species stay in the cooler areas.
FREE RADICAL GENERATION BY THE NMDA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST CPP IN THE CEREBRAL CORTEX OF NEWBORN PIGLETS. ▴ 421

FREE RADICAL GENERATION BY THE NMDA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST CPP IN THE CEREBRAL CORTEX OF NEWBORN PIGLETS. ▴ 421
Group additivity thermodynamic parameters (terms) for Br, Cl, F, CH3 and OH interactions and CH3 buttress effects in multi-substituted aromatics

Abstract Non-next-nearest neighbor interaction groups which can be used with the Benson group-additivity method for calculation of thermodynamic properties of multi-substituted aromatics have been developed. We report new groups representing ortho, meta and para interactions for ΔfH⊖, S⊖ and Cp(T) from Br, Cl, F, CH3 and OH substituents on aromatic rings. The data set will now allow calculation of ΔG and equilibrium constants for reactions of these species over any desired range of temperature when combined with the harmonic oscillator-heat capacity extrapolation in therm ( th ermodynamic E stimation of R adicals and M olecules). These interaction groups are used to improve accuracy in calculation of thermodynamic properties for the above multi-substituent aromatic compounds. A comparison of the group additivity estimation with literature values shows improved agreement.
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF SOLID SOLUTIONS OF THE HEAVY RARE EARTHS WITH EACH OTHER

The Curie and N\'eel points, and other critical points, of alloys of heavy rare earth elements with each other have been determined for 14 binary alloy systems. To a good approximation the N\'eel points of all of the alloys vary linearly with the \textonequarter{} power of the average de Gennes factor, $J(J+1){(g\ensuremath{-}1)}^{2}$, as previously known. The Curie points, however, are definitely characteristic of the alloy system, each system showing a different dependence on concentration. The properties of each system are discussed, and related when possible to the transformations found in the elements and to atomic processes. Special effects are noted when the average $4f$ electron concentration lies between 10 (Ho) and 11 (Er), where the Stevens factor changes sign. Magnetization processes in several alloys are interpreted according to the model of Kitano and Nagamiya.
Epidemic thresholds for infections in uncertain networks

Over the last 10 years, the field of mathematical epidemiology has piqued the interest of complex-systems researchers, resulting in a tremendous volume of work exploring the effects of population structure on disease propagation. Much of this research focuses on computing epidemic threshold tests, and in practice several different tests are often used interchangeably. We summarize recent literature that attempts to clarify the relationships among different threshold criteria, systematize the incorporation of population structure into a general infection framework, and discuss conditions under which interaction topology and infection characteristics can be decoupled in the computation of the basic reproductive ratio, R0. We then present methods for making predictions about disease spread when only partial information about the routes of transmission is available. These methods include approximation techniques and bounds obtained via spectral graph theory, and are applied to several data sets. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2009 This article was submitted as an invited paper resulting from the “Understanding Complex Systems” conference held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 2007.
Search Query Data to Monitor Interest in Behavior Change: Application for Public Health

There is a need for effective interventions and policies that target the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. (e.g., smoking, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity). Such efforts could be aided by the use of publicly available, real-time search query data that illustrate times and locations of high and low public interest in behaviors related to preventable causes of death. Objectives This study explored patterns of search query activity for the terms ‘weight’, ‘diet’, ‘fitness’, and ‘smoking’ using Google Insights for Search. Methods Search activity for ‘weight’, ‘diet’, ‘fitness’, and ‘smoking’ conducted within the United States via Google between January 4th, 2004 (first date data was available) and November 28th, 2011 (date of data download and analysis) were analyzed. Using a generalized linear model, we explored the effects of time (month) on mean relative search volume for all four terms. Results Models suggest a significant effect of month on mean search volume for all four terms. Search activity for all four terms was highest in January with observable declines throughout the remainder of the year. Conclusions These findings demonstrate discernable temporal patterns of search activity for four areas of behavior change. These findings could be used to inform the timing, location and messaging of interventions, campaigns and policies targeting these behaviors.
Blaschko lines and other patterns of cutaneous mosaicism

The lines of Blaschko represent a classic pattern of cutaneous mosaicism that can be observed in a wide variety of congenital and acquired skin disorders. This contribution reviews the clinicopathologic spectrum of skin lesions that follow Blaschko lines. Four other patterns of mosaicism are also discussed: blocklike, phylloid, large patches without midline separation, and lateralization. We emphasize the differential diagnoses, clues to correct categorization, and associated findings of inflammatory, hypopigmented, and hyperpigmented lesions with a mosaic distribution. Clinical examples are used to illustrate genetic concepts such as functional X-chromosome mosaicism, type 1 and 2 segmental manifestations of autosomal dominant skin diseases, paradominant inheritance, and twin spotting.
Developmental median cyst of the mandible; report of a case.

