cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Gerotor Design Method With Switch Angle Assignability

Gerotor is generated by an oval shape generating curve which is attached to a large pitch circle rolling on an inside smaller one. For gerotor design, existing methods are able to handle arc-based generating curves with switch angle assignability. However, when dealing with non-arc-based generating curves, the current technology does not provide switch angle assignability. The switch angle is an important parameter in gerotor kinematics; it determines the angular conjugating range on the generating curve. In this paper, we developed a Deviation-Function (DF) based design method. By using this method, users can design and directly assign switch angles to both arc- and non-arc-based gerotors. Analytical formulations of both generating and gerotor profiles are derived and summarized into detailed algorithm in design steps. Some newly designed gerotor examples by using our method are provided for design and process illustration.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Vibrio harveyi and other bacterial pathogens in cultured summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus

A monitoring program for Vibrio harveyi and other potential bacterial pathogens of summer flounder was conducted at two facilities in the Northeast United States. Bacterial samples were collected from larval and juvenile fish and live-feed, and identified using API 20E biochemical profiles and 16S rDNA sequencing. Histopathological examinations were conducted in order to relate histological changes with the presence of potential bacterial pathogens. V. harveyi, Vibrio ichthyoenteri, and Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae, three known pathogens of flatfish, were isolated from diseased summer flounder. Although a high proportion of juvenile summer flounder showed microscopic signs of disease, the presence of these potential bacterial pathogens in fish was not associated with large-scale mortalities. An outbreak of flounder infectious necrotizing enteritis with 30% cumulative mortality occurred when juveniles were transported to a new facility. Isolates of V. harveyi from the disease outbreak were genetically different from the isolates from the commercial hatchery. V. harveyi isolates from both facilities were pathogenic to summer flounder by intraperitoneal injection. P. damselae subsp. damselae, V. ichthyoenteri, and Vibrio scophthalmi, also found in fish with gross lesions, were not pathogenic to juvenile summer flounder by intraperitoneal injection. Our research shows that several potential bacterial pathogens are associated with morbidity and mortality in summer flounder larvae and juveniles, especially in situations of stress. Increased knowledge about the environmental conditions that lead to disease, as well as the interactions of V. harveyi with other microbial species, could lead to the development of management strategies in summer flounder farms.
On a link-based day-to-day traffic assignment model

Abstract In this paper, we perform a rigorous analysis on a link-based day-to-day traffic assignment model recently proposed in He et al. (2010) . Several properties, including the invariance set and the constrained stability, of this dynamical process are established. An extension of the model to the asymmetric case is investigated and the stability result is also established under slightly more restrictive assumptions. Numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the findings.
Regional changes in coaptation geometry after reduction annuloplasty for functional mitral regurgitation.

Background While it is known that band annuloplasty for functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) improves leaflet coaptation, the effect on regional coaptation geometry has not previously been well defined. We used three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) to analyze the regional effects of semirigid band annuloplasty on annular geometry and leaflet coaptation zones of patients with FMR. Methods Sixteen patients with severe FMR underwent a semirigid band annuloplasty. Intraoperative full volume 3D-TEE datasets were acquired pre valve and post valve repair. Offline analysis assessed annular dimensions and regional coaptation zone geometry. The regions were defined as R1 (A1-P1), R2 (A2-P2), and R3 (A3-P3); coaptation distance, coaptation depth, and coaptation length were measured in each region. Differences were analyzed with repeated measures within a general linear model. Results Band annuloplasty decreased mitral regurgitation grade from 3.7 to 0.1 (scale 0 to 4). Annular septolateral dimension ( p p p p = 0.05, respectively), with region 2 showing the greatest increase ( p = 0.01). Changes in coaptation depth were not significant. Conclusions Semirigid band annuloplasty for FMR produces significant regional remodeling of leaflet coaptation zones, with region 2 showing the greatest increase in leaflet coaptation length. This regional analysis of annular geometry and leaflet coaptation creates a framework to better understand the mechanisms of surgical success or failure of annuloplasty for FMR.
THE CELL AS A COLLECTION OF PROTEIN MACHINES : PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGISTS

President, National Academy of Sciences2101 Constitution Avenue NWWashington, D.C. 20418Professor, Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of California, San Francisco tion A—just as it would in a machine of our commonSan Francisco, California 94143 experience (Alberts, 1984).Underlying this highly organized activity are ordered
Adler on the influence of siblings in political socialization

This paper reviews the individual psychology of Alfred Adler with a focus on the implications for political science. Adler's emphasis on social characteristics of the family suggests several hypotheses about the influence of siblings on a sense of political efficacy. These hypotheses are tested with the following results. First, the size of the family affects the sense of political efficacy of boys, but not girls. As family size increases, boys' sense of political efficacy decreases. Second, birth order affects the sense of political efficacy. Specifically, youngest children have a higher sense of political efficacy than middle children, who have a higher sense of political efficacy than oldest children. Finally, the sense of political efficacy for sibling dyads conforms to the predictions based on birth order effects. Siblings of the same sex have lower agreement scores than siblings of the opposite sex.
Heterotrophic and photoheterotrophic utilization of lactate by the diatom, Cylindrotheca fusiformis

