cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A continuous-time distributed algorithm for solving linear equations

A continuous-time distributed algorithm is studied for solving linear equations of the form Ax = b with at least one solution. The equation is simultaneously solved by a network of m agents with the assumption that each agent knows only a subset of the rows of the partitioned matrix [A b ], the current estimates of the equation's solution generated by its current neighbors, and nothing more. Neighbor relationships among the agents are described by a piecewise-constant switching directed graph whose vertices correspond to agents and whose arcs depict neighbor relationships. It is shown that for any matrix-vector pair (A, b) for which the equation has a solution and any sequence of repeatedly jointly strongly connected graphs, the algorithm causes all agents' estimates to asymptotically converge to the same solution to Ax = b. The limiting behavior of the algorithm in the case when Ax = b does not have a solution is also studied. It is shown that for any static strongly connected graph, the algorithm causes all agents' estimates to asymptotically converge to different values, and therefore enables the agents to detect the no-solution case distributively.
Mixed Formulations and Their Potential for Advanced Analysis Systems

The potential of using mixed formulations in conjunction with splitting methodologies to substantially improve the efficiency of the computational process is discussed. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of using mixed formulations in advanced structural applications.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (SCCOC) in young patients: The Dana Farber Cancer Institute experience.

6054 Background: Young patients (≤ age 45) with SCCOC and limited tobacco and alcohol exposure represent a distinct clinical entity with a poor prognosis. These patients are poorly characterized. W...
Efficacy of a Cellular Bone Allograft for Foot and Ankle Arthrodesis and Revision Nonunion Procedures.

Background:Bone graft substitutes are often required in patients at risk for nonunion, and therefore, an allograft that most closely mimics an autograft is highly sought after. This study explored the utility and efficacy of a cellular bone allograft used for foot and ankle arthrodesis and revision nonunion procedures in a patient population at risk for nonunion.Methods:An institutional review board–approved retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent arthrodesis and revision nonunion procedures with a cellular bone allograft was performed at a single academic institution. No external sources of funding were provided for this study. Inclusion criteria included patients who were more than 1 year after surgery or less than 1 year after surgery if they had undergone a second operative procedure for nonunion or if they had computed tomography–documented union. Forty operative procedures in 36 patients with a mean follow-up of 13 months (range, 6-25 months) were included for data analysis. All p...
Medicine Dresses and (Trans)Vestments: Gender Performance and Spiritual Authority in Louise Erdrich’s The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse and Four Souls

ABSTRACTLouise Erdrich’s The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse and Four Souls, two of the later installments in her saga about a fictional North Dakota reservation, explore intersections between gender, ethnicity, and spirituality through cross-gender performances involving the assumption of gendered religious roles. In Last Report, the reservation priest Father Damien is also the former nun Agnes DeWitt, and in Four Souls, Nanapush wears his wife’s medicine dress during a tribal council meeting. These performances present gender identity and spirituality as deeply intertwined, aligning Erdrich’s fiction with beliefs in the sacredness of gender fluidity in many Native North American religions. Drawing from aspects of Ojibwe culture and theories of gender performativity, this article suggests that these characters’ transformations of Ojibwe and Catholic social norms work to create inclusive, flexible ways of accessing the spiritual that resist gendered religious hierarchies and either/or const...
Cortical Structure and Function in Euglenoids with Reference to Trypanosomes, Ciliates, and Dinoflagellates

The membrane skeletal complex (cortex) of euglenoids generates and maintains cell form. In this review we summarize structural, biochemical, physiological, and molecular studies on the euglenoid membrane skeleton, focusing specifically on four principal components: the plasma membrane, a submembrane layer (epiplasm), cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum, and microtubules. The data from euglenoids are compared with findings from representative organisms of three other protist groups: the trypanosomes, ciliates, and dinoflagellates. Although there are significant differences in cell form and phylogenetic affinities among these groups, there are also many similarities in the organization and possibly the function of their cortical components. For example, an epiplasmic (membrane skeletal) layer is widely used for adding strength and rigidity to the cell surface. The ER/alveolus/amphiesmal vesicle may function in calcium storage and regulation, and in mediating assembly of surface plates. GPI-linked variable surface antigens are characteristic of both ciliates and the unrelated trypanosomatids. Microtubules are ubiquitous, and cortices in trypanosomes may relay exclusively on microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins for maintaining cell form. Also, in agreement with previous suggestions, there is an apparent preservation of many cortical structures during cell duplication. In three of the four groups there is convincing evidence that part or all of the parental cortex persists during cytokinesis, thereby producing mosaics or chimeras consisting of both inherited and newly synthesized cortical components.
Assessing Coastal Plain Risk Indices for Subsurface Phosphorus Loss