Summary A case report of a median cyst of the mandible is presented. The etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of these rare developmental cysts are briefly discussed. If thorough excision of the cyst is done, recurrence is unlikely and the prognosis for bone repair is favorable.
Metal carbonyl complexes of phenylphosphine and diphenylphosphine

Abstract Reactions of various metal carbonyls or their derivatives and diphenylphosphine (L) or phenylphosphine (L′) lead exclusively to ligand (carbonyl or halide) replacement; the following complexes are reported: [C 5 H 5 Fe(CO) 2 L]Br, [C 5 H 5 ]Fe(CO) 2 L′]I, [C 5 H 5 Mo(CO) 3 L]PF 6 , C 5 H 5 Mo(CO) 2 LCl, Mn(CO) 3 L 2 Br, Mn(CO) 3 L′ 2 Br, Mn(CO) 4 LBr, Mn(CO) 4 L′Br, Mn(CO) 4 (L)C 6 H 5 , Cr(CO) 4 L′ 2 , Mo(CO) 3 L′ 3 . Deprotonations of several of these species using n-butyllithium or sodium methoxide (cations only) were carried out and reactions of the resulting species studied. Reactions of deprotonated species included alkylation by methyl iodide to give methylphenylphosphine complexes, dimerization via μ-phosphido groups with CO loss, and intramolecular rearrangements. In the latter category we observe that [C 5 H 5 Fe(CO) 2 P(C 6 H 5 )Li 2 ]PF 6 rearranges to give C 5 H 5 Fe(CO) 2 Li and LiPF 6 , and Mn(CO) 4 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 2 Li]Br and C 5 H 5 Fe(CO)[P(C 6 H 5 ) 2 Li]Br eliminate LiBr to give [Mn(CO) 4 P(C 6 H 5 ) 2 ] 2 and [C 5 H 5 Fe(CO)P(C 6 H 5 ) 2 ] 2 respectively. Finally, we have irradiated M(CO) 5 PR 2 H and M(CO) 5 PR 2 Li species (MCr, Mo, W; RC 6 H 5 ) and observe that dimerization with accompanying oxidation to give M 2 (CO) 8 (PR 2 ) 2 and ligand redistribution to M(CO) 4 (PR 2 H) 2 are often seen; the former reaction occurs more often with the lithio species.
Modeling gate oxide breakdown under bipolar stress

Abstract Closed form analytical equations for time-dependent dielectric breakdown of the gate oxide under bipolar stress is proposed for the first time. The effect of stress frequency, gate current polarity, and temperature on the time to breakdown is accounted for in the proposed hole injection–detrap model. The lifetime improvement with increasing frequency is mainly due to the competition between the hole trapping process at the forward stress field and hole detrapping process at the reverse stress field. The modeling results show good agreement with the experimental data.
Nitric oxide synthesis inhibition: The effect on rabbit pyloric muscle

Abstract The relaxation mechanism of the pyloric smooth muscle is largely dependent on a nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) inhibitory innervation mediated in part by nitric oxide (NO). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of NO antagonists on the contractility of the pyloric smooth muscle. In the clinical trial, 10 anesthetized experimental rabbits were infused intraarterially with the NO synthesis inhibitor N-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA), at a concentration of 10 −4 mol/L; 10 controls received normal saline intraarterially. Pyloric contractility was assessed by balloon manometry. l-NNA infusion produced a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of the pyloric contraction. The maximal increase in frequency occurred during the slow l-NNA infusion rate of 146 ng/min (baseline-adjusted frequencies of experimental v control: 1.267 ± 0.389 v 0.632 ± 0.375; P = .001). The increased frequency level was sustained over the subsequent fast infusion rate of 292 ng/min (experimental v control: 1.362 ± 0.604 v 0.704 ± 0.579; P = .022). Both the duration and the amplitude of the pyloric contractions were not affected by the l-NNA infusion. These findings suggest that blockage of the l-arginine-NO pathway may have resulted in inhibition of the NANC-induced gastric muscle and relaxation of the pyloric sphincter. The authors speculate that the decreased NO production may be responsible for the sustained contraction of the pyloric smooth muscle with secondary hypertrophy, characteristic of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
The impact of presentation vs. interaction design on user satisfaction with digital libraries