The rates of lactate utilization, evaluated in terms of uptake, incorporation into acid insoluble products and respiration, were measured in the light and dark in cells which had been (1) growing autotrophically without lactate in the medium, (2) growing heterotrophically on lactate or (3) growing autotrophically and were then starved in the dark without lactate for 2–4 days. Autotrophic cells have low but significant lactate utilization rates which increase in dark-starved cells and increase further after adaptation to heterotrophic growth. Incubation in the light dramatically increases incorporation rates in dark-starved and heterotrophic cells, an effect that is not due solely to the refixation of respired lactate carbon. Assimilation efficiencies were influenced by the light or dark incubation conditions during the experiment rather than by previous growth conditions of the cells. Our results, including experiments with a photosynthetic inhibitor, support the hypothesis that the induction of lactate u...
Control of fibronectin receptor expression by fibronectin: Antisense fibronectin RNA downmodulates the induction of fibronectin receptor by transforming growth factor β1

The results of our previous studies of mouse embryo fibroblasts showed that fibronectin expression and fibronectin receptor expression are tightly coregulated and that fibronectin modulates expression of its receptor in response to treatment with the differentiation-inducing agent N,N,-dimethylformamide (Varani and Chakrabarty, 1990, J. Cell. Physiol., 143:445-454; Huang et al., 1994, J. Cell. Physiol., 161:470-482). We also found that transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) induces a more differentiated phenotype in the epithelium-derived human colon carcinoma cell line Moser and upregulates the expression of both fibronectin and its receptor (Huang and Chakrabarty, 1994, Int. J. Cancer, 57:742-746). By expressing antisense fibronectin RNA in Moser cells, we have downregulated fibronectin mRNA expression and thus blocked the ability of TGFbeta1 to induce fibronectin expression (Huang and Chakrabarty, 1994, J. Biol. Chem., 269:28764-28768). In this study, we examined the effect of antisense fibronectin RNA expression on the induction of fibronectin receptor by TGFbeta1 and tested the hypothesis that the induction of fibronectin expression by TGFbeta1 is required for the induction of fibronectin receptor expression. Blocking fibronectin induction by TGFbeta1 attenuated the ability of TGFbeta1 to upregulate the expression of cell-surface fibronectin receptors, alpha5beta1 integrin expression, and adhesion to extracellular matrix fibronectin. We therefore conclude that induction of fibronectin expression is required for optimal upregulation of fibronectin receptor expression by TGFbeta1.
Membranous glomerulopathy: emphasis on secondary forms and disease variants.

Summary:Membranous glomerulopathy (MGN) is characterized by subepithelial immune complex deposits and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening. The majority of patients present with nephrotic syndrome and outcomes are variable. Pathologically, deposits at sites other than the subepithelial aspe
New-user identification in a CDMA system

We present three detector/estimators (DEs) which allow multiuser detection and parameter estimation without a side channel in a dynamic asynchronous code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system in which users are entering and leaving the system. These DEs optimally detect a new user given only the chip rate and the spreading factor of the new user. Two of these DEs, the maximum-likelihood detector/estimator (MLDE) and the generalized maximum-likelihood detector/estimator (GMLDE), produce maximum-likelihood estimates of the new user's signature sequence, delay, and amplitude, which are then incorporated into a multiuser detector. The third DE, the cyclic detector/estimator (CDE), is the most computationally efficient of the three processors. This DE detects the new user by testing for cyclostationarity and then uses suboptimal schemes to estimate the new user's signature sequence, delay, and amplitude. Simulations indicate that all three DEs reliably detect a new user for an E/sub s///spl sigma//sup 2/ (symbol-energy-to-noise ratio) of 5 dB. The MLDE and GMLDE produce signature sequence and delay estimates with probability of error less than 0.07 for an E/sub s///spl sigma//sup 2/ of 10 dB, and the CDE produces signature sequence and delay estimates with probability of error less than 0.13 for an E/sub s///spl sigma//sup 2/ of 15 dB.
The future of citizen science: emerging technologies and shifting paradigms

Citizen science creates a nexus between science and education that, when coupled with emerging technologies, expands the frontiers of ecological research and public engagement. Using representative technologies and other examples, we examine the future of citizen science in terms of its research processes, program and participant cultures, and scientific communities. Future citizen-science projects will likely be influenced by sociocultural issues related to new technologies and will continue to face practical programmatic challenges. We foresee networked, open science and the use of online computer/video gaming as important tools to engage non-traditional audiences, and offer recommendations to help prepare project managers for impending challenges. A more formalized citizen-science enterprise, complete with networked organizations, associations, journals, and cyberinfrastructure, will advance scientific research, including ecology, and further public education.
Virtual, Immersive, Translational, Applied Learning: The VITAL Project