Phosphorus (P) Index evaluations are critical to advancing nutrient management planning in the United States. However, most assessments until now have focused on the risks of P losses in surface runoff. In artificially drained agroecosystems of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, subsurface flow is the predominant mode of P transport, but its representation in most P Indices is often inadequate. We explored methods to evaluate the subsurface P risk routines of five P Indices from Delaware, Maryland (two), Virginia, and North Carolina using available water quality and soils datasets. Relationships between subsurface P risk scores and published dissolved P loads in leachate (Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina) and ditch drainage (Maryland) were directionally correct and often statistically significant, yet the brevity of the observation periods (weeks to several years) and the limited number of sampling locations precluded a more robust assessment of each P Index. Given the paucity of measured P loss data, we then showed that soil water extractable P concentrations at depths corresponding with the seasonal high water table (WEP) could serve as a realistic proxy for subsurface P losses in ditch drainage. The associations between WEP and subsurface P risk ratings reasonably mirrored those obtained with sparser water quality data. As such, WEP is seen as a valuable metric that offers interim insight into the directionality of subsurface P risk scores when water quality data are inaccessible. In the long term, improved monitoring and modeling of subsurface P losses clearly should enhance the rigor of future P Index appraisals.
The Glucocorticoid Hormones

It has been said that not all hormones are created equal; some hormones are necessary for life, while other hormones make life worth living. Cortisol is a hormone essential for life. The characterization of the structure of various adrenal hormones and the synthesis of these hormones for therapeutic use represent major strides during the fourth and fifth decades of this century. The synthesis of glucocorticoids by the adrenal cortex and the regulatory mechanisms that govern the interplay between the adrenal cortex and the hypothalamic pituitary unit are fascinating examples of physiology applied to clinical medicine. This chapter focuses on the synthesis, transport, regulatory control, and physiological actions of glucocorticoids. The application of these principles to the diagnostic testing of patients with disordered adrenocortical function is also discussed.
Testing the Revenue Diversity Argument on Independent Web-native News Ventures

Conventional business advice says that for any firm, many sources of revenue are better than a few or just one. The logic is that by diversifying its revenue, the firm could improve its financial performance and in turn, its chances for survival. This study tested that with independent Web-native news ventures. These entrepreneurial ventures are an emerging facet of digital journalism, and they matter to the communities they serve and to journalism generally. However, data gathered in a survey of 127 independent news sites in the United States do not favor the logic of diversification. For-profit news sites performed the best with scant revenue diversity. Non-profit news sites did not perform any better with diversity.
Cutaneous Mucormycosis Following a Bullous Pemphigoid Flare in a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patient on Ibrutinib

While the recent development of novel therapeutics in oncology, such as small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs), has enabled our ability to target disease-specific molecular pathways, the prolonged impact of these agents on the immune system and infectious risk remains to be seen. We present a 68-year-old male with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on ibrutinib monotherapy for 3 years who developed extensive cutaneous mucormycosis following a severe bullous pemphigoid (BP) flare. He received amphotericin B for 4 weeks and was continued on posaconazole with resolution of his mucormycosis infection. Consistent with a growing evidence of literature identifying opportunistic fungal infections in patients on ibrutinib therapy, providers should be cognizant of medical comorbidities that may predispose to such infections and explore methods of prevention before starting ibrutinib and other SMKIs. World J Oncol. 2018;9(2):62-65 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/wjon1099w
III-nitride UV Photoconductors

The majority of the solar radiation that reaches the earth lies close to the visible region of the spectrum. The intensity falls off from there slowly into the infrared and more quickly into the ultraviolet (UV). Recently, as the growth of high Al composition AlGaN has matured, interest has focused on detectors operating in the solar-blind region of the UV spectrum. The solar-blind region corresponds to the strong atmospheric absorption of solar UV in the range of 240-290 nm. This creates a natural low background window for detection of man-made UV sources. The development of UV photodetectors has been driven by numerous applications in the defence, commercial, and scientific arenas. These include covert space-to-space communications, secure non-line-of-sight communications, early missile threat detection, UV spectroscopy, chemical and biological threat detection, flame detection and monitoring, UV environmental monitoring, and UV astronomy. Many organic and inorganic compounds have absorption lines or florescence lines in the UV region of the spectrum. If a number of different cut-off wavelength UV photodetectors are used, it is possible to determine the presence of individual spectral lines and attempt to identify the presence of specific chemicals. This potential for compact solid-state florescence spectroscopy is one of the most interesting applications.
Bounds on the metric and partition dimensions of a graph