Interface design includes two aspects: interaction design and presentation design, but there have not been many works examining the effect of these two aspects on user satisfaction with the system. We conducted a comparison study analyzing user satisfaction with system features in three digital libraries: ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and IEEE Computer Society Digital Library. Our results showed that the two interface aspects of a system: the presentation and interaction designs, may receive rather different, even opposite (positive or negative) user opinions. Weak design of the interaction aspect could possibly be compensated by a good design in interface presentation. We observed that interface presentation is no less important than the interaction aspect. Based on the findings, we suggest interface design balancing between these two aspects instead of emphasizing either one but ignoring the other.
The implementation of tobacco-related brief interventions in substance abuse treatment: A national study of counselors

Most individuals receiving substance abuse treatment also use tobacco, which suggests that smoking cessation is an important clinical target for most clients. Few studies have measured the extent to which addiction treatment counselors address clients' tobacco use. In this study, we examined counselors' implementation of brief interventions that are consistent with the U.S. Public Health Service's (PHS) clinical practice guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, when counselors are engaging new clients in treatment. We hypothesized that counselors' implementation of tobacco-related brief interventions is associated with organizational and counselor-level factors. Data were collected from 2,067 counselors via mailed surveys. Implementation of recommended brief interventions during intake was significantly lower among counselors reporting greater barriers to smoking cessation services within their organizational context. Perceived managerial support for smoking cessation services was positively associated with implementation. Counselors with greater knowledge of the PHS guideline and who believed in the positive impact of smoking cessation interventions on sobriety reported greater implementation. Relative to counselors who have never been tobacco users, current tobacco users reported significantly lower implementation of these brief interventions. These findings suggest that attempts to increase the implementation of best practices in substance abuse treatment may require attention to organizational contexts and the individuals responsible for implementation.
Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide Responses to Nutrients in Caucasians and American Indians with Obesity and Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Serum gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), insulin, and glucose responses to either a 75-g oral glucose challenge or a 500-cal liquid test meal were determined in 141 Caucasians and American Indians. The Caucasians were normal weight, averaging 101 +/- 3% (+/-SEM) ideal BW (IBW), or were obese (168 +/- 21% IBW) and had normal glucose tolerance (n = 77), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; n = 12), or noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; n = 19). The American Indians were all obese (144 +/- 6% IBW) and had either normal glucose tolerance (n = 22) or NIDDM (n = 11). In all study subjects, including obese individuals with and without glucose intolerance, diabetic patients both thin and obese, and lean subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, fasting serum insulin and GIP, and incremental glucose, insulin, and GIP were greater than they were in normal lean subjects, especially during the first hour of the tests. Obese subjects and diabetic patients exceeded lean normal subjects by up to 620% for glucose, up to 640% for insulin, and up to 360% for GIP during the first hour after glucose ingestion or the test meal. Exceptions were two groups with the most severe diabetes in whom incremental insulin values after oral glucose were only 70% (thin Caucasians) and 110% (obese Indians) that of lean normal subjects. The smallest differences in GIP responses occurred between lean normal subjects and obese nondiabetic Caucasians tested with either a meal or oral glucose, whereas American Indians consistently had the greatest insulin and GIP responses to the tests. High fasting GIP and exaggerated GIP increments in response to nutrients could be attributed to neither obesity nor diabetes alone nor to the type of nutrient used to stimulate its release, but, instead, may be genetic or dietary in origin or may be due to other as yet unidentified factors. High basal GIP and exaggerated nutrient-stimulated GIP release were associated with hyperinsulinemia, except in the most severe diabetic patients. These observations suggest that exaggerated GIP release, along with a greater rise in serum glucose in response to nutrients, may play a role in the pathogenesis of the hyperinsulinemia of obesity and early NIDDM.
Risk factors for overuse injuries in runners

There are many suspected risk factors for running-related overuse injuries; however, this remains a difficult area to adequately study. Numerous studies concerning factors that contribute to running injuries now exist in the literature, but inconsistent and sometimes conflicting results are found. This is likely due to different methodologies, definitions, outcome measures, and studied populations. This article reviews and summarizes several relevant studies on this topic, focusing on anatomic (intrinsic) risk factors as well as risk factors related to training (extrinsic). Due to the likely multifactorial nature of running injuries, very few firm conclusions can be made based on the existing studies. Training volume (mileage) and the occurrence of previous injuries seem to be the two most consistent risk factors across epidemiologic studies.
A Compatibilist Account of the Epistemic Conditions on Rational Deliberation