The VITAL Project is an interdisciplinary project that uses teams of students from multiple courses in a single semester to investigate a health-related topic, propose programs or therapies to ameliorate the health issue and deliver a presentation at a virtual three-day health conference held in Second Life. The purpose of VITAL is to provide opportunities for the students to gain a better understanding of the multifactorial nature of many public and individual health issues, as well as exposing them to technologies that enable them to virtually collaborate. The teams are composed of students from each of the four courses participating in VITAL in a given semester so that the content area of each course is represented on a given team. All team activities, such as meetings and presentation practice, are conducted on the department’s island in Second Life.
Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), isolated from Plumbago zeylanica, inhibits ultraviolet radiation-induced development of squamous cell carcinomas

Plumbagin (PL) (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone), a medicinal plant-derived naphthoquinone, was isolated from the roots of the Plumbago zeylanica L. (also known as Chitrak). The roots of P. zeylanica L. have been used in Indian medicine for >2500 years as an anti-atherogenic, cardiotonic, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective agent. We present here that topical application of non-toxic doses (100-500 nmol) of PL to skin elicits dose-dependent inhibition of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced development of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). In this experiment, FVB/N mice were exposed to UVR (2 kJ/m(2)) three times weekly from a bank of six Kodacel-filtered FS40 sunlamps (∼ 60% UVB and 40% UVA). Carcinoma incidence in mice treated with vehicle, 100, 200 or 500 nmol PL, at 44 weeks post-UVR, were 86, 80 (P = 0.67), 53 (P = 0.12) and 7% (P = 0.0075), respectively. Both vehicle and PL-treated mice gained weight and did not exhibit any signs of toxicity during the entire period of the experiment. Molecular mechanisms associated with inhibition of UVR-induced development of SCC involved induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation. Specific findings are that PL treatment (i) inhibited UVR-induced DNA binding of activating protein-1, nuclear factor-kappaB, Stat3 transcription factors and Stat3-regulated molecules (cdc25A and Survivin); (ii) inhibited protein levels of pERK1/2, PI3K85, pAKTSer473, Bcl(2), BclxL, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cell cycle inhibitory proteins p27 and p21 and (iii) increased UVR-induced Fas-associated death domain expression, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein cleavage and Bax/Bcl(2) ratio. Taken together, our findings suggest that PL may be a novel agent for the prevention of skin cancer.
County child poverty rates in the US: a spatial regression approach

We apply methods of exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and spatial regression analysis to examine intercounty variation in child poverty rates in the US. Such spatial analyses are important because regression models that exclude explicit specification of spatial effects, when they exist, can lead to inaccurate inferences about predictor variables. Using county-level data for 1990, we re- examine earlier published results (Friedman and Lichter (Popul Res Policy Rev 17:91-109, 1998)). We find that formal tests for spatial autocorrelation among county child poverty rates confirm and quantify what is obvious from simple maps of such rates: the risk of a child living in poverty is not (spatially) a randomly distributed risk at the county level. Explicit acknowledgment of spatial effects in an explanatory regression model improves considerably the earlier published regression results, which did not take account of spatial autocorrelation. These improvements include: (1) the shifting of ''wrong sign'' parameters in the direction originally hypothesized by the authors, (2) a reduction of residual squared error, and (3) the elimination of any substantive residual spatial autocorrelation. While not without its own problems and some remaining ambiguities, this reanalysis is a convincing demonstration of the need for demographers and other social scientists to examine spatial autocorrelation in their data and to explicitly correct for spatial externalities, if indicated, when performing multiple regression analyses on variables that are spatially referenced. Substantively, the analysis improves the estimates of the joint effects of place- influences and family-influences on child poverty.
Sphere-based Computation of Delaunay Diagrams on Points from 4d Grids

The Delaunay diagram in d dimensions is the dual of the Voronoi diagram of a set of input sites. If we assume no degeneracies in the input, i.e. no d + 2 sites are co-spherical, then the diagram is a triangulation. Because this assumption is common, and can be enforced by symbolic perturbation, we often forget that Delaunay diagrams need not be triangulations. Input sets chosen from integer grids are common in scientific visualization applications, however, and these often have many degeneracies. Perturbation signifcantly increases the size of the Delaunay and dual Voronoi diagrams - a single 4D cube becomes 16 to 24 simplices, so one dual vertex becomes many. Our result is a sphere-based algorithm for direct, incremental computation of the Delaunay diagram in 4D. For input with many degeneracies, its speed is comparable to our fastest Delaunay triangulation program, yet it computes the exact Delaunay diagram.
Specular surface inspection using structured highlight and Gaussian images

