cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decision Support in Data Centers for Sustainability

In this paper, we propose a decision support system (DSS) for the greening of data centers to help the environment, hence promoting sustainability. As society continues the relentless shift towards electronic communications there is a growing demand for greater storage and processing on data centers. A potential area of improvement is to gain greater server utilization rates since traditionally the phenomenon of "server sprawl" occurs where more servers are added to the data center without seeking greater utilization rates on existing servers first. This implies maintaining more servers than actually needed that translates to greater carbon dioxide emissions causing potential environmental problems. Presently, average server utilization rates in most data centers are rather low, and we make the claim that utilization rates should be increased so that we can lower the number of servers for enhanced sustainability. A shift to the cloud could potentially be useful here. Some servers can be phased out with their operations being hosted on the cloud instead. We propose an approach based on data mining using CBR and decision trees to build a DSS that would help make decisions pertaining to issues such as server sprawl and migration to the cloud in order to promote data center sustainability. We provide recommendations based on our DSS that would be useful to data center operators in academia and industry.
Computed tomographic diagnosis of partial small bowel obstruction secondary to anterior peritoneal adhesions: relevance to laparoscopic cholecystectomy

A case is reported of partial small bowel obstruction secondary to anterior peritoneal adhesions which resulted in inadvertent trocar perforation of the small bowel at laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Careful assessment of computed tomographic examinations performed for acute abdominal complaints should include diagnosis of lower grades of small bowel obstruction from peritoneal adhesive disease. Laparoscopic surgeons should be apprised of peritoneal adhesions of bowel at usual sites of needle or trocar puncture.
Simultaneous assay of diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, N-desmethyldiazepam, N-desmethylchlordiazepoxide, and demoxepam in serum by high performance liquid chromatography

A method is presented for simultaneously determining diazepam and chlordiazepoxide along with their respective major active serum metabolites N-desmethyldiazepam, and N-desmethylchlordiazepoxide and demoxepam. The drugs are extracted from one ml of buffered serum using chloroform containing 5-(p-methylphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin as an internal standard. The elution is accomplished using a reversed-phase column with a mobile phase consisting of an acetonitrile/methanol/acetate buffer pH 5.0 (200/225/500) at a flow rate of 2.0 ml/min. Absorbance is monitored at 240 nm using a variable wavelength detector. Each chromatographic separation requires approximately 15 minutes at ambient temperature. Of more than twenty drugs tested for possible interference with this procedure, only methaqualone interferes with the internal standard, and phenytoin with demoxepam.
LAIR2 localizes specifically to sites of extravillous trophoblast invasion.

Abstract Purpose A global gene expression microarray analysis of surplus chorionic villus sampling (CVS) tissues identified leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 2 (LAIR2) as down-regulated in the first trimester of pregnancies destined for preeclampsia. Neither the localization nor the function of LAIR2 has been examined in the placenta. Localization studies were conducted in placental tissues to determine the precise sites of LAIR2 mRNA production and protein binding. Results Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) indicated LAIR2 expression in CVS, but none in breast, lymph node, kidney, skin, uterus, or third trimester placentas. In situ hybridization (ISH) revealed a highly restricted LAIR2 localization. LAIR2 mRNA was found only in the more distal portions of trophoblast anchoring cell columns, adjacent to the invading extravillous trophoblast (EVT). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected intracellular LAIR2 staining in these same cells. Extracellular staining of this soluble receptor was found in the acellular material between invasive EVT cells distal to the anchoring cell columns. Conclusions ISH and IHC staining for LAIR2 detected specific, highly localized expression at the leading edge of EVT anchoring cell columns in first trimester placentas. This staining likely identifies the site of production for this soluble receptor. Following secretion, the receptor appears to bind extracellular material among the invasive EVT. The precise restriction of this protein only to the sites of EVT invasion strongly suggests that it functions to regulate this invasion. The decreased LAIR2 expression noted in first trimester placentas that ultimately developed preeclampsia further suggests that alterations in LAIR2 may play an etiologic role in preeclampsia.
Hominid hand use in the pliocene and pleistocene: Evidence from experimental archaeology and comparative morphology*

