cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A human proximal tubule-on-a-chip to study renal disease and toxicity

Renal disease is a global problem with unsustainable health-care costs. There currently exists a lack of accurate human renal disease models that take into account the complex microenvironment of these tissues. Here, we present a reusable microfluidic model of the human proximal tubule and glomerulus, which allows for the growth of renal epithelial cells in a variety of conditions that are representative of renal disease states including altered glomerular filtration rate, hyperglycemia, nephrolithiasis, and drug-induced nephrotoxicity (cisplatin and cyclosporine). Cells were exposed to these conditions under fluid flow or in traditional static cultures to determine the effects of a dynamic microenvironment on the pathogenesis of these renal disease states. The results indicate varying stress-related responses (α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, alkaline phosphatase activity, fibronectin, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin secretion) to each of these conditions when comparing cells that had been grown in static and dynamic conditions, potentially indicating more realistic and sensitive predictions of human responses and a requirement for a more complex "fit for purpose" model.
Psychopathology, disordered eating, and impulsivity as predictors of outcomes of bariatric surgery

Outcomes of bariatric surgery, while frequently impressive, are not universal and vary between patients and across surgical procedures. Between 20% and 30% of patients experience suboptimal weight loss or significant weight regain within the first few postoperative years. The reasons for this are not fully understood, but likely involve both physiologic processes, behavioral factors, and psychological characteristics. Evidence suggests that preoperative psychosocial status and functioning can contribute to suboptimal weight losses and/or postoperative psychosocial distress. Much of this work has focused on the presence of recognized psychiatric diagnoses and with particular emphasis on mood disorders as well as binge eating disorder. Several studies have suggested that the presence of preoperative psychopathology is associated with suboptimal weight losses, postoperative complications, and less positive psychosocial outcomes. Contemporary psychological theory suggests that it may be shared features across diagnoses, rather than a discrete diagnosis, that better characterizes psychopathology. Mood and substance use disorders as well as binge eating disorder, share common features of impulsivity, although clinicians and researchers often use complementary, yet different terms, such as emotional dysregulation or disinhibition (i.e., loss of control over eating, as applied to food intake), to describe the phenomenon. Impulse control is a central factor in eating behavior and extreme obesity. It also may contribute to the experience of suboptimal outcomes after bariatric surgery, including smaller than expected weight loss and psychosocial distress. This paper reviews the literature in these areas of research and articulates a direction for future studies of these complex relationships among persons with extreme obesity.
Ugly is not only skin deep: A case of osteogenic melanoma.

e20009 Background: Although the incidence of malignant melanoma is high, the incidence of metaplastic malignant melanoma is low. Within the various subtypes of malignant metaplastic melanoma, the m...
Comparison of conventional versus liposomal irinotecan in combination with fluorouracil for advanced pancreatic cancer: a single-institution experience

The majority of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when surgical options are limited and treatment relies on systemic chemotherapy. In the NAPOLI-1 trial, liposomal irinotecan in combination with fluorouracil (nal-iri/5FU) was shown to improve overall survival when compared to fluorouracil alone for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Other retrospective studies have shown the combination of fluorouracil and conventional irinotecan (FOLFIRI) to be a viable option, though no randomized trials have compared nal-iri/5FU to FOLFIRI. The purpose of this single-center, retrospective, cohort study was to determine if nal-iri/5FU and FOLFIRI are similarly effective for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. Due to the potential for treatment bias, inverse probability of treatment weighting was utilized to correct for baseline differences between the groups. The primary outcome of progression-free survival was similar at 4.1 months for nal-iri/5FU and 3.1 months for FOLFIRI. Overall survival and adverse effect frequency were also similar. Pegfilgrastim was used in 16% and 15% of patients, respectively, and nal-iri/5FU patients required significantly less atropine during treatment (36 vs. 70%). A cost analysis was conducted and concluded that the treatment with nal-iri/5FU was nearly 30 times more expensive than FOLFIRI treatment. Together, these data suggest a potential role for FOLFIRI for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer in the absence of clear benefits in effectiveness, toxicity, or cost for nal-iri/5FU.
The added value of quantitative 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters in the assessment of pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis in lung cancer.

Lymphangitic carcinomatosis is the infiltration and spread of malignant cells through the pulmonary lymphatics. In non-lung malignancies such as breast, gastric, and colon cancer, this typically occurs via hematogenous dissemination of tumor cells to the lung with subsequent extension to the lymphatics (1-3). In primary lung cancers, on the other hand, lymphangitic carcinomatosis may also result from direct invasion from the tumor, through direct spread from pleural metastasis, or via retrograde extension from a metastatic lymph node (4-6).
KL and KS as shell-model eigenstates. II☆

Abstract The Wigner-Weisskopf mass matrix for the neutral K-meson system has two right and two left eigenstates. The relations of these states to each other, to the eigenstates of the true Hamiltonian, and to the symmetry properties of the system are discussed in detail. The generalization to the case of several overlapping resonances is worked out as well.
The impact of opioid use on human and health care costs in surgical patients.