The structured highlight inspection method uses an array of point sources to illuminate a specular object surface. The point sources are scanned, and highlights on the object surface resulting from each source are used to derive local surface orientation information. The extended Gaussian image (EGI) is obtained by placing at each point on a Gaussian sphere a mass proportional to the area of elements on the object surface that have a specific orientation. The EGI summarizes shape properties of the object surface and can be efficiently calculated from structured highlight data without surface reconstruction. Features of the estimated EGI including areas, moments, principal axes, homogeneity measures, and polygonality can be used as the basis for classification and inspection. The structured highlight inspection system (SHINY) has been implemented using a hemisphere of 127 point sources. The SHINY system uses a binary coding scheme to make the scanning of point sources efficient. Experiments have used the SHINY system and EGI features for the inspection and classification of surface-mounted-solder joints. >
Power efficient packet classification using cascaded bloom filter and off-the-shelf ternary CAM for WDM networks

In wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, tens or hundreds of wavelengths can be transmitted over a single fiber. As transmission line speed goes to 10Gb/s and beyond, ternary CAM (TCAM) is usually employed for wire speed packet classification. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first paper that addresses the impact of WDM transmission on the power consumption of packet classification. We show that as the number of wavelengths increases in the WDM networks, the power consumption of TCAMs can become the limiting factor for WDM network expansion. For example, the power consumption of IPv4 and IPv6 packet classification with merely 32 channels at 40Gb/s can be as high as 700 and 1400W, respectively, while technology wise it is feasible to transmit over 500 channels over a single fiber. Existing power efficient TCAM designs require special modification to TCAM cell structures, which makes the adoption of the technology difficult. This paper proposes a novel approach which cascades bloom filter with off-the-shelf TCAM to greatly reduce the power consumption of packet classification. In particular, the proposed solution takes advantage of the fact that bloom filters may give false positive alarms but never give false negative alarms. By eliminating majority of non-matching packets before passing the packets to the TCAM, the TCAM is only activated to exam packets with a high potential of matching in the filter set. The proposed scheme greatly reduces the activation frequency of the TCAM, thus achieving great power savings.
Quantifying Brand Values Perception in Destination Websites: a Design Requirements Perspective

This paper presents a framework for systematically evaluating the short-term brand values perception of content-intensive destination websites. The approach leverages state-of-the-art research methods in value-driven design and brand experience evaluation, and offers ready-touse techniques to test the degree in which brand values are actually perceived by the target users. Finally, the proposed framework provides a way to quantify brand values perception and transform these results into readable indicators to inform requirements for site redesign.
Dynamic Conflict-Free Transmission Scheduling for Sensor Network Queries

With the emergence of high data rate sensor network applications, there is an increasing demand for high-performance query services. To meet this challenge, we propose Dynamic Conflict-free Query Scheduling (DCQS), a novel scheduling technique for queries in wireless sensor networks. In contrast to earlier TDMA protocols designed for general-purpose workloads, DCQS is specifically designed for query services in wireless sensor networks. DCQS has several unique features. First, it optimizes the query performance through conflict-free transmission scheduling based on the temporal properties of queries in wireless sensor networks. Second, it can adapt to workload changes without explicitly reconstructing the transmission schedule. Furthermore, DCQS also provides predictable performance in terms of the maximum achievable query rate. We provide an analytical capacity bound for DCQS that enables DCQS to handle overload through rate control. NS2 simulations demonstrate that DCQS significantly outperforms a representative TDMA protocol (DRAND) and 802.11b in terms of query latency and throughput.
In Vitro Activity of the New Multivalent Glycopeptide-Cephalosporin Antibiotic TD-1792 against Vancomycin-Nonsusceptible Staphylococcus Isolates

TD-1792 is a glycopeptide-cephalosporin heterodimer antibiotic with activity against a broad spectrum of gram-positive pathogens that includes methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of TD-1792 against a collection of clinical isolates of vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus spp. (VISS), heteroresistant VISS (hVISS), and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). The TD-1792, vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, and quinupristin-dalfopristin MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined for 50 VISS/hVISS isolates and 3 VRSA isolates. Time-kill experiments (TKs) were then performed over 24 h with two vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus strains and two VRSA strains, using each agent at multiples of the MIC. TD-1792 and daptomycin were also evaluated in the presence and absence of 50% human serum to determine the effects of the proteins on their activities. Most of the VISS/hVISS isolates were susceptible to all agents except vancomycin. TD-1792 exhibited the lowest MIC values (MIC(90) = 0.125 microg/ml), followed by quinupristin-dalfopristin and daptomycin (MIC(90) = 1 microg/ml) and then linezolid (MIC(90) = 2 microg/ml). The presence of serum resulted in a 2- to 8-fold increase in the TD-1792 and daptomycin MIC values. In TKs, QD demonstrated bactericidal activity at multiples of the MIC that simulated therapeutic levels, whereas linezolid was only bacteriostatic. Both TD-1792 and daptomycin demonstrated rapid bactericidal activities against all isolates tested. The presence of proteins had only a minimal impact on the activity of TD-1792 in TKs. TD-1792 exhibited significant in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus isolates and represents a promising candidate for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive organisms.
Mathematical analysis of the impact of timing synchronization errors on the performance of an OFDM system