A traditional concern for determinists is that the epistemic conditions an agent must satisfy to deliberate about which of a number of distinct actions to perform threaten to conflict with a belief in determinism and its evident consequences. I develop an account of the sort that specifies two epistemic requirements, an epistemic openness condition and a belief in the efficacy of deliberation, whose upshot is that someone who believes in determinism and its evident consequences can deliberate without inconsistent beliefs. I argue that conditions of both types are indispensable, and that they can be formulated so as to withstand the relevant objections.
Theory relating lifetimes statistics to molecular processes, in the fatigue fracture of fibrous polymers

In fatigue of fibers, extreme value approaches do not always offer an adequate interpretation of the scatter encountered in observed lifetimes. Assuming that a considerable part of the scatter is associated with rate-controlling random processes involved in the initiation of brittle fracture, then the lifetime distribution can be derived from the expression for the rate of brittle fracture in oriented polymers. Shifts and changes in these distributions, resulting from changes in fatiguing conditions, are shown to be in agreement with experiment provided that the structural changes induced by mechanical action are taken into consideration.
Electronic waste recycling: A review of U.S. infrastructure and technology options

Abstract The useful life of consumer electronic devices is relatively short, and decreasing as a result of rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities. This creates a large waste stream of obsolete electronic equipment, electronic waste (e-waste). Even though there are conventional disposal methods for e-waste, these methods have disadvantages from both the economic and environmental viewpoints. As a result, new e-waste management options need to be considered, for example, recycling. But electronic recycling has a short history, so there is not yet a solid infrastructure in place. In this paper, the first half describes trends in the amount of e-waste, existing recycling programs, and collection methods. The second half describes various methods available to recover materials from e-waste. In particular, various recycling technologies for the glass, plastics, and metals found in e-waste are discussed. For glass, glass-to-glass recycling and glass-to-lead recycling technologies are presented. For plastics, chemical (feedstock) recycling, mechanical recycling, and thermal recycling methods are analyzed. Recovery processes for copper, lead, and precious metals such as silver, gold, platinum, and palladium are reviewed. These processes are described and compared on the basis of available technologies, resources, and material input–output systems.
The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Direction Selectivity of Aδ-LTMRs

The perception of touch, including the direction of stimulus movement across the skin, begins with activation of low-threshold mechanosensory neurons (LTMRs) that innervate the skin. Here, we show that murine Aδ-LTMRs are preferentially tuned to deflection of body hairs in the caudal-to-rostral direction. This tuning property is explained by the finding that Aδ-LTMR lanceolate endings around hair follicles are polarized; they are concentrated on the caudal (downward) side of each hair follicle. The neurotrophic factor BDNF is synthesized in epithelial cells on the caudal, but not rostral, side of hair follicles, in close proximity to Aδ-LTMR lanceolate endings, which express TrkB. Moreover, ablation of BDNF in hair follicle epithelial cells disrupts polarization of Aδ-LTMR lanceolate endings and results in randomization of Aδ-LTMR responses to hair deflection. Thus, BDNF-TrkB signaling directs polarization of Aδ-LTMR lanceolate endings, which underlies direction-selective responsiveness of Aδ-LTMRs to hair deflection.
The Minimalization of Tree Automata

A tree automaton is a system ( Q , f 1 , …, f k , F ) where Q is a set of states, f 1 , …, f k are operations on Q of arbitrary finite index, and F ⊆ Q is a set of final states. The input to a tree automaton is a tree structure and thus the behavior of a tree automaton is a set of trees. These automata are generalizations of ordinary automata, in which all f 's are unary. An algorithm for constructing a minimal tree automaton is given.
Strategies to optimize the brain availability of central nervous system drug candidates

Introduction: Access to the CNS is essential for most neurotherapeutics to elicit their effects. Leveraging design strategies incorporating physicochemical properties, in vitro and in vivo assays to predict and measure brain penetration, and brain delivery approaches may enable the drug discovery community to improve access of drug candidates into the CNS compartment. Areas covered: This article reviews aspects of the most recent molecular design, in vitro and in vivo strategies, and delivery technologies to optimize the unbound brain concentrations (C b,u) of CNS molecules. Through this, the article provides insight into recent ideas and concepts in CNS drug molecule design, methods for evaluating CNS drug exposures and alternative approaches to maximize drug access to neurocompartments. Expert opinion: The most pharmacologically relevant measure in assessing a compound's pharmacodynamic response in the CNS is its C b,u. The utilization of emerging design strategies, together with in vitro and in vivo as...
Semiclassical treatment of avoided crossings in the quadratic Zeeman spectrum of hydrogen.