Abstract Background Preoperative narcotic use impacts hospital cost and outcomes in surgical patients, but the underlying reasons are unclear. Methods A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on surgical patients admitted with intestinal obstruction (2010–2014). Patients were grouped into active opioid and nonopioid user cohorts. Active opioid use was defined as having an opioid prescription overlapping the date of admission. Chronic opioid use was defined by duration of use ≥ 90 days. Admission or intervention due to opioid-related illness was determined through consensus decision of 2 independent, blinded clinicians. Primary end point was the effect of active opioid use on hospital resource utilization. Results During the study period, 296 patients were admitted with a primary diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Active opioid users accounted for 55 (18.6%) of these patients, with a median length of opioid use of 164 days (interquartile range 54–344 days). Average length of use was 164 days, with the majority of active users (n = 42, 76.4%) meeting criteria for chronic use. A subgroup analysis of active users demonstrated that opioid-related conditions were responsible for 10 admissions (18.2%) and 2 readmissions (3.6%). Among active users requiring surgical intervention, 3 procedures (21.4%) were due to opioid-related illnesses. Median hospital length of stay was 2 days longer (8 vs 6 days) and hospital costs were greater ($12,241 vs $8489) among active users (P Conclusion Active opioid users are predisposed to avoidable admissions and interventions for opioid-related illnesses. Efforts to address opioid use in the surgical population may improve patient outcomes and health care spending.
Self-organization of anodic aluminum oxide layers by a flow mechanism

Abstract Anodic oxidation of aluminum in solutions that dissolve the amorphous oxide produces films with hexagonally-ordered patterns of pores. We show using linear stability analysis that an anodization model including viscous oxide flow accurately predicts the scaling relation governing pore spacing. Flow is driven by nonuniform compressive stress near the oxide-solution interface, resulting from anion adsorption on surface growth sites. The interfacial stress layer is approximated as surface stress, leading to analogous instability mechanisms as in the surface-tension driven Marangoni instability of thin liquid films.
Developing Methodology for Prediction of Long-Term Performance of PV Backsheets

Due to the intensified pressure from cost reduction and eco-friendly, polymeric materials that lack field history of reliability are being used as photovoltaic (PV) backsheets. Some of these materials have passed IEC61215 and other relevant qualification tests, but later have been identified with widespread failures in the field. Therefore, it's urgent to develop more reliable methodologies for accurately predicting long-term performance of PV backsheets. In this work, a reliability-based methodology has been developed based on the understanding of effect of environmental factors on degradation, the linkage between the accelerated laboratory testing and the outdoor performance and the statistical prediction modeling. The laboratory exposure of PPE films was performed on the NIST SPHERE (Simulated Photodegradation via High Energy Radiant Exposure) using a factorial design consisting of different levels of UV intensity, UV wavelength, temperature and relative humidity. The outdoor exposures were performed in Florida, Arizona and Maryland. The chemical and optical degradation of the backsheets were quantified. A physical-based statistical model for predicting the long-term performance of a commercial PPE backsheet (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/PET/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)) was developed and further validated by the outdoor exposures.
Dear Diary: Conducting Diary Studies with Participants with Visual Impairments:

Within this report we critically reflect on our experiences using a diary study used to understand the use of social networking sites (SNS) by persons with a visual impairment. We elaborate on the ...
Compelled Speech and Proportionality

This Article argues for a proportional First Amendment approach to compelled speech jurisprudence. It discusses the evolution of doctrine and how it led to recent opinions finding unconstitutional consumer protection, health disclosure, and collective bargaining statutes. In place of the currently formalistic approach, the Article argues for a transparent balancing of interests to avoid litigants’ opportunistic reliance on categorical First Amendment doctrines. Missing from the recent decisions that relied on the compelled speech doctrine is any systematic or contextual weighing of private and public concerns about disclosure regulations. The Roberts Court has been rather formalistic and categorical in its compelled speech decisions. It relied on the doctrine to find unconstitutional regulations on credit card surcharges, prescription privacy, collective bargaining, and health notices. Greater context in judicial reasoning would better balance competing interests and First Amendment values. The compelled speech doctrine should be rethought with an eye to greater contextual clarity. This can be effectively captured through means/ends analysis rather than categorical and often inconsistent judicial veto of federal and state legislation.
Reimagining Kievan Rus’ in Unimagined Europe