This letter addresses the effect of timing synchronization errors that are introduced by an erroneous detection of the start of an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. Throughout this letter, the term "timing error" would refer to this type of error. Such errors degrade the performance of an OFDM receiver by introducing intercarrier interference (ICI) and intersymbol interference (ISI). They can occur due to either an erroneous initial frame synchronization or a change in the power delay profile of the channel. In this letter, we provide a mathematical analysis of the effect of timing errors on the performance of an OFDM receiver in a frequency-selective fading environment. The analysis presented in this letter is for the case that no equalization technique has been used to mitigate the introduced ICI and ISI. We find exact formulas for the power of interference terms and the resulting average signal-to-interference ratio. We further extend the analysis to the subsample level. Our results show the nonsymmetric effect of timing errors on the performance of an OFDM system. Finally, simulation results confirm the analysis. The results of this letter can be easily extended to address the effect of such errors on DMT modems.
Federated Simulation and Gaming Framework for a Decentralized Space-Based Resource Economy

Future human space exploration will require large amounts of resources for shielding and building materials, propellants, and consumables. A space-based resource economy could produce, transport, and store resource at distributed locations such as the lunar surface, stable orbits, or Lagrange points to avoid Earth's deep gravity well. Design challenges include decentralized operation and management and socio-technical complexities not commonly addressed by modeling and simulation methods. This paper seeks to tackle these challenges by applying aspects of military wargaming to promote effective communication between decision-makers. A software architecture for federated simulation based on IEEE-1516 (HLA-Evolved) is presented in the context of multiple lunar in-situ resource production processes, resource depots, and intermediate transportation. The federation-level framework identifies interfaces between simulation models (federates), focusing on persistent assets (elements) and resources exchanged. Future work will develop the federated resource economy model and evaluate with decision-makers playing the roles of competing and collaborating players.
Complex Impedance Analysis of Silica Surface Film on Molybdenum Disilicide

The exposure of molybdenum disilicide to combustion products at 1370° and 1600°C for 1 and 60 hours led to the formation of a silica surface film. The thickness of this protective layer, ranging from 4.4–18.2 μm, increased with temperature and exposure time. However, the dielectric constant (3.16) of the thin film was independent of ac field frequency, exposure time, and temperature, according to complex impedance analysis in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 1 MHz. MoSi 2 specimens with a silica coating on one side resembled, in impedance spectroscopy terms, a resistor of low resistivity (MoSi 2 , 10 −4 Ω·cm) in series with a parallel RC circuit of high resistivity (SiO 2 , 3.0×10 10 Ω·cm). From this analysis, a calibration curve was generated for converting measured capacitance to silica film thickness. Relaxation time (on the order of 0.1 sec) and relaxation frequency (on the order of 1–10 Hz) were also derived, with the aid of semicircular regression of the complex impedance curves.
Unusual algal blooms as excitable systems: The case of “brown-tides”

Episodes of toxic “red and brown-tides” appear sporadically along coastlines worldwide. Bloom initiation is largely due to a confluence of environmental and meteorological factors that predispose certain algal species to suddenly erupt, but the ensuing duration and severity of an outbreak are shaped, in part, by trophic interactions. We offer a simple model for this that exhibits threshold behavior and excitability and apply it to recent blooms in Long Island, New York.
Displacement Accuracy of Discontinuous Deformation Analysis Method Applied to Sliding Block

Discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) is a discrete element method that was developed for computing large deformation in fractured rock masses. In this paper, we present an alternative derivation of the basic theory of DDA for planar (two-dimensional) problems, and we address the accuracy of the DDA method for sliding blocks using sensitivity analyses. Results of analyses with different parameters show that the residual and relative errors in the displacement of a frictional sliding block are controlled by the perturbation in the initial time steps of the simulation. In addition, we expose a systematic error induced by the DDA penalty formulation. Overall, the initial perturbation of the solution decreases with decreasing friction angle and increasing contact penalty and, counterintuitively, decreases with increasing time step size. All analyses show that the long runout behavior of the system trends toward the analytic solution, independent of the initial perturbation. The resulting precision of the long runout simulation is more than sufficient for all problems of engineering interest.
Generalized additive models for cancer mapping with incomplete covariates