Calculations of the width of avoided crossings (pseudocrossings) in the quadratic Zeeman spectrum of hydrogen are presented. By using a noncompact Lie group that reflects the approximate symmetry of the Hamiltonian, semiquantitative agreement with accurate calculations is obtained over a wide dynamic range of splittings.
Density of Dilates of a Shift Invariant Subspace

Abstract Sufficient conditions are given for the density of the dilates of the shift-invariant subspace S0(φ) generated by φ in Lp( R s) with 1≤p R s) of all continuous functions vanishing at ∞.
Online Story Comprehension among Children with ADHD: Which Core Deficits Are Involved?.

Children with ADHD have difficulty understanding causal connections and goal plans within stories. This study examined mediators of group differences in story narrations between children ages 7-9 with and without ADHD, including as potential mediators both the core deficits of ADHD (i.e., inattention, disinhibition, planning/working memory) as well measures of phonological processing and verbal skills. Forty-nine children with ADHD and 67 non-referred children narrated a wordless book and completed tasks assessing the core deficits of ADHD, phonological processing, and verbal skills. Results revealed that, although no shorter than those of non-referred children, the narratives of children with ADHD contained fewer elements relating to the story's causal structure and goal plan. Deficits in sustained attention accounted for the most variance in these differences. Results have implications for understanding and ameliorating the academic problems experienced by children with ADHD.
Reinvestigation of the Phenacyl Bromide Modification of α-Chymotrypsin

The modification of alpha-chymotrysin with phenacyl bromide has been reinvestigated over a wide pH range. Evidence is presented that indicates that the nature of the phenacyl-modified enzymes prepared by this reaction is dependent upon the pH of the reaction medium. The phenacyl alpha-chymotrypsin produced at low pH is most probably the Met-192 phenacylsulfonium salt, as proposed earlier, since it readily undergoes dealkylation using 2-mercaptoethanol. However, the phenacyl-enzyme prepared at neutral pH possesses a much reduced enzymatic activity and does not react with 2-mercaptoethanol to regenerate native alpha-chymotrypsin. In addition, incubation of the Met-192 phenacyl sulfonium enzyme at neutral pH causes a smooth irreversible change to the new phenacyl-enzyme as monitored by changes in enzymatic activity, susceptibility to dealkylation using 2-mercaptoethanol, and ultraviolet difference absorption spectral properties. The stoichiometries of both the low and neutral pH modification reactions have been determined, using [carbonyl-14C]phyenacyl bromide, to be 1 phenacyl group/enzyme molecule. In efforts to obtain information about the nature and mechanism of formation of the phenacyl alpha-chymotrypsin produced at neutral pH, alkylation reactions of modified alpha-chymotrypsins produced by His-57 functionalization with tosylphenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and by Met-192 oxidation to the sulfoxide have been investigated. The combined results of these studies have been initially interpreted in terms of a neutral pH, phenacyl bromide modification resulting in formation of a new modified enzyme via the Met-192 sulfonium salt.
Excitation scheme for the upper energy levels in a Tm:Yb:BaY 2 F 8 laser crystal

Energy-transfer processes (including upconversion) are quantitatively studied in a Tm:Yb:BaY2F8 laser crystal. Several energy-transfer, cross-relaxation, and upconversion parameters are determined. We prove that at excitation of the crystal via Yb ions, the Tm levels 3F4, 3H4, 3F3,2, 1G4, and 3P0 are populated via Yb–Tm interaction, and the level 1D2 is likely populated owing to 3F3 Tm–3F3 Tm upconversion. The possibility of resonant excited-state absorption at 706 nm and resonant energy-transfer upconversion populating the level 1D2 are discussed. The possibility of avalanche pumping of Tm:Yb:BaY2F8 at 706 nm is shown.
Geochemistry, Groundwater and Pollution

C.A.J. APPELO and D. POSTMA (ed.) A.A. Balkema Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands. 2005. 2nd ed. Hardcover, 649 pp. $43.95. ISBN 0-41-536428-0. This book presents important fundamental concepts and current knowledge of groundwater geochemistry and the interaction of water, minerals, gases,
A Compact, Bone-Attached Robot for Mastoidectomy