Russia's place in Europe is an old question, one that is answered differently depending on its eras of history, the generations of scholars who study this issue, and their backgrounds. How the Kievan Rus' period of Russian history may “fit" into medieval European history is perhaps not as well studied as are other epochs, although Soviet historiography is quite strong, as it nearly always attempted to situate Rus' into “Feudal Europe." Marxist historians had no doubts that Kievan Rus' was European, as were West European medieval cartographers and geographers. Reasons for why, when, how, and where Russia came to be written out of medieval Europe, which has been generally understood as the Latin West, are still not clear. Recent scholarship has argued for the need to reevaluate the entire antiquated notion of “medieval Europe" being only the Latin West and include into it the “Other Europe," or the Eastern-rite states that occupied the other half of the Continent. The new book by Christian Raffensperger attempts to find ways to situate Rus' into “Europe" through reimagining its place in it. However, because the author does not reimagine “Europe," he squeezes Rus' into the Latin West, which compromises the former's uniqueness as it also writes the rest of the Eastern-rite European states out of medieval Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Neonatal mice failed to induce an effective adaptive immune response to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MUC7P.773)

The development of pneumonia in neonates due to infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our lab has developed a neonatal mouse model of MRSA-induced pneumonia to investigate the pathogenesis of MRSA in neonates. Neonatal pups or adult mice were intranasally exposed to MRSA (USA300), and the pulmonary immune response was analyzed at various days post infection (dpi). We observed a decrease in the survival rate of neonates and an increase in bacterial load in the lungs of neonates in comparison to adult mice. The increase in bacterial load correlated with a decrease in the total number of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, which corresponded to a decrease in macrophages and neutrophils in neonates compared to adults on 1dpi. By 6dpi, neonates failed to develop an effective Th1 response compared to the adults (1.3% CD4+/IFN-γ+ cells vs. 18% CD4+/IFN-γ+ cells). Also unlike the adults, neonates failed to mount a significant Th17 response (0.89% CD4+/IL-17+ vs. 2.6% CD4+/IL-17+). The failure of neonates to mount an efficient adaptive immune response correlated with a decrease in the frequency of DCs in the lung and with less mature DCs as determined by CD86 expression in comparison to adults. These studies suggest that the failure to induce a Th1 response in neonates results in their failure to control bacterial growth.
Making self-organizing systems secure

Network overlays provide important routing functionality not supported directly by the Internet. Such functionality includes multicast routing, content-based routing, and resilient routing, as well as combinations thereof. As network overlays are starting to be deployed for critical applications such as Internet telephony (e.g., Skype), web casting/distance education, web conferencing (e.g., NetMeeting), and even DNS replacements (CoDons), efficiency and security are becoming important attributes. For example, a web cast of a political conference may be an attractive target. Alas, most current network overlays are built from Distributed Hash Tables and spanning trees, resulting in infrastructures that are easily compromised. But traditional protocols based on Byzantine agreement do not scale to the sizes required.
Relationships among foliar chemistry, foliar polyamines, and soil chemistry in red spruce trees growing across the northeastern United States

Forest trees are constantly exposed to various types of natural and anthropogenic stressors. A major long-term goal of our research is to develop a set of early physiological and biochemical markers of stress in trees before the appearance of visual symptoms. Six red spruce (t Picea rubens Sarg.) stands from the northeastern United States were selected for collection of soil and foliage samples. All of the chosen sites had soil solution pH values below 4.0 in the Oa horizon but varied in their geochemistry. Some of these sites were apparently under some form of environmental stress as indicated by a large number of dead and dying red spruce trees. Samples of soil and needles (from apparently healthy red spruce trees) were collected from these sites four times during a two-year period. The needles were analyzed for perchloric acid-soluble polyamines and exchangeable inorganic ions. Soil and soil solution samples from the Oa and B horizons were analyzed for their exchange chemistry. The data showed a strong positive correlation between Ca and Mg concentrations in the needles and in the Oa horizon of the soil. However, needles from trees growing on relatively Ca-rich soils with a low exchangeable Al concentration and a low Al:Ca soil solution ratio had significantly lower concentrations of putrescine and spermidine than those growing on Ca-poor soils with a high exchangeable Al concentration and a high Al:Ca soil solution in the Oa horizon. The magnitude of this change was several fold higher for putrescine concentrations than for spermidine concentrations. Neither putrescine nor spermidine were correlated with soil solution Ca, Mg, and Al concentrations in the B horizon. The putrescine concentrations of the needles always correlated significantly with exchangeable Al (r2=0.73, t p≤0.05) and soil solution Al:Ca ratios (r2=0.91, t p≤0.01) of the Oa horizon. This suggests that in conjunction with soil chemistry, putrescine and/or spermidine may be used as a potential early indicator of Al stress before the appearance of visual symptoms in red spruce trees.
Hedging Effectiveness Around U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Reports