Given a graph G, we say S µ V (G) is resolving if for each pair of distinct u;v 2 V (G) there is a vertex x in S where d(u;x) 6 d(v;x). The metric dimension of G is the minimum cardinality of all resolving sets. For w 2 V (G), the distance from w to S, denoted d(w;S), is the minimum distance between w and the vertices of S. Given P = fP1;P2;:::;Pkg an ordered partition of V (G) we say P is resolving if for each pair of distinct u;v 2 V (G) there is a part Pi where d(u;Pi) 6 d(v;Pi). The partition dimension is the minimum order of all resolving partitions. In this paper we consider relationships between metric dimension, partition dimension, diameter, and other graph parameters. We construct \universal examples" of graphs with given partition dimension, and we use these to provide bounds on various graph parameters based on metric and partition dimensions. We form † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † ¢¢¢ ¢¢¢ ¢¢¢ † † † † † ¢¢¢ | }
Transformation of Progenitor Cells for Treatment of Retinal Disease

There has been a growing interest in regenerative medicine strategies for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina. This chapter examines the transformation of retinal progenitors and bone marrow-derived progenitors for the treatment of retinal disease. Generation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), photoreceptors, retinal neurons, and endothelial cells for therapeutic applications of transplantation is a viable strategy.
Sex Differences in the Risk of Pump Thrombosis in Patients Supported with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Background There is increasing recognition that female patients supported by continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) have worse outcome in terms of overall survival and adverse events. However, reports on sex differences in risk of pump thrombosis have been inconclusive. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the association between sex and the risk of pump thrombosis. Methods We included patients receiving a CF-LVAD at our institution from 2007 to 2017. The primary endpoint was time to first pump thrombosis during 3 years of follow up. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival free of pump thrombosis based on sex and Cox regression was used to determine the predictors of pump thrombosis. Results Our cohort included 301 patients (median age 59), of which 49 (16.3%) were female. During a median follow up time of 846 (interquartile range 313-1096) days, 31 (10.3%) patients developed pump thrombosis. Survival free of pump thrombosis was lower in female patients ( figure 1 ). After adjusting for covariates (including age, race, body mass index, heart failure etiology, LVAD types, LVAD designations and medical comorbidities), the risk of pump thrombosis was higher for female patients than male patients (hazard ratio 2.64, 95% confidence interval 1.22-5.69, p= 0.01). Conclusion The risk of pump thrombosis following LVAD varies based on sex, with female patients at higher risk. Further research is warranted to fully understand these differences, and whether device management strategies should be tailored based on sex.
The Interprofessional Showcase: Evaluating an Event to Increase Professional Understanding and Collaboration.

Traditional didactic instruction is not an effective means to provide the interprofessional education that health and human services professional students need. This paper describes a college event aimed at engaging undergraduate and graduate students from several academic departments in interprofessional collaboration. Participants toured and interacted in academic spaces of other professional disciplines to gain an understanding of these professional roles. Interprofessional collaboration was demonstrated and experienced in these spaces and in the group discussions that followed these activities. A series of micro-vignettes, questions, and road blocks provided problems for participants to solve in interprofessional groups. Pre-post comparison surveys indicated that participants increased in their understanding of their professional role and the role of others in health care and community settings. An improved understanding of the benefits and challenges of interprofessional teams was achieved and participants felt more confident in their ability to work in these teams at job or internship sites.
The future of free vascularized fibular grafts in oncologic spinal and pelvic reconstruction.

The free vascularized fibular graft (FVFG) was first described in 1975 as a solution for large bone defects in orthopedic trauma (1). Since its appearance, the FVFG emerged as the first-line option for a number of reconstructions, including intercalary defects of the upper and lower extremities, craniofacial defects, as well as pelvis and spine applications.
Expenditures on Screening Promotion Activities in CDC's Colorectal Cancer Control Program, 2009-2014.