Otologic surgery often involves a mastoidectomy, which is the removal of a portion of the mastoid region of the temporal bone, to safely access the middle and inner ear. The surgery is challenging because many critical structures are embedded within the bone, making them difficult to see and requiring a high level of accuracy with the surgical dissection instrument, a high-speed drill. We propose to automate the mastoidectomy portion of the surgery using a compact, bone-attached robot. The system described in this paper is a milling robot with four degrees-of-freedom (DOF) that is fixed to the patient during surgery using a rigid positioning frame screwed into the surface of the bone. The target volume to be removed is manually identified by the surgeon pre-operatively in a computed tomography (CT) scan and converted to a milling path for the robot. The surgeon attaches the robot to the patient in the operating room and monitors the procedure. Several design considerations are discussed in the paper as well as the proposed surgical workflow. The mean targeting error of the system in free space was measured to be 0.5 mm or less at vital structures. Four mastoidectomies were then performed in cadaveric temporal bones, and the error at the edges of the target volume was measured by registering a postoperative computed tomography (CT) to the pre-operative CT. The mean error along the border of the milled cavity was 0.38 mm, and all critical anatomical structures were preserved.
Testing probabilistic discrete choice models of travel demand by comparing predicted and observed aggregate choice shares

Abstract Probabilistic discrete choice models of travel demand often are tested for the presence of specification errors by comparing the models' predictions of aggregate choice shares in population strata with observed shares. A model is rejected as misspecified if the differences between its predictions and the observations are judged too large. This judgement usually is made on intuitive grounds without use of formal statistical methods and, therefore includes no systematic method for distinguishing the effects of specification errors on differences between predictions and observations from those of random sampling errors. This paper represents formal statistical tests for comparing predicted and observed aggregate chioce shares in population strata and reports the results of an investigation of the power of the tests. The test statistics are asymptotically χ2 disturbed when the model being tested is correctly specified. The results of the power investigation suggests that greater power is obtained (i.e. there is ability to detect misspecified models) when all of the available data are used for both parameter estimation and specification testing than when the available data are divided into separate estimation and test data sets. Specification tests based on comparisons of predicted and observed aggregate choice shares appear to have less power than do likelihood ratio and likelihood ratio index specification tests when the alternative models required by the latter tests are correctly or approximately correctly specified. However, tests based on comparisons of predicted and observed shares ca have greater power than the other tests when the alternative models are seriouslymisspecified.
The Effects of Gallery Changes on Visitor Reading and Object Viewing Time

Systematic changes were made in an Egyptian mummy exhibit gallery, and visitor reactions were assessed. The changes included adding exhibit labels to the wall, changing the physical characteristics of these labels, and introducing a bronze bust reconstructed from a mummified individual. Results demonstrated that several of the factors studied influence label reading: (a) words per label, (b) size of letters, and (c) location of labels. For the most part, label reading facilitated visitor attention to exhibit objects rather than competed for visitor attention. An exception to the facilitation of attention occurred when the mummy cases and the labels were arranged so that visitors had to turn from the label to view the cases (or vice versa). This latter arrangement seemed to produce competition for visitor attention and resulted in shorter viewing times of the mummy cases. Another competing situation occurred when the bronze bust was introduced, apparently diverting attention from label reading to the bust.
On implementing large binary tree architectures in VLSI and WSI

The authors present an efficient scheme for the layout of large binary-tree architectures by embedding the complete binary tree in a two-dimensional array of processing elements. Their scheme utilizes virtually 100% of the processing elements in the array as computing elements; it also shows substantial improvements in propagation delay and maximum edge length over H-tree layouts. They shown that their layouts readily lend themselves to fault-tolerant designs for overcoming fabrication defects in large-area and wafer-scale implementations of binary-tree architectures. >
Conserved seed pairing, often flanked by adenosines, indicates that thousands of human genes are microRNA targets

We predict regulatory targets of vertebrate microRNAs (miRNAs) by identifying mRNAs with conserved complementarity to the seed (nucleotides 2-7) of the miRNA. An overrepresentation of conserved adenosines flanking the seed complementary sites in mRNAs indicates that primary sequence determinants can supplement base pairing to specify miRNA target recognition. In a four-genome analysis of 3' UTRs, approximately 13,000 regulatory relationships were detected above the estimate of false-positive predictions, thereby implicating as miRNA targets more than 5300 human genes, which represented 30% of our gene set. Targeting was also detected in open reading frames. In sum, well over one third of human genes appear to be conserved miRNA targets.
Can value-based stock selection criteria yield superior risk-adjusted returns: an application of neural networks

Abstract This study examines whether superior investment returns can be earned by using neural network modeling procedures to perform forecasts based on a set of financial ratios reflecting traditional value based investment strategies. The study covers a 20-year period. We find that the value ratio provides useful information that permits the selection of portfolios that provide investment returns superior to the DJIA and the S&P 500, and a group of randomly selected securities. The risk-adjusted returns for the portfolios selected by the neural network are greater than those achieved using other forecasting methods.
Medical Malpractice and the Sports Medicine Clinician