It is well documented that ‘‘unanticipated’’ information contained in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop reports induces large price reactions in corn and soybean markets. Thus, a natural question that arises from this literature is: To what extent are futures hedges able to remove or reduce increased price risk around report release dates? This paper addresses this question by simulating daily futures returns, daily cash returns, and daily hedged returns around report release dates for two storable commodities (corn and soybeans) in two market settings (North Central Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee). Various risk measures, including ‘‘Value at Risk,’’ are used to determine hedging effectiveness, and ‘‘Analysis of Variance’’ is used to uncover the underlying factors that contribute to hedging effectiveness.
Activation of expression of the Escherichia coli cir gene by an iron-independent regulatory mechanism involving cyclic AMP-cyclic AMP receptor protein complex.

Abstract Synthesis of the colicin I receptor protein, encoded by the cir gene, was determined to be sensitive to control by the catabolite repression regulatory system. Under both high- and low-iron conditions for growth, mutants unable to produce cyclic AMP (cAMP) (cya) or functional cAMP receptor protein (crp) exhibited decreased membrane levels of the receptor relative to those of the wild-type strain. Exogenous addition of cAMP to the cya mutant restored maximal expression. cAMP-dependent changes in steady-state levels of cir mRNA suggested that the effect is mediated by control of transcript synthesis or stability. Potential mechanisms for regulation were examined by deletion and sequence analysis.
ANALYSIS OF CORTICAL AND NUCLEAR LENS PROTEINS BY A COMBINATION OF PAPER AND STARCH GEL ELECTROPHORESIS.

A comparison of the soluble proteins of lens cortex and nucleus of several adult mammalian lenses, using a combination of paper and starch gel electrophoresis, revealed significant differences in the distribution of alpha and gamma crystallins. At least 2–5 gamma crystallin proteins of different molecular size were not detected in the cortex, but were found in the nucleus. These proteins correspond to the category of embryonic lens protein as defined by Francois and Rabaey ('57). Such a protein is synthesized almost entirely before birth, and thus accumulates mainly in the nucleus of the adult lens. In contrast to the mammalian lens, the adult chick lens contains only one protein which is present in significantly lower concentration in the cortex when compared with the nucleus. This protein is the major beta crystallin component, which is first detected during embryogenesis, at the time of appearance of the primary lens fibers. The reason for the decreased synthesis of these proteins in adult life remains to be elucidated. Differences were also noted in the relative concentration of alpha crystallin in mammalian lens nucleus and cortex. The smaller of the two alpha crystallin molecules was markedly decreased in the nucleus, probably the result of precipitation with age into insoluble protein (Francois and Rabaey, '57).
Effect of False Confidence on Asset Allocation Decisions of Households

This paper investigates whether false confidence, as characterized by a high level of personal mastery and a low level of intelligence (IQ), results in frequent investor trading and subsequent investor wealth erosion across time. Using the National Longitudinal Survey (NLSY79), change in wealth and asset allocation across time is modeled as a function of various behavioral, socio-economic and demographic variables drawn from prior literature. Findings of this research reveal that false confidence is indeed a predictor of trading activity in individual investment assets, and it also has a negative impact on individual wealth creation across time.
Leviathan Writ Small: Thomas Hobbes on the Family

Though not above an occasional appeal to the “experience of fathers,” Hobbes was not a patriarchalist in his view of the family. Rather, he quite deliberately represented the family as a small Leviathan, and he used it to illustrate the principles of Hobbesian political science. In the family, as in the state, there is a mutual relationship between protection and obedience; sovereignty is undivided, based on necessity, and justified by performance; authority is absolute and derives from consent. In the state of nature, Hobbes views the family in structure and function as a small state. In commonwealth, the family sovereign relinquishes his absolute power over wife, servant, and child, but he is still entitled to obedience and honor for having raised and educated his children. The content of family education consists of the principles of Hobbesian political science, and the children thereby are properly receptive to sovereign power as they leave the family, whether for the university or for independence.Hobbes's conception of the family is derived from the patria potestas of republican Rome, and not from common law. His use of the family is fully integrated with his political theory, and it is designed to reinforce both the theory and practice of Leviathan.
Activity-driven optimised bus-specific-clock-gating for ultra-low-power smart space applications

Power consumption is the most important issue in circuit design nowadays, and clock gating is the most widely used technique to reduce the dynamic power at register transfer level. The traditional clock gating style using an XOR gate to generate a gated clock was proposed but has not been well studied. It can be extended to multiple flip-flops easily but the power performance is not optimal. In this study, the authors propose a fine-grained activity-driven optimised bus-specific-clock-gating for ultra-low-power smart spaces applications, which can selectively choose qualified flip-flops to be gated based on their output switching activities to optimise the power. This technique has been experimented on ISCAS’89 benchmark circuits, and average power can be reduced by 19.21%.
Intracellular air bubbles and interfacial tension inNicotiana miersii