Introduction The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) in 2009 to reduce disparities in colorectal cancer screening and increase screening and follow-up as recommended. We estimate the cost for evidence-based intervention and non-evidence-based intervention screening promotion activities and examine expenditures on screening promotion activities. We also identify factors associated with the costs of these activities. Methods By using cost and resource use data collected from 25 state grantees over multiple years (July 2009 to June 2014), we analyzed the total cost for each screening promotion activity. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the factors associated with screening promotion costs reported by grantees. Results The promotion activities with the largest allocation of funding across the years and grantees were mass media, patient navigation, outreach and education, and small media. Across all years of the program and across grantees, the amount spent on specific promotion activities varied widely. The factor significantly associated with promotion costs was region in which the grantee was located. Conclusion CDC's CRCCP grantees spent the largest amount of the screening promotion funds on mass media, which is not recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force. Given the large variation across grantees in the use of and expenditures on screening promotion interventions, a systematic assessment of the yield from investment in specific promotion activities could better guide optimal resource allocation.
Association between contact sports participation and chronic traumatic encephalopathy: a retrospective cohort study.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder associated with repetitive traumatic brain injuries often sustained through prior contact sport participation. The frequency of this disorder in a diverse population, including amateur athletes, is unknown. Primary historical obituary and yearbook records were queried for 2566 autopsy cases in the Mayo Clinic Tissue Registry resulting in identification of 300 former athletes and 450 non-athletes. In these cases, neocortical tissue was screened for tau pathology with immunohistochemistry, including pathology consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, blinded to exposure or demographic information. Using research infrastructure of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a comprehensive and established medical records-linkage system of care providers in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, medical diagnostic billing codes pertaining to head trauma, dementia, movement disorders, substance abuse disorders and psychiatric disorders were recorded for cases and controls in a blinded manner. A total of 42 individuals had pathology consistent with, or features of, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It was more frequent in athletes compared to non-athletes (27 cases versus 15 cases) and was largely observed in men (except for one woman). For contact sports, American football had the highest frequency of chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology (15% of cases) and an odds ratio of 2.62 (P-value = 0.005). Cases with chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology had higher frequencies of antemortem clinical features of dementia, psychosis, movement disorders and alcohol abuse compared to cases without chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology. Understanding the frequency of chronic traumatic encephalopathy pathology in a large autopsy cohort with diverse exposure backgrounds provides a baseline for future prospective studies assessing the epidemiology and public health impact of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and sports-related repetitive head trauma.
Clinical and Polysomnographic Correlates of Subjective Sleepiness in Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The decision to treat mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often hinges on the presence of subjective daytime sleepiness. This study was done to identify clinical and polysomnographic features which correlate with subjective sleepiness in mild OSA. Utilizing data from the Apnea Positive Pressure Long-term Efficacy Study, 199 participants with mild OSA were identified. Participants were grouped as “sleepy” or “non-sleepy” based on their responses to a question regarding excessive daytime sleepiness, and Epworth Sleepiness Scores. We compared demographic, clinical, and baseline polysomnographic data between the groups. The prevalence of subjective sleepiness was 74.4%. The sleepy group was younger (46.1 ± 12.6 vs. 53.3 ± 13.1 years, p = 0.001), reported lower quality of life (4.5 ± 0.69 vs. 4.9 ± 0.61, p = 0.0002), had higher depression scores (5.4 ± 4.7 vs. 3.1 ± 3.5, p = 0.003), and reported more naps per week (2.6 ± 2.9 vs. 1.3 ± 1.9, p = 0.01). Total sleep time and sleep efficiency were notably higher in the sleepy (254.2 ± 106 vs. 220.4 ± 114 min, p = 0.08) and (80.2 ± 12.6 vs. 75.7 ± 14.9%, p = 0.06), approaching statistical significance. The non-sleepy group had slightly higher apnea–hypopnea index (AHI 12.2 ± 1.5 vs. 11.2 ± 2.4 events/h, p = 0.01) and worse desaturation indices. Subjective sleepiness in mild OSA is associated with younger age, worsened mood and quality of life. This study suggests that evidence of increased sleep drive on polysomnography may correlate with subjective sleepiness in mild OSA.
Prolonged Opioid Use After Primary Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty: Prospective Evaluation of Risk Factors and Psychological Profile for Depression, Pain Catastrophizing, and Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior.

Abstract Background Forty percent of patients continue to use opioids at 3 months after joint arthroplasty. We sought to identify clinical and psychological risk factors associated with prolonged opioid use. Methods In this prospective study, psychological profile data were collected preoperatively. Prolonged use was defined as dispensation of an opioid after 90 days. Logistic regressions were used for univariate and multivariate modeling and to create receiver operating characteristic curves. A backward stepwise regression analysis was used to select significant factors in the multivariable model. Results The study included 258 patients (163 total knee arthroplasty, 95 total hip arthroplasty). 29.84% of patients were on preoperative opioids and 14% (37 of 258) of patients had prolonged use of opioids. In the univariate analysis, age Conclusion Preoperative opioid use was the strongest predictor of postoperative prolonged opioid use. Younger age, associated backpain, and chronic pain syndrome were the other identified risk factors. Screening tools to detect aberrant drug-related behavior may be more helpful than those for depression or pain catastrophizing.
Mario Vargas Llosa

This paper examines the romans of Mario Vargas Llosa from the perspective of their differences with the dominant themes and styles of the Latin American boom. His study focuses on two novels, The City and the dogs, and Conversation in The Cathedral, considered the most important works of the Peruvian novelist. In this framework it combines literary, political and biographical elements.
Dietary interventions for obesity: clinical and mechanistic findings.