Grips and hadn movements were observed during the manufacture and use of Paleolithic tools by archaeologists. Positioning and movements of the fingers and palm were noted for each grip and activity, and regions of the hand stressed by the activities were identified. Derived morphological features in the modern human hand were assessed with regard to their contribution to the effectiveness of the grips and their potential for bolstering the hand against the accompanying internal and external forces. The potential range of effective gripping postures and movements and accompanying stresses were then estimated for fossil hominid hands. It was found that the control of most Paleolithic stone tools requires two categories of grips. One combines passive support by the palm with movements of the stone by the thumb and fingers. The other involves the thumb and the sides or palmar surface of the second and third fingers. “Precision” grips exclusively by the thumb and fingertips and a “power” grip that locks tools into the palm of the hand rarely occurred in the experiments, yet these are the ones usually discussed in connection with the evolution of hominid hands and tool use. The proportions and joint morphology of the Australopithecus afarensis hands are compatible with a variety of grips that should have facilitated habitual and effective manipulation of unmodified stones as tools. Derived human features in the Olduvai hand should have enhanced the control of stones by the thumb and fingers in the same grips. The robusticity of Neandertal hands is consistent with internal forces that are associated with intrinsic muscle control of finger position and with the large, repetitive extrinsic impulsive forces which accompany the wielding of hand-held stone tools. Previous classifications of grips are modified and extended, to facilitate communication about the evolution of hominid hand structure and function.
Comorbid depression and anxiety spectrum disorders

The relationship between depression and anxiety disorders has long been a matter of controversy. The overlap of symptoms associated with these disorders makes diagnosis, research, and treatment particularly difficult. Recent evidence suggests genetic and neurobiologic similarities between depressive and anxiety disorders. Comorbid depression and anxiety are highly prevalent conditions. Patients with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and other anxiety disorders are also frequently clinically depressed. Approximately 85% of patients with depression also experience significant symptoms of anxiety. Similarly, comorbid depression occurs in up to 90% of patients with anxiety disorders. Patients with comorbid disorders do not respond as well to therapy, have a more protracted course of illness, and experience less positive treatment outcomes. One key to successful treatment of patients with mixed depressive and anxiety disorders is early recognition of comorbid conditions. Antidepressant medications, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, are highly effective in the management of comorbid depression and anxiety. The high rates of comorbid depression and anxiety argue for well-designed treatment studies in these populations. Depression and Anxiety 4:160–168, 1996/1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A homomorphism theorem for weighted context-free grammars

Productions of a context-free grammar can be given coefficients from semirings, inducing weights for both derivations in the grammar and strings over the terminal alphabet. For a weighted context-free grammar in Greibach normal form, the weight of any string, as well as the set of derivations of the string, may be determined from the image under a homomorphism which maps each terminal symbol to a polynomial. The definition of the homomorphism is a straightforward function of the productions. Some examples of interesting semiring structures are included.
Emerging customs: Small-scale fishing practices in Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract Off the western coast of Sumatra among the islands of Pulau Banyak, fishing is the primary occupation for the men of Haloban. They are self-described “traditional” fishers, using low-tech gear and small boats to catch fish, octopus, lobster, and other sealife in the nearby coral reefs and mangroves. Women also regularly venture out into the deep mud of the mangroves to collect clams. Their efforts to extract livelihoods and subsistence from the reefs take place in an open-access commons with few formal institutions or enforcement mechanisms to regulate resource use. While explicit regulations and customary limitations on fishing in the coral reef commons are lacking, Haloban fishers improvise some common etiquette and practices that are adaptable to the shifting context. This case study presents Haloban fishers' use of the commons as situated practices, unarticulated and embedded within a complex social–ecological system. These practices reflect fishers' understanding of, and relationship with, their environment, and may represent a nascent form of local “rules-in-use”, informing behavior without direct social mechanisms for enforcement. This paper presents research collected using ethnographic methods, including participant observation at sea. As NGOs and government agencies work to craft management plans that share use of the reefs with tourism and conservation, a better understanding of actual resource use and fishing practice may inform more nuanced, adaptable, and truly “local” community-based management.
Cavity-enhanced frequency modulation spectroscopy: advancing optical detection sensitivity and laser frequency stabilization

High detection sensitivities of quantum absorptions are important in many research fields of physics, chemistry and biology. In this paper we present our latest results on the ultrasensitive molecular overtone spectroscopy using the cavity-enhanced frequency modulation (FM) technique. The principle of this method makes use of a high-finesse external cavity to enhance the intrinsic resonance contrast, while an FM modulation approach provides short-noise limited signal recovery. Ideal matching of the FM sideband frequency to the cavity free-spectral-range makes the detection process insensitive to laser frequency noise relative noise relative to the cavity, while at the same time overcomes the cavity bandwidth limit.Working with a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser, we have obtained sub-Doppler overtone resonances of HCCD, HCCH and CO2 molecules. A detection sensitivity of 5 X 10-13 of integrated absorption over 1-s averaging time has been achieved. The resultant high signal- to-noise ratio of the weak resonance produces excellent laser frequency stabilization.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of different cue stimulus delivery channels on craving reactivity: comparing in vivo and video cues in regular cigarette smokers.