Air bubbles were introduced into living hair cells ofNicotiana miersii. The air entered through wounds inflicted on slightly flaccid trichomes from the base of a fruiting stem. Protoplasmic streaming often continued normally in the threads that were near or apparently touched the air bubble. When air bubbles were included within a plasmolyzing protoplast, the protoplasm nearest the air bubble appeared and behaved like that further away.
Properties of Resonance Wave Functions

Construction and study of resonance wave functions corresponding to poles of the Green's function for several illustrative models of theoretical interest. Resonance wave functions obtained from the Siegert and Kapur-Peierls definitions of the resonance energies are compared. The comparison especially clarifies the meaning of the normalization constant of the resonance wave functions. It is shown that the wave functions may be considered renormalized in a sense analogous to that of quantum field theory. However, this renormalization is entirely automatic, and the theory has neither ad hoc procedures nor infinite quantities.
14CO2 and CO2 Transport in polycarbonate: Measurement of the time lag and permeability

Transport of CO2 across polycarbonate films has been studied using a diffusion cell technique employing a radioactively labelled tracer (14CO2). Because the 14CO2 driving force could be established independently of the unlabelled CO2 driving force, several classes of experiments not possible with conventional techniques were performed. These different classes of experiments showed measurably different time lags. Formally, these experiments all are limiting cases of the more general mixed-gas permeation problem; however, simplifying assumptions in the dual sorption theory are possible because the tracer concentration approaches zero and because the two species in this special mixed-gas problem exhibit the same dual sorption parameters. These simplifications allow derivation of analytical expressions for the time lag for both the unlabelled and labelled gas species. The experimental measurements are in good agreement with the dual sorption model formulated for the mixed-gas tracer diffusion problem.
Preparation and analysis of porous silicon multilayers for spectral encoding applications

This paper compares two methods used to encode information into the optical spectrum of a porous Si film using a modulated current-time waveform. In the first approach, a waveform consisting of a sequence of current steps is used to produce a porous silicon multilayer structure. Each layer in the multilayer acts as a Fabry-Perot interference film, and the superposition of their contributions results in a complicated reflectivity spectrum. The spectrum can be deconvoluted by means of a Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT), which yields the optical thickness of each of the individual layers and their combinations.The second type of waveform consists of several superimposed cosine waves of differing frequencies. The resulting reflectivity spectrum consists of a series of peaks, each of whose position in the spectrum (frequency at which a peak is at maximum amplitude) corresponds to the frequency of a cosine wave component in the current-time waveform. The two methods of encoding information are compared in terms of repeatability, tunability, and information capacity. The superimposed cosinusoidal waves are found to provide greater information density and a simpler means of decoding. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Load shape impacts of the Hood River Conservation Project

Abstract As a part of the Hood River Conservation Project (HRCP), 320 homes were monitored to measure electrical energy use on a 15-min basis. The total electrical load, space-heating load, water-heating load, woodstove heat output, and indoor temperature were monitored for one full year both before and after retrofit. Special weather stations collected detailed local weather information, also on a 15-min basis. This data base was used to evaluate the load savings attributable to HRCP. Two methods of weather normalization were used and showed close agreement. Measurable demand and energy savings were achieved by the HRCP. These savings are significant in magnitude and are available at the time of the system peak load. The weather-normalized diversified residential load savings on the Pacific Power & Light system and Hood River area peak days were greater than 0.5 kW/household. Savings were greatest in single-family electrically heated homes where the diversified seasonal peak was reduced by 0.8 kW/household. The load factor for the diversified residential load decreased following the conservation retrofit actions because heating equipment modifications (such as reductions in name-plate ratings or efficiency improvements) were not included in the program. Conservation programs could avoid this load factor reduction by decreasing the heating system capacity of each home commensurate with its thermal shell improvements. Demand savings in wood-heated homes were less than in electrically heated homes, but the sensitivity of the electrical system to future fuel-switching was reduced.
Luminescence Quenching due to High-Order Surface Plasmon Modes of Metal Nanoparticles

Our model of high-order SP modes supported by metal nanoparticles provides analytical treatment of luminescence quenching and can be used to optimize nanoparticle size and its separation from the emitter to yield maximum enhancement factor.
Expression of a Glutamate Decarboxylase Homologue Is Required for Normal Oxidative Stress Tolerance in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