Dietary modification is central to obesity treatment. Weight loss diets are available that include various permutations of energy restriction, macronutrients, foods, and dietary intake patterns. Caloric restriction is the common pathway for weight reduction, but different diets may induce weight loss by varied additional mechanisms, including by facilitating dietary adherence. This narrative Review of meta-analyses and select clinical trials found that lower-calorie diets, compared with higher-calorie regimens, reliably induced larger short-term ( 12 months). Few significant long-term differences in weight loss were observed for diets of varying macronutrient composition, although some regimens were found to have short-term advantages (e.g., low carbohydrate versus low fat). Progress in improving dietary adherence, which is critical to both short- and long-term weight loss, could result from greater efforts to identify behavioral and metabolic phenotypes among dieters.
Defining the optimal dose and therapeutic window in SMA with respiratory distress type I model mice, FVB/NJ- Ighmpb2 nmd-2J

Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) is an autosomal recessive disorder that develops in infancy and arises from mutation of the immunoglobulin helicase μ-binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2) gene. Whereas IGHMBP2 is ubiquitously expressed, loss or reduction of function leads to alpha motor neuron loss and skeletal muscle atrophy. We previously developed a gene therapy strategy for SMARD1 using a single-stranded AAV9-IGHMBP2 vector and compared two different delivery methods in a validated SMARD1 mouse model. An important question in the field relates to the temporal requirements for this or any potential treatment. To examine the therapeutic window, we utilized our recently developed SMARD1 model, FVB/NJ-Ighmpb2nmd-2J, to deliver AAV9-IGHMBP2 at four different time points starting at post-natal day 2 (P2) through P8. At each time point, significant improvements were observed in survival, weight gain, and motor function. Similarly, treatment improved important hallmarks of disease, including motor unit pathology. Whereas improvements were more pronounced in the early-treatment groups, even the later-treatment groups displayed significant phenotypic improvements. This work suggests that an effective gene therapy strategy could provide benefits to pre-symptomatic and early-symptomatic individuals, thereby expanding the potential therapeutic window for SMARD1.
The Future Of Civil Legal Aid: Initial Thoughts

The United States was founded under the fundamental principle of equal justice for all. In the Preamble to the Constitution, our forefathers stated clearly and forcefully the purpose of the government they were creating: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity . . . .” It is noteworthy that “establish Justice” precedes, and is the basis for, “domestic Tranquility,” and that both come before “provide for the common defense.” “Equal Justice for All” is also inscribed above the entrance to the Supreme Court of the United States. Yet, equal justice is not a reality for millions of Americans. This is particularly true for low-income Americans who do not have meaningful access to legal information, advice, assistance, or actual representation in court. Specifically, because there is not a Constitutional civil right to counsel, millions of low-income Americans who cannot afford to pay a lawyer do not have access to necessary advice and representation in civil matters. In 2005 the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) completed a study entitled, “Documenting the Justice Gap in America: The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans,” which examined the adequacy of available funding to meet the legal needs of the low-income population in the United States. The study was updated in 2009, employing the same methodology to document the continued need for civil legal aid among low-income Americans. The studies revealed three main commonalities. First, both studies showed that for every client who received service from an LSC grantee, one eligible applicant was turned away. In other words, 50 percent of potential clients that request assistance are turned away due to lack of resources on the part of the program. Second, the studies each looked at a number of individual state studies addressing the civil legal problems faced by states’ respective low-income residents conducted over the last four years. Seven of the state studies validated the findings of the national study conducted by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1994, which demonstrated that less than 20 percent of the legal needs of low-income Americans were being met. Finally, the studies identified the number of legal aid lawyers in both LSC and non-LSC funded programs,
Higher Body Mass Index Is Associated with Subjective Olfactory Dysfunction

Background. Morbidly obese patients demonstrate altered olfactory acuity. There has been no study directly assessing Body Mass Index (BMI) in patients with olfactory dysfunction. Our purpose was to compare BMI in a group of patients with subjective olfactory dysfunction to those without subjective olfactory complaints. Methods. Retrospective matched case-control study. Sixty patients who presented to a tertiary care otolaryngology center with subjective smell dysfunction over one year were identified. Neoplastic and obstructive etiologies were excluded. Demographics, BMI, and smoking status were reviewed. Sixty age, gender, and race matched control patients were selected for comparison. Chi-square testing was used. Results. 48 out of 60 patients (80%) in the olfactory dysfunction group fell into the overweight or obese categories, compared to 36 out of 60 patients (60%) in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the olfactory dysfunction and control groups for this stratified BMI . Conclusion. This study suggests high BMI is associated with olfactory dysfunction. Prospective clinical research should examine this further to determine if increasing BMI may be a risk factor in olfactory loss and to elucidate what role olfactory loss may play in diet and feeding habits of obese patients.
Non-homogeneity detector for Gaussian and non-Gaussian interference scenarios