Exposure to smoking cues reliably produces increases in craving compared to exposure to appropriately matched neutral cues. While different types of stimuli have been used as cue materials in such studies, the channel through which cues are delivered is not often varied in a systematic fashion in smoking research. This study compared the effect of exposure to active in vivo cues compared to two cues, matched for content and time, delivered via videotape on self-reported smoking craving. Results revealed that active in vivo cues produced the highest craving ratings, followed next by active video cues, and last by neutral video cues. These results suggest that craving is sensitive to stimulus delivery channel and that video presentation of smoking cues is a viable manipulation option in cue reactivity studies.
Using Structural Equation Modeling To Understand Chemistry Faculty Familiarity of Assessment Terminology: Results from a National Survey

Chemistry departments have felt pressure in recent years to produce quality data on student achievement of learning outcomes. External (e.g., accreditation agencies) and internal (e.g., academic deans) entities are demanding regular review of student achievement. It is thus necessary for the chemistry community to develop valid and reliable instruments to assess student learning. With chemistry faculty members’ integration into assessment practices, it is important that these faculty members have a sufficient understanding of the quality of and limitations to the interpretation of assessment data. As part of a larger national survey, 1505 chemistry faculty members from a diverse array of postsecondary institutions and teaching experience responded to a series of questions regarding their familiarity with assessment terminology. Advanced confirmatory factor analysis was conducted via structural equation modeling to represent an overall structure of faculty members’ assessment knowledge.
Bay of Bengal currents during the Northeast Monsoon

Velocity and property observations were made during February and March 1995 as part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Hydrographic Program (WHP) expedition in the Indian Ocean. The observed circulation in the upper 300 m of the ocean during the northeast monsoon is compared to the output of a high-resolution, 3-layer, nonlinear model forced by European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) winds. The data identify several new features in the Bay of Bengal: a shelf-break coastal current in the northeast corner, an eddy and subsurface jet near the South Preparis Channel, and an eastward countercurrent extending from 80°E to the eastern boundary. The countercurrent transports high-salinity surface water from the northwest Indian Ocean into the bay, and separates the historically observed North Equatorial Current into two currents with separate sources and water properties. The data also detail the spatial structure of the South Equatorial Current and Countercurrent, and show the Equatorial Undercurrent in the eastern half of the Indian Ocean. The model compares well enough with the data to suggest that such realistic models may provide a useful temporal context for the WHP snapshot.
Spiritual AIM and the work of the chaplain: a model for assessing spiritual needs and outcomes in relationship.

Objective:Distinguishing the unique contributions and roles of chaplains as members of healthcare teams requires the fundamental step of articulating and critically evaluating conceptual models that guide practice. However, there is a paucity of well-described spiritual assessment models. Even fewer of the extant models prescribe interventions and describe desired outcomes corresponding to spiritual assessments.Method:This article describes the development, theoretical underpinnings, and key components of one model, called the Spiritual Assessment and Intervention Model (Spiritual AIM). Three cases are presented that illustrate Spiritual AIM in practice. Spiritual AIM was developed over the past 20 years to address the limitations of existing models. The model evolved based in part on observing how different people respond to a health crisis and what kinds of spiritual needs appear to emerge most prominently during a health crisis.Results:Spiritual AIM provides a conceptual framework for the chaplain to diagnose an individual's primary unmet spiritual need, devise and implement a plan for addressing this need through embodiment/relationship, and articulate and evaluate the desired and actual outcome of the intervention. Spiritual AIM's multidisciplinary theory is consistent with the goals of professional chaplaincy training and practice, which emphasize the integration of theology, recognition of interpersonal dynamics, cultural humility and competence, ethics, and theories of human development.Significance of Results:Further conceptual and empirical work is needed to systematically refine, evaluate, and disseminate well-articulated spiritual assessment models such as Spiritual AIM. This foundational work is vital to advancing chaplaincy as a theoretically grounded and empirically rigorous healthcare profession.
Effective resistance to alternating currents of multilayer windings

IN any multilayer winding carrying an alternating current, such as the windings illustrated in figures 1, 2, and 3, each layer of copper lies in the alternating magnetic field set up by the current in all the other layers. Eddy currents are set up in each layer in a direction to partly neutralize the magnetic intensities in the interior of the copper wire in each layer. As a result of the eddy-current losses in the copper, the effective resistance of the winding to the alternating current it carries may be many times its resistance to continuous currents.
Structure and thermal stability of polyethylene nanolayers

Abstract Confinement of the crystallizable polymer chain to the lamellar size scale is expected to affect nucleation and growth habit to the extent that new crystalline structures might be created. In this study, films with hundreds of extremely thin layers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) sandwiched between thicker polystyrene (PS) layers were fabricated by ‘forced assembly’ using layer multiplying coextrusion. Thermal analysis showed that as the HDPE layers became thinner, the crystallinity decreased from about 60% to almost 30%. Decreased crystallinity was accompanied by a change in morphology from banded discoids in HDPE microlayers (>100 nm) to long bundles of edge-on lamellae in HDPE nanolayers (
Correlation and prediction of fatigue crack growth for different R-ratios using Kmax and ΔK+ parameters