The action of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) as an intercellular signaling molecule has been intensively studied, but the role of this amino acid metabolite in intracellular metabolism is poorly understood. In this work, we identify a Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue of the GABA-producing enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) that is required for normal oxidative stress tolerance. A high copy number plasmid bearing the glutamate decarboxylase gene (GAD1) increases resistance to two different oxidants, H(2)O(2) and diamide, in cells that contain an intact glutamate catabolic pathway. Structural similarity of the S. cerevisiae GAD to previously studied plant enzymes was demonstrated by the cross-reaction of the yeast enzyme to a antiserum directed against the plant GAD. The yeast GAD also bound to calmodulin as did the plant enzyme, suggesting a conservation of calcium regulation of this protein. Loss of either gene encoding the downstream steps in the conversion of glutamate to succinate reduced oxidative stress tolerance in normal cells and was epistatic to high copy number GAD1. The gene encoding succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (UGA5) was identified and found to be induced by H(2)O(2) exposure. Together, these data strongly suggest that increases in activity of the glutamate catabolic pathway can act to buffer redox changes in the cell.
Adaptive Multicasting using Common Spreading Codes in Infrastructure-to-Vehicle Communication Networks

This paper presents a novel code allocation scheme for multicasting in infrastructure-to-vehicle CDMA-based wireless networks. In a CDMA-based cellular network, to maximize the utilization of bandwidth and to minimize the overhead under varying channel conditions, the proposed scheme discusses how cellular and vehicular networks can collaborate in multicasting. Multiplexing is achieved by assigning a common variable rate orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) code to all members of a multicast group. Because many vehicular users are expected to request the same common data (e.g., weather and environment information) over an area of one or more cells, multicasting is often needed. But, because a multicast channel must serve all users simultaneously, the data rate cannot be adapted based on the signal quality of individual vehicular user. Instead, the data rate should be adapted based on the user with the poorest signal quality, which reduces the utilization of the codes. Therefore, this paper proposes: i) a classification scheme at cellular base station to group vehicular users into multicast groups based on their channel conditions, ii) a code assignment scheme to these multicast groups, and iii) a relaying scheme for vehicular network to rebroadcast data to users with poor channel conditions so that the overhead involved in forming multicast groups too frequently is reduced. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves better utilization of cellular network codes and vehicular network bandwidth, and proportional fairness than unicast-only or broadcast-only schemes.
Fine-grained post placement voltage assignment considering level shifter overhead

Multi-Vdd techniques enable application of lower supply voltage levels on cells with timing slacks. New voltage assignment, placement and voltage island partitioning methods are needed for better utilization of this technology. Our experiments show that in order to have an effective post placement voltage island generation we need to directly consider the energy consumption overhead of the level shifters. We first model the level shifter aware post placement voltage assignment as a 0–1 quadratic programming problem and show that it can be solved in linear time using a 0.879-approximation algorithm. Also, for rectangular voltage island generation we propose an exact modified algorithm as well as a heuristic algorithm both involving the overhead of the level shifters in their cost functions. While the modified algorithm results in better power saving the heuristic algorithm runs with lower time complexity with marginal loss in the quality.
Comparison of hepatic recurrences after resection or intraoperative radiofrequency ablation indicated by size and topographical characteristics of the metastases

Abstract Aims Intraoperative use of radiofrequency ablation (IRFA) to treat liver metastases is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare local recurrence rate and survival after IRFA versus resection. Methods Three groups from 99 patients were consecutively operated on for 307 liver metastases with 2 years of follow up: group 1, IRFA alone (n = 34); group 2, IRFA plus resection (n = 28); group 3, resection alone (n = 37). The choice of IRFA or resection was made on the basis of the sizes and topographies of the metastases with the goal of achieving R0 treatment. Results Mortality was zero; morbidity was 9%, 11% and 11% in the three groups respectively. Median follow-up after surgery was 30 months. Total hepatic recurrences occurred in 59 (60%) patients. Median survival without hepatic recurrence was 17 months with no difference between the three groups (P = 0.474). Total local recurrence occurred in 4 (12%) patients in group 1, in 2 (8%) patients in group 2, and in 2 (6%) patients in group 3. Survival at 2 years was no different in the three groups. Conclusion Assessing IRFA indications by size and the topographical characteristics of the liver metastases yields identical local recurrence rates to resection after 2 years of follow up.
Implicit memory in patients with schizophrenia and normal controls: effects of task demands on susceptibility to priming.