More individuals are participating in athletics today than ever before. Physicians treating athletes confront unique diagnostic and treatment challenges and an increased risk of legal liability. The key areas regarding liability are preparticipation examinations, determination of eligibility, evaluation of significant on-field injuries, and information disclosure. The issues surrounding preparticipation physicals and determination of eligibility are closely linked. Physicians must be prepared to seek guidance from specialists, particularly when there are cardiac, spinal, or neurologic issues. Appropriate on-field evaluation of potential concussions, spinal injuries, and heat stroke are key areas of concern for the physician. Privacy issues have become more complex in the age of federal regulation. Physicians and all athletic staff should be aware of privacy laws and ensure proper consent documentation is obtained from all athletes or their parents. All athletic programs should develop a plan that details roles and procedures to be followed in a medical emergency. Sports caregivers must take affirmative steps that better protect their patients from harm and physicians from legal liability.
Cognitive functioning before and after surgical resection for hypothalamic hamartoma and epilepsy

Objective: To determine whether patients with hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) improve in their cognitive functioning after neurosurgical resection of their HH and explore what variables correlate with cognitive outcome. Methods: Thirty-two patients underwent preoperative and postoperative neuropsychological testing. The age range of patients was between 3.3 and 39.3 years (mean 12.2 years, SD 7.0). The average time interval between surgery and postoperative neuropsychological testing was 23.4 months (range 5.1–47.2 months). Tests administered varied on the basis of the patient9s age and clinical condition. Results: As a group, measures of overall intelligence showed improvement postsurgery, with associated improvement in processing speed. Memory scores did not demonstrate consistent improvement or decline. Duration of epilepsy, age at surgery, and level of neurocognitive functioning prior to surgery were correlated with postsurgical cognitive status. Patients who had mental retardation but were testable generally showed the greatest gains. Conclusions: Despite the great variability in level of cognitive impairment in patients with HH and refractory epilepsy, level of intelligence may show mild to moderate improvements postsurgery if no surgical complications occur. The variables that predict cognitive outcome are not fully delineated, but testable individuals with the greatest presurgical cognitive impairment and those with the shortest duration of epilepsy appear to make the greatest gains in intellectual functioning. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that single surgical resection for HH was associated with improvement in some subset measures of intellectual functioning, but not memory. Factors that predict better outcomes cannot be determined.
A Comparison of Interest Manager Mechanisms for Agent-Based Simulations Using a Time Warp Executive

An important issue for agent-based simulation architectures concerns the means by which agents can be kept up to date regarding the position and state of other agents and objects in their local environment. We implement two distributed publish-subscribe approaches and assess their performance within our SASSY architecture. One implementation supports direct agent-to-agent communication, while in the other all messages pass through an intermediate LP. In both cases the system does not maintain global state, but facilitates communication between individual agents that may affect one another. The environment is decomposed into a set of regions, where an LP referred to as an Interest Manager (IM) manages each region. When agents enter a region they register their presence with the appropriate Interest Manager. Agents also subscribe and unsubscribe to information from neighboring regions as they move through the environment. Publish-subscribe approaches have been utilized in other simulation environments (e.g., HLA), but we believe our approach is the first to use a peer-to-peer method in an optimistic environment. We assess the efficiency of these two methods by measuring the number of rollbacks, and total runtime for various configurations of the simulation.
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) Iα mediates the macrophage inflammatory response to sepsis

Dysregulated Ca(2+) handling is prevalent during sepsis and postulated to perpetuate the aberrant inflammation underlying subsequent organ dysfunction and death. The signal transduction cascades mediating these processes are unknown. Here, we identify that CaMKIα mediates the Mϕ response to LPS in vitro and the inflammation and organ dysfunction of sepsis in vivo. We show that LPS induced active pThr(177)-CaMKIα in RAW 264.7 cells and murine peritoneal Mϕ, which if inhibited biochemically with STO609 (CaMKK inhibitor) or by RNAi, reduces LPS-induced production of IL-10. Transfection of constitutively active CaMKIα (CaMKI293), but not a kinase-deficient mutant (CaMKI293(K49A)), induces IL-10 release. This production of IL-10 is mediated by CaMKIα-dependent regulation of p38 MAPK activation. CaMKIα activity also mediates the cellular release of HMGB1 by colocalizing with and regulating the packaging of HMGB1 into secretory lysosomes. During endotoxemia, mice receiving in vivo CaMKIα(RNAi) display reduced systemic concentrations of IL-10 and HMGB1 in comparison with mice receiving NT(RNAi). These data support the biological relevance of CaMKIα-dependent IL-10 production and HMGB1 secretion. In a CLP model of sepsis, CaMKIα(RNAi) mice display reduced systemic concentrations of IL-10, IL-6, TNF-α, and HMGB1 in comparison with NT(RNAi) mice, which correlate with reductions in the development of renal dysfunction. These data support that CaMKIα signaling is integral to the Mϕ responding to LPS and may also be operant in vivo in regulating the inflammation and organ dysfunction consequent to sepsis.
Effect of Osteonectin-Derived Peptide on the Viscoelasticity of Hydrogel/Apatite Nanocomposite Scaffolds