Abstract This paper summarizes a study which has been conducted to examine the recently proposed fatigue crack driving force parameter, K ∗ =K max α ( Δ K + ) (1−α) , and its ability to predict the crack growth rate for different R-ratios. A validation of the effectiveness of the proposed K ∗ parameter relative to the existing crack closure approach, ΔKeff, is analyzed and discussed. Experimental data for ten different types of materials taken from literature were used in the analyses. Presented results indicate that the K ∗ parameter is equally effective or better than ΔKeff in correlating and predicting the R-ratio effects on crack growth rate.
Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Associated with Trisomy 21 Demonstrates a Distinct Immunophenotype

Background: Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) is a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia that encompasses three distinct subgroups, children with Down syndrome (DS-AMKL), children without DS (non-DS-AMKL) and adults (adult-AMKL). We hypothesize that the biological differences in the subtypes of AMKL may be reflected in distinct immunophenotypic (IP) features. Our aims were to employ mutiparameter flow cytometry to establish a comprehensive IP spectrum of AMKL in multiple demographic groups and to determine whether the subtypes of AMKL demonstrate distinct immunophenotypes. Methods: Thirty-seven AMKL cases were retrieved and subdivided into these three groups. Multiparameter flow cytometry was used to determine and compare the immunophenotypes. Available clinical, cytogenetic, and morphologic data were reviewed to confirm diagnoses. Results: While there is commonality in the expression pattern for a wide range of myelomonocytic markers in these three subtypes of AMKL, blasts in DS-AMKL were more likely to express CD7 and CD11b than those in non-DS-AMKL and adult-AMKL. Furthermore, blasts in DS-AMKL were more likely to express CD13, CD33 and CD36 than non-DS pediatric AMKL, and showed greater CD56 expression compared to adult AMKL. Conclusions: These results indicate that DS-AMKL is related to but immunophenotypically distinct from non-DS-AMKL and adult-AMKL. This distinct immunophenotypic pattern, co-expression of CD7 and CD11b, has practical implications for characterization of AMKL. © 2014 Clinical Cytometry Society.
Imaging in scattering media by use of laser speckle

We present a method for the detection and localization of inhomogeneities embedded within highly scattering media that employs speckle statistics with a partially coherent light source. Variations in speckle contrast as a function of position are used to interrogate inhomogeneities deeply embedded within scattering media. A numerical model based on photon diffusion theory is introduced to predict speckle contrast as a function of scan position. This model uses measured speckle data to determine scattering and absorption parameters.
Ask the Experts: Accelerated partial breast irradiation: the future of radiation therapy for breast cancer?

Bruce G Haffty is currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology of the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School, and Associate Director of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey (NJ, USA). His medical school and residency training were at Yale University School of Medicine (CT, USA), and he spent the majority of his academic career at Yale School of Medicine, Department of Therapeutic Radiology. He moved to the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Cancer Institute of New Jersey in 2005. Haffty is internationally recognized as an expert in breast radiation oncology and has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles, 30 book chapters and numerous editorials and letters. Much of his recent research has been supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. He is consistently listed as one of the country’s leading physicians by Best Doctors in America, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, America’s Top Doctor...
Reflections of a Professor on Nine Years of Living in the Dorms…: I Mean Residence Halls!

Faculty-in-residence programs aim to strengthen the intellectual climate in residential facilities. Robert Rhoads shares an insider's observations on the role he played as a FIR.
Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders as Foster Youth Transition to Adulthood

Abstract Little research has previously examined substance use and substance use disorders as youth age out of foster care. This study examined rates of getting drunk, marijuana use, and substance use disorders over time for a cohort of 325 older youth in foster care in Missouri. Rates of past month marijuana use increased from 9% at age 17 to 20% at age 19. Rates of getting drunk in past year increased from 18% at age 18 to 31% at age 19. Compared to the general population, older foster youth had lower rates of substance use but higher rates of substance use disorders (SUD), with 15% of youth meeting criteria for a SUD at age 19. Youth who had left the custody of the state had significantly higher rates of alcohol and marijuana use at ages 18 and 19. Transitions out of residential care and into independent living situations were associated with use of substances at age 18. Different risk factors were associated with substance use at ages 18 and age 19 while risk factors for SUDs were more stable over time. Findings highlight the need to screen and provide treatment for SUDs before youth leave state custody and to consider substance abuse treatment in decisions to extend care beyond age 18.
Neural-mechanical coupling of breathing in REM sleep