This paper presents a statistical analysis of two schemes for intelligent STAP training data selection in Gaussian and non-Gaussian interference backgrounds. Performance analysis of the two methods is carried out using simulated as well as measured radar data.
A design-dependent approach to integrated structural design

Abstract Design-dependent knowledge can be characterized as a memory of good (and bad) designs and design strategies together with the rationale that supports them. Expert designers have traditionally used this type of experience-based knowledge to produce design productivity and quality. This paper presents the architecture of DDIS, a prototype that combines case-based reasoning with design-independent knowledge in a blackboard framework. DDIS has been implemented in KEE using an object-oriented approach to solve structural engineering design problems.
The Curious Case of Orthographic Distinctiveness: Disruption of Categorical Processing.

How does orthographic distinctiveness affect recall of structured (categorized) word lists? On one theory, enhanced item-specific information (e.g., more distinct encoding) in concert with robust relational information (e.g., categorical information) optimally supports free recall. This predicts that for categorically structured lists, orthographically distinct (OD) word lists should be recalled better than orthographically common (OC) word lists. Another possibility is that OD items produce a far-reaching impairment in relational processing, including that of categorical information. This view anticipates an advantage in recall for OC items relative to OD lists. In Experiment 1 categorically structured OC lists produced better recall performance and higher clustering than did categorically structured OD lists. When words were presented in capital letters, thereby minimizing orthographic distinctiveness, OC and OD lists showed equivalent recall and category clustering (Experiment 2). When recall was cued with category labels, OC items were still better recalled than OD items (Experiment 3). These patterns, along with category access and items-per-category recalled, are consistent with the interpretation that orthographic distinctiveness creates a disruption in encoding of inter-item associations within a category. This interpretation expands previous work indicating that orthographic distinctiveness disrupts encoding of serial order information, another kind of inter-item association. (PsycINFO Database Record
Effects of nitrogen in lattice solution on the yielding and flow of zone-refined iron polycrystals between 128° and 300° K

Up to 0.18 at. pct N was introduced into lattice solution in hydrogen-purified, zone-refined iron polycrystals. Tensile tests were conducted at 128°, 173°, 223°, and 300°K on quenched samples at constant strain rate, 7×10−4 sec−1. The following dynamic effects due to increasing nitrogen in lattice solution were found: i) the temperature dependence of the flow stress at strains beyond the end of the Luder’s plateau decreased, ii) serrated flow occurred at 300°K, but not at lower temperatures, iii) elongation to maximum load decreased at 300°K, but increased at 173°K, and iv) the magnitude of the yield drop at 173°K decreased substantially. These dynamic effects are interpreted in terms of a change in the relative mobility of nitrogen atoms and dislocations between 128° and 300°K.
Multi-Step Electron Transfer in Rigid Photo-synthetic Models at Low Temperature: Requirements for Charge Separation and Spin-Polarized Radical Ion Pair Formation

Photoinduced, multi-step charge separation in bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers proceeds from the lowest excited singlet state of the dimeric bacteriochlorophyll electron donor in two steps to yield a weakly interacting dimer cation — quinone anion radical pair, P+-Q−, separated by 28 A.1 The chromophores within the reaction center are positioned at precise distances and orientations to insure that the electronic coupling between P+ and Q− is sufficiently weak to allow P+-Q− to live for about 100 ms.2 At long distances the electron-electron exchange interaction, J, between radicals within a charge separated ion pair is sufficiently weak that differences in local magnetic fields surrounding each radical result in S-T0 mixing of the radical pair spin sublevels.3 This mixing produces a non-Boltzmann population of the spin sublevels of the radical pair and may result in the appearance of spin-polarized EPR spectra. Such spectra have been reported extensively for both bacterial and green plant reaction centers,4–6 but have not been observed previously in rigid model systems.
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Enhances the Excitability and Synaptic Plasticity of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Neurons and Induces a Tolerance to the Acute Inhibitory Actions of Ethanol