SUMMARY Maps depicting cancer incidence rates have become useful tools in public health research, giving valuable information about the spatial variation in rates of disease. Typically, these maps are generated using count data aggregated over areas such as counties or census blocks. However, with the proliferation of geographic information systems and related databases, it is becoming easier to obtain exact spatial locations for the cancer cases and suitable control subjects. The use of such point data allows us to adjust for individual-level covariates, such as age and smoking status, when estimating the spatial variation in disease risk. Unfortunately, such covariate information is often subject to missingness. We propose a method for mapping cancer risk when covariates are not completely observed. We model these data using a logistic generalized additive model. Estimates of the linear and non-linear effects are obtained using a mixed effects model representation. We develop an EM algorithm to account for missing data and the random effects. Since the expectation step involves an intractable integral, we estimate the E-step with a Laplace approximation. This framework provides a general method for handling missing covariate values when fitting generalized additive models. We illustrate our method through an analysis of cancer incidence data from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These analyses demonstrate that standard complete-case methods can yield biased estimates of the spatial variation of cancer risk.
Pregnancy in patients with rheumatic diseases: obstetric management and monitoring

The obstetric management of the pregnant rheumatic patient is largely dictated by the specific disease and the degree to which it is associated with recognizable and treatable adverse obstetric outcomes, maternal or fetal. This review will cover the obstetric management of women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). Most experts agree that a co-ordinated management effort on the part of obstetricians and rheumatologists will likely yield the optimal achievable results.
Calcium transients during excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian heart: aequorin signals of canine Purkinje fibers

Aequorin signals in mammalian heart muscle cells reveal the existence of two temporally distinct processes that increase cytoplasmic calcium ions after membrane excitation. The differential dependence of these processes on the pattern of stimulation suggests that the first process is, or is closely related to, calcium entry through the surface membrane and that the second is calcium release from intracellular storage sites.
Objective function approximations in mathematical programming

Mathematical programming applications often require an objective function to be approximated by one of simpler form so that an available computational approach can be used. An a priori bound is derived on the amount of error (suitably defined) which such an approximation can induce. This leads to a natural criterion for selecting the “best” approximation from any given class. We show that this criterion is equivalent for all practical purposes to the familiar Chebyshev approximation criterion. This gains access to the rich legacy on Chebyshev approximation techniques, to which we add some new methods for cases of particular interest in mathematical programming. Some results relating to post-computational bounds are also obtained.
Rapid assimilation of yolk enhances growth and development of lizard embryos from a cold environment

SUMMARY Selection for rapid growth and development in cold environments results in a geographic pattern known as countergradient variation. The eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus , exhibits countergradient variation in embryonic growth and development along latitudinal clines. To identify the proximate causes of countergradient variation, we compared the energy budgets of embryos from a cold environment (Virginia) and a warm environment (South Carolina) during development at a realistic thermal cycle. The difference in mean egg size between populations was controlled by removing yolk from large eggs and performing a sham manipulation on other eggs. Respiration was measured every 4 days throughout 48 days of incubation. After this period, eggs were dissected and the energy contents of embryos and yolk were determined by calorimetry. As expected from previous experiments, embryos from Virginia reached a more advanced stage of development and deposited more energy within tissues than embryos from South Carolina. The greater absorption of yolk by embryos from Virginia was associated with a higher rate of respiration. Assimilation of yolk by rapidly growing embryos could reduce growth or survival after hatching. Such costs might explain the maintenance of countergradient variation in S. undulatus .
FoldEco: A Model for Proteostasis in E. coli

To gain insight into the interplay of processes and species that maintain a correctly folded, functional proteome, we have developed a computational model called FoldEco. FoldEco models the cellular proteostasis network of the E. coli cytoplasm, including protein synthesis, degradation, aggregation, chaperone systems, and the folding characteristics of protein clients. We focused on E. coli because much of the needed input information--including mechanisms, rate parameters, and equilibrium coefficients--is available, largely from in vitro experiments; however, FoldEco will shed light on proteostasis in other organisms. FoldEco can generate hypotheses to guide the design of new experiments. Hypothesis generation leads to system-wide questions and shows how to convert these questions to experimentally measurable quantities, such as changes in protein concentrations with chaperone or protease levels, which can then be used to improve our current understanding of proteostasis and refine the model. A web version of FoldEco is available at http://foldeco.scripps.edu.
Continuous dependence on modeling for nonlinear ill-posed problems

Abstract The nonlinear ill-posed Cauchy problem d u d t = A u ( t ) + h ( t , u ( t ) ) , u ( 0 ) = χ , where A is a positive self-adjoint operator on a Hilbert space H , χ ∈ H , and h : [ 0 , T ) × H → H is a uniformly Lipschitz function, is studied in order to establish continuous dependence results for solutions to approximate well-posed problems. The authors show here that solutions of the problem, if they exist, depend continuously on solutions to corresponding approximate well-posed problems, if certain stabilizing conditions are imposed. The approximate problem is given by d v d t = f ( A ) v ( t ) + h ( t , v ( t ) ) , v ( 0 ) = χ , for suitable functions f. The main result is that ‖ u ( t ) − v ( t ) ‖ ⩽ C β 1 − t T M t T , where C and M are computable constants independent of β and 0 β 1 . This work extends to the nonlinear case earlier results by the authors and by Ames and Hughes.
NEW LATE PALEOZOIC CONCHOSTRACAN (CRUSTACEA: BRANCHIOPODA) FROM THE SHACKLETON GLACIER AREA, ANTARCTICA: AGE AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