Smith, C. A., K. S. Henderson, L. Xi, C.-M. Chow, P. R. Eastwood, and J. A. Dempsey. Neural-mechanical coupling of breathing in REM sleep. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 1923–1932, 1997.—During rapid-eye...
High density recording on CoSm/Cr thin film media

SmCo/Cr thin films with coercivity up to 3000 Oe were prepared by RF-diode sputtering. Hard disks were fabricated using glass substrates and the recording properties, carrier-to-integrated-noise ratio, media noise, and overwritability were evaluated using conventional thin-film inductive heads. The influence of the thickness of the Cr underlayer, SmCo magnetic layer, and Cr overlayer on media noise was studied. The intergranular exchange and magnetostatic interaction effects present in SmCo/Cr media were measured from their remanence magnetization curves and correlated with media noise values obtained from recording measurements. The media noise in SmCo/Cr disks varied little with increasing linear density, and no supralinear increase in noise as explained by a transition noise model was observed. A thin Cr underlayer ( >
Demodulation and code acquisition using decorrelator detectors for QS-CDMA

A linear detector for a quasisynchronous code-division multiple-access (QS-CDMA) cellular system is presented, which is designed according to a minimum mean-square error (MMSE) criterion. By using a time-averaged version of the interfering signal covariance matrix, it is shown that multiuser interference can be rejected without the need to estimate signal time-of-arrival. Furthermore, unlike previous MMSE receiver designs, estimation of the received signal covariance matrix is not required. An asymptotic form of the MMSE detector, corresponding to a decorrelator implemented using a projection operator, is also obtained. Bit-error rate (BER) results are presented which demonstrate the superiority of the MMSE receiver over the conventional matched-filter detector under strong near-far conditions. An analysis of the expected acquisition time T~/sub ACQ/ is given for the decorrelator detector using a serial search scheme. The results obtained show that T~/sub ACQ/ is far less for a code acquisition method using the decorrelator as opposed to a conventional matched filter.
Transcriptional regulation of mouse L-selectin.

L-selectin mediates the initial tethering and rolling of lymphocytes in high endothelial venules. To study the transcriptional regulation of mouse L-selectin, we cloned 4.5 kb 5’-flanking sequences of the mouse sell. Luciferase analysis of serial 5’-deletion mutants showed that the first 285 bp was sufficient to drive high promoter activity in EL4 cells, but not in Sell-negative HeLa cells, suggesting that this fragment harbors the minimal mouse sell promoter and contains cis-elements for lymphocyte-specific expression. Site-directed mutagenesis and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Mzf1, Klf2, Sp1, Ets1, and Irf1 bind to and activate the mouse sell promoter. Over expression of these transcription factors in EL4 cells increased expression of sell mRNA. Silencing the expression of Sp1 by siRNA significantly decreased sell promoter activity in EL4 cells. We conclude that sell transcription is regulated by Mzf1, Klf2, Sp1, Ets1, and Irf1.
A lower bound on the reliability of an n-dimensional hypercube

A recursive algorithm for computing a lower bound on the all-terminal reliability of an n-dimensional hypercube is presented. The recursive step decomposes an n-dimensional hypercube into lower dimension hypercubes that are linked together. As an illustration of the effectiveness and power of this method, a lower bound is computed on the all-terminal reliability of the 16-dimensional hypercube (Connection Machine architecture) whose links number 2/sup 19/. The notation and assumptions are defined, and background information on bounding the reliability polynomial is provided. Methods for tightening these bounds for the analysis of the hypercube architecture are discussed. >
Pay Without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of Executive Compensation

The article reviews the book “Pay Without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of Executive Compensation,” by Lucian Bebchuk and Jesse Fried.
Thermodynamic and structural consequences of flexible loop deletion by circular permutation in the streptavidin-biotin system

A circularly permuted streptavidin (CP51/46) has been designed to remove the flexible polypeptide loop that undergoes an open to closed conformational change when biotin is bound. The original termini have been joined by a tetrapeptide linker, and four loop residues have been removed, resulting in the creation of new N- and C-termini. Isothermal titration calorimetric studies show that the association constant has been reduced approximately six orders of magnitude below that of wild-type streptavidin to 10(7) M(-1). The deltaH degrees of biotin association for CP51/46 is reduced by 11.1 kcal/mol. Crystal structures of CP51/46 and its biotin complex show no significant alterations in the binding site upon removal of the loop. A hydrogen bond between Ser45 and Ser52 found in the absence of biotin is broken in the closed conformation as the side-chain hydroxyl of Ser45 moves to hydrogen bond to a ureido nitrogen of biotin. This is true in both the wild-type and CP51/46 forms of the protein, and the hydrogen bonding interaction might thus help nucleate closure of the loop. The reduced entropic cost of binding biotin to CP51/46 is consistent with the removal of this loop and a reduction in entropic costs associated with loop closure and immobilization. The reduced enthalpic contribution to the free energy of binding is not readily explainable in terms of the molecular structure, as the binding contacts are nearly entirely conserved, and only small differences in solvent accessible surfaces are observed relative to wild-type streptavidin.
Competitive Scheduling of Packets with Hard Deadlines in a Finite Capacity Queue