Abstract Two experiments employing a stem-completion priming paradigm are reported. The first of these compared patients with schizophrenia (SC) to normal controls and demonstrated impaired implicit memory in the SC patients under task conditions identical to those used previously with other patient groups. The second experiment was designed to examine the effects of implicit task demands and stimulus selection upon susceptibility to priming, with a second group of SC patients and normal controls. Results indicated that the ability to carry out the task demands of the implicit condition (i.e., generate completions for word-stems) was inversely related to susceptibility to priming in both the SC patients and controls. In addition, the baseline probability of specific completions was found to be correlated with the ease of priming those completions, suggesting a possible mechanism for producing statistical dissociations between implicit and explicit retrieval conditions with this paradigm. These findings su...
A partially self-instructional system that any teacher can develop and implement

Summary Some authors have suggested that the teacher has two basic choices of style which can be used to influence learning: he/she can manage learning resources or he/she can function as such a resource. Part of the appeal for the authors of the course format described here is the blurring of that distinction. Functioning both as a manager and a resource appears to us a near optimal role for the teacher.
Some microstructural observations of bainite stars in a eutectoid steel

Abstract In some steels, when austenite decomposes isothermally to bainite, it forms in the morphology of “stars” that nucleate inside the austenite grains. The microstructural features of stars formed upon isothermal transformation in a high-purity eutectoid steel containing 0.32% Mo have been examined in detail using scanning electron microscopy. The stars consist of sets of parallel branches within which exist long parallel carbide rods in ferrite needles, and short carbide rods or particles between these regions. Serial sectioning revealed that the branches are needle-shaped, and not plate-like. There was evidence that a contribution to the growth of the stars is made from the nucleation of bainite regions ahead of the advancing bainite star interface.
Distinguishing aging, period and cohort effects in longitudinal studies of elderly populations

Abstract In the analysis of longitudinal data sets describing the characteristics of elderly populations it is useful to distinguish aging, period, and cohort effects. An aging effect is a change in variable values which occurs among all cohorts independently of time period, as each cohort grows older. A cohort effect is a change which characterizes populations born at a particular point in time, but which is independent of the process of aging. A period effect is a change which occurs at a particular time, affecting all age groups and cohorts uniformly. In this paper a dummy variable regression technique and a parallel graphical technique are introduced as means of identifying aging, cohort, and period effects in a longitudinal data set. These techniques are applied to data describing Los Angeles County which appeared in the censuses of 1940, 1950, 1960 and 1970. Trends in residential density, home ownership, housing value, apartment living, rental rates, one-person households and racial composition are investigated, and aging, cohort and period effects are noted and interpreted.
Genes and genomes: High‐frequency induction of chromosomal rearrangements in mouse germ cells by the chemotherapeutic agent chlorambucil

Recent mutagenesis studies have demonstrated that the chemotherapeutic agent, chlorambucil (CHL), is highly mutagenic in male germ cells of the mouse. Post-meiotic germ cells, and especially early spermatids, are the most sensitive to the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of this agent. Genetic, cytogenetic and molecular analyses of many induced mutations have shown that, in these germ-cell stages, CHL induces predominantly chromosomal rearrangements (deletions and translocations), and mutation-rate studies show that, in terms of tolerated doses, CHL is perhaps five to ten times more efficient in inducing rearrangements than is radiation exposure. Appropriate breeding protocols, along with knowledge of the advantages and limitations associated with the use of CHL, can be used to expand the current resource of chromosomal rearrangements in the mouse and to provide new phenotype-associated mutations amenable to positional-cloning techniques. The analysis of CHL-induced mutations has also contributed to understanding the factors that affect the yield and nature of chemically induced germline mutations in mammals.
ENERGY GAP MEASUREMENTS BY TUNNELING BETWEEN SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS. II. MAGNETIC FIELD DEPENDENCE

The magnetic field dependence of the energy gap $2\ensuremath{\Delta}$ was measured by the electron tunneling technique over the temperature interval ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\ge}T\ensuremath{\ge}0.7$ ${T}_{c}$ on eight aluminum films ranging in thickness $d$ from 420 to 9850 \AA{}. Measurements of the reduced energy gap versus the reduced field can be represented as a family of curves with a single parameter $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. For $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}g1$ the ${[\ensuremath{\Delta}(O, T)]}^{2}$ versus ${[\frac{H}{{H}_{c}}]}^{2}$ curves have an initial small negative curvature and then drop abruptly at ${H}_{c}$. For $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}l1$ the curvature is always positive, decreasing in magnitude as the field increases. For $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}\ensuremath{\approx}1$ we obtain an almost straight line. The results are qualitatively as predicted by the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) equations for $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}\ensuremath{\ge}1$ but not for $\frac{d}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}l1$. It is suggested that this discrepancy with solutions of the GL equations may arise from the breakdown of the assumption that the order parameter is independent of position. Measurements on a lead film of thickness 1000 \AA{} at $\frac{T}{{T}_{c}}=0.14$ showed that the energy gap goes smoothly to zero with positive curvature as $H$ approaches ${H}_{c}$.
A comparison of two estimation algorithms for Samejima’s continuous IRT model

This study compares two algorithms, as implemented in two different computer softwares, that have appeared in the literature for estimating item parameters of Samejima’s continuous response model (CRM) in a simulation environment. In addition to the simulation study, a real-data illustration is provided, and CRM is used as a potential psychometric tool for analyzing measurement outcomes in the context of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in the field of education. The results indicate that a simplified expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is as effective and efficient as the traditional EM algorithm for estimating the CRM item parameters. The results also show promise for using this psychometric model to analyze CBM outcomes, although more research is needed in order to recommend CRM as a standard practice in the CBM context.
Physical and chemical properties of the nitrogenase proteins form Azotobacter vinelandii.