Abstract Lake deposits of the Pagoda Formation (Upper Carboniferous?–Lower Permian) at Mt. Butters, Shackleton Glacier area, central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, yield a low diversity biota including a new species of conchostracan, Cyzicus (Lioestheria) shackletonensis. Locally, conchostracans occur in large numbers near the tops of thin coarsening-upward cycles in siliciclastic sediments. Regionally, the Pagoda Formation consists of glacigenic deposits of the Gondwanide ice sheet that covered much of the land in southern high latitudes. At Mt. Butters, the lake deposits document the presence of an ice-margin lake in front of the advancing ice sheet. Deposition from suspension within the lake was interrupted by introduction of sand and silt deposited in the conchostracan-bearing, upward-coarsening sequences. Conchostracans of the Pagoda Formation are associated with other arthropods (euthycarcinoids and ostracodes), and wood fragments; burrows produced by small animals moving just beneath the sed...
Usefulness of the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) in predicting outcomes for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with hematologic malignancies (HM) undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT)

7034 Background: The HCT-CI was developed to help predict overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) in pts undergoing alloSCT, a procedure with significant toxicity. AYAs with cancer (ages 16–40) have been identified by the NCI as a high-risk group, but it is not known whether the HCT-CI is a useful predictor of outcomes in this relatively healthy population. Methods: All pts ages 16–39 at the time of alloSCT from 1992–2008 were included. HCT-CI was retrospectively calculated for pts with complete data available. Univariable Cox regression models were used to examine the association between covariates and OS and NRM. Results: 62 evaluable pts included 38 males and 24 females. 50 (81%) were Caucasian, 9 (15%) African American, and 3 (5%) other. Diseases included AML (23), CML (14), ALL (14), and other (11). All comorbidities had a frequency of <5% in this population except for pulmonary dysfunction (69%), hepatic dysfunction (27%), infection (19%), and psychiatric disturbance (10%). When dichot...
Exploiting accelerators for efficient high dimensional similarity search

Similarity search finds the most similar matches in an object collection for a given query; making it an important problem across a wide range of disciplines such as web search, image recognition and protein sequencing. Practical implementations of High Dimensional Similarity Search (HDSS) search across billions of possible solutions for multiple queries in real time, making its performance and efficiency a significant challenge. Existing clusters and datacenters use commercial multicore hardware to perform search, which may not provide the optimal performance and performance per Watt.This work explores the performance, power and cost benefits of using throughput accelerators like GPUs to perform similarity search for query cohorts even under tight deadlines. We propose optimized implementations of similarity search for both the host and the accelerator. Augmenting existing Xeon servers with accelerators results in a 3× improvement in throughput per machine, resulting in a more than 2.5× reduction in cost of ownership, even for discounted Xeon servers. Replacing a Xeon based cluster with an accelerator based cluster for similarity search reduces the total cost of ownership by more than 6× to 16× while consuming significantly less power than an ARM based cluster.
Improved food quality, quantity and security among Kenyan orphans and vulnerable children: associations with participation in a multisectoral community-based program, age, gender, and sexual risk

The present study evaluates factors associated with improved food quantity, quality and diversity among participants in a 3-year multisectoral program targeting sibling families of orphans and vulnerable children in rural Kenya. This cross-sectional study evaluates food adequacy and diversity using the World Food Programme’s Food Consumption Score, food access over the previous year, and food dependence on outside-household resources among 1060 families of orphan or vulnerable siblings. The primary comparison group was program-enrolled households who had not yet received any program inputs. Mixed effects logistic models were used to assess the association of food quantity, quality and security with program participation, program inputs and respondent characteristics. Increased time in the program was significantly associated with improved food quantity, quality and security. Other covariates significantly predicting improved food quantity, quality and security included using program-funds to cultivate small-holder farms, increased monthly income, self-efficacy and the number of partners in previous year. After adjusting for monthly income and other covariates, duration of program participation remained a significant predictor of improved food consumption, quality and security. The study presents a unique community-based intervention, hybridizing insights from multiple disciplines that warrants further study to improve the food quantity, quality and security of orphans and vulnerable children across sub-Saharan Africa.
A Study of 60,000 Digits of the Transcendental “e”

(1965). A Study of 60,000 Digits of the Transcendental “e”. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 483-500.
Detection of DD3 mRNA in Urine Sediments Obtained after Prostatic Massage of Patients with High PSA Value and its Clinical Significance