Motivated by the quality-of-service (QoS) buffer management problem, we consider online scheduling of packets with hard deadlines in a finite capacity queue. At any time, a queue can store at most b isin Z + packets. Packets arrive over time. Each packet is associated with a non-negative value and an integer deadline. In each time step, only one packet is allowed to be sent. Our objective is to maximize the total value gained by the packets sent by their deadlines in an online manner. Due to the Internet traffic's chaotic characteristics, no stochastic assumptions are made on the packet input sequences. This model is called a finite-queue model. We use competitive analysis to measure an online algorithm's performance versus an unrealizable optimal offline algorithm who constructs the worst possible input based on the knowledge of the online algorithm. For the finite-queue model, we first present a deterministic 3-competitive memoryless online algorithm. Then, we give a randomized (Phi 2 = (1+radic(5)/2) 2 ap 2.618)-competitive memoryless online algorithm. The algorithmic framework and its theoretical analysis include several interesting features. First, our algorithms use (possibly) modified characteristics of packets; these characteristics may not be same as those specified in the input sequence. Second, our analysis method is different from the classical potential function approach. We use a simple charging scheme, which depends on a clever modification (during the course of the algorithm) on the packets in the queue of the optimal offline algorithm. We then prove that a set of invariants holds at the end of each time step. Finally, we analyze the two proposed algorithm in a relaxed model, in which packets have no hard deadlines but an order. We conclude that both algorithms have the same competitive ratios in the relaxed model.
Large-scale discriminative language model reranking for voice-search

We present a distributed framework for large-scale discriminative language models that can be integrated within a large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) system using lattice rescoring. We intentionally use a weakened acoustic model in a baseline LVCSR system to generate candidate hypotheses for voice-search data; this allows us to utilize large amounts of unsupervised data to train our models. We propose an efficient and scalable MapReduce framework that uses a perceptron-style distributed training strategy to handle these large amounts of data. We report small but significant improvements in recognition accuracies on a standard voice-search data set using our discriminative reranking model. We also provide an analysis of the various parameters of our models including model size, types of features, size of partitions in the MapReduce framework with the help of supporting experiments.
Elevated midtrimester mean arterial blood pressure in women with severe preeclampsia

Although early identification of pregnant women who are at risk for severe preeclampsia may help reduce maternal-perinatal sequelae, an adequate screening test for this disorder has not been described. The purpose of this study was to determine if a group of women ( n = 57) who developed severe preeclampsia had a higher midtrimester mean arterial pressure (MAP-2) than a matched group of women ( n = 57) who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy and the puerperium. It was found that women who developed severe preeclampsia had a significantly higher MAP-2 than normotensive women and significantly more preeclamptic subjects had an MAP-2 ≥ 85 mmHg than did control subjects. Thus, an elevated MAP-2 may help identify women who are at risk for the development of severe preeclampsia.
Selections from the ABC 2014 Annual Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A Well-Stitched Banner of Favorite Assignments: Leadership and Other-Focused Communication and Projects.

This article, the second of a two-part series, features 11 teaching innovations presented at the 2014 Association for Business Communication annual conference. These 11 assignments included leaders...
Phenyl Propionate and Sex Pheromone for Monitoring Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the Presence of Mating Disruption

The recent availability of sex pheromone lures for the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), improves options for monitoring this key pest in conventionally managed almonds. These lures are, however, minimally effective in the presence of mating disruption. Experiments were conducted to determine if phenyl propionate (PPO), an attractant for the navel orangeworm, acts in an additive or synergistic manner when presented together with the pheromone. In the absence of mating disruption, traps baited with PPO captured significantly fewer adults than traps baited with a sex pheromone lure. There was no difference in the number of adults captured in traps with both attractants when mating disruption was not used. In the presence of mating disruption, pheromone traps were completely suppressed, yet traps with both pheromone and PPO captured significantly more adults than traps baited with only PPO. Traps with only PPO captured equal numbers of both sexes, whereas traps with both attractants had significantly more males. These findings demonstrate that PPO is likely to be useful for monitoring navel orangeworm in fields treated with mating disruption.
Albumin synthesis after intense intermittent exercise in human subjects

Yang, Roger C., Gary W. Mack, Robert R. Wolfe, and Ethan R. Nadel. Albumin synthesis after intense intermittent exercise in human subjects. J. Appl. Physiol.84(2): 584–592, 1998.—We measured hepati...
Sustainability Assessment of a Wind Turbine Blade: An Engineering Framework