The purified Mo-Fe protein and Fe protein of nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii have molecular weights (MW) of about 216000 and 64000, respectively. The Mo-Fe protein is composed of subunits of about 56000 MW, and the Fe protein has 2 equivalent subunits of about 33000 MW. The isoelectric point of the Mo-Fe protein is 5.2 and that of the Fe protein is 4.7. Amino acid compositions reflect the acidic nature of the proteins. The Mo-Fe protein yielded 24 atoms of Fe, 20 atoms of acid-labile sulfide and 1.54 atoms of Mo per molecule. Analysis of the Fe protein showed 3.45 atoms of Fe per molecule.
Methods of Upward Influence, Motivational Needs, and Administrators' Perceptions of Their Supervisors' Leadership Styles:

This study examines the relationship between the techniques of upward influence used by administrators, their motivational needs, and the way they view their supervisors' leadership styles. Subjects of the study were 144 randomly selected heads of departments at two-year and four-year higher educational institutions. Methods used by department heads to influence their supervisors include reason, coalition, higher authority, bargaining, friendliness, and assertiveness. Results showed that reason and coalition were the most prevalent methods, and there was a relationship between need for achievement, perceived initiation of structure, and the use of these two methods. Results also suggest that subordinates are more likely to use assertiveness and higher authority to influence supervisors who exhibit leadership styles that are low in initiation of structure and low in consideration.
Performance of a lookup table-based approach for measuring tissue optical properties with diffuse optical spectroscopy

Diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) provides a powerful tool for fast and noninvasive disease diagnosis. The ability to leverage DOS to accurately quantify tissue optical parameters hinges on the model used to estimate light-tissue interaction. We describe the accuracy of a lookup table (LUT)-based inverse model for measuring optical properties under different conditions relevant to biological tissue. The LUT is a matrix of reflectance values acquired experimentally from calibration standards of varying scattering and absorption properties. Because it is based on experimental values, the LUT inherently accounts for system response and probe geometry. We tested our approach in tissue phantoms containing multiple absorbers, different sizes of scatterers, and varying oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The LUT-based model was able to extract scattering and absorption properties under most conditions with errors of less than 5 percent. We demonstrate the validity of the lookup table over a range of source-detector separations from 0.25 to 1.48 mm. Finally, we describe the rapid fabrication of a lookup table using only six calibration standards. This optimized LUT was able to extract scattering and absorption properties with average RMS errors of 2.5 and 4 percent, respectively.
The Impact of Aging on Curiosity as Measured by Exploratory Eye Movements

Objective: To investigate changes in novelty-seeking behavior (curiosity) associated with normal aging. Background: Recently, we demonstrated that patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease display diminished novelty-seeking behavior as measured by exploratory eye movements. Nondemented, elderly individuals are often depicted in clinical descriptions as exhibiting diminished curiosity and increased disengagement from their surroundings. However, this behavior has not been systematically investigated as a function of normal aging. Setting: University hospital center studying aging and dementia. Subjects: Fourteen active, healthy elderly subjects (mean age, 72 years) and 16 middle-aged subjects (mean age, 42 years) matched for education and estimated IQ. Measures: Exploratory eye movements were recorded in response to visual stimuli that varied in novelty, complexity, and incongruity. Results: Both older and middle-aged subjects (1) spent significantly more time exploring the more irregular or incongruous of two simultaneously presented stimuli, (2) spent increasingly less time looking at a repeating visual stimulus paired with a stimulus that changed with each trial, and (3) exhibited the same degree of overall exploration of a visual scene and devoted an approximately equal amount of attention to an unexpected element within it. As a group, older subjects spent slightly less time than middle-aged subjects examining incongruous stimuli. However, 71% (10/14) of older subjects performed within 1 SD of the mean of middle-aged subjects and 21% (3/14) performed as well as the top 50% (8/16) of middle-aged controls. Conclusions: The drive for curiosity, as measured by exploratory eye movements, can be well preserved in older individuals. Further research is needed to determine if the integrity of this drive can serve as a marker of "successful aging" and to identify which physiological and psychological factors influence its preservation through the life cycle.