Hydrogel/apatite nanocomposites are the ideal biomaterial to mimic the physio-chemical and biologic properties of the bone and to fabricate scaffolds for bone regeneration. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of an osteonectin derived glutamic acid sequence on the viscoelastic properties of poly(lactide-ethylene oxide-fumarate) (PLEOF)/apatite composite, as a model degradable material in bone regeneration. Osteonectin is an extracellular acidic glycoprotein of the bone matrix, which is believed to be involved in linking the collagen network to hydroxyapatite (HA), the mineral phase of the bone. We synthesized a 6-glutamic acid sequence in solid phase with affinity to HA crystals via ionic interactions. One end of the synthesized peptide was functionalized with an acrylate group to covalently attach the peptide (Ac-Glu6) to the aqueous-based biodegradable and in situ crosslinkable PLEOF hydrogel matrix. To determine the effect of energetic interactions between the fillers and hydrogel matrix, HA nanoparticles were also treated with an acrylate functionalized 6-glycine amino acid peptide (Ac-Gly6) that interacts with the fillers only by van der Waals and polar interactions (without ionic interactions). Crosslinked PLEOF/apatite scaffolds were prepared using PLEOF as the degradable macromer, HA nanofillers treated with Ac-Glu6 peptide linker, and a neutral redox initiation system. The viscoelastic properties were studied by dynamic time sweep, strain sweep, and small amplitude oscillatory rheometry. Composites without surface treatment, treated with Ac-Gly6, and treated with Ac-Glu6 at different volume fractions and various particle sizes were examined. The results showed that the 6-mer glutamic acid sequence significantly affects the shear modulus of the scaffold because of ionic interactions between the peptide and HA crystals.
A STAGGERED-DIAMOND DESIGN FOR AUTOMATED/MANUAL-HOV HIGHWAY-TO-HIGHWAY INTERCHANGES

This paper consists of two components. The First component addresses a key AHS infrastructure support issue—providing eight extra connector ramps, in addition to the eight existing highway-to-highway connector ramps for the conventional manual traffic, at a highway-to-highway interchange for accommodating continuous automated driving from one highway to the crossing highway. The proposed staggered-diamond design requires only four, instead of eight, separate structures and hence greatly increases the feasibility of AHS infrastructure support. However, the reduced infrastructure complexity at such interchanges could still constrain considerably the design, operation and evolution of AHS. This is the focus of the second component. The staggered-diamond is also applicable to the design of eight additional highway-to-highway connector ramps directly connecting the manual HOV lanes on two crossing highways (assuming that the manual HOV lane is adjacent to the median). As in the case of AHS, the potential of (m...
Variational Decoding for Statistical Machine Translation

Statistical models in machine translation exhibit spurious ambiguity. That is, the probability of an output string is split among many distinct derivations (e.g., trees or segmentations). In principle, the goodness of a string is measured by the total probability of its many derivations. However, finding the best string (e.g., during decoding) is then computationally intractable. Therefore, most systems use a simple Viterbi approximation that measures the goodness of a string using only its most probable derivation. Instead, we develop a variational approximation, which considers all the derivations but still allows tractable decoding. Our particular variational distributions are parameterized as n-gram models. We also analytically show that interpolating these n-gram models for different n is similar to minimum-risk decoding for BLEU (Tromble et al., 2008). Experiments show that our approach improves the state of the art.
Approach to the Patient with Noninflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms at the pediatrician's office. Etiology ranges from benign conditions to serious ones requiring prompt attention. This article addresses entities that present as musculoskeletal pain but are not associated with arthritis. The most common nonarthritic conditions are benign limb pain of childhood (growing pains), hypermobility, overuse syndromes with or without skeletal abnormalities, malignancies, and pain amplification syndromes. The| initial decision process, diagnosis, and treatment options for each of these conditions are discussed.