This paper presents a sustainability assessment of a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade. In addition, this project and research is presented as a potential template to aid engineers in performing global, large-scaled sustainability assessments which address environmental, economic, and social impacts. The objective of this research involved investigating the sustainability of a wind turbine blade by developing and implementing a global cradle-to-grave framework. The methods of the framework involved applying life cycle assessment techniques to account for inputs and outputs at each primary stage of manufacturing, and quantified the environmental and economic impacts by utilizing standard environmental indicator analyses of CML 2001 and Eco-indicator 99. This framework considered a sustainability assessment with a limited subset of product options. In particular, variations in the geographic location of manufacturing of intermediate materials was considered. Five geographic locations were considered for intermediate manufacturing: China, India, Europe, Western US, and Eastern US. Aspects of transportation cost, labor cost, working conditions/government regulations, and electricity were considered at each geographic location to account for their impact on environmental, economic, and social concerns. However, the sustainability framework described in this paper can consider a variety of potential product options.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the elderly. Indications and outcome

A total of 5,070 patients 65 years of age or older underwent primary elective coronary bypass surgery at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation from January 1976 through June 1986. These patients were divided by age into two groups, 65-74 years of age and 75 years and older; these groups were compared with each other and with patients younger than 65 years. With advancing age, there was a significantly greater prevalence of women, more severe angina, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, previous cerebral events, cardiac enlargement, and left main coronary artery disease. Overall mortality during hospitalization was 2.3% and rose progressively with advancing age. Variables predictive of higher operative mortality included age >75 years, cigarette smoking, left ventricular impairment, and female gender. Perioperative myocardial infarction and wound complications showed no correlation with age, but other morbidity occurred more frequently in older patients. Stroke was more common over age 65, and postoperative atrial fibrillation rose significantly with advancing age. After a mean follow-up of 91 months, angina relief was better in the elderly than among their younger counterparts (P = 0.0001), and vein and arterial graft patency were comparable. The 10-year actuarial survival was 64% for ages 65-74 and the eight-year survival for patients 75 or older was 53%. Successful bypass surgery among the elderly conferred consistent angina relief and longevity that exceeds that of the U.S. population, matched for age and gender.
Fat3 and Ena/VASP proteins influence the emergence of asymmetric cell morphology in the developing retina.

Neurons exhibit asymmetric morphologies throughout development – from migration to the elaboration of axons and dendrites – that are correctly oriented for the flow of information. For instance, retinal amacrine cells migrate towards the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and then retract their trailing processes, thereby acquiring a unipolar morphology with a single dendritic arbor restricted to the IPL. Here, we provide evidence that the Fat-like cadherin Fat3 acts during multiple stages of amacrine cell development in mice to orient overall changes in cell shape towards the IPL. Using a time-lapse imaging assay, we found that developing amacrine cells are less directed towards the IPL in the absence of Fat3, during both migration and retraction. Consistent with its predicted role as a cell-surface receptor, Fat3 functions cell-autonomously and is able to influence the cytoskeleton directly through its intracellular domain, which can bind and localize Ena/VASP family actin regulators. Indeed, a change in Ena/VASP protein distribution is sufficient to recapitulate the Fat3 mutant amacrine cell phenotype. Thus, Fat-like proteins might control the polarized development of tissues by sculpting the cytoskeleton of individual cells.
Crop Rotation Affects Corn, Grain Sorghum, and Soybean Yields and Nitrogen Recovery

Long-term cropping system and fertilizer N studies are essential to understanding production potential and yield stability of corn (Zea mays L.), grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in rain-fed environments. A no-till experiment (2007–2013) was conducted in eastern Nebraska to evaluate crop rotation (continuous corn, continuous grain sorghum, continuous soybean, corn–soybean, grain sorghum–soybean, corn–soybean–grain sorghum–oat [Avena sativa (L.)]/clover mixture [80% Melilotus officinalis Lam. + 20% Trifolium pretense L.], and corn–oat/clover–grain sorghum–soybean) and fertilizer N (corn and grain sorghum: 0, 90, 180 kg N ha–¹; soybean and oat/clover: 0, 36, 67 kg N ha–¹) on grain yield, plant N uptake, and N recovery efficiency. Diversified crop rotations increased corn and grain sorghum yields and improved yield stability. A positive corn grain yield response to fertilizer N was consistent across crop rotations, but fertilizer N addition with corn–soybean–grain sorghum–oat did not increase grain sorghum yield. Yield stability of soybean was less sensitive to management; all treatment combinations were found to be stable. Fertilizer N addition decreased soybean grain yield in 2 of 7 yr, but yields were similar in the remaining 5 yr. These results indicate that adoption of 2- and 4-yr crop rotations in rain-fed environments can result in high-yielding, more stable corn, grain sorghum, and soybean grain production compared with shorter rotations or continuous cropping.
Clinical Analysis of Complications of 115 Children with Serious Pneumonia with Ventilatory Support