Alcoholism is associated with changes in brain reward and control systems, including the prefrontal cortex. In prefrontal areas, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been suggested to have an important role in the development of alcohol-abuse disorders and studies from this laboratory demonstrate that OFC-mediated behaviors are impaired in alcohol-dependent animals. However, it is not known whether chronic alcohol (ethanol) exposure alters the fundamental properties of OFC neurons. In this study, mice were exposed to repeated cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure to induce dependence and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to examine the effects of CIE treatment on lateral OFC (lOFC) neuron excitability, synaptic transmission, and plasticity. Repeated cycles of CIE exposure and withdrawal enhanced current-evoked action potential (AP) spiking and this was accompanied by a reduction in the after-hyperpolarization and a decrease in the functional activity of SK channels. CIE mice also showed an increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio, and this was associated with an increase in GluA1/GluA2 AMPA receptor expression and a decrease in GluN2B NMDA receptor subunits. Following CIE treatment, lOFC neurons displayed a persistent long-term potentiation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission following a spike-timing-dependent protocol. Lastly, CIE treatment diminished the inhibitory effect of acute ethanol on AP spiking of lOFC neurons and reduced expression of the GlyT1 transporter. Taken together, these results suggest that chronic exposure to ethanol leads to enhanced intrinsic excitability and glutamatergic synaptic signaling of lOFC neurons. These alterations may contribute to the impairment of OFC-dependent behaviors in alcohol-dependent individuals.
Examination criteria and calibration procedures for prevention trials of the Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers

Author(s): Warren, John J; Weber-Gasparoni, Karin; Tinanoff, Norman; Batliner, Terence S; Jue, Bonnie; Santo, William; Garcia, Raul I; Gansky, Stuart A; Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers | Abstract: ObjectivesTo summarize diagnostic criteria and examiner training and calibration of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research-funded Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers (EC4) and report examiner calibration results from 2010 to 2014. The EC4 at Boston University, University of Colorado, and University of California San Francisco are performing randomized controlled early childhood caries (ECC) prevention trials with caries as the main outcome measure.MethodsThe EC4 with University of Iowa consultants developed standardized tooth and tooth surface status examination criteria for use in field conditions, examiner training materials, and examiner calibration and re-calibration methodologies. Calibration and re-calibration were performed with 1- to 5-year-old children in the San Francisco Mission District in which assessments from each examiner to be calibrated were compared with those from a single gold standard examiner from 2010 to 2014. Cohen's kappa statistic was used to determine inter-examiner agreement.ResultsA total of seven examiners were successfully (re)calibrated during that period, examining a total of 231 children. Overall unweighted Cohen's kappas for 10 surface conditions exceeded the criterion of 0.70. However, separate agreement for assessment of noncavitated lesions, as in other studies, was lower.ConclusionsAn experienced multidisciplinary and multi-institutional team was able to develop criteria and training materials to anticipate situations and field conditions the main trials would encounter. Examiners were successfully trained and (re)calibrated.
Primary lymphosarcoma of the parotid gland in a child

Abstract A case of lymphosarcoma arising in the parotid gland of a 15-month-old child is presented. No similar case in a child has been reported to our knowledge. Published statistics on childhood lymphosarcoma and on parotid tumors in children are discussed as they relate to this case. The relative resistance to therapy and the rapidly progressive and fatal course are consistent with the published experience in children having lymphosarcoma in more common sites of origin.
Copulation in free-ranging black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

I report ad libitum data on 18 copulations involving free-ranging black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. All copulations were performed in a dorsoventral position, as is typically reported for this genus. Intromission often appeared difficult to achieve, possibly as a result of the large size of the glans penis in these animals. The average length from intromission to termination of thrusting exceeded 17 min, followed by an average period of almost 2 min before separation occurred, which suggests the possibility of a copulatory lock. Offspring of the female participant were almost always in close proximity to or in contact with the pair, and harassment by the offspring was observed only during the final stages of the copulation. All but one copulatory event occurred in complete seclusion from other adult males, and sexual behavior was not limited to any one adult male in the group.
Peripheral dopamine receptor identification: properties of a specific dopamine receptor in the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa.

Abstract Specific dopaminergic receptors were found in the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa. Specific binding as defined by the difference in [3H]-spiroperidol binding in the presence or absence of excess dopamine was saturable and of high affinity. Stereospecificity of binding to the dopaminergic receptor was demonstrated by the fact that (+)-butaclamol was 300-fold more active at displacing [3H]-spiroperidol from the binding site than (−)-butaclamol. A Scatchard analysis of the data revealed a KD = 6.9 nM and a Bmax = 173 pmol/gm for the binding of [3H]-spiroperidol to adrenal capsular homogenate binding site. Characteristics of this receptor place it in the recently defined D2 dopamine receptor subclass.
Tear Film Images and Breakup Analyzed Using Fluorescent Quenching