Objective To study the expressions of differential display code 3 mRNA(DD3 mRNA) in urine sediments samples of patients with high PSA value and its diagnostic value.Methods The samples were collected from 50 benign prostatic hyperplasia and 26 prostate cancer patients before biopsy or operation,the total RNA had been extracted for RT-Polymerase chain reaction,agarose gel electrophoresis were applied to confirm PCR product.Results There was significant difference of DD3 mRNA positive rate in urine sediments obtained after prostatic massage between BPH and PCa patients(P0.01).DD3mRNA positive rate has no significant difference between Gleason grade.Conclusion Detection of DD3mRNA in urine sediments obtained after prostatic massage has excellent diagnose efficacy for prostate cancer as a promising and independent non-invasive method.
Clinical Studies on Improvement of Ovary Reserve of IVF-ET Failure Patients with Therapy of Strengthening Kidney and Activating Circulation

Objective: To observe the effect on ovary reserve of the IVF- ET failure patients treated with therapy of strengthening kidney and activating circulation and discuss its mechanism. Methods: 60 IVF- ET failure patients were randomly divided into traditional Chinese medical group( combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine) and the control group( treated with western medicine). The symptoms,blood estradiol and follicle- stimulating hormone lev-el,antral follicle count in 3rd day of the cycle were observed before and after treatment. Results: Clinical study showed the symptoms of stagnation of liver- qi and renal deficiency with the decoction combined with western medicine group was obviously better than those of the control group( P 0. 05). Blood estradiol and antral follicle count in 3rd day of the cycle was obviously better than those of the control group( P 0. 05). Basal levels of follicle- stimulating hormone level were lower than that of the control group. Conclusions: The therapy of strengthening kidney and activating circulation can improve the ovarian reserve. It is related to improvement of blood estradiol and follicle- stimulating hormone level,antral follicle count and the function of HPOA.
Intra-articular steroid therapy. Comparative efficiency of 6-methylprednisolone acetate in cases of rheumatoid arthritis.

A study was made of the effectiveness of intra-articular administration of 6-methylprednisolone acetate, hydrocortisone tertiary-butylacetate and prednisolone tertiary-butylacetate.The 6-methylprednisolone acetate was more effective than prednisolone tertiary-butylacetate or hydrocortisone tertiary-butylacetate in five cases; it was less effective than these two steroids in three cases, and equally effective in 30 cases.In almost all instances the three steroids had a pronounced local anti-inflammatory effect on the rheumatoid process, with little difference in the degree of relief produced by each of the steroids.
Genetics of classic von Willebrand's disease. I. Phenotypic variation within families.

Abstract In order to determine the phenotypic variability within families transmitting classic von Willebrand's disease (vWd), a single cross-sectional examination was made of two large seven-generation vWd kindred living in the Carolinas. A total of 181 subjects were examined at least once. Fifty-eight were classified as “affected,” 24 in the smaller kindred of 418 persons and 34 (2 of whom were homozygous) in the larger kindred of 750 persons. Detailed histories were taken, and bleeding time (BT), coagulant factor VIII (VIII:C), factorVlll-related antigen (VIIIR:Ag), and Willebrand factor (VIIIR:WF) were determined on all subjects. Affected persons were present in several generations in each kindred, and the affected state (defined as having a value outside the normal range in one or more of the four tests in the direction expected in vWd) was transmitted by both sexes to both sexes. Segregational analysis showed the pattern of inheritance to be consistent with an autosomal dominant mode, and both kindred appeared to be transmitting classic vWd. The abnormal gene was found to have a highly variable expression, 11 of the 16 possible combinations of normal or abnormal results for BT, VIILC, VIIIR:Ag, and VIIIRiWF being observed among the affected persons. Penetrance of the abnormal gene was incomplete, 11 of the 26 presumably heterozygous transmitters having all F-VIII-related activities within the normal range. Two years after the initial study, a subsample of one kindred was reexamined twice, 5 mo apart. The phenotype of the affected state was found to be highly stable over time; 77% of those restudied were assigned the same classification as originally. Among the 5 of 22 who were phenotypically reclassified on second or third test, no changes in genotypic designation were required, since their genotypes could be correctly determined from genetic data.
Placental transfer and disposition of bilirubin in the pregnant monkey.

The placental transfer and disposition of conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin was studied in the pregnant rhesus monkey at term. The data indicate bidirectional placental transfer of unconjugated bilirubin, whereas only small quantities of conjugated bilirubin cross the placenta. The small quantity of unconjugated bilirubin excreted into the fetal biliary tract indicates that normally the placenta is the primary route of disposal of unconjugated bilirubin of fetal origin. Unconjugated bilirubin readily enters amniotic fluid from the maternal circulation. The data also indicate that the monkey fetus exhibits an impairment of hepatic excretion of conjugated bilirubin.