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of children with serious pneumonia with ventilatory support,and combined with heart failure,encephalopathy,hyponatramia,acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS).Methods One hundred and fifteen children(81 males,34 females) with serious pneumonia in ICU from Jul.2005 to Jul.2007 were reviewed,The duration of ventilation support was over 48 h.And blood electrolyte,blood gas,cerebrospinal fluid and CT were detected.Results Ninety-three cases had a good outcome,7 cases were given up,15 cases were dead.The complications included heart failure in 60 cases(52.17%);encephalopathy in 40 cases(34.78%),in which tics type in 38 cases(95%),apnea type in 11 cases(27.5%);hyponatremia in 42 cases(36.52%),of which tics type in 31 cases(73.81%),syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuetic hormone in 27 cases(72.97%)resulted in hyponatremia;ARDS in 8 cases(6.96%),pa(O2)/FiO2200 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),PEEP level 8-18 cmH2O(1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa);MODS 6 cases(5.22%),in these cases 3 organs were complicated,4 cases were dead.Congenital disease of 27 cases(23.48%) were screened out,in which congenital heart disease had 18 cases(66.67%),larynx deformity 3 cases,bone-muscular malformation 3 cases,multi-distortion 2 cases.Conclusions Multiple organs are complicated in children with serious pneumonia,and the mortality is very high.Children with congenital disease are in danger of high mortality,and more ease to have complication of respiratory failure.The screening of congenital disease is helpful for appreciation.
Retention in Care among HIV-Infected Adults in Ethiopia, 2005- 2011: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background Poor retention in HIV care challenges the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study assessed how well patients stay in care and explored factors associated with retention in the context of an initial ART rollout in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods study at a teaching hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cohort of 385 patients was followed for a median of 4.6 years from ART initiation to lost-to-follow-up (LTFU—missing appointments for more than three months after last scheduled visit or administrative censoring). We used Kaplan-Meier plots to describe LTFU over time and Cox-regression models to identify factors associated with being LTFU. We held six focus group discussions, each with 6–11 patients enrolled in care; we analyzed data inductively informed by grounded theory. Results Patients in the cohort were predominantly female (64%) and the median age was 34 years. Thirty percent were LTFU by study’s end; the median time to LTFU was 1,675 days. Higher risk of LTFU was associated with baseline CD4 counts 200 cells/μL (HR = 1.62; 95% CI:1.03–2.55; and HR = 2.06; 95% CI:1.15–3.70, respectively), compared with patients with baseline CD4 counts of 100–200 cells/μL. Bedridden participants at ART initiation (HR = 2.05; 95% CIs [1.11–3.80]) and those with no or only primary education (HR = 1.50; 95% CIs [1.00–2.24]) were more likely to be LTFU. Our qualitative data revealed that fear of stigma, care dissatisfaction, use of holy water, and economic constraints discouraged retention in care. Social support and restored health and functional ability motivated retention. Conclusion Complex socio-cultural, economic, and health-system factors inhibit optimum patient retention. Better tracking, enhanced social support, and regular adherence counseling addressing stigma and alternative healing options are needed. Intervention strategies aimed at changing clinic routines and improving patient–provider communication could address many of the identified barriers.
Changes in American Adults’ Reported Same-Sex Sexual Experiences and Attitudes, 1973–2014

We examined change over time in the reported prevalence of men having sex with men and women having sex with women and acceptance of those behaviors in the nationally representative General Social Survey of U.S. adults (n’s = 28,161–33,728, ages 18–96 years), 1972–2014. The number of U.S. adults who had at least one same-sex partner since age 18 doubled between the early 1990s and early 2010s (from 3.6 to 8.7 % for women and from 4.5 to 8.2 % for men). Bisexual behavior (having sex with both male and female partners) increased from 3.1 to 7.7 %, accounting for much of the rise, with little consistent change in those having sex exclusively with same-sex partners. The increase in same-sex partners was larger for women than for men, consistent with erotic plasticity theory. Attitudes toward same-sex sexual behavior also became substantially more accepting, d = .75, between the early 1970s and early 2010s. By 2014, 49 % of American adults believed that same-sex sexual activity was “not wrong at all,” up from 11 % in 1973 and 13 % in 1990. Controlling for acceptance reduced, but did not eliminate, the increase in same-sex behavior over time. Mixed effects (hierarchical linear modeling) analyses separating age, time period, and cohort showed that the trends were primarily due to time period. Increases in same-sex sexual behavior were largest in the South and Midwest and among Whites, were mostly absent among Blacks, and were smaller among the religious. Overall, same-sex sexual behavior has become both more common (or at least more commonly reported) and more accepted.