PURPOSE Tear evaporation should increase fluorescein concentration, causing fluorescence dimming from self-quenching for high but not low fluorescein concentration. This prediction was tested and compared to the predicted effect of "tangential flow" that fluorescence dimming should be similar for high and low concentrations. METHODS A custom optical system was used for video recording of tear film fluorescence in 30 subjects. The subjects were asked to blink at the start of the recording and try to keep their eyes open for the rest of the 60-second recording. An initial recording was made after instillation of 1 μL 0.1% fluorescein followed by further recordings at 5-minute intervals using 0.5% and 5% fluorescein. RESULTS Decay of fluorescence was considerably greater for the high (5%) concentration condition than for the low (0.1%) concentration. This is shown by "ratio images" (ratio of the intensity of a fluorescence image at a later time divided by that of an earlier image), fluorescence decay curves, fluorescence decay rates, and histograms of estimated tear thickness decrease. For example, for the high concentration condition, decay rates were higher than for the low concentration for all 30 subjects (P < 0.0001, binomial test). Additionally, breakup time was significantly reduced for the high compared to the low concentration condition. CONCLUSIONS The greater fluorescence decay and more rapid breakup for the high concentration condition are the results expected if thinning and breakup are mainly due to evaporation, hence causing self-quenching. Fluorescence decay rate for the low concentration condition was not significantly greater than zero.
ELECTRONIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICES FOR MILLIMETER-WAVE BEAM CONTROL ARRAYS

Device alternatives for millimeter-wave beam control arrays are examined. For the control function, a wide range of semiconductor device as well as bulk material alternatives are considered. In addition, alternatives to the traditional metal strip are considered for the passive electromagnetic array element. This work should provide a broader perspective regarding the choices available for the optimized design of new beam control arrays.
Mainstream Efforts to Tell a Better Story - Natural Selection as a Misplaced Metaphor: The Problem of Corporate Power

Darwin uses natural selection in two different senses. Struggle for existence refers to rivalry; survival of the fittest refers to surviving environmental changes. The mainstream vision of economic harmony requires casting natural selection as survival of the fittest. There is no struggle, no conflict. Mainstream economics depicts the selector in the evolutionary game as the firm itself. The mainstream vision requires banishing corporate power and the technological basis of power. For Veblen, corporate power is central. The existence of power implies that among firms, selection assumes the form of struggle. Evolutionary game theory breaks with the mainstream vision; firms are rivals. Evolutionary game theory, however, lacks the "stories" that provide a mapping between theory and reality, something institutionalists are well-positioned to provide. Stories are necessary for understanding corporate power, its origins, its use, and its limitations.
Single facility sequencing with variable processing times and costs

Abstract The classical single facility job sequencing problem is considered where the processing cost is a quadratic function of the processing time. Jobs also incur a delay cost based on the residence time in the facility. The algorithm developed enables the finding of the optimal sequence and processing times that minimizes total cost.
Examination of the behavior of the fully implicit finite-difference algorithm with the Richtmyer modification: behavior with an exponentially expanding time grid

Abstract This paper describes the development and application of the fully implicit finite-difference algorithm with the Richtmyer modification (the FIRM algorithm) and an exponential time grid to simulations of stiff problems involving homogeneous kinetics and simulations of stiff problems involving semi-infinite linear diffusion coupled with heterogeneous and homogeneous kinetics. The accuracy and stability of the FIRM algorithm with various levels and the dependence upon the starting protocol are discussed in detail.
Two stage reliability tests for new series systems

Abstract We want to do acceptance testing of newly minted series systems, all of whose component failure distributions are identical Gamma distributions with unknown shape and scale parameters. The criterion is the equilibrium mean time between failure (MTBF) of the systems. We derive a two stage acceptance testing procedure, and show that as the number of systems in the first stage test tends to infinity, the OC-Curve, derived from this two stage testing procedure, tends in probability to the nominal OC-Curve, derived for a single stage procedure assuming the shape parameter to be known. Also, we have performed a simulation study of small first stage test size properties that confirms our limiting results and gives some guidance on how to choose the number of systems for the first stage test.
I/O system performance debugging using model-driven anomaly characterization

It is challenging to identify performance problems and pinpoint their root causes in complex systems, especially when the system supports wide ranges of workloads and when performance problems only materialize under particular workload conditions. This paper proposes a model-driven anomaly characterization approach and uses it to discover operating system performance bugs when supporting disk I/O-intensive online servers. We construct a whole-system I/O throughput model as the reference of expected performance and we use statistical clustering and characterization of performance anomalies to guide debugging. Unlike previous performance debugging methods offering detailed statistics at specific execution settings, our approach focuses on comprehensive anomaly characterization over wide ranges of workload conditions and system configurations.Our approach helps us quickly identify four performance bugs in the I/O system of the recent Linux 2.6.10 kernel (one in the file system prefetching, two in the anticipatory I/O scheduler, and one in the elevator I/O scheduler). Our experiments with two Web server benchmarks, a trace-driven index searching server, and the TPC-C database benchmark show that the corrected kernel improves system throughput by up to five-fold compared with the original kernel (averaging 6%, 32%, 39%, and 16% for the four server workloads).